Bloomington Post, Volume 3, Number 5, Bloomington, Monroe County, 12 January 1838 — Page 2

CONGRESSIONAL.

IN SENATE. Thursday, December 21, 1837. Till: CURRENCY OF THE DISTRICT. The Senate took up the bill to restrain the cirrulatio'i of small notes in the District of Columbia. Mr. WRIGHT made some observations respecting this bill and a bill of a similar character, designed to compel the resumption of specie payment by th J banks on the first of May. He was desirous of this bill being passed without waiting for action n the other bill. Mr. CLAY wished to surest whether it would not be expedient to delay action on this bill at present. He was as anxious as any man to see the resumption of specie payments, and his hopes of an early resumption were now much warmer than they had been a few months ago. As to the banks of the District, he would ask if any gcn'Ieman thought it possible for them alone, and by themselves, while all the neighboring banks of Maryland and Virginia continued the suspension, to resume specie payments on legislative compulsion ? He saw a progress making in the North to resume, and the favorable state of the foreign exchanges led to the hope that this resumption wquld speedily take place. He therefore thought a small delay would be advisable, and, with this view, would propose to make the resumption, on the part of the banks of the District, conditional and contingent; as, for example, when the banks of Baltimore, or Richmond, kc. should resume, that then it should bo made obligatory upon them also to resume. Wr. WRIGHT could not see any connexion be tween individu.il notes and hank notes; therefore, the resumption by the banks could have nothing to do with the shin" plaster system. The object of tin's bill was to put down the shin-plasters; and he (Mr. W.)did not think their emission was rendered a: a'l necessary by the suspension of specie pajnont. As to the contingency proposed by the honorable Senator, (Mr. Clay.) let us only suppose that those banks should also pass similar contingent measures, the effect would !e that the resumption would be left entirely to the good pleasure of the banks themselves. Mr. W. was anxious, therefore, to fix a sure and certain tim0, a reasonable time, by which it should be obligatory upon the banks to resume, and not to be left to contingencies. It appeared to him that the 1st of May would bo that reasonable time. The banks could not then complain of the want of notice.

Mr. CLAY replied to the supposition of Mr.

Wright, that the neighboring banks might also do

on specie imported & exported, making the importations $62,000,000 for the last four years t the exports comparatively small, argued that the existing state of things would force large importations of specie into the country in pay for our exported productions, so that, without statute law, the attempt to force shin-plasters on the country must fail. He praised the gold bill as producing the golden part of this result. He repeated his exclamations on the absurdity of arguing that specie change cannot be obtained in abundance under these circumstances. Having made some laudatory remarks on General Jackson's attempts to reform the currency, he read the resolutions offered formerly by him to al ter the standard of gold, to aid the circulation of foreign coin, and to suppress notes under $20, and ridiculed the idea that these efforts at reform had been the means of embarrassing the country; and po inted to the solid specie allowed to be in the country as proof positive that the effect of these measures had been salutary. He charged upon the opposers of the Administration both the attempt, and the success of that attempt, to force shin-plasters on the country, as proof of which he adduced their support of all measures in favor of paper. He defied them to keep off a specie currency, except by cor. tit u'ng to force shin-plasters on the community, and said they should not succeed even in this way. The specie must and would come, in spite of all opposition, and every thing else. The turn of foreign exchange in our favor would aid in bringing about this result. He closed with repealed denunciations against paper money, ami was fui allowing no time

for its suppression. Mr. N1LES having expressed his desire not to distress the District, congratulated the country on the signal success of tae measures of the late extra session. He went into the particulars of these hapresults, accompanied also with bright moral prospective effects, characterizing the change as speedy, great, signal, and salutary, unparalleled in the history of the world. As proofs of this, he adduced

the great rejoicing, firing of cannon, and shouts of

triumph, in various parts of the country, (on the Whig elections.) The day of mourning had gone by, and that of rejoicing and of triumphant shouting had come. He would therefore call on the banks, and would ask them, like honest men, to

I come forward and pay their debts. The specie w as j in their vaults, and Mr. N. was in favor of coercing I tnem to pay their debtj. He maintained that the ! banks ol the District were creatures of Congress, ! that ough not to band together and form rules for j themselves not authorized by law. That Congress i and the State Legislatures ought to force the banks i

10 lesume eeiu pu) ineius in a reasonable ume,

iu la'.

oil I,

of tho People u- secured to them oy the

Constitution, and also so as not to put (as it now ;joinl resolution of Mokgax, above mentioned, (i

.i i .

me ii-iins

does) the negroes on the same footing with white

people. Mr. BENTON subsequently observed, in reference to negroes, that no acts of Congress were ever understood to apply to them. Mr. YOUNG'moved an amendment intending to punish not only the original issue and taking of such small notes, but also any issue of them de novo. On the suggestion of Mr.SMITH, of Indiana, the word "knowingly" (pass such bill) was inserted in the amendment. The amendment was then adopted, by ayes 20, noes not counted. Mr. SMITH, of Indiana, moved to amend the bill

so as to exclude the informer, who was to receive i

half the fine, from being a witness, and for this pur

ic-

lation to receiving paper currency for lands) after an animated and able discussion, was lost by a large loiajority, nearly two to one, and it was then referred to a select committee of Messrs. Co' i-Pt-r

Thompson, of L. andDuxxixG. That it will pass with some amendments, is as'strongly indicated bv' the debate which took place, and as by the vote oa the question ol laying it on the table. Indiana Journal. From the Lafayette (la.) Free Press.

ANOTHER CASE OF STABBING IX OUR TOWN. We omitted to state in our last, that on Fridav. evening the loth inst., that Jesse Bringham a citizen ofour county was stabbed in several places in his body by John A. Comnstock. the mate nftlu.

pose to strike out thejrovision giving inm halt the j S'.earn Boat Dover. fine. The facts in relation to the case we miderstanl Mr. HUBBARD objected to this as calculated to j to be these: The Dover had lauded that evening make the biil inefficient. i at our w Imi f, u hen Mr. Bringham and some oth"r Mr. WRIGHT said the informer, or prosecutor, I WCIC til,,,oycd to assist in discharging freight froia necessarily could not le a witness. her: The "evening was stormy amf the "weather

Mr. BbiNIOA held to the contrary opinion, on me , very inclement. After the freight was discharged.

4 ''1

ground that a m in might swear to hi account, and

that the inured might swear in cnminal cases. Mr. SMITH, of Indiana, urged that the criminality in this case could not be a sufficient pround for

and the hands thus employed came to be paid oii"

the clerk or mate refused to pay Mr. Bringham thj amount he charged: some altercation took place

when Mr. ti.injniam lei t the boat: the mate lnime-

the application ot such a principle, lie objected to Jjatelv seized a knife, followed and stabbed him.

this part of the bill as also calculated to produce a j we did not hearanv part of ihe evidence, but these et of common informers. lie thought it much bet-, Hre il,.. faets:i kUi.iI to us

1 ...

tcrmineupon contingent resumption; that we ought that Congress ought to be among the first to set the to look to the weaker party. The stronger party : example. H? believed that specie wai sufficiently ought first to set the example of resumption. He j abundant, especially in the District; and at least (.fr. C.) should not, however, be sorry to see such i there would be little difficulty in suppressing the a contingent determination take place by the banks vile nuisance of small paper, which, if suppressed at in the neighborhood of the district; for if they j ot.ee, the vacuum would soon he filled by a specie should come to such a contingent determination, currency, lie was therefore utterly opposed to a-

then Congress, beinc in session here, would only

hive to fix a time for resumption here, when a simultaneous resumption would be made to other places. This would produce a concert of operation, without which it was impossible to expect the banks of the District should alone, in the face of a general suspension in all other places, resume specie payment by themselves. As to the small notes having nothing to do with resumption, what (said Mr. C.) is to be done? If there is no silvnr to make payments with, what can the People do? You cannot get along without meeting with this paper. Almost every member of Congress would, the next day after the pas-rtgo cf the bill, be liable to the penalty imposed by it. But. again: must every traveller parsing through the District study first the laws ol'tlu District? or, if he passo any of this small paper, not knowing of tho law and penalty, is he to bj instantly pursued by a constable, and have an action entered against him by the District Attorney ? If there is no silver, there must be something in tie; place of it. Give the silver, and the substitute will vanish of itself. IjCt Mr. W. throw a few thousand bushels of quarters, fcc. into circulation, and then the People will be able to do w ithout these shin-plasters. But if you banish this paper, after having banished the specie, how will it be possible for the community to transact the common and daily affairs of little expen litures, without either specie, or a substitute for it? Tor these und other reasons, he moved to postpone this bill till the secon Monday in January. Mr. BENTON was opposed to any postponement w hatever, either of the bill to put down shinl lusters in the District, or of the bill to compel resumption by the banks of the District. He was in

ny postponement of the measures proposed in the Senate on this subject. He allowed the banks some credit for curtailing, but denounced them as guilty of criminal delay, and of brazen audacity, in refusing to fix on a time to resume. lie would not delay the proposed measures even beyond to-morrow. Mr. TIPTON said that although he did not wish to encourage delay in the resumption of specie payments, he should voto for the motion of the fiteuatoe from Keutu.ky. He was witling so long to postnone the subject, but he should then vote to comnel

th( lianU tn'i'Pimr nn nr uluiiit llm f'.rct .,t t a v ! lU tU I C Calcu hit ioilS J and

- . . . . - - ' ...... w, v. ' .w ' ' - V. . ( I

nai caie.es ikuccusi a

ter to leave the matter of prosecution to a conviction ol duty, especially in the magistrates. .Mr. MORRISON objected to the bill as creating a new ciime in this District. Be objected to the manner of taking the subject before the Grand Ju ry, and maintained, in opposition to "Mr. Wright. that the complainant would not be the plaintiff, but the United States; the complainant being, therefore, a legal w itness. He farther objected to it as compelling a man to criminate himself. He thought also that the bill would prohibit presenting the notes for redemption. The bill seemed to him drawn up in

On the next morning Mr. Cornpstock was ar

raigned before Justice S!aughter,on a charge of assault and Battery w ith intent to commit murdr,wa found guilty of the charge and required to give bail

j in the sum of three hundred dollars for his appear-

anee ai uie next term oi our uircuu ooun; ne subsequently, assisted by the others of the boat's crev made his escape from the custody of the officer, and has not been retaken. This is the fifth ras-j of stabbing, shooting or killing which has taken place in our town within little more than a vear, and in every case has the

the spirit ot Draco, and written in blood. culprit thus far escaped punishment.

Mr. OKI ND argued m this case it was expedi-; when will our laws be vindicated? Or have ent and necessary to introduce informers, though j vvc tn;ly fallen upon those evil times, when there he would not generally resort to such expedients, j js ut enough of irtue in community to sustain He ptaced the compulsion of the accused to bear j .j,. j.ul,,eiimCy t ve fear so, and i he orvurwitness in the case, on civil ground; the spirit of thf reuccs of the past vear almost demonstrate it! law requiring that he could in no case be compelled " to criminate himself. He was opposed to make the ; GUty oriitGtiIfu.Xol long since anIrishlaw inefficient. man was carried befoie a eourt in Boston to be tri-

.lr. Ll.A l , ol Alabama, was in this case m lavor of using informers. Mr. WALL regarded the supposed encouragement cf informers by this bill as a misapprehension. Information he thought was in all places legally obtained in this manner in criminal' cases, though it could not beju civil suits. Here, on motion, The Senate adjourned.

to

ed on a criminal charge. The

the usual form, 'Guilty or not guilty. ''Zounds mied the prisoner, 'do vou think I will tell

Th it"s w bat yo.i got to ti y.

clerk asked'him in

,' revou ?

Misstate. A man w ho married Miss Take, after having courted Miss Lloyd, was told by a friend that il was reported he w as married to M iss LU d 'It was a MissPake 1 assure you,' he replied.

I N I) I A X V I.EG I S Ij A T U K E . TWENTY-S ECO.N D SESSI OX .

Slat? ol'Iutliana, ()trcn county. (

Owe n county Prolate Cetirt. JW. Term, 1837

Allison, Ex'r, 1

1 I 1 t - t All- I - . ?

ana r.uzaioin .iiison lu x.

of the estate of John B. Alii- Petition to son, do'ed. iUIt I The heir-; of s.iid deceased. J

I lO.Ubts. now the said Petitioners, hv CI

Set.

Ual

which he believed could be done by the banks gen

orally in the country. The question on postponement till the second Monday in January was then taken by yeaj and nays, and decided in the negative as follow s: Yeas 10 and Nays 22. Mr. WRIGHT moved that the blank be filled with the word "thirty" days, from after which time the penalty for taking or passing shin-plasters is

to commence. Mr. HUBBARD moved, instead of thirty, to insert the "first of May"1 iu the blank; (thus putting off so far the day of general pains and penalties upon the District marketers.) Mr. GRUNDY was in favor of inserting "first of May"' in the blank, in order that time might be given for the previous issue of small change by the banks. Mr. WRIGHT thought that if shin-plasters were left to circulate till the period when the banks

should resume, then, when resumption took place, ! an instantaneous call for specie to supply the great i vacuum would be made. It as his opinion that j this paper would'iiever be taken up, and that, therefore, while it was suffered to circulate, no silver

favor of a resumption, iu the first place, of payment I would circulate. Members of Congress disbursed of specie for all bills of five dollars. 'Phis would, ' silver enough to supply the whole circulation of the

Iiamnor.

thfrir sittornev, and on motion leave is irive.-i A-

they file their hill, herein, and on further motion. .

RESOLUTION

Offered by Mr. REEVE in the Bouse of Represcn- James M. II

tatives, December, 1837, which was Iaidon the table. WHEREAS, at the commencement ofour Inter

im! Improvement system, our State and its citizens i

were in the enjoyment of unprecedented properity ; j aud this condition of things w as made the basis oi i

whereas, since then exter-

unauo over me auspicious i ir,i , i,. j, .,..,,., i. . ,, :

prospect, and taught us with an impressive force oi jjjn aiul Amasa Joslin, Samuel llowe and Elizaduty of so shaping our policy as to be pre pa red foi j ,et!i his wife, Xoah Al.ison, John F. Allison, vicisitudis that may befall us; and w hereas, when J Hen amin A. AliNion, directed to the iSheriffof Chv- " wo look with a calm foresight to the future in re-jen county, and Joshua O. Howe and Lucinda his ferenee to our policy and the financial condition of' wite,and John A. Fanner the heir of Matilda Far-

the State, we cannot but observe that a period will l,,cr' -uatnua Allison, directed to the Sheriff of

.nun iwi? i uuiii , dun aawisi j unior i.aitiorp ainiLu- . isa his wife, directed to the Sheriff of Cass county, and upon mo;ion anJ affidavit tiled, it appearing that David Shepherd aud Mahala his wile, two of the said heirs, arc non residents of the State of Indiana, it is therefore ordered that a copy of thrs order 1e pu' ::shed for tour weeks in succession, for at least sixty days l.e fore the first day of the next term of this court, in ' The Ploomineion Post.' notifvin? each of

, n -

he hope !, operate as an introductory and facilitating measure for tho more general and extensive resumption. Mr. B. then proceeded to inveigh ve-

District.

Mr. HUBBARD then moved, instead of his first

amendment, to insert the "tenth day of April -next.

hemently against tho banks in this District for cir- j making the operation of the bill and its penalties to

culating the small notes of other companies, though i commence at that period. thev did not issue their own. He considered this Mr. BENTON read a list of prices paid to labor

proposition to postpone to the second Monday in I ers mechanics, &c, at St. Louis, which, being at a .fnmmrv :i sui iuU fimto mmtun npni i.. n i mi .! somewhat hiclier rate than the same wastes paid in

merit placed it iu that aspect. As to the allegation j lle Atlantic States, Mr. B. agreed that the absence

that rsverv member o Congress won ( be ah o nost oi muiviuuai notes in Missouri was tne soie

.

day to the penalty of the bill, it appeared to him

most unreasonable that they should pass shin-plas-ler.s instead of specie, when they received, both last and the present session, their pay in hard money. Receiving hard money, they are not under the neressity of circulating si. in-plasters; they have hard money to spend, and, therefore, let them spend it, and they would lie undar no danger of being arrested. As to the alleged necessity of taking this trash

in payment, he denied that necessity; he himself

never received and never gave it; he found himself i-nder no necessity of resorting to this paper. In 18.5.?, when the currency was sj much boasted of as Ixmig the best jn the world, tho amount of specie was twenty or twenty-two millions; now the amount of specie is eighty millions, and vet there is none to

ba seen; we have not even silver enough to go to the Post O.l'K.-i with. We arc now told that there is not

specie enough to pay picayunes and four-pences, & tint we lnu-.t continue to receive these filthy shinI la sers. Mr. B. then proceeded to make a statistical comparison of the former and present condition of tho currency, maintaining (as we understood him.) that the mass of specie in mrre existence now

being supposed to bo greater than the mass in acal circulation thei., therefore the currency now is

be ter than it was then. Mr. IkxToN having read some further statistics

arrive when the means ot paying the interest on our increased expenditures will, unless derived in some degree from the public works, multiply the

public burthens; and whereas a foreign war or any

disturbing cause affecting the prosperity of nations

and communities may, at such a crisis, by prevent

ing the acquisition ot additional loans, arrest the progress ofour improvements, and that we then

should be burthencd with the interest on the invest- j t'o said heirs, to be and appear here on the first day i,l rv.nit.-iL whilst tho statiiwin rv nnd imnrodnetive ! ol tbe next Term of this court, to answer, tilead and

1'" J . . . . J . . I ... .1 1:11 1 1 .

situation of tho works, would preclude our realizing 1 " ' "'auere ana uungs tiiercui

cause

of these better prices, and that, therefore, if shin

plasters are put dow n here, the price of labor will

immediately rise in consequence to as high a rate

as in St. Louis. Mr. B. stated also that, as an ef

fect flowing from the absence of individual small

notes in Missouri, he saw on the shores of St. Lou

is more indications of active commercial prosperity than in all his travels he witnessed in any other quarter. The amendment of Mr. Hubbard was then agreed to. Mr. CLAY culled the attention of the Senate to the words of the bill, "unlawful for every individu

al.' lhe consequence ol this would be that if a negro were sent to market to purchase food, and

ofiered one of these notes in payment, he was plac-

eu on me same iooung witn wnues, and made liable to the same punishment, &c. Again, the bill in another part dispenses with trial by jury. But il the summarry proceeding here authorized to, be a criminal trial, it is in violation of the Constitution,

winch in all criminal cases guaranties the trial by jury. If, on the other hand, it be a civil action, it

would be found also in violation of the amendment to the Constitution respecting the right of trial by jury in civ il cases to a certain amount. Therefore

he (Mr. C.) thought that at all events the bill ought

to ue altered so as to be rendered conformable to

any return from them; and whereas, sound policy

would therefore dictate the expediency of so directing their prosecution as will have a tendancy to render soire of them soon available in the production of revenue; and whereas the great disparity in the length of the lines, in their relative cost, and the time requisite to finish them, indicate the evident impolicy of their simultaneous completion; and whereas the comparative shortnessof some of them,

and their forwadness, would justify us in making

increased appropriations with a view of finishing

them as soon as piacticable: therefore

Ue it resolved, ihat a committee ot two from each Congressional district, be appointed, with instructions to report a bill, concentrating the means of the state on portions of each work, commencing at the most profitable and commercial poiuts, completing those portions respectively, before others are touched, and providing that, as soon as completed they shall be put into use.

contained will be taken as confessed and ,lrrrpn.t

on accordingly in their absence, and on further mo

tion oruereu tliat Lli P. Farmer, be, and be is hereby appointed, Guardian a J litem, for and on behalf, of the said John A. Farmer, herein, and nr.lnn.,1 that

this cause be continued until next Term.

A true copy attest T. C. JOHNSON, Clerk. 1-4

Nov. 1837

SUMMARY.

The Senate did not sit yesterday. Anionrr the

most interesting subjects which have engaged the consideration of the Senate since our last notice of their proceedings, were, a resolution introduced by Mr. Thompson of Lawrence, instructing the committee of revision to report a bill establishing Probate Circuits; and a joint resolution, introduced some days ago by Mr. Morgan of Rush, instructing our Senators and requesting our Representatives to use their exertions to procure the passage of a law .1 : . 1 - ..i j-

auinorizing me reception 01 tne notes ot specie paying Banks to be taken by the government in the payment of public lands. To the first mentioned resolution, (in relation to the probato system,) Mr. Moffatt proposed an amendment, the object of which was to provide for electing a Probate Judge (or Surrogate) in each county by the General Assem

bly, woo should keep an office always open, do his

own writing, and receive the fees as his compensa

Hon. pon these two propositions, as well as on

the propositions to engraft the probate business on the Circuit Courts and to continue the existing plan considerable debate took place, a sketch, taken by

our reporter, accompanies the proceedings of rhu

day. No question has been taken, and we cannot

State of liatliaiin, Laurence countu.

Lawrence Circuit court. Sept. Term. 1837.

Mary Ann Hart well, compla't. 1 Petition for divorce Calvin C. Hartwell, deft. ) COMES the complainant by Dunn, her solicitor, and it appearing to the satisfaction of the court, (oit affidavit filed) that said defendant is not a resident of this state. It is therefore ordered by the court that the pendency of this cause be published in the bed ford Transcript or Bloomington Post, for thee weeks euccessively, and that unlets said defendant appear on or before the callingof said cause,

ai uiu nexi term 01 Faiu court to be Iiolden at tho courthouse in Bedford, on the second Monday of

iuarcn next, tne same will be tried in his absence, until which time this cause is continued.

A copy attest, ROBERT MITCHELL, Clk.L.C. C.

ESTliAY HORSES. TAKENJUP by Daniel Slough, living in Jefferson

township, Owen county, Ind., one dark chesnut sor

rel mare, lourteen and a halt lianas lugh, both hind

ieet white, and the right forefoot white, a scar on the near side behind the girth, supposed to be a burn, a

small saddle mark on the near side, close behind the

withers, a brand on each shoulder supposed to be done with the bottom of astiirup iron, ablaze in her foreiiead and a snip on the nose, the right eye somewhat sunk, no other marks or brands perceivable, supposed to be 7 or 8 years old, appraised to 30 dollars. Also one dark bay colt; with black legs mane and tail, supposed to be one year old past, no brands Jf or marks perceivable, appraised to $18 by Emsley Hall and Adam Fiscu,Sr. before me, ANDREW ARNEY, J P Dec. 6th, 1837. 2-3 W v 07l'ersons who have obtained subscribers to our f

lienor n r n rnnHftatnrl -. Immol

predict with certainty what will be tho decision of , ati.lv.

1