The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-17 00:00:00

rito.TER AND CHINA. EP RANK ()F L.VLIA, ST/ AL /A,
:1 THIS DA 1{) ST

The thirtvoith ordinary general meeting
of the
r. b.dden May held at 1 o'clock, at the London Tavern ;
T. A. AiITeIIELL, M.P., in the chair.

v... following n•port and accounts were presented :
r:,, •directors have to lay before the shareholders the
halance sheet of the bank, made up to the 31st
last. which shows a net profit on the
..p aliens of the year, amounting to W,O'N. 17a. 10d,
tesult the directors deem satisfactory, con-
• 0,, the long continuance of the late crisis with its
d• • •• influence on every branch of Eastern
bust-
Th:.t crisis not only led to more failures, but
• ,„„ y prejudiced the realisation of the bank's claims
t•.•• estates of firms which had previously suspended
1.. ceo ut, especially those connected with Bombay.
these circumstances the directors, after instituting
fresh careful revision of all had and doubtful debts, ear-
culate.l ap to the present time, have considered it their
duty 10 write oif the sum of 68,:t121. 14s. Bd. from
r rent a ii.l loss account, to be met in great part
by 0, ramifies of the year, but necessitating the
f :rther transfer of 10,000/. from the reserve fund,
xl 1.11 sow Oily stands at as much more. The directors
1.;., se that the crisis in the East is now at an end, and
hi ..waig the excellent position of the bank, and that its
quite intact, have no hesitation in recommend-
.• •
the shareholders to declare a dividend for the
year endol on the 31st of December last, at
ti.. rate of five per cent, per annum, free of
im,0:•••• tax, which will leave the sum of 1,134/. 18s. 9d. to
caried forward. In reference to the increased amount
• doe at the debit of bank premises, the directors can
vaigritulate the shareholders oil now possessing in
Loudon a new and most convenient freehold building.
T. A. Mitchell, M.P., and Mr. John Jones, are the
c,t4oing directors on the present occasion, and being both
duly iepdified and re-eligible, offer themselves again to
ti •• choice of the shareholders. The auditors, Mr. Alder-
Dakin and Mr. Jonathan Thorp, now complete their
),.,r of office, and present themselves for reelection.
•', .'bartered Danko( India,australia and Chins.—Liabili-
ties and Assets, Dec. 31, 1866.—Dr.: Tucapital paid up in
full, S)I,INMM. ; reserved surplus fund, 20,M01. ; leatw-
in.' to profit and loss account, 10,000/., leaving 10,000/. •
to amount due by the bank, including bills payable, note;
in circulation, deposits, and current accounts, 2,387,680/.
13s. sil. ;to profit: and loss, balance of this account, after
piyinent of an interim dividend, providing for bed and
doubtful debts, and paying all current charges, income
tax. &c., 21,134/. Dts. 94. ; total, 3,218,7'.6/. 12s. sd.
cr.: Bev cash and bullion at the head office and agencies,
Liii2,o9:d. 12e. ;by government securities, 30,2421. Gs.;
he other securities, including bills receivable and loans,
2.077,143/. 19s. 7d. ; by bank premises and furniture, at
the head office and agencies, 99,313/. 14s. 24—total,
3,218.795/. 12s. rid.
.

"Profit and Loss Account.—Dr.: Oct. 17, 1868.—T0
fifteenth dividend declared this ,lay, being an interim
dividend for the half-year to :10th June last, at the
,„,,,. of 5 per cent. per annum, 20,000/. • Dec. 31,
Nos, —To amount now written off to meet had and
doubtful debts 68,3321. 14a. Bd. ; to balance at date,
proposed to be dealt with as follows :—Dividend
6itteenth) for the last half-year, at the rate of 5 per
cent. per annum, 20,9001. ; to be carried to profit and
loss new account, 1,1:W. 18e. 93. —together 21,1341. 18e. 9d.
—total, 109,4417 f. 13s. sd. Cr.: 1845. Dec. 31. By
b.L,nce brought from last account, 2,4381. 15a. 7d. ; IW.
Pee. 31. By amount transferred from reserved surplus
fund, 10,0091. • by net profits on the operations for the
year ending this day, 97,02 W. 17s 10kl.—total, 109,4671.
5d."

The CHAIRMAN, in morinir the adoption of the report,
congratulated the sharehol ers that notwithstanding the
:averse circumstances there was an excess of 25 per cent.
in the profits over those made in the corresponding period
of last year. The crisis began much earlier in the East
than in this country. It commenced there nearly three
year, ago, and the main origin of it was a spirit of insane
gambling in Bombay, which was encouraged and stimu-
lated by sonic commercial houses. During the year
Paid twenty-one bunks connected with India were either
suspended or brought into a course of liquidation, the paid
up capital of those banks being in the. to 13,005,000/.
He was happy to say the paid-up cam of that bank was
intact. ((heers.) The report did not give the net profits,
after deducting bad debts, but gave the net profits
independently of the bail debts, which were given sepa-
rately and deducted. The bad debts amounted in the
course of three years to 203,00 W. A great many of them were
old ones, and were already liquidated, and the board be-
lieved the estimate of loss which they had given was correct.
The credit of the bank in India was perfectly unimpaired,
and unquestionably the banks which remained were in a
better position in consequence of the removal of so many
competitors. The manager of that bank was of opinion
that it was never in such a good position before. The
banks still in existence bad agreed together to reduce the
credit which they gave on bills at sight from six months to
four months.

In reply to a question,
The CHAIRMAN repeated that the estimate of bad debts
included all the losses that bad been sustained ; and added
that had the directors not believed that they would not
have recommended the declaration of any dividend at all.
(Cheers.)

. The report and accounts were then adopted, and a divi-
dend at the rata of 5 per oent. per annum was declared.

The health of the Bishop of Hereford has much
improved.

The brother of the late Rev. John Keble writes
to the Guardian :—" It has just come to my knowledge
that a statement is being circulated in certain quarters to
the effect following, viz., `That Mr. Reble, shortly before
his death, sent for Dr. Manning (or Dr. Newman) in order
to be received into the Roman church ; but death overtook
him.' I will not delay to Amore such of your readers as may
be either troubled or gratified by such an announcement,
that it is utterly without foundation ; se I have the best
means of knowing, having been constantly with my
brother during the whole of his last illness, and for many
weeks previously.—Too. KEEL& —Risley, Gloucestershire,
Palm Sunday, 1867."

During the Easter recess many constituencies are
likely to receive explanations from their representatives.
Stockport has been the first favoured in this way. Mr.
Watkin and Mr. J. B. Smith addressed a meeting in that
town last night. The meeting was called as a conference
to consider the present position of the reform question.
and the addresses of the two members were almost en-
tirely confined to that topic. A vote of confidence in Mr.
Watkin and Mr. Smith—who voted for Mr. Gladstone's
amendment—was passed.

THE CROWN PRINCE OF PRUSSIA V. PRINCE
FREDERICK Ceaat.e.s.—Prince Frederick Charles pursued
his way with extraordinary eirmunspection, following the
tactics of a wary general, anxious for the security of his
flanks, driving the enemy quietly before him, but leaving
little to chance ; doing his work cleanly but too slowly for
the attainment of the combined plans. Thanks to this
dilatoriness, Benedek was enabled to keep four corps at
the months of the Bohemian paws ; the Crown Prince
with three corps had to beat font corps of the enemy ; he
suffered one serious check. and his good generalship alone,
aided by the energy and foresight of his staff and of Gene-
ral Steinmetz, saved the Prussian army from a disaster.
It is in sonic respects to be regretted that Lieutenant
Holier, the Times dent, followed the
march of Prince Frederic Charles instead of
joining the army of the Crown Prince. The cor-
respondent conveyed an erroneous impression as to the
relative importance of the various engagements, because,
in reading the picturesque yet scientific accounts given of
the affairs at Lthbenau, Po&l, Henerwarer, and Githehin,
we were not aware that the Prussian army of 140,000 men
was fighting against only 60,000 Austrians and Saxons the
retreating and constantly diminishing corps of Clam
Gallas and the Crown Prince of Saxony. But when we
look down from the vantage ground afforded by fuller and
more general descriptions of the war, we are surprised
that the victories of Prince Frederick Charles should have
been won with such loss of time. It was in the nature of
the prince to be leisurely. As one of the historians of the
war has said, " In his operations, as well as in battle, he
was always concentrated, and moved frontwise, whereas
the Crown Prince generally took up a broad front, threat-
ening and attacking the enemy in flank, forgetting his
own line of retreat, but looking sharply after that of his
opponent. The method of Prince Frederick Charles is
correct according to the systematic teaching of the school
of Archduke Charles. That of the Crown Prince reminds
more surely of the masterly enterprise of renowned cap-
Lint —Edinburgh Reties'', new number.
Acnensrior. —Aldershot, a few years ago, was
o.e of the most secluded and innocent of English villages.
It has.grown, and is growing from day to day, into a town,
wherein all that is worst and most offensive in vice and
manners abounds. From the associations which it presses
men our men, who would not, at almost any sacrifice, de-
sire to extricate them? Ewen the permanent barracks
there we regard as a most expensive blunder ; but the
tend! The best thing to be wished for them is, that a
hurricane would come, which, sparing men and hones,
and all that is worth preserving, nearand far away, would
sweep them from the fax of the earth. Let us, however,
take comfort. They are rotting away, we believe, as fast
a* they can--as fast as, if not faster than, the kindred
abominations at Shorncliffe; and we shall be very much
Wirerieed indeed if the House of Commons ever vote one
biUiugto keep them in repair.—Blackwood'. Magazine
for April.
THE TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES.—This
territory was originally #20,800 square miles. By the pur-
el,ace of Louisiana that area was doubled. By the a .ui-
Intim, of Florida 66,800 square miles were added ; by that
of Tem., 310,000; of Oregon, 308,052 • and of other
Mexican territory, 550,455. Russian America measures
I,ewarda of 400,000 square miles. The whole will make
tLesrea of the United States territory million square
wales, with 24,000 miles of sea coast. The population of
11"sim America is 60,000, of whom 50000 are Esquimaux.
Th« annual exports are 10,000 seal, 1,000 sea otter, 12,000
2,500 land otter, fox, and marten skins, and 20,000
w,..horse teeth,