The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-14 00:00:00

wore rigidly
oetieleoei Redeem
the perealatioe,
revived from
epode, the
nettra►le,

COMPA 21'Y.

Yesterday a Meeting of the Shareholders of the aboye (knrieny
was held at Batieet's Ctiffee house, Corning, pursuant to advertii/e-
-ment ; Mr. W. Ceeit x in the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN Sapreesed his regret that the Meeting was not
more fully attended, a circumstance which he attributed ro the ad-
vertisement having been only inserted in the Times that day. Pre-
viously to entering on business. he begged to make one or two re-
marks on the British Iron Company. He had received lettere re.
'meeting the ant, rtinn Mr. Shears had made at the Meeting in the
City of London Tavern, that he (Mr. C.) was rejected as a proprie-
tor. on account of his having mud threats. That assertion was most
unfounded. Ile (Mr. C ) had sent hie shares into the of is be
registered in his name, anti the DireCtoli refused to pettnit that
form to take place. Ile inquired the cause, and solit heel an inter-
view with the Board, who refused to see him. He then sent in a
written request. for a specitic reason, and assuring the Mani, that
unless they allowed the transfer, he would call a Meeting himself.
If he had been adieitted. he would have thrown such a light
upon the affairs of the Company, from documentary eridenee,
as would have excited the very strongest public indignation,
and would have reflected very serictisly upon Mr. Shears.
The public should he furnished with the detail, at some future pe-
riod, of this most shameful bubble. (Hear, hear.) Ile might, in
some instances, not have been correct to the letter in his statements,
but his charges were always borne out. (Cheers.) At a former Meet-
ing. the Shareholders were induced to believe that they could obtain
their property in an amicable manner, and it was thin the duty of
the Shareholders to devise some other means to bring the Directors
to justice. The etch; or the concoction of this Company were, that
a Mr. Sinclair purchased a small portion of gee Mid from a Mr.
Bailey, for which he paid lA. and. no doubt, Mr. Sinclair, at the
time, hed the intention of forming a Joint Stock Company, of it.
A Mr. Hodgson immediately after purchased the same from Mr.
Sinclair for Mot., and they, with other gentlemen, formed a Jojtit
S+oek Company of it, Had Sad it to the Sharehodere for 2,111ef.
This plan was precisely that adopted in the Cornwall and Devon
Mining Company, on a smaller seele. When the parties were sum-
moned before the Lord Mayor, his Lerdseip entertainea not a doubt
that the affair was one of a very suspicious nature, When Mr.
Hodgson, in exculpation of himself, stated that every thing was
false, the Lord Mayor desired him to desist, as the reverse of his
assertion was sworn to. The Alb:tree Granite China and Clay
Company grew out of another, the Alliance Mining Company.—
The latter having faded, the projectors started the former.
Mr. Se uR a deterred that the Alliance M ining Company was in •
trodu el into the share market for the express Palmate of having
a "in it. (A laugh.) And as the Directors had not money
to work the shares in the market, they obtained the acceptance of' a
Captain .inset for fintl. which they endorsed to Williams, the
bankers; but owing to some irregularity en the part
,of the G
om
bankers, the bill was tot presented when it become due, conse-
querly the endorsees were not liable, a, d the Captain had to pay
the bill. The 600!. was apalied td raise the shares to a premium in
the market; but in consequence of Daniel Whittle Ilarvey having
sold 11111 shares when they were at a high premium, which shares
the Directors were saddled with, the project failed. (A laugh.)
The C,IAIR SIAN then stated that Mr. Lane had called upon
him, and stated that at a meeting at Mr. Florence's, the Saiel or
(Mr. Anstice) flnd:ng that the Sl;des had not been 'jelled by any
of the o:her patties, and no report having been made to form a
judgment of their value, refused to sanction the payment of any
money for the purchase. Mr. Lane further informed him that a
deputation was then formed, and :write of them went down to in-
j !meet the property, but were so disappointed at the worthlems eppear.
ante of the spot pointed out to them, that they actually engaged
another property. So that it was not the original property that
I was purchased, and htiw they managed he could not tell. Mr.
I Clark then stated the plan had succeeded at the time, for the de-
posit money was paid into:the bankers', and drawn out without the
consent of the Secretary, end the Dimwit refused to account fur it.
He was informed that they were afraid to explain the affairs for
fear the disclosure might endanger their personal safety. He con-
j eluded by suggesting the propriety of appointing a Committee to
! adopt such proceedings as might be deemed adviseable.
A SHAREHOLISER required to know the Directors' names.
Mr. Seuax then read from the prospectus the following names
as Directors:—John Bleaden, Req., 47. Lothbury; Wm. Hodg-
son, Esq., Stoke Newington; Robert Hone Esq., Brixton Hill;
Thomas (I. Norcott, Esq., Pentonville ; John Robert., Esq.' 48
Lothbury ; and Richard Walter, Esq., victualler, and J. 8:
Bor-
rodaile, Esq.. auditors.
Mr. CLARK said, that about the time bubbles were in fashion,
those gentlemen introduced so many schemes to the public from
their ()tikes in Lothbury, that they were termed the " Lothbury
Gang." Ile begged that Mr. Vigour, would give any information
he was in possession of to the Shareholders.
Mr. VIGOU Its said, that all he had to say was, that he had for-
tunately got back his money through Mr. Fenton, and had no
doubt but that, were the Shareholders to adopt the same course,
they would get back theirs, as front the wonling of the receipt
given by the bankers, they made themselves liable. He took
Counsel's opinion upon the point, which was that the bankers were
liable. They had no right to pay away the money, which was
solely paid in upon their respectability; and as men of business
they ought to have rc.pectable names before they opened an ac-
count ; the bankers were looked upon in this case as trustees tor
the public. When his Solicitor applied for the money, it was paid
before two o'clock the following day.
Mr. SCURR—The money was paid by the Directors, who in-
structed their broker to pay Mr. Vigours, as they were afraid of
him, he being in possession of the secrets end tricks of the Directors
Mr. Viciou es said he was solicitous to become a Director, and.
attended a meeting at Mr. Florence's, the solicitor, where the
Minutes of a Meeting were read, and he was required to authorize
the sum of 2,1001. to be drawn from the bankers, which sum
had been taken out four days before. (Cries of " Shame, shame."
and laughter.) Mr. Florence said he knew nothing about it,
and that it was done without his consent; and he (Mr. V.)
found the business so infamous, that he left the room with disgust.
Mr. Hodgson, who purchased the property from Sinclair, declined
to be a Director in the first instance until lie Fold the property, then
he became a Director ; in consequence of what he said, Mr. Lune
declined to have any thing to do with the Company.
Mr. CLARK said that Mr. Bleaden stated bt fore the Lord
Mayor that Hodgson was not a Director, but Everett's books would
prove the assertion incorrect.
Mr. Seltaß said. that the letter which was addressed to the
bankers, authorizing them to pay the money in their hands on ac-
count of the Company, was signed by Mr. Hodgson, and whose
signature was honoured when signed to the checks.
Mr. CLARK, in alluding to Mr. Wilke, observed, that that
gentleman had addressed a letter to the newspapers, denouncing
the press, and stating what terrible things he intended to do. The
Times newspaper acted, however, upon Mr. Wilkes own plan. It
, rejected his letter it not paid for, not being a cheap newspaper.
. The existence of this Company was a strong instance of the credu-
lity of the public. The Directors played into each other'. hands,
without ever dreaming of any thing but the pocketing of thousands.
Mr. Bleaden (not the respectable proprietor of the London Tavern)
when he attended before the Lard Mayor, declared that Mr.
Hodgson was not at all a Director, but, upon the examination of
the bankers' books, it was shown that he was one. The humbug
was as complete as far as it went, viz. to the extent of a few thuu-
, sands, as, any lie had known. The Deed of Settlement h 4 been
, signed by no more than eight persons, and seals were put and pre-
pared for 225 other signatures, A prosecution was, in his opinion,
the only remedy—the only chance of restitution.
Mr. &URA said, lie apprehended that was the fact. He would
n mach rather have the money be had paid as deposits, than go to the
, I Old Bailey for satisfaction.
This seamed to be the general feeling of the roo-n.
A SIIASEHOLDRII—Who, in the none of Gad, was it that con-
cocted this imiabag P
Another SHAREHOLDER—Why, Hodgson, GI be sure; every
body knows that. He induced me to take twenty Shares in the
Goonearl Mining Company, which he said was the (Meet specula-
tion in the explored world.
A Third SHAREHOLDER—Where are they ?
Second SHAREHOLDER —1 have them at home, but I can tun for
them, If you want to purchase. (A laugh.)
It was ultimately resolved that a Committee shred(' hr appoint-
ed, to determine upon the mode of proceeding, civil or trimmer, to
be adopted for the recovery of the purchase-money, and to further
he ends of justice.

The WwaeFlELD3.—Tb•feet is not generally known,
that Mrs. Priscilla Withhold, of Ipswich, the authoress of
some highly-talented and useful works, is grandmother of
Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who is causing so much noise
in the newspaper world ; and that some members of the
family were educated at the Grammar School, in this
town. Notwithstanding the assertions of the Repregenfit-
live that E. G. Wakefield is a man of no talent, there is
every appearance of it, if we may judge of the ability that
seems prevalent in the family ; and the talented defence
that made its appeatance in the John Bell strictly corrobo-
rates such an impression. 'the denial which the funnel
newspaper gave the latter of E. G. W.'s being the author
of the defence hu been &Med by a letter to the editor of
John Ball, in which he acknowledges it.l-Bury Paper.