The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-08 00:00:00

THE AGRA AND MASTERIIAN'S BANK.

The Herald describes the fall of the above bank le some
respects as the most disastrous of that long series of re-
verses which has followed in the train of the confession of
insolvency by &wenn.' and Gurney. The register of the
shareholders shows how complete was the trust reposed in
the bank by our civil servants in India, military officers,
and pensioners, with their widows, children, and
relations, and dependents, with whom the sol-
vency of the Agra Bank was • fundamental article
of faith. The fusion took place amidst a perfect furore
of favour, and had the bank done an exclusively English
business the sanguine anticipations which were formed
even on the day of the stoppage, when some of the hem:est
purchases for investment were made, might have been rea-
lised. As it is, a reply has been sent to the local managers,
who hail telegraphed for help from home, which has by
this time scattered gloom and despondency through the
three presidencies. The Herald adds that the assets can
only be realised at • fearful sacrifice of property. It seems
incredible that those most interested in bringing to justice
the men who have so largely contributed to these failures
should be so sluggish in doing so. The Herald furthe^
expresses a doubt whether the Bank of England has used
its discretionary powers for mitigating the pressure of the
period as liberally as it ought to have done.
The .Sat remarks that the bank has been killed by the
telegraph, for while the advantages of the are
to commerce are otherwise unquestionable, the
instantaneous and bald transmission of news of panic
to all quarters of the world cannot but increase
the number and magnitude of the present disasters,
If the directors at an early period of the panic had
called the shareholders together and explained to them
the nature of the sinister influences which were at work
on the Stock Exchange the result would have been bene- I
ficial and the unprincipled operators might possibly have
been checked by a counter-combination.
It is observed by the Times that there is scarcely a
banking institution in the world that could not be over-
thrown through a general panic being contrived against it,
and it is now notorious that, owing to the success already
attained by these parties, they have become emboldened
to adopt a system which from the extent of its ramifi-
cations shows the moat deliberate villainy. On Friday
evening last, for instance, a gentleman in the Hotel du
Louvre at Paris received a letter stating that the writer,
understanding he had a large deposit with the Agra and
Hasterman's Baak,wished to warn him, from no unworthy
motive, that the bank was in imminent peril, and to urge
him to withdraw his money with all possible speed. The
party thus addressed was really • large depositor, and the
inference, therefore, is plain that the persons engaged in
the plot against the bank must have found some means,
not only of ascertaining that fact, but also where a com-
munication would immediately reach him. Similar work
has been going on in London and all parts of the country.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales have graciously been pleased to take tickets for
the concert this evening at St. James's Hall, in aid of the
Consumption Hospital, Erompton.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will honour
the Earl and Countess de Grey by their company at dinner
on Thursday, the 14th inst.

The Prince and Princess of Wales last evening
honoured Earl Vane with their company to dinner at Hol-
demesne House, Park-lane. The other guests were : The
Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Prin-
cess Mary of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge, the
Crown Prince of Denmark. Prince Teck, the Duke and
Duchess of Wellington, the Duke and Duchess of Suther-
land, the Duke of Marlborough, the Duke of St. Alban's,
the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Earl and Countess of Derby,
Duly Edwards, Viscount Hamilton, Sir Edwin Landseer ;
Lieut.-Col. Keppell, and the Countess of Macclesfield, in
waiting on the Prince and Princess of Wales, and Dr. Quin.
Later iu the evening her Royal Highness the Grand
Duchess of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz and a select party
ho-
noured the Countess Vane with their company.

The Countess de Grey has issued cards for a ball
on the 14th inst., t) meet their Royal Highnesses the
Prince and Princess of Wales.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary of Cam-
bridge has honoured Messrs. Hancock and Burbrook with
the order for the lockets to be worn by her Royal High.
neses bridesmaids. They will be on view to-day and to-
morrow at their establishment in Conduit-street, Bond-
street.