Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-06-26
Isween it and counsel employed in trans

oNtt'f itS ouotICocs
Nor do the undersigned think the pro-
fession of editors and publishers, ofright
more obnoxious to the imputation Of
corruption, on the ground of business
transactions with the bauk. The ma
ture of their business requires bank ac-
commodation as much as any other
The undersigned do not perceive that
they are more likely than any other
class of citizens to be corruptly infuen-
ced by the accommodations they re-
celve. If they were,it is doubtful, as
matter Of fact, whether, with an excIu-
sive eye TO the accommodations afford
ed BY all the banks in the country and
TO the influence under which they are
dispensed, it would be better calcula-,
ton at the present day, to defend or TO
attack the bank Of the United States
One thing is certain, that the editor
who defends the bank of the United
States may be considered free from the
suspicion of having an eye to political
patronage, a source Of corruption, when
abused, as powerful, to say the least, as,
the favor OF IA mere moneyed institu-
tiOn.
7. BIT the undersigned hasten to ex<
press their views on the last step which
was taken by the committee towards the
discharge oftheir duly,i in many respccts
the most important Of all. On the 9Th
day OF May, acopy Of process, some
what OF The character Of a subpoena du-
ces tecun', and which may be seem in the
appendix, No. AZ, addressed to B. S.
Bonsall, Marshal of the eastern district
Of Pennsy lvania, was served opon Nrch-
olas BIddle. President. Emanuel TMan.
j Eyre, Matthew Newkirk. John Scar.
seant, Charles Chauncey, John S. God.
lard, James c. Fisher, Lawrence Lew
$, John Holmes, and William Plat, d.
rectors ofthe bank of the United States,
commanding the said Bonsal to summon
hem TO be and appear before the cor.
nittee Of the house of representatives
II the United States, appointed on the
eth day Of April, 1894, in their cham
Der in the North American Hotel, in the
'lty OF Philadelphia, and to bring with
hem the credit books of said hank, on
he 10th day Of May instant, at the hour
If 10, M. then and there to testify
ouching the matters enumerated in the
aid resolution, and TO submit said books
o said committee for inspection.
The undersigned entertained and still
great doubts Of the legality of
his process. The inquiry alluded to in
he process Is, among other things, into
the abuses, corruptIons, and malpractices
It the bonk,' that is, the crimes and misde-
neanors of its officers and directors, and
he process just recited is intended to be
luminous to majority Of the directors
md the chief officer of the bank to appear
md testify, as individuals, TO the matters
1t that inquiry ;lhat is, to their own crimes
md misdeineanors, with view, as the
'esolutlon of the committee expressed
|, Of inqniring "whether such prose-
'n'ion (name'y a criminal prosecunon)
hould be instituted The undersigned
'avealready argued at length, and attempt.
ID 70 show, that the power reserved in the
'harter, OF sending a committee to inspect T.
he books and examine the proceedings of
he bank, and report whether its charter
lad been violated, conferred no right Of
the production of the books out
II The bank, and the appearance Of the d.
ectors, to submit 10 an examination on
'aths as to their innocence or guilt, Of the
crimes and misdemeanors laid
o their charge. In like manner the I'M
lersigned have expressed their conviction
hat the general power of inquiry possess
ID by the house can have no rightful extern
zion 10 case like This. 1t follows by ne.
,essary consequence. that no process, hav-
ng for its object to compel the directors toe1
appear before the committee, and bring
with them the books of The bank to be in
pected, and to testify touching The matters
II such an inqniry, could be legal. The
'bject Of the process was Unauthorized by
aw.
Incident to this fatal objection 10 the
is another not less so. A subua-
"a duces tecum is process, not issuing to
he party criminated or implicated in the
rial, or interested in the suit, hut to a third
person to appear and bring with him, any
PAPER in his possession, which may lawful
y be used as evidence in the trial or suit,
without prejudice to The person summoned,
lr his title. The process Of the committee
was intended to be addressed to those whose
,buses, corrup'ions and malpractices, were
he subjects of inquiry; and the books they
were ordered to bring with them, were to be
used in their own elimination.