Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-01-11

ton and who as the President states had gone the
Bank ia haste. What were we TO thnk OF an institution
IL be said that the public funds safe! Safe, in
suon where all its funds at the will Of man!
be expended as coirupy as he pleased without giving
any re- ason for the expenditure voucher Tor who
suborn uzze, corrupt the press by the corrupt
OF the public money Again; look to the Transactions
OF this Exchange Committee with Gales s. Seaton In
which the by laws Of the Bank violated, and large
accommodations granted on unusual aud uncertain secun
W Was not the Gank, TO all intsDis aud purposes me
6ona Jde owner Of the National nteIlgencer, and In
point OF fact, IL the real II not os'cnsoie and no.
mnai printer to that House We had seen that the go
directors OF the Bank, appointed to watch over
the public had excluded from all its
mitees nay, they had said nore they had said they
not even know what the
carried on by the President OF the Bank. II this all
denied he desired Committee Of ation for
further object that they might it's truth aud also
10 ascertain the truth Of other matters which they could
otherwise know, except by rumou; that they might
ascertain whether large had been paid
who not printers but OF political commits
tees, Tor the circulation Of political essays.
The Bank had no. only done all this, but more II had
set itself up to hwa the financial measures oil me TO-
vernmen; it had nterfered with The Government in the
payment Of the public debt But the gentleman from s.
Carolina asks why bring the old affair Of the per
cen,s And he repeats in substance the statemen con.
tanned in the Bank manifesto He takes for granted
all which there stated must be true Mr. p. observed
that he hsdid year an opportunity OF examining into this
question a member OF committee Of this House; he did
intend TO repeat the House all the developments
relation TO IL, which that examination had brought to
light; but would briefly state the prominent points OF
the evidence. In March, 1882, the Government, having
the funds depoe in the Bank, determined, and gave
notice accordingly that the LIST Of July and Oct follow
ing, they would pay off large portion of the three per
stocks; the Bank, applied Government post
pone the payment from July to October. The fact Of
this application to The Government Tor postpons
afterwards denied by the President OF the Bank
in his examination before the inv eating committee
OF this House. In that examinations the President states
-" have made no application to the Government, nor
have requested any suspension Of any payment Of any
portion oil the public debt, and he states further that
son the part OF the Bank sought nothing, requested
nothing" The Bank manifesto page 81, takes the
ground and by tearing from it's isolated part
report Of the committee, this manifesto makes the
committee 60 they fully OF opinion that the Bank
neither sought for requested posponement OF the
payment by the Government" emitting altogether the
closing part of the sentence as stated in me deciura-
lion Of he Preedeni" emitting also, the declaration Of
the committee that but for the the Bank
would not have possessed the ability TO meet the de.
stock"
He ought perhap. here TO call on the honorable men,
Der from Georgia, (Mr Cayon) step forward in vind
cation of his report az attempt of the Bank
to msrepresent it, No man knew better than he did the
injustice OF such an attempt. He well acquainted
with the whole transaction and had ability expose this
base attempt OF the Bank TO palm upon the country
falsehood and throw responsibility by
upon the Government The Bank charged that the Co
vernment alter having advertised payment Of the per
cent stocks in july 1884, had, notwithstanding their
strong desire to pay it, sought postpone until the Oc-
tober following, while in tact this pos,ponement
sought by the Bank ITSELF This oerita6e Bank NANTES
to. in speaking OF the President OF the United States in
reference 10 this POsponemen, further states, 1.-THE
preston here conveyed is that the Presi
dent OF the Bank in order relieve the institution from
demand, which it could sustain asked indulgence
which was conceded by the Government the huth
is, that the Government tDished to make this post-
ponefnent but could not do it, tcithou the aid Of the
Bank"
Now, sir, (said Mr.. P.) affirm and will prove not
withsanding the statement Of the President of the Bank
that the Bank tneher sought for requested post
ponemeni that the Bank did in iac through its Pres
dent seek that very PostPonement and viii prove This.
Ill nvida af Mr. Raua
the Bank, and members OF the Exchange Committee and
by the evidence of A. Dickens Esq., Chief Clerk in the
Treasury Department, taken before tire Committee Of Ways
and Means, at the last session of Congress On ihet eY
animation, the following interrogaory propUundel TO
Mr. Bevan, wit On the oath of March 1882 the act
ing Secretary of the Treasury, notified the President of
the Bank Of the intended by the Government on
the LIST July following OF one half Of the per cents
nation, to ashingion, and solicit the Government
TO postpone this intended payment from JULY 10 lstOc-
tober?" Mr. Bevan answers, "Mr Bidde came to Wash
iDgon time in the latter end Of March, and an ar
was made with the Government 10 postpone
the payment TO the list October, the Bank agreeing to al
arrangement ods made by the Government at the soil.
citation of the Rank" Mr.. Eyre ON his examination
asked, "Wen Mr. Biddle left Philadelphia for Wash.
ngton did yoR not know that the object Of this visit was
ask OF ie the postponement of the intend
ed payment from July to Ocober? He answers E" /
knew that the object of his visit" Mr.. Dickens, in
his examination, i'm 10 interrogaory of similar
import states, 81 wrote the letter mentioned the inter.
rogaory to Mr. BiddIe therein descbed he represented
m his
letter Of the 18th March, that would be desirable to
pone the payment OF the per cents for another auartes
and think il upon suggestion that lie nut his
in the form OF letter. His letter of the 29th
Nj arch accordingly written which though dated the
Bank, written by Mr.. Biddle the Treasury Dur.
ing the interview with Mr. b., Mr. MI,ane the Score
tary came to the Department. he had been confined 10 his
house by ndsPesiton; and well recolIect he came
out for the purpose Of seeing Mr. Biddle The posfpone
'nent ,ods again urged by Mr.. b. and upon grounds ST
milar to those presented in his letter. Mr. MLane how
ever, did not at that time give any positive answer be.
,etled and the consent of Mr.. MLane was comunicat
ed TO Mr. Bidde, verbally, condition that the Bank
should pay the quarters interest which would accrue by
the Posponement. The application for postponement
government not because Of any apprehension of tcant
V funds to meet the Intended payment the Isf lulu
then merit foiiotoing."
1t was thus clear, that the Bank and not the Govern
ment had sought the postpoDement, and vet this Bank
manifesto unbushingy airms what SO clearly dsproyed
BY the testimony have just referred and asserts that
he report Of the committee in 1892 the head of which
was the gentleman from Georgia, (r CIayton0 "was in
decided contradiction to the assertions Of President of
u 5. in the statement made by him his Cabinet on the
18th September If Mr. p had not suci emily exposed
the misrepresentation and false statements imputed by the
manifesto to the committee Of 1882, whereby they are
made TO say directly the of what thew do saw he
trusted the gentleman from Georgia. who made that |
report, would vDdcse the work OF his own hands and
supply the defect And after all this will il be preani
ID that the posponemeDt was sought by the
because the government had not funds. But even an
guilty Of the miserable FOLLY Of first advertising that thew
were ready TO OF this portion of the debt and vet that
they were not prepared for its payment.
IL was useful Mr. p. ssid) scruiinze closely
alse statements, tor they coDciuyely showed what ge
neral credit should be paid to all the other statements