Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-08-10
Mercantile Agencies.

We take the following sensible article from
the Cincinnati Atlas Of recent date. The
views EXPIRE ssed are correct. and will repay the
reading, by every merchant, and man of bus
iness
The Atlas says under this harmless title
system Of espionage has grown up in the Uni.
ted States. which radiates from New York
and penetrates into every city, town, village
and settlement Of the whole country. It's be.
ginnings were humble enough. Louis Tappan,
the Coryphmus of the New York Abolitionists,
started the plan ofprocuring information re.
spec,ing the business solvency Of those who
bought goods on time from New York me..
chants, which was to be communicated to an
nual subscribers only Theoretically, the
project was a good one. II honestly carried
out, it was calculated 10 aid those deserving
of credit, and shut down the gates upon fraud
ulent or untrustwor,hy applicants. But the
difficulty is to carry out the plan in its true
spirit In learning the character and standing
of business men. in the different towns of the
country. some resident of the pla:e must fur
nish the desired information, or stranger
must be sent to make the necessary inquiries.
Bnt here the difficulty begins; no honorable
man will consent to furnish minute informa-
sion. suck as is required about the habits and
characters Of his neighbors. He instinctively
shrinks from becoming a spy and informer
upon men whom he daily meets. and with
whom he may 40 business, even though their
reputation Is not OF the highest. The central
Office will have to descend very low before it
will find a man willing to take its money in
exchange for the dirty work Of prying into
another mans business. for the purpose Of hav-
ing it recorded for the information of everybody
who will pay for it. When the man is found,
what security can there be that the report he
makes is not dictated by envy. dislike or bus,
mess rivalry.-Plenty Of men can always be
found, whose base nature would be glad Of an.
opportunity to destroy the commercial credit OF
an enemy or rival and cases must necessarily
be frequent in which, by means ofthis system.
irreparable wrong is done to men Of character
and credit.
Not longe ago, very heavy damages. we be-
lieve $4,000 were awarded to merchant
whose credit had been destroyed in this way
More recently, $4,000 were recovered in a libel
suit against another New York Agency, but
we are sorry to learn that Court of Appeal
has reversed this decision, on the ground that
commun ications from agents to their subscrib
ers are priveledged, and not subject to actions
for libel If this decision is sustained. an limo
cent mans business character may be ruined
by interested or malignant neighbors. and all
hope of reparation taken away. The difficulty
of obtaining reliable information is not lessen
ed by sending stranger to make enquiries. -
We knew of a case of the kind last winter in
this city, young fellow. under the pretence
of procuring subscribers to a cheap business
paper, circulated around from store to store,
and from shop to shop, picking up bit OF in
ormatfon here, and a bit there, about our bust
ness men, and making himself one great scan
dial retort for the benefit of the importers in
one Of our Eastern cities. Anything that was
told him, true or false, was noted down no mat
ter who was his informant. He had large
swallow and in some instances it was put to a
severe test but nothing seemed to come amiss.
Whoever relies upon that chaps gatherings,
will have nice time of it when he comes to
make his collections.
The truth is, this system Of mercantile agcn-
ciss is system against which honorable men
revolt-not because an easy way Of ascertaining
the solvency of business men is not desirable,
but because SO much meanness. deception .pry.
ing, and scandal is necessarily connected with
it, that the evil far counterbaiances the good.
ESGLIsH IeNoRANcE OF AMERIcA.-In a recent
debate in the English Parliament. Sir Robert
Peel stated that the number of States in the
American Union was thirty three; and Cabi-
net Minister called the late "old patriot Of
America, John Randolph" a statesman of Mas
sachusetts, and quoted him as having said
that "if you wished to make the Inhabitants of
State a set of scoundre's, you had only to
give them a secret voting" In recent English
journal. we noticed an account of the political
movements in the Estate" of New Orleans
One Of our citizens was asked, a short time
since in England, il "there were many persons
in Boston who could speak the English Ian
guage," DR.. Bailey. editor Of the National
Era in his last letter from London to that Jour
nal, remarks. eve must not forget that the
masses Of English people are exceedingly ig-
norant of our country-its geography its people
their institutions and usages. their Govern
ment, the relations of our State Governments
to each other and to the Federal Government
and their relations severally to slavery. Many
intelligent persons believe that this evils diff
fused throughout all the 8 ates. An English
lady Of high position lately asked an American
whether he saw much of it in Massachu-
sets? At considerable dinner party. the
other day. an English gentleman remarked to
| one Of our countryman that he had understood
that the great vegetable for making soup in
the States was pumpkin! We're you to tell
many respectable people here that Massachu.
settss is the capital Of Philadelphia. they
would not know that you we're quizzng them
Boston Transcript.
1 PRor. SiLLrAAN.-At the exercises at Yale
College on the 9th ult. preliminary to ths
commencement, Prof. Silliman. Jr. announced
his resignation o. the chair Of Chemistry and
Geology in that Institution. In doing SO Prof
8; said: "This step is not taken because Of the
infirmites Of age, for can say that my "eye
is not "dim nor my natural force abated,
but because deem it wise to retire while
can 60 out Of the camp with colors flying DR.
Ell IVES, Professor of the Theory and Prac
tice Of Medicine, in the Medical department,
has also resigned. They both give pac,
to younger men. Professor SiLLIMAN will b.
| succeedea in tho Chemical .lepartpent nv hi;