, 1866-12-31

spouusncr OF the New York Herald

E General SurpenAIon OF Specie Pny-
nentn nt tHayznA-Cause8 of tho Cr1-
ais.
Correspondence Of tho New York He1ald.l
HAVANA Deeembes -
Our cty Is In great state OF excitement,
and y regular pantc prcra LIS among all
classes-, We are IN the midst OF = great ca
lamity, And II no pr mrt steps arc taken to
and ccuseq Lent disastrous results, our COM
uleTcc will be prostzated aud injured to An
inca1culable extent. The principal Cause of
the suspension Of nearly all Of our hanks Is
not, rs the Dur 10 enormously states, the
withdrawal Of two and half millions from
tho vaults Of the banks, and sent to foreign
countTice by unauthorized parties, but the
large amount Of Government Treasury bonds
held By the Royal Spanish Bank. and ON
which they advance the cash to the Govern
mtnt used by the Royal authorities to detray
Mexico and Chilli, and which the Treasury
has been unable to redeem until now.
4 meeting Of merchants and bankers, un.
der the Presidency Of the Captain-Gc
himself, WIS held nt the Palace on Monday
last, to deliberate on the depressed and ruin
Of money, which ts very embarrassing to our
banks, and will lead to disastrous financial
results, if no steps are taken to devise means
to e1trfcatc thcm out Of their difficulties.
The only feasible plan presented WAS that
the Royal Spanish Bank be authorized to
pay out fif1y per cent On al sums, in bonds
Of the Government, which are fully secured,
and Of which they hold very large amounts
as collaterals. Also, that the Royal Spanish
Bank should make rsc Of the credit
i enjoys in England and the United
the bank Of Bossicr tS Co. suspended pay
meDt. This bank vas tue one organized and
patronizcd By ull the provision dealers aud
wholesale groccss in Havana, and enjoyed q
monopoly which has given great offence to
the Il Mercantile community not Interested in
the institution. The bank received per-
Many Of tho depositors had been quietly
withdrawing their funds for the last two
months, nt:er the Royal Spanish Bank bud
LutittIl Arssrs. Busster y Co. that they
would no l"ngerbe able to discount the pa.
s;er Of their restitution. or Of their patrons,
20 the same extent as before. and lately Ead
only done SO In small quantitiEs and Oh hrst-
class paper.
On Friday more suspensions took place,
among them the Banco de Concrete {Fessv.s $
Warehouses urd the Bahia Railroad a..
kept, the Banco de lila, and In flct all With
| the exception of the Cain dr Ahorrans {S.y.
| sngs Bank}, the AllIanza and the Royal
Spani=h Bank, which still continues to pay
out specie, and will probably be able t
| Ncal4ef tue storm. although IL mas only
have s, SIX, ,9c5 on deposit, and s.. .653, $50 q
| their bills In circulation. Their aescts, 1t
cuse Of the suspension, amounting te
&l3, IA, ,7G0, nTe more than sufficient to coyel
al their liabilities, and leave q surplus O
over 1900 900 to The credit Of the bank
Strenuous etforts hare been made yesterday
to prevent this result. AL OF our prlncIpa
provision and grocery merchants will sus
pend specie payments to-day, and seyera
houses who do not rest on very firm basi
will be compelled to close their doors and E,
into liquidation.
/. It Is Supposed By MI our bankers and prin
cipal merchants that the suspension vii
only be temporary, aud that the arrival Q
the new augar crop, and the consequent In
gression Of funds into the Island, will soo
put things to rights, particularly rs all Q
assets, aud Will be able to resume payment
| u COON Aa rkA.lttAuces Of sp2etc 1ErtIe.