The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-03
THE ST. LOUIS BANK TROUBLES.

REPLY OF THE COMPrRoLLER OF THE CUR
RENcY TO DISTRICT ATTORNEY BLIss-rHE
INVESTIGATION BEFORE THE GRAND JURY
DUTIES OF THE TWO OFFICIALS EXPLAINED
GRAVE COUNTER CHARGES.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. 2. 1879.
The Comptroller of the Currency has replied at
length to the communication OF District Attorney
Bliss. of St. Louis. addressed to the Attorney Gen.
era relative to his action in the prosecution Of the
officers of the late National Bank of the State Of
Missouri. He says
copy Of the District Attorneys letter was for
warded by me to the receiver of the banks tor re-
port. but. in the meantime, and without anoruns
me reasonable opportunity to make my answer,
the report Of the District Attorney has through his
own procurement. no doubt. been published in full
in the public prints accompanied, in some in
stances. by startling and conspicuous head lines at.
trbutng to me the grossest official negligence and
malteasance i'll Office l am the more surprised by
these misrepresentation and by this display OF
view of the fact that from the time went to st.
Louis up to the date of his communications
as know or have heard. made any complaint to his
superior officers az to my official conduct or to
that of the receiver As no request from him for
official action or information has ever been for
moment neglected or denied by me by the
ceiver had no cause to suspect. and did not
pect, that was the object OF the hostility which he
now makes pub .ic.
CHARGES MADE.
The only formal complaint made in Ineligible
lation to the criminal proceedings referred to, APP
pears to be that have misunders TODD failed to
obey the public statutes which define my duties,
ana that l am not in sympathy with the public
prosecutor in his efforts bring to justice the vio-
lators Of the national Banking law. The charges,
however, which made by indrection and innu-
endo rather than by any definite allegation, and
which he evidently wishes to have read between
the lines OF his letter, are that have in some way
screened wish to from the consequences Of
their crime the officers and employees OF the bank;
that have withheld information essential to the
prosecution
charged with offences against the law; that have
in some way prevented desired to prevent inves-
tigation of the affairs the bank. ard that have
not given my official sanction to the prosecution Of
the particular cases to which he refers These
charges-those that made by vague intimatons
as well those definitely Alleged declare to be
maliciously false. and believe them to have been
made not from . sense OF public duty, but
to subserve personal and unworthy motives
and purposes. So far as they relate. to
to be- false. far they relate to the aud
his conduct and motives believe them to be alse
and their falsity is made plainly apparent by the
records of this bureau and by the public history of
the transactions III question.
After stating in detail the facts preceding the fail
OF the bank and his action in appointing the
receiver. gentleman who had previously had much
experience in closing up insolvent banks and who
not resident of st. Louis unacq uainted
with any connected with the bank. in way in
volved in its complications, and owing to whose
tried ability integrity and experience he had
to place the most implicit confidence in his success
in closing up it's affairs. he having paid dividends
amounting to seventy per cent, more than
$780, to creditors; and referring to the action
OF ex-senator henderson, the attorney OF the re-
cever' ana the setae"ent Oh inc inaeoteahess OF
James D. Iaos upon the ADVICE Oh oo'h tue receiver
ana attorney uuoer 'ne oroer oi Inc Court 10 the
fact that ne mas promptly lurnlsneo 10 the District
Attorney all papers IN MS once bearing upon the
prosecut1oh' anu 10 the appearance OF hlmse1 ana
subsequently Oh anotner omcer OF the bureau before
the oraho jury III d. LOUIS lesuising 10 al the
thereto. he says
Ih,ve actually and carefullv stated what nv nosi
tive and ofcial action has been in relation to the
affairs of the bank and the proceedings against its
officers herein referred to- There be no serious
dispute as to what have done or left undone. be-
the evidence Of my official acts is preserved in
gested by the statements have made appears to me
to be whether. IN the course l have pursued have
fully performed the duties which devolve upon me
the chief officer OF this bureau, which is by
statute charged with the execution of all laws passed
by Congress relating to the issue and regulation Of
u national currency secured by United STATES bonds
The Comptroller then quotes from the statutes to
snow that the law provides that ali suits ana pro-
ceedings arising out Of the provisions of the law
governing national banking associations in which
o. 80 $50 80 a. ss..~ ah.n
inc ohi'e o'"'es VI ahS vi its "seh's sna oe par
ties shall be conducted by the District Attorney Of
the several districts. under the direction of the
m A.. a. - a.. A., a.. 49,. -.
A'e~so'J' @Aso' W eno" 'H"s sAo 40" uoeS no'
mako 1t the duty of the Comptroller to institute,
control or terminate criminal proceed,nos
~. ~. =. -. ~ ..a.... "sSs.s..Ns'.
but that IN almost all instances prosecutions
for offences against the banking law have been
commenced. carried ON and concluded bv the nrose
oon"e".oN' 0A. w INV 'oA'A.Neu ~ VIZ Pio"o-
cutting officers OF the government without any con-
sultation with the Comptroller and without seeking
- ,..,r,ro from h,,, INV a;a or ,ns,rro,,o
Vi o''s ~ W ' ~ - W ne'
After showing ahrmatively what the duties OF the
COMPTROLLER are aud alleging that in the present in
..ro. sr.h d,ti.s h,va ho.r du,v ,,orsorr,.d che
s'"neo '~eAA o' A"'' WON -' PeAAe~' 'A0
reply continues
II am mistaken in my construction of the law
the action OF this bureau has been wrong from the
day of its creation but can be corrected in com.
plance with aIy Instructions You may think proper
to give.
coxnrcr on THE n,sry,c.r .rronxvx
ry,,a ~. II ha,.a A Ell, 80 = ~. ,-
s s.. ~ s. i Io 'o s ,i eo.
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"'sehsioA " ,iosiSoaoic o"euroS III