Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
wherever else Congress shall direct, for the safe-keeping and disbursement
of the public moneys and a substitution at the option of the public
creditor of Treasury notes in lieu of gold and silver. It proposes to limit
the issues to an amount not to exceed $15,000,000 without the express
sanction of the legislative power. It also authorizes the receipt of
individual deposits of gold and silver to a limited amount, and the
granting certificates of deposit divided into such sums as may be called
for by the depositors. It proceeds a step further and authorizes the
purchase and sale of domestic bills and drafts resting on a real and
substantial basis, payable at sight or having but a short time to run, and
drawn on places not less than 100 miles apart, which authority, except in
so far as may be necessary for Government purposes exclusively, is only to
be exerted upon the express condition that its exercise shall not be
prohibited by the State in which the agency is situated. In order to cover
the expenses incident to the plan, it will be authorized to receive
moderate premiums for certificates issued on deposits and on bills bought
and sold, and thus, as far as its dealings extend, to furnish facilities to
commercial intercourse at the lowest possible rates and to subduct from the
earnings of industry the least possible sum. It uses the State banks at a
distance from the agencies as auxiliaries without imparting any power to
trade in its name. It is subjected to such guards and restraints as have
appeared to be necessary. It is the creature of law and exists only at the
pleasure of the Legislature. It is made to rest on an actual specie basis
in order to redeem the notes at the places of issue, produces no dangerous
redundancy of circulation, affords no temptation to speculation, is
attended by no inflation of prices, is equable in its operation, makes the
Treasury notes (which it may use along with the certificates of deposit and
the notes of specie-paying banks) convertible at the place where collected,
receivable in payment of Government dues, and without violating any
principle of the Constitution affords the Government and the people such
facilities as are called for by the wants of both. Such, it has appeared to
me, are its recommendations, and in view of them it will be submitted,
whenever you may require it, to your consideration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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