The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-05 00:00:00

the charge, and said that to ask a man in a court of
bankruptcy who was a debtor what were his means of
payment was uncon•titutional, and was not permitted.
One such quest', n was asked a a shareholder, and he
said he declined to answer,the question by the advice of
lis solicitor. Mr. Linklater then referred to the case
of Mr. Humphrey Brown, and said that in consequence
of a speech which that gentleman bad made to his
constituents At Tewkesbury, in which he used
words that would convey the impression that he
disputed being a debtor to the bank be (9ir. Linklatei)
wrote to Mr. Brown requesting him to state whether he
intended that his language should convey that itnpres-
sthikemb,
aseeing
utbh as
th et o
wbase
reu pd
ucv
oaerdd s obyf 7seoc,
ities OuOr n
hdeelbat
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the bank, and which he (Mr. Brown) estimated to be
worth 40,0001. To that letter the following answer was
received :

" Virnsotwe mi
ei nd sgt ee r
the, M
receipt
p2t.
of
" Gentlemen, —I heg to a
ok
your letter of the 28th, referring to a speech made by
me at Tewkesbury, and in reply to your question whether
or not I intended to deny the existence on my -part of
any debt to the bank. I beg to say that I did not make
any statement expressly or inferentially to that effect.
" My complaint throughout the investigation into the
affairs of the bank is, that I have been constantly re-
presented as having appropriated moneys to my own use,
whereas the sums advanced to me were advanced in the
same way as to other customers, covered by securities
estimated at the time by the bank brokers as ample
to cover the advances. I need not al!ucle now to the
circumstances uv.der which those advances were made.
This forms part of the inquity now going on, and will
come before you in due course. No one has more cause
to lament the depreciation in these securities than my-
self, and still more 143 that I should have been stigma-
tised as I have been on transactions in no way different
from every day practice as between bankers and their
customers.

" I need scarcely add' that my observation has no
personal api I,cAtion to yourselves or to the assignees, but
intended to have reference to the strictures so cruelly
passed upon me in •arious public quarters.—•l am, gen-
tlemen, yours most respectfully,
" HUMPHREY BROWN.

"Messrs. Linklaker and Blackwood, Size-lane."
After explaining the coarse which the assignees bad
pursued with respect to the claim on Mr. H. Brown,
Mr. Linkliter assured the meeting that nothing had
been done which would enable Mr. Brown to escape a
full inquiry into his conduct, and, if it were possible, by
Coe Attorney-General elsewhere. (Loud cheers.) But if
be were to tell the meeting all the means tiAtt were being
taken for the purpose of bringing to justice all those fugi-
tives to whom Mr. Wakley had referred they would them-
selves be the first to condemn big imprudence. (Cbeers.)
The amendment was then put, when only 13 bends
were held up in its favour, after which the resolutim was
put and carried almost unanimously, and am d great
cheering. _ _ _

The following resolution, moved by Mr. Foy= and
seconded by Mr. P. Baowg, was also agreed to :
"That i, is desirable that the acceptance of such com-
position by a majority of the creditors should be binding
upon the minority, and that an act of Parliament for that
purpose should be obtained, the application tor which
this meeting pledges it,elf to support, and that the peti-
thn alrtaiy prepared in favour of such act be prementel
to both houses of Parliament.'_ _

A petition founded on the foregoing resolution wr.s
then adopted.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the Act sought for
would be a public Act, and would not be passed at the
.30ense of the depositors or promoters of it. He bad
had an interview with the Attorney-General on the sub-
ject, and a bid would be brought into Pail ament this
,-ession, provided it should la 4 Ling enough to admit of
its being introduced. (Cneer, and lauehter.)
A vote of thanks was then passed by acclamation to the
chairman, and the proceedings of the evening terminated.