The Sun. — London, England, 1841-09-08 00:00:00

_EVENING SUN MARYLEBONE BANK. An adjourned special general meeting of the Pro prietors of the "Borough of Marylebone Bank?' was yes terday held at the offices in Cavendish-square. The ori ginal meeting, it will be remembered, was called for the purpose of taking into consideration the then state of the affairs of the Bank, the resignation of Mr. David Hannay, the Managing_ Director, the propriety of dis so l v i ng th e cOnlyttpy x and on general business. Tl:The::statements and explanations.which were elicited titi4. - Aat occasion excited very great astonishment, and, having_ Oven rise to a very lengthened discussion, even tually led to the appointment of a Committee, armed Witll:powers to enter into a close and minute investiga tiOn of the affairs and state of the accounts of the Bank, and to report thereon to the general body of Proprietors at the'adjourned meeting, which was appointed for yes terday. The meeting was fully and very respectably attended, although a circular had on the pr evious day been sent round,. stating that inasmuch as the act.rountant had not lieerLable, from the complicated manner in which the accounts of the Bank had been kept, to furnish the Com mittee with any authentic or complete statement as to the condition of its affairs, the meeting would only be liehl for the purpose of a further adjournment. Lorie, one of the Directors was selected to act as Chairm an . , -, After some preliminary conversation, Mr. VIZARD expressed a desire to know what had been done since the former meeting by the Committee, whether in fact the Committee were in a condition to afford'iny information to the Proprietors.—(Hear.) Mr. ABRAHAM, the Chairman of the Committee, in reply, stated, that they had met very constantly, indeed three or f our t i mes a week, since their appointment, and they had only been delayed in their proceedings by the inability of Mr. Quilter, the accountant, to place before them a full statement of the accounts of the concern. That gentleman had advanced as the chief sources of such i na bili ty three points- - first, the great difficulty there w as i n making out the accounts ; secondly, as to he precise position in which he was placed ; and, thirdly, the character in which he was to be considered as deli vering in the statement of the affairs. That gentleman bid expressed an anxiety to see Mr. Roy, the Solicitor, wits a view of ascertaining the position in which he w as t an d i n reference to th e Di rec t ors , an d a l so as to whether end, statement he was to deliver to the Commit tee was to be a statement presenting fully the situation of the Bank, or only a partial statement of the details of theaffairS ; or whether the statement was to be full, and accompanied by such comments as he might conceive any partieular . iteros to demand from him. Eventually, howe very it had been determined that he was to furnish the Committee with a full statement of the position of the affairs of the bank, which he had then stated he should be in a condition to do in the course of a week from that time. At the expiration of that period the Committee had'assembled again, with the full expectation that the statement would have been forwarded to them. The Com mittee, however, had been d oome d t o di sappo i ntment, for it appeared hat the accountant had not been able to lay before them anything like a complete statement of the affairs, but that gentl eman h a d sa id t h at h e had brought abalance-sheet, which he had prepared for the previous special meeting. The Committee had there upop considered that they had better have the then ba lance-sheet than nothing at all. But there had arisen a difficulty, inasmuch as the document bore the signature of !‘ Hannay," and its correctness was certified by the Directors. A consultation had consequently been held with the solicitor, who had decided that that paper could not be handed over to the Committee, because it was the original document, but. that a copy thereof might. Accordingly the accountant had promised to supply the copy on the fallowing day, and that in a given time he should be prepared with the remaining part of the state ment. Nevertheless further time had been afterwards re quired,a still extended delay had also been subsequently de manded, and it had not been until the 23d of the last month that the Coimilittee had obtained any information upon the subject; and then that information had been but very little, it being stated by Mr. Quilter that the accounts had been kept in the most perfect way that could possibly be imagined, with a view to effect the object the parties must have intended ; that, in fact, he had never seen any accounts kept in so admirable a manner with a view to the'commission of a fraud upon the general body of Pro prietors.—(Hear, hear.) Notwithstanding this, the ac countant lead promised to supply the Committee with the full statement in a few days. But the Committee had received no account in fact from that gentleman, which had placed them in such a position as to dis enable that body from laying any statement whatever before the meeting of a definite character. He was bound, therefore, to declare, that until the statement in question had been -obtained from the accountant, it was utterly impossible that the Committee could put the Proprietors in the possession of the actual position of the affairs of the Bank.—(Hear.) It was due to that gentleman, however, to add, that he Lad intimated to the Committee that he had lost no time, and that it hid been through no fault on his part that the statement had not been forthcoming, agreeably to the promise he. had made. On Thursday last the members of the 'Committee of Inquiry had received a summoas to attend a meeting of the Directors at two o'clock on the following;ality. Upon the receipt of that communica tion a now had been sent to the accountant, in which he was requeated to come up to the Boar and Castle Tavern, in Oxford4reet, where the Committee met, and to bring a statement of thteaceounts with him. The accountant, however, instead of coming, had. sent a reply stating that a prior engagement would prevent his compliance with thciir request, but added, that,as there was to be a meet ir,g of all parties, the Directors, the Committee; the So licitor, and himself, as the AccOuntant, at his offices at two o'clock on the same day, he should then place before them a statement, but which statement could not but be incomplete. With this reply the Committee reluctantly were compelled to rest satisfied; and accordingly, in conformity with . the request of the Directors, they bad attended the meeting in question. The Account ant, it turned out, was prepared only with a portion of the accounts, but declined to hand even the incomplete statement over to the Committee, until there had been an entire understanding as to the way on which it was to be placed in their possession. The solicitor intimated that there could be no objection to the documents being given to the Committee, so long as there was a distinct understanding that that body should not ma k e an im proper use of 'or publish them. It would, he conceived, be unnecessary for him to declare to the present meeting that the Committee could have had no intention to mis apply or to misuse any statement which they might re ceive from the accountant. All they had required was the best information that could be obtained, with a view to placing something like a tangible and correct state ment before the general body of the Proprietors.— (Hear, hear.) It had then been arranged that a copy of tl • at eunnts should be sent to the Committee on the fol lowing'.day—an arrangement which had been fulfilled. Then they had arrived at the circular which had called thenvbefore the Directors, and it had been ultimately agreed, that the accounts were in such a state, and would require so much time to arrange them, as to render it ad tisablei to adjourn the present meeting until the 4th of November next. He might say that the Committee were in state' of ignorance as to the question of assets. The meeting had been the act of the Directors—the COM mitteehad had nothing to do with its convenement-- they had known nothing of it. The further adjournment,' however, had . been suggested, in order to afibrd an op portunity of enabling the Committee to be in possession of all the facts and circumstan ces o f t h e case, and there fore th e y had not had any hesitation in promising their support , to a motion to that effect.—(Hear, hear.) VIZARD observed, that after the statements they had just heard, there did not appear to be any option as to the question of adjournment. He was, however, some what at a loss to understand how it was that the ac countant, who had at the Last meeting expressed himself with such extreme confidence as to the correctness of the accounts, should have so much difficulty.—(Hear, hear.) It would be in the recollection of every gentle man present, that upon that occasion the accountant had stated his rea di ness to certify as to the accuracy of the accounts, and thereby created the inference that he was well acquainted with them.—(Hew- hear.) Mr. ROY, the solicitor, saidtultitiaot; its debts, to the Ito itate of t , llO and theex .r there was .i question but the Committee ' were, and v too, their inquiries much further. —(bear , her.) The Committee were desirous to ascertain how i; had been that the affairs of the Bank had fallen into such a state—(Hear, hear)—and under whose guidance and by whose acts such a painful result had been arrived at. —(Heat%) To that fact the delay might be attributed. Mr. ABRAHAM said, the Committee had conceived that the subjects of inquiry which had just been mentioned by the Learned Gentlethan were questions which, as a matter of duty, they, were called upon to enter into. — (Hear, hear.) The Committee were anxious to discover the cause of the lamentable condition of the affairs of the Bank, and they wanted to ascertain that the statement as to the amount of its liabilities was correct.—(Hear, hear.) They had heenthe more strongly led to the latter point .of inquirY - fi:om having found out th a t i n the account, the balance. sheet whi c h had been 'laid before them, it had appeared that a sum of 25,4751. 9s. 9d. was due to the London and Westminster Bank, when in fact such was not the truth.—(sear.) Mr. ROY said, the accountant had subsequently stated that that item was a mistake. It was quite true that there had been that amount owing, but the account ought to have stated that it was owing to the London and - Westminster and - other parties, and not to the foriner titablishment alone.—(Hear.) Mr. ABRAHAM observed, that for the very reason that inch an error had appeared on the balance,-sheet, he had been; the-more anxtors to put some questions to the a ccountant in the presence of that meetin g.—(Hear, bear.) That gentleman had not satisfied the l:onitnittee. It, however, had turned out that the stun whic 'a had been burrowed of the London and Westminster B:uik on se curities was not more than 15,0001: odd. in the copy o f the bahthee , -sheet which he had in his hand the cor teetion had be'en made by the introduction of the words and others." But the Committee had felt - that a cor tee, tion of such a nature, without any accolni i .tanying ex- Planation or statement, was a proceeding of a somewhat ex- Planation nature.—(Hear, hear.) They had consi dered that some little explanation at least . mid been re '''red. Well, then, the Committee were ta Ting to find ; 5 1, 4 how s o important a mistake could have appeared in Z e ,ihee of the statement. They had asked for an expla ira'n, butlooa hd not received any. The pp Tietors must, ereforek tx) the accountant himself, ro tt. highly re 4Pectable,member of the profession to which he belonged ;;;Stlear, hear) --for the explanation. Wen the Corn w ;'lt !e had not been satisfied with th e get leve l wa y i n licit the statement had been drawn up. Vor instance, wt talked of stir. dry subscription s (as was; 'understood) rard up, 39,383/. odd. The Committee litu I asked by r those subscriptions, or at l east who those Sub 7ibers ' or Sh are h o ld ers were, but the repl yof the Ac p,1 -In tent had been, that he could not tel L--( Hear, hear.) o int ommittee 'had been the more particular on this we , becau se they had grounds for supposie g that there re son* sbixefkiders whose names 'lid >4t it appear in . • the list which had been furnished to the Proprietors.— (Hear, hear.) Now, it had been conceived by the Com mittee, that this was a most essential fact for them to as certain, with a view to the accomplishment of the pur pose for which they had been appointed.—(Hear, hear.) There were other items in the account with which the Committee were not satisfied. Mr. ROY suggested whether it would not be fairer that these complaints should be reserved until the Ac countant was present to explain ? He could say that the account, as far as the investigation had yet gone, was suqstantially correct, as it appeared in the balance-sheet then in the hands of Mr. Abraham. The . sum which had been had of the London and Westminster Bank was about 15,000/., for which that bank held ample security unconnected with the Marylebone Bank.—(Hear.) Mr. BEBB said that Mr. Quilter, 'the accountant, had had the opportunity of being present on that occasion to offer his explanation.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. ROY admitted that he might have been present, but at the same time he was bound to inform the pro prietors that that gentleman could not have given them all the information which had been required by the Com mittee at that moment, because upon examination it had been found that there were several very nice legal points involved in the question.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. ABRAHAM did not intend to throw any imputation upon Mr. Quilter, but he could not at the same time but entertain the opinion that the Committeee might or ought to have gained some explanation upon the sub.ect of the accounts from that gentleman.—(Hear.) At the former meeting they had been led to believe that Mr. Quilter would have come to give all the in formation that could be required by the Committee, but he had since that day intimated to them that he could not afford that' information, because his doing so would involve the Directors.—(Hear, hear.) That gen tleman had come to one of the meetings and told the Committee that he had made a great discovery, but what that discovery had been they had never heard. It had, however, been ascertained, that at the last annual meeting of the Proprietors, whilst the Directors in their report had inforMed them that the profits upon the transactions of the Bank for the past year were as much as 1,00e1., and which would enable them to pay a divi dend of 4 per cent., had the accounts been properly made out they would, instead of presenting a profit of I,OOCL, have shown a loss amounting to 3,000/.—(Hear, hear.) It appeared, that the manner in which the state ment had borne on its face a profit had been by debiting the accounts of certain of the customers with commission, which charges for commission had been put to the credit of those parties shortly after the meeting in question,— (Hear, hear.) So that in point of fact the account which had been exhibited to the Proprietors, and on the faith of which a dividend had been declared, was a fictitious account.—(Hear, hear.) In addition, too, there were various claims upon the concern for salaries, taxes, and other things, all of which had become due prior to January, the month when the meeting had been held, not any of which had been paid until after that meeting.—(Hear, hear.) It was clear, therefore, that there had on the last year been a loss of 3,000/. instead of a gain of 1,0001. Mr. ROY was authorised to state that Mr. Hannay, had said no one had been aware of these f ac ts but . himself. They had not b een known by the Directors.—(Hear.) Mr. ABRAHAM had hoped that, as they had only met for the purpose of adjourning, the Committee would not have been called on to say anything upon the .occasion. With regard to the accountant, in what he had said, it had not been his intention to cast the slightest insinua tion as to anything improper having been done by that gentleman.—(Hear.) All he meant was that the Com mittee considered that they ought to have received fur ther information at his hands.—(Hear.) Mr. ROY was quite sure that no imputation had been intended by the Hon. Proprietor. If he could have imagined that there would have been any business gone into, he should have felt it to he his duty to advise that gentleman to be present on that occasion. In consequence of what had already gone forth on the subject, he was anxious to state that the London and Westminster Bank had never had anything to do with the transactions of the Marylebone Bank. That establishment had been applied to by several highly respectable and responsible parties, who stated that the Marylebone Bank was about to wind up its affairs, and that it being their wish to pay the debt due to the public, they were desirous to raise the necessary sum to effect that object ; whereupon the Directors of the Lon don and Westminster Bank consented to advance 15,0001. odd for that purpose, upon good and ample security. The amount was accordingly, upon the production of security of that character, advanced, and had gone in part pay ment of the public.—(Hear, hear.) More than that he might say, that as the legal adviser of the L on d on an d Westminster Bank, h e had been directed to attend at the Marylebone Bank in order to see that the money was properly applied.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the accountant, he had never advised him to conceal any thing from the Committee.—(Hear, hear.) All he had wanted was, to guard against an unnecessary publication to the world of the private accounts of the customers. It was impossible to describe the great difficulties which were offered to the attempt to make up a correct statement of the affairs, in consequence of the manner in which the accounts had been kept. No. thing but time would enable the completion of the task. The Directors were anxious to know the extent of their responsibility..as quickly as possible. He could state that the Accountant had done.much in the labour, and would have been glad to have given any explanation that could with safety have been given on that occasion.— (Hear, hear.) He should mention that in consequence of the opinion which had been expressed at the previous meeting as to the propriety of adopting'steps to prevent Mr. Hannay, from quitting England,. the Directors, who held a bond for 10,000/ as security,liad upon a Judge's order arrested that gentleman before five o'clock on the following afternoon, and he wag' now in the Fleet.— (Hear.) It was not his wi s h t o sa y anyt hi ng aga i nst M r. Hannay, but it was his duty to state, that on his applying to him to execute a deed by which his property in Scot land should be made over as security to the Bank, he had declined. He had since heard that Mr. Hannay had been executing deeds with respect to this property in fa vour of his private creditors and of his own family.— (Hear.) In explanation of this proceeding, Mr..Hannay had stated that it was only in pursuance of agreements long since entered into with the various parties, and that one of his creditors, his law agent in Scotland, had been most urgent in his demands for the completion of his agreements. The claim in that instanc e h a d b een 2,4001. The most strict inquiries were in progress re lative to these matters, as well as to the value of the property in Scotland, and it was hoped that at the next meeting every information that could be desired would be laid before the Proprietors.—(Hear, hear.) It was also stated, in answer to a question from some of the creditors, that the Directors held the securities of Mr. Hannay, seven in number, of SOCL each. Mr. VIZARD then moved, after a vote of thanks, atliis suggestion, had been passed in favour of the Committee of investigation, that another special general meeting of the Proprietors be held on the 4th of November next. This motion having been seconded, was unanimously carried "In June list I gave the Directors, at theirPquest, conveyance to my lands and property in'Secltland for security and payment of this balance and my Other debts, containing a power to sell and mortgage, and , all the usual powers, iu such deeds. It is nearly three months since this deed was executed and delivered. "It is to me a source of the deepest regret that my account is so much overdrawn. I was, however, So placed that it was scarcely possible to prevent it. " That 'your affairs have not been managed incautiously and imprudently, you will be satisfied when I inform you that by 87 parties having credits and discount ac counts with the Bank, some of very considerable amount, and who have all become bankrupt or insolvent, you do not losen. shilling. You will also do me the justice to remember, that for every account brought by any other Director to the Bank I brought ten ; that the stock and profits brought to the Bank by myself and friends ex ceed 8,0001. ; that although the periodical balances due by me were large, the deposits of my friends . and con nexions were generally larger, so that they did not form a burden on your capital." [This document, which was handed about-the room, was very long ; the ab3ve are therefore only extracts.] MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS FROM TIM MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY. TIMES.—The accounts from Liverpool of yesterday's date, in alluding to the temporary cheat' business had received through the late failures, state that in more than one instance the extent of liabilities and ;thin - late loss-to creditors had been much exaggerated, The failures in connexion with the cotton trade would not prove so dis astrous as were at first imagined ; the market for that staple was, nevertheleSs, dull. The statutes which have been passed and approved by the King of the Belgians for the formation of a " Bank of Flanders," have been published in the Belgian official papers. Ghent is selected for the head-office of the Bank, which, however, is to extend its branchei in any direc tion, with the authority of the Government. It is em powered to issue notes payable on demand, the amount calculated upon the capital, and their value to be deter mined by•the Administration, and approved by the Go ' vernment. The capital is to consist of 10,000,000 E di vided into 10,000 shares of 1,000 f., with liberty to the Company to commence operations when half the capital is subscribed, and in the event of an increase of busi ness, to increase its capital to the extent of 20,000 shares at the same price as the original. Such an increase re quires the consent of a majority of three-fourths of the Shareholders, and the approval of the Government. The affairs of the. Company are to be directed by a Presi dent and four Administrators, all to be appointed by the general meeting, and a Secretary is to be appointed by the administration, who is to countersign the correspon dence. The operations of the Company are to'consist in discounting bills of exchange, in collecting the amount of bills, &c., placed in their hands by others, in receiving sums and paying draughts for others, in opening de posit accounts, in making advances upon national secu rities or upon commercial bills, in opening credits in ac count current on receiving sufficient security, in issuing obligations bearing interest, and in investing capital in real securities or the public funds, that is, by snaking purchases, as speculation of any kind, whether in the funds or in merchandise, is strictly prohibited. The profits are to be divided, first by an allOwance to the Shareholders. of 5 per cent, as interest, the remainder to form, the CoMpany's dividend. " The principal feature in the formation of this Bank is its immediate control by Government, whose sanction, it is seen, is required to determine the amount of issue. At the same tame, while full control is thus given to the Government, the Bank is prohibited from being under advances to the Government, so that it will not in its turn exert a reciprocal influence, which might ultimately enable it to have the Government at its mercy„ as is the case with the State Banks of America. What will be the progress of the institution it is impossible at this time to conjecture, even in the remotest degree; as even the principle on which the notes are to be issued •is yet un determined. Everything, supposing the requisite means are at hand, will depend on the wisdom; caution, and foresight of the Belgian Government. CHRONICLE.—We understand that letters from Li verpool announce that the houses of Nlolyneux and Co. and Maury and Co. are likely to pay 20s. in the . pound. Their engagements may be computed at 500,0001. The stagnation in trade and the distress • now prevail ing in the manufacturing districts have been produced by the disturbing influence of the Corn-laws upon the currency. Our readers will excuse us for repeating that truth, and for not only denying , but endeavourin g t o dis prove the assertion of the Tory Premier and the monopo list press, that they are the offspring of over-trading, fos tered by the joint-stock banks, and of the unsettled state of our political relations with,foreign countries. We do not dispute that some of the joint-stock banks have departed from the legitimate purposes of banking, and entered into transactions with manufacturers of an injudi cious character, which have ended disastrously for all concerned, and thus aggravated in some degree the evils which the country suffers. Neither do we dispute that our export trade with the United States, the Levant, and the East, has been injured by the recent political differ ences with, and in, those countries ; but we look in vain for the root of the disease now preying on the vitals of our productive industry to any or all of these causes. To arrive at the seat of the complaint, we must go nearer home, and by directing our attention to the drain of bul lion which attacked the Bank of England in 1839, after the bad harvest of 1838, we at once discover the origin and seat of the national malady. HERALD.—The progress of Indian commerce and industry must naturally be watched with much interest in this country. and especially so far as relates to the in crease in those products of the soil or of manufacture on which most mainly depend the improving capacity of consumption for British produce and manufactures. It is gratifying therefore to find that 'in respect of the production of exchangeable articles the progress of India is not only steady and prosperous, but really surprising-arid all that can be wished. The fact of itself is a sufficient assurance that the trade of thati m mense region - is as yet but in its cradle. In respect of sugar, the mercantile advices by the overland mail re present that the trade there, as everywhere else indeed, was almost altogether paralysed by the • intelligence of the famous sugar duty and ludicrous free 'trade tamper ing projects of the late Ministry, as purchasers naturally hold aloof until the question of lowering 'the import on foreign sugars should be decided. ADVERTISER.—The . sugar question, though in abeyance, has not yet lost its interest, and the exertions making by oar colonies to increase production by every means in their power, in order, by feeding,our;raarkets, to deprive ug:of part of the present grtaind .for well founded complaint, naturally call for remark: . It is evident that to the agitation which has existed in the mother country may be attributed this increased energy on the part of the West Indian's ; but it then becomes also_ a matter of some importance to ascer tain whether this will be kept up so • soon' as they imagine -the immediate danger gone by and a fresh lease of Monopoly - granted them by the accession 'of,a Con servative Ministry. At present, however, we may at least congratulate the people at large—that is, the great body of consumers—upon the reduction in the current prices of sugar, though, as far as they are concerned, there is still room for a greater fall, and which has un questionably resulted from the propositions the late Government having led to the forwarding of in creased supplies. There is, however, another, point to be considered in this matter, viz., the tendency of high prices to check consumption, and the accumula tion of stocks occasioned thereby. Still this is but another argument in favour of a modification of the present duties, with the additional truism to enforce it, that when such a state 'of things exists, both grower and consumer must be injured. Last year the quantity of British Plantation Sugar, Imported into London, up to the Ist of September, was 46,094 hogsheads 4,669 tierces, and this year it is 48,766 hugs heads 5,598 tierces. In 1839, however, we had received as much as 63,061 hogsheads 5,958 tierces up to thd same date. The consumption last year during the same period exceeded what it has be e n thi s ye ar by upwards of 16,000 hogsheads, having been 60,240 hogsheads 6,067 tierces ; whereas for 1841 it stands only at 44,346 hogsheads 4,757 tierces. Then as to the stocks, though greater than in 1840, they are still not much more than half what they were in 1839, for in September of that year they were 30,955 lifids.; in the same month last year 14,631 hogsheads, and now 30,955 hhds. The consump tion of Havanah, Brazil, and.Porto Rico, is very trifling ; but in that of Bengal there has been a great increase. The imports, consumption, and stock of rum have fallen off this year, but this not being essentially necessary to the comfort of the poorer classes, is no evil. The ex portation, we perceive, has rather increased. Coffee has not benefited so much by the dearness of tea as might have been expected ; for while the consumption of some qualities has increased, that of others has fallen off. The imports show a decline generally, but the stock of, that imported by w a y o f our co l on i es — t h e C ape of Good Hope, for instance—and thence admitted for home con sumption at the reduced duty of 9d. per lb, has increased nearly two-fold. ' SUN.—The - market for English Stocks still exhibits a want of animation. For immediate d e li very C onso l s realised 89 f to * , and for Account 89i-to9o. Money being scarce, Exchequer Bills gave way in premium to 13s, and 11s., and East India Bonds were also rather worse, viz., par to 2s. premium. Bank Stock was 170 for the open • ing ; but special transfers for money were made at 169. The New Three-and. a-Half per Cents. brought 981 to and the Three per Cents. Reduced 89 1 . The Foreign Market, as well as that for British Rail way Shares, was quite neglected. The Spanish Five per Cents, with the .flay Coupons were at 22i to 21,i, being a decline of full a per cent, on the highest quotation of 23'9e,staennr(doi:11.1113,1-i,rnaNa%ziliiltiihealanin, a however, ott6i6ert‘ov iGs e7 i . t ; n Alr iu ue s s t itire b iz: e ttni o el b Aa served, was ra therworth 109 i,tl t 1 0 0 211. ; a l i i i i: v d .a3 I:utch Five per re Ce Stati at x.ii.qk s u . elovsfas wer e worth 781 and 78 ; the New 34+ New Great Loan Western higher than JthuencEtaiositiernsOttoounstlie;stBlie; S ; I it:three sFifths no B ; t -L th o e nd l o3inaekan%ldaißi iNraci!vn,_.).ll).anlftsl.sBBd! to 51. 65. 8d: ; and the South -Eastern 161. There was nothing done in Brighton all day. Australasian Bank New Shares were 5; and Colonial Bank also 5 premium. Australian Agricultural Company's Shares were 10 prem. The Foreign Exchanges were firm this afternoon. Hamburg'', - 13 10 tO Three months bills were taken at the fullowincr rates —Paris, 25 . f. 65e. to 70c.; Amsterdam 12 4,-} to ',I ; n werp, 12 32 ; Frankfiwt, 149 to --1 ; f f o l l o lzi t h i g me a p r o e r t t he of offi L c o i l a id l oriel,tuirz theof the ue e e i x , peonr(trsi ending g f 104 ; and Trieste, 9 52 to 54. Thursday last : Silver coin to Hamburgh ............... 30,000 oz. to Rotterdam ................ 3'5.000 „ e n f t to St. Petersburgli ..... 24,000 Silver bars to ditto ......... • .............. . 28,000 to Hamburgh ............... ,13 GOO Mr. Hannay, in a letter dated Monday, September 6th, addressed to the Proprietors of the Bank, amongst other explanations in reference to his connexion therewith goes on to say, that " Towards the latter end of 1840 it became quite ap parent that the Bank must wind up, unless the direction could be materially strengthened. To facilitate this ob ject, I again expressed my willingness to resign. " After the general meeting in January last, efforts were made to enlarge the direction, but they failed, and I was instructed to wind up gradually. This was done in as quiet and prudent a manner as possible ; and by the middle of June, at which period I had given notice that my services would cease, the liabilities Gf the bank to the public did not exceed 25,0001. Even then, the hope of reviving it under a new direction and management was not altogether aban doned. Negotiations with that view were opened with several respectable parties, but they did • not succeed. These circumstances becoming generally known, caused a greater demand upon the bank than usual, and appli cation was made to the London and Westminster Bank for an interim loan of 5,000/. and for aid in the final winding up of the concern. The former was readily granted, and the latter promised on condition that secu rity should be given for the advance required by certain of the proprietors, and that the business, so far as pos sible, should be transferred to the London and West minster Bank. " Such was the position of affairs when I removad my family to France in June last. It was my impression that, by pursuing the plan acted upon for the four preceed ing months under a small Commit i eeofProprietors, the affairs of th e Company, then in a very ' narrow compa ss; p might be w oun d up without much expe nse or trouble. This seemed to b e the (pinion also of such of the London share holders as the Di tors had an opportunity of eommuni after a few weeks' absence, I found c at nr m w t t ecl l l 4 l Upton, the "Soli& cl;;'`W°lll:(i.se:awdovittee countant hat 64,134 0,1 T.5.Tge i..\. d t. . Aessrs. iNlit,iDenoeuilg,atiheaancd ld h in ave the recovery of debts and settlenu9t4 been most luable,supplanted . ;''Landon Westminster in-possession of the .securities they had asked of the the proprietors, yet leaviag m any of yo u under legal prosec ution for engagements undi sc h arged ; deposits which bad not been asked fur transferr e d to the Lon donihnastebr e l e l e an d k e , m o i r te p d i e li d d , ; withheld, and and a n d epos i ts, of Nvhi c and Wrpaymentest Westminster d s in a one slim)e or other, quite un warrantable an affair. Agai nst these pro ceedingsNevxaeral l n se t a gb l elnigng osno'small remonstrated. " Great anxiety was evince d b y the Direc tors on the subject of the general meeting of the Sharehold ers ; and it was not concealed from m e that I was ex pected to bear the greater part of the blame attach e d to our want of success. lat once observe d t h at I would res ponsibility, but that I not flinch from my fair share of re must not be asked to bear more. In ans wer to their professed ignoran ce a s to the state of my private ac count, I remarked, that it had been constantly _ e over drawn since 1837 ; th a t i n April, 1838, it formed the subject of lon g an d angr y di scuss i o n at the Board ;tha: it had been alluded to by me, both orally and in writing, to several of the Di rec t ors ; th a t no concealmenthad been used ; that when I was absent one of the Directors acted as my substitute, and that all who attended the Board were in frequent communication with the cashiers and accountants ; that the weekly statement of the af fairs of the Company, which the accountants, by order of' Mr. Rawson, regularly laid before the Board, em braced my balance as well as the balance upon every other account ; that it was so large a feature, in a con cern so limited and cramped in means, that it could not have escaped observation for so long a period, even if it had not been specially referred to. On investigation it is proved that the balance due by me, amounting to 14,300/., has arisen from the purchase of shares in the Bank, in order to strengthen it, the payment of corn l i - missions, interests, discounts, travelling, and other ex penses, on account of the Bank, and payment of herit able and personal debts, mostly of old standing, in Scotland. Sir Stratford Canning and Dr. Phillimore had inter- Yiewli With Lord Stanley yesterday a; the Colvninl-vitive. TO THE EDITOR OF .THE TINES. COURT CIRCULAR. His Royal Highness Prince Albert spent part of the forenoon shooting in Claremont Park yeterday. • • :Mr. 1 Sin—l will not degrade myself or my cause by retort- George Edward Anson arrived at ClaremPnt yesterday ing the scurrility of a writer who, in addressing you by from Windsor, and attended the Prince during the ex- letter, in your journal of the 3d inst., subscribes .himself cursion. • • I a " Constant Reader." It may be well, however, for those who encourage such attacks upon a nation of seventeen millions of people, and especially for a journalist now to be regarded us the organ of a new Administration, to consider the na tural effect of such language upon your readerS on both sides of the Atlantic. . • One of those desirous of preserving- the peace of two nations, whose interests are intimately and mutually in terwoven, begs leave to call the attention of the great body of your subscribers, and the British public in gene ral, to the groSs injustice of the often-repeated charge of bad faith, not upon the real swindlers in America, who do not, in truth,comprehend fifty individuals, and in pro portion to her population are less numerous than in any commercial country in Europe, but upon the Govern ments. both " Federal and State," of the whole American Republic. The debts contracted by the several States and Corporations of the United StateS are supposed to amount to two hundred millions ofdollars, or 40,000,0001. sterling. The annual interest upon this macs of debt cannot, in the aggregate, be less than twelve millions of dollars, or 2,400,0001. sterling, including the commis sions on its transmission, and its payment in Europe. Now, the whole, or very nearly the whole, of this large debt was contracted several years ago, and the far greater part of its amount received b ) tlie United States in the shape of British manufactures. But until the commencement of this year, not a single case had occurred, that I have heard of, in which any State or Corporation, except the single City of Mobile, in Alabama, had failed to pay its interest abroad with exact punctuality. One reason, and by no means the least poaerful in its operation, of the late and present distress of the manu facturing classes in England is, that twelve. millions of dollars which used annually to be remitted by the United' States to pay for British goods, are now applied to the payment. of interest upon a debt contracted in England for objects in America yet unproductive. For example, take the two middle States of America, Maryland and Pennsylvania, which are responsible for nearly one-third of the loans referred to. It is well known that of all the internal improvements of both of those States, there is not one which yields at this time in divi dends enough to defray the exigencies of collections and repairs. His Serene Highness Prince Ernest of Hesse Philipps thal arrived at Marlborough House, Pall-mall, on Mon day evening, from Sudbury Hall, the residence of her Majesty the Queen Dowager. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, attended by Lieut.-Colonel Jones, arrived at Cambridge House yesterday, from his residence at Kew. His Royal High ness returned to Kew in the afternoon: The Earl of Rosslyn, Earl De Grey, Lord Stuart de Rothsay, and Lord Ashley, had interviews with Sir Robert Peel yesterday in Whitehall Gardens. lAte in the afternoon his Serene Highness Prince Ernest of Hesse Philippsthal called at the residence of the Right Hon. Baronet in Whitehall Gardens. M. Dedel, Minister of the Netherlands, visited: Sir Robert Peel on Sunday at his residence in Whitehall Gardens. The Hon. H. Manners Sutton attended yesterday at the %Home-office, as, Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the room of Lord Seymour. Lord Eliot, the Hon. F. Scott, Sir Stratford Canning, Col. Darner, Mr. Bingham Baring, and Mr: Arthur Cole, had interviews with Sir James Graham yesterday, at the Home-office. The Agent for Jamaica transacted business at the Co lonial-office on Monday. Captain Huntly, Governor of Prince Edward's Island, had an interview with Lord Stanley yesterday at the Colonial-office. Lord Wharneliffe, Lord President of the Council, will give a Cabinet dinner to-Morrow (Thursday) at his re sidence in Curzon-street. SHIP•LAUNCH AT BLACKWA.I.4I4. Yesterday a ceremony of this description- 7 one in which the English above all people ought to take, and do take, a deep interest—was witnessed at the building-yard of Messrs. Green, Wigram, and Green, 13Iackwall. This vessel, thus sent forth to " find her home upon the deep," has been built f or th e G enera l St eam Naviga tion Company, and will form a valuable addition to their already splendid fleet. She is of large dimensions, mea surino. between 900 and 1,000 t ons by the old, or fro m I,ooo' to 1,100, of the new, measurement. It had been fixed that the launch should take place at four o'clock, but the state of the tide did not of brd quite sufficient depth of water at that hour, and it was rather more than half-anst four when the business of the day actually came off. Nothing could have been more successful. The noble vessel took the water as if she had always been used to it .; and her debut was hailed with the heartiest cheers by an assemblage far more numerous than the unfavourable weath er h a d permitted- one to hope. •At the appointed signal, Lady Eleanor Lowther was good enough to undertake the office of sponsor, and with the usual observances conferred on her_ young charge the name cf the " Trident." Many members of the General Steam NaVigatiOn Company were present, n a t ura ll y anx i ous to see t h e fi rst of this new creation of their own capital and enterprise, and the Directors had also invited several of their friends, among whom were Lady Grenville Somerset, and one of. her sons, Colonel and Lady Eleanor Lowther, and ,the MisseS LoWther, Lady Adelaide Webber, Sir Henry and Lady Willock, Mr. Holmes, and some other ladieS and gentlemen, between sixty and seventy of whom partook of an elegant dejeuner, provided by the Directors, at Lovegrove's West India Dock Tavern. Mr. Wolierley Attivood, the Chairman of the Company, presided. with the urbanity and savoir-faire of which he has :so EreL' quently afforded proof on similar occasions ; and .With the collation, where the best taste was exhibited in every sense.of the ward, were concluded the amusements of a day that will be looked back to with much pleasure by all: who. had the good fortune to be present. A dreadful accident happened this morning • on the Great 'Western Railway between Chippenham and Wootton Bassett. It appears that the embankment lnid given way, and the engine went off the rail, dragging Vie eardf•ges after it, and smashing thtm ail to pit ces. A great number of passengers were dreadfully injured, but we have not heard that any have been killed. On Tuesday the 12th half-yearly meeting of the Proprietors of the London and Croydon Railway Com pany took place at the London Tavern, Mr W. A.,Wil , kinson in the Chair. The Report congratulated the Proprietors on the partial opening of the Brighton line, and the immediate prospect of its entire completion. A great diminution in the expenditure of the half-year.had taken place, but there was also a decrease of receipts from passengers, which was attributable to the high toll pay able to the Greenwich Company. On, that part of the railway, independent of the Greenwich toll—namely, between Croydon and New Cross, tho Directors have 'reduced the fares ; the result has been that the number of passengers between 'those stations has been doubled, as compared with July, 1840. The , 1 accession of the Brighton Railway encouraged the Directors to hope that at the next general meeting they would be able to recommend a dividend, while the ex pected opening of the south-eastern line would not fail to improve much further the prospects of the Company. 11* total capital received by the Company to the 31st of July, 1841, was 631,8151. 14s. 6d. The coaching and carrying account for the half year realiied 17,5411. 6s. 61d., and the expenditure was 15,449/. 18S 7d., leaving a balance of 2,0911. 7s. Mid., to which add a former balance of 7,9561: 9s. 2d., making 10,0511. 178.10. The number of passengers during the half year was 51,569 first class, 168,627 second class, 24,511 third class ; total, 244.707 passengers. The toll paid by the Brighton Company to the Croydon Company, since the opening of the Brighton line, was 1,3301. The Report having been adopted, a long controversy took place be tween Mr. Maubert, Mr. Ricardo, Mr. Knight, and some other proprietors, which ended rather amicably, and a vote of thanks was passed to the Directors, and the meet-, ingadjourned. — ILLNESS OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL.--• CLAREMONT, MONDAY EVE N ING.-The Princess Royal is sufficiently indisposed to excite some alarm in the minds of the medical attendants. Sir James Clark ar rived here yesterday, and shortly afterwards, in conse quence of the symptoms which manifested ihemselves, he went back to London to seek the additional aid of . Dr. Locock. In the afternoon Dr. Locock returned to Clare mont with Sir James, and, afte r an h our ' s consu lt a ti on , Dr. Locoek to o k his depart ure for town. Sir James re mained at Claremont du r i ng t h e n i ght, an d l e f t t hi s morning at eight. At that time the Princess Royal was somewhat butter. Sir James Clark, however, posted from London again this morning, and arrived at Clare mont at half-past six o'clock. It was expected that Sir • James would not have taken his departure till to-morrow morning, but after preparing some medicine for the • Royal infant (who was somewhat better) at Mr. Neville's, surgeon, of this village, he left by the last train, per South Western Railway, for town. SUSPECTED INFANTICIDE.--Some alarm was created in the ;establishment of her Majesty the . 'Queen Dowager, at Bushy House, on Friday last, by the disco very of the dead body of an infant under circumstances tending to induce an opi n i on t h at i t h a d come to _its death by unfair means. I t appears t h at, on the.d4 in question, one of the domestics saw some appearances in one of the water-closets that induced him to obtain assist ance, and ultimately the dead body of an infant was re moved from the soil. It was in an advanced stage of de composition, and had evidently been in the place where it was found for some time. Mr. Holbeston, the medi cal gentleman who is generally in attendance upon the establishment of her Majesty, was sent for, and in consequence of the facts that had come to, his knowledge, and other circumstances that transpired, a young female who had been acting in the capacity of laundry-maid. named Sophia Thorpe, was taken into custody. and was conveyed to the station at King ston upon the charge of having unlawfully concealed the birth of the deceased infant. Having undergone it formal examination before a Magistrate upon that charge, she was remanded to await the result of the coroner's in quest. On Monday aft ernoon a Jury was empanneled before the coroner for this division of the county, when several witnesses were examined, but there was no direct evidence tending to confirm th e susp i c i on aga i nst the female who had been taken into custody, and the Jury, after a somewhat lengthened, inquiry, returned a verdict " That the deceased child was found dead, but that there was no evidence 6rfore them to show by what means it had come by its death, or who was its mother." The young woman was the same afternoon taken beibre Mr. Carpenter, a Magistrate at Sunbury, when a further in pfiry took place, the result of which was that the accused was set at liberty. SHOCKING SCAFFOLD ACCIDENT.—Yester• day afternoon, as a bricklayer, named John Wright, was going up a ladder to the second-floor scaffolding of some houses in Back Church-lane, St. George's-in -the- East, he fell backwards into the roadway. Having a load on hiS back lie was feeling his way up the ladder, which he thought was several rails higher, and in making a grasp at them he found he was at the top, and in an in; stant fell backwards. His skull was severely fractured, and he received other injouofrF A Dean's a b n y e,s ih iE, ic aß h rGd h :r i s life much id W A es N t . nTin T ste h r e : Rev. G endangered. SUDDEN N e DEATH i'resto, died on Monday night, after a very few hours' ill ness. This gentleman had filled the situation of Second Master of Westminster School for a num b er . of years, with mu c h cre dit to himself; and to the great benefit of the boys, as a tutor. Immediately his death was known, the inhabitants of Christ Church, New gate-street, of which the lamented gentleman was rec tor,e held a meeting, wh e n a memorial t o t h e Governors itifying Saint Ba l r a t , t r i t o u l t o te u l l y ew l ' l s ith Hospital (in and Chapter of l a Whose gill th e Westminster), praying that they would appoint the Rev. G. Everard to fill die vacancy, h e having for up wards of six years performed the whole duty, was una , • nimously- adopted and signed. THE CRINIE OF INFANTICIDE AND CON CEALMENT OF BIRTII.-011 'l'uesduy no less than three inquests were held ; by Mr. Baker and Mr. Payne, the Coroners, on the bodies of children whose deaths were alleged to have been caused by violence. Two out of the three were on bodies found in the Thames. ANTICIPATED TURN-OUT AT STOCKPORT. --We regret to learn that in consequence of a contem plated reduction in prices, on the, part of two or three large manufacturing establishments in this town, a very extensive. turn-out of factory hands, principally spinners, is anticipated. ;Judging from the rep resentations which have been ma d e to us , t h e reduction will am o unt to nearly one-half the earnings of many spinners, and, if they should be compelled to cease working, the misery of their present condition will, of course, be greatly aggra vated.—Stochport ClarenJch. Two higglers were the other day disputing over their liquor, when, much to the surprise of an old gen tleman who overheard it, one of them offered to ray a scare of ems that hi s asserti9o Was true, Thus the entire interest on the debts of those States, amounting to more than three millions of dollars, has been withdrawn from their other sources of revenue, public or private, to pay the annual interest on an unpro ductive fund, drawn from England to the United States by foreign loans. But has a public creditor of Maryland, or of Penn sylvania, ever waited a day for his interest on the Stocks of either States ? The same interrogatory, in relation to every other State of the twenty-six now composing the American Union, I must meet with the same negative response ; except, indeed, in the cases of Mississippi and Indiana. But in the former of these a Governor, who inculcated the doctrine that the State was not bound to pay its bonds, was 'severely rebuked by both Houses of his Legislature without distinction of„partie.s. Inability to pay a debt, unexpeciedly deinan&d; not Of the principal debtor, but of his endorser or security— and such is the character of the cases of delinquency referred to—is no evidence of bad faith; and set down at its full extent, the charge upon the twenty-six States of the American Republic rests on the delinquency of but two, the circumstances of one of which I have related. As to Indians .I etaertain *no more doubt of good faith•than I do of that of the Bank of England, which was for many years exempted by an Act of 'Parliament . frOm the payment of its just debts, except in its own de preciated notes, until the rate of exchange between New York and London fell from an advance of 10 per cent. in faVeur of England to 20 per cent., the exchange of 1812, in favour of the United States. Indiana has - not paid the ' interest of this year owing to a blunder in her financial legislation, which she will repair at the next meeting of her Legislature. Of the territorial governments of the United States Florida is singled out by your " Conitant Reader" for special denunciation. Yet when the last Legislature of that territory terminated its regular annual session, a case of delinquency in the payment of interest on a territorial or Florida bond had not arisen, although the bonds of the territory never sold originally below, and selling sometimes above par, have been in the Lon don Stock Market for more than six years, so that divi dends amounting to six-and-thirty per cent. have been paid upon a large portion of them. A single Florida Bank has circulated more than two millions of territorial bonds in Europe, on which the annual interest has not been at any time one day in arrear. As to the distinction to which your " Constant Reader" refers, between "Federal and State" jurisdictions in America, it is one little understood, like many other facts respecting America, by the British public. On it, however, rests the union, the peace, and proba bly, the freedom and happiness of more . . than seventeen millions of people—a people speaking the language, copy ing the institutions, civil and religious, cultivating the literature and science, and consuming annually- one fourth of the manufactures of England. And, what may make -a strong appeal to the " Constant. Reader," who threatens, as men high in authority have done, to em ploy force, as the only instrument competent to correct the " baseness" of America, the exports of this much abused people constitute the chief basis of British manu facturing industry. Allow me to call the attention of all your readers to but a single fact, illustrative. of this state ment—a fact supplied me by the late debates of the House of Commons. It is, that the last year's Report of British exports comprehends a value of cotton cloth and yarns little short in amount of sixty-eight millions of pounds sterling. To say nothing of the navigation to which this branch of British exports gave employment, estimate, I pray you, the number of hands it busied, of mouths it fed, and the sum total of fixed, as well as active capital, of which it paid the annual profit. I will not go after your "Constant Reader" into the merits of M•Leod's case ; nor determine whether the United• States be more to blame for detaining and trying M‘Leod, notwithstanding Mr. Fox's abrupt and laconic demand for his immediate discharge ; or Great Britain, for failing to return any answer whatever to the repeated and civil requests of Mr. Stevenson for satisfaction for the destruction of the Caroline, and the death, not to say murder, of a part of her crew. One fact, hitherto unnoticed or disregardeck I will add to this hastily written letter ; it is, that to destroy the Caroline it was necessary for the military 'expedition which accompanied that not very glorious aehievemert, to pass around a British island in the River Niagara, within point-blank cannon-shot of the Canadian shore, whereon were stationed a band of brigandists, who had set at nought the jurisdiction of Great Britain, but whom the authors of that rewarded exploit did nut at tempt to disturb. One other fact, permit me to add, that the United States are the only nation on earth who have a law to punish, and that severely too, their own citizens • for setting on foot a military expedition against any people with whom they. are at peace. For the frequent and open violation of the principle on which this law is founded, let the history of other na tions be consulted. In conclusion, let me tell you that the seeds of ani mosity between England and the United States am widely scattered over both countries, that peace is the interest of both, and no true friend of either can wish its interruption. It is true that the United States, as lately intimated in one of your columns, arc not prepared for war. The policy may be questioned a t l east , w h et h er, s i tuate as they are, remote from Europe, it would be wise in them to incur a great and constant annual expense, to maintain, in time of peace, institutions hostile to the ge nius of their Government and the spirit of the people. But let war come upon them when it may, they will be found not so unprepared as you have supposed. 'Every man in America is accustomed to the use of a gull ; lie needs no drilling to make him a good marksman. In courage, the descendants of Great Britain and Ireland emulate their sires ; and there is scarcely a branch or manufacture which is not now established in America. This sort of industry needs but another wnr to advance most rapidly towards perfection, and to supplant abroad, Nv 1 en peace shall have returned, the nation least to be benefited by its improvement. A ship, the largest in the world, has long rested under cover•of the largest edifice in America, which was ready to be. launched on the bosom of Lake Ontario at the • close of the war of 1812, when but sixty days old, from the hour at which her keel was laid at Jackett's Harbour. The go-ahead policy of an enterprising people, to which your " Constant Reader" alludes, needed in this instance no aid from British capital ; and will, even in this branch of national defence, soon • supply the negligence of peace, and assume t h e att i tu d e and means of hostile annoyance towards any foe that may wantonly wage war upon them. Forbear, therefore, I pray you, the expe riment of force, which is, at best, but a vulgar instru ment in this philosophic age, and •do not fight simply because ydu are better prepared for battle than your neighbour. . A FRIEND OF ENGLAND AND AMERICA Lord Western, the veteran Corn. law advocate, and impugner of our Currency system, has published a Supplement to his Letter to Lord .John Russell, in which he says—" My opinions I need hardly repeat ; unhesi tating, unshaken, they are formed upon the long and anxious thoughts of many years, after availing myself of the superior information of others ; and convinced I am, that nothing but an alteration in our monetary system can relieve our present distress, or render effective any measures for our future security. That a change ere long must come, I believe no m a n o f reflection can doubt; the Bank cannot remain for ever subject to perform impossibili ties. Such an alteration of our monetary system us 1 con template, would be felt only it: the relief and benefit of all classes, in the steadiness of the markets, am! the security of the merchant and manufacturer. They would be then enabled to rely upon the well-founded calculation of pro bable demand and supply, which at present afford them no protection against loss and failure." Last April the diligence between Rochechouart and Limoges, when conveying a number of witnesses to appear on a trial to come on before the Court at Limoge:4, %%55 overturned, as we stated at the time, and !Lally of the passengers were more or less seriously injured. All arrangetnents for, a compromise having failed, actions were brought against M. Penicaud, the proprietor of the diligence, and the following sums have been awarded to be paid by him for the damages occasioned. The list is curious:: for a broken thigh, 3,300 f.; a brni, e on the abdomen, 800 f.; a wound in the ht id, 600 E; the entire loss, of a nose, 4,500 f; a brokenrib, 1,000 f.; a broken shoulder, 1,000 f.; a rupture, 2,000 f ; a wound ill the head, 6001: ; a contusion, 500 f.; ditto, 400 f. 1 total, - 14.700 f. LITERATURE. THE HISTORY OF GUERNSEY. Longman, Patetn os ie i• row. • Guernsey, the chief of the Channel islands, ' has long stood in need of an historian, and Mr. Duncan, from his long acquaintance with the Norman policy and movements, as also'having personal knowl e d ge o f mos t o f he leading men in the island, and access to the inedited docu ments and manuscripts which their archives possess, had advantages at his disposal viiich have combined towards the pro duction of an authentic and sterling work. This island appears to have been faithful in its allegiance to the English Crown under all aspects and political changes, from the remote period of its first junction to England, in the person of the Norman William, of whose duchy it formed part. During the various sieges it Las undergone, as also the later period of the revolutionary war against France, the privateers of Guernsey were eminently diStinguished by the hardihood of their crews, and the rich prizes they captured. Edmund Burke observed that the Chan nel Islands occupied no mean share in contribu ting to the naval pre-eminence of Great Britain. The present Carey family, which is now so nu merous and respectable in the island, was planted here in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in the person of a Carey, nearly related to Anna Boleyn, a poor man, but whom the royal favour of the former Queen elevated to a fair standing in the island. They are the only family connected with the Royal blood in the island, and their escutcheons of three roses and a swan-crest be speak the quartering of their arms with Eliza beth's. The internal policy of the island afibrds some few points worthy of notice, as they differ materially from those of England, some for the better, others for the worse.. Among the more objectionable is that of the prison discipline, which permits the indul gence to the felonry, of daily intercourse with their associates. This non-observance of the " silent system" undoubtedly renders punish ment light, and the object of severity is defeated. Again, in the judicial courts, the method of trial proceeded upon in criminal cases appears open to a host of objections. It is an lity that a coroner's jury, who act in con formity to the plan adopted, by which all the preliminary evidence and facts of the case are gone into, before the prisoner or his counsel are permitted to appear or state their case, can come into Court, on the day of trial, with unprejudiced minds. This unfairness to wards the prisoner has been long acknowledged, but no reformatory measures have been taken. The " Small-farm system" is, perhaps, one of the most pleasing features of the island, as it bears upon the peculiar relation of landlord and tenant, appertaining especially to Guernsey. To enter into a discussion of the nature of this tenure of .property would far exceed our limits ; but - it appears to be productive of such reciprocal ad vantages to both parties, and experience has proved it to. generate so excellent a system of in dustry, content, and economy, that our author earnestly urges its adoption -r Ireland, stead fastly believing that if acted upon there, an Iridi acre would yield comfortable subsistence to five fold its present number of - persons, the ratio al-: lotted to the same surface of ground in Guernsey. HISTORY OF THE IRON TRADE. Smith and Elder, London, 1841. To practical men, and those who take an interest in the subject, this history of the iron trade through out the world, from the earliest records to the present period, will present many points of at traction, for it is the carefully digested pro duction of a gentleman who shows in every page that he is perfectly familiar with his subject, and who treats it accordingly in a succinct and luminous manner. The design of his work is—as he assures us in the introduc tion—to report from researches into ancient and later writers what they have noticed of impor tance relative to the history of iron—a design which he has worked out in detail and with much skill. THE PORCELAIN TOWER. Bentley, London, 1841. The majority of these stories have already ap peared from tune to time in the pages of Bent ley's popular Miscellany, where they attracted so much attention as to have been deemed worthy of re-publication. They are mostly narratives, founded on Chinese habits and legends; are re plete with arch drollery, and are illustrated in a kindred spirit by Leech. A more humorous or entertaining little volume has not appeared this season. DIBDIN'S SONGS. Part I. how and Parsons, London, 1841. The day of Dibdin's popularity is, we appre hend, fast passing away. He was perhaps the most successful ballad-writer of his time; but that time was one of mediocrity, when a very litte poetic talent went a great way, and made a very effective show. His happiest efforts were his sea songs, which were sung with enthu siasm by the blue-jackets, and possess a cer tain rough cordiality of manner and homeliness of senthnent, every way calculated to recommend them to the favour of those to whose sympathies and prejudices they appealed. But their great defect is, that they inculcate the blindest and unhesitating submission to authority, under every possible circumstance. They impress upon the sailor the fact that he is to consider himself a mere machine, incapable of thinking or judg ing• fbr himself. He is to have no feeling of his own, but such as his Sovereign may be pleased to patronize. "God save the King!" is to be the alpha and omega of his thoughts"--the sole prompter of his actions; and next to this, 'he is to cherish a deep-rooted hatred and contempt of the French, as though they are his natural enemies, whom it is an act of insanity to attempt to conciliate. These sentiments suited the time at which Dibdin wrote, when the nation was in a perfect ferment respecting French revolution and French in vasion ; but they now wear an aspect of the most absurd exaggeration; and are only worth preserving as a curious record of the sympathies and prejudices of a past age. llibdin's sea-songs, though they may tend to make a sailor a more exemplary machine, and raise his feelings of loyalty up to fever-point, will never strengthen and ennoble his sense of morality, or exalt him in the scale of thinkingbeings. EXCURSIONS IN NORMANDY. 2 Volt. album, London, 1841. Normandy has been of late years quite the rage with. English tourists, as much so as even the Rhine or the Genevese Alps, and numerous are the volumes of travels we have perused on the subject. To say nothing of Landscape An nuals devoted to illustrating the scenic beauties, antiquities, &c., of this fine Trench pro vince, we have had Mrs. Trollope lavishing encomiums on it to the extent of two volumes; Miss Costello raking up all its wild legends and superstitions; Mr. Tolfrey dwelling with rapture on its various sporting capabilities; and now comes Mr. Shoberl, with a series of sketches descriptive of the characters, manners,. customs, &c., of the Normans, as also of thenr arts, sciences, manufhctures,scenery,and history. His work takes a wide ra nge; an d it is but justice to add, that it does well what it profesSes to do. After devotim.r.an introductory chapter to a brief digest of the history of Normandy, and to some details respecting its wealth in natural produc tions, the author proceeds to describe the well. known sea-port of Havre, of whose commercial im portance he speaksdiighly, observing that "nearly one-fourth in amount, and nearly one-third in total value, of all the goods circulated in France pass through the tow n ." H e a dd s t h at the mercantile class of Havre in general espouse the principles of free trade; and though in every political struggle they have shown themselves decided partizans of the juste milieu, yet on all commer cial questions they are real Jacobins, who cannot endure any monopolies or privileges no matter whether belongi ng to nobility or 'bourgeoisie. Dieppe our author d escr ib es as b eing durincg the season " one of the pleasantest sea-bathing places in Europe," an d states that it owes its celebrity to the Duchess of Berri, who for years visited it annually up to the period of the revolution of 1830. In describing _Rouen, the name and deeds of Joan of Arc of course occur to the author's recollection, and he expresses great indignation "at the manner in which both French and English have treated the Maid of Orleans, and even her memory. The house in which she was barn," lie says, " has been turned into a cow-house ; the tower, where she w:ls confined, has been pulled down ; and it has been deemed superfluous to erect a monument for her, either where Site lived or where she died." We close our,asty notice by one or two anecdotes of sea-bAiing at Havre : Men and women bathe here together, and I really cannot see that th e r e i s an ythi ng o bjectionable in most.tiis practice. Th e women wear bathing dresses of the t modest fashion, to which a ball-dress is absolute trug s- 1 1( she d1;11 " 11 I't expose he r . Sometimes the playful waves will draw out .e itpnt,oi untie a string, and then you may perhaps the b em p i z tiful curve of course, blushesa white ,as ho gloat deal I more to every eye when fashion pleases d 'to mm do fair i r From my own experience on several occasions, I have found that the bathing together of the sexes was a lucky circumstance. '1 h Sea is at all times treache rous. During the ebb, it always draws you away to a distan ce; nint h you have gnat dirlieulty to reach the shore again, when von have ventured out too far. One day, a beau tiful English woman, too confident in the dominion n hick her country assumes over th4elewtra, had swum E VENING SU to some distance in the sea, and when shetatteropted tk, return,' her ' s t rengt h soon f a il e d her i n the unwonted exertion. Her cry for help made such an impression on the ladies present, that they immediately hurried out of the water,' to watch in safety from the shore the tragic event that was preparing, while others loudly echoed her call. • Two young men, the only swimmers present, who were already in their machines, sallied forth instanta neously, plunged into the water, and.in a few minutes rought the fair.strang er , half dead with'fright, if no thing else, in triumph to the shore. On tln following. day, one of "these two, a friend of mine, had the good fbrume to save three ladies at once. This time it was flood tide, which is mischievous too, and was trying whether it could succeed better in catching its prey than the ebb had done the day before. At the . place where the flood has reached its highest p o i n t, it generally scoops out the ground to the depth of some feet. Be yond this hollow commences the level sandy beach, which I have described above. On that day, three young ladies had been bathing quietly on this plain, while the flood was gradually rising. )c - lien they • attempted to return to the shore, the water in this hollow was above their heads, and cut off their retreat. The nearer they approached the shore, the deeper the water became. Cries of distress were their only resource: The ladies on the shore ran, in their alarm, to and fro, cad the cry for help, echoed from every mouth, was all the assist ance they could afford. Jiy friend came up just at this moment, and it on the preceding day, he had forgotten to put on his bathing drawers, he had now forgotten to fling off the gown, plunged into the sea, and brought to shore the three females, who had already lust their foot ing when he reached them. Akw seconds later, and they must have perished. On account of such accidents, let men and women continue to bathe together, as they have hitherto done. . SACK.—In the reign of azab!th, and down to the end of the 17th century, our trefathers appear to have been fond of sweet and spiced wines, as the name o sack for the sweet wines of that period sufficiently indi cates. Shakspeare frequently mentions sack and mulled sack in many of his plays, and he makes Falstaff mil for burnt sack. Sack is not found mentioned in the Percy Household Book. That sack was an artificial liquor, and made of various sweet wines, like punch of the present day, made of various spirits, is evident ; as we say sometimes now ruin punch, whisky punch, rack punch, as specifying the particular spirit of which it is made ; so our ancestors said of sack ; sometimes it was simply mentioned as sack, at others sherry-sack, Mahigi-sack, Canary-sack. The following. passage inserted in '" Poor Robin's Alnianack for 1685," gives the names of different kinds :—" All these liquors come far short of the praise of sack, whether it be Castilian, Canary, Iberian, Sher rian, Mallagonian, Robolonian, Robdanian, Peterseinan ' tan, or_by what other name or title secret dignified or distinguished." Our ancestors liked wines sweet (whetwe the name sack, from the Latin succharam, Greek sac- Aaron, sugar) and spiced. " Let rich men," says Poor Robin, "drink burnt claret, mulled sack, sherry, old Malaga, tent, ippoeras, and burnt brandy." A HARD CASE.—In the course of last week some poor men, at some risk to themselves, dragged from the river a young woman who had attempted to commit suicide. She. was taken before an Alderman, and at the conclusion of her examination the poor men applied for :some remuneration. .With an .air of lofty virtue, the Aft;gistrate replied, thatle supposed any one would sate fellow-creature without reward. That may be true , but these poor men had spoiled their apparel ; this was pointed out, and 4s. from the poor • boX was given to the men. .1\ ow the writer of this does nut blame the Alder man, though if that high functionary had given a pound from his own purse, instead of 4s. from the poor-box, it would have looked quite as well ;'but. he. does consider it a national 'disgrace that there is no fund' for the re ward of the acts of heroism occasionally pertertned by very pour people. We reward people who fight— though they do it quite literally as a trade—though they are in number immense ; surely the nation would not ill spenti o the few pounds Mach would reward the comparativety numerous indeed, but, as to possible ex pense to be incurred, limited cases of this sort. In Prance these poor men would have had a cross of honour'; here they exchange decent clothes fin- 4s. and some prosy aldermanics on the benevolent duties of men ATTORNEYS TO WlT.—The .Master of the Bolls, Lord Langdale, has laid on the table of the iloese of. Lords "A Bill for consolidating and amending the laws relating to attorneys and solicitors practising in England and Wales." It is a rather length• affair, consisting of .upwards of 50 clauses, the first clause re pealing wholly or,in part nearly 30 Acts of Parliament, passed since the time of Edward 11., and two even so recent as the reign of her present Majesty, to regulate and control those agents of all that is legal. It requires that no attorney shall have at one time more than two articled clerks, nor take in any until he have been in practice five years ; that clerks be bound for five ears, and arc re quired to be actually serving during that period, though they may be one year with a barrister or special pleader•, and one year with a London agent ; that •' persons ap plying for admission as attorneys be examined by the judges or persons authorised by them as. to fitness and capacity ;" that persons practising without certificates be incapable of recovering fees ; that attorneys who are " prisoners" be not allowed to commence or defend suits; that attorneys be incapacitated from becoming justices of the peace ; that unqualified persons be Led :from acting in the county courts; that attorneys. be not allowed to commence.an action for fees, till "one month after delivery of their bills of costs ;" that such 'hills, whether paid or not, be subject to taxation; that attorneys he en abled " to take securities for costs," &e. THE WEATH ER.—THUND-Elt. STORM.—On Friday evening; the metropolis. and the neighbourhood for miles around was visited by a very severe storm of thunder and lightning, accompanied by very heavy rain, which lasted upw-urds of an hour. Front the morning the atmosphere was much clouded, with the wind south west. Towards noon it became almost rt perfect calm and very sultry, which continued through the afternoon. About two o'clock th.-re was a heavy shower of rain, ac companied by vivid lightning, which was, however, of but short duration. About four o'clock - there was another smart - shower, from which time the atmosphere began to thicken, until about six o'clock, when it had assumed the appearance of a dense fog coming on, which increased until about ball-past six o'clock, and the storm suddenly burst forth with great violence, proceeding ap parently from south to north, the rain 'descending m torrents, - the lightning being of the 'description called forked, and very vivid. A few minutes after the storm commenced the wind suddenly shifted to the north, and from thence to the cast, from which (lite•ter it blew strorglv, which tended greatly to disperse the densely charged clouds and lessen the violenczrof•the storm. We have not heard of any serious damage having been done, although we have heard of persons of both xes having been slightly struck by the electric fluid. ANDERSTON.— About twenty years ago one thousand hand -looms were employed in this district. 13%- a recent survey by Captain Wilson, only 209 were found in the entire burgh ! and of thezie 26 acre without webs. —GI 'vow Argils. The greatest blots, however, upon the Peel Go vernment are the renegades Stanley and Graham. At one period of his life the latter 'Vent fur beyond the ma jority of the Reform party in Parliamet;t in the ultra libe rality of the opinions which he promulgated, and of late years he has shown himself one of the bitterest foes to the progress of Reform; Lord Stanley, a member of that Ad ministration which brought forward the great measure of Parliamentary,lieform, is sow the colleague of the same F.lr Robert Peel, who declared of the Deform Bil 4 in 183 9 , that "Time and good patience may r econc il e me to physical pain or moral danger, but to this measure I new. can become reconciled. The more I consi der it, the more . I am satisfied of its dangerous and mis chievous char:tete-x.7 The new Colonial Minister suc ceeds to the seals herd - by the foremost nu mb er o f the late Cabinet, and it is greatly to be fear 4 that the mo dern Hotspur, the atitkOref the Bill for coercing Ireland, will make sad havoc with those great interest s s o zeal ously watched over b y Lord John- 14ussell.—C1ivow Argus. The wont feature in' the new Administration is the prominent place given in it to the avowed eneatios of commercial freedom. What reasonable grounds can any one have to hope for a real improvement in the Corn-laws with 'such men as the Duke or Buckingham and Sir Edward linatchbull in the Cabinet ? or, for a relaxation in the sugar and other colonial nio nopc . ili . e! with Mr. W. E. -- Gladstone vi r t ua ll y at t h e h ea d of the Board or Trade: Unless they are prepared to stirT , l: der their past opinions to preserve their places, t/ 1 there is no reason to believe, their appointment: l. ' 4 / I : d t be considered as pledges to the monopolists 1: sugar, that nothing effectual shall be dbne t./d( c ', l i i in ' ' ' , n `, T il t i l c l i e l trade and commerce of the country from the /I a u r i e ll fil N l % ii r i ( g te t i h ie e dn G es a s z ....._ ette Ll N .v v e i r tl p i , b v a i n y k i i; , t te L s it . s, A SINGULAR CHARACTERS. ite ent r a ils uilir;ust 1 . i e )G.:alzeql• co N tn e it: .. , luxury, the sixty thousand pounds, enjoyed 7, greater repair daily to the man, who had scraped together. out o tliegroeerY line, last three years of his life, shop, and, precisely as the clock, ) , eat his Mutton with h e lenture to ask for old-fashioned hour of city dining ), liippon, chief cashier but alter' three than struck two (the good his successors. The late Thomas s ingular oddity. Once of the Bank of England, alndcdrittia:n aonfloyritnnigahseesrviiicocuo:f, holiday. ft y il i " e 'Lli s : ( t i o „,. , ; • regions of Threadneet , _ moping,unhaiiNaritlidinibwle;fti.ln.istrit,:rr7,,ellB:, beautiful I do l ti.eilt:(ta:(lti fields, - ;: lt r isi ec d . t i he i lsek.b lisst b u e l ovE.—Last among the cliarac dgareYls; MOTHERLY I , . is that sweet motherly love with which it is almost independent ofcold rea itieartiusretiesih,::),sti gifted i () li . " -:•e ?h ri l:l l l i r v ' ed from all selfish hope ofrewartl. Not son, ant . because it is lovely, does the mother love, her child, but • •is a living part of herself —the child of her because it a fraction of her own nature. Therefor°, do her yearn overhis Ivailings ; her heart beats quicker blood flows more softly through her veins, when the breast which he drinks knits him to her.•— lierder: Mrs. Audio's Fragments front' Getman it Gazelle des Tribunaux gives the following account of a SlitAing• murder and suicide at Mortagne, in the department o: the Orne, on the 29th ult. :—" A female atoned' Vallorey, who had been living fer three years at l'Aigle, as the mistress of a married man, the father of three children, at length quitted him and came to Mortagne." The man, whose mune was Gorman, fol lowed her, and an apparent reconciliation being effected, he went to sleep at a house of bad famein which she re sided. In the course of the evening screams were heard, .and the Cominissary of Police, who was by chance pass ing the house, saw the woman rush forth streaming with bl o od. She had no sootier reached the street than she fell dead, having received a stab with a knife, which passed through the body to the back. The Commissary having catered the house, found the miser sin, Gorman, weltering in hi s blood, and inswisible from the wounds ini had inflicted on himself. On the following Int:riling Gorman wag ttr a moment able to sp,:ak, and inquireti whether the wetnan was dead? On being answered in the affirmative, he smiled 1V 1111 :::',:tijaetil):l, RIO 4141VVt ii,P , rautliatel,y afterwards diucti9 THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNEcnA V. SEFTEMPEa 8, 1841. .si. i v 1 g ' e ti .0 , 4) 011 1 -f,j(l lo o t ~t,