The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-20 00:00:00

CITY BANK-MEETING THIS DAY.

The second ordinary general meeting of the share-
holders of this corporation was held this day at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street—Sir It. W. Carden,
the chairman of the board of directors, presided. There
was a large attendance of shareholders, The report,
amongst other details, stated that after deducting current
expenses, a proportion of building expenses, making
ample provision for bad and doubtful debts, and also
after allowing interest to the amount of 14,9511. 3s. 3d.
on current and deposit accounts, the directors are en-
abled to declare a dividend, for the half year ending the
81st December last, at the rate of 51. per cent, per
annum, free of income tax, and to carry forward the
sum of 3,7421. 10-i. 7d. to the profit and lose new
account, to be dealt with on the 30th June next,
that being the termination of their financial year.
In reference to the amount of dividend, the chairman
stated that the directors were of opinion that as far as
possible a fixed dividend of 5 per cent. should be paid
half-yearly, and that the surplus profits should be divided
by way of bonus at the meeting in June, which termi-
nated the financial year. Had the available profits been
divided upon the present occasion the directors might
have declared a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent, per
annum, but that course they did not think proper to
pursue. It appeared from the accounts that the deposits
and balances on current accounts amount to 944,4751.
The report was unanimously adopted, and thanks
tendered to the chairman and board of directors, and
to Mr. White, the manager.

ALARVING ACCIDENT AT THE
MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL.

During the celebration of divine service at the cathe-
dral on Sunday afternoon, the congregation being a
large one, an accident occurred—sufficiently alarming in
its nature—which caused for a few moments a consider-
able degree of panic amongst portions of the congrega-
tion, but fortunately it was unattended with any personal
injury, as far as we have heard. The preacher, a rela-
tive, we believe, of the Rev. Canon Wray, had pro-
ceeded for about a quarter of an hour with the sermon,
when the occupants of the pews in the westerly portion
of the north gallery were startled by bearing a slight
crack overhead. Looking up to the ceiling of the
gallery, they almost immediately afterwards saw
the whole of the ornamental plaster moulding,
which covered a beam crossing the gallery from
front to back, suddenly separate from the beam, and fall
upon the pews below with a loud crash. Great was the
alarm, especially amongst the ladies occupying seats in
this part of the church ; indeed most of the occupants in
the pews throughout the north gallery left them on the
instant, some gentlemen even climbing over the tops of
the pews, and rapidly made their way towards the two
flights of stairs at the extremities of the gallery. The
preacher, thus suddenly arrested in his discourse, re-
mained silent, looking with some anxiety towards that
part of the gallery where the crash occurred ; but this
state of suspense was judiciously terminated by the Rev.
Canon Wray rising in the reading-desk and quietly
pronouncing the benediction usual at the close of the
service, which was thus brought to a sudden termi-
nation. The alarm had, however, to some extent,
by this time subsided, and many of the congregation
so far from quitting the church, remained to see and in-
quire for themselves as to the nature of the accident.
We learnt that all the plaster wbich had covered
the oaken beam with moulding fell away from it, leav-
ing the beam bare ; and that it would be from 15 to 18
feet in length, weighing probably 12 to 14 cwt. That so
large a mass of plaster should fall from a height of many
feet amongst the pews, without injuring a single
fi di
vidual, is remarkable ; but it seems that the line o thehie
beam was precisely over the line of partition which
separates the block of pews into two sections,
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