The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-28 00:00:00

THE ROYAL BRITISH BANK AND MR.
_HUMPHREY BROWN, M.P.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SIJN.

SIR,--My attention has been directed to a para-
graph in your publication of the 25th inst., in which
Mr. Huinphrey Brown is represented as having, at
a meeting at Tewkesbury, on Tuesday last, used
the following language, as applied to me. Mr.
Coleman had "put forth to the world that he owed
the bank a sum of 70,0001., that that statement had
been put forward by Mr. Coleman for the most
dastardly purpose, that of creating in the mind of
the public a feeling that he, Mr. Coleman, was the
man to bring people to book. It was a disgrace to
Mr. Coleman, and was a downright lie."
I pass by the consideration of this language, and
shall direct myself to the facts in which alone the
public are interested.
It is perfectly true that I stated at the meeting
of the shareholders of the Royal British Bank,
held at the London Tavern, on the 20th day of
September last, that Mr. Brown was indebted in a
' sum of 70,0001. The amounts standing to his debit
on the day that the bank stopped payment being
as follows :

£ s. d.
Drawing account
Discount ditto
Past due bills 7,561 6 2
Advances

Together 75,313 11 2
In addition to which there was interest from the
30th June to the sth September. The amount
stated by me was, therefore, considerably less than
the actual balances of the books.

Except the above past due bills for 7,560/. Gs 2d.
the only securities held by the bank were the fol-
lowing ten ships mortgaged to them by Mr.
Brown :

The Rory Brown
„ Wasp
„ Bride
„ Hero 432 „
„ Madonna 256 „
„ Helen Lindsay .
„ Ocean Wave
„ Hornet 1,285 „
„ Ambrosine 457 „
„ Magdalena
Also an equitable charge on some freehold property
stated to be worth 1,0001.
Five of these ships proved valueless to the bank
under the following circumstances :
The whole of the ships were mortgaged to the
bank iu 1854. The fist five, however, being
Gloucester ships, I was informed that Mr. Brown
had requested that no registry of the mortga,,es
should be made there, as it would injure his posi-
tion, and that he had promised that on their re-
turn from their then voyages he would have them
registered in London, when the mortgages could be
entered.

Mr. Brown, however, subsequently again mort-
gaged the three first of these ships to their full
value, and to other parties, to the prejudice of the
bank ; he sold the two next without the consent or
knowledge of the bank, and also drew against the
freight of the Ambrosine ; and I was assured that
no part of those proceeds had been paid to the bank,
and that the directors did not discover these facts
till August, 1856, when they learnt that the secu-
rities which they had up to a few days before con-
sidered to be of the value of 50,0001., had by these
acts dwindled down to about one-half.
With these facts and figures I leave the public
to judge of the truth of my statement; and as to
the language applied to me personally, I cm with
much pride allow it to pass with that contempt it
deserves.

A.pologising for the length of this communication,
I am, Sir, yours, &c.,

J. E. COLEMAN.
36, Coleman-street, Feb. 27, 1857.

THE MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
.Tagus, Capt. E. Christian, sailed to-day with the
mails for Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibral-
tar, 31 passengers (24 fir,t-class, 6 second, and 1
de), bar gold value 53,1421., and 1,5001. in sove-
reigns for Cadiz, and a general cargo. Among the
passengers are the Count and Countess Lavradio,
&e. The Tagus alßo takes out Captain Tregear,
Messrs. Gaby and Fox (two of the company's offi-
cers), Mr. Corrnac (the company's superintendent
shipwright), Mr. Abbinett (the diver), and 33 met),
with a quantity of requisite gear to render assist-
ance to the steamer Madrid on the rocks off Vigo.
Noth;ng further is known here as to that vess-Ps
condit'on. The next succeeding steamer for the
Peninsular por4 on the 7th proximo, will be the
41iiambra. Thy Indus, Captain G. Books, is pre-
larinY to take out the Indi-t and China miils on
the 4th, and the Ripon, Capt. R. W. Evans, with
the homeward mails from that quartet., is due on
the same day. The Royal Mail Company's steamer
Atrat), Capt. Wooley, leaves on the 2d with the
West India, Mexican, and Pacific mails, and the
Avon, Cipt. Revett, on the 9th, with the usual
mails for Brazils and the River Plate. The Orinoco,
Capt. Sawyer, is due on the Ist, with the next
homeward West India and Pacific mail, but is not
expected before the 3d. The Tainar, Capt. Jellicoe,
with the Brazilian mails, is not looked for till
tcwards th 3 close of the mouth, having been de-
layed at Vigo two or three weeks on her outward
passage by an accident to her machinery.