Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-02-20

and ascrrbng the same to III. removal the depo.,ss
from the Bank OF the United Sts'es. The memorial Mr.
D. said, was numcrously signed by merchsnts ship
traders, and sboring men, all men of ints gritty and
,and entitled much weight as an equal
,ha, ,h ,a.mor,ai no ,s at ~ ~. county re mo'en
Finance. and printed, with names attached.
Mr. Hun said he had not had the privilege OF sigh,
original memorial om Portsmouth, but member OF the
House, who bad copy ot IL, had kiudiy that TO
him. OF the two hundred aud hity petitioners so far as
be asceraiucd by gentlemen ally acquainted
there is MOI solitary hi-nd OF the admiu upon IT,
inrcla,ion to this asnoai. he would ask leave read
cxiracs from letter he had recently cev.d from that
town:
'On Saturday perceived, by notice stuck up at the
end Of the brick Market that iede alisis u this tow
were about to memo'iaxe Congress upon the subject Of
the public deposies Although this invitation given
to ALL cifh0ut distinction 0 party yet teel persua
dsd that you will TO, mud the a single friend Of
the aninisrsiion II ,hey have told you that there s
any unusual pressure in this not true There
- here that ieeis embarrassed for the want Of
money, save those who have ntcarvanfdbiy extended
their business upon borrowed capital. Every thing
here commands hgh price. The sgrculu lists no
pressure They resping richly OF the blessings OF
wse sni jucous administration, and Of the bounis. OF
kind Providence. The merchsats here migh do the
same, Il were not Tor the corrupt AMI ruping, aud
shameful management, Of the Banks. say Banks, be-
cause the Of the loo al banks in this town ,ympa
tze strongly Ia politics NTH Mr. biddle's Bank aud its
b. anches.
will venture assert. and pledge my veraci,y upon
the assertion that the Branch Bank this place has in
her vaults at least fifty thousaWd dollars in SPECIE and at
least thirty thousand dollars in local bills II The fac,
hundred thousand dollars. How snuch has been dis.
counted at that Bank have the Of knowing
This Bank also, refuses TO sead home the bills the
Commercial Bank although the Cashier has been re-
Them"
Mr. H. continued: Sir, the number OF petitioners at
tached TO the Portsmouth memorial is tess than half
the number Of votes that have sometimes been cast by the
opposition party In that town.
For some time past, il will be that the discount
of the branch has averaged about 500 600
On the FIRST OF January was $685. ,0S3 reduced
petition, to 1892 37S-making contraction OF more than
thousand dollars in day.
The Portsmouth petitioners probably the Bank at leas,
three ourths Of the whole debt There are but few debts
due out OF that town; and Of the Banks debtors the
OF some OF these few the petition
Sir very few persons at Por smoutt, elsewhere in
New Hampshire would think of moving in favor Of the
Bank, except those who act in this from party mo.
ives; Tor the Bank has been bghtng the men
| OF business Of that place.
There are, sir, this petition several names of per.ons
who Jailed in business four and five years ago. whose
names are on bad paper at the branch Bank five, en
twenty, and up to sixty thousand dollars each.
There ais other the paper of
gentlemen Of reputed wealth. who are repored 10
have permanent accommodations at the Bank Of from
oooo 10 Zo,OoO dollars which is employed in
or manufacturing establishments.
The branch at Portsmouth, Mr.. President, ever since
1876, has been managed Tor tie purposes of political
vor''ism since that time very lew except political friends
have had loans personal security; and the whole loss
incurred is believed not dollar has been directly
by any defdcaon OF any friend of the administration.
We have tight to presume well from the charac.
ter oil the petitioners aud their small number from the
efforts that the friends of the ank have the re made that
less than one four Of the people Of Portsmouth in IA
vor OF the Bank Independent of political bias which
lew men entertain the friendship to the Bank forced,
from the fears OF those who dependant it, These
men are generally traders whose capital has been
nished by the Bank.
There is on the petition scarcely the name of mocha.
mic or artisan who abors with his hands. The work.
ing men, mechanics and anors, and farmers of that
town are made Of loo stern stuff be compelled petition
Tor object like this; and the party favored BY the Bank
has too often been defeated in its attempts those
resou'e, hgh-minded men, at this time to embark or
such an undertaking. These have long followed in
the train with such Langdon and Manning and
Hall, and Gardner; and il is too late in The day The Ha
vens, and the Ladd and the Pierces lead them I'D TO
any encounter against popular rights.
The public voice in the State Of New Hampshire sus-
ains the Presidents opposition recbarerng the bank
by nearly three TO one.
No meetings in that State have been called 10
opinions this subject; but the friends the ate and
National aimnistra ions have recently had meetings in
nearly every town, elect delegates for their Council
and Senatorial District Conventions for The present wear
NO organized opposition has yet appeared the prevail
ing party nor is there probability that there will be any
opposition Yet never have the primary meetings b, en-
as full or the Conventions been so generally
More than two hundred of the hundred and thirty
towns IN each convention, have been represented
ihe delegates, IN some instances, travelled distance OF
seventy miles TO attend them And it is the
position OF the country in relation the Bank the Uni
ted States that thus called these full Conv
without any previous concert, the five Council isrct
Conventions and clever Of the twelve Senatorial Conven.
ons have passed strong resolu against
sitter The Conventions have sent their resolutions
here, but they have published them to the world.
AZ least three 10 one OF the people OF Hampshire
are opposed TO This Bank and that the
Is Identified with the two parties the cid federal and
democratic parties would be none but the debtors
and immediate dependents the Bank favorable TO re-
ne" al OF its charter
he retaining the bills Of the Commercial Bank which
Is The depose Bank by the branch at Portsmouth ia
proof conclusive OF the rnined hostility of tho
branch Bank to the Stale Banks that not obey its COM
mands he manner Of redeeming the notes OF the inte
ior banks III new England has become system, bring
ing all to par value. Boston being the mporun 10
which all these aow they are iss, d. each
Bank has its specie fund al Boston redeem them II
Bank shoud stop payment, the TACT would be know al
Boston before W known its place of loo alton
The funds are Ia Boston for the OF the bills
The Commercial B"nk Of Portsmouth, keeps its funds
there The branch at Portsmouth, instead of either send.
ing The notes OF The Commercial 10 the counter of that
Bank al It's own door, ndDg them Boston for re-
demPtion, chooses TO hold them. Why! Because
The managers OF that Bank know that by 70 doing they
can pounce upon the Commercial Bank either at one
or the other and thus compel the Bank provide specie
fund at both places at the time for this single amount
Of money.
In 1882. surprised to find petitions coming in
here from Banks IN New Hampshire, favorable TO renew
ing the charter OF the Bank Of The United States Those
Banks generally had had very little do with the United
States Bank; they never had been in a position to ask IA
vors from IL, or TO be much affected in business by IT, The
Banks in New Hampshire generally 10 The hands Of
our political opponents.
Alter my return home, was made acquainted vii t,,e
process oil procuring these petitions The Bank Attorney
1T the head OF the branch Portsmouth was the agent IN
write TO some political friend connected with each baok
urging that petitions might be forwsr I'm some in
stances Tie directors OF these banks having before their
eyes the declaration of Mr. Biddle in 1880 that ~ 40 in
the power Oi his Bank, al almost apy lime tn .n,;Iia,