The Sun.
London, England, 1832-07-27 00:00:00

IBE BANK OF ENGLAND.

Mr. EASTHOPE proceeded to move for certain papers
connected with the Bank of England. His object was to
ascertain by positive evidence, what was the course of
conduct pursued with respect to the management of the
Bank, and whether the evils experienced during the panic
of 1825 were not the result of the mismanagement of t 1 c
Directors of that establishment ; and lastly, whether there
was not inherent in the system of the Bank so much mis-
chief as rendered it improper to allow it to continue longer.
The Governor of the Bank stated, in a meeting which
took place at that time in the city, that the establishment
had neither increased nor diminished its issues, and he at-
tributed all the evils to the misconduct of the country
banks. Many observant people, however, thought that there
vv.-3 some mismanagement on the part of the Bank. He
might be told that a Secret Committee was sitting on the
subject of the Bank, but the public would not be satisfied
with the report of that Committee unless it was accom-
panied with the information upon which it was founded.
The papers which be was about to move for, would
refer to a period antecedent to 1826, and he could
not see what objection could possibly exist to their
production. If the Bank was in danger in
1826, they bad now had ample time to recover from
it; and if they had not done so, it was a proof that
the machinery of the Bank of England was defec•
tiee. For his part he believed that the construction of
the Bank of England was opposed to the pullic interest.
The present Lord Chancellor said in the House of Com-
mons, in February,lB26—" Much had been said upon the
proceedings of the Bank of England during the late panic.
Without wishing to throw blame upon the conduct of that
body, be could not help expressing his conviction that an
end must come to that system which exerted so powerful
an influence at present, not only upon the money market,
but on the whole trade of the country. Some change
ought to he effected by which the interests of the whole
empire, together with the fortunes of every family in it,
should be drawn from the absolute control and direction
of four and twenty men." The late Lord Liverpool also
said—" lam convinced that the concerns of this country
have become too extensive to allow of the continuance
of the exclusive privileges of the Bank of England.
Those privileges operate in a most unfortunate manner
for the country." Lord Goderich, then a member of
the House of Commons, expressed similar opinions.
It appeared quite evident from this, that the late Govern-
ment had come to a determination not to renew the pre-
sent exclusive privileges of the Bank, when the period of
their expiration arrived. Considerable alarm had recently
been excited by a rumour that Government intended to pro-
pose a renewal of the Bank's monopoly. It was of the
utmost importance that the public should have sufficient
information to enable it to form a just opinion with respect
to the conduct of the Bank, and he vt ould therefore move,
" that there be laid before this House an account of the
amount of promissory notes of the Bank of England and
Bank post-hill in circulation on the Ist of every month
in the years 1824, 1825, and 1826 ; also an account of
the balances in the hands of the Bank at the same periods,
distinguishing those belonging to the Government from
those belonging to individuals ; also an account of the
quantity of gold and silver coin in circulation at the same
periods ; al.° an account of the sums which the Bank bad
advanced on mortgage, or any other description of lean
which they had made upon the security of real property;
and also an account of the amount of Exchequer-bills held
by the Bank during the same period."
Lord ALTHORP said, that his Hon. Friend had
anticipated the objection which would he made to his mo-
tion, when he referred to the Secret Committee now
sitting to inquire into the affairs of the Bank. That,
certainly, was a powerful reason for inducing the House
not to accede to the motion. He surely could not ex-
pect that the Session would come to a close without the
House hearing something from the Committee. There
could be no doubt that if the Committee did their duty
they would most anxiously inquire into all the transac-
tions which occurred prevh usly to the panic of 1825,
and lay before the house all the information upon that
subject which they think can safely be made public.
He was not asking too much for the Committee when be
requested that the House would give them credit for a de-
sire to withhold from the public only so epoch of the in-
formation which came before them as it would be danger-
oukto publish. There were various circumstances which
precluded him from entering into the question of the re-
newal of the Bank Charter. He would address
himself only to the motion. The information sought
for must be before the Committee, who in a
short time would have to report their proceedings to the
ficiuse, and lay before them all the evidence which could
with safety be produced. Those were the grounds upon
which he opposed the motion, and not from any wish to
conceal any information which it would be proper to lay
before the public. On the contrary, he was desirous that
the fullest information should be produced, and he believed
that when the Committee made their report, no person
would have any cause to complain of the want of informa•
tion.

' • - 'Mr. HUME thought the motion ought to be complied
- iveithoinless the Noble Lord would undertake to say that
" the' information which it sought for was actually before
the `enstimittee. In his opinion, the Bank of England
btiOilld "b't 'compelled to publish their accounts every six
" months. In consequence of the Noble Lord's explanation
e he watild*not salt upon his Hon. Friend to press his mo-
s' tion ; arthi-sairre time, proceeding upon the understand.
, - ing; thatif the repiibite information were not contained in
t!'the !report; the motion should be renewed.
''' 71itr• WAREVRTON concurred in the sentiments of his
Ilon.-Fritial the Member for Middlesex.
"•' 'Sit H. PARNELL thought it impossible, from the ex
-tent'tlfthe'itrtfuirf that; the report on so important a goes.
41•tirin'enutd-he'preparett-this session.
~.' -Mr.ii.VlNCl.said that the inquiry, as far as it had pro-
4,..,evede.d,;sittla proaeeuted in-as judicious a manner as, under
i i•the eircuratsrancesoaoskl;be expected. He believed that
sotehert the evidence Caine. to he laid upon the table of the
'''.- Mouse, the-pvlrlie would pronounce a similar opinion. If
,i.otetigitviiientiefrians.avlio brought forward the motion
;inieffved...taidisliteetin!nr-mation to which he had adverted
44 ' )10k, I*ll-*€6k fpr in the course of inquiry, be (Mr.
(rk.
':
/ rVizikPivoirld-asaOthat-lie was mistaken. of what the
tarp!„
41 I;titt
,--' : .ttnigift cletik 4was ignorant, but he understood •i
- ''' i tatiritillit=i4tr ,ad no ri aeon to apprehend ariy,, ;thato6
i
inuir) .
+s tie C .
•q • ' - _
Lis.',9(.3);Lj,,TirtY
_begged_ to ask the Hob. Gentei-
-ifeati,tpovg u forward the me= whether e 1

were right in understanding him to say, that the late Go-
v. rnment had intimated a determination not to renew the
Bank Charter.
Mr. EASTHOPE said, that the wor.ls he kad cited
w.-re used by Lord Goderich, a member of the late Admi-

rs.stration.
Mr. COURTENAY had apprehended that the Hon. '
Gentleman laboured under a mistake. Lord Goderich
was a member of the present Administration.
Mr. Aliterman THOMPSON, with regard to the pre-
sent motion) considered it ill-timed.
Sir M RIDLEY hoped his Hon. Friend would abstain
from pressing his motion.
Mr. EASTHOPE, in reply, defended his motion, and
stated that it was to Lord Liverpool's Government lie had
referred on the point of refusing to renew the charter.
The words of Lord Goderich's communication were, that
" Government had determined not to grant a renewal of
the chartered rights."
The motion was then put by the SPEAKER, and nega-
tived without a division.
IRISH DIOCESAN SCHOOLS.
Mr. WYSE rose to bring forward a motion respecting
the present state of the diocesan schools in Ireland. The
diecesan schools, which ought to be of great utility in
Ireland, had fallen into decay. Their dilapidated houses
and incapable teachers formed a strong contrast to a po-
pular seminary—the Belfast institution. These schools
had been considered as institutions altogether Protestant.
Now this was a great error, for they were not exclusive
in their object, but schools strictly national, that had or igi.
nated in Catholic times, and had been perverted from the
purpose for which they were intended. The lion. Mem-
ber next proceeded to advert to the very defective state of
the diocesan schools, from the misapplication of their
funds. The royal schools, he observed, were equally de-
fective as the diocesan. He concluded by moving an ad•
dress to his Majesty, praying that he would be graciously
pleased to give directions to the Commissioners of Educa-
tion in Ireland to inquire into the state of diocesan and
similar public foundation schools in Ireland, to ascertain
their revenues, whence collected, and how applied, within
ti e last ten yea's, and to ascertain whether they might
not be conducted upon a better system, with a view to
render them more available to the purposes of general edit=
cation in that country.
The motion was agreed to.
CHOLERA RETURNS.
Colonel SIBTHORP, before he moved for the re-issuing
of returns of the number of cholera cases in London and
Westminster, Southwark, and the bills of mortality, and
also in the several parts of England, wished to give notice,
that on a future day he would move fur a return of the
expenses attendant upon the distribution of the Deccan
; rize money, which he believed would, when produced,
e found not at all satisfactory to the public. With re-
-pect to the motion of which he had given notice for this
vening, the Hon, and Gallant Member contended that
the public ought to he put in possession of accurate ac-
counts of the state of the disease which now prevailed in
the country. He should also wish for a return of the
daily cases of cholera for the last three months, and the
number of places appointed for the reception of cholera
p itients, and the number admitted. He would also move
that instructions be sent to each parish to keep a monthly
register of the number of burials.
Mr. P. THOMSON had no doubt that the Hon. and
Gallant Member felt that he was discharging his duty in
submitting this motion, but the Government telt that they
were doing their duty in resisting it. He was sure, also,
that the public feeling did not go along with the Hon. and
Gallant Member in the motion for the publication of the
daily cases.
After a few words from Colonel SIBTHORP in rep'y, the
gallery was cleared for a division, but none took place. The
motion was negatived.
SINECURE OFFICES IN THE COURT OF
CHANCERY.
On our return to the gallery we found
Mr. BOLDERO moving for a copy of the appoint-
ment of Clerk of the Patents and Registrar of Affidavits
in the Court of Chancery. The Hon. Member (as well
as we could collect in the noise made by the return of
strangers to the gallery) said that he did not at that mo-
ment feel it necessary to make auy observation on the
subject to which the motion referred ; he would content
himself with submitting it to the House.
Sir E. SUGDEN would take that opportunity of say-
ing a word upon what had fallen from his Hon. and
Learned Friend, the Attorney-General, late last night, in
reference to what he (Sir E. Sugden) had said in the early
part of the evening, on the subject of the recent appoint.
ment in the Court of Chancery. His Hon. and Learned
Friend seemed surprised that he (Sir E. Sugden) should
have mentioned any thing relating to the Lord Chancellor
in his the (Attorney-General's) absence. He was sure
that at whatever time the subject of the Lord Chancellor,
or any thing relating to him, was mentioned in that
House, he could not be without friends present to attend
to his interests. For his own part he had not felt it ne-
cessary to wait for the presence of the Attorney-General,
on the subject to which be had called the attention of the
House; and the less so, as he had given notice to his Hon.
and Learned Friend the Solicitor-General, for the pur-
pose of having it communicated to the Lord Chancellor,
that it was his intention to mention the subject in the
House, and this, let it be understood, was before he had
any knowledge whatever that the offices in question bad
been filled up. Indeed, he did not know of any appoint-
ment having token place, until he was within a few yards
of the House, when he was informed of it by an Hon.
Member whom he met. He was anxious to set himself
light with the House as to the facts of the case, as he un•
derstood that the matter had been made the subject of
come remarks by the Noble and Learned Lord that evening
in another place—some of which were directed against
himself. However, he would not take any farther notice
of those remarks until he had them from a more authentic
source. He would wait till he saw them, and would take the
opportunity when the Noble Lord (Althorp) should bring
forward his motion respecting the Lord Chancellor's salary,
when he should defend himself against the sarcasms of the
Noble and Learned Lord, or against those of any other in-
dividual who might have attacked him.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he had not ex-
pressed any surprise at his Hon. Friend having brought
forward the subject in his absence. His surprise was
that it should be brought on at all that evening, as he
had understood from his Hon. and Learned Friend the
Solicit sr-General, that the Lord Chancellor was to be
asked respecting the office, and whether it was to be filled
up. All he (the Attorney-General) had said, was an ex-
pression of his regret that he was not present when his
Hon. Friend had introduced the subject, and that regret
he still felt; for on looking at the usual vehicles of infor-
mation as to what passed in that House, he found that the
remarks which had been made were calculated to produce
rather an unfavourable impression in the public mind
against the Noble and Learned Lord; but if he (the At-
torney-General) bad been present, two minutes would not
have elapsed after the statement, when he would have
given such explanations as would have at once
removed from the mind of every Honourable Member any
unfavourable impression which the previous remarks might
have made. •
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, that the impres-
sion upon his mind had been that the places in question
had not been filled up at all, nor was he aware that the
inquiry intended by his Hon. and Learned Friend the
Member for St. Mawes was directed to the appointment
in question. Indeed, he had been prevented, under pecu-
liar circumstances, from seeing the Lord Chancellor upon
the Rif ject.
Sir E. SUGDEN considered be was pet fecly justified
in pursuing the course which be had felt it his duty to
adopt,—a course which did not want precedent,—it was
a mere matter of inquiry or question to the Government,
such as was quite regular to be made, as he would contend,
without notice. He denied that be had been guilty of
any thing that was inconsistent with the usual practice of
the House. Similar inquiries bad been made on former
occasions with reference to the appointments held by many
individuals without notice, and been answered without
any charge of irregularity.
Mr. W. BROUGHAM maintained, that if ever a ques-
tion had been put that meant or was intended to convey a
censure, it was the present, suggested, as it had been, on
a former occasion, without any notice. He, however,
could say, with reference to the offices in question, they
had been pronounced to he absolutely necessary after a
consultation upon the subject by the Chancellor, the Tel's.
ter of the Rolls, and others.—(hear.) He must again,
complain of the want of notice when the subject bad been
before introduced, for if such notice had been giver),
ihe ,should have excused himself from the duties
whieb he had to discharge elsewhere, and been in his
elate. to have met the question with the fullest in-
foranatiou upon the subject. He was also certain
5134-sOch info:mutation_ would .have sufficed 'to satisfy the
Rousßouse,
that nothing had been done with regard to these
•
appointments of which even the most captions could com-
plain: Such questions, conveying as they did' More or less
censure upon the parties to whom they referred, ehoual
not. be made without notice; 'for though be Was sure that
ti]v.Aaracters of the parties referred to in the'rjulesent in-
, were
above all suspicion, yet an injure i raipti'atise
a.delay of twenty-four hours should .occur in an-
v 4/Wirtff..r;iiictijap inquiry tending as it dirt to ceneltre. He
i-Aitatamissapp, that on all occasions of attacks being ti u•
personalty mad against individuals, whoever they might
be, that notice would be given, and if such a course had

in this case been pursued, be should have been ready in the
first instance to meet it.

Sir C. WETEIERELL said that the Hon. Baronet the
Member for Westminster (Sir F. Burdett) had been more
censorious than any other individual upon the present
occa•ion, for he bad himself stated, that it was a matter
of impossibility that t!'e Lord Chancellor could have made
a permanent appointment to the situations referred to.
Lord ALTHORP was of opinion that it was perfectly
regular to put any question, whether it implied censure or
hot, but be thought that notice ought to have been given
in this instance, for, from the nature of the offices in ques-
tion, be did not think there was any ground for censure.
Sir F. BURDETT said, that the observations he had
f,rmerly made applied only to the conviction on his mind
that the Lord Chancellor could not have been guilty of
that which had bten attributed to him.

Sir F. TRENCH said that no complaint could be made
of want of notice, when it appeared that so many Hon.
Gentlemen were even now ready to defend the conduct of
the Lord Chancellor.

Mr. SPENCE said, that with reference to the allusion
which had been made to the Bill which went to abolish
these offices, and which had been stated to be approved of
by the Lord Chancellor, he could only say that he had
seen that Noble and Learned Lord on the subject of that
measure, and any delay which had taker, place in brining
forward that Bill was attributable solely to him (Mr.
Spence).
Mr. BOLDERO, in reply, said that a plain question
had been put by an Hon. Member last night, which had
not been answered, and he therefore considered himself
justified in renewing the inquiry, by moving for the re-
turn. It was admitted that the offices were useless, and
he could not therefore think that his motion was in the
least degree irregular.
Sir E. SUGDEN had communicated his intention to
make the inquiry which he had done last night to what
he had conceived to be the proper channel ; if it was not
the correct one, he should in future seek another.
The motion was then agreed to.
RUSSIAN DUTCH LOAN.

On the motion of Lord ALTHORP, the Russian Dutch
Loan Bill was read a third time and passed
After a few words from Mr. FRESHFIELD, the Bank-
rupt Act Amendment Bill was also read a third time and
passed.