Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-12-25

mat the evils OF our OuntTy IL tutoring
under, far from being remedied by the sus.
pension are yearly aggravated by its con.
%tlnuance. Five banks now confess their
inability to sustain themselves without as.
sistance. In a year more the number will
probably be doubled, for the aid demanded
would considerably reduce the means OF
The stronger Banks without restoring the
others ~ a much healthier condition.
Those institutions which are now una.
bic to resume will be still less able to do SO
hereafter. The depreciation in the value
OF our products and of real estate result
ing from the disorder in our currency, re.
acts on The port folios Of the Banks by di.
minishing the ~pecuDiary abilities of those
who are Indebted to them. Already they
have ceased to rely with confidence u.on
the punctual payment Of the paper they
have discounted, and the amount of pro-
tested paper already considerable, cannot
fail to Increase in a frighttul manner by a
longer continuance Of the suspension.-
Having lost the advantages of their Bank.
ing privileges by the suspension, those
corporations find themselves deprived of
their ordinary profits, whilst the public are
left without the facilities they had a right
to expect. In January 1887 the capital
of the Banks which had laid before the
Legislature a statement of their situation
amounted $4,000 600 and their discounts
and loans to $43, AGO. OO, more than &c..
oJO,O0O beyond their capital paid in. In
November last the capital paid in together
with The accumulated profits, not divided,
amounted t. Sl9,9OO,OJO, dollars-and
the discounts and loans to $45,4Uo,OOO
id est Ss4,5OO, 900 below the capital.
Some of the Banks have expressed their
desire to resume Immediately and two now
pay their circulation in specie: no doubt the
Legislature will see the necessity Of sustain
ING this return to the fulfilment of contracts.
By forcing all to perform the duties prescribed
to them by their charters or to enter into Ii
quidation, you will be adopting the only effec-
tual means to rid the country of Institutions
destitute of banking means and who thereby
~paralyse the action of the others whilst they
keep their paper in circulation. l can perceive
no other way to put an end to the reprehensi-
bic and illegal solidarity which is attempted
to be established between Banks that cannot
fulfil their engagements and Banks for which
the state has pledged its credit and its faith.
Resumption must press heavily upon the COM
munity for a while, but this pressure cannot
be avoided.-We cannot permit the value of
our property to be always represented by a
paper money furnished by Banks who do not
paw their debts. A resumption must take
place sooner or later and it cannot take place
without a momentary shock. While we delay
this crisis, we weaken our power of resis-
lance, and we increase its intensity by the
additional number of institutions that must
succomb.
The numerous frauds committed against
different Banks in this city, shew the INSULT
cheney of our penal avs against this species
of crime. The act of February 10th 1921,
reaches the officers and servants Of the, banks
who shall have unlawfuliy converted to their
use, it's funds, or those who have aided to COM
nit this offence; but the law does not extend
to those who obtain money by drawing checks
on banks where they have no funds they
cannot be punished unless they are accompli-
ces of the officers or clerks of the institution,
and of this it is almost impossible to obtain
sufficient proof. Crimes of this kind have du-
ring your recess, occasloned to some of our
banks losses to the amount of some hundred
thousands of dollars and for protection for
the future they look to Your interpos:tion.
The penalty for the crime Of bigamy is far
too %lenient a fine of not more than five hun
bred dollars, and Imprisonment not longer
than two years, is a punishment no ways COM
mensurate with the gravity of this offence.
The law against duelling has become a dead
letter. The slight regard paid to it by %juries,
even when the testimony is %undeniable, shows
that its execution is Impossible so long as the
country adheres to its present manners and
prejudices. Laws which cannot be executed
should be- repealed or notified. If the punish
ment of death were replaced by Imprisonment,
if the survivor and seconds were rendered
jointly and seyerally liable for the debts of
him who falls, if the guilty were besides liza
Bile for large damages to be recovered before
a civil tribunal by the heirs of the deceased,
the end the Legislature had in view would
probably be- better accomplished.
At the commencement of your last session
I thought it my duty to lay before you some
observations on the public lands granted to
the state for the benefit Of colleges and pri-
mary schools. | beg YOU TO allow me to bring
them again to your consideration. A law for
the sale Of the school lands will probably be
passed at this session Of Congress; if early
instructions be sent to our delegation, YOU
will be able to dispose Of these lands with the
consent of Congress; in such a mariner as to
create a permanent fund for public education.
The act for the distribution of the proceeds
Of the public lands, passed at the extra ses.-
sion of Congress, requires that you should fix
the manner in which the five hundred thou
sand acres granted to this state within it's
limits, for internal improvement, should be Sc
lected.
The gross negligence displayed by the
greater part of the administrators of public
schools relative to the transmission of the re-
turns which the law requires them to make
to the Secretary of State, renders it iInpassi-
Bile for you to learn the number of INDECENT
children who receive the benefits of educa-
tion, through the liberal appropriations yearly
made for this object. In 1889 only eleven pa
rishes made their returns at the time fixed by
lawn 1910 the number was reduced to
nine. The end of this month is the time fixed
for their reception, yet up to this day only two
have been received. The absence Of all inffoor-
nation on this important subject should con-
vince you of how much abuse a system ia
susceptible, where large sums are disbnrsed
without the Legislature being able to Judge
of the extent of the benefits which the mass
of the people derive from it.
The SUMS appropriated every year for the
support of schools and colleges prove. that the
Legislature feels the necessity Of afording to
the people that degree of education necessary
to fit them for our form Of government, but il
should not be forgotten that these approprla-
tons are useless, unless employed SO as to at
tain the important end for which they were
designed. / have on different occasions OBJ.
served to your predecessors, that one of the
principal causes Of the want of success atten-
dant on our system Of primary instruction is,