The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-17 00:00:00

£l6O 840 18 4

To balance of unappropziatcd profits
brought, down £112,158 13 4

The OILIIRMAN raid he had great pleasure arid satis-
faction in representing the board on the present occa-
sion. This being merely a special half-yearly meeting
for the production of the accounts, in accorciance with
the wish of the proprietors expressed two or three years
ago, it would otily be his duty to call their attention to
the satisfactory state of the establishment. Each of the
items contained in she report showed that the business
had progressed in a very remarkable mannr,r. The
director% had ben enab!od to carry to the reserve
fund, as the unappropriated profits of last half-year, the
sum of 12,0001.—(Hear, heer.) He trusted that the
prosperous condition of the bank might continue during
the next half-year, and that, at the next meeting, the
chairman who would then occupy the honourable position
he now filled, might bo able to recommend to them a
mode of dealing with the unappropriated profits over and
above the 100,0001.—(Hear, hear.) The Chairman c,.ua-
eluded by moving that the report ba received, adopted,
printed, arid circulated among the proprietors.
The motion was seconded, and unananously agreed to.

Mr. MURRAY wished to move a vote of thanks to the
directors for their services during the past halt year;
but before doing so he would maSe one or two observe-
tions in regard to a matter which had lately become
public—he meent the robbery at the branch of the Lou-
c,an and Westminster Bank in St. James's square. Va-
rious things had been said to the prejudice of the bank,
both in the newspapers and by persons in private con-
versation. The back had, consequently, suffered to
a certain extent from those rumours, but he at-
tributed this to the fact of the public being
ignorant of the real circumstances under which the event
took place. lie was anxious, therefore, to give the di-
rectors an opportunity of stating to the proprietors what
in reality did happen, in order to satisfy their minds
that nothing had been done by any of the officers to the
prejudice of the interests of the bask.—(Hear.) He
had every reason himself to believe that no blame what-
ever attached to any of the officers.—(Bear, hear.)
It would appear from the statements contained
in the newspapers that the cash-box at the bank
in St. James's-square W 23 constantly left exposed
to the depredations of thieves. Now as he kept
an account there, he had occasion to visit the bank
very constantly, but he never saw the cash-box brought
out or exposed, except on those occasions when the
manager took a key out of his pocket and opened a
strong box for the purpose of taking it out. Tnerefore
if it had gone forth to the public that there had been
any indiscretion on the part of the officers, ho, at least,
thought it right tiiat the directors, for their own sake as
well as that of the officers, should say such was
not the case. Ho had certainly always seen
the contrary. It had also been rumoured that informa-
tion as to the cash-box had been given by some one con-
nected with the bank, and it was desirable that the di-
rectors should say whether they had entire confidence in
their officers.—(Hear.) Having made these observa-
tions, he would say with reference to the motion, that
ho was perfectly satisfied with the proceedings of the
directors, and he was confident the result shown
by the report was in every respect highly
pleasing to tho proprietors. He had great pleasure
in proposing that the thanks of the meeting should be
given to the directors.
Mr. LEVY seconded the motion, which was carried.
The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, said he was very
much obliged to Mr. Murray for putting the question,
because it would enable him to make a statement of the
whole circumstances, and he begged to be understood as
speaking, not only for himself; but for his colleagues,
and the whole establishment. There could be no
doubt that such rumours as those referred to
by the honourable proprietor were calculated to
injure the bank. When they were entrusted with four
millions and a half of money belonging to the public,
they were justified in expecting that they took care of
the ordinary sums which it was necessary to have in
hand to meet cash payments in the course of their busi-
ness. He might mention that in the year 1834 the de-
posits were extremely small, but now they had as much
as 4,400,0001. to take care of.—(Cries of " Hoar, hear.")
No doubt, when accidents of this kind occurred, the
public were startled, and exaggeraied reports got
into circulation. The board were convinced that, how-
ever the robbery might have been planned, designed, or
carried out, no one in the establishment was in any shape
or way a party to giving any information whatever, and
they felt therefore just as safe in regard to the gentlemen
in their employ as at any former period.—(Cheers.) It
had been the anxious wish of the board in
selecting officers not merely to select efficient
gentlemen, but gentlemen in education, conduct,
and character, and in regard to their morals and be-
haviour he believed the establishment would bear com-
parison with any other either in the metropolis or in any
part of the country.—(Hear.) He stood there to state
publicly that after the strictest examination and inquiry
the directors were perfectly satisfied that no individual
in the bank was in any way concerned in the deeply-
planned robbery in which the parties found themselves
so completely foiled, and to their own cost. There
were a class of persons whose profession it was to
plan bank robberies, and it was not astonishing that such
an establishment as the London and Westminster Bank
should pass under their view as a place where, by ad-
dress if not by force, some property might be ab-
stracted. It was very likely, also, that in the course of
business at this branch some person might have gone
into the manager's room for the purposes of ascertaining
whether he could transfer into his own hands by fair or
foul means a portion of the money which might be
there deposited. Since the event had occurred
the directors had reason to believe that on six successive
Saturdays at four o'clock, when the bank was most
crowded with customers, certain persona were in the
habit of prowling about the premises. It had been asked
how a stranger could know what was going on in the
manager's room. The explanation was. this. Though
there were blinds which closed the manager's room from
the view of persons in the public part of the bank, yet
when the place was crowded, it would not be difficult
to see a box or anything else in that room. For
four successive Saturdays the parties came, but were
unsuccessful,
rob-
bery was • When information of the intended
received the box was purposely exposed, and
the manager turned his back intentionally; accordingly,
when the box was secured by the two thieves, instead of
finding a valuable
prize, they discovered that they bad
laid hold of a bait. The public had now reason to con-
gratulate themselves on having got rid of two old prac-
titioners, at least for some years to come.—(Hear,
hear.) He could not believe it possible that any
proprietor thought such a large amount as had
been stated was constantly kept exposed on the
counter in a tin cash-box. That was contrary to
the practice and usage of all banks. Bankers wore
usually in the habit of keeping notes in actual use in
what were called note-books, and the object
of this box wag to deposit new notes,
which customers sometimes required or preferred.
That was the plain history of the whole affair. It was
a circumstance to which everybody was liable.—(Hear,)
factory to the meeting, and do away
He hoped the explanation he had given would be satis-
with the false im-
pression which now prevailed on the subject.—(Cheers.)
lii reply to a Proprietor, the CHAIRMAN said no such
a 'sum as 100,0001. ever entered the box under any cir-
cumstances.
to Mr. Gilbert, the
A vote of thanks having
he general
cha
ir,
the'ed to the directors,
manager,
been twe'et-1
maenedt i nt )g
tsheep aCr. ha
taei dr

Dispatetes were sent off last evening from the Co!onial-
office for the Governors of the West India Colonies.