The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-11-14 00:00:00

coiptvt, STODARE AT CLAYTON-HALL,

A gentleman named ai:i.EroVe-, fpiSeared for the first
time, at the Hall on Monday night; ita magical enter-
tainment, called "Two Hours in lAiotiderlatid." In
the first place, the colonel is a fine figure, With nand
manners, which add grace to his operations. We have
seen every variety of conjuror that has appeared before
the' public for years pagt, and to say that the colonel is.
amongst some of the best, is not saying little for him.
In expressing thus miteli, we must also state that the
colonel is, as far as the stage is concerned at least,
totally idiiiided with or by machinery or apparatus of any
sort, save a conple of ordinary chairs. This, of course,
renders his performance the more acceptable,. if not more
astonishing than the ordinary role. Card tricks and gun
tricks, are as common as blackberries in autumn ;. but
he dbes one pistol trick that's as good as a dozen gun
tricks; and it is rather lucky for him he did not five
aboht two or three centuries since, when old ladies and
gentlemen were burnt and hung as sorcerers and
witches, for he certainly begtales the senses most won-
derfully. He performs a chapeau irick too, that would
make a fortune for that often asked about individual,
" your hatter," if that fashioner could only adopt the
" style " and manner of the colonel. He does evefy-
thing that every other brother of the black art does, and
he exhibits a good deal that no other ," brother" ever
attempted. As a ventriloquist Colonel Stodare has no
equal that we ever heard save one, and that one is
Irish Gallaher. The comparison, however, does not
lessen the claims of the colonel, who is fresh and
vigorous, with a voice as flexible as the air, and he can
mould and shape and form it to his will and pleasure.
He is worth hearing in this alone; and altogether the
entertainment is well worth attending, and is sure to
be enjoyed by all who witness it.

LIVERPOOL AND HER BANKING SYSTEM.
[FOURTH LETTER.]

TO THE EDITCYH 61.1' THE DAILY TIMES,

SlR,—One the most disastrous- consequences result-
ing from the deficiency of banking capital in Liverpool,
is the extent to which the practice of re-discounting
bills of exchange has been carried by some of our
banking institutions, but more particularly those that
have now no existence. Since 1857, it is true, this
systeni has not been carried to the full extent to which
it previously prevailed ; but possibly the reason why it
is not, is to ba traced rather to the more stringent
regulations enforced in London than to auy disposition
at home to abandon the practice.
' In considering this branch of the subject, we mast not
i exclude from our consideration the effects produced by
the action of the legislature itself. Banking has always
been regarded as a special subject for government
control, and unlike ninny other branches of commerce,
it has always been hemmed in by special enactments.
Whether these generally have been attended with
beneficial results, without corresponding disadvantages,
is a grave question, but one the full scope of which
extends beyond the limits or the object of these letters.
One point, however deserves a casual notice. When
the principle of limited liability was legalised in
England,. it was specially provided that the share-
holders in joint stock banks should not be per-
mitted to avail themselves of its beneficial provisions.
Now, walled going into any discussion as to
the general advantages or otherwise resulting from
either the principles of limited or unlimited liabi-
lity of shareholders in Joint Stock Companies, it is
clear that a bank with a large and wealthy proprietary,
personally liable to the last shilling they possess, for the
entire engagements of the bank, in which, perhaps, some
may bold only a very small interest, and no voice what-
ever iii its Management, will ensure a larger amount of
credit than a similar establishment with a proprietary
whose liability is restricted to a definite amount. But
the question arises, whether this is generally beneficial,
and whether the interests of the general public are not
better served by the credit of a bank being limited by a
standard of either a paid up or a subscribed capital, or
a combination of the two. It seems monstrous for a
bank to trade upon the credit of a wealthy proprietary,
rather than upon the amount of its own actual capital or
resources. ItYho would attempt to argue that the bills
re-discounted by some recently collapsed banks, during
the latter years of their existence would have passed
current as they did, had it not been for the' knowledge
that all the shareholders were personally liable for all
the banks engagements. it is indeed the facility which
this credit gives that is so tremendously destructive
when at last the crisis does come, and, which enables
institutions to postpone meeting difficulties. which, if
grappled with at an earlier period,- would probably prove
almost harmless. It is quite right that depositors hi
banks should be amply protected, but this can be
effected without such frightful risks, heavy responsi-
bilities, and injurious principles, as are involved in the
system of unlimited liability. No doubt this will in a
few years be amply demonstrated, as recent acts of Par-
liament now sanction the establishment of banks with
the liability of shareholders limited.
In returning to the special question of the re-discount
of bills taken by bankers from their customers, it is not
contended that the practice should be wholly abolished,
but it is positively insane to carry it to the extent to which
it has hitherto prevailed. Tiro points have to be con-
sidered. First, there is the fearful risk the bank incurs,
and then there is the loss and inconvenience which the
public ultimately sustain whenever any sudden contrac-
tion of credit, and consequent abridgement of the
ephemeral banking capital created by the system, takes
plaCe. lqo one will question that a banker who habitually
re-discounts a considerable portion of the paper taken
from his customers can carry on an immense business
with very limited capital, and so long as he continues
free from bad bills, he may realise enormous profits ;
bdt few will attempt to justify such a system of banking,
for it must be evident that its existence depends solely
upon credit, and when a panic comes or even pressure
overtakes the commercial world, the chain suddenly
snaps, the banker is crippled, or, perhaps, ruined, and
hundreds of people are sacrificed as a natural consequence
to his cupidity and mismanagement. This result has
been realised in Liverpool within a recent period, for it
cannot be doubted that a recent institution !traded- for
months, if not years, upon nothing but credit. But,
Mr. Editor, the limited space you can give me owing
to the pressure of advertisements, is now exhausted, and
I must resume my next letter from this point. W.

CORONER'S COURT.

ALLEGED DEATH FROM STARVATION,

Vesteiday the Coroner held the following inquest
On the body of Mary Anne Nile, twenty years of 'age,
who died on the Bth instant, in the West Derby Work-
house, as was publicly stated of alleged starvation,
through the neglect of a relieving-pfscer. There was a
considerable amount of evidence given on the enquiry,
which caused some attention in consequence of the cir-
cumstances connected with it. The following are the
facts:—Mr. Johnston, surgeon of the Kirkdale district,
stated that he received a note from Mr. Gough, the
governor of the West Derby Workhouse, calling his
attention to au urgent case in Townsend-street,—that of
the deceased. He thovht it a case requiring the
attention of a relieving-officer. The next morning he
went to the place. He described the state he found the
deceased in, which was horrible—filthy and imbecile,
and in a terrific state of destitution. She could
not answer him coherently, but cried for wafer ;
and he thought it a case verging on starvation.
He sett a messenger to Mr. Gough to have the
case attended to at oace, and Mr. Gough sent him
word it would have intrNed;ate attention.—Mr. Gough,
the governor of the West Derby Workhouse, was
examined, and his statement went to show that when
he heard of the case he sent to Dr. Johnston to visit the
deceased, and next day he took a van and a nurse and
removed her to the workhouse. She was greatly ex-
hausted{ and was placed under the medical care of the
house surgeon, and every attention was paid to her, but
she died on the Bth instant.—Surgeon Nevins, of the
union was examined, and stated that the deceased was
on the point of death when he saw her. She was fed
with beef tea, wine, and . eggs, and everything that
could be done was done for her. He made a post-
mortem examination of the bcdy, which was very much
emaciated, and all fat had disappeared from it. The
brain was contracted and bard, showing. chronic disease
of long standing, and there was recent disease of the
membranes of the brain. He was of opinion that
the cause of death was disease of the brain,
which was calculated to prevent her taking sufficient
food, and which was the immediate cause of death,
but he was not able to say, from the appearances after
death, whether food had been withheld from her, or
eekrisalblyefoiru
that she had been unable to take it. The want of food
for
workhouse, two o
wouldthr ee
materially
ecreshasee wasthe
diseasetaken too f
t t ee
brain. Margaret Hogan, of 59, Townsend-street
North, in whose cellar deceased lodged, stated that Mr.
Jonathan Bramham, the relieving officer, called once to
see the grandmother of deceased, and some four or five
weeks ago, she spoke to him at the door, and asked was
he going to do anything for the deceased ? He said he
could not do anything, and that she must go back to
Ireland. She begged for God's sake that he would do
something for the deceased, when he laughed at her and
walked away. The deceased had no food two days
before she was taken to the workhouse. Jane MgCallen
stated that she heard the last witness ask Mr. Bramham

to relieve the deceased,-buthereflised, saying, she
must go to the office and make her application. The
deceased was not able to leave the place. The witness
followed Mr. Bramham and asked him for God's sake
to relieve the girl. He asked her " have you any money
in
your
pocket ? come and pay for a glass of ale for me
in Davis's." Witness said she had no money, but she
would go and see if Mrs. Hogan had any. He then
said, " I will go into Davis's, bring her up and if she
will pay for a glass of hard stuff for me, I will then see
what I can do for her" (the deceased). Witness told
Mrs. Hogan, who said she would report the case to the
police. The witness supplicated Mr. Bramham several
times to relieve the deceased, but he refused. The wit-
ness said she knew the deceased to be six and seven
days without food, and when the neighbours would
bring her some little thing, she would be too weak to
take it. The coroner then addressed the jury, and
dwelt on the conduct of the relieving officer. 'r he latter
denied that he had asked for drink. The coroner
recommended Mr. Gough to try the case before the
commissioners in London.
The jury found the following verdict, " that deceased
died from disease of the brain, but whether accelerated
by want of food there was no evidence to show."
The Coroner also held inquests on the bodies of two
children that died in consequence of injuries received
by their clothes catching fire, arid verdicts of acciden-
tally burnt were returned.
On the body of a man named O'Brien,
findingyears of o
of
tghee.
seventy-six
verdict of found drowned.
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