The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-26 00:00:00

BANK CHARTER ACT.

On Tuesday and Wednesday next, the 31st instant
and Ist proximo, two more portions of the Bank
Charter Act (7th and Bth Victoria, cap. 32) will
come into operation. By the 21st section it is en-
acted that every banker in England and Wales shall,
on the Ist of January in each year, or within fifteen
days thereafter, make a return to the Stamp office of
his name, residence, and occupation ; or, in the
case of a company or partnership, of the name, resi-
dence, and occupation every person composing
or being a member of such company or partner-
ship, and also the name of the firm under which
such banker, company, or partnership, carry on the
business of banking, and of every place where such
business is carried on ; and if any such banker, com-
pany, or partnership, shall omit or refuse to make
such return within fifteen days, or shall wilfully,
make other than a true return, every banker or com-
pany so offending shall forfeit 50L The information
so required to be furnished is to be ''ptikished on or
before the Ist of March in every year, in a news-
paper circulated where the parties respectively carry
on business. The other portion relates to forty-
three banking establishments, and to 3;1.5 many as
come within the provision. By the 23d section,
it is declared that the bankers mentioned
in the schedule who have ceased to issue
their own notes under certain agreermants with the
Bank of England, should have their agreements de-
termined on the 31st instant, and that bankers should
receive, by way of compensation, a composition. From
and after the day mentioned, the Bank shall pay to
the bankers, so long as they shall be willing to receive
the same, a composition after the rate of one per cent.
on the average amount of the Bank of England notes
issued by them, and actually remaining in circulation
—to be ascertained on some day in April next. The
mode to be adopted is set forth in respect to the
manner in which the notes in circulation are to be
ascertained. Similar accounts are to be taken in suc-
ceeding years, and the compositions are to be paid by
the Bank of England out of their own funds. In the
event of a dispute the matter is to be determined by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or a party whom he
shall appoint, whose decision is to be conclusive. The
bankers set forth may discontinue to receive the corn-
position, but no such banker is, by such discontinu-
ance, to acquire any right or title to issue bank notes.
The twenty-fifth section provides that the composi-
tions shall cease in August, 1856, if not previously
determined. On the days mentioned, the whole Act
will be in force.

THE FEES OF THE CHURCH IN
FRANCE

The following scandalous scene
.is described in a
Paris paper of Saturday last :—lt appears that
during the past week the subaltern officers of the
14th Light Regiment assembled at the military
hospital of the Gros-Caillon, in order to render the
last melancholy offices to a deceased comrade.
All were in the church, and the almoner
having arrived, were waiting for the funetal rites
to commence, when the Rev. (! ) ecclesiastic
turning towards the assembled throng, exclaimed, " I
will perform the duty most willingly, but I must
first know which person amongst you-is to be the
paymaster ?" " All of us," was the reply. The al-
moner, however, holding out MAJaand, cried out,
" Very well, let us see !" The assistantalere some-
what taken aback by this strange demand, and not
being provided with the requisite sum, they promised
to satisfy his reverence's pecuniary desires in the
course of the day. " Oh, I have nothing to say to
that," replied our priest, " the cash must be paid at
once ! No money, no Swiss !" In fact, he at once
announced his intention not to pronounce a syllable
of the ritual until the price of the funeral ser-
vice (11 francs) was safely lodged in his breeches
pocket. One of the officers then said, " You
may begin the service, for I promise to pay
your fee on the word of an officer and a gentle-
man." One would naturally have imagined that
the abbe would, upon this, have given way, but not
he, nothing could soften his obdurate determination,
and the subalterns were at length compelled to send a
messenger to the military school, for the money so im-
periously exacted. But the best remains to be told.
In the meantime the dissatisfaction-of-Ake assembled
officers increased to such a height that ibiy deter-
mined not to avail themselves of the prayers of the
Church at all, the value of which this truly disgraceful
conduct on the part of the priest no doubt greatly con-
tributed to lessen.

.uNJY

D COMMERCIAL NEWS

A large quantity of Cotton was sold at,Liverpool again
on Tueeday, at prevrieus rates, the market, however, being
well supplied. Speculators took 4,000 bales American,
and the total sales were 8,000 bales.—The transactions
in Railway Shares were numerous, and prices met with
full support. Birmingham and Gloucester, 94; Bristol
and Gloucester, 373 1; Chester and Birkenhead, 34 ;
Churnet- Valley, 31. 18s. 9d.; Dublin and Belfast, 43 3;
Eastern Counties, 141 ; rand Junction, 225 ; Ditto,
Half, 1123 ; Great Western, Fifths, 284; Liverpool and
Manchester, Quarters, 513; London and Birmingham,
Quarters, 271; Ditto and. Brighton, 52 ; Ditto and
South-Western, 76; Ditto and York, 41. 9s. ; Man-
chester and Leeds, 121; Midland Counties, X 133; South-
Eastern, 401 3; Trent Valley, 103; Lyons and Avignon,
21. 135.; Paris and Lyons, 3L Bs. 6d. ; Paris and
Strasburg, 21. 198.; Orleans, Tours, and Bordeaux, 8 ;
Sambre and Meuse, 3i; Boulogne and Amiens, 51;
Central. of France, 113.
We had no news in the City yesterday.

MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, _DEC: 24.—The
market continues strong, and a fair amount of business
has been transacted to-day. Eastern Counties Perpe-
tual, No. 2, 24 ; Manchester and Leeds Half Shares,
51* ; Ditto, Sixteenths, 4 5-16ths ' • Manchester and
Birmingham, 521 • Ditto, Quarter Shares, ;
4045 k ; Sheffield and MancheAnf 97* ; Cam-
bridge and Lincoln, 2/. 6.5.6 d.; ChurnftValley, 3i; Hud-
dersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, 4t, ; Hud-
dersfield and Sheffield Junction, 3i• ' • Leeds, Dewsbury,
and Manchester, si; London and York, 4 7.16 4k: Shef-
field and Lincoln, 19s. ; Trent Valley, 101 ; West York-
, shire, 6* ; Paris and Strasburgh, 3 1-16. ,

THE ALPACA TEXTURES.—(From a Correspond-
ent.)—As a proof of the beneficial effects of royal pa-
tronage bestowed upon any particular branch of our
manufactures, I may mention that the handsome recep-
tion at Windsor given to the Bradford deputation who
carried up the dresses made from her Majesty's alpaca
fleece has thrown fresh life and activity into this new
branch of trade. Orders for alpaca cloths are pouring
in, many intended for exportation, this article having
become a . great favourite in (~'ermany and the United
States, owing to its cheapness and extraordinary dura-
bility. The black plain lustre, of the natural colour,
is particularly liked by the Spanish ladies for their
soya, or church dress, and as in softness, gloss, and
pliability it exceeds silk, it is becoming fashionable
among us for clergymens' and lawyers' 'gowns. To
show you how much the manufacturers in ,this quarter
are on the qui vice, I may add that from the description
only of the apron manufactured by Messrs. Gregory,
imitators are now setting up looms, coming as near to
the platen, as they can, some in inferior materials—that
j.s, in common wool for the weft and cotton for the warp.
Messr. F. and T. Ellison, of Berkinshaw, have taken an
order for 700 pieces, equal to 22,000 aprons ; and Mr.
Cowling Arkroyd, of Horton (both near Bradford), for
500 pieces, or 18,000 aprons. Considerable orders for
fec similes of the Queen's dresses are also coming in to
the original manufacturers, Messrs. Fison and Gregory,
several of the nobility being anxious to have them. This
new branch of manufacture may therefore now be con-
sidered as firmly established, and therefrom I leave you
to judge of the public service rendered, and the number
of additional hands thereby employed, with families
dependent upon them of at least three members each.
We have also now a new article,to send to the foreign
market, and it is to be borne in mind that with the com-
petition against which we have to contend, variety in
articles is of moment. Saturday
EXTENSIVE FIRE AT LEITIL—EarIy on
morning the premises belonging to the Leith Candle
Company were discovered to be on fire. From the con-
fined situation of these works, it was with some difficulty
that the town engines could be brought to bear on •the
conflagration ; and, from the-inflammable nature of.the
materials, the work of destruction went • speedily, on—
vats, coolers, and tallow warehouses were soon in one
general blaze. About two o'clock the roof of the build-
ing fell in, when the scene that opened• up to the spec-
tators was one of melancholy grandeur. Towering and
untamed the lurid flames rose high in the air; contrasting
beautifully with the wintry appearance of the 4cenery
around. The Fort engines, which are -at all times
promptly turned out, had now arrived, and assisted emi-
nently in confining the fire to where it had originated,
although the main safety of the adjoining propetty,,con-
sisting of wine vaults and grain stores, was chiefly bveing
to the opening up of the fire-plugs, which are now prltty
general over the town, and attaching lengths of Bose,
which,when available, offer the surest mane tf.sttbdilukg
flames. The Edinburgh engines were, also opOn the
ground, but were not required. About five, o'elock the
fire was got under • and we understand the property is
insured.—Edinb4h Journal.