Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-03-02

I
we're themselves trying the same game. Every member
OF the order well armed aud money was furnished 10y
persons Of This ciiy and Baltimore. There agents
acting III this city, aud the Baltimore gang were apprsed
hy signs sent over the telegraph, OF the movements Of
the President elect.
REMARKS OF MR.. ROBERTSON, OF RICHMOND
! CITY, IN TIE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, IN RE-
| FERENCE TO TIE BANKS
| Mr. ROBERTSON was glad to hear the member from
Marion (Mr HAYMoNo) so emphacally endorse the pro
position that 10 impose the cost OF furnishing specie to
the State the Banks unjust He had prepared an
amendment with the view OF avoiding that injustice,
| w1 ch at proper time he would offer. His amendment
provides for the reimbursement OF the Banks OF the cost
o. supplying the requisite speoie-lud limited besides tie
demand on them for coin, TO interest accrupg on Stat
bonds he'd out Of the State
One effect of it would be to cut or this scramble for
special advantages, exemptions now going on in the
House and in which the Senate had been, he believed
engaged for several dlys-advantage- Of Bank
auother-of country Banks over the city Banks and OF
Banks in section of the State over those OF another
aud what made this scramble the more remarkable was
that 10 was a scramble in the dark The operation Of
the different modes OF distributing the tax itsel. all
gu s-.work-uuless perhaps to one or two early work
e.s who had examined the Auditors Report ordered
! by the House-and which now in the hands
| of the printer The House had ordered the iufor-
nation enable it TO TO some just principle Of de-
| ci-iOn, and row, the information almost within our
re .h though still unclaimed the House decides to take
a leap in the dark conclusion that no one can fore
| tell the working Of.
H., first proposition was TO limit the demand on the
Banks for coin, what might be due 70 nonresident
hold rs-or bc payable out Of the limits Of the State
This would effect most important saving of coin eav
! ing it to be accumulated by the Banks to strengthen
them, and TO prepare them 80 much earlier TO resume
specie payments. l. does injustice to our citl-
z5us 1t says TO them-to YOU and me, sir and all Of
fee holders that az time when public necessity com
pe our constituents to be content iorego specie de-
mands We too, should DO without it-that at such n
time citizens having claims the public treasury should
have advantages over other classes of creditors
! WAY should they sir? II they owe the State they
entitled to pay what they owe 10 Bank notes. Why, If
the State owes them should IL not, also pay them in Bank
notes. /. is but Just reciprocity. Otherwise, party
holding claim for interest OF 500 on the Sate-and
owing at the same time 500 for taxes % the State de-
maud- the due to hun m coin, converts it into per-
| haps Slu5 in Bank notes, with 500 OF which he pays
his taxes aud in hu, receiving from and paving to the
same ulrty the same amount j.. gamer five dollars. On
the other hand there is equality and reciprocity in what
| l propose regards the uOu-r,s dent OF him We
pect aud receive always coin when debtor lender
! t but right and just independent of its being compul
sory on us-that pay him in coin, when owe him.
Nv second proposition d. THAI reimburse the banks
what u may cost them 20 obtain specie 10 the extent
REQUIRE IL of them. am not asking t for the banks
do no. represent them, any Of them in respect to
this suggestion. but represent, according 70 my sin
core though possibly incorrect view Of them porcep-
! tou of the heuor aud justice OF the Commonwealth
This cost of obtaining specie 70 pay our calls upon them
is tv-how severe, Is shown from the active efforts
We witness here to throw il oil some ard others-to
-su it DO every possible way. Where is the Justice OF
Htine IT, IL is said they have prvileges-of issu ug
notes-of higher interest-ot profitable deposits. Ad
mitted. But have YOU not fixed your price for these
privileges aud have they not paid il? Your bonus and
tax on dividends amount together to near one per cent
You have ANed the cous sheraton and received it, Shall
Won come behind them, and catching them in your pow
or make new oxactions which they helpless
fuse For one think IL unworthy OF great State -
Tc. her share with her citizens, the common hardshps
of IN. times if she has coin provide to pay debt
abroad do MS they have to doply the market price for
and not because she has the power nict the loss upon
bs- Banks Gentlemen seem to find some soace or usGf
cation n the thought that they are but corporations OF
ri, capitalists who afford TO be taxed IL iu-
deed Door reason II II were true. But It is not true
! Certainly among the stockholders, few very
ltby lncii--bu the House would be surprised doubt
loss If they would a. mime, TO learn how very large
number of people in very moderate circumstances hold
hank stock Widow and orphans especially numerous
, trusts uf many sorts for people little able 10 bear
and uu- taxation. Butt again said they have forfeited
.ir charter by su-peudiug specie payments and is Is
r. i,rirc we charge foe relieving them II the sspeu-
sion was through any fault OF theirs Won ought to
rnnuud with them ANA il not through their fault you
ought not TO punish them Who pretends 1t VS. from
any cause within their control that they suspended
\oboIy-uOt yOur Governor, any one here or else.
vlqre-io, single news paper has charged this -uspen
SION 10 icr fault. Banking credit rather is
ut system of credit IL impors a AL times paper cir
cu,ou IN excess OF tie amount of specie held to re-
Je IN IT, Confidence makes good the dill renee. Lyt
,,t 10, ru,ly shaken or Withdrawn be- the cause hat
il may and couvertioity OF paper into coin must for a
LONGER or shorter period be suspended Sometimes cx-
,rsiy. issues create Wollouulcd alarm and then,
in 1897 the banks, as whole, through the whole
Union were In fault Sometimes an adverse course
nj trade calls for amounts OF specie that cannot
he mot In this case, the causes Of disturbance To
credit were purely political Independent Of these,
no one doubt, that the banks might as well have gone
On having specie for all their for which il vas
demanded through the period Of th suspension be-
fore They all believe, were banking within the lines
and limits prescribed for them safe by the policy Of
the State and by their and the public interests,
when the uneancss of the public mind reached the point
almost OF panic, confidence was suddenly Withdrawn and
they we're left alternative but TO stop The Cover
nor authorized and bound, if the fault theirs, in
Hic. grave penalties them foborc; and this Assem-
bly believe unanimously will raty the act OF relief.
Hence having done nothing to call for punishment do
not think the proposed imposition on them to be Just
The proposition | make is not, as the gentlemen
on the opposite side suppose departure from all
all the prior policy of the State On the contrary, the
stoppage of the banks in 3though case where all the
banks OF the country more or less to blanche
proyi.ion which now submit was after long and full
discussion sustained by the Legislature; and have be-
fore me the law of 3S embodying IT, Il is provision
in my opinion, demanded by iustce-demanded by q
proper regard to the dignity of the State, which should
not cast her own proper burdens from her shoulders
on those of the banks against whom there brought no
charge even, of delinquency in performing their duties
to the public.
And as a final and to my mind, most persuasive rea-
son Tor adopting these provisions they would retain IN
the vaults of the banks cOn which justice or neces
sitv demands should be withdrawn and which must aid
their earlier resumption of specie payments The call on
thm as the bill stands, for specie not reasonably de-
mandabc aud to bear besides uuusy, as think, the
cost of buying it, only tends cripple and postpone
their efforts to resume but Law the foundation for
claim here for prolonged suspension hereafter. Surely
the House will avoid policy that tends to throw imped
meuts in the way of the earliest possible resumption Of
specie payments.
EX-SECRETARY THOMPSON'S STATEMENT.
A few days ago. Mr. Jacob r. Thompson, late Score
tlry of the Interior made address his friends and
neighborsjn Mississippi maintaining the action of Mr.
Buchauans cabinet in regard to secession. He said that
there was no serious trouble in the cabinet until it wa;
known that Mr.. Lincoln was elected then arose dis
cusson upon the rights and powers Of the General and
State Governments. On the right of State to secede
the cabinet split at once but the right Of the Genera