Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-04
RICHMOND WING.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 4, 1854.
To CORRESPONDENTS,
The stature,

'"e 'io"uSyS oc"S PaS', hc Legislature VI
State will now go earnestly to work. II has much to
10 within the limited time assigned il by the Const.
tution-morc much more. apprehend than it
will be able to accomplish. The fact is ninety or
even one hundred and twenty days in two years is
not sufficient for the discharge of the various aud
complicated, the important and the petty matters,
which under the consideration of the Legislature
IL the people should send ADLER and more bust
nessme than they in the habit of doing.
The subjects of Internal improvements and the
Banks will engage much Of the time of members
The former is all-comprehensivc in its character
and Il is quite impossible to forcsee the limits TO
which it may be pushed. The latter, involving the
re.charter OF the existing Banks might he one of del
icacy and difficulty; but observe that dis,in.
guished fnancier, in the columns of n cotempoi ary
has entered upon the discussion of the matter anu
may possibly relieve the Legislature of any serious
trouble The shinp plaster currency must also force
ITSELF in this connexion upon the consideration of
the Legislature. The existing system is n shame
and scandal TO the Commonwealth save
with those who are proiiting by it, the rep.
rotation Of it is universal and intense. Al,
concur in the desire TO suppress it-and the only
question is with respect the means best calcu-
lated for that end
The present penal laws against the issue Of this
currency are by the confessions of those who enacted
them, and the daily testimony Of all men, an entire
failure. They disregarded on all sides by legs
lators, judges and jures we'll as by private ct-
zens. Several attempts have been made to render
them effective by amcndments-but these have all
shared the tate OF the original enactmentS \ new
scheme suggested last winter has again been brougl
forward Tor the revivichton of these defunct stat
utes 1t is proposed to require public officers
nl,a,,,., l.
licenses for the prosecution of their ordinary pursuits
to take oath faithfully to respect these laws. We
dislike the policy OF such enactment Oaths as all
every.day expeden! for the enforcement of the laws
OF the land, particularly where those oat,s may be
easily violated without detection will tend to en-
courage perjury and therefore should not be encour
aged by wise Legislators. But, for part if this
expedient conld prove effective, We wond Hc willing
to submit to it, any other, TO extrpate the evil
The evil is already very widespread and is daily
andrapidly increasing. Unless arrested, besides Dc.
bauching the people, by accusoming them To ha-
bitual DISREGARD OF the laws it will entail an eNten.
siVe and serious loss upon a large portion the com
nunity. And this lass will fall more especially aud
with peculiar force upon the poorer more ignorant
ana more helpless part oil The people. These notes
are now good-that is, they curreRt-they pass
freely from hand 10 hand in the ordinary transactions
OF business. 1t is the interest OF those who issue
them to keep them in good credit, so as 10 enable
them to get the greater amount in circulation. But
they are contrary to law;-by law, they are pronoun
ced null and void and the holders of them cannot re-
cover cent from the Ssuer in any Court in the Com
monwealth. This is the money, which is creeping
into every corner Of the State and constitutes in u
poor mans pocket the representative Of his labor
But the time must come, and cannot be distant when
will no longer be to the interest of the illegal ssuer
OF these vile notes to maintain their credit This time
may be fastened by the LegiSlaturc-and the sooner
the better-for the longer delayed the more of the
notes will be in the hands OF the people but when
1t does come, it will produce instantaneous dcpre
citation OF every illegal shin-plaster in existence
The poor man in Giles, or Mason. or Frederick, some
hundred miles Fl ON the place of issue, will find the
few dollars Of these notes. which he may have worth
less on his hands.
Our fear is, that this Objectionable expedient Of
oaths will not prove effective. The evil has grown
out of and been tolerated by the necessities of the
country. Men could not carry on their daily avoca.
ions without clangc-and it was only the want Of
change that forced them to violate the law and rec.
onciled them to receive money the notes Of Tom,
Dick and Harry-notes stgmatzed and stricken by
the law itself as worthless Now, it seems TO us that
the evil cannot be removed without going to the root
and removing the cause. That cause is the scarcity
of change. The Legislature to achieve the end de-
sired, must supply the people with small money Of
some sort either small notes or silver If il can
provide silver, well and good-we are content-tlo'
If there-be any convenience in paper money, con
see no reason in the world why n poor man may not
ENJOY the privilege of porketing his redcemabe d9l
lar note, well as the rich may his So or $50
note This however is directly opposed to the fun.
damental canons Of the Democratic creed and We
will not insist upon il now. We going for prac-
teal results and would not defeat them by useessly
running against the Golized crotchets and beloved
nonsense OF the reigning party. We would steer
around, or through them well as we can win
the oaths Danish stnplasters and bring in silver
That's the question. II not, we shall have the shin.
plasters upon us for two more years-and in that
time every nook and of the land will be filled
up with them-and the loss to the community may
be a hundred fold augmented.
The other expedient suggested for the suppression
of the evil and which many think will prove more eC
fctive than any other is the authorizing the chartered
banks Of the State 10 issue small notes The princi-
pal objection to this is that II counter 10 the
principles which lie at the base Of that grand expfr
iment for beterng the currency, which the political
sangrados have had in hand for the last twenty years
Whether they will prefer to the Jaws lrampled
under foot aud the people subjected to ncalcuabe
loss, rather than abandon favoritc, though vicious
hostrum, must remain for time to disclose II they
are determined to keep exposed to the tender
ees oil the shnplaqter emtters, would il not be bet
ter TO throw open the doors and let all those who
respect the laws, well rs those who do not issue
hotesF Too much pudding will surieit a dog-and
perhaps a redundancy Of the evil may work the evils
cure Mt any rate, We sec no GOOD reason why the
Legislature should give to those who have no regard
TOT the lave a monopoly Of very profitable, though
illicit business Why may not the law abiding eli.
liens reap the profits Of bank Q as well 40 The
law. breaking
Coai sad Iron In Apgusts
Wswers shown yesterday by Or Harris specimen, Of iron