The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-23 00:00:00

giance. Well might the Lord Justice KNIGHT
BRUCE elicit the applause of his audience on

Friday last, when he said—" It is to be hoped
that the Legislature will take steps to pre-
vent the recurrence of conflicts and com-
plications such as the proceedings before us
exhibit and portend—miserable conflicts, distress-
ing complications, which itself has created—con-
flicts and complications characterised by the grave
frivolity, the costly uselessness, the sickening
delay, in which chicanery rejoices—conflicts and
complications which must embitter the anxiety
and add weight to the impression of sufferers
under nefariously-conducted schemes, such as the
thing ironically called the Royal British Bank—
conflicts and complications which to a civilised
people are nationally discreditable, and in a well-
governed country ought not to be encouraged."
It is a startling state of things indeed, deserving
of the severest reprobation, and calling for the
promptest and most effectual reform, when the
law to which we submit as our shield against
rogues and swindlers, is a ready instrument for
the most shameless extortion on the part of its
officers. What makes the matter worse, is the fact
that there never was a case in which cheap and
speedy justice was more desirable than in the
case of the creditors of the Royal British Bank.
The classes of which. they are composed, of all
others, best deserved the protection of the law,
for, besides the proof they have given of their
good citizenship in husbanding the savings of to-
day against future emergencies, those savings
were often comparatively small and always hardly
earned, while too frequently the want of them could
not but be attended with anxieties and sorrows of
immediate application, and great in proportion to
the desert of the sufferers. One's heart aches to
think of the misery " thil thing," by no means
ironically, but fraudulently called the Royal
British Bank, has occasioned. One's blood boils
at the misery our precious law has indirectly con-
tributed to the load.

If the judgment delivered on Friday does not
belie its promise, the suspense of the creditors
will shortly be at an end, is so, indeed, so far as
the rival Courts and their officials are concerned.
By it the official assignee appointed under the
fiat of bankruptcy is put in possession of the sole
management of the affairs of the Bank. All the assets
are to be handed over to him, and the result in
all probability will be the payment of a dividend
in the course of a few weeks. The defeated
party is allowed his share of the expenses. The
official assignee will not lose his expenses, and
will, moreover, be entitled to the customary
profits of his office. One way and another the
creditors have to look forward to a diminished
dividend. The necessities of many of them,
however, are so great, that a small dividend will
be accepted as a boon. Ultimately, it is to be
hoped, all will be put into possession of their
own, and the Royal British Bank will be finally
numbered with the swindles of the past. How-
ever this may be, it will be well if so glaring an
instance of fraud and oppression as it has afforded,
be turned to good account, and lead to an im-
provement in the law, which cannot, for the
general good, be effected too soon.

The metropolitan ratepayer has reason to be
grateful. Thanks to Sir B. HALL he may now
•it his Christmas pudding in contentment ;
He is not to be taxed, at all events exclusively,
to carry down the sewerage works below Erith—
so the worthy Chief Commissioner assures him ;
and he is not, over and above every other source
of congratulation, to be saddled with the cost of
woska which, for anything he knows to the con-
trary, may have to be taken up and constructed
over again. All the prestige which the star-
bedizened plan B could command has not sufficed
to commend it to the approval of the Radical
member for Marylebone. Of course it was cour-
teously received, but he nevertheless pretty
broadly intimated it would straightway be
put under surveillance. It was a suspicious
character, and he must have the report of
some trustworthy detectives, on it before he
could take any decisive step. The appointment
sought for it the plan might possibly be entitled
to, but it was just as probable it might not, and
others might have better claims. In other words,
he is about to refer it to a competent board of
three—two civil and one military—engineers,
thoroughly to overhaul it and test its claims, and
if they don't come up to the mark produce a plan
of their own, or approve of some one else's that
will. The Great Sewerage Question, in short, is
to be referred to a competent tribunal, whose
members will grasp it comprehensively and vigo-
rously, and we trust effectually, and give in their
report as speedily aspossible. This is surely matter
for rejoicing. Of all things your English citizen dis-
likes the prospect of paying more than he ought
for having his work properly done, next to that
of so paying, and having it all done so as
to necessitate his having to pay twice over,
and possibly oftener than that. The inhabitants
of Erith and other places down the river have
abundant cause for congratulation also. Their
interests are to have Imperial consideration, in-
stead of metropolitan no - consideration. The
question of how far the works should be carried
in justice to all parties is referred to the same
Commission for solution. They have but to put
their ease clearly before its members, and have it
supported, as it can be, to be delivered from the
apprehensions they have so warrantably entertained
of being scandalously victimised. Common sense is
outraged by those who say an outfall at Erith can
be otherwise than most pernicious to them and
theirs. Nothing but ignorance can palliate the
culpability of such an assertion. This ignorance
they must do their best to dissipate, especially
must they take care the Board of Engineers are too
well armed with facts to share it. Let them
remember the question which most concerns
them is to be considered first, and pre-
pare themselves accordingly. Nor let it
be forgotten the display of liberal feeling in rela-
tion to the question of contributing towards the
extension they desire will go a long way to insure
it. The metropolitan ratepayers' objections cease
when the extra amount is provided. The wisdom
of affording as few grounds of objection to the
taxpayer as possible, viewed in this light, must
be palpably apparent.

REDPATH OF THE GREAT NORTIIERN.

TO THE EDITOR OF TUE SUN.

SIII,—The report which has been going the round of the
public journals during the past week, that Leopald Red-
path was a member of the Athenaeum, is inaccurate, that
person's name never having been even entered in the
candidates' book.
Requesting the favour of your insertion of this contra-
diotion,--I am, sir, your obedient servant,
J. C. WEBSTER, Secretary.
Pall-mall, Monday.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE QUEEN'S CHEISTIIAS BOUNTY
Royal
her A
To THE POOL—Yesterday several hundred of the aged
poor of both sexes, above 60 years of age, attended at
the
Majesty'slmonr Christmas y Office,chrMmiaa ouddlbeSnetoy, whichtland-y wa
ard, to
receive 9
distributed by the almoners and sub-almoners, assisted
by the yeomen. Each person was presented with two
new half-crowns, coined at the Mint expressly for this
purpose. Amongst the recipients were ten above 90
years of age and two centenarians. The distribution
will be continued this day and to-morrow. Her Majesty
has also issued orders for a substantial Christmas dinuez
of beef and pudding to the poor of Windsor.