Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-24
SENATE.

No. 227. A bill to repecl the 18th section OF
chapter 1873 of the Code OF Virginia
No, 22s. A bill prescribing certain duties to COM
issi oners of the Revenue in relation to noisS OF q
less denomination than 1--WE dollars, together with
the following rep0t upon the subject
The select committee on the subject Of SLnau
notes have had the several resolutions referred to
them unler consideration and report.
They have renewed this question under the con-
viction that the policy of the State, founded upon
the results of experience and (aS the committee be-
Level of mistaken good reason, 10 suppress the GU
culatiou of notes of a less denomlnanon than hVe
dollars is TO be preserved unimparedS and finding,
that the state Of public opinion IS unhapPlly such
ms to prevent the efficiencyof the law as It now
stands, and that the best mode OF accomplishing
the object is to throw such burdens upon the crcu-
lation of notes Of less de nomination than hVe
dollars, as 10 prevent the deception now practlced
upon the community by those interested IN pre-
serving and continuing this abuse recommended
that the nineteenth section OF the 196th chapter OF
the Code of Virginia be repealed ana InaI t9e CON-
miSsonerS of the revenue for each county shall oy
law be required (at period suthclentIy remote
from the passage Of the acC to cause each person
from whom he takes list Of his taxable property,
TO answer upon oath an interogatory IN addlnonto
those now required. to be propounded by law by
the answer to which It may appear whether or not
since tue commencement OF the ACT The person mas
passed or received in payment any note or security
issued in violation of either the 18th or lIth sec
tons OF chapter 1873 of the Code, and II the answer
shall be in the Affirmative, that then the commits
sioner shall enter against the said person in his tax
list tax Of ten dollars, which shall be collected
and paid over by the sheriff other State revenue
The committee believe that this policy Will re-
suit in good to the community not only in causing
the law to be obeyed, but will, though seemingly
ha.sh be i'll truth free from the objections usually
urged against other modes of rendering the laws re-
lating to this subject effective.
On motion of Mr.. Daniel, the Senate adjourned.
We call the attention of the public to the fore
going remarkable report of the committee of the
Senate of Virginia to whom was referred the sub
iect of allowing our Banks to issue small notes.
After giving the subject their most sapient atten-
ton they have made the foregoing re port. Before
we remark upon the remedy proposed by the bill
indicated in the report, it may be well to invite
the attention of our Democratic friends to por-
ton OF the preamble, in which the committee al
ter reciting their own confidence in the restriction
"founded upon the results of experience and OF
mistaken good reason" and believing that this
policy should be preserved unimpaired, "Gna find
ing thGtsthe state Of public opinion Is WhGRpity no'O
such as TO PreUent the cteieneyof the IGD asst nOD
stands, &C.," declare that the best method, &C.,
is to throw burdens upon the circulation of small
notes. Here then the committee of the Senate
Of Virginia, after maturely considering the petit
tons upon petitions which have been presented
for allowing our own Banks to accommodate them
selves to the wants of the people, decide that de-
spite "lhe state of public opinion which they
have solemnly admitted is opposed to the execu-
ton of the odious restriction now on the statute
book, they will nevertheless adhere to the act re-
fuse the remedy petitioned for, and when the peO-
pie task fish give them serpent" 1t it like the
conduct of the kings of Egypt of old, who, when
-. -,
at the heavy burdens imposed upon them, took
away part Of The materials in their profession, and
yet demanded the accomplishment of their tasks.
There the king was king here our servants are our
kings and taskmasters. We should like TO know
how the action of the Senate's committee con-
trasts with the Democratic baltimore Platform,
which charges as one of the sins Of Federalism ga
desire to palsy the will of the constituent" We
should like to know who is now seeking to palsy
the will of the constituency, which this commit
tee have in effect declared to be opposed to their
action, when they report "the state of public
opinion TO be unhappily opposed" to the execution
of the old law, mild and pleasant in its operation
compaIed with the inquiSitorial system now sought
to be introduced into the statute book of Virginia.
The Constitutional Virginia, in the Bill of Rights,
declares "that in all criminal prosecutions, man
hath right to demand the cause and nature of his
accusation, to be confronted with the accusers
and witnesses call for evidence in his favor and
to speedy trial by impartial jury Of tsUeIVe men
of his viciuage, without whose unanimous con-
sent he cannot be found guilty; nor he be COM
PEELED to giDe evidence against himself, &C., and
yet in the face of the Constitution. in the face of
The common law principle, "the consecrated wis
dom of centuries,'' which the Constitution has
re-embodied, the Senate committee propose a
measure which makes man his own accnser,
compeIs him to give evidence against himself;
tries him WITHOUT jury, and constitutes the COM
missioners ofthe Revenue thejudge who is to pro-
nogpce judgement upon him. Such an effort is
Unparalleled in the records of tyrannical legsla
ton, and we cannot for moment believe that the
Legislature of Virginia will pass, CT the people
of Virginia submit to a Law more odious than the
Inquisition principles of the Dark Ages, in direct
opposition, as the committee admit, to the ''sGte
Of public opinion" which iuAicts vital stab up
on the Bill of Rights of Virginia, while it ''seeks
TO palsy the will of the constituent ~
Herr -ALExANDEh.-This counterfeit travelling