The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-23 00:00:00

THE SUN,

vestry of the irshebitents of Er'ghton for the purpose of
electing thirty directors a ,d guardians of the poor ef the
parish for the ensuing year. By the local the Gsh
George IV., chap. 179, sec. 199, the overseer and church-
wardens. were rs quired to convene such a meeting, on
every first Monday after Easter, and accordingly they
called such a meeting on the 4th of April last, stating
in the notice that if any pull was demanded it would be
taken on the two following days at the Town-hall, At
this meeting thirty-three gentlemen were put in nomina-
tion, and eventually a poll was demanded and commenced
on the following day. The next morning, however,
seven other gentlemen were put in nomination before the
poll opened, but the ele,cting officers refused to receive
them. At the close of 'the first day's poll, there being
two rival lists, the overseers and churchwardens, seeing
that the result of the poll was likely to go against their
own party, induced three of the gentlemen who had
been nominated to resign, and thereupon the remainine,
thirty were declared to be duly elected. They, however,
hadjno power to do that, nor had the parties themselves
any right to rerige, since they were bound to undertake
the office in the event of the rate-payers selecting them
to file it. On. the first d sy, only thirty rate-payers out
of some 4,000 and 5,000 polled, the others, no doubt, re-
lying upon the rule that after a pull had been demanded
all the nominees were bound to go on with it to the
close of the couple of days, and to serve, should they be
elected by the mnjurity. The Coutt would, therefore,
perceive that great injustice would he done to the rate •
payers if any of the nominees could resign in this !lim-
ner; and as it was evidently contrary to law, it was
eoped there would be no.difficulty in greeting the appli-
cation.

Mr. Justice WicaTNAN—You may take a rule to shuvv
ease.

Rule nisi accordingly.

SHERIFFS' COURT.--(THIS DAY
(Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BURCHELL.)

EXTRAORDINARY CA SE. —WHURR U. SMITH AND WIFE.
This was an amion brought to recover the sum of 954
4a. 6d., for the board and lodging of defendant's wife,
before marriage, under very peculiar circumstances.
The plaintiff is a tailor, residing at Selbridge.place,
Westbourne•park, and defendant bad been in his employ
as a jourceyman, in consequence of which he had an op-
poriunity of forming an acquaintance with the sister of
plaintiff's wife, and eventually a clandestine marriage
touk place, as it was alleged, whilst she was of weak
intellect and under age. Shortly after plaintiff was ar-
rested on a capias, to prevect him leaving the country,
defendant and his wife having sworn to a debt being due
to them of 45/., but subsequently defendant's wife wrote
a letter expressiug her deep regret that plaintiff had been
arrested on an unjust cause, and assuring him that she
was in a state of temporary insanity when she joined in
the proceedings and aworo she had a claim against
him. Plaintiff sued for two and half years'
board and lodging, at 304 per annum, and for
goods supplied, and medical attendance on Mrs. Smith.
Itt the examination it was shown that Mrs. Smith was
entitled, under a will, to a sum of 2001., and that plaintiff
received, and kept the interest. The witnesses for
the defendant considered that Mrs. Smith was treated
more like a servant than a relative, and by no means in
a kindly manner. That Mrs. Smith was, unfortunately,
at intervals, affected with aberration of intellect, was
admitted on both sides; and she had been two or three
times in Hanwell Lunatic Asylum.
The Learned UNDER. SHERIFF said that, by not plead.
ing, the defendants had admitted that there was something
due, and left it to the jury to say, from the evidence,
how long defendant's wife was a servant, and how long
boarding and lodging with the plaintiff, when too ill to
be able to do domestic work.
The jury gave a verdict for 701. 15s.

IVIARLBRO'-STREET.-(T HIS DAY.)
CHARGE OF FRAUD.—Ann Maria Tolfrey was placed
before Mr. Bingham charged with obtaining the sum of
351. from Mr. William Richardson, boot maker, 19, Sun-
street, Bishopsgate.street, under false and fraudulent
pretences.
The prosecutor deposed that in the month of July,
1848, he became acquainted with the prisoner through a
sister of his, to whom he had advanced 501. to carry on
an action against a man for breach of promise of mar-
riage. After the action was settled the prisoner sent a
letter to him by his sister stating that if he let her
(prisoner) have the 501. that he had advanced to his
sister, she would get him a Government situation. In
consequence of this communication he went to the de-
fendant's house in Coventry -street, where he saw her. She
then told him that if he advanced'her 501. she would get
him an appointment as messenger in a Government
office. He replied that he would do so provided he was
satisfied the affair was right. She said, " Oh, you have
no occasion to doubt me. I am a person of great in-
fluence, and am personally acquainted with Lord Alfred
Paget, and he is the person to whom I shall write to
about the appointment, and I will let you know the re-
sult in the course of a few days." She then pressed him
for some money, but Le declined to advance any at that
time, but a few days alter he sent her 15/. by his sister.
About the 10th of July in that year, 1848, he received
from the prisoner the Lett-.‘r produced, which was to the
ffcct that if he waited upon her she would give him the
necessary documents appointing him to the situation. He
accordingly called upon her the same day, when she
,howed him a letter which she stated she had received

from Lord Alfred Paget, wherein his Lordship informed
her that he had succeeded in getting him a
situation in the Home-office through her irecom•
mendation. She then asked him for more ,money,
and he gave her 10/. She wanted another 101., but not
having so much pith him he asked her to accompany
him to his house, when he would give it to her. She
went home with him and he then gave her the money.
After that, in October, 1848, she called upon him and
told him that he was to be installed into his situation on
the following Monday, on which day he was to meet
Lord Paget ut her house, and that his Loidship would
be his surety. lle went there on that day, but the pi i-
soner had left the place, and no one knew where
she leas gone to. This excited his suspicions, and
on his calling upon Lord Alfred Paget, he was informed
thut his Lordship knew nothing at all about the pri-
soner, and that she had used his Lordship's name with-
out his authority. \Vitness saw nuthing more of the
prisoner till last night, when ho met her at Knights-
bridge. He followed her to her lodgings, 17, Park-side,
and having procured' the assistance of a constable, gave
her in charge.
The prisoner, who is suspected to have duped others
by similar•means, was remanded for a week.

NATIONAL BANK OF IRELAND.

The fifteenth annual general meeting of the
proprietors of the National Bank of Ireland was held
yesterday, at one o'clock, at the office of the society,
13, Old Broad-street, when, pursuant to the deed of
settlement, four of the directors went out of office,
which created four vacancies in the office of director
to be filled up.
On the motion of T. LAMM MURRAY, Esq.,

OcrAvius OMMANNEY, Esq., was called to the chair,
who requested the Secretary to read the advertise-
ment calling the meeting, and the report of the

directors.

The SECRETARY read the report as follows :
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL
BANK OF IRELAND, MADE TO THE PROPRIE-
TORS AT THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL GENET ,L
MEETING, HELD AT THE OFFICE OF THE
COMPANY, No. 13, OLD BROAD-STREET, LON-
DON, ON WEDNESDAY, THE 22ND MAY, 18,50.

The directors have pleasure in met ting the propri,-
tors, and submitting for their approval the usual stmt.-
meets of the bank's accounts tor the past year.
The general result of the harvest in Ir,laud in the
last year was on the whole favourable, in respect to the
abundance and average quality of- the grain crops, hot
Ireland being essentially an agricultural cLutitry, tee
ruling low prices of its products have had :a depressing
tendency upon the farming ieterest generally.
The loss, however, from the disease in the potato
crop has proved less than was at one period anticipated.
After tour years of unexampled depression and suf-
fering amongst all classes and interests, it affords the
directors much gratification in being enabled to state
that there are symptoms of improvement, and indica-
tions of returning confidence, which, although slow in
their operation, are on that account, perhaps, not the less
secure.

The directors have deemed it prudent to transact a
restricted business; it is their intention to continue in
this watchful course until the restoration of credit and
confidence has produced its effect on the trade, agricul-
ture, and commerce of the country.
Money has been abundant with a limited field for its
legitimate employment, and consequently but a low rate
ut interest could be obtained for a large amount of sur-
plus capital of the bank.
All the ascertained bad debts of the bank have been
written off, and the half-yearly dividends, at the rate of
5 per cent. per annum, have been paid.
The undivided profits at December, 1843, were :
Reserve fund £50,105 4 4
Balance of profit and
loss for 1848

£54,c95 17 2
Net profits fur the year ending Decem-
ber, 1849

73,433 18 5
Deduct hair-year's dividend to Mid-

summer, 1849 11,250 0 0
Ditto citto Christmas 11,250 0 0
Balance of profit and loss
carried to that account
for 1850 B2B 14 1

23,328 14 1

Leaving amount of undivided profits
to the credit of the reserve fund at
December, 1849
The favourable aspect in political affairs generally has
been productive of very beneficial results to the trade of
the Unitcd Kingdom, which continues to exhibit the
most marked evidences of improvement; and is is hoped
that Ireland will, ere long, largely participate in the ge-
neral prosperity.
There are now to be elected four directors, in the room
of Thomas Lamie Murray, Esq., Sir Ralph Howard,
Bart., M.P., John Clement Ending, Esq., and James
Bead°, Esq., whose term of office has expired, but who
are re-eligible, and offer themselves accordingly.
Approved by the Court,
(Signed) T. LAME MUIMAY, Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN said the report had so fully entered
into every subject connected with the bank that little
was left for him to do but to congratulate the meet-
ing on the state of the accounts during the past year.
Although the directors had not been able to receive
so large an amount of profit as in the previous year,
yet he thought he might fairly use the term congra-
tulation with reference to their transactions, when
they took into account the calamities which had
fallen upon the country in which their operations were
carried on. It would be needless and out of place
for him to enter upon any consideration of the state of
Ireland, which was so perfectly well known to most
of the gentlemen present ; but he could not forbear to
state that, during a period of extreme depression and
suffering, with which ' it had pleased Divine Provi-
dence, doubtless for wise purposes, to afflict the
country, it was matter for congratulation to see the,
he might almost say, unexampled forbearance and
.resignation with which every class of society had
endured their afflictions. When a body suffered the
members also suffered with it, and perhaps banks,
which were most sensitive members of a commercial
community, were the first to feel any disorganization
or disorder in the body. Their circulation became
restricted, and their means were abstracted or diverted
to supply the necessities of society. It had been a
matter of prudence and necessity with the directors
of the National Bank of Ireland to preserve the capital
of the bank intact, and with that view they had lat-
terly had recourse to a restricted business, but they
had not restricted the business so as to bring
loss on individuals connected with the bank
and the country generally, but they had so restricted
it with reference to every application for an account
with the hank where the directors thought they could
not grant those applications with safety. That restric-
tion had necessarily trenched on the profits of the
bank during the last year. The directors, however,
had been enabled to preserve the rest and undivided
profits of the bank at the same amount as they were
last year, namely, 50,0001. Odd, which was sufficient
to meet any emergency that might arise in this bank,
and was equal in proportion to those of any batilj in the
United Kingdom, not excepting the Bank of Ebgland
in proportion to the dividends.. It was a' matter of
difficulty to place out the superabundant capital of
this bank upon safe investments which would
yield a good return ; but the directorsi had
inscribed the word "security" on their banner,
and they would adhere to it in all their 'trans-
actions with unflinching scrupulousness. The ex-
penses of the bank had had some little influence on
the profits recently, for where they had suddenly left
off doing a very extensive business, they could
not as suddenly reduce their officers without' doing
great injustice to several of them. They had, how-
ever thought it prudent not to take new hands into
their employment, but to endeavour gradually to bring
down their expenditure to the standard of the business
which they were at present transacting, which would
make a very considerable difference in their favour
for the future. There was another matter to which
he might refer, and that was the expense of their local
directors in Ireland. Some apprehension appeared to
have existed that they were extravagant in
that respect ; but When he stated that the
expenses of their local directors did not
amount to 9001. a year, he thought the meeting would
agree with him in thinking that was a small sum. It
afforded the directors and himself pleasure to state
that the resource§ of the bank at the present time
exceeded those of any prior period.—(Hear, bear.)
There really seemed a sort of inclination among the
public in general to favour this bank, if he might
judge frOm the repeated applications to the- directors by
persons doing businses with other banks to come over
to this bank, and there appeared to be a greater de-
gree of confidence placed in it than at any previous
period of its existence. He might add that the di-
rectors had closed the branch at Parsonstown, as
it had not answered their expectations. It would
be needless for him to enter into any statement
as to the future, but he was glad to perceive
signs of improvement in the agricultural and
commercial prospects of the country, and
as that improvement seemed to be gra-
dual, he hoped it would be permanent also.
He thought the transactions of the lucumbered Es-
tates Commission would tend greatly to improve the
country, as they would open up a- field for the
investment of capital and the proper employment of
the labouring classes. The directors, entrusted as
they were with the management of the affairs of the
bank, were glad to catch at the slightest ray of light
which broke upon the darkness which for some years
bad pervaded Ireland ; and he sincerely hoped when
the clouds dispersed it would not be attended with
the cry of " Breakers a-head," but with the full view of
a haven in prospect, to which he trusted the vessel
would be safely guided.—(Hear.)
Mr. NEwSAM bad occupied a seat on the direction
with their excellent chairman, and he was satisfied,
from experience, that any questions that might be put
to him would be answered in a straightforward
manner.--(Hear, hear.) Two years ago he and Mr.
Johnson were ousted from the board to make room
for Mr. John O'Connell and another gentleman,
without the slightest complaint being made against
their previous conduct, but, at the sugges-
tion of several proprietors, he had sacri-
ficed his own feelings, and had abstained since
than from taking any part in the proceedings of
the bank. The time, however, had now arrived when
he felt that he could consistently break his silence and
ask a few questions, without laying himself open to
the imputation of being actuated by improper
motives.—(Hear, hear.) Passing then to the re-
port which had just been read, he would take
leave to ask whether or no he was right in
considering that the gross earnings of the
bank fur 1849, after deducting the bad ' debts,
amounted to 19,338/. ? He had already mentioned
that he was removed to make way for Mr. John
O'Connell.

Mr. E. SIVITIMICK observed .that no reproach at-
tached to the direction for that, as it was the act of
the shareholders, and not of the directors.—(Hear.)