The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-11 00:00:00

BANKING HOURS.

The weak side of the case of the City bankers in
their proposing to curtail the hours of business seems
to be this—that they take too much into consideration
their own convenience or that of their clerks, and
bestow too little thought on the convenience of the
rest of the community. Thus, in the signatures eh-
tained previously to bringing their proposition fez:,
ward, there appear only those of the bankers, or
the managers of the Joint-Stock Banks, which,
if they are unanimous, will enable them to dictate
'what terms they please to their customers. The
first step to be taken on their part, and for their own
protection, undoubtedly was that of ascertaining
that all the banking establishments of the City would-
agree to it, but having done so, and,,to avoid the.
appearance of forcing the measure upon .fhe trading
interest, some signatures of the leading merchants in the
City should have been obtained expressive of their
willing assent to it. This has not, we believe, as
yet been done, and we know as a fact that some of
the first foreign houses in the City are opposed to it,
and anticipate much inconvenience from its being
brought into operation. It is needles:4 to recur to
arguments already used against its adoption, but it is
notorious that all things have tended of late to im-
pose greater labour and occupation of time upon
commercial men, compared with a few years bank,
under the combined effect of steam-boats, -railroads,
day mails, and cheap postage ' • and the time chosen
is, therefore, rather an unfortunate one for the
bankers to claim a remission, especially if thit remjs-
sion should militate against the convenience of
public.
The situation of the bankers clerks genertOly is
certainly deserving of consideration and sympattv,,
but much depends, with them, upon their know-
ledge of, and attention to, their business, so that.A.
well-ordered house will hare made up. all their ac-
counts, and adjusted their balances, within an hour,
perhaps, after ceasing to pay over the counter, wail©
others, through blunders and confusion arising in
the course of the day, will keep their clerks up all.
idea to correct an error in the balance. But
if the proposed change is found to be inconvenient
to the public, then the consideration of the inferior
agents must yield, as it is uniformly made to do in
all such cases. This is the only basis on which
the question can be argued, and the bankers will
only injure themselves if they adopt any other, for
the keen competition among them -will soon break
through the compact they have entered into, and
bring the present rule back into operation, which
would be placing the whole of them in a very humi-
liating position. It is a most dangerous thing to (lii-
turb by force the current of business in a great trading
community. We repeat, that at the present moment
increased facilities are to be desired rather than any
dimint:tion, and believe, therefore, that theiargu,ntrillisetetz
against the change proposed be
have more force and validity than those d
vauthe London
v.d•

its favour.
It should be known, that it is not the intention of
those who have brought the matter forward to. make
any alteration in the hours of the clearinghouse, but
only to close the payments over the counter at four
o'clock. As to the receipt of money to he placed to
account, that will be allowed even after five o'clock'
and so long as there . are
whenceany clerks in attendance•
But this being the case, ftis not easy to see
the relief for the clerks, for whom so much
e
is solicited, is to arise. It resolves itself, at sPlPateflilY
into a very trivial matter.— Times. all events,

past at Boulogne-
FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR BOULOGNE.--OR WedDeS•
, the 28th ult., Mr. William bourdieu, a gentle_
M. Perneau,
who had resided for some time
F, me., dined at the house of his friend
ca 3:,
milefrom the town.
man
of Ostrohove, a village about a
nor /"Was anything
As he did not return at night,
-messengers were dis-
patched into the surrounding'
heard of him even next da3
country ; but DO tid-
ings were received of him that day, nor the next. On
Saturday, a peasant having occasion to go to a well,
situate in an unfrequented
A mile from °strawyplace, about a quarter of
e, discovered A hat floating on
the surface of
the
water ; and, a ladder having been
procured, he went down into the well, and there
found the body of the missing gentleman. The
authorities had it conveyed to the hospital, where it-
was ascertained that no violence had been offered to
the deceased ; and that his death most have been
accidental. It was elicited afterwards that he rerte
his friend's house, for the purpose of returning home,
at about nine o'clock; and it is supposed he must
have missed his way, us the evening was dark anal wet.
The well (an open one) in which the awful catastrophe,
occurred is about 200 yards from the road lending to
Boulogne, is not near any house, and was seldom
used. The deceased, who was about 70 years of age,
was of remarkably regular and abstemiPus habits. lie
had been a partner in the old and respectable firm a
13ourdieu and Sons, West India merchants, and lb-
reign commission agents, of Lime-Street.
WATER.—The combination among the water corn-
panics to raise their charges for serving the public
with water, has led to a revival of the old pr4eet of '
bringing a supply of pure water from the Thames
above Barnes, where it may be procured free from the
filth and pollution which enters into the river nearer
the metropolis. The project was supported some,
yi ars since by Sir Robert Peel, who stocd forward is
the House of Commons a firm advocate for suriti.n.
the public with one of the great blessinFs
good and wholesome water. . The intentun.
es or an
, 11)g to repol is to convey the water by pip
ea
1 aqueduct to ambeth and Vau of
taccord-