The Press. — London, England, 1856-09-27 00:00:00

920 is connected with rates and taxes. Agricultural statistics sh mid be collected through the statistical department of the Board of Trade, which is never a taxing department, which might put itself into communication with local agricultural societies and farmers of influence and popu -1 tray in the different districts. Every farmer should have fie option of making his returns under sealed covers to Vie statistical department of the Board of Trade with the o'osest privacy unl confidence. And, gentlemen, above s'l, the bill should be entirely on the voluntary principle. T tere must be no pains, nor penalties, but the farmers sh mld be allowed to make their communications willingly or not at all. T lege principles were carried out in Belgium and Sa Aland with the happiest results, and if a similar co iciliatory system were adopted in England it wo ild meet with similar success. Sir Edward Lytton the i entered into the prospects of the society, and into matters of local interest and detail. Before concluding, he alluded to the change which had oc curred in Europe since his address last year, and expressed his opinion upon the Peace:— When I last addressed you as president of this society On war was raging, although the flags of England and Fra.ice were at that time waving over the walls of Sebastopol. I dtd my best then to encourage and animate the hearts of my countrymen, for while the war lasted I went into it he trt and soul, as I trust I ever shall d when my country is e 'gaged in a severe struggle with a powerful enemy and in a righteous cause. Since then,. however, it has pleased her Nlajesty to accept peace, and we are now treating the reoe it enemy, not to c irtridges and bombshells, but to coin dimenta and congratulations. Now, of the terms of that peace the least said the soonest mended. I don't thin't there is any one man of any party who can conscien tiously declare that he thinks the terms of peace were such as to compensate this country hr her expenditure of bloo 1 and treasure, and it is perfectly clear that we have not finally adjusted the balance of Europe. But that peace bbcane inevitable, with all its drawbacks, the moment it bee& ne clear that France was resolved to accept it. The practical good sense of Englishmen sufficed to show that it could never be the policy of this country to carry on a war of invasion on the boundless territory of Russia single handed, or with a reluctant ally. Peace has been made then, not so much out of content with Russia as out of respect for France. Sir Edward Lytton then alluded to the lamentable want of efficiency in all our military departments at the commencement of the war; and, although lie was opposed to large standing armies as unwise and exhaustive of the country's resources, he world have what army there was highly trained and efficient, and he would maintain the militia as a nursery for the regular service, for he could not contemplate the state of the Continent without serious anxiety, and a firm belief that sooner than expected some employ ment would be found for the large standing a:mies of continental sovereigns. This question of peace or war affected every class in this kingdom—none more than the agricultural : If ever war should be forced upon us in a just cause, upon whom is this country to depend ? I will do justice to the bravery of our town populations; I know that for the long Pndurance of a war we must rely greatly upon the grandeur of our commerce and upon the returns derived from our manufactures; but I say that for the tough materials of the war we must go to the agricultural inhabi tants of the country. It is our peasantry that furnish the hest reci figs, and it is the high spirit of the yeomanry, farmers, and country gentlemen, who can carry on a con• xe4t, with good heart and hope when the merchant begins to tremble and the manufacturer to complain. And is there nothing in these societies which tends to our success in war, as well as to our prosperity in peace? In the first place they circulate intelligence which leads ns to distin guish the cause of quarrel, anti decide upon its necessity and justice. Next they tend to augment these national resources which are the sinews of war, and which would preserve this country from the calamity of famine should any foreign fleet out us off from a foreign market. More over, they bring us altogether, as to•dav, from the peer to the peasant, in common sympathy and union, reminding us that we are the children of the same soil which we have enriched with our industry, and will protect with our blood. TN TITS NEW COUNTY COURT ACT about to come into force there are several clauses of considerable importance to landlords, extending the recovery of premises where the rent does not exceed 501. a year, in a summary manner, and preventing actions of ejectment in the superior courts. Where the term has expired in property where neither the value of the premises nor the rent is not more than 501. by the year, a plaint may be entered, and, in default of the tenant giving up the same, the bailiff may enter and give the landlord possession. In plaints for the recovery of possession the plaintiff may recover his rent where the same does not exceed 50/. Further, the act provides that where there is half a year's rent dna, and the landlord has a right to re-enter, possession may be given by the county courts. A provision in the new act permits that, in an action of contract brought in a superior court, where the claim does not exceed 501., a judge may, on application of either party, after issue joined, order the cause to be tried in any county court and the judgment to be served in the superior court. THE PRESS. goad ant( jastion. Her Majesty the Queen and Royal Family continue at Balmoral. _ _ Miss Nightingale had the honour of an interview with the Queen on the 21st. Her Majesty has received a succession of distin guished visitors during the week. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge has left town for Sir G. Wombwell's seat in Yorkshire. His Royal Highness the Prince cf Orange left Balmoral on Wednesday last, and has since sailed from Scotland for the Hague. The Duke of Rutland has of late materially im proved in health. His grace remains at Belvoir Castle with Lord John Manners and other members of his family. The Earl of Malmesbury is about to make some stay in Paris. The Earl of Derby has recovered his health. The noble earl remains at Knowsley for the present. The Duke and Duchess of Bedford hive returned to Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, from visiting the Duke and Duchess of Leinster, at Carton-house, Maynooth. The Duke of Cleveland has arrived at Raby Castle, Durham, from visiting the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, at Gordon Castle, near Fochabers, N.B. The Duchess and Lady Augusta Poulett have also arrived at the castle from town for the winter. The Marquis and Marohioness of Salisbury will receive company at Hatfield-house, Herts, about the middle of the ensuing month. plittral. Ma. Fox, M.P., addressed his constituents at Oldham on Wednesday, and reviewed the progress of the session, which he characterised as ont of " nonentities." The two Houses had been waiters, not upon " Providence," but upon " Palmerston." In fact, there had been nothing else but waiting all round. The House of Commons had been waiting for the people to agitate for reforms, and the people had been waiting for the House to originate re forms. The House of Lords had waited for bills from the Commons, and the Commons waited for re jections from the Lords; while both Houses bad been waiting for a dissolution, and Lord Palmerston had been waiting to be put into such a minority, on a party question, as would warrant him in dissolving. Mr. Fox then passed iu review the few measures of the session, and oxplained his votes. He then alluded to the general state of political affairs. In his opinion the Conservatives could never again govern the country, and Lord Palmerston had received some broad hints as to the man ner in which he must set about it The divisions on the Ballot, the Civil Service, the National Gallery, the Appellate Jurisdiction, and the Bishops Retirement Bills were strong hints to the noble lord that the country would not be content without some retorms. Although he approved of the peace, he complained of Lord Palmerston's con• duct with ref :rence to the Crimean commissioners, who were " meanly deserted" by the Government. But above all did he complain of the noble Premier's reserve as to his future domestic policy : When the war was finished, when peace was certain, and when he called his supporters together to look the future in the face, I certainly did expect, and I think now that he ought to have given the country, a programme of his domestic policy. He ought to do it now. He should tell us how he means to arrange and conduct the domestic affairs of this country. Are we to go on blindfold from session to session? Is there to be no adjustment of war taxation? Is there to be no extension of the represents tire principle ? Is there to be no check on the sordidness and domination of ecclesiastical authorities? Are there to be no means of carrying on that gteat progress throughout the country which has been begun by the people them- selves, and only needs the Government to give it free course in order to establish the most glorious results ? I hear nothing of all this. He is said to have summoned the members of his Cabinet to meet together in November, in order to propound the bills which they wish to prepare for the next session ; and I suppose after that we shall know *something ; and so we still remain in the state which I described at the beginning—of waiters upon Providence and upon Palmerston. Mr. Fox concluded his address by a peroration against aristocratic Government, and expressing a hope that her Majesty, for the future, would only select for her servants those who came with a good character from the people. nlttrapolitan. THE ROYAL BRITISH BANK. THE shareholders of the above bank held a meeting at the London Tavern on Saturday, in order to ascer tain from the board of directors the real position of the bank. After a brief introductory speech by the SATURDAY, chairman Mr. EansutE, Mr. Cor.EmAx the accountant placed the following balance statement of the affairs of the bank before the meeting : To total amount of liabilities .. £539,131 12 9 Capital 158,735 0 0 Reserved Fund .. .. • • .. 14,6202 8 8 #.712,009 1 5 By total amount of assets.. .. t 188,044 8 11 Losses .. 270,412 13 0 Adjnsting interest account 10 Charges and expenses 7,1(13 11 to Preliminary expenses .. 15,793 11 11 Liabilities on bills rediscounted .. 1,305 U 0 Welch works cost (exclusive of in terest) .. .. .. .. 106,453 4 9 £712,009 1 5 Mr. Coleman also entered into an explanation of his balance-sheet. Some of the directors had incurred debts to the bank which were still unliquidated. Amongst them were Mr. Gwynne, of Essex-street, 13,6401., and Mr. M'Gregor, M.P. for Glasgow, 7,302/. As far as he had been able to ascertain, there had been no increase of bad debts since the present governor had been in the chair. The debts of Gwynne and M'Gregor were doubtless bad debts. Mr. Humphrey Brown, M.P. for Tewkesbury, owed the bank 70,0781., which he estimated as a total loss. Mr. Cameron, the manager, owed the bank directly 21,2001., and the indirect loss by his traffic in shares was 8,7521. Mr. Cameron, in justification of his debts, represented to the directors that he had policies on his life to the extent of 10,0001., that he had property at Dingwall worth 10,0001., and that he had claims upon other persons to the extent of 4,0001. Upon an examination he (Mr. Coleman) found that the policies were charged to their full value, and he believed that the Dingwall property had been valued for a purpose. He did not think that the bank, out of the whole amount of Mr. Cameron's debts, would realise more than 4,0001. Mr. Mullens (who was dead) had liabilities to tho extent of 7,000/. The whole of the debts of the officials amounted to 121,840 E, while the other bad debts and losses, which he explained in detail, swelled the total loss account to 270,4121. 13s Od. A long and stormy discussion ensued upon these astounding disclosures, Mr. GODDARD, a share holder, proposing a resolution—" That the past and present directors of this bank (excepting always the three gentlemen who became directors on Ist Aug. last), by their systematic misapplication of the funds of the bank, had shown themselves utterly unfit for the post they occupied, and unworthy of the confi dence of this or any other proprietary." The resolution having been seconded, The CHAIRMAN declined to put the resolution, which be declared to be a lie. Mr. GODDARD said it was true in every particular. If the chairman would not put the resolution, ho would put it himself. The resolution was put in that form, amid loud cries, and declared carried. Mr. OWF.N, a former director, gave same curious details as to the manner in whicli the business of the bank had been conducted : When all arrangements for starting this concern bad been made, Mr Cameron was appointed our manager, and we soon found the evil of having a manager who had never previously been connected with any bank in London. By reason of that circumstance arose a number of difficul ties. I will state what occurred two years and some months ago, when I left the bank. Why, shortly before that time I did not know that there was a single shareholder in debted to the hank to the amount of 10,0001., either for discount or advances. I at one time heard a whisper of some complaints that there was a large sum due by one of them on account of discounts, and I asked one of the book. keepers as to the matter. He told me that there were securities for the entire amount. That statement was true; for the debtor was Mr. Charles Wharton, and he paid the concern every halfpenny he owed it. A SHAneitotztan : Then, sir, you were taking money under false pretences. You were a paid director, and were therefore bound to have known those things. Mr. °wets : Things may be done when men are asleep. They were done downstairs ; and I was told that when I shut the parlour door I had nothing to do with the bank. Mr. Cameron said that no director must bring hit. own bills to he discounted before the board. Yes; he said that such bills should go to the general manager, for if they were brought before the board we should never get mer cantile men of high character to bank with ns. In this ignorance was I until one occasion, when Mr. Cameron was taken so dangerously ill that he was not expected to recover, and it was thought that he would die very shortly; and in consequence of his illness, the chairman and some of the other directors made some inquiries, which dis closed to us that Mr. Cameron had a book with a private key, which we had never seen. It was never seen by any one but Mr. Cameron, and when the chairman opened that book we were all indeed astonished. And here, gentlemen, I would allude to Mr. Sheriff Kennedy. I feel bound to say, gentlemen, that lie regretted that his official duties prevented him from giving us more of his time ; but when this book was discovered he brought forward as strong resolutions as could have been framed by any ' gentleman, directing that everything in the book should