Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-03-03

snd harmless Tue one with lis four principal rf'1Sei1
twice as many clerks and five inspectors, c"mPnreu VII"
this complex and mighty engine OF power: AN" ye'
there are many both Intelligent ana palF!oc: VINO W
nost the bill and support the substitute, on 'e ''""'
lint the Turner would give patronage and power
than the latter How strange and wonderful LIE aVef
sity Of the human mind r., 49,.
So far from being lrue the very fact Of the separation
of the Government from the banks, provided Tor in inc
bill would of itself be the most decisive blow that couiu
be given arainst Government patronage and the union
of The two the most decisive in its favor when tner
notes are received in the public dues as cash. ana Tue
pubIic money deposited in their vaults the banks BE-
come the Miles of the Government all questions con.
n.cled with its fiscal action. The higher It's taxes anu
duties the greater its revenue and expenditures ana e
its surplus the more their circulation and BUSINESS
and, of course, the greater Their PToh ana enGe oi Ill
questions of taxation and disbursements, and The acc
mutations of funds in the Treasury their interest would
throw them on the side Of the Government and against
the people.
IN and and the larger The surplus,
The lrss would be their profit and their interest IN That
case would throw them with the people, and against The
Government. The reason 10 obvious. Specie IS Tue
basis Of banking operations; and The greater amount tey
can command ike greater will be their business and
bu, when the Government is separated from the
and collects and pays away its dues specie instead OF
their notes il is clear that The higher The taxes and dis.
bursemrnts aud the greater the surplus IN the feaSuy'
and the less will be left the basis Of their operations,
and consequently, the less their profit. Every dollar
wi,hdra wn from them would diminish their business four
fold at least, and hence regard 10 their own interest
would inevitably place them on lie side 70 which nave
assigned them
The effects on the politics OF the country would be
great and sauta1y. The ght Of the banks would be
taken from the side of the tar consumers. where IL mas
been from the commencement OF the Government, anu
placed on the side the tuz payers This great division
of the community necessarily grows out OF the sca ac
ton Of the Government Take taxation and dis6urse-
ment together aud it will always be found that one
portion of the community pays INTO lie treasury "a m
shape of taxes than it receives back IN lat OF c's
burse lnents and that another receives back more lu
il pays The former the tax payers, ana tne la'tf
the CONSUMERS; making the great essential, anu con'lo
ling division in III civsed communities IL, win u.s.
the Government has heen thrown On The side oil the CON
sueis as il has, i, be attributed 10 It's alliance win
the banks whose influence has been, in consequence
at all times, steadily and powerfully on that side. IL IS
To this mschievous and unIoly alliance that nny DC
traced amns, all The disasters that have beallen US and
The great political Grgeneracy OF the country Hence
the protective sysrm; hence lis associaed and mon
sruus system Of Disbursements hence the COLLECTION OF
more money from the people than the Government conid
require hence the and coruPtng SURPRISES hence
Legislative and Executive usnrpatins aud hnally hence
the posralan OF the currency and the disasters which
give rise 10 present Deliberations RcrIve ms Ia
tai connection, adopt this substitute, and all this Train Of
evils will again follow, with redoubrd disasters ana cor
will be- reversed and shall have prospect of re.
storing the Constitution and country To their primitive
simplicity and purity. The effect Of the refusal on tie
patronage OF the Coz -nmen would be great and dec
sive. Burke has wisely suid that the 'revenue Is the
State in modern times" Violence and coercion are no
longer the instruments of government in civilized COM
munes Their reign is past. Every thing is now
dnue b. money 1t is not only the snew OF war, bnt OF
politics; over which, in the form o: patronage 1t cxcr-
cises almost unlimited conlrou. Just as the revenue
increases dmnshcs, almost in the same proportion -
patronage increased or diminished.
But admit for q moment, that neither the separation
nor the connection would have any sensible effect TO
increase or diminish The revenue and that ltwoud ne OIL
the same amount, whether The bill or substitute should
be adopted yet, that supposon, the patronage
Of The latter would be hundred fold greater than The
former In estimating the amount oi patronage oil any
measure three particulars must he taken into The cacu-
a,ion the number Of persons who may be affected by
III their influence in the community, and the extent oil
the control exercised them. II will be found on
comparison that the substitute combines all these ele.
mens in far greater degree than the BILL as shal! now
proceed 10 show. begin with the number.
The bill provides. has been stated Tor Tour prncI-
nal receivers eight or ten clerks and suitable number
of auenls TO act as inspectors making in the whole say
25 Individuals These would constitute the only add.
liona officers 10 keep and ds5ursc the pnbc money
The substitute in addition To the officers in service,
proyides for the selection of 2 banks 10 he taken from
the most powerful and influential and which would
have average at the least 100 officers and stock
holders EACH making in the aggregate, 2oOO persons.
who would be directly interested in the banks anG OF
course under the influence Of the Government.
As TO the relative influence Of the officers and the Sc
lccted banks the community, every impartial man
must acknowledge that the preponderance woulc be
greater The side Of The latter Admitting the respect
ability Of the receivers and the other officers for
in the bill and the officers and stockholders Of the banks
TO be individually the same. still The means OF conr" al
the dispnsition of the former would he nothing cun
uarrd 10 that Of the latter They could not touch cent
Of public money. Their would he limited 10 their
salary which wonid be too small 10 be felt in the com
muny Very different would be the case with the olii.
GERS and stnckhoders Of the banks They oil oil per-
sons are by far The most Influential i'll Tie community
a rreuter number pend on them Tor accommodation
and favor the OF their business and prospects
in life than any other class in snciety and this would
be especially Of The banks connected with the Go
vernment.
| II only remains TO compare The extent OF the
control that may be exercised by the Government over
the two in order TO complete the compa!ison and here
again The prepnnderance will be found TO be strIklngy
on The same side. The whole amount of expenditure
under the bill would exceed 100000 or SiO0OO an
nuny The very larhesl and this constitutes the whole
amount Of control which the Government can exercise
There would be perqusites contracts, jobs, or IN
| cidenla gains The Offices and salaries would be all
| To that extent. those who may hold them would be
ipnenent on the Government and thus far they may be
controlled. How stands the account the other side
What vaur shall be put the public depnsiies in the
hanks What OH The rcceivabIty OF their notes. as cash
! BY the government What on their connection VIII
/ the Government their fiscal agent, which would
give great control over the exchanges and business
of the country? How many millions shall these be es
tmaed al and how Insignificant must The paItry sum o.
$50 GUO $40 900 appear to those countless millions
held under the provisions Of The substitute at the plea
| sure Of the Government
Having finished the comparison as 10 the relative
patronage OF The two measures shall next compare
| them fiscal agents Of The Government; and here lei
say, the outset that the discussion has corrected
an which once entertained. had supposed that
the hazard of keeping the public money under the GUS
| ody Of officers OF The Government would he greater
than in bank. The Senators from New Hampshire and
Connecticut, (Nessrs Hubbard and Niles) have proved
from the record that the hazard the other side; and
that have lost more by the banks than by the collect
ing and dsbursng officers combined. What can he done
to increase the security by udcous selections of officers