The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-14 00:00:00

IRISH BANKS.

At the Court of Proprietors of the Bank of Ire.
land held on Saturday, a dividend of 41 per cent.
for the half-year was struck, making, with the Mid-
summer dividend, 94- per cent. for the year. After
making the dividend, a sum of £BOO remained to be
added to the rest, which now amounts to £1,067,000.
The dividend at this time last year was 6 per cent. ;
but those were times of 10 per cent., and not of 3.
We have already expressed our opinion as to the
justice and wisdom of dividing each half-year's pm-
fits as they arise, and are glad to see it continued.
Following the course of the Bank of England, the
Bank of Ireland have made a reduction of 4- per
cent. in their charges. Tho rates are now as fol-
lows:—For the discount of English or Irish bills
not havingmore than 95 days to run, 3 per cent. per
annum : Scotch bills the same discount, with a
charge of 2s. 6d. per cent. in addition ; English and
Scotch bills, having less than 15 days to run, are
taken at a uniform charge of 2s. 6d. per cent., in
lieu of discount. Applications for loans, with the
collateral security of Government or Bank Stock,
will be received at 21 per cent. The statement of
accounts presented to the proprietors of the Hiber-
nian Bank at the annual meeting, although they dis-
closed a steady and not unprosperous state of affairs
exhibit less of improvement in proportion to that
witnessed elsewhere than might, perhaps, fairly be
expected from an institution of its acknowledged
respectability and standing, and an opinion is
freely expressed that a little more of mercantile
spirit and energy could, with advantage, be infused
into its present management. The " rest," or sur-
plus profit, during the last few years has varied but
very little. In the year 1848 the sum under this
head was £81,952 ; in the accounts now before us
it is £79,550. During the period which has elapsed
since the former year the dividend has varied from
sto 8 per cent. From 1848 to 1850 it was 5 per
cent., in 1856 it was 8 per cent., and for the re-
mainder of the time 6.

Accounts from Kerry, received to-day, announce
the arrests of 13 persons, charged with being mem-
bers of an illegal society. Nine of the prisoners
were taken in the town of Kenmare, and four in
Killarney. They are all intelligent andrespectable
young men. The following particulars are from
the Cork papers of this day. The Examiner thus
reports :
" KILLARNEY, Sunday.—Last evening, at half-
paSt 5 o'clock, Mr. Laurence O'Sullivan, assistant
to Mr. Richard Linnegan, apothecary, was arrested
on a warrant charging him with being a member
of a secret society called the Phoenix Club.
The arrest was made by Sub-inspector Co-
lomb, unaccompanied by a single police-
man, and without the least noise or excitement.
At a subsequent period of the night the following
arrests were made :—Patrick Cronin, assistant to
Mr. John Martin, grocer; Daniel Murphy, assist-
ant to Mrs. C. Coghlan, grocer ; and Jos. Murphy,
assistant to Mr. Wm. 'Lewis. It is said several
other arrests will be made this evening, in number
about 12, making 16 in all. The prisoners are all
about 20 years old."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL' S-MONDAY.

There was an improved attendance, and some disposition
was evinced to resume business in earnest. 4tol, to a
small sum, was taken, and afterwards offered, about the
Promised Land, for the Two Thousand, and Ralph° was
backed at 6to Ito £l,OOO. For the Derby 11 to Ito £5O
was booked about The Promised Land, and 25 to 1 to £175
was laid against Cavendish, the layer offering to go on to
the extent of another " pony." Last week those odds were
"wanted" about Cavendish, and a shorter price was taken
about him in the City. The odds about Merryman were
booked to a "pony," and 30 "fifties" were taken about
Rainbow. The other quotations require no comment.

CHESTER CUP.
50 to 1 agst Barometer (taken)
50 to 1 agst Harraton (taken)
50 to 1 agst Drogheda (taken)
50 to 1 agst Eclipse (taken)
66 to 1 agst Arsenal (taken)
66 to 1 agst Physician (taken)
66 to 1 agst Hal o' Kirklees (taken)
66 to 1 agst Prioress (taken)
100 to 1 agst Cawood (taken)
100 to 1 agst Telegram (taken)
100 to 1 agst Royal Sovereign (taken)
100 to 1 agst Simpleton (taken)
100 to 1 agst Polestar (taken)
TWO THOUSAND.
4to 1 agst Promised Land (taken and offered)
6to 1 agst Ralpho (taken) -
DERBY.
11 to 1 agst Promised Land (taken)
25 to 1 agst Cavendish (taken)
25 to 1 agst Merryman (taken)
30 to 1 agst Rainbow (taken)
1000 to 15 agst Enfield (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Old Robert (taken)