The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-03 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS.
CITY, TUESDAY EVENING.
TIMES.—The swindling case at Windsor, described in the
Times of to-day and yesterday, has formed a leading subject
of conversation among the banking circles in the City, and it
is generally thought that an important lesson is afforded
against heedlessness in giving out cheque-books.
The case is really this :—A person goes to a banker with
a cheque drawn upon another banker, who lives at a sufficient
distance to render immediate presentation impossible, and on
the strength of this cheque opens an account and obtains a
cheque-book, by which he is enabled to dazzle the eyes of
various tradesmen. Even if he meets with one more sceptical
than the rest, he is able to send the objector to the banker
(here Messrs Neville Reid and Co), being sure that all
iuquiries will meet a satisfactory answer, provided that the
time which is occupied: by the original cheque going to its
destination and coming hack has not expired. When that
cheque returns dishonoured, of course the scheme is " blown,'
as was actually the case.
It is quite clear that the whole deep-laid plan of the frau-
dulent party was to obtain possession of a blank cheque
bock. He contemplated no advance of money, nor of pro-
perty of any kind, but simply a blank cheque-book, with a
reference springing out of it, which would last two or three
days. To those who would look at the matter with a
merely legal eye, and consider a blank cheque-book as a mere
form signitying nothing, the swindler will appear to have
taken a great deal of pains for a very little object. But
practically it was a very great object, and this the " gentle-
manly-looking man" knew well enough. He knew that in
the eyes of inexperienced tradesmen the possession
of a cheque-book was some sort of evidence that the
eesnailliowghifsrerah het rote !a upon the document would be forth-
banker. Had he written his cheque upon
a piece of white paper, he would probably have dune
nothing, but there is a certain magic combina-
tion of copper plate and manuscript which ibicll
h
common eyes, e-peciall.)
when accompanied by a mpiPaZaTsiftittyo
of manner in the person who delivers the document. Tbis is
so well known in London. that some of the bankers, wheia
they give the cheque-bo.,k to a customer, accompany it with
a precaution that it should be kept under lock and key, lest
it, should find its way into improper hands. Some of the
joint-stock banks adopt the further precaution of stamping
the book of each customer with a particular number, so that
if any of the blanks are impropeyustehde, twhre(s)nghapvreoeaetedaned.y
rate some clue to the source whence l
one of John Smith's blank
Thus, if a forgery is committed
cheques, the bankers know at once thate o
it was
whoast hadornfrom
John smith's book, and probably by sow
ac-
cess to John Smith's strong box.
The general view taken here is, tha,.ttthhetheWindsor
blank banker
s
is were imprudent in parting so readily
cheque-
book. At all events, they should have waited for the return
of the cheque, and ascertained that the money was in their
coffer, before they gave the power of drawing. But even
this precaution would have fallen far short of that which is
adopted by the more prudent bankers in London, who will
not open an account with a person unless he gives a respect-
able reference, or at any rate a satisfactory account of him-
self, though he presents a bundle of Bank of England notes,
or a bag of hard sovereigns. Many swindlers on a large
scale, if they have scraped together a few hundreds, would be
glad to open a bonii-fide account with some banking-house of
good standing, and thus secure a respectable reference in
the event of some inconvenient curiosity. Against such
perversions of banking as this the London banker is particu-
larly on his guard, though we suppoe at Windsor, where a
cheque tn a banker two days' journey off, paid in by an
utter stranger, is deemed at once to be good, such precautions
would be thought fastidious in the extreme.
HERALD.__e are enaLled to state that Lord Aberdeen
has intimated to Mr. M`Lane, the American Minister in
London, that our Government have determined to offer their
mediation for the arrangement of all differences between
Mexico and the United States. The necesary instructions
and full powers for the purpose will be forwarded to Mr.
Pakenham by the Caledonia steamer, the letters for which
are made up to-morrow evening. This is a matter of very
great importance, and every friend to humanity and justice
must ardently desire that the mediation may have a success-
ful result. It is further understood that our Government has
ascertained that the offer of mediation will not be unaccept-
able to the Executive of the United States.

%Weft atseakistacdon havtg aris,•n itmon the artisans
tuffreged iirre production of the Llama Clothin the West of
Enett, lay reaaon of a rumour that it wasAise istention of
• - rs. Nieolt of Regent-street, to remove.atrch umlau-
t - facture neetrerto" e metropolis, those gentlemen have issued
s_eireular deaTigg uch to be their purpose, and which has
elegrgllP a large b•dy of men.

L
IN/

c combats, had far greater difficulties to contend with, and
burdens of a very different weight hanging over our
beads. I feel confident that the policy followed since
1840 has much to do with this serenity, and that the
Government has contributed to bring about this happy
state of things. For my part, I congratulate myself
that, notwithstanding the violent attacks which have
been directed against the Government, we are at present
in such a position as to be able to hear without inconve-
nience everything that may be alleged in this trioune."
—(Loud applause and great agitation.)
IN TEE SITTING OF NAT 29.
M. TRIERS, after a few observations on the increase
of the National Debt, again recurred to the subject of
the relations of the Ministers with the Crown. He had
three times brought that question before the Chamber.
The first was in a great debate, is which he had ob-
tained the support of MM. Guizot and Duchatel ; the
second on the occasion of a member of the Cabieet be-
ing Ambassador at London ; and the third when the
discussion of the incompatibilities had been brought
forward. He was altogether of opinion that France had
given herself to her King, and that she was fortunate in
meeting with such a prince ; but he (M. Thiers) must
be also permitted to say that it was a great happiness
for that prince to reign over so great and noble n court•
try as France.—(Hear, hear) As to the conditions of
the contract, he had no need to repeat them—the Cham
ber knew them all.
111. Dt:FIN (pointing to the picture over the President's
chair, of the King swearing to observe the Charter)
There is the representation of the sacred act I (Ap-
plause from the left.)
M. TRIERS was deeply attached to the monarchy.
hs but the
The savage nations of Asia also had
people of France could not be
Under the Restoration, a generous king ex-
govmegeladrelik'e them.
go,od and
ex-
isted, but he was persuaded that if the
.opposition earned
ground, he would lose his head on the
hurled scaffold
.pee
Ministry, and urged matters to ; he
governed with that idea,
worked against the Mei-epee
such a point that Franc,
rose up one day, and him from the throne
They all had sprung from the Restoration, and they be.:
lieved that what was required was the existence of re-
sponsible :Ministers—Ministers who were independent,
who protected the Crown, and who aid not stand aside
before it.—(Hear, hear.) Ministers who thus gave way
allowed the evil and the good to pass equally by. He
maintained that Ministers ought to completely cover and
protect the Crown. They ought to have a firm will ;
this he conceived to be a necessity of their constitutional
system. Some attempts had been made to connect to-
gether a speech of his with the late attempt against the
King's life—at least some of the journals had endea-
voured to do so. He protested against such insinuations,
though it was scarcely necessary, after the many proofs
which be had given of his devotedness to the throne.—
(" Hear, hear," from the left.) He should terminate by
saying that, if the present Ministry was not to last for
ever ; if, some day or other, circumstances should in-
duce the Crown to have recourse to a Ministry now
appearing impossible, and that he should be sent for to
take part in the counsels of the Crown, he should bring
with him the greatest devotedness ; if he found himself
in accord with the King, he should be truly delighted ;
if not, he should retire. He thought that such pride
was better than that of the men who lowered themselves,
not to keep power, but merely the appearance of it.—
(" Hear, hear," from the left.)
MINISTER of FOREIGN AFFAlRS—Whenever the Hon.
M. Thiers has attacked the Ministry, he said—" You are
mere instruments ; if I had been satisfied to do like you,
I could have remained Minister."—(Agitation.)
TRIERS —I never said that I
MINISTER of FOREIGN AFFAIRS—That was the sense,
if not the text, of the Hoe. Deputy's words ; and what
did that signify, if not that there was an influence that
made and unmade Ministers ? If the Opposition had
said that the Ministry was feeble and perverse, and
allowed the Crown to take too much parr in one of the
powers of the State, he should have nothing to say.—
(Violent exclamations on the left.) He was astonished
that the distinction was not observed, and he would re-
peat his remark.—(Hear, hear.) They might accuse
the Ministry of weaknese corruption, or even worse,
but they could accuse them alone.—(Applause.) This
was not done when they said, '° IF I had done as you did
I might still be a Minster."—(Adheeien from the
centre.) He had already said, and repeated, the part of
a constitutional Minister consisted in the maintenance of
a good accord between the three great powers of the
state. Tout this was a great labour for Ministers was
incontestable. Before the Chambers they defended the
laws which were brought before them, and with the
Crown they fulfilled an analogous mission ; they entered
into discussion with it and induced it to consent to what
appeared to them good and useful.—(llovement on the
left.) The Crown was not a seat on which a bar was
placed that no one might sit thereon ; it was not a door
closed to all ambitions, to all toessiens ; it was more than
that, it was an active sad real part 01 their Government
institutions.
M. 0. EARROTT —You are quite right.
MINISTER of FOREIGN AFFAIRS— l'he Crown was an
intelligent person, which had its ideas, its sentiments,
and its desires, like other animated beings. That person
bad rights and duties ; his duty was to p,•)vern con •
fornoahly to the eharter, and in accord with the great
public powers. Tnat duty had never failed, and would
never be waning —(Movement.) He repeated that the
Crown was an intelligent person, and not a mere ma-
chiue made to occupy a elate, which others might take.
A Voice--And the Queen of England.
MINISTER of FOREIGN AFFAIRS--If the Hon. Mem-
ber who had interrupted him had known what took
place in England—if he was aware that one of the
greatest measures—Catholic emancipation, had been
postponed for twenty years because Sir R. Peel, power-
ful as he was. could not persuade the s;TOWT4 to acquiesce
in it, he would tot have inters upted him.
A Voice—lt was, howt ver, eventually passed.
MINISTER Of FoREIGN AFFAIRS—Did the lion.
Deputy know why ? He would tell him. Because in
England there was no Minister who would wish to im-
pose a despotic will on others ; because in England
all political men, all Ministers, knew that it was neces-
sary to treat and discuss with the Crown, and they did
so. That was how things were conducted in England,
and the same course should be pursued here. He had
the day before used the expressien " stand aside," in face
of the throne. He was net the first who had employed
it. Lords Chatham and Grey had used it, a:-d the
latter had done so in order to give William IV. all the
honour of carrying the Reform Bill. Ho had used the
word in the same sense in which the above Nobleman
had employed it, in order to give the King the credit for
all the good that was done. But when the question was
no longer to " stand aside," but to shield the Crown
against the accusations brought against the Government,
the Cabinet would know how to fulfil its mission as well
as any other.—(Agitation, and cries of " Divide.")
The discussion was then declared to be closed.
The Chamber rose at a quarter to eight. and on a di-
vision, as our readers are already aware, the Ministers
obtained a majority of 73.