The Sun.
London, England, 1825-01-25 00:00:00

THE KING V. LAING.

This was a rule obtained in the last term by Mr. Evans, call.
ing on an attorney- at Lincoln to show cause why a criminal
information should not be exhibited against him for endeavour-
ing to provoke Mr. Gresham to fight a duel with Mr. Fisher of
that city.
Mr. SCARLET' now showed cause against the rule, which
he thought the Court would not have granted if they knew the
real situation of the party applying. :lir-Gresham, who com-
plained that the defendant wished him to fight a duel, had been
a waiter at a tavern, aid was the common subject of jests among
his friends. Some person, by way of hoax, wrote him a chal-
lenge in bad English, and Alt. Laing, to carry on the jest, bor-
rowed a pair of old pistols without flints as lie came down West-
street, and laughed at him on the Subject ; but never, as the
affidavit asserted, followed him through the town. The truth
was, the motion was suggested by a rival attorney, who promis.
ed to conduct it for 5/. _ .

Mr. EVANS submitted, that if persons would rnake.practical
jests, they ought to pay for them, and that .it Was clear, Mr.
6reshain did not think' the conduct of Mr. Laitail'aluerAt jest
when he was contented to pay W. for redress.

Couß'r, adverting to the statements respecting the
interference of the rival attorney, discharged the rule with.
out costs.

MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

The following strange story appears in a Morn-
ing Paper, under the head of Private Correspon-
dence :

" RAMBOUILLET, JAN.—In the early part of last July a
midwife, living in the small town of Chevrense, a short dis.
tance from Rambouillet, was sent for by a young gentleman,
who had just arrived in the town. He informed the midwife
that his object in wishing to see her was for the purpose of se-
curing her attendance at the accouchement of a young lady,
but which event was not expected to take place for several
months. The gentleman gave her some money and departed,
previously informing her, that her assistance would be required
some time in January. On the 7th inst. she received a visit from
a second individual, who told her that it was necessary to call
immediatley on the young lady, of whom she had heard in July
last; it was stipulated, in order to prevent a discovery, that it
was necessary the midwife's eyes should be blindfolded. The
woman consented, after some hesitation, and was led by this
gentlemen a short distance, as she supposes, from the town.
On her arrival at the place of residence of the young lady, a
tall man presented himself, and placing the midwife upon his
shoulder, descended a great number of steps, and suddenly
taking off' the handkerchief that had covered her eyes, she found
herself in a subtcrraneous apartment. She discovered, in one
of the corners, a small bed, upon which a young female was
lying ; and by her side was a still-born infant, whose death,
she thought, had been occasioned by the unskilfulness of the
person who had performed the office of midwife. After a short
time, the midwife declared that a second birth was about
to take place, which assertion was verified in less than
an hour. The child was alive and appeared strong.—
Shortly after the second accouchement, a gentleman entered the
apartment, whom she immediately recognized as the stranger
who had visited her in July ; he was followed by an elderly
gentleman, who stood a few minutes by his side; both of them
looking attentively at the young female, but neither of them
uttering a word. The elderly person seized an opportunity,
when the young gentleman's back was turned, to plunge a dag-
ger into the bosom of the unfortunate youth : he fell, and im-
mediately expired. The midwife fainted, and when she re-
covered her senses, she found herself lying by the side of a trte,
half a mile from Chevreuse. The police are very active m
clearing up this horrible and mysterious murder. If any
discovery is made, you shall hear from me Gainon the
subject."

CUPAI.—Mr. JAMES BISSET, our poet, who
Some time`since sent a copy of the volume he lately published
to the Right Hon.. GEonol: CAN ittrw, has been honoured
with a reply by that distinguished statesman ; on opening
which, a handsome and substantial proof cll. his patronagg of
the Muses) greeted the delighted eyes of the poet......r.rife
Herald. ~,~_.

violets,' polyan.
The
uNprethifinah Motferpci;re.Yor72; :09
9m14
in which
!Ise
wnroitiz
and wall-flowers, all plucked from our garden,
standingat
h guistma s,
and grown in the gen' air, a day or two ago. On the 17th we
heard the thrush singing f
or the first time this spring.winter.—
scotgontasin,ing a rose, Slunk, )11111'03es,
( Cossey, Jan. 214")

IRISH PROVINCIAL BANKS.

We have reason to believe, that the informa-
tion. conveyed by an Irish Paper in the interest
of the Bank of Ireland to be correct, and that
oar readers mho may be disposed to contribute
their means towards the improvement will be
-pleased to find, that there is not any truth in the
report that the Bank of Ireland intends to oppose
the Provincial Banks of Ireland.
" A paragraph appeared in a Journal of last evening, which
i!as been copied into some of the Morning Papers, advocating
the principle of Joint Stock Companies, at the expence of the
Bank of Ireland, against which some very invidious, and, we
ac+ Confident, most unfounded aspersions, have been cast. The
Bank is accused of attempting to " crush the rising energies of
Ale nation, in an underhand manner, with all the petty and
unworthy spirit of rivalry—not with a view of benefitting the
public, but solely to increase their own profits." This is a
grave and serious charge against a public body, and one that
'snood not be made or entertained on slight grounds. The
accusation appears toirest onithe following supposititious circum-
stances-4 namely, that the National Bank has opposed the
establLshment of Joint Stock Companies in this country, and
is about to form Branch Banks in the Provincial Towns,"
to the exclusion of those already contemplated. Now, to any
p_rson at all acquainted with the construction of the National
Bank.; tile privileges it enjoys, the limitations to which it is
subject, its'restriction of capital, and the correspondence on
v.: occasions upon these very subjects, recorded amongst
the public documents of the country, the accusation made
scarcely requires refutation. But as many who read the charge
may be unacquainted with the facts, we think it necessary, in
+justification of the Bank, to state the following :
" The capital of the National Bank is restricted to three mil-
lions.--and this is an extension of recent date, and the Blnk
Act specially interdicts them from issuing any bills, notes, or •
securities exceeding that amount. No man will surely contend,
that three millions is a sum sufficient to constitute the sole cir-
enlatin, medium of a country such as this. For some years
private Bankers' notes have been in bad repute throughout the
kingdom, and we have, therefore, adopted the word sole, as
best conveying that which is universally known to be the fact.
The privilege—or monopoly, as it is invidiously called—of the
National Bank, does not extend beyond fifty miles of the Me-
tropolis ; and the correspondence between Lord Liverpool, Mr.
It'ansittart, and the Governor, at the period when their Charter
was about being renewed, clearly recognizes the right,-one not
contended for, nor, we believe, now sought to be questioned,
of Joint Stock Companies establishing themselves in the pro-
vincial towns. The accusation made that the National Bank
is now about to establish branches in the country, is not only
preposterous, but must, of necessity, be unfounded. It is pre-
posterous, because the adoption of such a measure would be an
admission-of its necessity, and would be the strongest and most
- powerful argument capable of being adduced by those inte-
rested in the formation of Joint Stock Companies, in the event
of opposition. It must be unfounded, because it is matter.of
pub-
notoriety that at the period •of the failures of the Southern
Banks, Government interference was used to induce the Gover-
nor and Directors ..to de that of which they are now accused,
namely, to establish Branch Banks in the southern towns, and
which they were obliged to decline for this obvious reason, that
extension of business required increase of capital, and the
clause in the Act rendered it impossible for them to issue notes
beyond the amount to which they were restricted. We will not
suppose that they are -.capable of doing that for their own per-
sonal agirandisement, which they were incompetent to achieve
for the public good ; nor that they are disposed to skew any
opposition to a measure of such benefit to the country, as that
proposed by the establishment of .loint Stock Companies.
41' We are as strenuous advocates for the introduction of
ikitish capital into Ireland, as fully impressed with the incal-
culable advantages it would confer upon this unfortunate coun-
tl.v, as can be any of our contemporaries; but we would not
aitvance this great object by depreciating such an establishment
n..s • -Are -National Bank—one Which has hitherto deserved and
enjoyed the public coraidence.; and one which, we venture to
assert, is incapable of acting in the manner attributed to it in
the paragraph to which we have been alluding." ..