Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-14
AFTER EIGHTY -ONE YEARS A House Which Stands as a Mon
 ument to a Great Man
IS REBUILT AND DEDICATED
The Old Holland Land Com pany's Office the Scene of
 a Large Gathering.

BATAVIA, N. Y., Oct. 13.-The morning of the day set apart for the dedication. of the Old Holland land office building broke dark and threatening, but the gloomy out look did not prevent the assembling of the largest gathering this little village has ever witnessed The normal population of 5000 has by the influx of visitors from various sections of Genesee, Wyoming, Living ston Mia gara, Erie and Orleans counties been swelled to twice that number.
 Promptly on time the train bearing the members of the cabinet and others from Washington rolled into the depot, when the distinguished visitors were welcomed by re option committee and escorted to the Richmond hotel. The party was made up of Secretary and Mrs. Carlisle, Secre- tary and Mrs. Lamont, Secretary and Miss Herbert, Secretary Hoke Smith and Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Max we'll. The absence of Secretary Gresham, who was compelled to remain in Washing ton on account of the pressure of official business, was greatly deplored. Postmas- ter General and Mrs. Bissell arrived from Buffalo on the morning train and joined the party at the hotel, where reception was held.
 Following the reception the distin- II front of the land office, from which they reviewed parade of civic and military or- ganizatiops. Then the unveiling of the tablet took place, followed by prayer by Bishop Ryan. The tablet is of marble, 2x4 feet in size, and contains the. inscription: ory of Robert Morris" Ios5s 5s
 The exact year is left blank, because it was found impossible to determine in what year the building was completed. At the conclusion of the ceremony of unveiling the tablet the visitors were entertained at luncheon. After luncheon the ladies were driven to the State park, where, with the cabinet officers, they occupied seats on the stand. The weather had cleared up and the sun was shining briehtly.
 q The exerciSe8 at this point began promptly at 2 o'clock with selections by the Sixty fifth regiment band of Buffalo. lH' To Thee, o, Country" was then sung .Dy a chorus of 100 voices, and Bishop Coxe followed with prayer. The song of s'Zion Awakeo was next sung and was followed by reading of the dedication poem by John H. Yates, the author. The chorus. sang 10, Columbia, Colufn bia, Beloved.
 ieSecretary Carlisle then delivered a his- torical address, reviewing the life and services of Robert Morris. He said in part: ta4Fs,{A
 promptly identified himself with the friends of the colonies in the controversy between them and his mother country, and in 1776, ten years before the battle at Lex -ington, he signed the non Importation agreement. He wae known to be opposed voted against it, believing with many other good and patriotic citizens of that period that the opportunity for recoucili ation upon terms which would preserve the liberties of the people had not yet en- tirely passed. But, as q member of the nj in cr he was placed upon some of the most inn portant com mmittee5, and was almost con- stantly called upon to assist in financial affairs, not only by his advice and counsel, but by the use of his name and personal credit. At that time there was no treasury department, nor any national executive or ganization of any kind. Almost every financial expedent that the ingenuity of man could devise, except regular and effective taxation, had been resorted procure credit for the prosecution of the war. The country was smothering to death under a mass of worthless paper currency far more disastrous to the com mercial and industrial interests of the peo- pie than all the spoliation and devastation committed by the invading enemy.
 ExtIayagance, speculation, fraud and selfishness prevailed everywhere to an ex- tent never known in this country before or since. Itwas the harvest time of the dis uOuebt puOtlC Oulctal, tu0 uuSCrupulOuS debtor and the unfaithful trustees of pri- vate estates. The widow and the orphan, and the poor and dependent classes in all the walks of life were, as they have always been and will always be, the principal sufferers from every huctuation in the exchangeable value of the currency. The rich and the power ful can generally take care of their own in- terests, no matter what kind of currency may be in use, but the poor, who are com pelIed to labor for the necessities. of life and to accept whatever Is offered them in compensation, and the ignorant, who are always exposed to the seductive devices of the speculator and swindlsr. constitute the classes upon which the evil effects of vitiated currency Invariably fall with the heaviest weight. sns.aa a1.5a
 At this time continental notes had been issued to the amount of Sl69, COG, 900, or about S53 per capita, and the depreciation was 30 to 1-that is, $1 in specie was equal in value to $30. By July, 1780, it was 64H to1, and early in the next year the whole miserable system broke down. Congress, with only one dissenting vote, resolved that all the debts then due from the United States, which had been liquidated accord ing to their specie value, and all debts which had or would thereafter be made payable in specie, should be actually paid in specie or it's equivalent at the current rate of exchange between specie and other currency. This was the condition of af- fairs when congress, on the 10th day of February, 178i, unanimously chose Ros- ert Morris to be superintendent of finance.
 The selection at once revived the hopes of the despondent. stimulated tho courage fof the waveriug and coDf Dfrmed tho faith of the friends of liberty in every part of the world. sa-w asaQ isa1-a
 h June, 1781, before he had taken charge of his office, hs secured the repeal of the embargo, believing, to use his own lan- guage. that bconnmerce shouid be per. fectiy free snd property sacredly secure stoSthe owner. sHs applied hi,noelf with neal and determination to the difficult tusk upon him, and the result of his