The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-19 00:00:00

IRISH AND SCOTCH BANK RETURNS.

The returns of circulation of the Irish and Scotch
banks for the four weeks ending the 24th of December,
1853, when added together, give the following as the
average weekly circulation of these banks during the
past month, viz.:--
Average circulation of the Irish banks £5,453,227
Average circulation of the Scotch banks... 4,112,787

Average circulation during the past month £10,566,014
On comparing the above with the fixed issues of the
several banks, as given in the Banking Almanac, the
following appears to be the state of the circulation :

The Irish banks are above their fixed issue... £98,733
The Scotch banks are above their fixed issue 1,025,578

Total above fixed issue £1,124,311

The amount of gold and silver held at the head offices
of the several banks during the past month have been
as follows :

Gold and silver held by the Irish banks £1,963,220
Gold and silver held by the Scotch banks.., 1,559,170

Total of gold and silver held £3,527,390
These returns, combined with the average circulation
of the Bank of England for the same period, show a
decrease of 1,242,0681. in the circulation of notes in Eng-
land, and a decrease of 1,341,7601. in the circulation of
the United Kingdom, when compared with the month
ending the 26th of November ; and, as compared with the
month ending the 25th of December, 1852, the above
returns show a decrease of 1,214,616/. in the circulation
of notes in England, and a decrease of 98,1071. in the
circulation of the United Kingdom.
The average stock of bullion held by the Bank of
England in both departments during the month ending
the 24th of December was 15,424,040/., being a decrease
of 187,2351. as compared with the previous month, and
a decrease of 5,884,1851. when compared with the same
period of 1852.
The stock of specie held by the Scotch and Irish
banks during the month ending the 24th of December
was 3,527,3901., being an increase of 72,3831. as
•
compared with the previous return, and an increase of
835,778/. when compared with the corresponding period
in 1852.

FATAL FALL FROM A WINDOW IN BILOWNLOW-STREET
—Yesterday afternoon information was received by
Thomas Wakley, Esq., coroner, of the death of Emma
Wedderburn, who resided at No. 19, Brownlow-street,
Drury-lane, under the following melancholy circum-
stances :—lt appears the unfortunate woman was in the
service of Mr. Strachan, grocer, and was cleaning the
third floor back window, a height of 50 feet, when by
some means she overbalanced herself, and fell to the
ground with a frighful crash. An alarm was instantly
raised, when Mr. Strachan sent for a surgeon, who
promptly arrived, and found the skull fractured, besides
other extensive injuries. She gradually sank and ex-
pired. The inquest will be held this day at the King's
Arms, Castle-street, Long-acre.
LIABILITY OF RAILWAY COMPANIES.—A decision on
the long-contested point of the liability of railway com-
panies to carry what are called "packed parcels" was
given on Tuesday in the Court of Common Pleas. Se-
veral years back certain persons commenced acting as
agents for the collection of various small packages, which
they made up into a few large ones, and forwarded to
provincial towns, such as Sheffield, Glasgow, Sac., where
they caused the contents to be delivered to their re-
spective addresses. A great convenience to trade was
thus obtained, since the charge for each item was ren-
dered so small that many things of the cheapest kind
were transmitted backward and forward for samples or
for alterations and repairs, which could not have been
sent at all if the several owners had each had to pay for
a distinct parcel. The London and North-Western
Company, fancying that the system deprived them of
large profits, endeavoured in the first instance to make
a higher demand for al'. such parcels, but failed, be-
cause, as common carriers, they had no right to
make one person pay more than another for the same
description of service, and they could never enforce
the restriction with uniformity, since, in that case,
every box or parcel containing the slightest article
for any individual other than the person to whom it was
addressed must have been dealt with on the same prin-
ciple. They refused, however, even after this, to aban-
don their resistance, and to accept the liability with good
grace, as involving, for the moment, an apparent loss,
but ultimately, from the extension of business to which
it would lead, a certain gain. Accordingly, it appears
to have been resolved to put obstacles in the way by
declining to transmit the obnoxious parcels, or those
which they chose to regard as such, beyond the limits of
their own line, which terminates, as respects Glasgow,
at Preston, and as respects Sheffield, at Rugby. It was
shown, however, that they continued to book all ordi-
nary parcels to those towns in the usual manner, under
an arrangement with the connecting lines ; and the point
has now been settled that, as common carriers, they are
not justified in making the fresh distinction they have
attempted. "They cannot," it was observed by the
court, "say they will carry for 99 persons to Sheffield,
and as respects a particular person that they will only
carry to Rugby." As carriers to Sheffield for everybody
else, they must carry in the same manner for the parties
1 in question.