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OA!3iNEjTo_.
irAitn w.\ mv />/;c. i9. is 29.
O J a THERE v\ili oc a lurcr days’
m*eti *g field at this place by the li p
list Church, comineiicing 1 on the Fri
day beforo the sth Sabbath in J anu
ary.
We are >ndelitc<l to our Senator Mr*.
Eomsytii, and our Representatives T.
V. Foster, C. E. Haynes, Jas. M.
\\ \ynb lid H. U. Lamar for the
President’s Message and tue Rport
of the Secretary of the Navy.
From oin’ Correspondent.
<‘Mllil.LDGE’ ILI.E. Dec. 18 1829.
When I wrote y u last, l was under an
impr< sion that tin* Una Bill as it parsed
the House of Representative*, would in
nil probability be disagreed to by the
Senile. Thi- anticipation has been real
ized—the Senate adopted a substitute tor
that Bill, under the tit e <*f “An act to
provxit? lor the improvement ot the R >nds
and Rivers in flu- State. ’ Tlii* substi
tote was taken up in the !/. of It. Wed
iio-<1 a v evening arid adopted, bv a vole of
77 to 40—the Warren delegation voting
with the minority. The Majority would
not suffer the sub titute to be taken uo
b> sections—and thereby precluded the
opportunity of olF.'ring any amendment
w hater er. An attempt was made on
Thursday morning to reconsider th<* Bill,
in Older to leave the subject open for a
inendoient, hut the motion failed-—the
Bill as it came fro n the Senate has there
fare finally passed, and only awaits the
signature of the Governor to become the
law ft e Land—The material provisions
of the Bu! are:—
The Governor is to appoint two so
perintendanU removable at his pleasure.
I heir Subtly eight hundred dollars
each.
Fifty thousand dollars is appropriated,
to and for the pur base of Negroes suf
fii ient to make, in addition to those now
owned bv tiro st te the whole number
one hu-.dred and ninety
l'!i N g oea art- to be destributed so
as l ‘ have a (hdnmbus Nventy live, Vla
coii tweidy-five, Savannah twen'y-five,
Flint River twenty ti"e, Miiledgevilie
fifteen and at Augu ta seventy five
Those ;it Augusta Savannah and Mil
ledgeville and to h under one of the
Superintrndanta—and those at Savannah,
M;i on, Goluuibu* and Flint River, arc to
he under the otlier auperinteinlant. If
the amount appropriated should enable
tli purchase of a larger number of Ne
groes than that assigned to ihc places
nie tionrd. then the residue of (he Ne
groes are to he added to those placed at
Mi hedge ville
A Board of Commissioners are appoint-*
ed to Superintend the improvement of
Flint lliver and the Road- in that portion
ot th State through which the River
flow- south of the Ro ul leading Iron Ma
con to Tolu . bus. This Board of Com
missioners, anil the City Councils of Sa
vannah and Augusts}, and the Commis
sion. r- (>t the towns of C’ luitibus, Ma
con anil \1 iliedgcviile, have authority to
and -ignate on what road or roads, river or
rivers,lir pans of rivers, on which the pub
lic bauds thereat t pluccd respectively,-hall
work ptovided mo li rods are not within
the corporation limits of any of the
pi ices \\ here the hands are stationed, and
that tin* bands-had not wink exceeding
, r>
i mu months, in any one year on the riv
t r*.
Seven overseers are to be appointed,
two by the city couucil of Augusta, one by
that of Savannah, ami one by the com
in s-loners ;f Macon, Columbus, Mdledge
vdlc and Flint River respectively. ‘Tlie
salary of the Overseers is to be three bun
dled dollars each, and their provision.
These are removable by the city authority
-iid cnmmi-sioners respectively, with the
• oncuricnce of the superintemlant of the
yiiv i-inn.
Fifteen thausand dollars is appropriated
to cariy the provisions and object* of the
net into oppeijtion —this to be drawn by
wm rantof the Governor in favor of the
intend mis.
I Imse are the principal features of the
Bill, the details are numerous ; nil lengthy |
C’e whole Bill compijg ng twenty one
M'vtiuhH. £ixty five thousand dollars is!
appropriated by the present Bill; ivl at will
be *1 appropriation required annually,
bru lt. i, i t> carry on this new system of
IntMral Improvement, time only can de
• elope.
Yesterday- a Bill passed the House of
Re;n csentatives toamernl the constitution
so as to reduce the representation in the
Legislature—athc proposed alteration is
that the Senate shall be composed of one
member for every six thousand represen
tative population—and that each county
containing seven thousand representative
population should send two members to
the House of Representatives—each coun
ty, however, should be entitled to one, and
no county send more than two members.
This bill was read ihe first time, in the Se
nate, on yesterday, but there is very little
prospect of its passing that branch.
The Bill to amend the constitution so as
to authorize the establishment of a Court
of Errors, &c. was rejected on yesterday,
in the House of Representatives.
A very general disposition appears to
prevail, among the members to adjourn
on Saturday the 19.1i inst. but I cannot
see how that can be done without leaving
considerab'e business, now before each
branch, unset'-d'upon. I think vve may
adjourn about Tuesday. 7 ’
For the CABINET.
Mr Editor —During the present ex
citemern in the community as regards the
Merchants & Planters Bank of Augusta,
it may not h-* uninteresting to your rea
ders to receive a brief histo y of the rise,
progress and present condition of that
Institution. Also, the probable reason, for
the unexampled conduct nf the Directors
of the Bank of Augusta &.the probable es
fccts of that conduct upon the M. & P.
Bank You may remember that some
few years bark all the business of tlu City
of Augusta was done in the vicinity of
the Augusta Bank. It however gracually
extended itself towards liawk’ 3ully
and finally nearly reached Harriiburg.
; This affected the interests of the o.vners
of real estate in the lower part of’ the
Town and led to an enquiry as tv the
cause ol this gradual extension of business
to the upper part of the city, and the
means by which they not only might stop
, it* but biing it back to its former locttion
The forming anew road from Buler‘s
creex where the Milledgeville road hter
sects it, to enter the city about the ceitre,
it was thought, would bring into tha part
, ot it nearly all of the produce from the
most fertile section of the State and
, which would never probably reach the up
pi*i end ot the town. The road was
. made and the anticipation of the projec
tors in some degi ee realized. Si ill th*
upper end’ was doing a moderate share
of the bUsmt sand the greedy few who
resided in the Vicinity of the Bank of Au
gusta and who held her purse strings
s < °uld not rest satisfied until they might
■ accomplish the total sum of all who resided
i or pursued business beyond the ‘Gully.’
Lie de-pi cab e expedient of curtailing
i die accommodations in Bank of those in*
and i vidua Is, was then resorted to by a part
. l, ie Directors of the Bank of Augusta
F (most ot whom resided, near the Banking
\ House and were largely interested in
real estate in that quarter) and extending
. tiieir patronage to their near neighbours,
ab-o.utely so cramped thejup town men
. in their means, that the rum which was
. desired hid nearly been accomplished
In communities where Banks are estab
’ hsheil they become a, necessary evil,-
and those persons who are excluded the
. benefits arising therefrom, suffer Air more
than if tlieie were no Banks at all.
Their neighbors are in fact fu-ri-hed with
the means to pui them down. For in
stance—A,a VVareliouse Merchant is fur
nished by .he Banks with any amount'of
funds. 11, also a Warehouse merchant,
although Ins credit is equal to that of A,
can get no accommodation. A, has funds
always at command to advance to his
needy customers, which B, has not. and
const quently monopolizes tne business.
Matters were precisely in this situation,
when the up town men were driven to the
expedient ot having a Bank of their own.
A petition was piesented to the ] egis
lature, the charter granted and the money
paid according to the requisites of that
j charter. Things now began to wear a
new aspect. The up town were able a
gaio to furnish their customers with moriey
on goods, and their old country friends,
one after another, gradually found their
I way back until this fall, when they had
quite turned the scales upon the ‘ down
towiT gentry, by themselves becoming
monopolizers. Nearly all the cotton was
sold up town, nearly all the goods were
bought up town, the Bank of Augusta and
its Directors were nearly out of business.
This state of things was insufferable—
something must be done, to counteract the
enterprise of these up towp fellows—their
means must be curtailed—that accursed
Ba. k must be knocked in the head. A
caucus was held by some of these envious
down town men. to know what should be
done in this pressing emergency—A draw
upon the Bank was suggested This
would not do, because what of her paper
they could pick up, could not possibly
drain her vaults—the Bills were too vvelJ
scattered over the country Another and
more insidious scheme was suggested,
which was, that the Bank of Augusta
that old and venerable Institution, that
parent of all shaving shops, should refuse
to take the Merchant Planters bills—no
sooner said than done. In their hurry to
crush this young Institution, they could
not take the time to wa k to the banking
house, but in the very street, as I am
told, reso'ved not only not to take the
Bills themselves, but to use their influ
ence with their neighbours (the Branch of
the State Bank) to adopt the same course;
Happily, fowever, the littleness which has
always characterized the Directors of the
Bank of Augusta, had not contaminated
her neiglbor—she, without hesitation,
declined adopting any such measure.
The Merchant and Planters Bank had
always promptly met her payments with
genuine silver coin, and had nut (like the
Bank of Augusta) prevaricated and put off
her creoiturs with tenders of paltry cop
pers, and the honorable Directors of the
State Bank could see no good reason to
follow the contemptible example of the
Bank of Augusta. Not so, however, with
some of the Warehouse men in that quar
ter; Hoping to crush the competition up
town, which had neaily thrown them out
of business, they added their weight to
to that of the Bank of Augusta, by refus
ing to take Merchants Planters Bills
publickly and prepared themselves to
make a rush upon the Bank by collecting
privately all the Bills they could lay
hands upon.’ The effect it had at first
was overwhelming—even more so than
their fondest hopes could h ive anticipated.
People came post haste from every quarter
to demand specie or other Bank Bills for
those which they thought would shortly be
but as blank paper. From sunrise to sun
set the officers of the bank labored to ac
commodate (he community and satisfy
their just demands. Not a man went away
without the quid pro quo. The people
finding them so ready to take up their pa
per began to enquire into the cause of all
thi- disturbance. They soon find the
true origin and their Sympathies are ex
cited. They feel for the oppressed and
assistance is tendered from all quarters,
to which is added the most bitter impn -
cations upon the late conspirators. But
the Bank needs it not—Her affairs have
beenconducted with such extreme caution
that the combined efforts of her enemies,
can cause no other uueruption in her ope
ration, than a temporary suspension of her
issues. All the napers which she has <1 is
counted are secured by at least three dis
tinct names, and are due at short inter
vals. She has a considerable amount of
specie in her vaults, with generous offers
Irom some of her sister institutions of as
much more, but which she will not need.
Public confidence i3 again restored, in
despite of the machinations of the Bank
of Augusta and her minions. They now
receive the malediction ot ail good men
who understand the matter, and 1 have no
doubt they and their slaves will find to
their cost, that any thing like underhand
ed measures will not be countenanced in
this community. I wish to be understood
as not implicating all who live below the
Gully, but merely a majority of the Di
rectors of the Bank of Augusta and a few
tn-'an spirited individuals who are their
dependants. I also wish it understood,
that 1 have no concern in any point of
view with either of the Institutions, but
am merely an unprejudiced spectator and
afiienil to the oppressed.
WARREN.
Ihe f dlowing communication from the
Governor, was laid before the
Legislature on the 12? h inst.
Executive Department*
11 th December , 1 829.
1 transmit to both branches of the
legislature a copy of the report receiv
ed from Col. Samuel A. Wales and
Charles Gates, Esq. commissioners
appointed to take the testimony of In
dians and others, upon the subject of
the disputed line between the State
and the Cherokee tribe of Indians,
together with a copy of the testimony
taken by them.
It is very gratifying to find that the
claim of the State, which had previ
ously been only supported by the ev.
idence of our own citizens,
from conversations with the Chero
kees, and otlier rather uncertain
sources, so strongly confirmed by the
testimony of the Cherukees them
selves;
I likewise lay before you the copy
of a letter received from Gen. John
Coffee, the agent appointed by the
United States Government to investi
gate the same subject, together with
the answer addressed him from the
Executive Department.
Permit me to recommend to the le
gislature the most liberal and forbear
ing course, in relation to our right to
the territory in dispute. Delay and
thorough investigation, will not weak
en our title, if valid. Representing as
we do a great community, and having
for defendants against us a week tribe
of Indians, subject really to our legis*
lation, it becomes us not only to act
justly, but to avoid the very appear
ance of violating right. The immedi
ate possession of the disputed territory
is comparatively of small importance;
our people are in no want of lands:
The removal of the Cherirkces entirely
from within our limits, is however an
object of the greatest interest to the
State. Until it is affected, our popu
lation must remain unseitled, our poli#
cy wavering and improvements of all
kinds, whether they contribute to the
enjoyments of so iety or the advance
ment of tin* wealth of the State, unex
ecuted. We are assurred that the
exertions of the present administra
tion of the General Government will
be used to promote this end so desir
able to us. The obligations of that
GovermentAs contract with us, to ex*
tinguish the Indian title to all the
lands within out limits, we may now
hope will be complied with in good
faith. No one better understand the
Indian character, and the nature of
the peculiar relations which exist be
tween them and our government, than
the President of the United States. It
is believed that the efforts of the
Government, to remove the Cherokeea,
will be strengthened by the conviction
on the public mind, that the cause of
humanity requires it. Long experi
ence has satisfied ail, except sectional
and party zealots, that tha Indian
tribes when surrounded by the white
men, continue to disappear, until shut
out from existence. The Government
pr >poses to remove ail the. Indians
within the limits of the State, to an
extensive territory, which belongs to
it, beyond the Mississippi, where they
can be protected and ided in their ad
vancement in civilizati >n. The hu
mane and intelligent are every whero
concurring with the v ews of the Gov
ernment.
The oppressive system of Govern
tnent, which the Cherokee Chiefs
(principally the educated sons of W’hite
men) are now enforcing upon the
body of the Indians, must soon satisfy
every one of the necessity which will
compel this State to put an end to
such an assumption of authority within
its territory. So long as the Indians
retained their original simple habit*,
peculiar and strong prejudices, and
were without wealth, they were incap
able of discharging the duties of
Citizens or bearing the burdens of
Government. The State has therefore
permitted those within its jurisdiction
to govern themselves according to the
custom of their tribes. This state of
things, however, must cease to exist,
and unless they shall be shortly re
moved, the State will owe it to itself to
govern them as it does all others rest
ding within its limits. We look for
ward with confidence to the policy
which the Congress of the IT. States
will adopt, at its next session, as that
will relieve us from the necessity of
acting at all upon this most delicate
and difficult subject; for however valid
may be our power, am) just our cltim.
il we act cflit iently upon this subject
(and we ought not to act at all, unless
we do) we sh II offend the prejudiieu
of a considerable portion of ouy coutu.