The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-27 00:00:00

PRIVATE AND JOINT-STOCK BANKS.

The Bankers' Magazine furnishes the returns of circu-
lation of the private and joiut-stock banks in England
and Wales fur the four weeks ending the 16th of Feb.,
1856, and gives the following as the average weekly cir-
culation of those banks during the past month, viz. :
Private banks ... ... £3,798,516
Joint-stock banks 2,b8J,601

Average weekly circulation £6,779,150
On comparing the above with tke returns for the pre-
ceding month, ending the 19th of Jan. last, it shows—
A decrease in the circulation of the private
banks of £114,708
A decrease in the circulation of the joint-stock
banks of 100,269

Decrease on the month
And, as compared with the return for the correspond-
ing period of the preceding pear—viz., Feb. 17, 1855, it
shows—
A decrease in the circulation of the private

banks of
A. docrease in tho circulation of the joint-stock
banks of

£14,239
25,830

Decrease on the yeas.

£40,0G9

On comparing the abov with the amounts of the fixed
issues, the following appears to be the comparative state
of the circulation :

The private banks are below their fixed issues £772,385
The joint-stock banks are below their fixed

issues

335,539

Total below their fixed i55ue5........ £1,107,924

SUICIDE OF A S.4.LES.IIAN NFITVGATE-
MARKET.-EXTIMOUDLYAKY CASE.

Mr. Wakley, the Coroner for the western division of
Middlesex, accompanied by Mr. Brent, the Deputy-
Coroner, held an inquest yesterday at the Victory Ta-
vern, Lower Holloway, touching the death of Mr. Thos.
Ward, aged 26, a meat salesman of Newgate-market,
who committed suicide on Saturday evening last at his
residence, No. 16, Barnsbury-place, Islington, under
somewhat extraordinary circumstances. He had been
greatly addicted to very intemperate habits for the last
few years, having been treated for delirium tremens.
He was a widower, having lost his wife about nine weeks
ago, and since that period he has been in a state of con-
stant inebriety, indulged in to assuage his feelings in
consequence of her lose.
Ann Park said that she was housekeeper to the de-
ceased, and was present at his death on Saturday even-
ing, a little after 7 o'clock, in the kitchen of the house.
About 20 minutes past 6, he came home in a cab, along
with two females (women of the town). He went into
the kitchen, and thence passed to the scullery. Wit-
ness followed him, when one of the femaes said some-
thing to her, and she stopped him ft an instant.
The young woman then told her about one of the bot-
tles of poison which he shad taken frog him in the
cab. At that moment he coughed ;n a strange
manner, when witness went into bin, and found
him near the window,holding on by the drerser. She asked
him what he had done, and loosened his neckcloth, when
be attempted to saysoniething, but was unahhand fell down
on his hands. She then got him in a chsir, and sent
one of the women for Mr. Huddlestone, the surgeon,
and the other for some neighbours, seve-al of whom
came in to her assistance. Mr. Huddles;one also ar-
rived in a few minutes. The deceased never spoke.
the stomach-pump wan used, but he died in a quarter
of an hour or twenty minutes afterwards. She found
two bottles on the dresser, one being a half-pint and
the other a small phial.
M.. Huddlestone here produced; the bottle alluded to,
together with some others that had been found upon
the person of the deceased. There were five small
phials, all filled with essential oil of bitter almonds, and
bearing the labels of several chemists in Islington, and
upon the label was printed the words, "Twenty lour
drops are sufficient for a pint of custard." They must
have been easily obtained.
The Coroner said that the practice of selling those
things in that way wan abominable. The word " poison"
was not even written upon one single phial, those
Phials containing at the same time one of the strongest
poisons existing.
The jury returned a verdict that he had destroyed his
life by poison whilst in a state of temporary insanity.