The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-29

Washington on them. These heads may have beeG
engraved by honest engravers for apparently honest
purposes so that the Counterfeit bil will be realty
genuine work.
When this and other causes Of fraud i subtraetes
from the list OF what Is called Counterfeit money II
viii be seen that the instances are yery e. where,
an actual imitation OF the genuine plate nas been ut
tempted The great similarity OF notes gives an
evil disposed person an opportunity TO Obtain a the
when 80 Obtained they can be patched toSssssg~ -.
cumsily, il Is true-but in such manner a. 10 "a
sernble the original, though they may be character
,5sd as i, the ID Dsisesos Is badly done Many o
felt are in reality genuine work, produced in thu.
manner, wfdch shows obviously defect in the spa
TEN Of engraving.
ALTERED NOTES.
This class Is doubtless more numerous in com
paris0n with tine Others than appears by the txol-
above. The fact is that there are 30 many OF thea
that volumes could NOT describe the various single
frauds OF this Character which are made. II is only
when q steady system Of alterations of the nsmss
OF notes from q particular bank to another is pur
sued that the detectors take notice of " For in
stance, the Citizens Bank of Washington. was and
is valuless institution, and its notes worthless
Consequently, the notes were altered to appear az
the notes OF nearly every Citizens Bank in the
country-anda look at any bank note detector will
testify to the fact.
The ease was Just the same with other Washing
ton Banks which had but brief existence, whose
circulatiOns have almost entirely been devoted -
the purposes Of alteration. This 10 q dangerous
manner OF frau0 as the name of the state only has
to be altered, the remaining lettering and picture
work being genuine. The process cf altering u
very simple-a little aIka win remove the ink foa
any part q the nots either the names Or the deno@,
in, so that notes may be altered from one bank 10
another as from one denomination to o higher. -
nicely that the m0ss skilful judges cannot detect
them Tho Is obviously the result Of defect in the
constructed OF detached parts, they could not be
thus altered, without spelling adjacent work. The
title Of the bank and denomination Of the nete
should be interwoven that neither could be tam.
pe1ed with, without spelling the note.
Alterations are the most numerous, as well a. the
most dangerous species Of fraud, and II they could
be prevented the temptations Of crime would be ma
terally lessened. The process of FASTING . higher
denomination over lower, of FASTING different t.
tie over the original, of tearing on parts Of good
notes and FASTING them together 70 make another.
are all the results Of constructing bank notes suck
manner with separate parts, totally disconnected.
and easily detached for the purpose Of subs tutins
others.
This class Of notes is taken generally by these
least able to afford H. who are no judges OF money.
and would take q shoemakers shinplaster in the
uine note. The way that spurious notes are issued
is as follows
The separate devices engraved for good banks arc
duplicated by engravers and kept for their own use,
copies being furnished to other good banks, such
scOundres as may convince the engravers that they
are honest men. The practice Of keeping duplicates
of all work furnished to banks is legitimate and IS
note devices are then sod by engrsvers for the pur
of pose ornamentng pill labels, checks drafts, store
cards, bills Of exchange, DC. Very often these de-
vices are obtained by dishonest men, who arrange
them in accidental form, insert the name OF any
bank, whether fictitious or known to be good, and
are then set a6oat by passing them at grocery stores
or other places not likely to contain good judges Of
money. This class Of frauds is not as extensive a.
the others, but shows how easily the form OF bank
notes may be obtained for fraudulent purposes.
BROKEN BANK BILLS
These bills have already been shown to be dan
gerous from their liability TO be altered to represent
component parts they often contain. IL the plates o.
broken bank get into the hands Of counterfeiter,
he can use the devices which appear on them either
to manufacture spurious notes or to make up part o.
genuine plate. II the devices Of different bank1
were not similar, neither broken bank plate nor
the bills would be Of use to any one.
GENUINE PLATES AND OLD PLATES
OF banks which have been stolen or sold, it viii be
seen, contain the parts Of other banks than those
whose names they bear. In fact, three old plates
may combine the materials for manufacturing the
genuine notes of q dozen good banks.
THE GENERAL BANKING LAW REMEDY.
uAving thus shcwn briefly the extent. evils aud
cause Of counterfeiting, a few individual susges-
tons as to the best means Of preventing the eva
First. The General Banking Law provides for the
deposit In the Bank Department OF all the dies.
plates and materials used in the process OF en-
craving genuine bank note. Let this
law be complied with. II has remained
wholly inoperatve ever since its enactment.
partly because i would break up every bank
note engraving establishment in the city, and partly
because the State officers don't seem to understsad
what the law provides The retaining and reselkAg
Of genuine bank note dies IL obviously violation of
law, and the main cause Of the present disordered
the issue Of what il now called spurious money and
cut Oh the source Of much which Is called eoun-
terfeit.
second. Let the law be 50 amended as to throw
open the business OF bank note engraving to compe
ttion, and not, ~ now, 70 be monopolized by The
State Superintendent, whose ipss DIRT can preveat
any engraver from engraving genuine hank note.
however nov much the officers o. bank may desire It.
Rravers, and wake up the half dozen old fogy en-
craving establishments who have for years doae eli
the work Of the State.
Third. Let IL be criminal act for one bank -
initiate ansther's bill, in any part.
Fourth. Let the notes be engraved with eli the
work interviewer, no that il cannot be partially ab-
stracted for purposes Of ateration.
FIFTH. Let there be an Official list Of all the good
banks in the State. and let Il be criminal act 10
publish any "Detector which knowingly announces
a. good any bank which Is not legally Incorporated
1.-THE law were thus amended, and 20 Is 10 pro
vide as many securities for tho genuineness Of the
bills In circulation ~ II does fos the soundnes o.
the banks, oar paper currency would not be ths
laughing stock OF the world. A successful counter.
felt OF Bank Of England note was never known
Why cannot American banks have the same security
for their issues
Address OF Hon. l.. M. keist,
TO THE voTxRs os ruE THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DIS
TRrcr IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Fellow Citizens-I have deemed II my duty 10 re-
sign my seat in the Congress Of the United States.
and TO appeal TO you from the decision Of black re-
publican and abolition majority here. With The cir
cumstances connected with the punishment OF Mr..
Sumner, Of Massachusetts,, by Col. Brooks, you are
familiar. My connection with that punishment has
invoked the censure OF the dominant majority In The
House, and from that resolution OF csnsure have
appealed 10 my constituents.
II IL true, am ndiffsrent to the oninicne Of the
individual, members who passed the resolution: but
thoir recorded act, from their ofhciA position. &C
quires an importance should by no means attibute
to their Judgment under other circumstances You,
too. am convinced. are Indifferent % the individual