Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-06-02
From The National Intelliecncer.

DAMPERIHa WITH THE CuRRENCy, AND
CORRUPTION IN THE LAND OFFICE w hen
we stated some days ago, on respectable
authority, the general fact oil good bank
paper being received a a discount at some
Of the Western Land Offices, and then
re sold by the Land Offices at a premium,
we were contradicted 10 the usual courie
Gus stl lie Of the Government paper, and
delied TO produce any specific fact to JUS
tily the statement. Though our general
information was undoubtedly true. we
could not travel out TO Ohio 10 obtain spe-
ciicatons, and therefore had them not TO
give. We have, however, just received
one, and we hasten TO place 1t before the
eyes of the Executive, and of our readers,
as follows:
From THE Wing Mansfield, (Ohio) May Ia.
We extract The following from letter
received by us a few days since from
gentleman Of high respectabIlty:
"Being in the immediate vicinity OF the
Land Office, have an opportunity OF see,
ing many queer things transacted, and
will give You one among the many daily
and almost hourly taking place. A man
came in, wishing 10 enter five half sec
iions of land. and offered in payment
$I,S15 of a New York Safety Fund Bank,
and he was informed by the agent, that by
the orders from the Department at Wash
ington, they were prohibited receiving any
money Of less denomination than 80, or
money OF any other than dcposlte banks.
Here the man was in predlcament, for,
jf he went to get his money exchanged
for such as was receivable under these or
ders, some ore might enter the very lands
he had selected TO settle himself and sons
upon. What could he doP The agent
very oAhsingly helped him out of his
trouble by exchanging his own pirate mo
ney with lin, for five per cent. premium,
in which operation he pOcketed the trYiing
sum of s9j 10, and the man had 10 pay,
in reality, 81 ,95S 10 for five half sections,
being SS3 rs more than the law Of the
land requires. But mark the sequel! The
same day merchant wanting funds that
would go at the East, paid this land agent
o per cent. premium lOI this same money,
being $50 IL pocketed by the agent, ma
king Sl22 90 clear share. out OF tCo ind
v,dUais, on tie same money, in one day.
How long people will submit to this frau,
Gulent system Of kRaUiag them out OF their
industrious earnings. time must determine
If they will keep in power such men as
will sloop 10 any fraud, however 6 arng
and obvious, 10 aggrandize co paItIsans,
they ought TO suffer the conseqrences.-
The above is but a specimen, and such
specimens are but the commencement of
a system Of operations admirably calcula-
ted TO make the rich richer, and the poor
poorer > and the whole to be done under
the pretence Of beneliting the poor and la
boring classes Of lie community"
j lie following paragraph exhibits only
the beginning Of the evil consequences Of
the governments tampering with the cur
Ioncy Of the country.
We are told by large dealer in bank
notes that bark notes Of the State oil Ohio
are from - 10 per cent discount in our
city and back notes Of the banks west OF
tue Allegheny are generally from q TO 4
per cent discount We are told also, by
a gentleman just from New Orleans that
he paid in the city Of .Ne,o Orleans 6 per
cent premium fer notes on the bank Of The
United States; and that he understood
they bore like premium throughout the
whole valley OF the Mississippi, and we
have seen letter from Nashville in
which the writer says, any quantity Of u.