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

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 Bank 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
theundertaking.anticipations
to the
is sh opwr
no
tohteehr atnd he directorsooofi
ptlheee
fh
tahvee
Tcwomeemd,amndeeyd s
sa 1 lf
eel hy
buen
be cir
oouui vocalght instuocc es s
wn
ohritchh
ope-
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
far the half-year ending the 30th of June last.
This would b 3 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 1,250/. 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. 10s. Bd. has been applied to the gradual liqui-
dation of the amount expended in buildings and fur-
niture, while an unappropriated balance of 5371. 18e.
2d. has been carried to next year's account. The
actual profit of the bank, then, has been—

..-C. s. d.
1,250 0 0
1,2.50 0 0

For dividend . . ••• • •
For reserved fund ... •••
For gradual liquidation of amount
expended on buildings and furniture
Balance unappropriated

517 10 8
537 18 2

X 3,555 8 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 of affairs,
on which
and the shareholders, who have had such ample
we cordially congratulate the directors
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 for a few hour? 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 °O 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-011, these things used to be
better done in our time. They could not have
been positively. The mist en scene 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.—
, Merning Post, Aug. 3.

A FEW WORDS TO OLD MAIDS AND
BACHELORS.
(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, aro 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 an aged couple who, by great perse-
verance, have acquired possession of immense wealth,
and are living in a style of ease and splendour, which is
no more than their reward of their long life of industry.
Will anybody. say that the children or " 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 if
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-
Man 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.
The resisting surface would assume a horizontal position
during the backward movement, and thus offer no resistance,
and again become vertical during the forward movement of
the piston-rods; thus every ounce of power would be ex-
erted.— Cor respondent of the Builder.

THE ARMY 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 Ilussars, Newbridge , 16th,
Queen's Lancers, Newbridge ; and Royal Horse Artillery,
Infantry—lst 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), Fermoy ;
60th (Rifles), 2d battalion (depot), Kildare; 62d, 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 upward% 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 htockport, and to hear the
length,au d exposedargued
political character of Mr. Heald. Mr. Ogden, a cotton-
spinner,
inegoinillsteru.
eJy.
ofß a7sxirt.ernLeaanidg,laepyo,
political
tival
ft;l:.eineitiiehr, took the chair, and introduced the deputation to the
the inconsistency his inattention
to his political duties rendered him totally
unworthy greatca career,
of the support of the electors of Oldham. His
ad-
dress, and those of the other members of the deputation, were
received with enthSILVER mEousiasm by a very crowded assembly.
day (Friday) all
the members of the Liverpool police force
duty were assembled
recently-appointed chief, in by Captain Greig, the
front of St. George's-hall, for
the purpose of witnessing the
presentation
silver medals to those officerswitlaof upwards of 100
whose
combined meritorious conduct. Thelong services was
men, upwards of 500
in number, having been drawn up
in square round the steps
of the hall, were brietiy addressed by Mr. ' •
robin the chairman
of the Watch Committee, after h whlc. 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 are made of
sterling silver,
and bear on one side the inscription, " Order of merit. Liver-
pool force. Presented by the Watch Committee to
as a re
ward 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
visit to Liverpool. They bad one, two, or three bars, ac-
cording
to the length of service—one bar signifying 5 years;
two, 10; and three, 15. The 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
to the cramp, and that caused the butter to shria in
weight!