Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/99

JOHN TYLER 71 the measure, but that in his unreasonable obstinacy he refused to avail himself of the opportunity. After his veto of August 16 these tortuous methods were renewed. Messengers went to and fro be tween the president and members of his cabinet, on the one hand, and leading Whig members of congress on the other, conditional assurances were translated into the indicative mood, whispered messages were magnified and distorted, and pres ently appeared upon the scene an outline of a bill that it was assumed the president would sign. This new measure was known as the "fiscal cor poration" bill. Like the fiscal bank bill, it created a bank in the District of Columbia, with branches throughout the states, and it made no proper pro vision for the consent of the states. The president had admitted that a "fiscal agency" of the United States government, established in Washington for the purpose of collecting, keeping, and disbursing the public revenue, was desirable if not indis pensable; a regular bank of discount, engaged in commercial transactions throughout the states, and having the United States government as its prin cipal share-holder and Federal officers exerting a controlling influence upon its directorship, was an entirely different affair something, in his opinion, neither desirable nor permissible. In the "fiscal corporation" bill an attempt was made to hood wink the president and the public by a pretence