The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-12-29 00:00:00

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BANK
_NOTES.

TO TITE EDITOR.
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is now several years since the pulibe at-
, Winton was tanieideribly excited by the great num-
. lirr.or forged Wilk-limes, then in enculatiati, and
the Ireq,uelit execidions which were the conscquentie
an various pro.ecutions un the part of ohs batik of
tre rctit patty of the kingdom ; a new
description hi water-inaik was then invented, acid
the pulilie were led to believe, that would obviate
-forgery for the future, iseing not only of very diflt.
cult execution, lint du Act of Parliament was like--
wise obtained, by which any imitanou thereof wee
made felony. ; a considerable number, -however, of
incises, and where well capable of judgieg upon the
subject, were i 1 it very different opinion, and the
sentiments or several of the mist eminent engravers
were puhlished in The Monthly .lia:razine, and in
rations inner periodical works, in which they
ii iii iously agreed, that the only isay to prevent
fareery in future, wonhl be to huts the plater so
will executed, as to defy the imitation of bunglers
ii the art of engraving, and to COMblue the abilities
of different artists in the some plate, so us to make
the total difficalty *moonlit nearly to impericibility-
Tins subject is now revising with additional
force, in consequence of the great number of Old
notes now in circuletion, and the alarming 4:m4oi:-
ration that tin fewer than ten pertains were convicted
at the late Laniaister Assizes, of either f9rgiesg or
issuing these notes; the majority of whom are felt
fur execution. and the rentmuler for fourteen years
transportation : these persona may be said to suf-
fer Dom the ol.istinacy of the Pirectins of the
Batik, end their inlet err, who opposed the opinion
of the most competent judges. Surely it is high
time that a atop shnii i he put mu this donning
evil, especially whale it can he proved to any disin-
terested person, that nothing is more practicable.
But perhaps the emolument of the Solicitor., cud
Bank Engravers, is deemed of more consequenee
than the lives dud morals of those tinfortunate
wretches, who are tempted to 0, commission of
crime. by the facility of the operation. Ido not
fear contradiction when I assert, that any engra-
ver's apprentice, who has served two years, is fully
competent to the execution of any plate issued by
the Batik ; and, with regard to the water-mar k, the
mutilated state of the notes, frequently renders a
critical or minute examination impracticable.
The imptiralleled mode of ruling invented by
Mr. Landseer, and some different specimens pro-
dneed by a .I,lr. Haldane, will defy the imitation
of the most skilful; a proper application theiefore
of their machinery, would form en excellent basis
to build upon, in conjunction with the water-is:irk.
The hest writers and engravers of writing. should
then he employed in that department of die busi-
ness; and the lovely fi,4iire of Britinutia or Com-
merce (which has 90 1004 done credit to the taste
and execution of Mr. Teray, the Batik Eugraver,)
' might with good effect be superseded by a medal-
I limo, executed by IL!atli, Sharpe, Lrindsters
or any oilier of our respectable artists ; whine bu-
riuiw I defy the imitation of those who at
prisrot themseleak by forgery, cud whose
lives ore so frequently sacrificed to the offended
his.. of their country. It was a remark made many
ye ors ago, that if at the next conviction or rarest-
tion of a criminal of this description, u Bank Di-
rector *ere compelled to share the seine fate, the
evil would imine,diately be remedied ; cud it seetus
ns if Koine example of this kind were now necessary,
ni order to save the lives, and myriad the inorais,
of numbers who are tempted to pursue this colon*. of
life, by the of iodating the execrable exe-
cution of a modern Batik-note. There is not
climb% in the kingdom whose bill-cheque is not
more respectably timed out, and would conse-
quently lee more dillicult of imitation.
it would he easy to enlarge upon the great in-
jury sushi:tied by the p ' lic, who are compelled
to take these notes in payment, witlinnt having the
lartitOlof detecting them. if forged, (it Ewing stated
that there is u private, oilier or soneitito siosetorrom
far that express purpose, the secret of which is con-
fided to two or three iwrsoos only) and should
one bill Of hill ti snot, tie declared by thein to be
forgeries, without any iilleged proof, the unfortu-
nate holder bus no redress whatever.
1716011 this vary important subject, the result of
the ingliries I have made. justify me in asserting,
that noitiolg is more pressols)e than to accomplish*
the desired end of preventing forgery, and et the
SAM(' trine of issuing awn note* as the country has
nglit to expect, awl imleed ought to require lion
i an assurance of their been;; Lteinnile,
IYour's, &c. I. L. P.
Manrlicster, Sept. iso4.

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M. l'eron, daring his voyage to the South Seas,
collected a griNa number of that reinuikahlv geniis
of anienal., to which Litman* gave the name of
Medford, and has Inereased that family to more than
4411 sinews. Is aemaut lately presented by
him to the National linititeite, their singularities
are mei! expressed in' the folios mg terms:—
" Their substance seems to be merely a coagu-
lAted water, yet the most important functions or
life are exercised in it. Their mishiplitation is
prodigious. yet we know nothing of the peculiar•
mode us which it is etli cted. They are capable of
attaining several feet its diameter, and the weiglit of
50 or tio lbs. yet their nutritive system escapee our
eyes. They execute the most rapid rod long-ron-
tinned movements, yet the details Of their milsculur
system are imperceptible. They have a very sc•
tire species of respiration, the tree mist oT which
is a mystery. They appear Ixtreinely feeble ;
yet fish of considerable wilt form their daily prey,
and dissolve in a few moments in ths.ir" stotniteli.
Many species of them shine in the night like balls
of fir;., and some sting or helium') the haunt
• that touches them; yet the principles and agents
' of both these properties remain to be t:.-carne,)."
All the %ft... Arms have a gelatinmis holy, inarlv.re-
temliting the rep of a mnshroont,
minuted- umbrella: but they diff-r in winding, or
having a mouth; in the month being simple, or
multiplicious.• in the pre.encv, nr absence ors pro-
tlnetion resembling a pellicle. ; and in the edges of
tons pellicle, or of the mouth itself, Erring furnished
with tentacula, or eilantemts, snore or less numerous.
From these characters, M. Peron forms divisions
and oulidivisions, under which every possible kind
of median may be arranged. Saute of these ask
rash eskiloit beautiful colour,.
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