The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-06-18

while we await the result, there ID significant
fact worthy to be kept in view. The other day
the United States authorities in Texas received
the surrender of the soldiers there Of the late
rebellion; but when they came to receive the
men and the arms, to perfect the parole, there
were several thousands Of men and muskes
missing. What became OF themi It is whis-
pered that these missing rebels, disguised alike
with the late confederacy and the United States,
have sought homes in q new country, and were
seen crossing the Rio Grande. They took their
knapsacks as necessary parts of the trampers'
equipage, and their muskets to kill game; but,
in case Of emergency, they will be convenient
for other uses.
Alarming increase i'm Counterfeiting I'm
this Country.
The increase in counterfeiting government
treasury and bank bills in the United States
within few years, particularly since the re-
bellion commenced, has been 80 great as to de-
mand more than ordinary efforts to suppress it,
and to discover and punish offenders Each de-
nomination of the first issue of the government
fractional currency was counterfeited. The fifty,
twenty-five and ten cents of the first issue of
postal currency was also counterfeited, as we'll
as the more handsomely executed fifty cents Of
the last issue. The five, twenty, fifty and one hun
dred dollar greenback notes have been 80 per-
fectly counterfeited and 80 generally circulated
as to almost defy detection, even among ex-
perts. Bank officers have been known to re-
ceive the counterfeited greenback as the genu-
inc, and reject the genuine as the counterfeit
note. A one hundred dollar legal tender coun-
terfeit bill lately went the rounds Of several of
the most learned Of the Boston bank officers,
each of whom pronounced 1t genuine after the
most rigid scrutiny, and its counterfeit charac-
ter was only detected at the United States As
sistant Treasurer's Office A few days ago Mar
shall Murray seized in Brooklyn eighteen thou
sand dollars of counterfeit United States cur
rency, consisting of Afty, twenty-five and ten cent
stamps, together with large number Of dies,
plates, presses, 90. The United States Circuit
Court for this circuit has been occupied for
terfeiting or of those detected in circulating
counterfeit notes In one case STRIPPING passed
three counterfeit fifty dollar notes at different
times upon the same person without detection.
In short, instances showing the magnitude to
which this nefarious business has grown might
be multiplied almost indefinitely.
The question now occurs how is all this to be
remeded! The work of disturbing the cur
rency Of a country in this Wholesale manner Is
subject that interests everybody, and every
suggestion calculated to suppress the crime
should be carefully considered. That all the
United States currency notes are superb speci-
mems of engraving is fact. For that matter,
the engraving may be pronounced superior, as
work of art, to that of the paper circulation
of any other country. But, with all this advan-
tage, these notes cannot defy imitation so long
as the art of photography remains in existence
and is used by INSCRIPTIONS persons TO coun-
terfeit the notes. Many expedents have been
tried, by the aid Of chemistry, to introduce
colors in the notes that would fail completely
to respond to the process Of photogaphing; but
az yet the effort has not been 30 successful a.
required. As yet we hear of very few counter
feits ON the national banks, being besides tho
excellence of their engraving, supplied with
TO be protected, in pursuance Of IN order from
the Comptroller Of Currency, requiring all the
signatures of the bank officers upon them to be
made in writing. But even these precautions
will not overcome the faithful thinning and
nearly faultless transcript Of the photograph.
suppress counterfeiting In this country. One
plan suggests itself above all others at this
time. The Bank Of England has system Of
its own. The paper upon which the notes Of
that bank are printed is of inferior quality. The
printing is coarse and will not at oil compare,
as specimen Of art, with that Of the notes of
tho United States Treasury or national banks.
But the Bank Of England has Its own paper
mill and manufactures It's own paper. This
paper has It's water marks, which accompany
every note, and those water marks are planned
and regulated by the officers of the bank alone.
Furthermore, no Bank of England note ever
leaves the bank q second time. When once
received It Is invariably destroyed. Hence, II
any one would attempt TO counterfeit Bank
Of England note he must first become
acquainted with the secret Of the water mark,
and, moreover, have paper mill of his own in
which to manufacture the paper. This would
prove rather expensive business, and Of
course could not be carried on without prompt
detection.
Therefore, II the United States government
would secure its currency against dangerous
counterfeitng, and protect the people from the
effect Of o want of confidence In It's notes - o
circulating medium, II should adopt the simple
but unfailing method Of the Bank Of England
without delay.
SwNDILNo AaENrs.-We have received .
note from gentleman who lives somewhere
in the bullrushes out West, and who In
forms us that he paid travelling agent two