The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-12

mountatle barrier In the wsy Of fts freedom ant
independence II is like the case o. maj
long addicted to intoxication: if you reNnov
drink from him altogether you kill him; II w
continue II you also kill HIN. The temporal do.
minion Of the Pope is now 80 long established Ia
the centre OF italy, and there ia at the same time
70 much popular hostility against it, that to
abolish or continue it presents equal difficulties
to the greatest statesmen of the age. In the
United States-the asylum Of human liberty for
the rest Of the world-let ecclesiastical usurpa-
ton never have beginning, and ne shall never
have any trouble in bringing it to an end.
Counterfeitsng on a Magnificent scule-The
Latest Develops ents.
The HERALD of yesterday contained an
account of the operations of some Of our
detective police in bringing to light a
most extensive mandatory of counterfeit
bank bills which had been established in
one of the up town streets Of this city. This
establishment seems to have been under the
management of two experienced inancial ope-
retors, who had made their arrangements to 60
into the business on most magnificent scale, but
whose ambitious pretensiOns were Unexpectedly
nipped in the bud through the interference Of the
police. Their operations were not to be limited
= o one, two, or three banking institutions. They
were to extend to score or more, IN various sec.
tons of the United States and Canada, and
might, in fact, be extended ad infaaum to suit
the pleasure or convenience of the operators.
As it was, all things were in proper train to have
the country flooded with counterfeits on eleven
distinct banks and with bogus bills on nearly as
many more that have no existence at all. No less
than thirteen thousand dollars of this precious
stuff had been worked Off and done up in neat
packages of ffties and hundreds, when the detec-
tives thought proper to make their appearance
on the scene, arrest the two managers, and carry
off the plates, dies, presses, and what is usually
denominated the "Himsey."
This discovery brings up more forcibly than
ever the questions: What is to be done
to guard the community effectually against
the plague of counterfeiting? What remedy
is to be applied against this alarming and rap
idly increasing evil? These are questions which
vitality concern every class of the community,
and to which the serious attention of Legis-
latures should be directed. The first step to-
wards obtaining solution of the problem is to
understand the facilities and announcements
which are offered to counterfeiters by the very
loose system adopted in this State aud through
out the whole country in regard to the issue of
bank bills.
Persons who are unacquainted with the science
of engraving are very apt to imagine that the
bank bills which pass through their hands are
Impressions from original plates, executed by
fret class engravers at very considerable expense
to the bank, and that consequently counterfeits
Of them can only be executed by very superior
workmen and also at great cost. No such thing.
If that were the case we should be comparatively
secure from the operations of counterfeiters And
it is precisely because that is not the system
pursued that we find the whole country inun-
dated with counterfeit and bogus bills.
How then are genuine bank note plates exc
cuted? In this very loose and dangerous method:
A. bank note engraver designs or adopts
a vignette, border, an ornamental figure to
represent the value of the note, and various
styles Of fiourishes. Every bank note engraver
has scores or hundreds Of such designs always
on hand, according to the amount of his bust
ness. By mechanical continuance each of these
can be multiplied without limit. And so when q
new bank is started, and plates are wanted for
its notes, the engraver submits to the bank d.
rectors his whole repertory of designs; and this
vgnette, and that figure and this style of border
are selected just as the taste or fancy of the d.
rectors may suggest. The engraver has oUly to
put his hand on these various dies put them in po-
sitiOn, engrave the name of the new bank ia the
proper place, and the plate is complete at a very
trifing expense to the bank. 1t is in this way
that the vignettes and figuring and general ap-
pearance of the notes of so many different backs
are Identical. 1t is because the economical sys-
stead of having every plate engraved separately
and independently from an original design. But
the most secure method would yield less profit
to the eDgravers, and it is chiefly owing to this
paltry consideration that the trade Of the couu-
terfeiter fourishes.
1t is very rarely, indeed, that the en-
graver consciously aids the counterfeiter. The
mode in which the latter operates is this: He goes
to one engraver and procures vignette, repre-
sentiDg, perhaps, that he desires it for the head
ing of the bills Of mercantile firm. From
another engraver he procures, on another pre-
tence, die for the figure ''one,' or "ave," or
'ten," as The case may be. From others he pro-
cures, Oh various pretences, the other necessary
parts. And thus he is able, without any risk to
himself, add without any culpable knowledge on
the part of the engraver to get together dies,
by the varying combination Of which he can
produce fac Simile of the notes of score of
banks. Or, if the counterfeiter likes to run the
risk, he may attain his object ID a much more d.
rect marner-that is, by going to au engraver,
representing himself director Of newly char
tertd bank out West aud selecting plates for the
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