
A NEW BANKING SYSTEM: THE NEEDFUL CAPITAL FOR REBUILDING THE BURNT DISTRICT. - By LYSANDER SPOONER. - BOSTON: SOLD BY A. WILLIAMS & CO. 135 Washington Street. 1873.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873. By LYSANDER SPOONER, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - Printed by Warren Richardson, 112 Washington St
CHAPTER I. - A NEW BANKING SYSTEM.
CHAPTER II. - SPECIE PAYMENTS.
CHAPTER III. - NO INFLATION OF PRICES. - Section 1.
Section 2.
Section 3.
Section 4.
CHAPTER IV. - SECURITY OF THE SYSTEM.
CHAPTER V. - THE SYSTEM AS A CREDIT SYSTEM. - Section 1.
A bold proposal unfolds, outlining a banking system that treats real estate itself as the source of loanable capital. By valuing property at just three‑quarters of its assessed worth, the author shows how Massachusetts could generate hundreds of millions of dollars—enough to dwarf the nation’s existing national banks. The plan promises a massive pool of credit that could be mobilized quickly once titles are verified and paper money printed.
The system is designed to smash banking monopolies and drive interest rates down through unfettered competition. With cheaper credit, producers would capture a larger share of their earnings, while industry and commerce could expand faster than ever before. The author argues that each dollar issued would hold near‑gold value, keeping prices stable and preventing inflation, while also encouraging the flow of specie into the country.
Presented in the aftermath of the 1873 financial turmoil, the work reads as a pragmatic blueprint for economic revival. Listeners will gain insight into 19th‑century financial thinking and a historical perspective on proposals that still echo in today’s debates over credit, liquidity, and equitable growth.
Full title
A New Banking System The Needful Capital for Rebuilding the Burnt District
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (97K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Curtis Weyant and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2010-11-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1808–1887
A fierce 19th-century thinker, he challenged slavery, state power, and even the U.S. postal monopoly with unusual boldness. His writing still stands out for its sharp logic, moral certainty, and refusal to accept authority just because it exists.
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