(Wheeling: John F. M'Dermot, Public Printer, 1865)
Chap. 45. - An Act requiring the Banks in this State to redeem their issues in Legal Tender Money of the United States.
Passed February 22, 1865.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
1. The several banks and their branches in this state, shall, from and after the first day of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, redeem their circulating notes in legal tender money of the United States, when demanded: Provided, that after the day herein fixed, the said banks or their branches, shall not be compelled to pay said legal tender money for any notes held by or due to any other bank or banking company, which does not redeem its own notes when demanded, in the legal tender money of the United States.
2. If any note due from any bank be presented for payment after the said first day of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, within the usual business hours, at the bank or office where payable, and be not paid in legal tender money of the United States when so presented, the party presenting the same may, on motion in the circuit court, after ten days' notice, or by warrant before a justice, (according to the amount,) recover from the bank the amount of such note with interest thereon at the rate of twelve per centum per annum, from the time of such failure until paid.
3. It shall be the duty of every branch of a bank, in addition to the redemption required at such branch, to redeem its circulating notes on demand at the parent bank, in legal tender money, and for failure so to reddem the same, the branch in default shall be liable to interest at the rate of twelve per centum, to be recovered in the same manner as prescribed in the second section.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: February 1865