GOVERNMENT AND LAW. 



55 



The notices on their receipts whereby they 

 seek to avoid all responsibility, are " no evi- 

 dence of assent on the part of the owner, " and 

 the liability cannot be avoided that way. He 

 may avoid almost anything by making a 

 special contract. 



He might avoid liability by notice if he 

 could prove that the shipper had read his 

 notice or was familiar with its terms, though 

 there is some question about this in New York 

 at least. 



Carriers of Passengers. They are bound to 

 make use of all ordinary methods for the 

 safety of their passengers.' They must employ 

 proper vehicles and competent servants. In 

 general, they are bound to run trains on their 

 advertised time. They are liable to passengers 

 for the misconduct of their servants. If any 

 person is injured through their negligence, 

 they are liable not only for the damage that 

 person has received, but for prospective 

 damage as well. He is an insurer of his pas- 

 sengers' baggage. He is liable for such bag- 

 gage as his passengers carry for their own per- 

 sonal use. He cannot avoid liability by no- 

 tices, as a notice is no evidence of the assent 

 of the owner of the baggage. The carrier may 

 avoid liability to some extent by a special con- 

 tract. 



They must take each person who tenders 

 the price of transportation and wishes to be 

 carried. They are not obliged to take dis- 

 orderly or persons of doubtful character, or 

 those afflicted with some contagious disease. 

 They are not responsible to their passengers 

 for accidents where all skill and diligence has 

 been employed. Passengers are required to 

 submit to all reasonable rules and regulations, 

 to show their tickets whenever asked, and to 

 surrender their tickets whenever required. 



Currency. The National Bank Act fixes 

 the capital required to establish a National 

 Bank as follows: Towns of less than 6,000 

 inhabitants, a capital of not less than <$ 50, 000 ; 

 towns of from 6,000 to 50,000, a capital of 

 not less than $100,000 ; in towns of over 

 50,000, at least 8200,000 will be required. 



Each bank must deposit with the Treasurer 

 at Washington, government bonds to the ex- 

 tent of at least one third its capital, as security 

 for the notes of the bank. The government 

 then issues to the bank ninety per cent, in 

 notes, which, when properly filled and signed, 

 constitute the circulation of the bank. 



Such banks are required to keep on hand at 

 least twenty-five percent, in legal tender of its 

 circulation and deposits. 



The notes of such banks are secured to the 

 holders, but depositors run the sam risk of 

 loss as with other banks. 



Checks. A check is an order to a bank 

 to pay the holder a certain sum of money on 

 presentation and without days of grace. 



A check, as in the case of a promissory note, 

 may or may not be negotiable, according to 

 the way it is drawn. 



A check given is no payment of a debt unless 

 paid when presented. 



Payment of a check may be stopped at any 

 time before it is presented if notice is given 

 the bank. 



Every indorser of a check is liable to each 

 following indorser as in the case of promissory 

 notes, but for no longer time than he would 

 have been held had he been the maker of the 

 check. 



Certificates of Deposit partake of the nature 

 of certified checks and are used when money 

 is deposited for a short time and no regular 

 bank account opened. 



When wishing to draw your money in per- 

 son, draw the check payable to "Self" or 

 "Cash." 



Write the amount of the check both in words 

 and figures, taking care that no blank spaces 

 are left that could be filled to " raise " the 

 amount of the check. 



Indorsements. The left-hand end of a check 

 is the top. 



Write the indorsement across the back, a 

 short distance from the top. 



If your name has been improperly spelled 

 in the body of the check, indorse it exactly as 

 written therein, then below write your name 

 properly. 



If titles are used in the body of the cheeky 

 they must appear with the*name in the indorse- 

 ment. 



In drawing a check payable to one not known 

 at the bank you can avoid the necessity of 

 identification by having him indorse it in your 

 presence and you write under it, " Above in- 

 dorsement correct " and sign your name. 



Checks that are to be deposited are usually 

 indorsed, "For deposit," or "For deposit to 

 the credit of," and such indorsements may be 

 made by clerks, and the checks deposited to the 

 credit of their firm. For further reference see 

 indorsements of promissory notes. 



Notes. A promissory note is an uncondi- 

 tional promise in writing, to pay a certain per- 

 son a certain sum of money at a certain fu- 

 ture time. The essentials are that it be cer- 

 tainly paid, not out of any particular fund, 

 nor dependent upon any contingency ; that it be 

 for the payment of money only. 



Five important points of a negotiable prom- 

 issory note are (1) That the date of pay- 

 ment be specified. (2) That the amount be 

 plainly stated. (3) That it be paid only in 



