The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-19 00:00:00

amine, whieli had been withheld I)ona him when he
gave Inv first opinion.--(lleur, hear.)—lti the
whole course of there proceedings, the Norwich
Directors had abr.'s' a strong care for self, and a
total disregard for every body else. They now
came forward and shook off the London insurers as
au excrescence from their body. He applauded the
manly atid candid conduct of Mr. Brooke. iii com-
plaining of the 1111111lbef iu whirls Mr. Bilottilire
name was used by the Norwich Directors. It was
the common act of common cunning to try dull
shift upon another the blame of which the shifter
was alone goiltv. if Mr. Bignold had duce
wrong, what ought to he said of the Board who
had ineti tttt its wrong, and who now turwil
nroutid and *belt. red themselves wider their accusa-
tion of his conduct ?—( Ileur.)—lle was sorry to
see that the labours of the Committee had been so
Ineffectual, and that instead of leading to a reforma-
tion of ahnees, they had only terminated in their
own dissolutiou. The Latin sentence might be
well applied to them—
" Parteriend moat's, townie ridicules mus."
The Committee was, however, now deed, and he
Would, in speaking of them, adhere to the maxim of
•• De 'nor-fair nil nisi bonnan." lie hoped the
good they had done would hereafter reale''', and
the evil he forgotten.—(lleit).)
Mr. MIDDLETON complained that Mr. Barry hail
misrepresented the sentiments of Mr. Brooke, who,
though lie had cast blame upon the Directors, yet,
nevertheless, affixed upon Mr. Bigliold the full
share for which he deserved to answer. The benefits
achieved by the Committee might be trtced in
their :arduous examination and adjustment of tedi-
ous and disputed claims, which the parties who
were now present could state were satisfactorily
settled.—(Hear.)
Mr. LoCILWOOD said, that he was agent for the
Norwich Society at Bury St. Ediuunds. He mere-
ly foie to justify the llosrd of Directors from the
iminuations which hadl been thrown out against
them. Ile could assure the Meeting, that the se-
imitation of the London fire insurers was not the vo-
luntary act of the Norwich Directors, it was 'sot
only, as had been aunt, dictated by the law, but
also by the concurrent voice of the country insurers,
nine-tenths of whom were averse to the extension of
the fire department to the metropolis. If this iloi-
menilierment did nut take place, lie could of his
own knowledge say, that in his department in Suf-
folk 300 country insurers would withdraw from the
establishment.

Mr. BIGNOLD, sen. stated, that when he came to
London to extend the benefits of the Norwich
Society to the metropolis, he had dune so with the
cordial consent of the Norwich Directors, and in
the course of two years hurl rapidly advanced the
general interests of the liostitution. lie at first
called in the aid of a few London frienda to assist
in the plans of the Office, and intended to have en-
larged their number, and placed the concern on a
steady and firm foundation. He had now prepared
a plan which would grea►ly lessen the effects of
calamity by fire, mud reduce of course the ex-
pense of insurance. With respect to his own
recount, he defied any man to establish any
specific accusation against him. He had esta-
blished this Institution, and his situation, after his
labours had been made use of. was attempted to
be wrested from him. It was sin old sajing, that
" If a man once took the trouble to plant a vineyard,
lie would soon get persons ready to collect his
grapes and profit by their culture." Su it was in this
case, the Committee wanted to join with the Di..
rectors, and divide among each other lucrative of-
flees; they had alienated his sous from him, and
had deluded them by flattering promises, which,
in the end, would be found delusive; and he
was to be sacrificed, because he denounced their
plans. He would assure them, however, they
would not so easily get rid of him by this sort of
compromise among each other. Ile ass too firm to
be shaken by this arrangement, to establish six
Directors at Norwich and twelve in London—all
with salaries. They admitted that he had honesty,
assiduity, and they even flattered him with haring
talents well-suited to their loistioess ; but he would
not be deluded by the artifices which were em-
ployed against him.
Mr. Alderman THORp rose to say a few words
respecting the Report. The Members of the Com-
mittee, of whom he had the honour to be one,
were accused by some Gentlemen of having framed
a Report which did not in ramie parts contain all
that it ought, and in others less than it ought. lie
was ready to confess that he thought it contained
rather too much matter, and that it would have
been as well if the Report MRS confined to the sim-
ple fact of the separation of the Norwich from the
London Fire Insurers. He was also free to say that
for as variety of reasons the state of the funds of the
Institution was not so clearly ►et down as it ought.
lint the time of the London Committee had been
considerably employed in the investigation of con-
tested claims, nearly the whole of which they had
succeeded in bringing to a satisfactory conclusion.
They had also furnished a large mass of information
to the public ►espectin the whole business of the
Norwich concern—whether this information, tilos
given, were of value or not, it was for the public to
determine. The Report was certainly deficient in
stating the funds of the Society, for the Committee
had not the fullest information on that subject.
They had heard of large sums remaining in the
hands of agents, of the particular amount or ap-
propriation of which, they were uninformed. lint
they had reported northing winch was not the fact,
and made no observateer which they did not be-
lieve to be strictly (untitled in truth. As to the
establishment of a new Office, Gentlemen must
act as they pleased in that respect, he would pro-
nounce no opinion 1/1)011 such a measure.
BIGNOI.D. 5e11."." Mr. Thorp is a Director
of another Fire Office."
Mr. Alderman I tIORP said that he was a member
of saintlier office, hut lie had never canvassed for a
single insurer for it. Ile had always been otherwise
engaged. Ile would beat with contempt every Mei-
'mants of this kind.—(44ppionse.)
Mr. II ANsoN rose, wool was proceeding to pro-
nounce its plain anti rbfleinnve terms nt. a very per-
sonal naituie, a severe phillipie upon Mr. 1:141101d,

twit. *kris-
BARRY rm..: to order. Hod strongly crtouretl
the untru4ur•m.o or such glom' perionalutuu
111. lIANAON urinated. and incl, that loud) here
•ud eliorlitre, 4r. Buiptuld had ilditdered the