Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-14

Government He denied that there wa, .nv thin,
mandatory in the rcsoluuon-any thing that eouIS
OF would prove offensive to any other Department of
.,s government; and he asserted farther, that the
po~es 10 enquire, implied as necessary eonse.
quehee, Tue power to act; such action at least as
was proposed 10 be taken in that matter
10 Illustrate thus more fully, he would suppose
,na' the aOdueting and abseondns Teller, (yyho he
rsatu was now residing in Richmond, in the bosom
OF ms tamiyD on his return, had been re -nstated
IN ms situation as Teller TO the Bank-rhis sun.
postlon was by no means extraYagant, after the
,aooured eulogium pronounced on him Yesterday
~ WI also DC rceolleced that the friends Of the
ieier denied that he abducted this money for him.
sef-they denied that one cent of IL ever wen, into
ms pocket His offence then, il he might so call
II, was an excess OF confidence. He was said to
I'VE eonhded too much in the honor and integrity
OF Que OF his tricnds this he thought was the front
Oh ms otending-except some minor ,ceaknesse,
which however arose out of feelings connected with
anu belonging TO "some OF the dearest and most
ueIeste associations OF life" He thought this was
the phrase. Well, suppose this Teller reinst,ted
IN nus place, along with the Cashier and all the old
othcers OF the Bank, and that their Committee had
reported these facts to them-that the half million
was gone-had been abducted by some leserde-
man process, so as that no one could be CHARGED
with crimnality, nor in any way made answer,ble
Tor the act-had that been the case presented tn
mem, would gentlemen then have contended, that
mat house could take action in the mattcr3
or, 10 present a yet more fragrant case: suppose n
report should be made To the next General Assem-.
Oily, that another half million had disappeared bv
TINS same process ct abduction, would il be con-
tended that even then that House would have no
power and authority To pass resolution similar TO
tne one which had been submitted To them Ii
thls were the true doctrine, them he asked i'm what
RELATION they stood TO the great monied institutions
OF the State and TO what extent had thew been
SUBJECTED TO their authority Under the existing
fhRNr E.,.N IL.
to redeem their notes in specie, on demand that
thelr charters might DC forfeited. Well had thew
not suspended specie payments once and again
and were their charters taken from them1 On the
contrary was It not made manifest in practice, that
no forfeiture could be exacted THAT no power ex
isted IN the Government that could be used 10 co.
cree them1 That there was indeed no one who
could cut away "the pound of flesh" without at the
same time cutting his own veins and arteries1 That
TINS provision IN the law in fact a mere multi
y2 Thus failing, the only other means Of control
ling them, as Tar as he knew was TO be found in the
authority gwen TO the Governor TO appoint a mino-
my OF the Directors, and the authority vested in
that House 10 supervise their proceedings and the
conduct OF their officers but IL the reports Of their
Bank Committees could in no case lead 10 any ac-
ton on the part OF that body, then that power
even more imperative than the power OF forfeiture
itseli so that It would seem that their Banking
institutions, IN which a vast amount OF public trea-
sure had been invested, and which were constitu-
ted by the law, the Treasury OF the State, SO far
from being the responsible bodies that all had sup
posed them to be, were IN truth monsters that could
not be too soon hunted down and DESTROYED.
doctrine like this could no., as il seemed
10 him, be seriously sustained by any one; and he
must think that those who were opposed to the
adoption OF the resolution, only meant to contend
mat the negligence complained Of in that particu-
lar case, was not of character TO Justify the CEN
sure which that resolution would Gust on the pres-
dent OF the Bank. That there were many members
OF that House who honestly entertained that view
OF the subject ne knew. He blamed them not.
thouSh he Offered with them in opinon-but even
II ne did not differ yet could he not vote for the in
dehnlle postponemGnt of thus subject. /. was fairly
before them IN all ITS bearings, and il did seem TO
MN That II could N no way be dismiss but by a
vote OF appreciation censure. Would not the
vote Tor indefinite poHponement carry with it, as a
necessary conse9 approval of the doctrine
that the Pres dent and Directors of a Bank misht.
al their pleasure dispense with the execution of the
laws enacted Tor MS government even in a case ike
the present, where their dong so occasioned A loss
70 Ihe Institution II more than half a million of
dollars! That the President of Bank might ind ge
IN an excess Of Confidence in particular instances
though the Ind sence Of that cor fdence MIGHT
to ueia cation, which, but for that could no have
happeneni That n, on an inquiry by this House II
was iound tina Bank President had been careless
ana neg gent IN the discharge OF his DUTY that IL
was not the business of the Repr sentaiyes of tie
People 10 no d him TO strict accountability for all
that he might have done-or failed 10 debut thar
they have power only 10 investigate and not the
power to censjre coerce7 To these do crimes Inc
never would either by direct or indirect vote give
his sanction, whatever others might do-lnd how
ever Teluc an. lie ghi be an individual TO 1ass
upon the case of the President of the Bank of Vir
gina, lie would yet, as the Representative of LARGE
anu most respectable portion of the people of this
| Commonwealth, freely and fenrlessly give when
| the time arrived, that vote wi oh would he was
very confident carry out the feelings the wishes and
| the principles OF those who had sent him there