The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-14


good authority, that so far from this being true,
no Sklliul artist capable of producing a plausible
counterfeit, has been discharged by reason of the
consolidation On the contrary, several have been
added to the number previously EMPLOYED,
Very few of the notes commonly pronounced
''counterfelts" are such in reality, but most of
them have been altered from one denomination to
another or from the bills of some defunct institu
ton, with little if any attempted resemblance to
the genuine. The present system of bank note en-
craving, in which highly elaborated dies are made
use of, has added greatly to the difficulties of
terfeiting. Formerly bank notes were engraved
by single individual, who executed all the parts
directly on the plate but now, the vignettes let
tering, denominational counters, &C., are done by
different persons, no one of whom is skilled in any
other department than his own or capable of pro-
ducng good counterfeit in the style attained un-
der the present arrangement of subdivided labor.
Every possible precautOn is taken against the
fraudulent use Of the die work employed on bank
note plates; and, to this end, all plates having
transfers of the dies used for bank-note work. (he
bank-note plates themselves being securely deposi-
ted with the Superintendent of the Banking De-
partment) retained under seal in the posses
sion and vaults of the Company, so that no sur
rephtIous use can be made of them for counterfeit
ing purposes.
There are reasons, not here stated, which Justify
the remark of the Superintendent in his late Report
to the effect that the public row enjoy greater Sc
curty against the operations of counterfeiters than
when Bank note engraving done under several
disconnected establishments, and of course with
ulFlueu res spOnslDlllty.-JOur. Com,
The Philadelphia Bulletin, speaking of the abuse
OF tins country by European papers, SAYS:
As for French ideas of America with very rare
exceptions, they are beneath contempt The Enp-
Ish have never abused us so bitterly as the French
Tor the very simple reason that the English cannot
abuse us so ignorantly. AT present, under the En-
pre- 1t appears to be more the ton than ever to
speak eontemptuousy of America just as it is more
usual Tor parvenues to abuse those whom they deem
thor,, = ,,f Al.
mas been longer assured. As can afford to
"magnihcently dispense with the good opinion of
people who live upon us by the sale of flagree lux
urles and who have shown their ability to Judge of
US by dispensing with free press and all their lite
rary men, the intensely venomOus articles on the
United States, which have of late appeared, need
not concern us.
Germany, notwithstanding the flow of fault-find-
ing IN which so many of her sons have induleed
who came to this country expecting ''bertv' and
found to their horror Sunday! has treated rs in
some instances in spirit of righteousness and fair
ness unknown to the writers of other nations
FrGbe has of late spoken well of America neither
in spirit of malice or of pufery; while Adolf
Douai, now in Boston, discusses us in the cosmopo-
lite, independent spirit of one who has long since
freed himself from pettyprovincial prejudices We
translate the following from an extract in the New
York Abend Zcitung:
mat ankees have the ready power of making
money is true enough. But that they in making
money cast aside all duties and deUors as false as
The ankee has always some side interest as com
panion to his business, be it the interest of politics
religion, philanthropy, art, science, or some such
matter OF love. For this, his hobby, he spares no
expense. And moreover, his is the most benevo-
lently liberal nation known to me; and when it
chimes with his peculiar views, he gives in propor-
ton TO his means, and more too A wealthy or
well to do 1ankee seldom dies without leaving i'm
portant contributions for public benevolent OBJ
jects-or what he regards as such. 1t is to be
doubted whether any of the more than thousand
years old States of Europe is, in proportion to
the number OF inhabitants, richer in charitable and
publicly useful institutions than this New England
of two hundred years, and it may be doubted also
whether in any nation in the world there circulate
so many well sustained subscription lists for sup
porting public or private objects. Moreover, we
Germans, with all our boasted education (B,td,ay)
do not buy half so many books as the "dollar seek
ing Yankee" 1t is nothing unusual or remarkable
for a with one thousand dollars yearly income
to spend two three hundred dollars for the edu-
cation of his children hundred for books and
newspapers. And the farmers are Just the ones
here who are most deSirOus of improving their
minds, while our German peasants, with afew hon
orable exceptions, manifest complete Indifference
to all higher subjects"
ILLINoIs.-Governor Bssell, in his Message to
the Legislature of Illinois, in session. congrat-
ulaes the people on the favorable prospects of the
State In regard to the financial condition of the
State Governor Bssell predicts that in six years
its entire Indebtedness will be wiped out and the
people leIJ In possession OF secure and certain
come sufficient by that time to defrav the ordinary
expenses, without resort to taxation of anv kind
The State debt during the wears 1857 and 1855 has
been reduced one million and fifty thousand three
hundred and twenty four dollars, and the arrears of
interest have been reduced one hundred sixteen
thousand five hundred and ffty-two dollars. Be
sides this, the accruing interest due January lst
1851, and all the subsequent nstalments have been
promptly paid. The present amount of our in
debtedness is Sll, 1885, 453 90, which includes prnci
pal and all arrearages of interest This exhibit il
most gratifying to the holders of the new bonds.
VI the Banking system of the State, Gov. Bissell
well says:
Our present system of Banking is, in the main, ,
satisfactory. SO far as the security of the bill
holders is concerned, it seems to be amply sufficient
VI the SIX Banks which have closed within the last
TWO years. every dollar of their paper, with the ex
ceptlon OF that issued by single Bank, was re-
deemed at par by the Auditor out of the securities
IN his hands, and the loss the paper of that one
Bank was mere trife.
There is, at the present time on denosit with tbe
Auditor S6,740,7 745 of stock securities calculated
according to their strict value in market while the
entire amount of circulation of all the Banks is
Sc 200 or $685. 623.95 less than the amount ac-
tually pledged as security.
The Governor calls the attention of tbe IeoisIa
ture to the great number of worn and ragged notes
in circulation, and considers such currency Sc
rous evil. He also desires that the notes of Illinois
banks should be taken at par outside ofthe State
and says:
The currency of our own State is at this very
moment as good as that Of any other State in the
Unon-nay, it is even safer, more secure than most
OF that which commands premium over it. 1t nav
not be IN your power to correct this evil. | sug-
gest it to you, however, a matter we'll entitled to
be considered.
MESSAGE OF THE GOVERNOR OF MAINE.-Gover-
nor MorrilPs Message to the Legislature of Maine
recommends the policy of canceling the State debt
as 1t natures The liabilities of the State =
Public Debt, SG99,5O Trust Fund, S424 ,577 go;
making 81, ,l24 ,077.S4. The former is PAYABLE in
unequal sums of not less than 100000, nor more
than S5OOOO annually, and all at the close of the
year 1876, while annual interest is payable upon
the latter for the support of common schools
Indian annuities &c, &c. The school returns ex-
hibit the gratifying fact that notwithstanding the
severe financial embarrassments of the past year
there has been excess of money raised over the
sum required by law of S54, 700. The whole amount
raised by voluntary taxation was S402,76l. The
whole amount expended for school purposes, S523,-
5O9.6e. Whole number of scholars attending Sum
Winter schools l54 $50. The value of school ed-
fices in the State is returned ST. los 967 State
normal school is recommended.
New DONATION TO HARVARD CoLLEGE-A CORES
pondent Of the Boston Traveller, speaking of the
geological collection of Agassz, and of the Cover
nor's recommendation that the State should COOP
crate in its preservation and enlargement, says
What, then, was my surprise and pleasure today
to learn that gentleman of Boston has made an
offer to the corporation of the college of the sum of
used for the preservation and increase of AgassZ'
wonderful museum; that he refuses to have any
part expended on building, in salaries; and al
so refuses to have his name connected with it. This
last provision is in order that the rest of the plan
which is absolutely essential, at least far as the
building is concerned, may be carried out by 9TH
ers-perhaps by the State.
DE QUINCEY.-The North American ReUiepo for
January contains article on De Quincey, from
which the following description of the man is
taken:
In person he is anything but prepossessing being
dlmlnutve III stature, and awkward in his move
His head, however, is superb, and his face remark
ably sensitive and expressive; the eyes sunken but
brilliant with the fire of genius and the illumi
nations OF opium. In manners he is a model of de-
corum, urbanity, and natural unaffected gentility
lie is magnificent talker, and fine reader: which
last quahty he notes as a rare accom- Hshment
whether among men or women. He is genial and
hospitable in his household. He performs set tasks
OF walking, day by day, in his garden, and marks
ms progress by deposits of stones. He has offered
MS body, after DEATH to the surgeons for dissection
as his contribution to physiological science. Ht
seriously believes that the dreadful gnawing of the
stomach, already alluded to- which arises, perhaps
! from the collapse and impotency of that organ
through the use of opium, is caused bv the ravages
! OF living animal. He is singular in his habits
often disappears from his home for davs together
! no inquiry being made after him by his friends
| and returns mysteriously as he went. He has
two daughters, one of whom is married to an officer
in the Indian army; the other and eldest presides
! over the house, and acts as his amanuensis.
| few morning since the new Episcopal Church
| at Red Hook, Dorchester county, New York was
entirely destroyed by fire. A number of firemen
| started with engine No. l. of RhinahacE co. az