Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-04-16


| M. Consul Trisl, who as before stated has
occupied nearly Strenty pages, in his replies
! 10 Mr.. Woodbury's questions, in which hs
! euloeZes the benefits Of n specie currency TO
the skies, and cites the prosperity Of Cuba
asa positive proof of it's superior advantages
| oyef nny other species Of currency. By ex-
aminiug his lengthy and irrelevant returns,
the reader will perceive the source from
whence many Of our learned members Of
Congress have drawn their principal argu-
ments in favor of ub-Treasnry, being
copied from Mr.. Trist almost word for word,
and the reader will be convinced that they
have viewed those countries as being most
important, about which our consuls have
tUritfen the most. Ia fast that source Of in
, formation would appear 10 be the only one
they possess with regard 10 them. The tone
and character of consul Trist's remarks car
ries conviction TO the readers mind, that he
Is n man entirely unscquaintod with business,
and who imagines h,iaselt to have found
" mares nest as often ne he is informed Of
the mode pursued by business men, in the
most common and daily transactions OF lie.
Consul Trlst writes Mr.. Woodbury., ,-"The
income of the public treasury lie collected al
I together 10 gold and siirer coin. :
! The vault or place Of safe keeping is secured
! by three locks F; the keys Of which are sove-
/ rally in the custody of tho Secretary Ot the
/ bitendsncy, the cecopLah gtnerdl, and the
Treasurer general, who are forbidden to en-
/ trust their keys to each other, or TO any pcr-
son no, specially designated by law for cases
OF sickness, under any preteXt whatcver."---
! Mr. Trist says, the public funds are paid out
in the same tdeaticdl gold and silver coins re-
/. ceived in payment OF the revenue nOtiipg
I else" Funds are uanSnited
to the seat of government, or from any point
! Of the Island to another, almost always by
mean. of bills Of exchange, bought Of mer-
chants at the premium or The discount Of the
! day. Remittnnces Of specie are Of very rare
occurrence, and happen only when safe bills
cannot DO procured OH favorable terms. Snch
reihtances are always insured, when by
land they are under the protection Of guard:
when by sea under the customary safe guards
! of commerce. If the amount be considerable,
/ the navy department furnishes vessel OF
, war the commander oc which receives one
half per cent, for tho trouble and respsnsibll.
ty attending his charge"
II Mr. Trist says, there is no currency know q
in the blessed Island Of Cuba but gold and
siver-and from his foregoing remarks, II g
evidently emphatically specie country, and
, that the agency of moral character" is nc
+ more relied upon az q security for the safety
of the public money, entrusted to the Three
Key keepers, lhan 1t is IN the provisions of Mr.
Van Buren's plan of q Sub Treasury, by
which the President is made the keeper of th'
key keepers, and OF fcourse the money must be
safe. Mr. Consul Trist III speaking Of the
credit IN Cuba says, hor feet rest not on a
quick sand. but upon q rock" and afer CO.
{ scrlbing the great amount Of imports urd ex.
, ports Of the Island which, lie saws in the las'
, year tlS37) amounted to 500 940,3J7 Of in,.
ports and S20,345, ,407 Of experts, Ia ruinoU-
excess OF imports as Mr.. Walker would say,
. thus complncenty oliloquzes-" These ars
ioerably sure evidences of state of active
! industry and prosperous credit. Nor are they
less steady than active. They exhibit no n
, teratlons of fcyerish excitement and pros'ra
, ton now rising 10 the energy OF Gellruhm
, now sinking 10 correspondent enervuilon.--
The sudden stoppagc OF the current OF busl
ness in all, or III any one. Of It's branches, IS q
thing as absolutely unknown IN this lslnnd as
\ the freezing Of its rivers and IT'S inhabitants
possess as little knowledge Of the one pbe-
nomcnon as they do Of the other. Nay, less:
for they not only read nnd hear OF the freezing
of our waters, as they do Of those monetary
'prodigies in winch the streams of industry
4 /
and with equal suddenness but, by means
4 Of tho ice Which our country sends hliher
they can form clear conception Of the one
wonder, and Of sll the horrors Of navigation
among itJ whirling and crushing masses
while no such means of knowledge can bt
brought home to their senses and feelings n
regard to the other. Ice can reach here
without thawing; but there il n charm abou
the island which repels the transmission o
, any spc cimcn of the industry and credit Jrees
ing process, or of the currency-rot, which de-
. tiCs their Introduction, be II IN the ever-so
little quantity that would be necessary to
J enable its inhabitants to feel what sort o
thing they are"
/ Happy people, who live on the Island o.
Cuba who can realize tho freezing OF water
and it's dangers but whose country possesscs
} a charm that prevents them from feeling
what sort of thing crtdit freezer Is, or "cnr'
{ lrencu rot" Mr.. Consul Trist then proceeds
lin his eulogy-" am here indulginy III no
,cxacpera,ion. 1t is the literal truth /; and fo
r the proof that II is so, refer To tho testlmo
ny of the leading merchants qf all nations
established here, which forms portion q
. the documents accompanying this letter. i
i. Is strictly aud literally true. that such thing
as monetary convulslUn is absolutely tn
s ka0wn in any part Of this island, which covcr
3 sn area of about forty three thousand square
b. miles ; has n line OF sea coast %. about six
Il teen hundred miles; has nine ports open Il
$ foreign commerce, one Of which is, " as
d commercial city, second to more in the ne"
. world, Now York only eXccptcd;" has
!, population amounting To about one million
t souls, who in the last year, maintained Tor
= eien exporting and importing business ex'
Il ceeding forty three millions of dollars, a'tc'
paving taxes to an amount which, IN the ycal
t le27, (when its exporting aud importing bn
!, slncss fell something short OF thirty hco mil
j. hons,l exceeded fourteen millions, aud th'
= rate ot which has not since decreased; ar'
b, the government Of which IS an absolute mo
d narcly, maintained by the bnyond." Thl
c specie currency IT seems ~ mantaincd b
IF the "bayonei.' as well MS that "f the spccr
e countries before described in Europe. Tn
!" taxes are also considerable by Consul Trist
ID account amounting 10 mere trtic less tho
, the whole exports at the Island. This .
e before stated by the writer ~ another speeI
., feature, IN most European countries.
id Consul Trst farther says, "Thc rcccr
10 convulslon. IN which the whole business {
our country, from the CITY of Now YORK 7
e. the remotca village in the west. exh'blte
in the spectacle OF chaos come again, was Iltc
a.