Page:A History of Banking in the United States.djvu/261

 only stated that the subscriptions have all since been "rendered available as specie." The subscriptions went on slowly. State deposits were still made in the old Bank of the State. The Treasurer wanted them put in the new one. The Cape Fear bank was rechartered at the session of 1833-4, until 1855; capital $800,0000; to have branches as might appear expedient; to lend the State not over one-tenth of its capital; twelve per cent. penalty for non-redemption; lowest note $3. Under the act of 1829 for winding up the bank, part of its capital stock had been bought in. New shares were now to be subscribed to restore it; to be paid in specie or its equivalent. At the same time the Merchants' Bank of Newbern and the Albemarle Bank of Edenton were incorporated. The only peculiar feature was that no director might owe to the bank more than the stock he owned. The charter of the Merchants' Bank of Newbern was re-enacted at the following session, with some slight changes; the lowest note was to be $5. In 1835, the State Treasurer was ordered to issue $400,000 in five per cent. certificates, payable in 1860, and to pay the proceeds on the State subscription of stock in the Bank of the State. The bank stock was pledged for these bonds.

The Southwestern Railroad Bank, being the banking side of the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Charleston Railroad, was chartered by North Carolina, January 20, 1837. Three of the States, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky must concur before this act would be valid. Every one who subscribed one share of the railroad stock at $100 might subscribe also one share of the bank stock at $50, until the former should be $12 millions and the latter $6 millions. The mother bank was to be in Charleston; the lowest note $5, until the railroad should be built, and after that, $10; twelve per cent. penalty for non-redemption; each share of stock in the railroad to be inseparably connected with one share of stock in the bank, and they were to be transferred together; the bank to pay no tax until the railroad was completed.

The charter of the Cape Fear Bank was extended January 23, 1837, until 1860; the capital might be increased to $1.5 millions, the State taking $300,000 and the public $400,000 of the increase. If this capital should prove too big, the bank might get permission from the Legislature to buy in shares.

.—The charters of the Planters and Mechanics' Bank and the Union Bank were extended, December 18, 1830, for twenty-one years; each to pay a bonus of $25,000. The Bank of Columbia was chartered December 17, 1831, until 1835; capital $500,000, increasable to $800,000. On the same day it was enacted that all the officers and directors of the Bank of the State of South Carolina should take an oath not to reveal the secrets of the bank. It was prescribed what records should be kept. The officers were not allowed to buy any State stock; the stock of the State Bank owned by the State was to be sold and other safe stock bought. The charter of the Bank of South Carolina was extended for twenty-one years, December