The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-17 00:00:00

PROTINCIAL BANKS.

WINDSOR DANK. •
we we happy to state, that the Windsor Bank of Messrs.
goapetom and Legh continue their payments, alnidit the
00061 confidence of the town and neieldsnurhaud. The
4,3„,,ingdec!arrion wait circulated on Thumbs-
we, Ole tiodelsignel, baring an unabated confluence in the
4itty ef the Wi:slaor Bank. notwittewinii„-
g temporary sue.
Alio, a rsynient of one of Ire bisetdon agents, are ready to re-
re their notes in rayment as usuel."
•Tbe above document was signed, in a few hours, be
pare than 200 of the principal gentlemen and tradesmen of
Medea and Eton,
SIIEFFIELD DANK. _ _

---
SRILTiIiLD, Drc. 14.
lAte rev( numerous and highly respectable meeting, held
his day at the Town-hall, in Sheffield, Peter Spurr, Esq.
s the Oral:,
1, &&& tuniiimously nesolved--That we, the undersigned, are de.
_lsuierisnisiag our entire confidence in the stability or the three
;„00,1 Bails and the Rotherham Rank, and pledge ourselves,
oja ssy circanwances, to take their notes to any amount i our
..:gt is this resolution being not to satisfy our own town, where
memriaability of its barks is too well known and appreciated to
rode. litich 2 Cep at all necessary, but rather to prevent alarm in
,dzirsreat parts of the country where the same knowledge isnot
reit; follows the names of nearly six hundred inha-
i;hel' eassdailuct of the inhabitants of Sheffield, as described
, this paragraph, deserves our highest praise. When
.I,:ic credit hak been so much shaken, we would hold up
~iiattoo the prompt anti efficacious remedy adopted by
...own of Sheffield. Let these expressions of confidence
.ade, and a determination to act upon them be adopted,
r,,a
0.. md
the cloud that appeared ready to overwhelm the com-
wircial credit of the country will soon be driven away and
iyiersed But the paragraph we have quoted does not
give to the town of Sheffield all the credit that is due to it. '
the resolution was adopted when the inhabitants were in
gaganee of the unfortunate stoppage of the hoUse of
t, Walker, and t ompany, in London. .Upon this
Noe one of the Sheffield banks was in the habit of draw-
tak ; and when the news of their stoppage was announced,
..,j d:MillttliOn of confidence in the stability of the firm was
lion ; and it g'ives us pleasure to state, that the Bank of
isgliad bad afforded Mr. Walker, of Berry-hill, one of
the partners in the bank, whose landed and personal pro-
poly is very large, ample means to meet every call upon
t..& ileum which, under any circumstances, could have been
rule upon his bank:
fiends of exactly a similar nature have been issued at
Chesterfield and Loughborough banks.

(From the Leeds Istelnyencer of Thursday.]
570/TARE OP MESSRS. I% ENTWORTB AND CO.'S
BANK. .

We are authorised to state that Messr.. ("balmier and
Rishworth, two of die partners of the firm of Wentworth
ani.l Co., are now in London, making arrangements for the
udy resumption of their payments.
`Great as the embarrassment has been in London for a
lug paiod, and also in other parts of the country, York-
Olin continued comparatively uninvolved in the con.e-
%eaces, till the unexpected announcement of the stoppage
si the bank of .Mtstars. Wentworth, Chaloner, and Rich-
worth, on Thursday hst, in the metropolis, and on Friday
h :lt's county. The shock was at the moment perfectly
auesuding, and persons, after recollecting how the occur-
few: might affect themselves, involuntas ily reflected upon
the situation in which such en event must place the im-
portant and multifarious interests among whom the notes
of the establishment formed a principal portion of the
circulating medium. To estimate the extent and aggrava-
tion of panic and probable distress which so unlooked-for a
misfortune was calculated to create, it is necessary to bear
i, mind some local circumstances connected with the sub-
lit the rut manufacturing districts of Yorkshire,
employing a population of great density, and containing,
bcsiles. a crowd of mercantile and manufacturing firms, an
immense number of te.itty traders of all descriptions, to say
mi:h.nig of the agricultural classes, there is ordinarily no
private bankers' notes of 11. and upwards.
a few sovereigns may be met with, and there

'ious
rore_

which we are anxious to correct; the circulating issue of
the Bank has been grossly exaggerated ; we have heard it
stated to he at least half-a-million, but this lowest state-
ment we believe to be very far )oeyond the truth.
During the whole of Saturday and Monday, and even to
a certain degree up to this hour, the aspect of ibis town haw
been quite unimusl,—nothing else than the melancholy
news of Satiliday morning, and the conseirent embarrass-
ments, were either spoken of or thought ot. In the early
part of Saturday, and in the fit at paroxysm of alarm, notes
were disposed of at a considerable reduction from their no-
minal vane, as low in this town as 1.55., and in Leeds, and
Huddersfield, somewhat lower ; towards the afternoon of
Saturday, several shopkeepers and tradespeople, prolably,
fur the most part those who owed money to Messrs. Went-
worth, exhibited papers in their windows, purporting that
the notes of that company would be taken for goods: one
firm received as much as 2,0001., and so great was the press
upon those who made the offer, that their doors were be-
sieged, and they were obliged to admit only one person at a
time ; and as it was better to get the full price of a note in
groceries, drapery, &c. titan sell it at an under value, this, and
the handbill put forth by Messrs. Wentworth and Co. na-
turally had the effect of putting a stop to the sale of notes.
During Saturday, there was but• aiptittial run upon the
bank of Messrs. C.H. and A. Haerit;-iml Co. On Monday
it somewhat increased, as by time the Intelligence had
tidied the country towns, tithe failure of Messrs. Dob-
son and Co.'s bank of Ilu ersfield had also contributed
to increase the panic ; on the forenoon of Monday, a placard
was put out by the principal inhabitants of the town and
neighbourhood, not only declaring their readiness to accept
the notes of Messrs. Harts, but offering their united
guarantee for the stability of the firm.
In this town, and everywhere in the neighbourhood, the
most pressing inconvenience has resulted from the want of
any circulating mediums available to the holders. Messta..l
Harris having very prudently restrained the issue of their
notes, there was in many quarters a perfect incapacity to I
pay the wages of workmen, and indeed, an insurmountablel
impediment has been thrown in the way of almost all com-
mercial transactions. Messrs. IVentworth and Co.'s notes
we know to have in several cases within the last few days
come into the market at a reduced value, not front their
holders entertaining an unfavourable opinion of' them, but
from the mere circumstance of it being absolutely neces-
sary to possess themselves of some available species of .
money.
We hare already stated that the intelligence of Messrs.
Wentworth awl Co. having suspended their payments
leached Leeds on Friday evening. It quickly spread over
the town like wild-fire, and it was naturally anticipated
that next morning a general run would commence upon
the banking-bonze; this expectation proved to be well
founded: upon the Union Batik the demand was great,
and, indeed, upon all the banks there was an eager de-
mand for gold. In the market business was almost at a
stand ; the country people refused to take a single note in
payment for their commodities; and as these constituted
the bulk of the circulating medium in that town, the ap-
prehension and the temporary inconvenience were extreme.
!'here were nothing, however, to what, under other cir-
cumstances, they might have been ; for the London cor-
respondents of the banks, foreseeing the effect which the
failure of Messrs. Wentworth and Co. would produce, had
prudently sent them down large supplies of cash ; and they
met every demand upon them with the ytinost prompti-
tude. In the course of the evening, the alertness with
which their notes had been taken up, and the circumstance
of their keeping their doors open beyond the usual time of
closing, had the effect of greatly abating the alarm which
had been felt during the earlier part of the day.
Monday the run still continued. and confidence seemed
to be very partially restored ; a bill was put forth, by a
numerous and highly respectable list of the inhabitants,
expressive of their confidence hi ''

this, and the printed intimations exhi
dogs, that Leeds' notes were recei'
considerably tranquillizing the puh'
runs upon the different banks had
by the latest intelligence of yesterda.
dience seems almost re-established.

At Wakefield, as marn,Lorally
lion created rttiLiaciicr4.labla;
verafiefrf-tirb Importance of the 1
well known, and the quantity of
worth's house, given in payment I
we have reaa,n to believe, is very
in the grain tnarket may be confidently anticipated. On
Saturday a placard was issued at that place in the follow-
ing terms :

" Apprehensive of the distrm that must be brought upon this
town and neighbourhood by a total withdrawing of the local circu-
lating medium, and be;ng well aware that the known prudence of
Leathmai, Tew, and Co.'s bank will, in the present crisis, restrain
them from giving that accommalvion which the public so imperi-
ously require—we the undersigned, fully impressed with the injury
that must result from the withdrawing of the circulating medium,
do declare our perfect and complete confidence in the stability of
Leathern, Tew, and Co.'s bank, and do solicit them to continue
this necessary accommodation to the public by the re-issue of their
local notes, to such an extent as their prudence may dictate; and
we pledge ourselves to receive and pay the same in the regular
course of business."

The conduct of Messrs. Leathern and Co. has been ho-
nourable in the extreme, having transacted business on Sa-
turday and Monday, until nine o'clock each evening, and
having also met every demand in the most liberal and hand-
some manner, producing, we arc most happy to say, a re-
turn of that public confidence which the events of the last
few days had so unhappily interrupted.
The large amount of the notes circulated by the house
of iVentworth and Co. created a panic in the town and
neighbourhood of Huddersfield, which expanded itself in
an immediate run upon the banks in that place, viz. :
Messrs. J. W. and C. Rawson and Co.; Messrs. B. Wil-
son and Sons, and Mr. Shakspear G. Sikes. These banks
were severely pressed on Saturday and Monday, by the
small holders of notes, which continued until Tuesday
afternoon, when the crowd and pressure subsided, either
from the notes having been generally carried in, or the re-
turn of confidence. The windows of almost every chop
in the town contained papers offering to take the notes of
the three banks above-mentioned, and on Tuesday a hand-
bill was issued, signed by the most respectable merchants,
manufacturers, and tradesmen, expressive of their con-
fidence in them, and offering to receive and pay their
notes as usual. There was a perfect suspension of busi-
ness on Tuesday (the market day) the merchants, Ate.
being unwilling to increase the hurry of the banl'ers, who
proved themselves fully prepared to meet every demand
n.ade upon them.
Upon the intelligence reaching Halifax the consternation
was extreme • symptoms of a severe run upon both banks
speedily began to manifest themselves, and the town was
in a state of great and upiversal commotion. A hutnerous
body of the respectable inhabitants having, however, with
great promptness, sent out a placard expressive of their
confidence in the stability of the two banks, and their readi-
ness to receive their notes, there was a considerable resto-
ration of public confidence. The run continued, notwith-
standing, during the whole-of Monday, gradually diminish-
ing indeed, and on Tuesday it had nearly subsided. Our
latest advice, up to yesterday evening, represent matters
as having resumed their wonted /131111M111; though there,
as well as in the other towns of the iVett Riding, the em-
barrassment cannot but he severely felt, both as resulting
from the suspension of Messrs.lVentworth's payment`, and
from the failure of Messrs. DJbdoll and Co. _ _ _

When the information respecting the suspension of the
iVaketleld Bank arrived at Keighley, on Saturday morn-
ing, the greatest surprial and dismay were manifested by
the holders of notes issued by that firm ; but the alarm
was much inereu.'tl when the nms arrived that the Hud-
dersfield Old Bliss( was in the same, if not in a worse
situation ; the fears entertained respecting the former
flank, however, were considerably diminished in the even-
ing, in consequence of the favourable opinion expressed at
Bradford snit oth..r plac:s. and the cheering limier Messrs.
Wentworth and Co. thought proper to plibiiali. Handbills
expressing the con:We-nee of great min:hers of wealthy in-
dividing' in the resp,nsibility of the flanks of Halifax,
ficieds, and Bradfor I, arrived in the 'own on Monday even-
ing. Actuated by the same motives, and with a view of
imparting that corifolenee to the fearful in this neighbour-
hood, which they felt themselves, the principal gentlemen,
inannfacturers, shopkeepers, Bcc. in the town spontane-
ously Caine forward to express their conviction of the re-
siions!bility of the Skipton Bank, and tif their deter-
mination to retive the tivtea o that firm in payment as

THE BRITISH PRESS.

usual here; and subsequently the same subscribers cir-
culated a similar handbill in reference to the Bradford,
Craven, and two Ilelifat Battles..
_

In more distant quarters, the difficulties and innbarras-
ments are also felt, and the suspension of Meters. Wrnt-
worth's houke has produced, or accelerated, thus to a cer-
ta'n extent through all the banks in Yciilolitte and Lan-
cashire.

From the Ply noiith Jurrral, Dec. 13.1
PLYMOUTH BANK.

There is every reason to apprehend that the commission
of bankrupt issued against Sir Wm. Elford and Co. may
not be deemed valid, it having been diacovetel by the peti-
tinning creditor's solicitor, after the commission was opened,
that although the petitioning creditor's tieht is more titan
adequate for the purpose in point of amount, being 1781.
(whilst 100/. only is necessary), yet a part of that amount,
901., consisting of di ridentls of funded properly, which had
in all former years been credited on the 10th of October,
was not actually received on account of the petitioner until
the 25th of November, the day on which the hank failed.
The question to determine Is. whether Sit Wm. Elford
and Co. became debtors for the ea on the day it was re-
ceived, or only upon the advice arriving et Plymouth
and whether, if it were a debt due by Sir Wm. Vford and
Co. on the 25th of November, it formed a goad component
part of the debt upon which the commission was isured,
the bank having stopped payment on the sanut day. The
case was to have been heard before the Lord Chancellor
yesterday ; and if the coannaintion be superseded, another
will immediately be rutted, as applications hare been sent
off from other parties. -
A meeting of the creditors of the above blink took place
on Monday last, at the Guildhall, preparatory to the elec-
tion of assignees, which was attended by, an immense
crowd. Edmund Lockyer, Ellq. was loudly called on to take
the chair, but he declined the honour, presuming that
some of the requisitionists were present; nene, however,
stood fornard, eel Henry Woollcornbe, Wq. was then
named unanimously, and be accepted the chair. 'Fite
Chairman then read the requisition, and expressed himself
ready to hear any one present on the subject on which they
were met. Edward Lockyer, Esq. rose, and went into de-
tail respecting the unforeseen difficulties %hit+ bad arisen
in working the commission obtained by Mr. 'fink, which he
said did not reflect the least discredit on the solicitor or pe-
titioning creditor. A very lengthened discutsion afterwards
ensued respecting the number of the assignees that should
be chosen. Mr. Lockyer objected to more than
three being appointed, on the score that the more nume-
rous they were, the less efficient would be their exertions.
Mr. Prance suggested that at least five should be
nominated, and in this opinhat he was joined by a number
of others present. The name of the gentlemen proposed
were, Edward Lockyer, Esq., H. Woollcombe, Esq., W.
Prance, Esq., G. E. Browne, Esq. of Box-hill, and Mr.
E. Govett. On the show of hands whether three or five
should be the number, the sense of the meeting appeared
to be in favour of five. Mr. W. S. Hardt wished to pre-
vent the great loss that would arise to the creditors by the
expense of working a commiasion, and wished to know if
an investigation cooki not take place, and in assignment
of the effects be made for theatenefit of the creditors. Mr.
Jago, in reply to Mr. Ilarris'e observation, raid that a com-
mission was indispensably nedesary, and adduced the case
of Messrs. Chambers, Londoi, bankers, when, alter twelve
months' investigation of the accounts, they were after-
wards obliged to resort to • commission,, although the
estate was able to pay 2.55. to the pound. Mr. George
Coryndon, also referred to the case of Lucraft, when, after
three years, a commission was obliged to be resorted to,
although, at the time of the arrangement, the debtor ap-
peared solvent, and some creditors were actually paid 10s.
in the pound by him; but in consequence of secret debts
coming to light, such instalments were recovered back ;
kir - was paid. A
put an end
tied

and Co. in
bile

...ollply
Jrtiense load
___...ngur At true, the mail
actually broke down, and was detained nearly an hour be-
yond its time. The detention of the mail drew an itomense
concourse of people to whams ita arrival ; and the sight of
the bankers' clerks carrying' their golden loath was no un-
pleasant view for the spectators.
This circumstance, and the knowledge (which became
general that the two banks above alluded to were not in-
volved 'n the smallest degree in the embarrassment of Sir
Peter ole and Co. dissipated all alarm ; and we have the
satisfaction to say, that, with the exception of general
sympathy, and of course due anxiety to the credit of the
cou.y, there is not the sinallestlear in this city.

bastes, a crowd of mercantile and manufacturing firms, an
=mem number of Petty traders of all descriptions, to say
stalling of the agricultural classes, there is ordinarily no
s • tummy bat private bankers' notes of 11. and upwards.
Oznisr.ally a few sovereigns may be met with, and there
it, of course, a sufficiency of silver to render the smaller
.sperationi of business practicable. The effect, therefore,
of the stoppage.o( Messrs. Wentworth anft*Co.'s establish-
locus alone. may be weld eatteetved from the portion of the
stele estrum of the county which ties it paper formed.
They had hob in York, Wakefield, and Bradford. and,
Mules, bad haws in Leeds, Barnsley, Huddersfield, and
Utley, where they weekly transacted business with their
mown in these respective towns and neighbourhoods.
Wenn say, with perfect truth, that notwithstanding the
consternation and confusion necessarily resulting from
• such a sadden shock, the confidence on all sides in the
ultimata solvency of Messrs. Wentworth and Co. has
leen, ander the circumstances, as' flattering to them
la beneficial to the public. Various opinions are certainly
siernained as to whether they will resume banking as
dertiofore or not, but in either case the prevailing
impression is, that all demands upon them will owner or
lea be satisfied. Shades of judgment of course encom-
pass this conviction on either side, but the general and
eopartial feeling is such as we have described. A fact
ortoboradve of our statement is, that massy persons in
Leeds speculate largely in purchasing the outstanding
sons of the bank, and that the lowest price at which we
ban understood them to be sold is i Ss. per pound, while
numbers have been bought at Ils., and even some so high
sods. pit pound-note. U'llen it is considered that the
.ndiriduals mostly induced to dispose of their property so
4.ewediately after the stoppage of the bank, and before
ids real state of its affairs could be understood, must be-
Jan to the working classes, among whom so large a pro-
'onion of the notes circulated, it will be evident that even
:hey bare confidence in the resources of the establishment,
er a glut of its penes would be offered for sale, and its price
fall to some nominal sum. The scarcity of cash, too, in
the trading eonatunity, at this moment, has a tendency to
etePtess the priee.of these r"tes, and that, nevertheless,
:key maintain so high a value in the estimation of the
tublie as we have named, shows the actual depreciation
.a be bat trifling. Aware of the arduous task which a
futile journalist, in the midst of a vast trading commu-
.ty, such as this of Yorkshire, has to perform at a crisis
'ike the present, we have in the foregoing detail scrnpu-
wasly eoefined ourselves to. the principal facts which we
Ine me: ta Med.
(From the Bradford Courier of Thunday.l
We need not tell our readers of the sensation which was
:rived instantaneous)y, in ever_y quarter to which the in-
liigenct came, that 3lesars. Wegtviorth, Chaloner, and
:,thworth had suspended their payments. The disastrous
1155 came like a thualer-clap--ne immediately previous
•uspicion having_been excited, it was instant, and unforo-
*et. The intalgeoeo reiched IVlkefield on Friday even-
:ig with bite arrival pf the jatandoir mail, and it was known
tc Leeds about the same time by the previous arrival of
•‘.. Rockingham ; but its this town it strangely happened,
cot a whisper was heard until• next morning, when the
I. 02 Mercury, and the London papers, made the event
'Navin; the banks of Wakefield and at this town belong-
:•t the Company, were very properly kept open from
• e•ual hour on listitrdery inoming, and• have continued
:• -vet since for the calls of inquirers, who, it may
/y he hel eyed, were numerous, and it gives us antis-
!•`tcv.t to ad), were unifor illy civil and considerate • early
r•:11 forenoon, the following hand-bill was posted and
C %nivel in SS'akefield, and in this town :
• bLsa,s. Wentworth atal Co. haring, older moat particular
estimates, beet) con,pelleci to sttapeltl their payments, beg to
.trunt t!w el hit-, that they ts .11;idently hope to nuke such
ar-
•'.•rrueet•. in the eoure,: er a v.-r short time, as will ensile them
•Iti•`y petty claim, and ream?, heretofore."
Thu it-iicmi,7 morning Messrs. Chaloner and
5,2 t OS for Lana in she view of realising, if
hope which is expressed in the hand-bill, and
ki el` •!! We $.l O'lld to excite expectations
• tray no: ise answered, we may say, that there is a
• *Cent hone :11 the ndwls of ti:e partners, that such ar-
.
, 11 be made ac may lead to a speedy slit-
Ail against hous.•. With regard to the
. . :;:„3t, of c&tain noble friends of the partners
/111'st'n•• tir'r aid, we will not sneak confidently ; but,
4 ':".,res.i•.7 that it Oit.thl ht• impossible to effect the
• 'rtifatemint a4ove rl. she great possessions of the
41 1?t. Lvai!aLle to the creditors, which we confidently
et, `te be not less than two hundred and ilfty thousand
1'41.1.1..1% ( intkpenilent or the monies tine to the Bank)
ti!-• •••
~irthy a well-groontled hope of full payment of
"" Claim ; and is ccnnes ion with this, there is an error

the stability of the banks; and, on working e commission, not . Gd. was paid.
a exhibited in the shop win_ motion of adjournment was then moved, whtth put an end
received, had the effect of to all further discussion, and the meeting separated
public mind. Tuesday the From the Briztal Gazette of Dee. 14.1
ad still farther abated; and The highly respected firm of Sir Peter Pule and Co. in
erday, we learn that cone- London, suspended its payments on Mond . I'he public
ad. attention became, of -ale attritive•
ally be augtased.tbe masa- eountrybaAki is Is berittiw
and not, we fear, wit If oily-Wine st-mong tse piptiber; bat, ffaiet their rem
il'aketlehr corn market is respectability, not a surmise was indulged but that they
A' paper of Messrs. 'Went- were duly prepared. However, to render surety doubly
t for consignments of grain, sure, the mail on Tuesday night brought an immense load
ry larger; an immediate fall of gold; and, what was no less singular than true, the mail