The Express.
London, England, 1857-05-28 00:00:00

BANS.-/THIS DAY)

This afternoon the sixteenth annual meeting of
the prophstore of the lonian Bank was held at the beak, in
(heat winched:m-omm; Mr. OLIVER FAIRER (chairman
of the board of directors)) m the chair.
The usual formalities having been gone through, the re-
port was read. It stated that the favourable enticipatiens
which the directors ventured, with some qualification,
to hold out in their last report, have been fully
=6..,and they can now look forward with
le confidence to a period of prosperous activity.
The balance to the credit of profit and loss, on the let of
January, irk, was 7,3131. 18e. 10d. ; the net profits of the
year, after deduction of charge*, and an allowance for
bad debts, are 9,6774 10.. 6d.; together, 16,9911. 9e. 4d,
from which is to be deducted the amount of two
half-yearly dividends, at the rate of 6 per cent per
annum, 7,600 f. ; leaving to the credit of profit and loss, on
the let January, 18.57, 9,4911. 9s. 4d. They subjoined the
usual abstract of the results of the year 1866, which, as
thoiring an addition to the rest of 2,1774 10s. 6d. they
trusted would be received se satisfactory.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adooion of the report,
congratulated the proprietors upon the bank having entirely
recovered from the difficulties of 18,11. Hitherto the com-
plaint in the knian Isles had been of a deficiency in the cur-
rant crop' but there now appeared to be • primped that
the complaint in future would be of o surplus crop.
The United States of A wain, however, had reduced the
duly on the importation of currants considerably, and if our
own government would only de the some es regarded the
Australian colonies, this, bank would become still more
prosperous.
The report was adopted.

EQUALISATION OF THE METROPOLITAN Pam-
at-rm.—We are requested to state that the motion for a
Select Committee of the House of COMO:LOW to inquire into
this question, which seas to have been made this evening,
May 28, by Mr. Ayrton, has beenpodponed at the request of
the government, in consequence of the indisposition of Mr.
Bouverie, Chairman of the Poor-law Board, till after the
Whitsuntide recess. It will be brought before the house on
Tuesday the 9th, or Thursday the 11th of June.
REDUCTION OF POSTAGE ON LETTERS TO Or-
TICERS SIRVINO ON 8011111 SHIPS OF WAR ON FORRION
AND COLONIAL STATIONIL—On the let of June neat, and
thenceforward, letters posted in the United Kingdom ad-
dressed to officers earring en board any of her Majeaty's
ships on • foreign oreolonial ststion, swathe chargeable with the
uwforos British rate of 61. when not exceeding on. in weight,
la. when above oz. and not exceeding 1 oz., . when above
1 or. and not exceeding 2 oz., and so on, instead of being
subject to the ordinary rates of postage from this country to
the particular foreign country nr colony at which the ship
luny be stationed. In addition to this British rate of fa. the
letters will of course be subject to any foreign rate of postage
chargeable upon them. Letters, therefore forwarded vii
Marseilles, to or from the Mediterranean. Indus, China, or
Australis, will be liable to a French transit rote of 3d. per
quarter ounce, and latent forwarded to or from the Pacific
will be liable to a momentranadian transit rate of 61. per half
ounce. The prepsy of the petage will be optional or
compulsory, according to the regulation in force with respect
to ordinary correepondenne addressed to the place at which
the ship is stationed. but the delivery of the lettere will in
moat eases be amelerated if the postage be prepaid.—By
command of the Postmaster .General, Howl-min
Secretary. —Geoeral Post-office, May 23,
HEATH FROM THE BITE OF AN ADDER.—On
Saturday week, an adder entered the house of Charles
Berke, gamekeeper ti G. F. W. Mike, Esq., of Ford
Abbey, near Chard, when his child, about fourteen months
old, seeing it, attempted, se is supposed, to take it as a
plaything; but the mother's attention was speedily at-
tics lid to her offspring by its screams, when she saw the
adder secrete itself, and found her child's band and arm
bitten in two places, and rapidly swelling. She sent for
the husband, who destroyed the reptile, and they brought
the child into the town to a surgeon, but a° venomous
were the bites, and so great the delay, that the poor little
sufferer, after enduring iudeseribable agonies, died on the
following Monday morning. '
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—The weather
continues most favourable for the growth d the crop*, and
an abundance of rich grass is rising rapidly in the meadows.
In the vales of the Arrow and the Avon it is thought that
mowing will be commenced by the 7th of June, and in every
direction the herbage and oven are aesnming abemunant ap-
pearance. The hop grounds look very promising, the buys
is strong. healthy, and forward in moat of the ptaritatitras in
this district, sad vermin are scares.— Worcester Chroattle.