The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-14 00:00:00

WESTERN BANK OF SCOTLAND.

The defences for the directors of the Western
Bank of Scotland against the action instituted by
the liquidators are now ,being put in, and that of
Mr. Douglas, who was for 20 years deputy-gover-
nor of the concern, has been published in full, and
is stated to be in its general features a sample of the
whole. The pleas are chiefly technical, such as
constitute the delight of all lasy courts, especially
in Scotland, and it will doubtless not be the fault
of the parties engaged if ttlrirments upon them
do dot prove interminable. y discussion regard-
ing them, however, would be totally uninteresting
to the general public, as weans inopportune while
the matter is awaiting judgment ; and as at the
period when, according to the ordinary rate of pro-
cedure at Edinburgh, a conclusion shall have been
arrived at, the present generation will, perhaps,
have half finished their course and forgotten all
about the Western Bank and its victims, there
seems little prospect of its ever figuring again as a
matter for profitable comment. The chief point
reliad upon in the present defence seems to be in
the shape of an objection to the competency of the
liquidators to institute the action. Setting this
aside there is nothing to call for notice, except some
remarks interspersed in a long " statement of facts"
by which the pleas are preceded. These furnish a
few warnings for joint-stock proprietors, together
with examples of the views of eminent Glasgow. mer-
chants as to the moral liabilities they incur when
they allow their names to be published to the world
as an attraction to families, widows, and orphans
to intrust their savingi to the care of a bank.
In the first place it is to be observed that great
force is attached to the insignificant pay received by
the directors, and which is evidently held to show
that they had no objects of personal gain. Appa-
rently the deputy-governor • had no remuneration
whatever, or at all events only such as was merely
nominal ; and it will be interesting for the advocates
of public parsimony and cheap labour to learn that
even the six ordinary directors, by whom the whole
active business of this magnificent institution was
carried on, were content to devote themselves to the
welfare of their constituents under a clause of the
deed of contract that they should "severally be paid
for their attendance at the rate of not less than ss.
sterling for each meeting." For this modest allow-
ance they undertook to sway the financial destinies
of Glasgow, and succeeded in bringing disgrace upon
the whole empire, and inflicting a loss of about
.£3,000,000 sterling upon those who had trusted them.
Northern economy was never more strongly ex-
emplified ; but it will be a question whether it is
better for shareholders to adopt the principle of
giving good pay for good service, or,of granting re-
muneration on such a scale that in case of disaster
they can, be confronted with the intimation that, at
all events, they have been ruined gratis. The next
most serious consideration suggested by the present
statement consists in the additional light it throws
upon the way in which shareholders consent to the
most lax and corrupt sacrifice of their rights in
signing deeds of settlement without inquiry. The
deputy-governor of the Western BaAk of Scotland
claims immunity from all responsibility by boldly
quoting the duties of his high office as they are
defined in the contract under which the concern
was established :—" The governor and deputy-
governor. and six extraordinary directors of the
company are hereby expressly exempted from the
necessity of superintending or taking any charge of
the affairs of the company, and it shall not be neces-
sary to convene them to any meeting, ordinary
or extraordinary. elf the affairs of the company.
The Governor, therefore, could do no wrong, and
if thousands of people, including retired tradesmen,
clergymen, governesses, or artisans, were led to
part with their money through any reliance upon
the vigilance of these personages, they have only
themselves to blame. There was the deed of co-
partnery in some strong closet ; they might have
seen-it on application, and they ought to have had
it all by heart. Such are the leading grounds on
which moral absolutiOn is demanded in the present
case, and legal immunity will possibly be still more
easy of attainment. Meanwhile, however, let the
world turn the lesson to use, and avoid all persons
who may offer to work for nothing, and all associa-
tions in which they are at the mercy of deeds of
settlement, even theugh prepared and submitted by
"honourable men," which they have not time to
read or the ability to understand.—Times.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING TILE

WEEK.

(From the Report of the Registrar-General.)
The return of deaths in London in the week tha
ended last Saturday exhibits a small decrease on the
numbers of the two previous weeks, which a little
exceeded 1,300, while that now given is 1,289. In
the 10 years 1849-58 the average number of deaths
in the weeks corresponding with last week was
1,221; but as the deaths now registered occurred in
population which has increased, they should be
compared with the average raised in proportion to
the increase—namely, with 1,343. The comparison
shows that the 1,289 deaths of last week were less
by 54 than the number that would have occurred if
the average rate of mortality for the first week of
December had prevailed.
The births of last week exceeded the deaths in
the same time by 549.
The fatal cases of smallpox recorded last week
were 40, of which 29 occurred under 10 years of
age, 1 at 10 years and under 15, 3 at 15 and under
20 years, itad`7 at 20 and under 40 years. Seven
deaths from the disease occurred in the Smallpox
Hospital. Of 31 deaths from measles, 5 occurred in
the Green sub-district of Bethnal-green. Eighty-
two deaths are referred to scarlatina, and 15 to
diphtheria. From the former disease 9 occurred in
Islington, and 7in Mile-and Old Town. The deaths
from bronchitis were 181, of which two-thirds oc-
curred to persons who were 40 years old and up 7
wards. The greatest age recorded in the week's
returns is that of a widow, who died at the age of
98. Twelve persons died by suicide ; 2 infants by
murder, 5 by suffocation, 28 from having been born
prematurely. Four deaths were the direct result
of intemperance.
Of bricklayers 3 died in the week, of bricklayers'
wives 2, of bricklayers' children 5 ; of carpenters
8 died, of carpenters' wives 2, of carpenters' chil-
dren 28; of masons 1 died, of masons' wives 1, of
masons' children 2 p of painters 9 died, of painters'
wives
of
pl3,oafstperaeirnst, ilecrsh'dn 4.
childrenre 11 ; of plasterers 1
died,
Last week the births of 920 boys and 918 girls,
in all 1,838 children, were registered in London
In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years 1849-58
the average number was 1,585.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.923
inches. The daily barometrical reading rose steadily
on the last five days, and was above 30 inches on
inchestl e las to
nthree
Monday,days.
a n
(IT
rose
eb
taor o3mo,.wersth9heeir
which
hntf
eehhlielser tinsoo.oo429de.e2tge
Sa-
turday, being the lowest
alniejad.s3mnah
ydeder:eh)ong.i
rg.
temperature
highest
deperoagitn: points
below
respec-
tivelyloowftthh the
ekowrn.o.afssGTthui4le same week in 43 years (as
1
aadfeiberl
tolev trienomti
2inhnt6ehet h:daevawbeewreygaee:gme,
freezing point of water, and rose to 55.5 deg. on the
next day, these being the lowest and the highest
in the week. The entire, range in the week was
therefore 28.6 deg. The mean daily range was
12,1 deg. The temperature fell towards the end
of the week. ; The mean temperature of the water
of the Thames was 411. deg. The difference be-
tween the mean-dew temperature and air tempe-
rature was 24 deg. The mean degree of humidity
of the air was 92. The wind blew from the south-
west in the earlier half of the week ; afterwards
chiefly from the south-east and east. Rain fell to
the amount of 0.41 inches, most of it on Monday.

ih,141
0\
DUBLIN, .ThEsE.> ............ Prtii
•
THE POPE'S SYMPATIIISEES. K
.41 S
The-Irish demonstrations—such as. they are—ap-
pear to be interminable, each succeeding display,
however, being duller than its predecc seer Clon-
mel
is the latest town that has taken up arms for
the Pope. Sunday was the day chosen for the
'meeting of the capital. of Tipperary, and the plass:
ofassemblage the church of St. Peter and St. Paul.
The Very Rev. Dr. Burke, the virtual returning
oflioer for the borough, was naturally the particular
star of the day, and in the course of an intensely
fervid oration, the reverend gentleman made the
following jocose allusion to the spiritual power of
the Queen of England
" We all know that the Queen of these realms
(may God bless her, for she is a good woman, though
I don't like her Government) is not onlfa temporal
sovereign; but also the spiritual head of the Protes-
tant Chuich in England and Ireland. And certainly
it is a nice -thing to see a woman the head of a
church. (Laughter.) She can make and unmake
bishops, or, to use the words of Elizabeth, of impi-
ous memory, she can frock and unfrock' them as'
she likes s Only think of a poor, frail woman im-
parting to the authorities of her Church spiritual
jurisdiction. (Laughter.) But suppose her to be
deprived of her temporal power, what would become
of her spiritual . power ? Her subjects would not
give anything for her spiritual power if she were de-
prived of her temporal jurisdiction, There is this
difference, though, between the Queen and the Pope,
that while no Protestant would care a straw for the
spiritual power of the Queen, there is not a Catholic
in the universe that would not as implicitly recognise
the power of the Pope, in whatever position he might
be, as if he were invested with all his power."
Animated by. the success of this sally, the rev.
gentleman waxed furiously eloquent upon the im-
pertinence of the BritishGoverinnent in its dealings
with the question of Italian liberty, and he asked,—
"But don't the French want liberty ? They are
governed by a despot—l don't want to censure him,
because a strong rule is in his case necessary ; but I
am turning an argument on the question. I admire
Napoleon, because but for )fim, but for the supreme
authority which he acquired, the state of religion" -
and_oftsoaiety, all over the world would be turned
topsy turvy. (Hear, hear.) But his subjects,
nevertheless, want liberty in the sense those English
statesmen mean, and why, then, don't, they .send
over to aid the French? This is the reason • they
are afraid of the French eagle—they fear that he
would flutter over their shores, and that he would
suddenly pounce dawn and stick his beak in the
back of John Bull. (Applause.) In Russia the
very lives of the people are in the power of the
despot Alexander. Why don't these English states-
men send their fleets up the Baltic to insist that
this great monster of the north shall give full
liberty to his. subjects
,as they have in glorious
England ?., As in the other case, they, arc afraid of
the. grunting•Of the Russian bear—they fear that
he may'deseend from his northern fastnesses and
tix his tiiski and his claws in the back of John
Bull and tear himself and his power to shreds and
patches. (Applause.) They are afraid to touch
Napoleon or Alexander of the North ; but the poor
Pope they are not afraid of him, because he is weak
in a ternperal sense. Thus they are acting the part
of a cowed and bully, who is afraid of a strong
man, but who illtreats a weak one. (Applause.)
[A voice—" That they may not succeed.'] You
are a good preacher, and I will say Amen to you. I
think you would wield your arm for the Pope
against the SaXon enemy. [A voice—" No doubt
of it."] (Cheers.) Will these men succeed with
the power of England at their back ? (" No, no.")
I say no a thousand times. (Cheers.) It is impos-
sible they can succeed, for two reasons,—first,
because the Pope is shielded by the Omnipotent
hand of Him who said, Thou art Peter ; upon
this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it;' and, next, the
prayers of the glorious saints who, when living
here below, were an ornament to the church, will
defeat every foe. (Applause.)"
In the address of condolence to the Pope, which
was read aloud by a Doctor " Luther," there occurs
the following passage
"But while our grief is intense that your Holi-
ness's days should be embittered, and your wise and
parental government of both the Church and your
dominions disturbed by the plots and machinations
of your enemies, in whom are ifteluded some
misguided and ungrateful subjects of your
own, we are consoled by. the hope, nay, the cer-
tainty, founded on the signal care invariably dis-
played by the Divine Founder of the church over
your ssinted predecessors and yourself, that He who.
' sent His an ;el, and hath delivered Peter out of
the hands of ilerod, and from all the expectation of
the people of the Jews,' will in His own good time
deliver your Holiness, the successor of Peter, from
the hands and snares of your enemies. They may,
like so many ferocious tigers and roaring lions, for
a while worry your Holiness, and endeavour to
hunt you down, but 'the God of Jacob, who has
anointed thee with holy oil, whose hand has hitherto
helped thee, and whose arm has strengthened thee,'
will deliver your Holiness from the snares of the
hunters.'

PATRONAGE.

The office of Clerk of the Crown for the county
of Tyrone has become vacant by the death of Mr.
Terence Dolan, who expired quite suddenly from
'an attack of heart disease. Mr. Dolan had been a
successful solicitor, and was possessed of a large
amount of landed and household property in the
township of Itathmines. In times long past he was
a follower of the late Daniel O'Connell. The
Clerkship of the Crown is worth £6OO a•year, and
is in the gift of the Lord-Lieutenant.