The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-18

KINDS 10 see the money placed in bank To III.
credit OF the Treasury ; or in other word.
placed an The Treasury, before then can be az,
quilted, and there will be no danger of los.o.
by defalcaiions. Every merchant then. after
the amount Of his duties is ascertained by tbe
Collector, will repair to the deposite bank
Immediately pay the money in, and return 10
the Collector with his certificate of deposue
This will be sent to the Treasury of the L s
and will be followed by the bank return. which
can be compared with the certificate Of de'
posite, showing that every thing is RIGHT a.
that errors have been committed, which csn
be easily corrected.
This course, in substance, | understand i
now the practice in this Commonwealth. since
the melancholy cases which happened some
years ago, with two distinguished men of the
State, who fell beneath temDtation, resulting
from having actual possession Of lie n,oneu -
Two men, of as high pride and Of as elevated
chivalry OF character and feeling, as any Of
whom the State could boast. And vel in an
unfortunate moment of forgetGuness Of vbat
was due to their honor and elevated rank in
society, they gave way to the iempter, monsp,
thus placed constantly before their eyes, and
under their control. Is there Vrginlan,
whose heart is warm with noble impulses, who
can ever recollect these two cases, ard vet be
in favor ofa Sub-treasury bill! "Lead me not
into temptation"-the wsest Of all prayers,
was given to mankind by the Saviour of the
world. When the Divine Author Of our being
thought such a prayer necessary for the well
being of poor human nature, let no man vaInly
say, that he would be proof against the temp
tation, under all circumstances. 1t is The duty
of man to avoid temptation, and ii is the duty
of governments not to lead him into it.
Look at the alarming and astounding list
of defaulters as published, now upon record
in the Treasury Department, all resulting
from permitting men to have the actual pos
session Of money, and humbly conceive no
one will doubt the wisdom Of the prayer just
quoted.
But where is the necessity of permitting the
public collectors to receive the public money
from the merchants, when by such simple
process, as has been stated, it can be avoided!
The practicability Of this process is fully illus
trated by what understand is now the prac-
lice in this State. Gift is not the practice, it
ought to be.) The public debtor presents him
self to the Auditor and ascertains the amount
of his debt. He then goes to one OF the banks
of the State, pays in the money, and returns TO
the Treasurer with his certificate of deposlte
who, after the proper examination Of the
certificate and his own books, gives the debtor
receipt for the amount. Neither the Audi
tor, nor the Treasurer ever sees dollar, and
there is no sort Of necessity that they should.
The whole reliance for safety and security,
under this Sub-treasury scheme is upon the
property Of innocent securities. 1t is admitted,
that the Sub-treasurer having actual posses.
sion of the money, may be tempted to use IT,
or to run off with it. But then, (say the mer
cifu advocates Of this blessed scheme We
have the securities in our power-lnnocent
and generous-hearted men, who may be
tempted through feelings Of friendship to sign
these Sub treasury bonds. We eau, Shylock
like, exact our pound of flesh and take it
nearest the heart, if we choose. We can turn
a deaf ear to the shrieks and cries OF lnnoceH
families, who may be thrown upon the cold
world, penniloss and wrotehod ric victims OF
misfortunes brought on by our own mean and
dastardly legislation. pray most devoutly,
that if ever that internal machine Of immortal
ty and despotism, called the Sub-treasury, be
riyetted upon the necks Of this nation, the
Government may never be able to recover one
single dollar from any one security who may
have been tempted to sign Sub-treasury
bond.
The Government Of this country has no
right to carry out its measures of policy up
on such principles. Let them inhct any pun
ishment they please upon the officers, whom
they have selected and appointed to office
But they have no right to prop up their defec-
tive measures Of policy, by thus involving the
property OF innocent men. is this Govern
ment a selfish and heartless machine, that is to
have no reference in its administration to the
frailties Of our nature-lf the disposition be-
longing to all generous men to do even impru-
dent acts of friendship, can be called frallty!
Ought magnanimous Government to adopt
a system, depending for success entirely upon
the imprudent acts of generous men onsht
it not rather to guard the people against 'nem'
by keeping them clear Of temptation! say
innocent men-They are innocent-the best
men in the world will become securities for
their friends They will risk even their lives
for them, as well as their property-but does
it therefore follow that their lives ought to be
taken, or their property swept from under
them, when the penalties of their bonds are
forfeted7 According to this doctrine, Shy
lock the Jew was clearly entitled to his pound
of flesh. The generous Antonio had borrow
ed money from him for his friend, and was
tempted by the feelings Of fiendship, Ia case
in point,) to comply with the exactions Of the
Jew, (who owed him a deep grudge), of
pledging pound of flesh, instead Of money,
to be taken from am part Of his body, at the
option of the jew, as the penalty for TIE f.
fixture Of his bond The -bssa.---nsuu-- ..---
and the penalty sternly demanded. The pound
Of flesh was required to be taken nearest the