The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-08 00:00:00

IRISH JOINT STOCK COMPANIES.

It would appear, Nem consulting the Dublin Share List,
that the Joint Stock Companies of the sister kingdom are
Slot in a much more prosperous state than our own, very
few of them being quoted at any selling price; and those
that are, at an awful discount. For the information of
those who may be interested in these securities, we give the
quotations of the list in question :
IRISH SHARE LIST. Last.
Share. Paid. selling Price.
Hibernian Bank . - 100 ..125 0 0 -, £lO 0 0
Provincial Bank . - 100 . 20 0 0
National Insurance . 2.50 - 25 0 0
Patriotic Insurance, 1011 - 0 0
St Planck Insurance - 100 . 710 0 . 011 0
Royal Irish - lon 5 0 0 . 2 to 0
Xining Company of Ireland 23 . 215 0 . 112 6
,Royal Irish alining . - 25 111 3
Bibemian . 50 7 0 0
Imp vial Mining - 10 - 0 7 6
In the same paper we notice an advertisement from the
•St. Patrick's Insurance Company, calling a general assem-
bly of the Proprietors, for the purpose of appointing a
Committee to report on the state of the Company's affairs ;
to which advertisement there is a postscript, in which it is
stated, that the call made by the Directors for a further
payment, on account of the shares, is postponed.
The St. Patrick's Company is one of several in Ireland
for marine insurance, and which, as well as those of a si-
milar description in this country, has excited considerable
attention, from the largeness of its business and the small-
ness of its capital. It would appear from the announce-
ment of a Committee of investigation into its affairs being
projected, and the postponement of the further call by the
Directors, that the Company in question is about to be
dissolved; and certainly, should the Shareholders come to
such a resolution, it would appear to he the wisest they
can adopt. In Companies of this description, the responsi-
bility of the Shareholders must be of a very serious cha-
racter, particularly if it should turn out that the original
proprietors are individually, as well as collectively, respon-
sible for the claims that may be made upon them. When
the Bubble Act was repealed, the Legislature could have
little anticipation that thcy we re about to create such mo-
nopolies as these Companies have proved, hut, possessing
all the advantages resulting from coLibination, arc yet un-
able to carry on their business to a profit. It is quite clear,
in London at least, that Marine Insurance can never
be more safely or more honourably conducted than
it was during the period of a long and protracted
war by the individuals composing the room at Lloyd's;
and though it may be said that place itself is an incipient
monopoly, still it is essentially individual in every thing that
respects property and responsibility. It is impossible to
furget the highly respectable individuals who have from
time to time dignified commerce by embarking in this
species of business, or the large fortunes that they
brought to aid them in their speculations. With the ins.
Lunar accumulation of capital which Lloyd's Room then
presented, it is confidently asserted that Insurance Ac-
Willits did not yield a much hitsher per centage than vari-
ous other modes of business held out: and yet the public
hal the security of millions; while in the public Companies
that have sprung up it appears matter of doubt from
whom losses could be recovered in the event of things going
wrong ; unless, indeed, it be from the original Directors,
should they be liable, and should their fortunes prove suffi-
dent to pay the claims to which, under the possibility
mentioned, they might he subject. It is well known that
the gentlemen forming the Marine Insurance C panics
in London are most respectable and wealthy ; but they
cannot control events, and it does appear tolerably certain
that, with the capitals possessed by the Companies, they
are wholly unequal to meet the claims that might by pos-
sibility he made upon them. Under these circumstances
it certainly does appear that the Insurance business is
safer in the hands of individuals than in those of any
Company whatever. Z.

The I i ectors of the Bank of Scotland have announced
their i. t .1 t on of reducing the rate of interest to three per
c nt. from the let of October, unless on money lying frr
cis months or longer. They do not m.mtion whether they
are o reduce the rate of discount.—Edinhurgh Observer.

A ball of fire fell on Wednesday, at ILpf.Lworth, near
Crtringham. A sulphureous smell was experienced for a
considerable time afterwards, the cattle were much terrified,
ald a part of a hedge was burned.—Hurl Pa.•krt.
ST I•M-BOAT ACCIDENT...4AV UMW., SYPT. 6.—We
are sorry to hear that the Etna and Thetis, two of the
New Post Office steam-packets, recently established be-
ts een Liverpool and Kingstown, ran foul of eat h other on
Monday night last off Point-Lyitars ; fortunately, how-
ever, the damage sustained was not so serious as to prevent
either proceeding on their voyages.
A melancholy accident occurred at Heathfield last week.
Mr. Christmas, a young man, took a gun from over the
kitchen fire-place, for the purpose of unloading, when
accidentally the cock struck against a clock-case, and the
contents exploded and caused his death.
On Sunday morning last, as Mr. John ilawkesford, of
'Elston. was returning home with two ladies in a gig, from
Wilenhall church (where the inhabitants of Bilston usu-
ally attend while their own church is rebuilding), a fero-
cious bull-dog, which was with its master on the road,
siz,el the horse by the nose, which set him off at full
speed, till the gig was overturned in a ditch ; time dug still
keeping his hold, could not be got off without killing him,
which was done by cutting his throat on the spot. We are
happy to learn that neither Mr. Hawkesford nor the ladies
received any personal injury, except the terror of the
fright, and a few scratches from a hawthorn hedge, into
winch they were all thrown. IVe hear that the dog be-
longed to a man commonly.called " Jack the Nailor," and
was a very savage one, having bitten a man at Willenhall
that same morning; the horse is much torn and lacerated
about the nose, lips, and legs. We regret to find that the
law affords no remedy fur complaints of this serious nature,
but by action for the recovery of damages or by indictment,
and u the expense.' (where the delinquent has no property)
must fall on the prosecutor, it is next to no remedy at all.
—lro'verhamplon Chronicle, Sept. 6.
On the 25:11 ult. Philip Henry Guntset was tried at the
Assizes of Strasburg, for the murder of his wife. It ap-
pears that the deceased was a most desperate termagant,
often inflicting personal correction upon her husband. On
one occasion she threw him front the top to the bot-
tom of the staircase, since which his intellectual faculties
teem to be a little deranged. On I7:11 April last, he went
to the forest to cut down some trees. Shortly after his
departure, his wife learned that he had contracted a debt of
SS fr. with a Jew. She fell into a violent passion, and
declared to one of the witnesses that she would follow her
husband into the forest, and that she would settle with him
after a summary manner. At three o'clock the prisoner
came back, and asked if his wife had not yet returned ?
The next day her body was found covered with wounds,
and weltering in blood, near the tree which the Owner
had been cutting down. Fifteen days before this event,
be had been heard making use of threatening expressions,
with regard to his wife ; amongst other things he said, " Do
vole hear the mad dog? Patience for a little while, we shall
Loth go out together some day or other, but only one shall
return." Nothing more positive, however, having been
Produced against him on the trial, and all the witnesses
concurring in giving him an excellent moral character, the
Jury returned a verdict of acquittal.
On Saturday last, when John M`Taggart, one of the
weavers employed in the Green, was levelling the bank of
the river a little to the east of Nelson's monument, he
round a silver coin about two fret below the surface. The
coin, which is somewhat larger and much thinner than a
shilling, is in tolerably good preservation, although tome
Parra of the inscription are scarcely legible. This coin is
of James I. of England. It bears the King's head
crowned. The inscription, Jacobus D. G. Mag. Brit. Fra.
"I fib. Rex. Behind the head there appear the numerals
" • • iming the value to be sixence. On the reverse
the armplys of Great Britain, viz. quarp terly, Ist and 4th the
urns of France and England quartered, 241 anti 311 Scot-
land and Ireland. At the top of the shield 1606, the year
coinage. anti the inscription rout.d the whole, Quo Deus
;•onjunxit Nemo Separet. The description of the coin is
°I Ur. John Dillon, who says, that although of no great
antiquity, he does not find it described either in Ander-
Ntunismata nor in the treatises of Snelling or Cor-
,l.onnell on coins. Mr. Clelland, who was present when
1 the can was dug up, has presented it to the Huntcrian
Museum—Glasgow Chronicle.