Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-01-10
The !" Greenback" Law.

of an act declaring it unlawful for any person
or persons, by agent or otherwise, to "buy from,
sell to, or exchange with any person or per-
sons, United States legal-tender notes for less
sums of money than those expressed in said
notes." So far, so good; but very serious,
and doubtless unintentional, omission occurs
in the third section, which renders the bill a
nul!ity. The bill, as furnished by our report
err, is given below. 1t will be observed that
the words "the violation OF" in the penal
clause are omitted after the words "Eycry
person convicted Of" This omission will
doubtless be remedicd by the passage of a
supplementary act: The law reads as fol-
lows:
AN ACT TO PREVENT THE DEPRECIATION
OF THE L. s. LEGAL TENDER NOTES.
SEC. |. BE it enactcd ty tie Legislative assembly
Of Hc Territory IF Washington, That it shall be UNI
lawful for any person or persons, by agent or 9TH
crwise to buy from, sell TO. or exchange with, any
person or persons, United States legal tender notes
for less sums of money than those expressed in
said notes.
SEC. .. 1t shall he unlawful for any person or
otherwise, TO refuse to receive United States le-
gal tender notes for any goods, chattcls, or art-
ccs OF merchandise exposed for sale, or which
may offered for sale in the course of business, or
to receive them, in the course of business, for n
less amount than the sums Of money expressed i'll
said notes.
SEC. 3. Every person convicted of any of the
provisions vi this act shah lie fined IN any sum not
exceeding five hundred dollars, and imprisoned in
the county Jail 70: term not exceeding six months
at the discretion of the court.
See. i. This act to take effect and be in force
from and after its passage.
Passed Jan. &, 1863.
The second section of the act should be
stricken ont entirely, to make the act of any
value. The last clause therein is embodied
in section |, and the remainder was doubtless
written in haste and never intended to form a
part of the bill. These defects caused the
measure to be opposed i'll the House by
Mcssrs. Griswold Huntington, and others.
These defects can be amended in a supple
mentary act.
Although we had hoped the object sought
in the passage of this act would have been at
tanned without resort to compulsory meas
ures, We are pleased to know that orr worthy
Legislators are determined to try the virtue in
little wholesome legislation upon the sub
joct. If the loss resulting from this growing
practice was confined to the discount upon
paper currency, the evil would appear in IL
modified light but when the prices of all ar
ticlcs of staple merchandise have advanced to
alarming rates, we believe that their legal
rights should be secured to them in this par
ticular at least. If it lies in the power of
Congress to make paper currency legal tend
er, as is generally conceded, the assumption is
that Congress intended them, in all respects,
to pass at their legal value-to be equal to
silver and gold,-and we can certainly see no
reason who our legislators should not render
their aid, and make " stock ,jobbEg' a penal
offensc. \ few men can do nothing towards
maintaining the Government credit, while so
many are engaged in breaking it down. A
law, general Units application, will, we believe,
remedy the evil. II some such measure is not
adopted, and should the depreciation continue.
our coin will soon take wings for foreign parts
With less coin than we now possess, there is
no telling where the depreciation will end.
Entertaining these views, we cannot but give
the law, as it should stand, our approval. We
hope it will be amended and put in force, and
result in much good to the people of our Ter.
ritory.
CoRoNER's INaUEsT.-An inquest was
held on the body Of B. +. Kendall, Esq, de-
ceased, on Wednesday evening, tho 18th inst.
After hearing tho testimony in the case, the
jury returned the following verdict:
1--WE. the undersigned, the jury summoned
to hold an inquest OH the body Of B. +. Ken
dali deceased do find that thu 1eceasp1 came