Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-07

his wife Rcbecca
The SPEAKER laid before the House communca
ton from The Auditor Of Public Accounts made in com
pliance with resolution of the ilonse Of the 2Sth ut
transmitting statement Of the probable number of lu
natics in the jails of this Commonwealth; which, or
motion Of Mr. MAY, ordered to be laid upon the Ia
bic and be printed
On motion Of Mr.. TAyLoE, Of r. and L., it was
Hesolred, That the Committee of Courts Of Justice
inquire o the cxpediency of making all process
ing f.om The county Courts reurnable TO the rules in
each month, they in the Circuit Superior Courts
Bill concerning the carrying of arms and ammu-
milton by free negroes, reud the first time; there.
upon motion was made by Mr.. RADCLIFFE that the
further consideration thereof be indefinitely postponed
and the question being put thereupon determined
in the uffirmative-Ayes 60, noes Is.
On motion Of Mr. MAY, the 5th rule of the House
was suspended, and the vote rejecting engrossed bill
concerning Cuthbert Powell reconsidered, and on
motion of Mr. MAY, was laid upon the table.
farther report Of the Committee rejecting the
Petition of Alfred Wood, was, motion Of Mr.. Wiley
ordered to be laid upon the table.
On motion of MIR. FULTON, it was
Resoired, That the Committee of Courts Of Justice
inquire into the expediency of amending the law
corning Prosecuting Attornies in the Superior and In.
feror Cosrts of this relation 10 their
term OF service and the fees taxed in the bill of costs
in favor of convlcton-and that said Committee report
by bill or otherwise
Merchants and Mechanics Bank Of Wheeling and The
.NUWHfSlcrR DGEE OF 1UgtHiu
Mr.. LEE moved to take up and consider the resolu
tons offered by him yesterday
MIR. STErHENsoS OF Tyler proposed an amendment
to the second resolution, which reads thus:
"Wlether said Banks either of them have been
in the habit of paying the proceeds Of notes, bills,
such of their post notes, without making any allow
for the time they might have to run" After the
word "run" he proposed the following: "And whe-
Their said Banks received such post notes, in payment
of the debts due them, at par"
Mr. LEE accepted this amendment part of the
resolution.
Mr.. McCosSELL moved to further amend the reso-
u,ons by adding thereto, ''and that they have power
TO send for persons and papers, should they think that
course necessary.
MIR. May objected to this resolution, because he
did not think there any necessity for bringing
witnesses this place for the purpose OF tasti-
flying TO any such fact that alluded 10 in the
part of the resolution referring to the issue Of notes
not made payable until certain time If the practice
prevailed, it doubtless a general one and there
could be necessity for the House TO have legal evil
dence of The fact lie had, himself, seen So and $40
notes payable at period after their date; and this
matter of aterpayment was IN very small etters-so
small indeed that casual holder would scarcely OBJ
serve it, Now for the purpose of legislative action
this subject the fact whether those notes had been
used in that form without the power with the power,
that their charter might give might be readily ascer
tanned He was, therefore, not willing to go to the ex
pense ofsendng for parties from Wheeling TO embrace
a course, which would require the personal attendance
of Witnesses with all their endless examinations and
cross examinations before the committee when ade
qna,e benefit could result therefrom. With these
views, therefore, he should vote TO reject the proposed
amendment.
Mr.. MCCONNELL had no wish TO embarrass the SUBJ
ject-hs object to assist the enquiry. If gentlemen
had examined the charters Of these Banks they would
have found, that they gave full powers 10 issue post
notes lie thought that when the House were about
TO institute grave enquiry into the affairs OF these
Banks: and when charge was brought against an in
stuton of having forfeited its charter he thought,
matter of Justice and right that they should give
~ facility to having the matter fully and fairly enqui.
red into, and examine the officers Of the Bank and
others upon the subject. lie merely asked, that the
Committee should have the power to send for persons
and papers;-ifthe Committee, investigating the sub
ject should not deem il Of sufficient interest Or import
ance they would doubtless not e2eIose the power with
which they were vested; bub if on the contrary, they
felt the necessity of having such evidence, he was
anxious that power shoyldbe granted to obtain it, He
trusted, therefore, that the House would accede TO his
proposition.
MIR, LEE had not submitted his resolutions without
having first examined the charter of the Bank. 1t
was true, that there found in the terms of the
charter power 10 issue pest notes but he denied
that So $40 notes, as part of the circulating me-
dunn, was ever intended 10 be issued in this way. He
wanted the whole matter to be enqured into-he
been in the habit of discountng notes, bills and other
and paying the proceeds in their post notes,
without making any deduction for the time such notes
had to run. On of these points it would be ne
cessary to have evidcncc-but lie did not suppose
would be necessary to send for persons far Wheel
ing to ascertain these facts. He thought in all
spects it proper and could not be Objectionable that
the Committee should have power 10 send for persons,
should they deem it necessary 10 do so.
The motion, on being put, was negatived by con-
siderable majority.
MIR. CRurcmriELD moved to suspend the rule of the
House. so as to allow the of John Patton, which
decided the other day. be again entered into, the
member having charge of the petition in his
place-Ayes AZ nays AZ.
STATE PROXIES BILL.
On motion of MIR. GREGORY, this bill with the amend
ments from the Senate, was taken up and considered
The first amendment was the giving ofthe appointing
power the Treasurer instead of to the Executive
MIR. CRUrmrIELD was sorry that the bill was called
np-it not important that it should pass ut this
lime, if at all but the matter had been called up,
he found it necessary to make few remarks. The
bill had passed that House without cciting discus
sion of any kind, nor had the committee on Banks
discussed the question-It had been sent to another
branch Of the Legislature, and there 1t had received
such amendments as made II, IN his opinion, The duty
Of that house to give the subject their serious considera
on reflect whether such bill ought to pass at all
In another place the question had hcen raised, where
IF those who doubted the power of the Legislature to
pass this bill all, if they passed the bill, whether
/ was binding upon the institutions to which it REFEREED
the individual stockholders would not he JUS
icd in refusing their recognition of the proxies thus
,ppointed-He would Gull attention to the acts and
charters of incorporation. Ii gentlemen would look
% the general charter of the Virginia Bank IN loo4,
hey wou'l find the State was represented by the
Treasurer of the Commonwealth was his duty
10 attend all the meetings. to represent the stock OF the
State and to guard the interests Of the State in that
,tock-In those meetings he could give certain vote,
md in certain cases had controlling vote-He was
Director crofeio and exercised all the duties and pr-
ycges of Director-hcy would thus perceive that the
State had controlling influence in the management OF
The Bank-When they passed the Bill 1887 this course
was desgnedy changed-the whole of tine controul and
agency ofhe Treasurer at the meetings and the Board
Of Directors, was omitted; and now the only controu
which the State Yields in the management and dircc-
ton of the affairs of this institution is through the APP
pointment of Directors the Board OF Directors and
This appointment rests with the ExecutIve-Ihe tx.
pcutive of this Commonwealth, under the oct OF
1897 was authorized to appoint four of the nine dec-
tors of the Mother Bank and three ont OF the seven d.
rectors of the Branches,-wh the exception OF some
tha aurph had re-