The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-19 00:00:00

Nrete,eem tinder these circumstances. It was said a cer-
taiti person fs'a4 b;.,eff
,epppint6el executor to the will of a living
person, and by soffit, leeeeee:re' fi,e'ud had represented that I
the party was dead, and so dl'l4slieVi'ed lideik to a large
amount. He wished to knoe whether ari;•, teliesnqsfeeteesstion had
taken place, and if correct, what was the amount
TNe G'esTINOR could give a very easy and ,atisfactory ail,
swer to the quts!,i7s,eses-neerch transaction had taken place.
A PROPRIETOR beggeu te'sk tlllther the branch banks had
been, and ware still, a source of proiTti :ie'thes nrporation ?
The GOVERNOR had great pleasure in tayiiigt647 they were
still a source of considerable profit.—( Hear, hear. )
Mr. G0L11,3311D. opposed the amendment, because it would
lied serf, of slap hi the face to the Directors ; it would, in fact,
app&iiitine.- a freer body of Directors, to which he could never
consent.
Mr. COOK would thie amendment, and if the Court
would allow him, he would state o' what grounds. He sup-
ported the amendment, because he thotight it just. He thought
no man who came and found his house brokers open but would,
if he had the spirit of a man, inquire the cause, and ii possible
punish the orenflees not only for his own protection, but been
a sense of public duty. bid they not remember that many
men had suffered the last penalty of the law for forging a 11.
note, and should they suffer a loss of 121 per MA. on dividend,
and of 35 ner cent. on capital, and submit to it in silenees and
thereby bri.eg on further aggressions of the Government. wilOs
as it appeafed to hint, endeavoured to destroy the profits of
the Corporation. 'File question resolved itself into one of
justice to the proprietary. This *le; he conceived, the wav
in which the Corporation had been for a length of time assailed,
and a; the natural guardians of the institution had not come
forward in its defence, the Corporation was brought almost to
the verge of rain. He thought these observat,ons not only
relevant bet rseessary to the consideration of the question.
He had a large interest in the Bank. and was entitled to be
heard, but would throw himself open the indulgence of the meet-
ing whether or not he should proceed.
Mr. D. SALOMONS rose and was proceeding to address the
meeting, when he was interrupted by cries of " Spokes spoke,"
and the G svernor intimated that Mr. Cooke was already in pos-
session o I the meeting.
elr. Cootie, resumed. He had published an address which
was sufficient to prove whether or not he was an enemy to the
Institution. He etas as great a friend to it as any man in the
room; but at the same time he must say he thought the Pro-
ps had no business to suffer Ate a single body for the
benefit of the country at large. Banking )sting so mixed up
in the science of political economy and with other things, as
rendered it the endeavour of each class to benefit their own
intereets only, the situation of the Proprietors was one of ex-
treme difficulty, dud if they were angels instead of men they
would not have given satisfaction to a vast number of individuals.
First, then, as related to the policy el eetehlishing the present
state of the Bank. The question of limited or unlimited
liability—of free trade in banking.—(Cries of " Qusestion,"
" Time.") And then, with regard to security, which 171/3 a
question of management which was approved by Mr. Horsley
Palmer, while Mr. Jones Lloyd, a banker of great experience,
condemned it.
air. FIELDER rose to order. The Hoff: Proprietor had
no right to refer to the opinion of a particular banker, each of
whom had one peculiar to himself.
Sir. COOKE asked what sort of a Judge the Honour-
Ale Proprietor would make if he decided when he had
heard only one side of a question. With regard
to the currency, they had Sir Henry Parnell, Sir.
Joplin, Mr, Thomas Attwood, Mr. Ricardo, and an Ameri-
can writer advocating so entire paper currency, and a free
trade in banking, and attributiree all those disasters and the
fall in prices that had taken place in 100 to Sir R. Peel's
Act. On the other hand, they had Sir R. Pee!, Mr. Hume,
Mr. D. C. Hardcastle, President Jackson, and others, stetvo-
eating a metallic currency, and attributing all these same mien
chiefs to the very opposite causes. By which were they
to be guided?—(Cries of " Hear, hear, hear.") Again
There was Mr. Tooke, an exceedingly clever writer, who
pointed out the advantages of having a bank of issue and a
bank of deposit combined, as being most beneficial to the inte-
rests of the country. Mr. Horsley Palmer'e evidence was to
the same effect, while the Times, and Chronicle, and 11-err-ad
in their usual style of vituperation, attributed all the mischiefs
of the day to the mismanagement, cupidity, ignorance, and
over issues of the Bank Directors.—( A laugh.) He
understood it had been stated that in consequence of the
misconduct of the Directors they were at one time
within fotty-eight hours of a state of bankruptcy. The pe-
nalty fe!' that misconduet would not fall upon the Directors, who
seldom hold more than a qualification, but upon the Proprie-
tors, and thus the greater was in danger of being swamped by
the lesser interest. They had no explanations—no balance
sheet—and when questions were asked, they were met with a
flat denial or a dead silence.
Mr. MARRIOTT ruse to order. These questions had nothing
to do with the question before them.
The CHAIrtetAN hoped that the Hon. Gentleman would cur-
tail his speech.—( Hear, hear. )
Mr. COOKE thought the affairs of the Corporation were very
improperly conducted. The Hon. Proprietor was much in-
terrupted. He would therefore conclude by saying
that he th ught the Committee ought to be appointed, in order
to watch the proceedings of the Committee appointed by the
House of Commons.
Mr. WILLIAMSON expected that the Hon. Gentleman
would have concluded with nothing less than an impeachment
of the Directors. He was therefore agreeably astonished to
hear him so highly eulogize them.
Mr. COOKE said he had been put down ; it was not therefore
fair to allow another Gentleman to answer an unconcluded
speech.
Mr. WILLIAMSON had not heard one valid argument
in favour of the so• called amendment. It was no
amendment, for it had no relation whatever to the original mo-
tion.—( Cries of " Question, question.")
The GOVERNOR, before putting the motion, said he begged
to inform the Court, that in the event of the amendment being
carried, they would get no dividend at all.—(Laughter.)
The amendment was then put, the only show of hands held
up in its favour being the mover and seconder. The original
motion was then put, and agreed to unanimously.
The GOVERNOR informed the Court that the dividend war-
rants would be ready and payable on Monday, 6th April.
A PROPRIETOR begged, to say a few words before the Court
adjourned. He objected to the Directors being charitable
with the money of the Proprietors. He would, therefore,
move that no money be given away by the Directors to re-
ligious or charitable institutions, without the consent of three-
fifths of the Proprietors.
The motion, not having been seconded, fell to the ground.
The question was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. FIELDER then rose and moved a vote of thanks to the
Court of Directors for their religious and charitable conduct in
the support they had given to benevolent institution.
Mr. EnwArty GOLDSMID seconded the motion.
A PROPRIETOR said, if he might be allowed to use the word
in a Corporation sense, these motions of thanks appeared to him
to be frivolous things.
Another PROPRIETOR observed a vote of thanks had been
given on the same account at the last meeting, and con-
sequently they were thanking the Directors twice over.
The question having been put, the vote of thanks was una-
nimously agreed to.
A PROPRIETOR asked whether or not the business had so
increased that it was necessary to enlarge their pre-
mises. (The Governor answered in the affirmative.) The
Hon. Proprietor said he was happy to hear it, because
at their last meeting, it was said they had less business, and
consequently smaller profits. Now there were so many mush-
room banks springing up, he was happy to hear their business
was increasing.
The GOVERNOR then returned thanks for the vote of thanks
to the body of Directors, and the meeting separated.

THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

HUNGERFORD MARKET.

A steady business, and prices as last quoted. Supplies tole-
rably good. Turbot, Bs. to 21s. ; Cod, 4s. to 12s. ; Salmon,
3s. to 3s. 6d. per lb. ; Lobsters, 2s. 6d. to 6s. ; Mackerel, Bd.
to Is. 2d. Beef, 70. to bid. ; Mutton, lid. to 84d. per lb. ;
Veal, Bd. to 9d. per lb. ; and Pork, 7i-d. to Sid.
BILLINGSGATE MARKET.

Supplies good, and demand brisk. Prices steady. Turbot,
is. to 20s. ; Cod, 4s. to 12s; Soles, 6d. to 4s. per pair ; Lob-
sters, ',:s. to 6s. ; Oysters, 245. to 60s. per bushel ; Mackerel,
4d. to lOd. ; Haddocks, Bd. to Is. ; and Salmon, 2s. 6d. to
33. per lb.