Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-07-28
Reading Matter on Every Page.
BANKING AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORH.

1AA nA1 nAAANA~1aAN
Monday Of July; it is now he last Mon
day Of the same month, and no notice Of Il has
been taken By your paper. Whether from the
fact thst the resolutions we're never forwardsc
10 vour ONCE, as was directed, OF because the
APPEAI discountsuanced the movement, we
are unable to detsrmine. As a friend to your
paper, however, I have thought it my duty to
sppriss you in this manner Of a pretty general
feeling Of discomfort that seems to exist with
your many readers in this county on account
Of fts silence.
Our people are all thoroughly warned up on
Ii. subject Of Constitutional Reform, and be-
Heve The conventional mode OF altering, amend
ing, revising OF changing he Constitution
much the best. We are firmly Of the opinion
here, that If the public journals, upon whom
we have always looked as being tAe " faithful
~ssntfnels upon the watch towers had taken
that interest in laying before and explaining to
the people the objects sf the act Of the last
Legislature, relating to the approaching Con-
v~sntionsl election, that the great importance
OF the questions involved would seem to de-
msnd and thus had exposed the rottsnness Of
the whole Banking system, as it should have
been done, as well as have discussed the other
uropossd features Of amendment, there could
have been no doubt but the great mass Of the
votsrs would have turned out on the fret Thurs
DAYS in September in favor Of the Convention.
In fact, It is believed here, that il is not too
late vet to carry the vote for the Convention;
aud as an evidence that our people mean to DO
what they can 70 secure that end, they have
already held several primary meetings in which
interesting discussions have taken place; and
there are now on hand two bsrbscues, the OBJ
iect Of which $50 1 have been informsd) is to
collect the people in large numbers, and elicit
general discussions upon the questions Of
amendment to the Constitution. One Of these
gatherings will take place on next Thursday,
in the neighborhood Of Middleton, the others
on the following Saturday, five miles north Of
Bolivar. Our people are ripe for a change Of
currency. Respectfully, &C.,
CoMnENrs-The resolutions alluded to in the
foregoing letter, are those adopted at Bolivar
o. the Oh inst, on the subject OF Tennessee
Banking and Constitutional Reform, and which
appeared in the daily AFrEAL Of the pa inst.
L is due 70 ourselves to state that the Tesclu-
lions were never forwarded 10 US for publication,
nor did we ever hear Of them or the meeting
until our eye fell upon them in the Nashville
Pafriol. Although not requested IN the printed
copy to publish them, they met SO fully our
own appreciation that we Immediately trans
fsrred them to our columns with a c~ommenia-
tory editorial notice. We characterized the
proceedings as a move in the right direction,
and we hope that the people in every county
in the State, irrespective Of party, will follow
It Up.
We are not aware as to what reasons or nc
tives Influenced the last Legislature in submit
ting the question Of a new Constitutional Con
vention to the people, but Of one thing We are
satisfied, aud that is, that the times demand it.
The banking system Of our State needs a thor
ough reform, if not an entire eradication, and it
IS a question for the people 10 determine
whether they viii longer entrust this reform to
future Legislatures or whether they will make
the reform more thorough, permanent and Sc
cure By constitutional restraints and prohibit
items. TIE latter method, in our judgment, lie
the most wise and most certain and most Sc
cure means Of accomplishing the ends desired.
We may in future numbers enter more MI
nutely into the discussion Of such reforms as
are most desirable and beneficial, but for the
present it is sufficient to say that We are
willing to entrust the question 10 The assem-
bIsd wisdom Of = Convention Of the people. 4
In addition 70 a reform in cur banking svs-
TEN, q conventional interest Law is needed. We !
learn that such q Law was opposed at the Lac,
session Of the Legislature BY several members
not because they were opposed to it upon priD- /
eiple, but for the reason that the present Con
~stitution declares that interest shall be uniform
throughout the State. Let this objection be re-
moved then BY the new Constitution, and lst
the Legislature be empowered 70 enable the !
people to borrow and lend money at a slip I
ulated rate Of interest, as high as ten, twelve {
or fifteen per cent. per snnHm, aud the country !
Wil tsel Instantaneous release. Such a Law :
viii not only keep what money we have at t
bone and in circulation, but it will invite capt. Q
tal from abroad. .
Another amendment Of the Constitution is .
needed, prohibiting the Legislators from run y
ming the State into debt, beyond a specified :
limit, for internal Improvement or other pur- !,
poses. In times Of high prosperity, legisls- o
tors are apt to become PrOdigal ct The public
funds AID reckless Of the public credit, and '
hence the Importance Of Constitutional re- ,
s~traints being thrown around them. Y
And again, as Constitutions are made 20 pro- Ct
tsct the minorities from wrongs inflicted BY .
usjOrities, a provisions is needed 10 this State !,
prohibiting the assessment Of a tax upon one Al
portion Of the people BY a vote OF the other, to a.
carry forward such works OF Improvement IS =
the majority may deem essential or advantage h
Gus to the public or general good. The priBci- b.
pie is radically wrong, and ought to be probi- ;
bited BY Constitutional enactment. Il,
We have thus merely glanced at a few OF the
questions that will probably engage the alter
lion Of the Convention. Reflection and discus Il
sion will elici. others, and we are happy to see 2
hat the peopis sre taking the matter seriously 4
b hand. We think these questions alone Of to
importance to Justify a vote in favor
Of the proposed Convention, and we hope the :
people Throughout the State viii follow the 4
rood example Get them BY our friends in Har- &c
county. Let them not cease to sgitste a
te question until the day Of election, The p of !,
september, as it lie now in their power 10 relieve q
Of a brood Of evils inflicted upon fe
hem by years Of reckless and unRise legisla. $
ion. A vote viii be taken on the same day :,
or a Judge 10 supply the vacancy on The Su- Ia
irene Bench, ooSssioaed BY the death OF the q
ate W. R. HAKRIs, aad.it should not be for !.
rotten that the number Of votes required to su. n
horize the proposed Convention, is a majority %
4 the whole number cast for Governor at the Ct
asst August elections. Then, We say again, let =
be people 60 to work in earnest, bring out The b
ots and let US have the Convention. fr
GENERAL QUITHAS's DEATH Ion,- tbe ch
Washington correspondent Of the Baltimore ID
SAYS GeDerafQ uitman s'never stopped al be
be National Hotel in that city. aud, therefore. ",
ouId not have died Of any disease contracted ne
This is IN opposition to the statements de
/ the Southern papers, which assert The con-
-srv.-CfnGanGti EaqHirsT. Cd
II the words Of Gen. QUITNAs himself can wa
, believed, then his disease was contrected at els
National Hotel. he 50 Informed a auubsr NJ
+ ms friends il this city on bis return home an
Washington. ~
cnops * MISEEsO1A.-The Minnesota cor hs
.-spOndent Of the Cleveland Plsis Dealer says esl
lat The area Of crops throughout Minnesota -.
lie year is at least onsshlra greater thar last hsl
az. TIE corn eror Is sxsseip promising. ing