The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-06
Il Z OCAL MATTERS.


of Columbia on Monday last. for the suppression
of small notes as currency in our District. AZ a
matter Of general interest give it in full to the
exclusion of other matters:
bill to suppress the circulation Of email notes az
~ currency in the District Of Columbia
Be II enacted bp the Senate and House Of Renre.
sentaticss of the United States America in Congress
assembled, That if any person, or any association,
partnership, or company of individuals, or anv
body polite or corporate within the District of
Columbia, shall, from and after the passage of this
act, make, emit issue, utter any bill Of credit
bank note, promissory note, bill Of exchange.
order, ticket, or any other instrum mt of writing
in less amount, or of less denomination than
five dollars, to be used as a paper currency or as
circulating medium. either as rneney or in lieu
OF money, or of any other currency, or shall make
sign, draw, or endorse any bank note, prornssory
note, bill of exchange, bill of r,dit, order ticket.
or any other instrument of writing, obligation,
promise, contract, or agreement, for the payment
or delivery of money or other valuable thing or of
any thing purporting to be valuable thing of a
less amount than five dollars, to be used as paper
currency, or as circulating medium, either as
money, or in lieu of money or of ny.other cur
rencys every such person, and every member. of.
fcer, agent of such association, partnership
company of individuals, body polite or corporate
concerned in or asserting to such making. emit.
ting, uttering, signing, drawing, or endorsing az
aforesaid, for any of the purposes aforesaid, shall
District of Columbia for misdemeanor: and. on
conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for term
not less than ten days, nor more than one wear,
and fined in sum not less than one hundred, nor
more than five hundred dollars And it is hereby
especially declared and enacted that in the case Of
an association, partnership, or company of indi-
viduals, body polite or corporate, committing any
OF the offences aforesaid, every individual shall be
presumed, prima tacie, to be concerned in, and to
have assented to- the commission of such offence
and or hard ri,
from shall rest on him or her.
SEC. 2. -And be it further enacted, That IL any
person, or any association, partnership, or com
pany of individuals, or any body polite or corpo
rate, within the District of Columbia, SHALL
from and after the passag of this act, have
maintain, or keep, within the limits of said Dis
trct, any banking house, brokers' office or other
office, room, or place of business, in or from
uttered, signed, drawn, or endorsed, bills of cred
it, bonds, promissory notes, bills of exchange,
ORDERS tickets, or any other instruments Of writ
ing, obligations, promises, contracts, or agree
ments, for the payment or delivery of money or
other valuable thing, or of anything purporting to
be a valuable thing, of less amount than five
dollars, to be used as paper currency or as cir
culatng medium, either as money, or in lieu of
money or of any other currency, every such per-
son, and every member, officer or agent of such
association, partnership, company of individuals,
body polite or corporate, concerned in or assent
ing to such having, maintaining, or keeping, as
aforesaid, such clearinghouse, brokers' Office, or
other Office room, rplace of business aforesaid,
shall be liable to indictment by the grand Jury Of
the District of Columbia for a misdemeanor and
on conviction thereof shall be imprisoned and fined
for the time and in the amount declared in the first
section of this act: Provided, That for each and
banking-house, brokers' office, or other office,
room, or place of business, shall be had maintain
ed, or kept, every person and every member, off.
Ger, or agent, as Aforesaid, SO offending as afore.
said, shall be deemed guilty of distinct and sep
arate offence, and subject to the penalties afore
said. ~ 80 ....- .r.-4'@ =s# s''
Sec. g. And be il further enacted, That if any
person, or any association, partnership, or COM
pany of individuals, or any body polite or corpo-
rate, whether within without the District of Co.
lumbia, shall make, emit, issue, utter, sign, draw,
endorse any bill of credit, bank note promissory
note, bill of exchange, order, ticket or any other
instrument of writing. obligation, promise, con-
tract, or agreement, for the payment or delivery
OF anything other than money, to be used as cir
culating medium in this District, every such bill
of credit bank note, promissory note, bill of ex-
change, order, ticket other instrument of writing,
promise, contract, or agreement, shall be deemed
and taken to be made payable in money at the
banking-house. brokers' Office, or other office,
room, or place of business, at or from which the
same shall be made, emitted, issued, uttered,
signed, drawn, or endorsed as aforesaid; and whe-
Their such bill OF credit, bank note, promissory note,
bill of exchange, order, ket other instrument OF
writing, obligation, promise, contract, or agree.
ment, purport to be made payable in money Or in
the obligations IF any bank of any association,
partnership, or company of individuals, or of any
body polite or corporate, ofany individual, it
shall be deemed and taken to be made payable in
money by the person, association partnership or
company of Individuals, body polite or corporate,
making, emitting, issuing ,uttering signing, draw
ing, or endorsing the same, and in default of pay
ment of any such bill of credit bank note, promis-
sorry note bill of exchange, order ticket, other in
strument of writing, obligation, PROMISE contract,
or agreement as aforesaid, at the banking house,
brokers' office, or other office, room, place of bust
ness, at or from which the shall be made emit.
ted, issued uttered, signed, drawn or endorsed az
Aforesaid or in default of payment by the person,
association, partnership, or company of indivi-
duals, body polite or corporate, making, emit.
ting. Issuing, uttering, signing, drawing, or en-
dorsing the same, whenever and wherever demand.
ed, then the amount thereof shall be recoverable
by action of debt before any justice of the peace
in the District of Columbia; and in any case in
which the holder of such bill Of credit, bank note,
promissory mole, bill of exchange, order ticket,
other instrument of writing, promise, contract or
agreement, shall make affidavit before any Justice
OF the peace as aforesaid that the same has been
presented for payment as aforesaid, and that pay
ment thereof has been refused, and that the same
is still due and unpaid, and shall file the same in
the Office of the said justice it shall be the duty of
the said justice to issue his warrant for the arrest
of the person or persons or any of them concern
ed in or asserting to the making, emitting, issu.
ing, uttering, signing, drawing, or endorsing of
the same; and such person or persons shall not be
discharged from such arrest until the debt and
costs are paid or secured to be paid.
SIG. 4. And be it further enacted, That if any
person, association, partnership, or company of
individuals, or any body polite corporate with
in the District of Columbia, shall make emit, is.
sue, utter, sign, draw, endorse any bill of ere
dit, bond, pronissory note, bill of exchange ORDER
ticket, or any other instrument of writing obliea-
ton, promise, contract, agreement for the pay
ment or delivery of money, or other valuable
thing, or of anything purporting to be valuable
thing, of less amount than five dollars, to be
used as paper currency, or as a circulating me.
dunn, either as money, or in lieu of money or of
any other currency, every such person, and every
member, officer, or agent of such association,
company Of individuals, body polite
or corporate, concerned in, or asserting to, such
making, emitting, issuing, uttering, signing,
drawing or endorsing as aforesaid, for any of the
purposes aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay the sum
of ten dollars for each and every bill of credit,
bond, promissory note, bill of exchange, order,
ticket, or any other instrument of writing, obi.
cation, promise, contract agreement, for any
Of the purposes aforesaid; the said sum of ten dol.
lars t., be recovered in qui tam action of debt
before any justice of the peace in the District
of Columbia, brought in the name of the in
former, or in the name of the Corporation of
Washington City, or of the corporation of George
town, in said District, accordingly as the of.
fence may have been committed within the limits
of either Of said corporations half to go to said
informer, and the other half into the treasury
Of the corporation of said Washington Citv mr. Of