The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-16 00:00:00

BANK OF ENGLAND.-(THIS DAY,

A special general meeting of the Proprietors of Bank Stock
was held this day in the Bank Chamber, pursuant to advertise-
ment. At 12 o'clock, the Governor (H. Palmer, Esq.) and
Directors took their seats, when the minutes of the last meeting
were read and confirmed.

The GOVERNOR then said that with reference to the pre.
sent meeting, the Directors had thought it their duty to con-
vene it in consequence of the printing of the minutes of evi-
dence which had been given before the Secret Committee of the
House of Commons. At a former meeting, the Court of Di.
rectors had stated that they would take the earliest opportunity
of laying every information before the proprietors : that time
was now come, for the Secret Committee had laid the whole of
the evidence on the Bank question before the House, and had
ordered it to be printed. The Court of Directors, therefore,
on being informed of that, had considered it to be their duty to
submit the whole of their accounts to the proprietors. They had
uniformly considered that that would be a hazardous experiment,
and the Court of Proprietors also had always negatived any
motion for that purpose ; but now, in consequence of the pro-
ceedings adopted by the Bank Committee, the step was ren-
dered necessary. The Directors, therefore, held them-
selves free from blame if there was any, and threw
the whole of the responsibility on that Committee of the
House of Commons. The accounts were very volu-
minous, and gave a complete history of all the transactions
of the Bank Directors from the year 1778 up to the present pe.
riod, with an account of all the liabilities, and the price and
quantity of bullion on hand in every succeeding year. They
contained every information connected with the Bank
that it was in the power of the Directors to lay before the
public. He would again say, the Court of Directors only did
their duty on the present occasion, and that the responsibility
rested wholly on the House of Commons. It was impossible
for him to do more than merely read the heads of the
accounts, as they amounted to eighty-three in number; he
would therefore proceed to read their headings, and afterwards
he would submit that they be printed as soon as possible
and be distributed to the proprietors. He would only
farther state, that the evidence given by any of the
Directors who were summoned before the Committee as indi-
viduals, was given in a spirit of the greatest impartiality, and
he hoped it would set at rest many of those complaints which
it had been the practice of persons to indulge in with
respect to the manner in which that Court transacted their bu.
siness. He trusted that the Court of Proprietors, when they
saw the evidence, and when they saw the accounts, would be
convinced that nothing was exhibited but what would redound to
the credit of the Corporation. If the House of Commons
would allow it, the minutes of evidence taken before the Secret
Committee would be printed an distributed along with the
accounts, which would render them more easily understood.
The Honourable Gentleman then proceeded to read the heads
of the accounts which were laid on the table. They were very
full, and comprised every transaction of the Bank, both as public
and private bankers, from the period stated by the Hon. Go-
vernor in his speech. Among other things was an account of
the average amount of public deposits from the year 1800 ; the
expense incurred in managing the public accounts; the loss
sustained by the Bank by forgeries for the last 10 years ; the
price of gold and silver bullion each year, from 1694 to 1827,
so far as it could be ascertained, &c. &c.
A PROPRIETOR wished to know whether an account
could be added to show what expense the Bank had been at
in experiments for the prevention of forgery.
The GOVERNOR said if possible that would be added.
In answer to a question from another Proprietor, the Go.
27900rn0 mor indotthineolusudirnpglutshe
houf
ilddiivnigsibalned fsuontndes
oathmeorunthted to
ings;
if they were added, it would, in the whole, amount to about
4,000,0001.

Mr. WINTER complained that the accounts now produced
were too full to go before the public ; the accounts of the Bank,
as private bankers, ought not to be printed.
Mr. BLACKBURN complained of the absence of the
standing Counsel, and asked whether the petition to the House
of Commons, agreed to by the Court, had been presented.
The GOVERNOR said the meeting had been held so sud-
denly that no notice had been given to Counsel, and the peti-
tion had not been presented. In answer to some further obser-
vations, he said, that with respect to the Forgery Bill, the Bank
had not expressed an opinion as a Corporation, but he had felt
it his duty to state his opinion to the Government, and then
leave the matter in their hands. As to the question of the
Charter, he was as entirely ignorant as any one present.
It was then moved and seconded, that the accounts be
printed, along with the minutes of the evidence given before
the Secret Committee, if they could be got, which was carried.
The meeting then adjourned.