The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-16
THE COIN OF THE RICHMOND BANKS.
Report Of Mr.. Van Wyck. Of The Committed
on Retrcncliment.

--~~~-~~-~~~~~--~-~~~-
Report Of Mr.. Van Wyck. Of The Committee
Refrenclinenf.
WASHINGTON, March IS, 1867.
M. Van wyck, from the Committee Rerenchment.
which referred the claim Of the Richmond banks
to certain coin deposit in the United States
Treasury makes the following report
On the 14h Of March, 1865 Legislature OF virginia
passed act authorizing loan 10 the Commonwealth
OF $500 600 in gold and silver coin by the several banks
Northern Virginia, ordering the Auditor TO pay
the same on the footing OF loan TO the Confederate
States either TO the Secretary Of War To the General
Chief of the Confederate Army the Governor may
deem most eypedcnt be used exclusively for the pur
Virginia directing the Governor no obtain from
the Confederate authorities the best securities
they may have it in their power to offer''
Accordingly seven banks furnished 100000, re-
cevng state bonds security therefor, sl0o 900 of
which is in the Treasury of the United States and
Is the subject OF this Tho money was deposited
by the State its credit in three banks then public de-
posi,aries, as foows:-Bank Of Virginia, Si0s,00o;
Farmers Bank, sl12. 600; Exchange Bank $4,000.
The Secretary Of the Confederate Treasury
delivered to the Governor of tho state the following
order
''n1 R1oano nasA March IS, 1861 "a
A. RoASE. Esq, Chief Produce Loan Bureau;--. -.
s,n1he state OF Virginia has advanced ssoo 600 IN coin
to the government Tor the use OF the commssary Depart
sse co'tont the rate Of hfeen pound Yoaare
Sc '0' e. 4 TRENHoLM, secreary Of he treasury
Captain Strother OF the confederate army, had
authority to receive the 100000 Just before tho
evacuation Of Richmond he did receive s27l 900 the
mond, leaving $246,0O0 OF which $54000swas in
checks by the Bank OF Virginia. and The Exchange
left Richmond on I'd of April, 1865. with this
under his CONTROL In company with officers OF the bank,
thousand dollars in coin. belonging to the banks each
party control of its funds At Danvile the Sth
OF April Captain strcther agreed with the officers OF the
banks of his being cut on from General
Lees army, he would restore the remainder o. the fund
to them to be credited the bonds OF the state which
the banks held They then proceeded 10 Washington
Georgia Captain Strother. the 21st OF April 1885,
had remaining 1922 s29. which he paid to the bank
officers, taking receipt for the same stating that the
should be credited the bonds, provided the
said coin and specie checks shall DO delivered In Rich
mondu There was no statute authority authorizing
this payment by CAPTAIN Strother. The bank officers
cancelled and destroyed the checks for $4,000 and
held the remainder OF the fund.- together with their
coin.
init from General Patrick 10 bring back their effects
from Georgia. and started with the Ncon, about
$3.50 600; Of this $4,000 OF the fund received
from Captain Strother. About eighteen miles from
disguised in Federal uniforms Of $4,000 in com or
this slo5; 600 90 be,onsed TO the Bank Of s. vir
Fund Fund The day after the robbers restored to
the bank officers Sill 900 of this; bag OF So 900
as ra as the % % ns ae re-
penses the fund amounted 10 about $780, 000
subsequently delivered to General steednan at Augusta
and now special deposit In the Treasury.
This matter has been several times argued by attorneys
for the before the Secretary Of
the Treasury and the President
The facts those agreed upon the last argu.
ment The bad faith commenced BY Captain S'rother
continued by tho banks. At time their petition
that existed Contract dealings between
the banks and the confederate government by which IL
was entitled to or had an interest in one dollar of tho
money In question: The officers Of the banks verified
by their oath this statement yet their is apparent
from their own subsequently, admitted facts. They
always furnished afdayits from the officers OF the Con-
fcderate Treasury Department that the coin had not
been under Their control. From these allegations The
Solicitor OF the United states Treasury then saidAs
10 any interest Of the confederate government in the
con the only for supposng that any such ever
existed appears 10 be the fact that the coin was removed
from Richmond simultaneously with the departure Of
the rebel authorities thcrefro but this was certainly IN
no way inconsistent with the private ownership asserted
statement Of the officers OF the banks applying,
and the former negaved so far as 1t well could be by
the statement of person In the employ OF the rebel
Treasury Department
The President OF the United States then issued an
the restoration OF the coin 10 the banks
tain conditions which, in the judgment OF the United
States Treasurer, we're not complied with Certain
United States officers si suspicious and satisfied
that the coin had belonged the confederate govern
eu when at last discovered that the negotiation
"a o5a s oeen This conceament and
dupy the part OF the BANKS show the character Of
the claim.
state Of Virginia s300O00 in CON- expressly be ad.
vanced to the rebel government. The banks received
Confederate order 900 pounds Of In pay
mcnt The contract was complete in law. From that
moment the coin became forfeited to the United States
BEFORE the 21st Of April 10 wit on the 9th lee had
surrendered: on tho 18th johnson commenced negota-
ting for surrender: the chief OF the confedcracy was
disguised and fight tho headquarters OF the rebel
lion with all its hopes and treasure, in an army
wagon Fastening TO get beyond the Mississippi IL rs
Idle TO pretend that Captain Stroher had the shadow OF
right act administrator OF tho effects Of the dead
confederacy and defraud this Of is legal
sroils of After the surrender Of Ice all prop.
erty OF tho confederacy, by shat act passed the
control of the United States government Strother had
no right TO give TO tho Richmond banks 1928
been In his possession. N a fraud upon the gov.
erument agents Of tho banks pariceps cy1rn
mis- and tho banks shoald not derive any interest there
from. No matter what became Of the property after
wards II was conversion for the fnl amount al the
time they took IL The coin taken from Strothar with
their own, was safely deposited In Washington Ca by
the bank aranis They had tgnt to attempt lie 70.
mUval TO Nghmpnd and therefore became Liable to the
government Tor tie amount, matter how lost. II
would be eesy matter have robbery By concert
The robbers took slsb 600 of Tho Stroer fusd and
100000 81 the banks money. How did Tho robhers
Fet knowledge of tho facts AMI by what dld
they return till,o00. few thousand more than the
banks money s0lenY Had the banks succeeded In putting
in their vaults AZ Richmond the SOS e2o would they
NOT rave neen clearly responsible 70 the United States
in that Ermf They have cinn tho 100000 now In
deposit in the United States Treasury but should be
held liable Tor the $4,000 retained by the banks from
the $o00OO0 for the checks they destroyed OF &54 000
the actual amount OF coin they sold OF The sroiher nd
$4,000 and The balance taken by the ROBBERS and not
returned. Therefore be II
Resolved ny the Senate and House OF Representatives
coin and bullion special deposit the Treasury OF
the United states be by the United states Sold
and hs, The claimants .ssreso tho RicSmond banks may
contest their right 10 the In the Court Of Claims
The banks owned bullion No part Of the $780, 900
loaned TO the confederate government was In bullion
yet part of this $000oo nfty-scveu pieces Of
bullion evidently taken early the rebellion from