<Li> Natchez, Mississippi (1830) </Li> <P> The Second Bank of the United States was America's central bank, comparable to the Bank of England and the Bank of France, with one key distinction--the United States government owned one - fifth (20%) of its capital . Whereas other central banks of that era were wholly private, the BUS was more characteristic of a government bank . </P> <P> Under its charter, the bank had a capital limit of $35 million, $7.5 million of which represented the government - owned share . The central bank was required to remit a "bonus" payment of $1.5 million, payable in three installments, to the government for the privilege of using the public funds, interest free, in its private banking ventures . The institution was answerable for its performance to the U.S. Treasury and Congress and subject to Treasury Department inspection . </P> <P> As exclusive fiscal agent for the federal government, it provided a number of services as part of its charter including: holding and transfer of all U.S. deposits, payment and receipt of all government transactions, and processing of tax payments . In other words, the BUS was "the depository of the federal government, which was its principal stockholder and customer". </P>

Supporters of a chartering a second national bank