The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-07 00:00:00

SUN,

tary affairs without referring to the progress of an
establishment which, on its first introduction, we
hailed with the greatest pleasure and satisfaction.
The shareholders of the Royal British Bli,k yes-
terday held their fifth general half-yearly meeting,
and the state of affairs then disclosed afforded the
utmost gratification to every person interested in
the concern. The experiment has now been fully
tested, and the result has more than warranted
the anticipations of the promoters and directors of the
undertaking. It is shown, then, the same principles
which have commanded such unequivocal success
north of the Tweed, may safely be brought into ope-
I ration in the English metropolis—that the indus-
trious classes, who had been previously debarred of
banking facilities, are not disposed to abuse the pri-
vileges conferred on them for the first time in this
country. The dealings have been mutually beneficial
to the Bank and to its customers. The balance sheet
just published shows that they have been so to the
former, and we believe that among the latter there
will not be a single dissentient or malcontent, all
will admit the advantages of the Scottish system of
banking, and desire its permanency.
From the report we find that a dividend, after the
rate of five per cent. per annum, has been declared
for the half-year ending the 30th of June last.
This would be exceedingly gratifying, when
we consider how greatly the reduction of
interest on, and the diminished demand for money,
must have tended to reduce banking profits- A
closer inspection of the balance-sheet, however,
shows that this, by no means, exhibits the
real gains of the concern. The amount of
dividend, at 5 per cent. (which, by the way, is free
from income-tax), is 1,2501. An equal sum has
been set apart to be carried to the reserved fund,
now increased to 5,9061. 19s. 10d. A further sum of
5171. 103. Bd. has been applied to the gradual liqui-
dation of the amount expended in buildings and fur-
niture, while an unappropriated balance of
2d. has been carried to next year's account. The
actual profit of the bank, then, has been— 537/. 18s•

X. s. d'
1,250 0 0
1,250 0 0

For dividend .
For reserved fund ...
For gradual liquidation of amount
617 10 8
expended on buildings and furniture
637 18 2
Balance unappropriated ... •• •

_ _
3,655 6 10
Or nearly 15 per cent. on the paid-up capital,exclu-
sive of ample provisions for bad debts, contribution
to clerks' fund, and payment of income-tax.
This is, indeed, a very satisfactory state ofaffairs,
on which we cordially congratulate the directors
and the shareholders, who have had such ample
cause to be pleased with the efficiency of those
concerned in the management of their concerns.

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE (ASTLEY'S).
If any of our friends wish fora few hours' amuse-
ment, ending at an hour which permits rational peo-
ple to get to bed in, "good time, we recommend
them heartily to go to Astley
's. There can be nobody
above the age of 20 who has not delightful reminis-
cences of the Amphitheatre just over Westminster-
bridge, and nobody between 8 and 12 who, if
they have not yet been, are not longing to go
there. We can assure the young that their antici-
pations will not be disappointed, and the old, that
they will not say—Ob, these things used to be
better done in our time. They could not have
been positively. The wise en scone of Peter the
Great cannot be excelled, and the dramatic positions
are of the highest interest. The personation of Ca-
tharine, by Miss Fenton, is really deserving the high-
est praise. To those who love the marvellous, we
recommend above all things the performance of the
brothers Siegrist. Sure we are, that we never saw
any feats so incomprehensible or so inexplicable. Con-
ceive a pole of about the substance and height of an
ancient Maypole. Well, the one Siegrist holds this
clear of the ground, supported only against his own
person, while the other runs up the smooth pole with his
hands and feet, quicker than any cat we ever saw, and
on and from the top performs the most curious and in-
credible feats, stretching himself out, attached by his
feet alone, at right angles from the pole, as stiff as a
mesmeric exhibitionist, and enacting various other
fantasies no less astonishing and unaccountable. At
least we can't account for them, and all we can say
to our readers is, "Go and see." The evening's en-
tertainment was closed by a capital farce, full of fun
and spiritedly acted, termed Drawn for the Militia,
performed to a crowded and delighted house.—
Morning Post, Aug. 3.
IA FEW WO

OLD MAIDS AND
BACIIELOM.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal)
"Men should not marry," it is commonly said, " un-
less they can not only maintain for themselves the social
position to which they have been accustomed, but ex-
tend the benefits of that position to their wives and
children. A woman who marries is entitled to be kept
in the same rank and comfort in which she was reared."
We entirely disavow these doctrines. It should be the
aim of every married couple to make their own fortunes.
No son and daughter, who become man and wife, are en-
titled to rely on their patrimony, but should willingly
commence life at a lower step in the social ladder than
that occupied by their parents, so that they may have the
merit and happiness of rising, if
possible, to the top.
Imagine the case of en aged couple who, by great perse-
verance, have acquired possession of immense wealth,
and are living in a style of ease end splendour, which is
no more than their reward of their long lite of industry.
Will anybody say that the children of " such old folks"
should live in the same grandeur as their parents? The
idea is preposterous. They have no right to such,
luxury, they have done nothing to deserve it; and it
their parents are honest in dividing their property
amongst them, they can have no means of supporting it.
Yet marriages are contracted on the principle, that the
married couple shall be able to keep up the rank to
which they have been accustomed under the paternal
roof. It is such notions as this—engendered by Malthu-
sian philosophers, and fostered by lazy pride—that are
filling our country with "poor old maids" with coquettish
young ladies, with nice cigar-smoking, good-for-nothing
young men, and our colonies, alas! with most miserable
and barbarous old bachelors.

MARINE PROPULSION.—Being impressed with the
belief that the great defect of the methods at present em-
ployed is that a large amount of the motive power is ex-
hausted by levers, cranks, &c., I have endeavoured to invent
a plan by which direct action would be obtained, and hope to
do so by causing the expansive force of the vapour employed
to act between the vessel and a resisting force in the water.
This will be better understood by supposing a floating dia-
phragm (submerged) to be stationed under the vessel's stern,
and an elongated piston-rod acting against it coming from
horizontal cylinders and thus pushing the vessel forward.
teEt° 6n
A.;re
The resisting surface would assume a horizontal position
during the backward movement, and thus offer no resistance,
and again became vertical during the forward movement of
h
ounce of power would be ex-
erted.--rredsp%itzdehu ns every
t oeftirly e B udder.
TPni
MAY IN IRELAND.—The following is the
present military force in Ireland, with the head-quarters and
depots of the different regiments, cavalry and infantry :
Cavalry-Ist Regiment of Dragoon Guards, Dublin • 3d,
Cahir ; 4th, Dublin ; sth, Newbridge ; 7th, Ballincollig ;
11th, or Prince Albert's Royal Hussars, Newbridge , 16th,
Queen's Lancers, Newbridge ; and Royal Horse Artillery,
Dublin. Infantry—let Regiment of Foot, 2d battalion,
Cork; 2d (depot), Kinsale; 3d (depot), Castlebar ; 4th,
Bury ; 6th ( depot), Cork ; 9th, Galway ; 14th, Limerick ;
6th (depot), Mullingar ; 16th (depot), Cork; 17th, Dublin,
27th and 31st, Limerick; 39th, Dublin; 40th, Cork, for
Australia; 41st (depot), Boyle; 43d (depot), Buttevant ;
46th, Belfast ; 47th (depot), Templemore ; 49th (depot),
Waterford ; 52d. Dublin ; 54th (depot), Londonderry ; 55th
(depot), Tralee; 57th, Kilkenny; 59th (depot), Ferule)),;
60th (Rifles), 2d battalion (depot), Kildare; 620, Athlone;
63d, Dublin; 68th (depot), Nenagh ; 71st, Ist battalion,
Newry, for Australia; 81st, Dublin; 89th, Cork, for Aus-
tralia; 91st, Cork; and 91st Enniskillen. Companies of
Royal Foot Artillery and Royal Engineers, Dublin. The
present force in Ireland is larger than it has been for the
previous six months, amounting to upwards of 22,000 men.
OLDHAM ELECTION.--Mr. Heald, the late candi-
date for Stockport, has been in personal communication with
the supporters of the late Mr. Duncuft, but it is reported
that he will not go to a contest unless a requisition, signed
by a majority of the electors, is forthcoming. Addresses,
signed by the Tory Radical party, have been placarded,
urging that it is the duty of the Radicals to support a Con-
servative candidate. On Thursday evening a meeting was
held to receive a deputation from tockport, and to hear the
political character of Mr. Heald. Mr. Ogden, a cotton-
inhcisoniasiasttteenhctyion of
t .50 Ihr. isl lea
politicalld'
spinner, took the chair, and introduced the deputation to the
meeting.h 51r. J. Baxter Langley, at great length, exposed
s political r
echadr
ee
reer
d, andhi arguedm
totally
thaet
unworthy of the support of the electors of Oldham. His ad-
dress, and those of the other members of the deputation, were
received with enthusiasm by a very crowded assembly.
SILVER MEDA
day (Friday)
all
the
FOR POLICR OFFlCERS.—Yester-
emeembers of the Liverpool police force
who were off duty
w
recently-appointed chief,rf inrt sstermbtled by Captain Greig, the
George's-hail, for
the purpose of witnessing the presentation fit.ait on f upwards of 100
silver medals to those facers with whose
long services was
1 (:ombined meritorious conduct. The men, upwards of 500
ibt number, having been drawn up in square round the steps
of the hall, were briefly addressed by Alqr. Tobin, the chairman
of the Watch Committee, after which those to whom the
honourable tokens were to be given were severally called out
of the ranks, according to their positions in the force, and
presented with the medals. They ate made of sterling silver,
and bear on one side the inscription, " Order of merit. Liver-
poo. force.
] Presented by the, Watch Committee to
as a reward for good conduct." On the obverse side is the
Liverpool arms, with the motto "Non nobis otia fecit." The
date is October 9, 1851, in commemoration of her Majesty's
1 visit to
Liverpool. They had one, two, or three bars, ac-
cording to the
length of service—one bar signifying 5
years;
The
two, 10 ; and three, 15.
medals were executed by Messrs.
Allan and Moore, of Birmingham.
A person, who recently had his butter seized by
the clerk of the market, for short weights, gave as a reason
that the cow from which the butter was made was subject
t'o the cramp, and that caused the butter to shrink in
VCight

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1852,

Railways. 1 Noming !Prices.