20O o« hanking companies, Feb. 8. 



use unlefs they reside near the seats of commerce. 

 Edinburgh might as well pretend to ifsne loaves for 

 aU Scotland as bank notes. What benefit would an 

 Aberdeen's merchant derive from the Edinburgh 

 banks, if he wanted a bill, that had a fhort time to 

 run, discounted on the spur of his businefs ? Or how 

 could an Angus farmer, procure credit for a few 

 months, for the purchase of cattle to eat his grafs, 

 or of lime to improve it ? The very expence of pos- 

 tages, in correspondence with Edinburgh, would 

 consume half his profits, besides the chance of him 

 5ind his sureties being unknown, at such a distance. 

 It is true these banks have lately branched ; but is it 

 not the rivalihip of other banks which has forced 

 them to this expensive and dangerous expedient ? 

 Supprefs the other banks, and they will soon flirlnk 

 Ijack into their own offices in Edinburgh. Besides, 

 why Ihould the whole profits, which are immense, 

 of the circulation of paper in Scotland, centre iu 

 Edinburgh ? Is not a diffusion of the profits 

 of trade, one of the sources of the prosperity of 

 a country ? Let us regulate, therefore, but not sup- 

 prefs ; and let our regulations have solely in view, 

 the security of the ignorant holder of the circulating 

 paper. Let the names of the partners be engraved 

 on the notes. This single regulation corrects every 

 evil. The back of the notes is now blank, and would 

 hold the names of the^ most numerous company. 

 Not one {lulling has yet been lost to the country by 

 the multiplicity of the banks ; nor without fraud, can 

 there be much danger of lofs. For notes are ifsued 

 for value in securities, and these securities alone, 



