The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09
The "Shinplaster BILL"

The Council bill for the suppression of
"shinplasters passed the House yesterday
with slight amendments, which we presume
will be agreed to by the Council. The bill,
as it passed the House, stands as follows:
An Act to Suppress the Issue and Circulation OF
Unauthorized Bills as Currency.
Be IL Enacted by the Legislative assembly Of the
Territory of Minnesota:
SECTION l. That no person, association
or corporation shall issue in this Territory,
without authority of law granting charters
expressly for such issues, any bills, drafts,
certificates of deposit, or other evidences of
debt, to he loaned or put in circulation as
money, or to pass or be used as a currency
or circulating medium and every person,
association or corporation, and every mem
Der thereof, who violates the provisions of
this section, shall be punished for each and
every offence, by Imprisonment in the county
jail not less than one month, nor over six
months, and by fine not less than one hun
dred dollars nor over over one thousand dol
lars {: Provided, that nothing herein contain
ed shall be construed to abridge the law OF
merchants or contracts.
SEC. 2. All payments of any debt or Oh
legation which may be made in any of the
bills, drafts, certificates of deposit or other
evidences of debt which may be issued in
violation of section one of this act, or any
such bills, drafts, certificates of deposite OF
other evidence of indebtedness which NAV
have been or may hereafter be issued out Of
Territory without authority of law, shall be
void and of no effect, and any debt or obi.
cation which may be paid in any of the said
80 Al.
evidence of debt may be collected in The
same manner as if no such payment had beer
made.
Sec. 3. The provisions of this act shall
apply to all bills, drafts, certificates of de
post or other evidence of debt of the char
acter of those mentioned in Sec. l and 9 0
this act which may have been issued and il
circulation before the passage of this act.
Sec. 4. Any person circulating, passing
or attempting to circulate or pass in lieu Of
money, or CURRENCY, any evidences of debt
issued in violation of section one of this
Act, shall upon conviction thereof before any
court having competent jurisdiction within
this Territory, be punished by fine not less
than ten dollars, por more than fifty dollars
the fine to be applied fcr the benefit of the
school fund Of the county wherein such con
viction takes place:
Sec. S. 1t shall be the duty of the Dis
trict Courts Of this Territory to call the at
tention of the Grand Juries to the pro-
visions of this act at each term of said Dis
trict Court held in this Territory.
Sec. 6. All fines provided for by this
act may be prosecuted and recovered in .
civil action, in the name and by the Distric
Attorney of the county where the offenct
shall have been committed; and one half O
the proceeds applied. BY the County Treas
urer of the county wherein recovery shall
be had, to the school fund of eaid county
and the other half to 60 to the informer. Il
case any District Attorney shall neglect o
refuse to prosecute: upon complaint being
made to him, it shall be lawful for any per
son to prosecute and recover such fines to b
applied as aforesaid. .-.s....-
Sec. 7. A criminal COMPLETION for any Q
the offences mentioned in this act, shall be
bar to any proceedings by civil action for tn
same offence, against the party SO convicted
but recovery in civil action for a viola
ton of any provision of this act shall be n
bar to criminal prosecution for the sam
offence.
Sec. 8. This act shall take effect fror
and afterits passage except section 3, whic
shall not take effect until the first day
April, 1856: