The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-08 00:00:00

COURT f,711-"rTTLA R.
WINDSOR., TUESDAY.- ille tll %%Glhi d UU. iur
some time this a ornin4, att.( a Iby Lady C. Cocks.
Prince Albert, accompanku by the Austrian Am-
bassador (Conn.. Dietrichstein), the Earls of Liverpool
and Delawarr, left the Castle this morning on a
Shooting excursion in the royal preserves, attended
by Mr. Anson and Colonel Bouverie.
James Bentley, Esq., the treasurer of St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital, Thomas R. Bartrum,
Richard Gilbert, Esq., and John Dixon, Esq.,
Governor; (a deputation from the hospital), attended
b 7 Ir. William Wix, the clerk, had the honour of an
audience of his Royal Highness Prince Albert at the
Castle this morning, to present to his Royal High-
Ilea a green staff, and a copy, on vellum, of the reso-
lution of the Court, upon his Royal Highness be-
'coming a Governor of that ancient foundation, which
the Prince was pleased to accept. The gentlemen of
she deputation were most graciously received, and
Were invited to partake of a luncheon in the Castle,
utter which the deputation took their departure for
London.
Mr. Alderman Lucas, the Presiient of St. Bar-
Fioamew's Hospital, was unfortunately prevented, by
lildiapesition,_from accompanying the deputation to
present the address from town.
The
P • Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, and the
the
Royal, were taken for their accustomed air-
ings to-day.
Ihe Austrian Ambassador and the Countess Diet-
,l'eliatein visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of
gent, at Frogmore House, this afternoon.
The Countess Wratislaw has been confined by a
con at. Frogmore House for some days past, but is
ow much better.
The Viscount Melbourne, Lord and Lady Beau-
Vale, and Mr. Patrick Fraser Ty tier, left the Castle
today,
jC%aPtain the Hon. A. Duncombe has succeeded
aer-General Sir Frederick Stovin as the Groom
Waiting on the Queen.
xn-ler Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the
the in Waiting, went to the riding school in
eTi• he royal
to take equestrian exercise.
royal dinner party at the Castle this evening
Lad -ded her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
Y Panny Howard, the Right Hon. Sir William
Fremantle, Mr. George Edward and the Hon. Mrs.
3013, and Sir George Couper.
A The band of the Royal Horse Guards was in at-
leedance during dinner.
Her Majesty's private band afterwards attended,
and performed the remainder of the evening.

_he Duke of Cambri v,:t.ci her Royal HiuhneAs
the Duchess of G10n,e.,,0r , G;ouct-tt r
Rouse.
The Commissiorals fur the Reduction of t:
tional Debt had a meeting yesterda% at the Tree-
Inr.Y. The Corami,sioners present were the Master
of the Rolls, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
Governor of the Bank of England, and the Deputy-
Gevernor. Mr. Higham Secretary and Comptroller-
General was in attendance.
A deputation from the Shrewsbury, Wolverhamp-
tam) Dudley, and Birmingham Railway Company,
consisting of the Hon. R. H. Clive, M.P., Mr. W. R.
Collett, M.P.; Mr. Richard Smith of Dudley ; Mr.
bugdale Houghton, of Birmingham ; Sir John
Rennie, Mr. Richard Roy, and Mr. George Knox,
the Secretary, had a lengthened interview at the rail-
Itvi. department of the Board of Trade yesterday.
Mr. Wickham, Chairman of the Stamps and Taxes,
had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, at his official residence, in Downing-street.
Bishop Griffith had an interview with Lord
Stanley yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Excise, had an
interview yesterday with the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer.
Dispatches were sent off last evening from the
Colonial-office for the Governor of Ceylon, and also
for the Governor of Hong-Kong.

COLONIAL BANK.
The fourteenth Half-yearly General Meeting of
the Proprietors of the Colonial Bank was held at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, yesterday, at one
o'clock, J. Colville, Esq., in the chair. The business
was that of receiving the usual report of the Com-
pany, and a statement of accounts respecting its
affairs, and to elect Directors and an Auditor. There
was a full attendance of Proprietors. The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by calling
on the Secretary to read the advertisement fcr the
meeting, and the report.
The SECRETARY read this document, prefacing it,
'however, by the statement of accounts above men-
tioned. The following are the details of it • .
DEBTS:
Circulation, 182,677/. 7s. 6d.; Deposits and other
liabilities, 438,0011.25. Bd. ; Paid up capital, 500,000/. ;
I)rofits, 11,120/. 7s. 6d.; Total, 1,131,7981.-- 17s. Bd.
ASSETS : Specie, 236,1951. 12s. od. ; Due to Bank in
ASSETS Colonies on Bills Discounted and Purchased, In-
!allag those past due, but reported good,
?--)v-42/. 17s. 4d. ; Due to ditto on Cash Credits and
..i'ltvent.A.ccounts, 139,6611. 158. Bd.; Due to ditto in
3°44,46°681°11 Bills Remitted, Cash at Bankers, &c.,
•°s 7d • Balance of bad and doubtful debts,
L8341(151. 133: 6T; Bank premises and furniture in
of Pr°erlirnanidn the Colonies, 22,613/. 19s. 7d. ; Balance
ary Expenses, 6,5051. 18s. 7d.—Total,
1'11,31_1'7981. 17s 8d
-.sue re • •
Of birect°ll entnmenee
d by statrinupgerthtuatultahses Board
r
the head ofrsbstill considered it p
ad debts those which_ were doubtful, as
well as those which had been found to be bad. It
stated, 015
0, that the Directors felt compelled again
Ito!lirre
ep."lmend the Proprietors to abstain from de:
Profilnt'Tha,,d,lividend and to allow the amount of thy.
ion of
--le no to June, 1844, after the deduct
txpen...
r?uz,.., t° be carried to the credit of the bad debt
to occaruoned the Directors much regret
1,,.;11.ave to renew this recommendation to the Proi
4-vtors, but they
ciretimsta felt persuaded, under their resent
could it would be the wisest course they
arrive
Pursue. they trusted the period would soon
zolve when they should feel justified in recome-
ending a Portion of their profit to be applied to the
t a dividend. The amount. of their profit,
t
still le larger than in the preceding half-year, was
itlle as than what the Directors anticipatd when
140811 gr duties and other questions shall have b been
enable the
a more satisfactory basis, which would
to 4 e them to extend the business of the corporation
these Matey extent than they were able to do while
The questions remained in a state of uncertainty.
tau? continued to conduct their affairs with extreme
consideredl°4, which, though it restricted their profits, they
„e. necessary to safety. They thought it more
sirable to realise a comparatively small profit, than
Ordinary
make
aPParently large gains, attended with extra-
risk. The Directors were happy. to be able
si, ,
lip to".Ythtnat the business of the helf-year just ended,
oa • e latest dates in their possession, was going
sabsfactorily
IvitTliii e CuAl-DAl,:rt would not trouble the meeting
at oncey observations in addition to the report, but
A observations that it be received.
_an
rla r. litvi Was sorry to see the respectable Chair-
te' and so many gentlemen of high standin, as-
ellled at all on this occasion. He thought it would let ahr better if they would dissolve the Company, and.
tiffitti;e4l all get something out of the wreck of their
sirehs,;,,,Re was sorry to hear the Chairman, and
then "'an as Mr. Maxwell Stewart, brought toge-
Its he°ll such a forlorn hope. If they had broken up,
liav Mr. Levi) had suggested last year, they might
.truedeeured 181. a share ; he was sure, if they con-
e another year, they should not get eighteen-
alive% Re saw it would be useless for him to make
dia nulot°tion, but he again urged them, as the concern
tolnito. answer, to break it up. It was merely. kept
•Then-,,..-PY people at home and abroad their salaries—
kd Too never looked into the box for two years,
girlytten they did, found there were 12,0001. gone. .
the Ii0e• CAvt was entirely opposed to the. viewsl of
pone, 1;• Proprietor, which had been but faint y sup
4.4lVtihterh4th,DoYse gentlemen in other parts of the room.
.condemnatory remarks, in 'which he had
for feerusstily indulged, he had neither sympathy
teath, ing ; and he was much mistaken if all the
of 101.11'en present were not opposed to the opinions
ki#7. Levi. Far from indulging in such gloomy
tbeQati
th : ,he thought there was much to console
Ira ,!) their position. lie admitted that their af-
iith" did not come up to what he had hoped, yet a
trieneteonsideration removed much of that disappoint-
had b They must recollect the state in which they
at once n, and from they could not expect to rise
tho'elidull; ttheoaugeondition of vitality and vigour ; if they
ht it would be dangerous, and in it he
steed see the seeds of future misfortune. He would
be 1 Pursue a slow and certain course, which would
dvi,l4elY to lead to the restoration of a moderate
much of lencl and the permanent continuance of it. Very
la, their present difficulties they owed to the
It 4e dividend heretofore decl ired in that room; if
their(' been made less they would not 'have been in
p. present straitened condition. But it waktile.
4,4lPrietors who shared the benefit of that mistake,
litottville37 should not grumble so unmercifully as Mr.
bird done at the present privation. They could
,itas.,4 aro e the Directors for what had been
Itiii-' by the state of affairs in the West
~oa. colonies ; they had been disastrous, and the
ii
who
VVhad
in had to Struggle for their very existence.
one year were possessed of large pro-
, had by the proceedings of the mother country
tlistettllc,i.eft in a destitute sttte. But it was expected
Pat„'3lr Robert Peel would, in the next session of
tur,,_"aftent, permanently settle the question of the
great
duties. Sugar, they were all aware, was the
rt
‘‘,St staple of the West Indies, and till the duties on
Nit their P
ermanently fixed, it was quite impossible
1100. "eir affairs could be placed on a sure founda-
lia alit The report said the Directors trusted soon to
13. "to recommend the declaration of a dividend.
iftere t.
tiau ton. persons would give a different interpreta-
, the word " soon ." he confessed he was one of
'''93lline ones, and he hoped to hear that deelara-

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