The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-10-20

Inc statutes OF tne united OtateS provide
that no person or company, save national
banks or the federal government, can law
fully issue circulating medium. During
the financial trouble of the Reading compa-
ny its manager asked IL the authorities
could allow script to be issued without vio-
lation OF this law. The reply was negative,
but the company went to work and issued
script in such quantities that the penalty
fixed by law amounted to SIS, 600, 900. Lift
CATION followed, but the penalty was never
paid. The amount which the officers now
want to pay is so small that the offers have
been spumed.
DEMANDING THE SETTLEMENT OF AN OLD
CLAIM. r..
A demand is to be made upon the Secre-
tary of the Treasury in a short time by an
agent for the State of Virginia. The de-
mand will be for the distribution of SO, OO0,-
600 pro rata among the states which were in
the union in 1896. 1t will be remembered
that in that year Congress directed that the
surplus revenues then In the Treasury be
distributed among the several states. The
money was to be paid in allotments; three
allOtments were paid, but payment of the
last, which amounts to $1,000 900, was post
poned by Congressional act Mr.. Alexand-
er in his brief cites these facts, and further
that the original act never having been re-
pealed, 1t Is the plain duty of the Secretary
of the Treasury to pay the SO, 900, 600 upon
demand. He proposes to make that demand
at an early date. He says no further leg
islatiOn is necessary to distribute the So
100000.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER's BELIEFS.
At the autumn meeting of the New York
and Brooklyn Association of Congregation
al Churches Tuesday, Mr.. Henry Ward
Heecher formally withdrew from member
ship. He explained that he did so because
he could not as Christian gentleman af-
ford to lay on anybody the responsibility of
his views. He could not afford especially
to put the association in position where 1t
would have to defend him. Mr.. Beecher
defined his belief at some length, saying he
held that the whole view of God as laid
down In the Westminster confession of
faith, compared with the representation of
Sod as made by Christ, was as a frightful
ciorgon compared with Apollo. 1t repre-
sented him as monster instead of loving
master. He regretted 1t with an impetus
that touched the very foundation of his
s)ul. He also rejected the representative
future punishments, which were gross and
physical and made from the sensuOuS RO-
man school. He believed in future punish
ment, but held that the suffering was not of
the body, but mental, according to the laws
of moral sensibility and affections-not
machine of sulphur and fire and deluge of
devils. He regarded also the whole doc
trine of original sin as the foundation of the
fall of Adam as barbaric and the concep-
zion of men as yet Ignorant on the subject.
ADDITIONAL HELP ASKED FOR.
In his annual report Secretary Teller will
ask for the appointment of two more assist
ant secretaries. His Is the largest depart
ment under the government, and the work
is not great in amount, but it is complicated
and diverse in character. The pension, land,
and patent offices are each larger than some
of the executive departments and there is
too much work for one secretary and one
assistant. The pOstmaster-general has three
assistants; the secretary of state, who has
less to do than any other member of the
cabinet has three assistants, and assistant
secretaries of war and navy have been ali-
thorized though not yet appointed. The in
terror department needs three assistant sec
retaries quite as much as the war and navy
departments need one each. If the two adj
ditiOnal assistant secretaries are authorized
there will be general reorganization of the
interior department. Besides the three
large offices of lands, pensions, and patents,
the interior department contains the offices
of Indian affairs, education, commissioner
of railroads, geological survey, and census.
The Secretary's request for two more assist
ants will revive the effort to divide the in
terror department by making the commits
sioner of agriculture cabinet minister and
attaching the land office and geological sur
vey to his department.
THE NEW GOLD CERTIFICATES.
A modification of the order in relation to
the issue of gold certificates will be made
within short time. When Secretary Folg-
er was first considering the form to be used
Assistant Treasurer Acton, of New York,
made special request to be allowed to have
his signature go on the certificates. Mr..
Folger consented, and after the certificates
were finished at the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing they were forwarded to New
York for Mr.. Acton's signature. The in
creased demand for these certificates, how
ever, makes it impracticable for the gov
eminent to wait for Mr.Acton to sign them.
1t is estimated that if he should work night
and day for the next three months he could
not succeed in signing all the certificates
that have been issued. lie has done his
best toward it, however, and has neglected
duties and worked nights in order to keep
up with the demand. Evidently NJ. Acton
desires to perpetuate his memory in some
substantial way not believing in the tickle
nOtoriety of every day life. An order will
treasures to issue the gold certificates. The
issuing of silver certificates will be discon-
tinued, the gold certificates taking their
place.
BANK ovERDRAFTs.
Senator Beck, of Kentucky, succeeded in
getting injected into the bank-charter bill
of the last session of congress section
Furnishing by a fine not to exceed $4,000 or
Imprisonment not to exceed five years, or
both, any national bank officer who shall
violate the act of March 3, 1869, forbidding
the generalization of checks. This prac-
tice of overcertifying checks has been con-
fined, for the most part to few New York
banks that have the bulk of the stock eX-
change transactions. Though risk Is in
CURED in doing it, it has been done for
years with entire safety, and might be re-
garded as one of the details of banking that
should be left to the discretion of bank Of
ficers. The banks that Overcertify are well
known, and If the business community re-
garded the practice as vicious these banks
would lose their depositors; but Senator
Senator Beck is "agin'' banks and suspi-
cious of all they do, and he secured the
amendment of the Grape bill as mentioned.
1t was thought that special stock ex-
change clearinghouse would have to be OPP
ened In New York, but this was obviated by
the discovery of an ingenious bank officer
that an accepted check for more money
than the drawer had on deposit answered
every purpose of the certified check; but
the penalties of the Beck amendment were
denounced not only against all who violated
the law against generalization, but
against everyone who shall resort to any de-
vice in order to evade the provisions there
of. The matter has not yet reached the
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