Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-02

the President of that Bank? Is necessary that 'e
President of that Bank shall superlnend the "hoie
b,pkiur interests of Virginia: presume, thcn Una,
in case of his dissolution 1t would become US to repea
all The char;ers-uness indeed, we arrive at inc con-
clusou that was no his business to superntehu
the other Banks than he appears to have oeeveu u "
be- TO superntend the Cashier OF the Bank OF virginia
With due Difference, sir, to OPINIONS oil o.her sen'
whose course ofacton upon this subJeci q" not
=, oa,sure,phom do not feel myself able TO advise
md whose action upon il do not assume or expect
TO affect have duty to discharge myself ana 'nus'
N fairness discharge il to the best Of my ability DO
M, sov that feel indifferent TO the decision OF tins
subject have already expressed much upon this
mint as is necessary But confess that, except so FAR
The matter is TO of no great consequence wouiu
desire opinions which deem just, should prevail be-
cause believe them Just and useful TO the country Be
yond this have no especial care upon the SUBJECT
rood deal sir too has been stated about Richmond and
its influence upon the legislation of Virginia Tor one
am proud Of Richmond. know this far CITY and
it abounds with WORTH intelligence, patriotlsm' ana
wealth feel disposition TO inJure ftlchmohu' nor
nm convinced that all the citizens OF Richmond are
favorably inclined the reelection OF the PRESIDENT
On quitting the Bank few days since, Mr. Speaker
gentleman of this city addressed TO me very slgnh
cant enquiry. hope | shall not DC caiied upon 10
give the name Of the individual Tor shail decline IT,.
[ assert that the person who addressed me was OF
the city as | believe, of lis immediate vicinity.
Sir said he sslf the President has performed his
DUTY and there yet has occurred ths great Joss, what
is the sense of having President: MIR. Speaker, /
was so ignorant 10 suggest that the PRESIDENT con-
the Cashier conducted the correspondence And, sir,
Turned TO the bylaws, to solve the difficulty and
found in the very bylaw which prescribed TO the Pre-
sdent as duty, TO supernend the conduct OF all per-
sons employed in the Bank these further acquisitions,
viz To take into his safe keeping and separate custody
at the Bank, the plates, paper-moulds, and bank pa
per; deliver the paper to the Printer, whenever
new emission Of bank notes shall be directed to re-
ceiye 1t from him when printed; and after atixng his
SIGNATURE, deliver it to the Cashier, at convenient
times for issuing; and regular account TO be kept
of the Bank paper in the custody of the President;
which account it is required shall be checked by
quarterly examinations OF the Bank paper IN the GUS
tody Of the President. Then follows the sentence
Joining upon him TO superntend the conduct of all
ne sons employed in the Bank and TO sign the bills and
notes at the Bank issued at the Bank. So that it is
perceived, far this bylaw can make it apparent
that provided the Stockholders could preserve else
where the plates, moulds, and blank Bank paper,
more securely than they enabled to preserve
the money in the vaults OF The Bank of Virginia. and
keep just accounts of the quantity of uncurent paper
delivered TO the printer ana received back from hun,
and how much uncurrcnt PAGER remained on hand,-
Maelzcls automaton might be made to have discharged
the other important duties of President required by
that bylaw.
know, sir, full well, that these are not all the other
duties of President that he chief Director at the
Board of Directors and that much is due skill and
is there no other gentleman in Virginia who possesses
that skill and experience: Perhaps Perhaps we
are destitute, and need foreign Importation
Will not ask, sir, if there be other citizen of Virginia
who possesses pure character high integrity, as
lofty honor, as the President Of the Bank of Virgil
MIA. For, while the possession Of these conceded
10 hun, all must be that others too possess them
equally And, sir, 1t Will be conceded on all sides
that there does live in Virginia gcntlemanayc,
sir many gentlemen equal TO the occusion if the de-
cease of the President had rendered it imperative TO de-
eide whether TO repeal the charter Of the Bank, trust
the superintendent of lis affairs TO other gentle
man. will, upon this OCCASION present the subject TO
the Legislature in another aspect It's conceded that
there are various persons in the Commonwealth, of
great personal worth the President of the Virginia
Bank also that several competent to discharge the
duties of President of that Institution. The present
President it is assumed possesses financial abb
lily than absolutely demanded to discharge those du-
ties And, sir, would then place the propriety of
ample, against superintendent skill and then decide
how, representative of Virginia, ! should act
This, Mr. Speaker, is common question: and
believe the people Of Virginia will understand the So
luton perfectly.
How much does this loss facilitate resumption OF
specie payments, which we all so much long for:
ask this House, if the great body Of the people is
not to be taxed, and smatly taxed for this generous
principle Of the President; The State holds large
ieres in the stock of the Bank the Board Of Public
Works, the President and Directors Of the Literary
Fund all hold stacks in this Bank; and they all
owned by the pcopleaye sir, and they entitled to
have dividends for what sir Merely for the purpose
of drawing the dividend, No, SIT; but 10 the
demands which must be made, and which. if not paid
from this source, must from the pockets of the
peope-yes, sir from the pockets of your constituents
and my constucnts-your poor neghbor, and my poor
neishbor; for, sir, there is evadng this dun The
State demands the tax, and the citizen must per force
pay IT, The proportion of loss sustained, pertaining
exclusively TO the great body of the people,
thing short Of S2N0,000. II will not suffice TO inform
the people that the losers in the main mere Bank
Stockholders for they well know that they have los
themselves; and they know too that even stockholders
parcel Of the people, and that widows and orphans
(whose dead husbands and dead fathers relied III,
character OF the Virginia Bank and the high estimate
of its President and by their last writings ordered in
vestments of their slender IN the stock of thai
Bank suffer smarty for their husbands and fathers
confidence and vain trust. The widow has less means
for her maintenance-the orphans fewer comforts.
do not speak of absolute restitution. do not NEAR
that they sarve-perhaps is the want of new stock
ings, or another handkerchief not absolutely bread
Why should they not possess these cheap luxur'es-
their fitting and accustomed comforts Sir because tho
President Of the Virginia Bank possessed in too emf
nent degree the principle Of confidence
Mr. Speaker, the chict evidence Of generosity have
disc overed in this whole business is the instance o.
Dabney cited by the President and which therefore
may be well excused for reading from his own address
to the Stoc kholders: The apparent habits of industry
q his general deneanor and out of the Bank, tho
responsibility of his connections his wife and family
his service in the Bank for ten years, the universal
confidence of the community in which he lived iron
" his childhood, the recommendation under which he
90 came into the Bank, all forbade the slightest susp
6 cion against his integrity
Z" If Mr. Dahney's want Of integrity was not sus
pcc,cd much less could have been imagined that he
% or any other would allow mere adventure,
&c TO draw and cxtort from him large of money
belonging to the Bank, and confded 10 his care, with
out any conceivable motive for such derclicon o.
duty and if the fact had not occurred il would have
been considered almost impossible under the motives
q that usually control human actions. Indeed, after
50 attempting to analyze the whole affair, confess is
'enveoped in degree ofmystcry that cannot pcne.
{" trate That do embezzle and apply to their own
&c usc their rapacity ambition may prompt mo-
ncy belonging to others, is unfortunately for them.
selves and for society," not very uncommon case
:" But that one should sacrifice his reputation and
incur the penalties of the law, without bene.
" fit to himself, which seems, in the case in question: