Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-12

provision TO which The STOCKHOLDERS gave
was, that this appointing power should be vested III
and exercised by the Chef Magistrate aud here the
House proposing indirectly to influence the action
othat discretionary power The effect could be no other
than 10 transfer the appointing power 10
they did not mean TO pass resolution TO be whoutiorce
which would be mere brutnm jfmen;-no, they meant
it be strong enough 10 effect their object. Did they
expect it TO have any effect; And if so, what !:
Was it not TO interfere in the exercise of that discreto
the free and independent use of which was bargained
for the charter and compact, and to trench upon
which would be violation of the compact When the
stockholders took the charter they took 1t on the ex-
press condition that the discretion reposcd IN the Exc
cutye should be the discretion of that officer, and no
other; and violation of the chartered rights OF
that institution TO interpose the authority OF TINT House
to usurp those rights and WELD that institution
power which they did not possess he thought there
fore, these grounds, rs involving most improper
and dangerous interference with the Executive, and as
direct and positive violation of the charter OF the
bank. the present movement ought to be resisted
1t was not in the competency OF that House to take
any steps to bring about the removal OF the President
of the Bank of Virginia. and therefore, was that ne
had made the motion for indefinite postponement-
Before proceeding further he would beg 10 strengthen
his argument respecting the improperly ofany interior
ence with the functions of the Executive Win snort
speech which he had found in the papers few days
ago and he begged to ask the attention OF the House
to that speech 1t made on the question Tor the
appojntment of proxies the bill for that purpose
had come from the Senate with certain amendments
and when that question came up he found W.T.. STE-
pnESsoy of Tyler, addressing the House IN speech
in which he cordially concurred begged to adopt III
with some slight variation, as part OF h's own: i,
"AIr. STEPHENSON ofTyler, concurred IN the general
remarks which had been made by the gentleman from
Spottsylvania. There was view OF The case which,
however, he had not touched, and that was the attempt
to take from the Governor the little remaining patron
age which he did possess. They all knew the Exc,
culive Of the Commonwealth had very little power and
patronage and it did appear to him. that the Senate
Housed had n design to take that little away lie
thought that the Senate ouse could not have reflect
ed the facts and differences that might be drawn from
the adoption of their amendments these resolutions
II had been correctly stated that the power to the Irea-
surer, under the charter Of 1904, had been expressly
taken away in 1887 and placed in the hands OF the Elk
ecuve, who more competent eihciently 10 aus
charge the duties, fall equally true here There might
be some thing behind this which did not see the light
parties might wish cast imputatlon upon the
integrity of the Executive for some purposes OF their
own they might wish to aix Stigma on their Co.
vernon and leave it be inferred that he was not to
he trusted TO execute the duties under ms OIL lie
should therefore move lis indefinite posponement
Mr. r. hoped the force of these views would be felt
by the House. and he had right at least to expect they
would induce his friend from Tyler 10 withdraw, or al
any rate vote against the resolutions under considera-
ton.
The resolution before the House, proposed in sub
stance to effect the removal of the President OF the
Bank Waving the objection Of the competency OF
that House 90 into the question al all, he would no
come consider the matter, supposing them 10 have
the power do directly and regularly what they were
now seeking 10 accomplish under the resolution lie
would proceed TO enquire whether there existed ade-
uuate 10 Justify that House, taking steps Tor
the removal Of Doctor Brockenbrough. lie asked Tor
what it was, that the Honse was called upon
TO exercise its power lar they could 10 efect
the removal OF that officer? In whatever light men,
bers placed this NATTER let them sIft it and change
it they might, it PLAIN his whole offence con-
sisted in eglectng duty required q. hn by one oil
the bylaws and that this neglect grew ont Of an over
confidence in of those associated with hun IN ad-
mnstcrng the affairs of the Bank-"'Thc very head
and front of his offending, hath this eIent-no more
lie believed it the that the President OF the
Bank had neglected the duty imposed upon him by the
y-laws-a duty which, if he had strictly performed,
might have led to the prevention of the unfortunate re-
suit That neglect resulted from the confidence, the
perhaps of confidence which he reposed IN the
officers of the Bank, but especially, from the
| confidence which both he and the Cashier reposed
in Dabncy, the first Teller With respect 10 that officer,
there had occurred any thing wha,cvcr 10 shew in
the least degree that he be disrusled; nothing
to shew him unworthy of the confidence which, from
his long service and general character, seemed justly
reposed in hm-a confidence, which was felt BY the
President; which, from all the circumstances of the
case would have been felt BY ninety nine out Of
hundred, nay, By nine hundred and ninety nine out
of every thousand, and who would thus have fallen
into similar Dabney had grown up in this
community he was schoolmate oil his was known
to every of business in the city, and mad the
confidence of them all had discharged with fidelity
various important duties: he had occupied desk
in their Treasury Office, and had possessed the full
est confidence of the present Treasurer, The most watch
full and lynx-cycd of public officers. The manner in
which he had in that Office discharged his duties, was
the recommendation which introduced Ii IN into the
Bank. Year after year he had performed his du-
ties faithfully and had furnished ground to doubt
his integrity there was nothing in his whole de-
nrh IN inIi In hp
in his accounts, in any way calculated to excite
pcion: his habits of life and style of living were
alike unexceptonable The crime which he had COM
mitted-the act of which he had been guilty-was
without parallel in the annals of human aberra-
tion-wns such could have suspected or
believed, till it actually occurred. Men had frequent
been led by the prospect OF gain, TO breaches of
trust, but in this there the bcs for sup
posing that he had appropriated TO himself one
farthing of the vast fund which had been distracted
from the Golfers Of the Bank and for the Of
money which he took just prior TO les flight, ne had
left adequate security in the hands OF the Bank.
They had had the astounding fact presented to thc OF
officer of the Bank allowing hundreds Of ousands Of
dollars TO be distracted, without himself deriving one
single cent for his connvarce in The fraud. How
could it have been suspected, that ma;1 who had
ever been punc.ual and correct would allow himself
to be the dupc Of speculator and adventurer !:
How it TO be supposed that this o ifccr, who
exhibited no whatever to excite dlstrust,
should be viewed with suspicion by tie Pre- sdent; We
all are swse after the facts" when the truth had
to light tina, he had allowed this loss 10 fall upon the
institution, every Immediately discovered that il
was an excess of confdence-but he humby submitted
that the facts belonging TO the such although
it had subsequently been proved to have been unwor-
thily bestowed, would have led any man to entertain
the confidence which the President felt. But yet this
was the ofence-ths the neglect OF that officer. He
had, under such circumstances, neglected TO examine
the vaults and drawers Of the teller lave it done and
this was to bring down upon him The punishment pro-
posed. 1t would further be observed, that there
interposed between him and Dabney another officer,
more Immediately charged with the custody Of the
ney of the Bank in whom also The fullest confidence
was reposed-an officer, with respect to whom, what
mi ht be the opinion of the House and the public
in other respects, it could not be denied that he had
indicated his claim to that confidence, by an un.
sullied character, by an upright department., and
by constant, arduons and anxious attention TO
the interests of the Bank. He, too, entertained
suspicion of Dabney. And yet, now for such de-
lnquency as had been described the whole power of
the State was be invoked, and all lis energies put
FORTH strike from the head of that institutions gno
la 10 from hpad fbp WIN