The Sun. — London, England, 1841-01-22 00:00:00

• _EVENING EDITION. THE LATE FLOODS. BRENTFORD. NEW 1311F.NTFORD, Turk DAY Evesixo —The man named Henry Carvell, who was found on Sunday forenoon on a bed in the cabin of his barge, apparently asleep, but in reality insensible, and labouring under concussion of the brain, is still alive, but from the dreadful injuries he has received no hopes of his surviving are entertained. On Tuesday night the culvert under the Grand Junction Canal at Norwood burst and flooded the high road to the depth of several inches, but happily did no further da tn.ge. It has since been repaired. After the adjourn ment of the inquest yesterday on the body of William Spruce, two other icque3ts were held by Mr. Baker, the Coroner, which are connected with the recent calamity. The first was held at the sign of the White Ihrt, in Windmill -lane, Old Brentford, on view of the body of Mr. Charles Morris, a market-gardener, residing in Brook line, 0:d 13rentford, whose body was discovered on Mon day last in an armlet of the river Brent, near his own re,idence. When some evidence had been taken, the Jury, after some discussion, returned a verdict " That the deceased wds found drowned, but how he came into the water there was n, evidence to show ;" expressing at the same time their belief that it was purely accidental. The second inquest was held at the sign of the George and reon, at Brentord-en, o viw of thebode of Mr. William Fowler, aged f 69 yea d rs, n an e b w extensive li'aifieger and lightertnan, residing at Brentford.end, three of whose barges were sunk by the inundation on Sunday morning, and who died on the evening of the same d.iy. It was by the evidence adduced clearly proved that the death of the deceased, who was the master of William Spruce, had not been accelerated by his less, inasmuch as he was scarcely conscious of it. He had for some years been ailing, and for the last three weeks had not left the house. On Sun day afternoon he left his bed room, when, a noise being heard, he was found in a dying state, and before medical assistance could rrrivc he expired. Verdict, " Natural death."- SOUTH WILTSHIRE—DESTRUCTION OF THIRTY-SIX HOUSES. On Saturday last there appeared no extract dinary rising of the vraters in the locality of Shrewton till about six o'cl oc k i n the evening, when a deep body of water sur fOunded those villages, which lie very low, and terror and dismay seemed to oppress the spirits of every one. About eight o'clock the scene bafilcd description ; the night was dark, th e w i n d very b o i sterous , t h e roar i ng o f t h e waters dismal, and the falling of houses in every direction with a dreadful crash truly appalling ; and twenty. five houses, M less than three hours, were consequently either totally washed away or reduced to heaps of untenantable ruins. Children were heard crying for their parents, and parents for their children, and four hundred souls were left without house or home. At Maddington and Oreheston, which adjoins Shrewton, there were eleven houses destroyed, making a total of thirty-six houses. The whole damage 'done is more than 10,0001. A subscription has been set 'on foot, and temporary dwellings made in the large seheol room at Shrewton, and also in barns at that place, for the homeless wretched sufferers, of whom there arc 400. THE OVERFLOWING OF THE AVON. The rapid thaw which commenced on the night of Fri day last caused a more extensive flood along the basks of our river than has been known since November 1823, Though there has been much destruction of property, it has not been anything like so great as might have been justly feared, and there has been no loss of human life in Bath. On Saturday the water approached the level of the banks, and rushed along its course with great force and swiftness. Very little preparation against a further rise was made by the inhabitants of the immediate vicinities, who retired to rest at the usual time, hale expecting the state of things that was to meet their sight at their awak ening. Shortly after midnight, the river rolled over its banks with most alarming impetuosity, and at about three o'clock in the morning the loser part of the adjacent houses were deeply flooded. A scene of indescribable dir °lay soon took place, ani the frightened inhabitants set about removing the contents of the lower parts of their houses to the upper rooms, not being sure that they should escape with their lives. The effects of the flood were, as usual, the most severely felt in the Dolcmeads,.where, in consequence of the po verty of the inhabitants, houses with four rooms very generally contain as many families. During the recent severe weather, much misery has been experienced by this part of our population. In many of their dwellings there was neither food nor fuel, and but a very scanty supply of clothes and bedding. The aggravation of their condition, occasioned by the flood, may be easily imagined. On Mon day, after the water had left their houses, the inhabitants were seen occupying them, wet as they were, without bar ing a spark of fire, and exposed to the cold wind, making its way through the broken windows, end from which the rags which had stopped them up had been washed by the flood. Many strong walls were washed down by the torrent ; houses have been partly demolished ; and other damage of various kinds has been done along the river's banks. The lower parts of the parish of l3athwick were much invaded by the unexpected swelling of the waters. The first alarm given in this neighbourhood was that raised by a poor gardener, an elderly man named Day, residing in a !mall cottage close to the banks of the river. On proceed -1.1% down s t a i rs at a b out two o ' c l oc k on Sunday morning, e found t h ree f eet of water in his lower rooms. His cries il for help attracted the notice of the police, and the neigh. bourhood was soon roused into a state of the greatest ex citement and alarm. People with lanterns were yen run- Cog. in all directions to look after their out-of-door pro perty, and all was noise and confusion. The wife of the gardener above_mentioned had to be taken cut of her bed room by means of a boat, but not before the water had reached the ceiling of the lower apartments. It was ne cessary to use boats in several other cases for the rescue of 114 and property, Tbcre was much jeopardy here and elsewhere among the pigs, who, confined in their styes, filled the air with the loud and piteous lamentations which these sagacious animals are in the habit of pouring forth when approached by danger. The Avon was observed by persons living in Bathwick to rise at the rate of about ten I nches an hour. We may here mention that the river ceased to rise between nine and ten on Sunday morning, "an-after which it very perceptibly began to subside. The total rise cf the water may be stated at about 20 feet. There has been more or less damage done all along the course of the river through the city, but no very prominent in jurY, except that sustained by Mr. Chadwick, the rail- Way contractor, has come to our knowledge. The flood was, of course, greatly felt in the Lower Bristol -road. i „The old houses in the Lower Bristol-road, near the ‘-'ld Bridge, which have stood the test of many a winter's e r r are now becoming absolutely dangerous, from age and decay, both to the inmates and passers by. The hack walls of two of them fell into the river with a loud noise, leaving the inmates, a woman and two children, in bed, ex- Paled to the inclemency of the weather. The valley of the Avon, as seen from our surrounding 41118 , had a very extraordinary appearance. The city ap peared to be half isolated ; and towards Bristol the river looked like a series of small lakes. Tho same appearance Prevailed in the vale of Claverton.—Bath Chronicle. • Xst Anasisortoooti.—The rapid thaw whiefi took place on Saturday caused the Nidd, and the several other streams to the vicinity, to b e much swollen, inundating the lcoa len& serpentine course to a considerable extent ; and uus, this ~o ld fashi one d %s i nter ," as i t h as b een terme d "Y some, has disappeared, and left behind it some glorious r Priag-lik e weather.— York Courant. t h l) Kßim—The thaw on Saturday last was so rapid that e watercourse in Curzon -street, on Sunday morning, (overflowed and flooded Cheapsidc and the . Werdwick, doeg consid era bl e d amage, and causing great inconveni -1„1: to such of the inhabitants whose houses arc not raised uweleatly to av o id suc h v i s i tat i ons. The Derwent over flowed it s b an k s, and laid the meadoas on tl e Notting ham road under w a te r to a cons i derable depth.— D er b y `"Porter. at W h it AND SKEw.—Tb e me l t i ng of the snow has caused t ong floods in the rivers Ure and Skew, but not to that extent which might have been anticipated at the breaking tip of the storm. 8Arn......0n Thursday evening last, we had a very f "Y fal l of snow. 'Ahich was very general. The coaches 4,°, 41 London experienced great difficulties in their journeys. u° Bath mail, .43u coming down Marlborough Hilt, had to 131)410 through ',now as high as the springs of the coach. At a t a l 4 a t tro in the morning the same mail, the Ago, and • fitlea er r.:oach were brought to a stand-still about throe en this side of Marlborough, the snow having drifted .re t aces to the h e i g ht o f fif teen feet. At half-past six mail made an e ff or t to procee d, a p assage h av ing been icu t through the fields, the drifts of snow having rendered IDo ro ad impassable, and it was one o'clock P.m. before the sil arrived in Bath. The above coaches were dug out of The snow six tim es b etween C a i ne an d M ar lb oroug h. Th e Bristol mail, from London, did not arrive till twenty r inu tes to three in the afternoon of Friday, being ours and a half after its time. The Devonport mail was eight Ftworelled, on its journey to London, to stop all night at ter e . . . '*e‘en miles from \Vincanton, as no post horses could e obtained. The snow bad here accumulated to a depth of fr om 15 to 20 feet, and the guard was obliged to wait until wllen he made his journey across the fields A t) 13 "giroke. At Stonehenge-hill, where a new road has e rn made, the found at i ons have all been washed away, E 1 the mail, with other coaches, bad to make a circuitous route *rough a by-road.—Betth Chronicle. d,5411"1-TRY.—Several lives have been lost, and immense -r nage done. P LOW") ON SALISBURY PLAIN. he following are additional particulars from the IVili "are Independent, respecting the loss of life and pro perty caused by the late flo o d among t h e v ill ages on Solis 13nrY Plai n . _ u o ne of th e most serious calamities with which this ‘ , e ntry was aver visits d, occurred on th e evening of aturdsy l ast at Shretvton, Tilshead, Elston, Maddington, 41 :0 , tie adjoining parishes, by which property—belonging to the poorer classes —the cottagers, mechanics, l e vtinen, and tradesmen—to the amount of twelve or four tilen th ousand pounds has been d es t roye d, an d the l i ves of h re ° human bein gs lost. The situatio n o f t h ese v ill ages to tne well known here to need much description ; suffice it say, that th ose parts o f t h em where the inhabitants . .?st e ly live ---the str e ets—are situated in a va ll ey, b y the Tef the high road, and in many places are close to the ulet which finds its way into the Avon, above Salisbury. tills surrounding country is open and hilly, sloping " 11 in almost all directions for miles around, towards the v.;v alley The snow-storm of last Thursday night, Zce}! was Particularly heavy in this neighbourhood, covere d . • lulls to a considerable depth, while the hollows were in °11111147137 i nstances full of d r ifts. The earth had been for a ~,,g time b oun d up with frost, to that when the thaw be- Fll sc arcely any of the melted snow could be absorbed. during the Friday, more snow fell, and on the Saturday a niit rapid thaw, accompanied by rain, set in. The brook, which,,; for a lo ng time had been perfecily dry, soon filled water and overflowed its banks. At Tilshead, .l II "it visited by the Ind, the water is described to have tft 4 en d t iogl pern . . r btl o ne ire jl3 'ir inj, stt , ,j Act a, , tbi of ; ;tt.- 46' .re o c t rsd e s r(' 6 to. ri ore tbii 0 , 1 1 Jo' t.o. 1(4 t C' it ,ir come rushing along the street to a depth of several feel, and meetieg with fresh supplies from every hollow, and at every turn, continued its irresistible course on to Shrewton, Elston, and Maddirgton. The time at which th,l, water began to rise, so as to occasion alarm, is variously stated, but we believe that shortly after noon the inhabi tants began to entertain serious apprehensions for their safety. At Tilshead six houses were completely overthrown, but fortunately no lives were lost, the inmates having in every instance escaped, although with the greatest ditli, culty. some of them having been taken out of their cham ber windows and removed to places of safety. In many places the road is covered to a depth of full two feet with the broken stones which were loesened and washed down by the current during its course. At Shrewton the destruction of property was the great est ; and melancholy to relate, three human beings, a father and his daughter in one family, and a little boy in another, have fa!l.•n victims to this awful visitation. Forty houses arc entirely destroyed, and with tlivrn, in many instances, the furniture also. A cow, belonging to Mr. NichelF, was drowned. Ten fat sheep, and four fat pigs, belonging to Mr. Williams the butcher, besides a great number of store pigs belonging to other persons, have been lost. Walls, barns, stables, sheds, and outhouses of all kinds, are every where in ruins ; in short, such a scene of desolation and havoc as this village in particular exhibits, is, we thank God, rarely witnessed in this coun try. An earthquake could not have caused greater devas tation. At Winterbourno Stoke a great deal of damage is done, one house, belonging to Mr. Poulton, is entirely de stroved—furniture and all. Part of Mr. Kellow's house, :he * Bell, is down. Other houses have also suffered, as well as walls and outbuildings. At Elston the houses are not numerous, but with the exception of Mr. Mills's and Mr. Leonard's, they are all destroyed. A poor old woman, named Wallis, who lives in a cottage near Mr. Mills's, and who for years past has beer, a pensioner of Mrs. Mills, and has had her dinner from that lady's table daily, was in a state cf great alarm, the water being several feet deep all round about her dwelling ; Mrs. Mills also being very anxious about her, Mr. Mills undertook to go to her, and after struggling in the water, which in places ens up to his chin, succeeded in reaching the house, and in removing her fears ; the house was built of brick, therefore it was in no danger of falling. At Orcheston three houses arc down, besides much damage to walls, outhouses, &c. At Maddington also much loss of property has been sustained. The rise and fall of the water were remai k ably sudden, not much above twelve hours having elapsed between the commencement and the end of the flood ; it had attained its greatest height at from eight to ten o'clock at night; and at three o'clock in the morning. the roads acre do , . S.:.ch a visitation was never Wore known. The scene is said to have been awfully grand ; the whole valley was filled with a mass of living rolling wester, extending in length as far as the eye could reach, and in pieces nearly half a mile in breadth. Fortunately the 11,od began during the day ; had it commenced after the people had retired to rest, the loss of life must have been dreadful, and many head of cattle must have perished. The destruction of buildings would also probably have been greater—as it is, upwards of 300 of our lollow-creatures are deprived of house and home at this inclement season, and about sixty houses have been destroyed. We arc happy to state that ever)thing that can be done for the immediw,e relief of the sufferers has been done. The school-room at Maddington has been fitted up for the reception of several of the destitute families. Mr. Mills has taken into his own house as many as he can find room for, and has turned some of his outbuild ings into temporary dwellings for those whose homes are destroyed. All are doing their part—the clergy, the gentry, the farmers, the cottagers—all, according to their ability, are affording that relief which is so much wanted. A local subscription has been set on foot, and about 3004 was quickly raised; this will provide cloth ing and food for a short time for the most necessitous, but we hope and trust something on a large scale, suffi cient not only to relieve immediate wants, but to restore these industrious persons who have lost so much, to their former comfortable position, will be done. A subscription list should be opened in every parish. and from the pulpit of every church and chapel in the county we hope appeals will be made to the charitable, for this purpose. On Tuesday last inquests were held by Mr. Whitmarsh, at Shrcwton, on the bodies of three unfortunate persons who lost their lives in consequence of the flood on Satur day night. In each case verdicts of " Accidental Death" were returned. FRANCE. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.—SITTING OF JAN. 18. The President took the chair at half past one o'clock, and immediately afterwards informed the Chamber that he had received the following letter from M. Mcrmillio, dated the 17th inst. : " Monsieur le President—lnvested with an express man date to submit to the Chamber the protest of 12.000 of our fellow-citizens established on the banks of the Plata, and menaced not only in their interests, but also in their personal security, by the consequences of the treaty con eluded on the 31st of October last, with the Government of Buenos Ayres; and fecliag all the importance of the duties imposed by this mission in presence of a perhaps imminent ratification, I beg you will have the goodness to inform the Chamber that the still feeble state of my health, and above all the non-arrival of the private documents, uhich have been promised to me, alone prevents my calling its immediate attention to so grave an affair. At the end of this week, without doubt, I shall have the honour, with its assent, of fixing the day on which it may be convenient to the Chamber for me to put to the Ministers the questions which 1 am personally charged to put relative to the cir cumstances of the treaty in question, and the disastrous consequences which would result from its ratification " M. Baudin read the report of the Committee on the Bill for the credit of sixty thousand francs in favour of the library of the Arsenal. M. Humann, the Minister of Finances, presented the following Bill of Credits : " Art. 1. A sum of 40 millions is appropriated to the completion of the extraordinary works of the service of the posits et chaussees, in augmentation of the sum of 188,296,000 f. remaining to be employed in 1842 and fol lowing years, and voted by special laws. These appropri afiOns, amounting altogether to 228,269,0001., shall be di vided under special heads. " Art. 2. A sum of 254 millions, including 92 millions, at which the expense of the fortifications of Paris for 1842 and following years is fixed, is appropriated to the extraordinary works of the War Department for the en gineers and artillery, and for barracks and military maga zines. " Art. 3. A sum of 52 millions is appropriated to the extraordinary works to be executed by the department of the marine and in the Forts and arsenals. " Art. 4. Upon the grants fixed by the preceding articles, credits, amounting to 75 millions, aro opened for the expenditure chargeable upon the estimates of 1842, viz. : Public works Ministry of War 36,300,000 Ministry of Ali riae 75,000,000 f. " Art. 5 refers to the classification of the credits, and ,be faculty' of carrying over the amount not employed to ;be next budget. . . . " Art. 6. The expenditure Lr which these credits are opened upon the estimates of 1842, up to the amount of 75 millions, is to be covered by a sum to that extent on the produce of the loan of 450 millions, mentioned under the head of Extraordinary Ways and Means, in the law of re ceipts of the estimates of 1842." The Minister, in the course of his expose, stated that of 254 millions mentioned in Article 2, seventy-five mil lions were destined for the completion of the defence of the frontiers and the interior of the kingdom, indepen dently of the fortifications of Paris; seventy-five millions were for barracks and military magazines, and twelve for the artillery and powder. He stated that it was intended to appropriate seventy-five millions annually for six years, from the year 1842, for extraordinary public works. The expenditure under this head would, he said, be more than sixty millions for 1841. The total amount of the credits now demanded would, he said, be 534 millions, which would exceed by eighty-four millions the amount of the proposed loan. The Illinieers had not chosen, he said, to increase the amount of the loan, for it would be im proper to draw upon capitalists beyond their means. On this point he added, political circumstances have not influenced our determinations as to extraor dinary works, otherwise than by inducing us to take into consideration the necessary precautions which. sooner or later, in the present situation of Europe, France must have adopted. It is not without profound regret, however, Gentlemen, that, in order to provide for the war department, we have bren compelled to diminish by one.half the amount of grants to the ponts et chausi'.ies, and to resign ourselves not to undertake any new enterprise before the year 18.18. The emulation of nations advanced in civilisation directs itself only in the present day to the conquests of peace, and we must deplore the still imperfect state of international relations which compels them to consnme in sterile expenditure the capital demanded for reproductive employment. M. Hamann then read a ver3 long and detailed expose of the different branches to which it is intended to appropriate the credit for the war department. The Bill presented by H. Hamann was ordered to be printed and distributed. The Minister of Public Instruction then presented a Bill for the protection of literary property. It was ordered to he printed and distributed. The Order of the Day now was the adjourned discussion upon the Bill for the sale of landed and house property, under legal judgment. The remaining articles were put to the vote and suc• eessively adopted. On the ballot on the ensemble the numbers were, for the Bill, 148 ; against it, 12 ; but as the members present were not sufficient according to the regulations of the Chamber, a new ballot was ordered for the next sitting. The Chamber adjourned et a quarter to six. The General Steam Navigation Company's steam-ship Ramona, Captain John .1‘1,9 bank, running be tween London and Yarmouth, on her passage up from Yarmouth, on Wednesday afternon, saw a schooner off the Sunk Light, with her colours in her main rigging, denot ing distress. Went to her assistance, end found she was the James, of Selby, bound from London to Selby. Shc had been run into by a light collier, was cut down to the watet's edge, her larboard quarter completely cut away. and very seriously damaged. The Ramona gave her every assistance, towed her up to London, and left her in safety. SUICIDE OF MR. A. GRANT. —Mr. Alexander Grant, of Carnousie, the Ministerial candidate for the Elgin burghs, committed suicide on Monday last, the 18th inst. Deep speculations in tea arc said to have turned out unfavourable, and to have prompted the unfortunate gentleman to this rash act. Sir Andrew Leith Hay was also in the geld for these burghs, hut Mr. Duff, of Haddo, on the Conservativ e interest ha , , been the favourite since the starting.v-Mornitg Post, B iromcter.. Thermometer Highest . .53 Lowest Wind N. N. W.—Freezing Point 32 Deg. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, TiluitsDAY.—tiler Majesty's private band was in attendance again last e:•ening for quadrilles, and her Majesty, and his Royal Highness Prince Alfert, enjoyed the amusement till eleven o'clock. The Queen and Prince Albert walked for Pomo time on the terrace and in the slopes this morning. Her Royal Ilighncss the Duchess of Kent, attended b ) . Lady Funny Howard, promenaded for some time this afternoon. _ Lord and Lady Leveson took a carriaze drive to day to Cumberland Ledge, and Virginia Water. Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt (St. Leonard's Hill), Colonel the Hon. Henry Molyneux,, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, will have the honour of joining the Royal circle at the Castle at dinner this evening. His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge arrived in town shortly before six o'clock yesterday afternoon, from a % , isit to the Duke of Beaufort, at his seat at 133dminton, Gloucestershire. A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock, yester- day afternoon, at the official residence of din First Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Viscount Melbourne, the Lord Chancellor, Marquis of Lansdowne, E_►rl of Clarendon, Marquis of Norrnanby, Viscount Palmerston, Lord John Rus sell, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Earl of Minto, Viscount Duncannon, the Right Hen. H. Lsbouchere, Lord Morpeth, and the R;ght Hon. T. B. Macaulay. Sir John Hobhouse arrived in town in the afternoon, and joined his colleagues at halt-past five o'clock. The Council broke up at six o'clock. Mr. Nottidge, Mr. A. Bainbridge, Mr. Larpent, and Mr. Penrylin, Magistrates of the County of Surrey, had an interview with the Marquis of Normanby yes terday at the Home-office. Sir Charles Smith transacted business yesterday at the Foreign-office. INDEPENDENT WEST MIDDLE- SEX ASSURANCE COMPANY. We give the following particulars relative to this " concern" fiwn the Gizsgow Awls: — On the authority of a letter received in Edinburgh, we (Glasgow Argus) announced on Monday the stop page of the above concern, and the flight of the manag ing directors, which has since been confirmed from other sources. The history of this establishment places in a very strong light the defective state of the law regard ing joint stock companies, and proves the necessity of some legislative enactment, by which they may be brought under proper control. It has long been matter of public notoriety that the Independent West Middle sex Company was a concern established without capital, by individuals of even worse than doubtful reputation. The Dublin and Quarterly Reviews, in articles pub lished some time back, showed that their rates were of the most fallacious description, and that it was impos sible they could exist as a company, and make good the promises which they held cut. So long, however, as any portion of the public remained to be gulled, the concern went on, in defiance of every exposure, and there was no provision in the law by which the par ties could be laid hold of. The Independent West Middlesex Assurance Com pany was established in 1836, by four individuals, whose characters will not bear a very close investigation. One of them bad, at one period, kept the tap of a tavern in Aldermanbury, London. He afterwards became shopman to a small tallow-chandler in Upper Berkeley street, where he subsequently carried on business on his own account, but without success. After moving about from place to place, the same bad fortune following him, he was known as a house-agent at the period when the Company was started. Another of the party was origi nally a footman, and afterwards got engaged in several concerns, none of which succeeded. He kept a petty furnishing-shop for a short time in Gloucester, where he became insolvent a b ou t 1827. T owar d s th e end of 1829 he spent several months in Whitecross-street pri son, from which he was released under the Insolvent Deb tors' Act. At this period his clothes were in pawn, and he was in such a state of utter destitution, that he excited the compassion of the Governor of the prison, who gene rously advanced him upwards of 41. to relieve his clothes, receiving his written obligation to repay the same when demanded. At an after period, when he was discovered to be living in an elegant house of Con naught-terrace, and driving his carriage and pair, the Governor sent to him for the money, which he refused to pay, alleging that he was freed from it by the statute of limitations. From the time he left Whitecross-street Prison, he acted as shopman to the tallow-chandler pre viously mentioned. The third was an attorney in very poor circumstances, who, in 1831, went through the Bankruptcy Court. He was one of the Directors and the Solicitor for the notorious Equitable Loan Com pany, which was blown up in 1838. The fourth was an apothecary, and had a email shop in the neighbourhood of where the first-mentioned of the four resided. In 1832 ho spent several months in the Queen's Bench Prison, where he was in a state of the utmost destitu tion, and was known by his fellow-prisoners under the name of " Poor Jemmy." The four individuals, of whom we have given some account, are believed to have been the sole originators of this precious concern. They subsequently admitted, as Managing Directors, a journeyman blacksmith along with the porter of the establishment, and the two lat ter, in conjunction with one of the four, signed all the policies and annuity bonds. Prospectuses were issued, by which the Company professed to be constituted un der various Acts of Parliament, and an imposing array of names appeared as Directors, many of which were chosen as being identical with those of well-known and highly-respectable gentlemen in London. Suspicion was at an early period excited by the low rates at which the new Company transacted business ; and it soon be came known that the individuals who were putt orth as Directors, were not the well-known gentlemen of the same names. At the outset, Messrs. Coutts and Co. were an nounced as the bankers of the concern, but they soon ordered their names to be withdrawn from the adrer- tisement. The Company then put forward the Bank of England, who, after making inquiry regarding the parties, ordered the account to be shut. The Western Bank of Scotland, who had been announced as the Scottish bankers, were obliged to threaten proceedings before they could get their names withdrawn. Not withstanding these adverse circumstances, and in the face of the exposure made in Glasgow, the Company still went on, and their gains, from what has transpired, must have been considerable. It appears by a search made at the Enrolment-office, Chancery-lane, Lon don, where all annuity bonds are registered, that down to the month of November, 1840, the sum of 98,0001. had been paid into the concern for the pur• chase of annuities. The money received in the shape of premiums for fire and life assurances must also have been large, and although no correct approximation can be made, it does net seem improbable to estimate their total gains at somewhere about 200,0001. That money was flowing at a rapid rate into the ex chequer was soon made manifest by the altered circum stances of the concoctors of the scheme. The ex- tallow-chandler and house-agent built nine splendid houses as an investment at Maida Hill, to the west of London, _in one of which he took up his residence, keeping several male servants, and driving into town in his carriage. He further purchased various properties in different parts of the metropolis, at a cost, as has been ascertained, of upwards of 20,0001. The ex footman purchased an elegant house in Connaught- Terrace, where he lived in considerable splendour, and drove his carriage and pair. In Glasgow, premises were purchased for the use of the concern in Ingram street, and several sums of money were lent out upon heritable securities, a portion of which, it is hoped, may be made available for the behoof of the sufferers in this quarter. Between three and four thousand pounds is understood to be about the amount re ceived by the Company here in the annuity branch of their business, included in which is a sum sunk for the behoof of the children of the late John 'Fait, editor of the Litlerator newspaper. On Tuesda3 last the office was finally closed, the individual who, for some time, has acted as agent, and who is understood to be the son of the ex-footman, having hurriedly taken his departure from Glasgow. Although the Independent West Middlesex Assur ance Company displayed the utmost eagerness to procure business, their conduct Was different when losses by fire took place, or when individuals died who had their lives insured with the concern. At Johnstone, in the neigh• bourhood of Pai:ley, a fire occurred in the premises of Messrs. Allan and Watson, cotton.spinners, who were insured with the West Middlesex, and payment was refused of the claim of about 1,600/. on various un founded pretences. Legal proceedings were in conse quence instituted, and loads, which the concern had in Scotland were fortunately arrested, else a different re sult might have ensued. After a protracted and ex pensive litigation, and within a few days of the time fixed for the trial, the Middlesex abandoned the case, and allowed decreet to be passed against them, and Messrs. Allan and Watson ultimately recovered the whole of their demand, and the expenses incurred. We give these merely as examples of the manner in e hich the Middle sex proceeded, and might quote numerous cases of a si miler nature from all parts of the country, in which ac tions are at this moment pending, We trust that, even in the present .uncertain state of the law, means will he found to punish the guilty authors of this plot, and, at all event.% that Parliament will speedily direct its attention to some measure by which the public may be protected from Lilo frauds that it is clear can be practised by persons assuming the designa tion of joint stock companies. TilE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1841. THE WEATHER. ROYAL GALLERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE- STREET. NOON, JAN. 22 30 . 45 In. WALSALL ELECTION. (Faom the Auti-Cro n-faro Circular.) The movement of the League at Walsall has called do 1M upon it, as was anticipated, censures both loud and deep, from parties whose interests arc, or who think their interests are, likely to be injured by it. The an nouncement of Mr. Lyttl e t o n's retiring from the con test was rec e i ve d on t h e part o f th e leading Ministerial organs with a yell of execration against the League. They have si nce assume d a tone o f gr eater forbearance, without desi s ti ng , h owever , from hints, that although the Leagu e may be spared now, a rod is in pickle which m a y b e l a id, on i n t i me ; b u t the minor provincial Ministeri a l organs are st ill b us y, either calumniating and denouncin g the Leante, or seeking to undermine it in the esteem and good-swill of its more wealthy and in fluential members. We repeat, that all this anger and hostility, covert and avowed, was anticipated, and that therefor. it can neither move our temper nor shake our resolution. The determination on the part of the League to take up a course of independent action, to move right on ward to the attainment of its great end, regardless what effect its policy might have upon the relative strength of political parties, was the result of pro tracted and anxious deliberation. It was adcpted after a careful scrutiny of every argument for and against. It was not adopted in anger. For the Conservative party in Parliament, which has hitherto been opposed to them to a man, the League could have no predcliction ; for the Conservative party out of doors, many of t%hom co-operate with them, they entertained no hostility ; feeling but a desire to convert them all. To those Liberal statesmen who have sup ported them they were, and are grateful; but in the phalanx of Ministerial supporters, and in Ministers themselves, experience had taught them to repose no confidence. We will not affect to deny that the equi vocation of many Ministerial Whigs, and the superciious scorn of the Premier, have at times moved the delegates of the League to anger ; they are men, and must feel as men. But the resolution which they have again and again announced, to pursue their immediate object, leaving political parties to sink or swim, was adopted after the transient ebullition of passion had passed away. It was adopted as any other resolution tending to for ward the views of any other Association, (Railroad Company, Joint Stock Bank, or the like), without the slightest vindictive feeling towards any man or set of men. We refer to the discussion raised by the proceedings of the Walsall election as proof that the League are carrying their resolution into effect in the same dis position of mind that animated them when they adopted it. Mr. Lyttelton refused to cooperate with them, and therefore they opposed him. Mr. Gladstone vil lifies and misrepresents them, and therefore they repay his scorn and hatred with scorn and hatred as deep and lasting as his own. But they have neither assailed nor lent their influence to any party in the State. They have shown their readiness to support the candidate who would actively befriend them, totally disregarding his ulterior connections. Above all, they have afforded no ground for complaint to Mi n i s t ers . If circumstances have convinced them that it is not to Ministers but their own exertions that they are to look for the repeal of the Corn-laws, they have not set about their work by trying to elevate themselves to the rank of a political party, and make or unmake Ministers. They made their first over ture to the Ministerial candidate. When repulsed by him, they confined their opposition to him, and did not extend their hostility to his party. They have continued to advocate their cause as simply anti-Corn law, not as anti-Ministerial, notwithstanding the obloquy and railing, and the more dangerous, insidious attempts to break up the League, with which they have been visited on the part of the Ministerial organs. The railing accusations brought against the League on this occasion rest mainly upon three assumptions :- Ist. That Mr. Lyttelton was a Liberal. 2d. That Mr. Lyttelton, had not the League interfered, was cer tain of success. 3d. That the League ought to have had a candidate ready to aet up before it despatched a deputation to Walsall. We will review these assump tions aeriatim. Ist. Mr. Lyttelton, it is said, is a Liberal. What is the meaning of the phrase? It is easy for any man to say, " I am a Liberal ;" and if unreasoning adhesion to a party in office, supported by those Members of Parliament called " Liberal" for want of a more accu rately descriptive epithet, be sufficient evidence of libe rality, it is equally easy to prove the assertion. Now we have our definition of the word liberal. That man is liberal who will assist us in procuring a sufficiency of food for the people—anybody opposing us, whatever he may call himself, is illiberal. 2d. " But for the interference of the Anti-Corn law League Mr. Lyttelton was sure to be returned." This is untrue, and was never asserted, even by Mr. Lyttelton's friends, until he bad withdrawn from the contest, and thus rendered it impossible to prove the contrary. Let Mr. Lyttelton speak for. himself. In his retiring address he says, " I regret to say, that in many instances where I had every reason to expect prompt and cordial support, 1 have met with either lukewarm neutrality, or decided opposition." It is after this unqualified confession that he proceeds to say, " in addition to these discouraging circum stances I have had to encounter the avowed hostility of the agents of the Anti-Corn•law League." We pass over the unwarrantable misrepresentation of the League contained in the sentence from which our last quotation is extracted ; it is enough for our pre sent purpose to have shown that, even before the League came into the field, Mr. Lyttelton had reason to .distrust his prospects. It was not until after Mr. Lyttelton had withdrawn that his paid lawyer ven tured to insinuate that his prospects of success were good ; for Mr. Bolton's letter to the Morning Chro nicle dues not go the length of asserting that his re turn was secure. It is only the partisan commenta tors upon Mr. Bolton's letter in the newspapers who go the length of making that round assertion. We do not hesitate to affirm that. Mr. Smith has received more pledges of support than Mr. Lyttelton had, or could have received, had he been left to oppose Mr. Gladstone without interference. Add this consideration —that Mr. Smith is supported, after the most frank and explicit declaration of his opinions, and because of that frank and explicit declaration ; whil:t' Mr. Lyttel ton was supported by many who disapproved of his views, not on account of their willingness to keep their differences in abeyance, but because his views had been kept concealed from them. 3d. " The League ought to have bad a candidate ready to put up before they interfered. This is the language of pro!essional or trading politicians, and in their mouths it is not unnatural ; but it proceeds from a total mis- conception of the objects of the League and the character of its members. We use the phrase "professional or trading politicians" without any intention to insinuate disrespect. A class in society, the business of whose lives is politics—that is, legislation and administration—is as necessary as a class of lawyers, of teachers, or the like. It is of such that the parties of the Government and of the opposition, which must always exist in representa tive constitutions, are composed. The business of professional politicians, of either party, is to persuade the constituencie s , by giving them a majority in the Legislature, to place them in office, and when they are in office, to manage the public business of the country as well as they can. We do not question the talents, the sincerity of professional politicians ; we admit the necessity and propriety of availing themselves of every vacancy in the representation to endeavour to gain the scat for one of their party, but in addition we contend for the right of the constituencies to say to one or other, or both perties of professional politicians, " We have no confidence in you ; we will not vote for one of you until he promises, besides supporting his party, to do us this or that piece of service." The Anti-Corn-law League consists of constituents ; there is not one pro fessional politician among its active members. The Anti-Corn-law League is of no party ; it does not take upon it to set up candidates, except in cases of stringent necessity ; it leaves that to the professional politicians , who arc always ready enough to produce candidates. Menenius, a favourable specimen of that aristocracy which in all societies seeks to arrogate to itself exlusively the profession of politicians, called the malcon tents of Rome " The belly ;" the Anti-Corn- Law League to be called, they arc th e a ccept the metaphorical d es i gnat i on ; t h ey arc contented party of the b e lly. Their cry is, ev e mu s t eat ; repeal those laws which prevent our earning an honest sub s i s t ence ; we pref . r som e ru'ers to eau?, but th e differ( nee between th em a ll is as nothing to o ur cravin g for food." The eatin g interest is in the field , n ot as can didates for senatorial honours, but determined to support no politician who will not leave industry free to eat its d ear -b oug h t meal in the sw eat of his bow. We are constituents, not legislators. Our policy is not to ask admission for ourselves into the Legislature, but by our independent position to force from those who are ambitious of getting there the advo cacy of our claims. We leave to the professional poli ticians the setting up of candidates ; but we are no longer to be wheedled into supporting them by fine words ; we want something to cat. There are many other good things a good Government can do for us, but not if we arc starved while it is doing them. The eating ques tion the Only one w hi c h a d m i ts o f no delay. is W e , the head an d hand labourers of the co untry, arc determined to do the work o f p ro f ess i ona l p oliticians • ions no longer without food ; we h ave ma d e an " Eating Union , " and h ave made a strik e . W e d o no t set up a third party o f professional politi c i ans ; b u t if a the first in order ; third party think of setting up for itself, it should have our support if it zealously and sincerely aid us in our efforts to get bread. Oa these grounds we say that our accusers would have had no right to complain even though the League had brought forward no candidate for Walsall. The League is not a league of statesmen but of c onstituents. True statesmen, instead of railing at it, would avail themselve s of this new element of pub. lie opinion to work out good for the country. On these grounds we rest the defence of the move rnent made by the Anti-Corn-la w League at Walsall. Th e y heve driven no Liberal from the field ; they have n ot driven a candidate secure Of his el ec ti on f rom t h e field; in bringing forward a candidat e w h o h as better prospects of SUCCCS than the re,ired candidate, they hay. done more than any person was entitled to ask o` them. We have de:elt at this length upon the particulars of the Walsall election, although, for our own parts, we do not think that failure there ought in the least to detr ac t f rom th e p u bli c confidence reposed in the League. Ail that. the Leegue was bound to do in its electoral agitation was, to urge upon electors en every occasion the propriety of supporting no candidate of any party who refused to pledge themselves to the total and immediate repeal of the bread-tax. Seeing that the electors of Walsall seemed in danger of neg lecting this duty, the League sent a deputation to remonstrate with them. Finding the electors sincere in their desire to lend their influence to oppose the bread tax, the League co-operated with them in their search fur a proper candidate ; and one having been found, the lecturers arc aiding in the canvass. All this the League had a right to do ; was in consistency bound to do. The League has done its duty : it is not re sponsible for events which are beyond its control. Our actions are our own, and for these we are responsible ; events are in the hand of Providence, and for those we arc not responsible. La the result of the Walsall election what it may, the League will persevere in the ' course of policy they have adopted. Whenever the interfere in an election, and their interference will be limited only by their power, it will be with a view to enforce a pledge for total and immediate abolition of the Corn-law. From this declaration it will be seen that we do not seek even in our present situation to conciliate support by affecting a wavering in our reso lution which we do not Wel : neither do we provoke opposition by expressions of vindictiveness which are alike alien to our feelings. Our course is prompted and directed by stern apathetic convictions, that it is our duty to act thus. Our motive rises above the low region of personal hostility or partisanship. We have a task to discharge which forbids our giving car to the whispers of liking or disliking. Our avowal is made. If any political party finds in us opposition, it must be because it insists upon march ing over us. If any who have hitherto acted along with us listen to the insinuations of enemies, and dissent, we cannot help it. We have got hold of a principle which we know to he true, and we know that princi• pies are eternal, while the wishes and pursuits o! men arc eternally changing. George Canning declared that he would oppose Reform to the uttermost. The wave of ItutOrm has swept over George Canning's grave. So with our cause. It will triumph and endure when Peel and Melbourne, and their protty conflicts, are forgotten. No hostility, no breaching, will draw us from the path upon which we have entered. Wc are supported by conscious rectitude, and by the approbation of those whose good opinion we value. We speak not merely of those who are, like ourselves, constituents merely— we speak of statesmen, in the strictest sense of the word. As a specimen of the encouragement wy , e meet with, we subjoin a letter which we have received from a gentleman, universally acknowledged to possess a high intellect, as extensive accomplishments, and as un bending integrity as any in Parliament—be the other who he may. We may add, (what will with some be a better recommendation,) that he gcnerally votes with Ministers : " I know not whether it is the Manchester Anti-Corn law League or not that has started our friend Mr. Smith for Walsall, but I hope that the League has the credit of doing so, for there never was a more politic step. The penny postage was won by such tactics. It is the true way to make both parties, as well Tory as Whig, wince under the pressure of this question, whenever they arc so nearly balanced that Corn-law repealers can step in and turn the scale between them. The uffict will be to mako the Whigs inquire of every candidate they start for any future borough vacancy whether he will pledge himself to support the repeal of the Corn-laws or not. Whenever a vacancy occurs, and these tactics are available, they should be brought to play. It is the only way to give import ance to the repealers." SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM TILE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY. (From the 111orning Chronicle.) We were somewhat startled en Wednesday last by finding that the Morning Post had become the pro fessed organ of the working classes, end was answering for their wishes and preferences as decidedly as any god father at the font. Still wore startling was it to sae what the Post promised in their name; " The working people would rather pay a little more for their loaves than see thousands of their countrymen who work upon the laud of England turned adrift because corn could be got cheaper from Poland or Hungary." Unless the Morning Post have made a most unwarrantable assump tion, the singularity of its being selected for this com munication to the public, and that of the communica tion itself, are alike remarkable. The generosity of the working people, who would rather pay It little more for their loaves, can never be sufficiently appreciated. It is ED kind in them to make this sacrifice for the sake of landlords, whose rents have only doubled, while wages have remained nearly stationary, or have deteriorated. It is so self denying to relinquish a portion of their own food, and that of their wives and children, that the proceeds of the bread-tax may remain intact for the pro prietors of the soil. It is so magnanimous to uphold the restrictions upon those employments from which their means of subsistence are derived ; and to exclaim, " Perish commerce, so that the squirearchy thrive ; we had rather pay a little more for our loaves!" But the " thousands who work upon the land of England turned adrift ;" there is the apprehension of the opera tives of the Post. The fear is very groundless. In the first place, so long as there are millions of acres of uncultivated but not unfruitful land, which would yield food for toil, none can he turned adrift but by inhumanity in the proprietors. Next, consider ing how many thousands of the surplus rural popu lation have been provided for in the manufacturing towns, there can be no reasonable doubt that the sti mulus given by free trade would provide for many thousands more, without so much competition as at the present moment. And further, the growing wealth and numbers of the home buyers of corn would surely en able its producers to keep pace with the foreigner and realise fair profits. The wastefulness of the Corn law system leaves ample room for both classes to be gainers. The operatives of the Post may therefore forego their hypothetical sympathy for the hypothetical drifting of their countrymen, and harden themselves, if they can, to the non-necessity of pay ing a little more for their loaves. The Post frankly tells its new clients that Toryism is opposed " to such an extension of the fran chise as will reach them." One reason assigned for this hostility is that, although the working classes are far higher " in respect of merit and intellectual qualifica tion" than the 101. householders, yet their "knowledge" is too " limited" for the franchise. Whether the alleged desire of the working people to pay a little more for their loaves be intended to prove them superior in wis dom to the present constituency, or to prove them not wise enough for voters, does not clearly appear. Per haps it was meant for evidence of both propositions. It would be difficult to say which class is most flattered by the argument. Our own experience has no where de tected the desire of paying a little more for the loaf, thus authentically recorded by our Contemporary. Where are the working people who feel it so strongly ? Are they amongst the hand-loom weavers ? Or are they farm labourers, sweating for Ss. a week or. the Duke of Buckingham's domains? Shall we meet with them in Spitalfiel'ls ? Is it far this purpose that wretched and ragged processions are formed ? Or has our Contempeeary e by his ingenuity, converted the mil lion and half who last year petitioned for the abolition of the Corn-laws ? We wish the gentle Post would tell us where these starving aspirants for dealer bread live and work ? We should like to see them, were it only for the curiosity of the thing. In this same ar ticle it is maintained that the working classes ought not to have the franchise, and yet that they are " wronged" -by the Whig Radicals in not bestoeing it. upon them. According:to such logic, the refusal and the bestowment must be both wrong. The palpable confusion of right and wrong is characteristic of Tory morality. As to the charge of cheating, by first pronii.ing the suffrage to the see rkine classes, and then denying it, the whole whole thing is a fictiA. The Liberal party has always been eivided on this point. What the Uovernutent. promised, they both promised and bestowed by the Reform Bill. What the friends of a more extended suffrage promised they have ever given, and still con tinue to give, viz., their own untiring advocacy of such extension. The pretended friendship of the Tories for the working classes has only shown itself in undevi acing opposition to their political emancipation. They allow the fact, and call on statesmen to mark it, " that among large bodies of the English working people there exists a feeling of strong discontent with the present distribution of the elective franchise." But toward cravings for political rights ) the Tories have no bowels of compassion. If the working people do really desire to pay a little more for their loaves, that is almost the only desire of which the Tories will help them to secure the gratification. The same autho-ity which supports and magnifies the bread-denying wish of the working classes, is very severe upon the ten-pound householders for joining in "the hese tied sordid cry" for cheap bread. " These, taking them as a class, are the worst set of Englishmen in existence ; the least honest, the least generou', the most sordid, the most self-indulgent, the most irreligious ;" and all because they do not. desire to pay a little more for their loaves or to elect bread-tax eandidatcg like Mr. J. Gladstone at Walsall. Has any DCWS from that quarter made the Post so angry just now with the ten-pound house holders? The boasted prospects of Toryism must be clouded over by the admitted fact that town consti tuencies are against them on what will henceforth be the great hustings question of Corn-law repeal. When is the " re-action," we wonder, Has it " made itself air ?" Melancholy is the end it has come to in this outrageous diatribe against the whole class of ten-pound householders. Melancholy - is the dilemma of Toryism, with its town majo r ity of voters in posse, who m it t. determined not to make voters in case. And most for lorn of all is the hope that can nourish itself on no more plausible, pretext than the desperate one the "the working people would rather pay a little more for their loaves." EVENING EDITION 11P,..3,N 1.; Y :;' , I AiiKE T ap.:l CITY Pe li, % 1 / 2 f' .t.' - - (THURSDAY E','ENING.) CURONICLE.IIIen Mr. Hume, in the month of July, 1839, moved for the appointment of a Se lect Committee to iequirr into the pecuniary trans actions of the Bank of England since 1819, and how far there trans actions had been connected with the crisis in the Money Market of 1825-6 end 1836-7, the Chancellor of the Exchequer opposed ;he motion, upon the ground that it was impossible to bring any such inquiry to a satisfactory issue at that advanced period of the session, and because it was inexpedient to enter upon it when the excleteges were unfavourable ; but he at the same time observed, that " the time might come when, previous to making any change in our banking sys tem, a searching inquiry ought to be made into the whole question of the manner in which the Bank of England has managed the monetary affairs of the country, and on what terms it might be proper to renew the engagements of the country with the Bank." That ti me h as come. A Committee of the House of Commons has made considerable progress in the inquiry. 'ri my have reported a volume of most important evidence, showing that the " perpetual ups and downs," as Mr. Hume expressed it, and the continual fluctuations to which cemmerce has been exposed since the year 1832, have beer, chiefly produced by a deviation on the part of the Bank from those principles of management recom mended by the Committee of that year, as the rule of con duct upon which the monetary system of the country should be regulated. We can scarcely believe, thereore, ;hat the Government have compromised themselves b) agreeing on terms with the Bank Directors, so as to stifl further examination, and to put an end to the proceedings of the Committee, before they have been able to ge through even one branch of the subject, and before the conduct of the joint-stock and private banks has been ex amined. Such, however, may be the case ; for Lord Althorp, after appointing the Committee of 1832, came forward in 183:3 to announce that it would be unnecessary to continue the Committee, as he intended to lay spe cifier resolutions before the House, but the precedent would not justify a similar course of procedure. The dereliction of principle exhibited by the Directors of the Bank in 1835-6, and in 1839, after the deti, cient harvest of 1838, have caused a most important change of circumstances, and given the public a riles' unequivocal right to insist for a full and unrestricted haves tigation before the charter is again renewed, to protect society from a recurrence of ouch fatal management ; and much as we should hail the acknowledgment of the prin ciple cf Crown interference and perfect publicity of ac counts being engrafted upon the constitution of the Bank of England, borrowed from that of the Bark of France, the country would have just cause of complaint if any bargain were now patched up of that description between the Bank and the Government. Mr. Clay, the Honour able 11 , 1mher for the Tower Hamlets, now a member of the Government, observed in the course of his speech in 1839, that " the public were beginning to feel ;hat a function so important es that of taking care of the currency, on the right discharge cf which not only the prosperity a the country at large, but Ilia fortune of every individual, it might be said, in a great degree depended, ought not to be left to a n y treaty of men, but ought to be left to the control of the supreme authorities. Whatever benefit or advantage there might be accruing from the substitution of paper fir gold as a currency ought to belong to the people." That feeling has greatly increased since Mr. Clay delivered his speech ; the publication of the evidence of the Committee has caused it to take deep resat, in the public mind. It is sup ported by men of great experience as bankers and mer chants, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer may find himself awkwardly situated if he should have allowed himself to be cajoled into any premature arrangement by the friendly accommodation of the Bank parlour. The prevalent feeling is that the duties of the Directors to their proprietors is so directly at variance with their obligations to the public, that it is impossible for them to discharge with fidelity their great public duty of regulating the cur rency of the country. The regulation of this currency, as stated by the Honourable Member for Leicester, " ought to be entrusted to men who had nothing else to do ; the managers of the currency ought to have no other duty to discharge ; they ought to be responsible to the public, and to the public alone." He wished to see a clear and faithful publication of the condition of the Bank. Ile wished to see every merchant who would take the pins able to watch the amount of bullion in the Bank as easily as the time by the clock. Those opinions find advocates in every quarter of the country, and it would be an unwise policy to disappoint the expectations of the pub lic by telling them that the matter was settled, and that the Government thought differently. But, nevertheless, if we could obtain perfectly publicity, if the accounts of the Bank of England were as free from mystery as those of the Bank of France, so that the Directors could answer strangers in the same words as the Governor of that Insti tution answered Mr. Hume, " Our house is a house cf glass; every man may see our transactions,"—a material step would be gained for the public good. At present the Bank of England is too much a house of paper ; and its transactions are nearly as secret from the public as the decrees of the famous Council of Venice. The transactions of the Bank of France are printed every day, and returns made to the Treasury. A half-yearly account of their actual operations is published every six months, and a complete balance sheet every Scar is exhibited of their whole affairs. The greatest confidence in the operations of the Bank accordingly exists in France. Then the Governor and Deputy Governors arc appointed by the Crown, and the offices are of a permanent char acter. This brings us back to the principle of Crown in terference and Parliamentary control, land we arc for the adoption of that principle to the fullest extent. We ac knowledge the difficulties which present themselves in striking the line ; and that it may be necessary to pro ceed at first with caution ; but this only proves the ne cessity of full and deliberate inquiry before coming to a conclusion. An idea has been started of auljscting the transactions of the Bank to the ordeal of the Crown lospectors ; ail so far good ha its way ; but the mere right of inspection, without the power of control, would be little In tur than nomimal. The principle of Crown interference must go heycnd that point a long way, otherwise it will be of small benefit to the people. A system, however, of Crown inspection, if car ried out as a principle, so as to include all banks of issue, might have a very salutary effect. Supposing that the charter of the Bank of England is to be renewed, under the moddications to which we have alluded, and that the 'seal and country issues are also allowed to continue on their existing basis, the appointment of Government in spectors would be the means of compelling the whole to act in harmony, to avoid over issues, and, of consequence, sudden contractions, and thus obtain greater steadines: of prices. Yesterday we passed some rather severe strictures upon the avowed principles of the leaders of the country banks and joint-stock establishments, in respect of their refusel to regulate their issues by the exchanges and the bullion in the Bank—a question of deep importance to the future prosperity of the ccuntry, and one which ought to be provided for by legislative means. All banks of issue ought t) be subjected to the same whole some principle of regulating their issues, and the periodical publication of their assets and liabilities should also Le enforced. By these means, and the agency of Government inspectors, much good might be done. We have grave dout:ts whether the leading joint. stock bankers really believe the doctrines which they preach. We are persuaded, at least, that they will soon become sensible of their fallacy, at present they are elated with success, and finding their power and influence ra pidly increasing, they see no bounds to the spread of their dominion. Thus they arc bold enough to grasp at the monopoly of the entire circulation of the country, under the guise of " free banking and competing issues." It is a vain imagination ; they should be wise in time, lest in trying for too much, and in attempting to catch the sha dow they loose the substance. They must recollect th it success is not always a test of merit, and be contented with the profits of their legitimate position. The country is sen sible of the advantages of their system. They know the additional security afforded them by a large proprietary but they aro not blind to the imperfect'ons of the, system. It is faulty in many respects to which we have elludid on former occasions, and need not now repeat far. ther than this, that their deeds of settlement ought to b.! subjected to the inspection of a public officer; that all establishments issuing paper money ought to have a certa'ri amount of piid up capital before commencing operations ; ar,d that lists of their partners should be furnished to the Stamp-office, and published in the Gazette. We desire to do even-handed justice to all , preferring, as public jour. nalists, the rights of the people to those of any class of in. dividuals. While, therefore, we hive opposed the system cif private issues, we must give the joint stock and private banks the benefit afforded by the state of their circulation compared nith the Bank of England, from 1834 to 1839, as exhibited by the returns read to the House of Commons by Mr. Hume. The circulation and deposits of the Bank of England on the Ist of July, 1834, were ,f,33,991,000 On the I;iLh of ll , :ccmber ditto A decrenc of X3,42:),000 Oa the 28 July, 1835 And on the 15!11 of Dvcealba ditto 35,050,000 £5,167,00 0 Ail increase of On the Bth of March, 1836 £34,705 000 On the 15th of November ditto A decrease of .-E4,480,000 On the Ist of May, 1838 .................... ••• X 30,000,000 On the 25th of June, 1839 ..............•••••• 25,668,000 A decrease of ...........•• ..• -C.1,422 000 We have taken these figures from the re Iv turns in the apese - pendix to the report. O n comparing in them ith th given the report of Mr. Hume's speech, b ar Hansard, the exact we find some discrepancies. Mr. Hume, for insta , ' makes a decrease as at the 16th of December, 183 " cc i private and joint -6,000,000/., instead of 3,425,0001., but the Hon 4 1 ,11,7 - Member was speaking in round numbers, an d °u " ---e results are as we have stated them. Their fluctuations, Ga:zette contrasted with the operttions open th l e o-1 to 12,259,4671., stock barks during the same iod ot t • ime, tell very strongly in favour of the latter, as the ' returns; but then greatest variation in their circulation was from 10,15 ,- ) or 2,107,363/ ,according to the the returns of the Bank of Englan d , te l s ho iu se irc 'a u s la g ti l o v t e t circulation the private raid joint-stock The laq number of the Ed". b n alo b n y e. Mr. articles, generally passed ever, c.l urgh I?evicu, has two able Heavies," b,:cause . under the dcncminaticn of Array of figures. The they happen to exhibit a startling first e of these is headed " WfOngS and Claims of Indian torn Duties_Etreet of th'l7crc:;." the second, " Cu:- contain much valuable el°tcet've System ;" and they character, interetino.,toti information of a financial and fiscal lIICITC, and instructi b ve to . is founded chiefly(e engaged in trade and CO!l -on the. all classes of .society. The first Ile late Select ~.oTeport.and evidence taken before t U raillittet.; in the House of Lords; and the second on the report and evidence on import duties by the Select Committee in House of Commons. So much has been said already, and extracted in the news papers from both of these important parliamentary p apers, that it may appear superfluous to make them the subject at present of fresh remarks. We find, hoe‘ever, so much of the essentially useful parts condensed in these articles of the Review, and placed iu such a practical and popular form, that we cannot refrala from transferring a portion to cur columns. It is stated that the East India Company annually draw a sum of about 3,400,000/, from the revenues of the;territoriesiwhich they .administer, applied to the home expenditure, the whole of which, with the exception of a fraction remitted in payment of military stores, is a direct and substantial transfer from the income of India to that of England. Be sides which, the remittances on account of private fortunes average fully 600,000/., so that the gross amount of public and private remittances from India, for which this country makes no return, is not much, if at all, over estimated at 4,000,000/ per annum, equal to the purchase of our ma nufactures to the value of 20,000,000/. per annum, over and above which India took, in the three years ending in 1835, British manufactures to the value of 3 817,000/. per annum. The high import duties charged on spirits made from the Indian sugar-cane, in comparison with these levied on spirits the produce of, and im ported from, any British possession in the West Indies, America, or the Mauritius, era discussed, and are shown to have shut out East,lndia rum entirely from the home market. W e h ave t h o following facts as regairds the effs.ct of the breaking up of the slavery system on West India sugar. The sugar imported into this country front the West India colonies in 1839 was less by more than 1,200.000 evrts. than the average of the five years ending with 1832 ; and less by nearl . , 500.000 cats. than the im posts c f 1837, which again were considerably smaller than those of any year since 1614. The report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords laid down, as a gemiral prirc;ple, that commercial regulations affecting the iritcrcoune between the mother country and the colonial dependencies should be one of perfect equality, but found that the " state of transition" its which our colonies were placed by the abolition of slavery, made it inexpedient to apply the principle of equality. In that opinion the public, we believe, coincides, and the high price paid for cur colonial sugars to the exclusion of the slave grown, in addition to the purchase price of 20,000,0001. compensation money, affords abundant evid ence o f th e sacrifices which the people of this country cheerfully suffer to free the nation from the stain of slavery. The Reviewer, however,:as an advocate for India, shows very fie eddy that British India is also: in a state of transition, by the decay of native manufactures, and especially of her cotton. The cotton fabrics of Eng land are admitted into India at 31 per cent. duty, while • the products of the rude industry of India are charged in Great Britain a duty of 10 per cent. The Dacca muslins arc also annihilated, and the silk trade is falling away rapidly. The article on Custom duties reminds us that seventeen articles yield nearly the whole of the CesteM duties. Out of a schedule of 1,150 articles, producing 22,962,610/., seventeen articles produced 21,700,6301. in the y ear 1839. demonstrating, as remarked by Sir Henry Pat nell in 1829, that our Custom duties have been framed by persons but little acquainted with the principles of trade and finance, without the slightest consideration for the feelings and convenience of individuals, or for the increase of foreign commerce. Mr. M'Gregor justly says, that as a fee; articles pay nearly the whole revenue, the duties on all others are nothing but burdens, restrictions, and delays on the industry and prosperity of the country. He has accordingly prepared a new table of tariff duties, reducing the whole to twenty articles, the adoption of which would lead to great simplification in carrying on the business of the Customs department, and to a considerable diminution of charge in the collection. By tracing the effect of the present protective duties on each end various articles of consumption, it is shown that no less than a fourth of every man's expenditure is paid to uphold an unsound and anti commercial system, which teeneratss in every instance a greater or less degree of indirect taxation of no avail to the Treasury, and by which the revenue suffers a loss of nearly 6,000,000/. a year. The taxation imposed upon the country by the duties on corn provisions and protec tions is far greater, in fact, than the amount of taxation paid to the Treasury. It is most justly remarked that such a state of things having been allowed to grow up is to be attributed " to the ignorance of the community" with respect to all sub jects connected with their wants and the circumstances that affect prices. There is not, probably, one man in ten thousand who is sufficiently informed to know that a pro tecting duty raises price: and that this additional price is a tax as much as that on helices is a tax. Those who are interested in maintaining the present system have induced ell the rest of the community to believe that in paying acme forty or fifty millions a year for the commodities they consume more than they need to have paid, they have been all the while adding to the wealth, power, and pro sperity of the nation. The working classes should be in structed by the spread of that really useful knowledge which explains to them the causes by which they are com pelled to pay exorbitant prices for the necessaries of lite. POST.—It turns out that the failure noticed by us yes terday, namely, that of Messrs. Garry and Curtis, is but a very inconsiderable one. The friends of Mr. Garry, who is the inmate of a lunatic asylum, are understood to have been pressing upon Mr. Curtis the settlement of a claim on behalf of that gentleman, which the circumstance; of the house would not fairly admit of. Proceedings have been taken in the Court of Chancery for the accomplish ment of the object, and the immediate cause of the stop page is said to be the determination of the other partner that no undue preference should be given. In the absence of an adequate amount of funds to meet the claims of the creditors of the firm, the representatives of Mr. Garry can of course have no right to appropriate a farthing of the assets. 'Whatever excitement was produced by the an nouncement of the failure in the first instance has already died completely away. Another case rf suspension was talked of yesterday, but it was so petty en affair that we purposely refra!ned from making any mention of it ourselves. The party arc in the wine trade, and their lieb:lities may, it is considered, reach some sir. thousand pounds. There would Le no necessity for noticing the matter at all but that it hes fouad its way into the colu m n s o f some o f our C on t emporar i e s, and that without explanation its importance might be magnified, . The tea market h a : assume d, s i nce t h e news wa s re ceived England of the probable adjustment of our dis pute with China, an app earance t h at attracts th e ser i ous at tention of the general merchant, as well as thoso immedi ately engaged in the trade. It will be recollected that in the spring of 1839, immediately preceding the quarrel at Canton, the prices of common congou teas were is. to is. 2d. per lb. From this they advanced somewhat rapidly to 33. 24:, the highest point in February or March, 1840; and it is almost needless to state that during the ad vance large and numerous speculators were constantly in the market, the opinion entertained being, that no supplies, or, at least, supplies to a very limited extent only, would come forward from China in the year 1810. But as the year proceeded cargoes were received, and prices declined to 2s. per lb., subsequently advancing to 2s. 64., as the warlike expedition made progress, and the expectation was prevalent that the blockade would eff.,c tually step supplies for the year 1841. The rates, how ever, from various causes relapsed to 2s. 13. per lb ; and when the last overland mail, the intelligence brought by which proved so ruinous to the speculator, arrived, they were about 2s. 21. per lb. A sudden light burst upon the trade. Prices went down en the day to Is. 6(1. ; they then rose to Is. SA-d., and are now nominally about Is. 61. per lb. A fall of nearly 33 per cent. on the stock on hand, sorme -18,000,0001b5., is appalling. The effect of such a fall is, it is true, widely spread, though all sufThr pro rata, from the needy retailer to the wealthy importer or the equally,weal thy speculator ; but an aggregate loss of 1 250,0001. ster ling has to be borne by the parties collectively. During the first week of the decline, it was hoped that the im porting houses would be firm in withholding their stocks from public sale, and that the reritietion in value would induce purchases by the trade, as speculators. This hope has net been realised. At the public sales which took place a day or two ago low prices were accepted, but about one•third only of the quantity offered found ouyers. Since then large sales have been notified for next week, and it is now dacult to quote actual prices. The result of this speculation: may probably be like that of others which are occasionally entered into. From the precipitancy and un steadiness of the sellers, prices may go lower than the po• litical asrect of affairs, as they now stand, at all w arrant : a'though it may be contended, and with reas on, that prices are still higher than they were previous to the.rup ture with China. Under this doubtful st ate of tslnrke, . commercial anxieties of a painful nature must necessarily exist in the breasts of those who happe n t o be at noted o it'y interested in the issue. The commodity was q day as low as IS. 9d. per lb. TI\I F.S.—The late study advance in the price of Bank Sock, which still continues, end has reached 14 o: 15 per cent., without any re-action, gives risc to number. less conjectures as to th e cause of it. rho explanation more generally edopted is, t h a t the Directurs have some secret under6ta „,fi ng With Ministers, from which they gather that the orde al of the pending inquiry will be passed t h roug h safely, an d that their charter and their sources of profit %vitt net be interfered with. Along with this secret arraugement certain checks are devised and pointed out by which the en - tide:ion is to be placed under better menagernent. All this may be safely taken es mere c onjecture and nothing else, as Alinistere whatever ?flier faults they may have, are incapable o f committing such an absurdity as that described, with the more important part of the inquiry still before them. There seems to be no mystery, however, in the affair. Bank Stock is a security by no means extensively dealt in at any time, therefore easily depressed or raised by sales or purchases. The late inquiry and the notorious difficulties of the establishment, especially in the affair of the loan from the Bank of France, had shaken the confi dence of the proprietors, many of whom withdrew conse quently from the concern, which they did not accomplish without a considerable sacrifice. This alarm having now in part subsided, end the stock yielding a higher interest in proportion than others, has again been selected for invest ments, which have produced a rise altogether out of pro. portion to their amount. The opinion of the most experi enced members of the Stock Exchanger is, that no other cause for the advance need be looked for, and that the Bank question remains just as it was before it took place. The mai kets for the public securities" were !passive throughout the day, and the only bargaies were the in vestments made on private account. As accounting for this, may be mentioned the absence of the French mail, winch did not arrive till business was on the eve of closing, and es the news by it was not of any special moment, things were not particularly affected. It is noticed among mercantile men, as an omission in t he treaty about to be concluded with China, that no ar rangement is hinted at ('f a nature to place our trade with that country en a better footirg in future. What they ap pear to desire is 1. An admission of the right of British subjects (with due protection by the Chin( se Government tf their per sons and property) to reside at and trade with Amoy, Ningpoo, and other leading commercial ports of China, i as well as at Canton, to which they are at present confined. 2, The ab;;litiwa of all Hogs or Corporations, or ethos' t. s L re IIJ ;110- I Fet• of the A d u lt lido° ,tio; it/ s tan d t if t b° Lbdr aw tbelv i°l" or ee Jae I, i l l: to !, nags So )1114‘