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

be seen, and that not a shilling should be lent to an
shareholder without his bill coming before the board.
A SHAREHOLDER: How long is that ago?
Mr. OWEN : About two years and a half ago. When that
book was opened we found that Mr. Humphrey Brown
had got 70,0001,, and that another director bad got 13,0301.
Well, I first thought it would at once become my duty to
leave the bank, and had almost resolved never to enter the
concern again. But, gentlemen, you know what a delicate
thing it is to touch the interests of a bank, and I resolved
that l would remain at my post till Mr. Cameron's return,
especially as my good friend the chairman was over-
whelmed with anxiety. I assure you that I never saw a
man work harder ; he laboured from eight in the morning
till ten at night to mitigate this evil, and he succeeded in
getting such Pecurities that when I left the bank I had no
idea we would lose a halfpenny by Humphrey Brown.
And I thought Mr. Cameron's account all square. 1 was
then asked to remain in the bank till after the annual
meeting, and, with other directors, 1 did my utmost to see
the bank placed in a healthy position. I tell you, gentle-
men, that I do not believe there was a single director who
was not overwhelmed when he discovered, in the way I
have told you, the state of our affairs.
Mr. Alderman KENNEDY said he was deceived as
to the state of the company, and was not cognisant
of any matters that had proved to the injury of the
shareholders.

On the motion of General AITCHESON, seconded
by Mr. STAPLETON, the following resolution was
adopted :—" That it appears to this meeting, and is
hereby declared, that the losses of the Royal British
Bank have exhausted all the surplus and reserved
capital, and one fourth of the now paid up capital of
the said bank "—it having been explained by Mr.
Coleman that such a resolution was necessary to en-
able the chairman to declare the company dissolved,
and also to facilitate the process of winding up.
The CHAIRMAN then declared the meeting dis-
solved, " except for the purpose of finally closing and
winding uo the affairs of the company."

An order t) wind up the affairs of the bank was
granted on Thursday by Vice Chancellor Kindersley.

THE ANNUAL ORATIONS were delivered at Christ's
Hospital on Monday, in the presence of the Lord
Mayor and a crowded assembly. Preyers were first
read at Christ's Church, Newgate-street, and an
eloquent sermon preached by the Rev. Charles
Edward Searle, Fellow of Pembroke College, Cam-
bridge. At the conclusion of the service the Lord
Mayor repaired to the great hall in Christ's Hospital,
where tour orations on the benefits of the Royal
Hospitals were delivered by so many of the senior
scholars—in Latin, by William Shrubsole Foster,
third Grecian ; in English, by Errest Montagu, first
Grecian ; in Greek, by Mark Shattock, fourth
Grecian ; and in French, by Thomas Carter Pallett.
The whole of the orators were applauded as they
retired from the rostrum, especially Shattock, whose
oration was declaimed with a vigour and an ease and
dignity of gesticulation which elicited general ad-
miration. The speech of Pallett, in French, was
also an unusually spirited performance, and well
sustained throughout, though of very considerable
length. Three translations succeeded, by Smart,
Wilton, and Churchill. These were followed by the
Chersonesus Taurica," Richards's prize composi-
tion, in Latin hexameters, by Ernest Montagu, first
Grecian, and by an English poem on Italy, also
!ached by Montagu, whose performances, including
his English oration, were frequently applauded. At
the close of the ceremony the glove went round, and
a liberal sum was subscribed towards the expenses
of the senior Grecians about to proceed to Oxford
and Cambridge.
THE DENTIsTS of LONDON held a meeting at the
London Tavern on Tuesday, for the purpose of
adopting measures to establish an incorporated in-
stitution in which dentistry might be practically
taught, and to form a superannuation fund for the
Assistance of infirm and disabled members of the
profession. Resolutions accordingly were proposed
and passed, and a committee appointed to consider
the best means to carry them into effect, and to
report thereon at a future general meeting of Vie
profession.

THE UNITE FIRE-OFFICE PROPRIETORS held a
general meeting at. the London Tavern ou Tuesday,
with the view of deciding upon the appointment of a
committee to investigate the affairs of the company.
Atter much desultory discussion, Messrs. G. Taylor,
Clitheroe, Buchan, Rouprl, Strong, Bradshaw,
Smitherman, Salmon, Mechi, and Hawkes were
appointed. The question between Mr. Baylis and
the Board has been compromised, and Mr. Baylis
returns to his duties.

Tux revision of the list of voters for the City,
in the Court of Common Pleas, Guildhall, has been
continued during the week. Sir James Duke's case
was adjudged by his Honour on Tuesday, who de-
cided that a man must be formally translated before
he could become possessed of the rights and privi-
leges of a second company, and it was not because a
clerk had on any former occasions inserted his name
...vhich had been passed over unnoticed—that it
was correct. His I resent decision was, that Sir
James Duke's name had been properly omitted.