The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-26 00:00:00

sures which they have reason to suppose will be for the
real benefit of the people. It is a curious circumstance,
but wherever I go I find the people constantly and in-
variably attributing the present depression in trade to the
operation of the corn-law.—(Hear, hear.) This law,
which was passed ostensibly for the purpose of pro-
tecting the native industry of the country, and
to give us, who are manufacturers, a constant
supply of good custom from the home trade,
to give to capital fair profit, and to labour fair
wages ; this law, which promised so much is now
looked upon by almost everybody as the guilty party in
causing the present almost universal depression.—
(Cheers). My opinion is that the present prospects of
trade in this country are anything but encouraging, and
that their being bad and gloomy is entirely traceable to
the existing corn-laws.—(Hear, hear.) Six weeks ago
there was, generally speaking, a fair trade throughout
the cotton districts, arc], in some parts, the trade was
exceedingly brisk, and more than ordinarily profitable.
The demand was then constant, and suffered little or no
check whatever, until after a long period of rainy and
unfavourable weather, the harvest was found to be
deficit nt, end prices gradually rose ; and, in addi-
tion to this, an alarming rumour was spread abroad
of the almost total failure of the potato crop. Now
there is no other cause whatever, to which the present
depression of trade in the cotton districts can be
attributed, except to this. All the old things which
were formerly said are now no longer mentioned as the
causes contributing to this lamentable result. There
are joint stock banks now in Manchester as there were
four or five years ago, yet nobody uow thinks of attri-
buting the depression to them. There is at present also
far more machinery in Manchester than there was then,
but nobody is now foolish or mad enough to trace the
depression to the progress of machinery. There has
also been a larger production of manufactured articles
than before, but no man now saddles the depression on
over-production>—(Hear, hear.) The truth is, that
there is now a great and general cessation from buying
those productions, because the people are becoming im-
poverished as the price of food advances, and hero lies
the whole evil.—(Hear, hear.) And sooner or later it
is to be feared we shall have a state of things to deplore
such as we bad four or five years ago. lam inclined to
believe that those who fashioned and passed the corn-
law will find that their system is now working ra-
ther inconveniently to themselves.—(Hear, hear.) At
an agricultural meeting in Banbury, held a short
time ago, the Honourable; Member for Oxfordshire
observed, that he was extremely glad that they
had had a few weeks of good weather,
because had the bad weather continued, the price of food
would have risen so high as to be exceedingly incon-
venient to those who were anxious to maintain the cern-
laws.—(Hear, hear.) The object is, that the rise in price
should be just as much as the country can and will bear
without becoming dissatisfied and violent. It is a con-
stant system of tension, but they never intend that the
string should break.—(Hear, hear.) It is just that sort
of plunder which they hope, at any rate, with the help of
a good military force, and all the appliances which power
and tyranny can command, can be maintained without
risking the overthrow of the plunderers.—(Hear, hear.)
A very respectable inhabitant of one of the southern
counties told me, a few days ago, that he did not expect
that the corn-law would last for ever, for that the popula-
tion must eventually become so great as to render it im-
possible that the produce of this country could feed them.
I asked him when he thought the corn-law should be re-
pealed? He Paid that he could not fix the precise time,
but that he had no doubt it would be done when the
pressure became strong enough.—(Hear, hear.) There
was in that expression a deep meaning, which it became
them all to understand. When amongst the twenty-
seven millions of people feeding at the ill-supplied table
of this country, suffering, discontent, famine, crime, pe-
verty, disease, and mortality prevailed—when all these
calamities, heaped upon a suffering people, are become
so great that they can endure them no longer, then, but
not till then, do our agricultural friends think that the
corn-laws should be abolished.—(Hear, hear.) I was
once here, three or four years ago, when your artisans
were in a very different condition from that in which they
are at present. You, along with all the great towns in
the empire, suffered greatly during the years which in-
tervened between 1838 and 1842. Is there any man now
in Sheffield who pretends to give any other explanation
of the cause of that suffering than such as we furnished
by the League at the time, and such as the League offers
them now. It was the failure of your harvest that
wrought the evil, combined with the denial, on the part
of the Government, of the right to the people, which
they should unquestionably possess, of bringing supplies
of food from abroad, whenever they are convinced of
the necessity of so doing.—(Hear, hear,) If you wish
to assure yourselves of the importance of having
trade good, you have but to look at the effect, in
reference to crime alone, of its being bad. Sir James
Graham stated in the House of Commons, that in the
year 1836, the commitments in England and Wales
amounted only to about 20,000. In 1842 they had
risen to 32,000—(Hear, hear)—or something like 60 per
cent.—(Hear, hear.) The commitments in 1842 were
32,000, and in 1843, a year of good harvest, they fell to
29,000—last year they fell to 26,000, when there was a
good harvest. Sir James Graham stated that since the
period when statistical returns of commitments were
commenced, there never was an instance of such a dimi-
nution in the numbers of commitments in two years,
and I have no doubt that if the harvest had been good
this year, they would have fallen to 20,000, as they had
in 1836. According to the present increase in the
price of bread, the country is paying at the rate of
400,000 L a week more than it was paying six months
ass.° for food.—(Hear, hear.) That is only for the grain
consumed by the people for food, but when we re-
collect the quantity consumed by horses and in va-
rious other ways, it will be found that the nation is now
paying at the rate of 20 millions a year additional for its
food as compared with the price of food six months ago.
—(Hear, hear.) Why, those twenty millions would
make twenty railways of thirty miles each—they form a
sum equal in amount to the whole of our colonial trade,
and more by one-half.—(Hear, hear.) Some time ago it
was said, in some of the papers, that our home markets
and our colonial markets were all that we required, and
that if we had them in a state of prosperity we need not
care much about the foreign market. The colonies take
thirteen and a half millions of value a year, so that the
landlords continue to suck up twenty millions a year with
this sponge of the corn-laws. They thereby do as much
mischief as if they destroyed two-fifths of our foreign
trade, or the whole of our colonial trade and half as
much again. The effect of this law is quite evident--it
is clear that whilst this scramble for bread is going on
there will be no scramble for cutlery.—(Hear, hear.)
There are 100,000 persons in your town, and supposing,
according to the ordinary and actual calculation,
that they should increase to the extent of 2,000 every
year, what must be the result of such an increase if their
means of obtaining food are not also increased ? If
2,000 persons are born more than die in Sheffield every
year, it is fair to say 1,700 or 1,800 of those will be of
the working class, who, when they grow up, will look for
work, and must have it, and thus will beat down the
wages of those who were here before them.—(Hear,
hear.) They will ask for food, and they must get it,
and this competition will raise the price of food upon
those who were there before them. What happens, then,
if the trade of Sheffield should not increase in equal pro-
portion ? It will follow that such an increase of the
working population will bring down the price of work,
or cause the population to be employed at short time, and
if no additional supply of food should be procured, the
chances are that the population will be put on a shorter
allowance than before. Under such circumstances, if the
supply of food should not increase, the condition of the
population must become deteriorated ; and what is true
of Sheffield in that respect is also true of every city in
the kingdom. The extension of trade at home is injured
by this law, whilst the extension of trade abroad is also
checked and retarded by it. In the next session it
is probable that there may be a modification of the
American tariff; and speaking of that tariff, I may re-
mark, that whatever injury our trade suffers from the
American tariff is owing to our Government ; for if we
had no corn-law to wage war on American productions,
there would be no American tariff to wage war on our
productions.—(Hear, hear.) If the effect of the corn-
laws be then what I have *scribed them ; if they pro-
duce famine and bad tradr, what ought the people of
this country to do ? I am sure the people of England
will not submit to such a state of things.—(Cheers.) I
should have no hope in their resistance to any tyranny
that might be attempted, if they did not resist this.—
(Cheers.) And those opponents of ours, when we come
to measure them, are not such as we need be greatly
afraid of. We don't find their newspapers more clever
than those of other people—rather less so. We don't
find their public orators—if they have any such—suc-
ceed particularly well. We don't find they send to Par-
liament men with whom any one of order or capacity
need hesitate to break a lance. You don't hear any
man of common intelligence in the House of Commons
get up to defend the corn-laws. Sir James Gra-
ham, Sir Robert Peel, or Mr. Gladstone never do so.
It is true a squire from Somerset now and then says
a word in their defence.—(Hear, bear, and a laugh.)
He says when mutton and veal are cheap,farmers cannot
be remunerated—he did not add the rest—" and they
cannot pay us our rents." I don't wish to speak harshly
of landed proprietors. I don't think many of them have
examined the question. They have been brought up in
the notion that England is their country, and they tell
us, " let those who don't like it leave it." They look
on manufacturers as mere shopkeepers, and as not hav-
ing any gentle blood as they have not a long line of dead
ancestors to boast of. Now, I confess, I have much more,
respect for that nobility which has been valiantly suf-
fering and working for others, than for that whose boast
it is that they made others suffer for it.—(Cheers.)
They fancy they were born to consume—we to work ;
and their notion of trade in its proper state is,
when those engaged in the work have suffered them-
selves to be plundered and don't grumble.—(Much
laughter, and cheers.) The House of Commons
in this country is held in shares. The people have tt
small interest in it, but some how or other
they never get into the provisional or acting committee.
—(Renewed laughter and cheers.) We come to the
question, " Are we to stand it any longer ?" The
Standard says we have gained four counties at 300,000/.,
and that we must have as many millions to win all the
counties. Now, I say the money would not deter us if we
sawut ttha e prospect
p ofo r
tsiuocnh
Lsauncecese shs —r e `Her,hsar at
on ad
hcheers.)counties

Cultivated area of England
and Wales
Ditto Lancashire
£875:785062:272385
or 1-11th part.
Rental of real property in
England and Wales
Ditto Lancashire
Rental of dwelling-houses in
England and Wales
Ditto Lancashire
I recollect perfectly well when Lancashir a went orcr to
the monopolists there waa a cry of reacti on throughout
the kingdom, When free trade Members are returned
-for that and some Other large evangel, the ;WWI-

borough Members and the nominees of the Lords cannot
keep a Government in existence for a session. If one-
fifth of the grown-up population of your town register
there is no fear of a contest in this county. You should
take up this question as one of life and death to your-
selves and to the trade of Sheffield ; and if you do as
Halifax, Huddersfield, and Leeds are prepared to do, and
if the small towns will follor your example, as they ine-
vitably will do, your voice—as it was formerly the signal
of the downful of the Whigs—will speak with a voice of
thunder in favour of free-trade, when you choose to take
on yourselves the exercise of the franchise.—(Cheers.)
Dr. THONPSON, in moving the first resolution, said
that he appeared on that occasion before the meeting as
a member of the Anti Corn-law League, a body repudiating
all political par tizanship—(Hear,hear)—and whose object
was to promote the comfort, the happiness, and well
being of the people generally. They heard much of the
anticipated famine ; and no famine could occur without
being accompanied by a pestilence.—(Hear.) Pestilence
was not only engendered by want of food, but by the
supply being of a deteriorated quality. Such, then,
was the prospect at present before the country.—
(Hear.) Dr. Thompson concluded by proposing
the following resolution!—" That this meeting re-
joices at the immense progress which free-trade opi-
nions have made throughout the United Kingdom,
and especially at the fact that upwards of 2,000
free-traders have been added to the West Riding list
of voters during the present year ; and pledges itself to
the most active exertions to procure a lsrge addition to
that number on the next year's registration, being fully
convinced that the friends of free trade have the power
of making such additions to the number of freeholders
in the West Riding, as to render it hopeless for any can-
didate to come forward on other than entire free- trade
principles."
The resolution was secoedsd by Mr. E. VICARS, and
was carried with acclamation.

.Ir. W. FISHER proposed the next resolution, which
was to the effect, that a Registration Committee should
be appointed, to consist of the pre:.ent Committee of the
Free Trade Association, with power to add to their
numbers.

The resolution was carried unanimously.
On the motion of Alderman llooLu, seconded by Al-
derman TURTON, thanks were voted to Mr. R. Cobden,
M.P., and Mr. J. Bright, M.P., fog their unceasing exer-
tions to promote the cause of free trade ; after which the
meeting separated.

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.
EAST LANCASHIRE.

BURY, TUESDAY.—An extraordinary general meeting
of the Proprietors of this Company was held at the
Eagle and Child, in this town. yesterday, for the pur-
pose of considering the propriety of confirming an agree-
ment entered into by the Directors, with the Directors
of the Blackburn and Preston Railway, and the Liver-
pool, Orreskirk, and Preston Railway, and other matters
relating thereto. The chair was occupied by
Mr. Jour GRUNDY, the chairman of the board of
Directors, who called upon the secretary to read the
advertisement convening the meeting, which being done,
Mr. RICHARD WALKER read the report of the Direc-
tors. The report stated that the Directors had entered
into an agreement with the Directors of the Blackburn
and Preston Railway to amalgamate that line with the
East Lancashire line. That the Liverpool, Ormskirk,
and Preston Company had determined to renew their ap-
plication to Parliament for the necessary powers
to construct that line, and if successful, which
there was every reason to believe they would be,
there would be secured to the public a
direct communication with this important and densely
populated district. That the Directors felt that they
would be liable to the charge of neglecting the interests
of the Proprietors, unless they embraced the earliest
opportunity of securing an independent access to the
port of Liverpool for the traffic of the immense popula-
tion which they claimed to accommodate. With these
views they had entered into an arrangement with the
Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston Company, that in the
event of their line receiving the sanction of Parliament,
it should be amalgamated with the East Lancashire.
That the necessary notices had been given for an appli-
cation to Parliament for increased powers to improve the
gradients, and to construct branches to Crowshaw,
Booth, and Bacup, as these were likely to become
very lucrative adjuncts to their main, line. That
to effect thee purposes it would be necessary
to raise an increased capital, and the Directors pro-
posed to create new shares to an amount no exceeding
300,0001. That powers be given to the Directors to
oppose any projected line which might interfere with the
interests of the East Lancashire line. After a length-
ened discussion, in which the Chairman, Mr. John
Grundy, the solicitor to the Company ' • Mr. John Har-
rison, Mr. Richard Walter, and several other gentlemen
took part, the report was unanimously adopted, and the
meeting separated.

OPENING OF THE MACCLESFIELD RAILWAY,

MACCLESFIELD, TUESDAY.—Yesterday was a great
day for this town and neighbourhood, and great were the
rejoicings on the occasion of opening the railway from
hence to the Manchester and Birmingham Railway at
Cheadle Hulme, in this county. The struggles of the
inhabitants of this town have been long and strenuous, in
order to get a direct railway communication with Man-
chester, the commercial intercourse between the two
places being very great—indeed the latter is the only
outlet which the former has fur its staple productions.
The first attempt to connect the two towns by means of
the "modern innovation" was made, we believe, in the
year 1836, and defeated. The South Union, as it was
called, entered into strong hostilities against the Man-
chester and Cheshire Junction, both sharing a similar
fate after an unprecedented struggle. At last the Man-
chester and Birmingham Bill pa,sed, but clauses were
inserted in it binding the Company to construct the
Macclesfield branch. The line was completed so far as
to be capable of being worked last week, and was in-
spected on Friday last by General Sir Charles Parley,
the Government inspector of railways, and pronounced
fit for the public use.
Arrangements were made by the Directors to open
the line yesterday with eclat, and the people of that
borough likewise took part in the public rejoicing. At
eleven o'clock in the morning a special train of car-
riages left the Macclesfield station amidst great cheer-
ing, the hills and approaches to the line being com-
pletely crowded with people, and arrived at Manchester
in 37 minutes, the distance being 17 miles. At Man-
chester they were met by the Directors of the Man-
chester and Birmingham Railway, and a numerous
party of gentlemen, and at a quarter past two they re-
turned to Macclesfield. The line diverges from the
Manchester and Birmingham line at Cheadle, Hulme,
in the county of Chester, passing through Cheadle,
Moseley, Bramall, Poynton (where it crosses the turn-
pike-road), Adlington, Bretlev,y Titterington, and
Prestbury, to Macclesfield, there being one tunnel about
250 yards along the line. Unfortunately the weather
was foggy, otlwraise magnificent views of the seats of
Sir Salisbury Humphreys, Bart. ; C. B. Legh, Esq.,
M. P. ; Thomas Legh, Esq., of Lynn, and Shrugley Hall,
would have been obtained.

The train and visitors were saluted with loud cheers
upon their arrival at the station. A procession was at
once formed, headed by a band of music, and the gen-
tlemen proceeded to the Town-hall, where a splendid
collation was provided for the occasion. Amongst the
gentlemen present we observed John Brocklehurst, Esq.,
M.P. ; Thomas Grimsditch, Esq.. M.P. ; J. P. Westland,
Esq., chairman of the Manchester and Birmingham
boards ; Mr. Rawson, Watkin Lees, and Edward Tootal,
Esqrs., directors ; George Wright, Esq., mayor of Mac-
clesfield ; John Key, Esq., mayor of Salford ; J. Peek-
ford, Esq., mayor of Cougleton ; Hon. T. A. Erskine,
Wm. Hill, Esq., Charles Gibson, Esq., town-clerk of
Salford ; Thomas Brodrick, Esq., &c. &c. The festi-
vities passed off with great éclat ; and a great number of
toasts and sentiments having been drunk, the party
broke up about nine o'clock.

The writer of a ramble over the North British line
from Burnmouth to Dunglass-bridge sums up his tour as
follows :—" Upon the whole, judging from other rail-
ways, the North British may be said to be executed in a
fair average [manner, although occasionally it is clear
that cheapness of construction bas been carried a little
too far. The curves are very numerous, and some of
them quite sharp enough. The manner in which all the
parish and farm roads have been altered at the crossings
reflects little credit on the Directors."

The Bangor and Portdynlitteu line is being marked
out, with a view to the commencement of operations.
A railway, on au inclined plane, has been constructed
from the five doors of the central niasthouse at Ports-
mouth Dockyard, to run the mast trucks from the stores.
The railway has at length been laid over the bridge at
Carrow, and goods are now passed in trucks along the
line from the Thorpe station to Trowse, and thence to
their destination.

A vote of thanks has been passed by the directors of
the Shipwrecked Fisherman's Society to Mr. Hudson,
for his grant of a free passage in third class trains for all
shipwrecked seamen to the north.
The bridge across the Dee and great viaduct en-
tering Aberdeen are forthwith to be placed under
contract.

A few nights ago several lights were seen in a field
noted for its quantity of rabbits ; the farmer awoke his
assistants, and hied to the field, in the expectation of
finding poachers, but instead he found a body of sur-
veyors. He invited them to his home, and they " made a
night of it." A few days ago some surveyors applied to
Mr. Curling, the proprietor of a farm at Fulbrook, near
Quainton, for leave to make a survey. He at once re-
fused, at the same time informing them that if they per-
severed in their determination he should resist their in-
tentions to the utmost, and " have the law on them."
The 'surveyors urged the absolute necessity of their
milking a survey, and the proximity of the 30th, but the
farmer turned a deaf ear, and they left, but at midnight
they returned and finished their thsk, and were miles
away before the farmer learned he had been so adroitly
outwitted.

CENTRAL STATION IN 13IRMINGIIA)L—The announce-
ment that the London and Birmingham Company have
abandoned their intention of erecting a central railway
station in this town, has created great disappointment ;
but we are glad to hear that other companies aro pre-
paring to carry the project out, should the Londor
Birmingham not at once state what their intr
this subject really are.
A branch line, of about :d
miles in length, has
Barwick Railwa to.
been surveyed from tkT
line of the Newcastle and
arkworth harbour. It will open
y
an immense cr.; 0,
.t field belonging to his Grace the Duke
of North -at
Earl Grey, Mr. Cresswell, M.P.,
Smith, of Togston, and Major-General John Grey,
of Morwick, the produce of whose valuable coal mines
may be shipped at `'arkworth by means of this branch.
—Berwick Warder.

- and
_.ations on

Mr. Higham, Secretary and Comptroller-general to
the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National
Debt had an interview with tho Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer yeaerday, at his official residence in Downing-
street. The Earl of St. Germans had also:au interview
with the Eight nom Cloutleman ye§terday.

THE SUN, LONDON. WEIIN k DAY Plrtigsi

LAW INTELLIGENCE,
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, IVov.
IN THE MATTER OF HENRY HUGII PIKE.
In this case a Learned Counsel applied to the Court for
permission to allow the applicant, Henry Hugh Pike, to have
his name placed upon the roll of attorneys. The application
was grounded upon a series of affidavits, the first of which,
rather a voluminous one, set forth that the applicant had
been a member of the legal profession for nearly twenty-two
years; that he had also been a reporter; that when he first
entered the legal profession it was as an attorney, and after
having practised in that capacity for some time he then be-
came a member of Gray's Inn, and was called to the bar;
that he had been practising as a barrister for nearly eight
years upon the Home Circuit, and was in very successful
paactice, when he was disbarred, for no good or sufficient
reason that he could ever discover. except for some breach of
etiquette or good manners, the precise nature of which he
had never been made aware of; that he believed his expul-
sion had its origin in a degrading combination to drive him
off the Home Circuit, but he denied that the society of
Gray's Inn had any such power as they assumed to them-
selves of expelling a member from such a cause; that he had
endeavoured to ascertain what his error was, and if in error
would be ready to make any atonement in his power, but
could not succeed; that he had never in the whole course of
his life done anything inconsistent with, or derogatory to, the
honour, character, or integrity of a gentleman ; that the case
had been heard by the fifteen Judges, and that they agreed
to recommend the members of Gray's Inn to reconsider the
case, but they had not done so; that he had not practised since
he had been disbarred either as a barrister or an attorney,
Pe. ;" that upon these grounds he now sought to be restored to
his place as an attorney, Scc. The Learned Counsel having
read the affidavits, then contended that with such affidavits
before the Court, he could not see how their Lordships
would be warranted in refusing the application, unless, in-
deed, the Attorney-General should meet them by other affi-
davits, which he (the Learned Counsel) said he looked
forward to with some anxiety. The applicant, in conclusion,
said that if his application should be refuvd, he would be
deprived of the means of earning his bread.
The AT2O/11.1EY-GENERAL, rose to oppose the application ;
but_ _ . . . _ _ _

Lord DENMAN said, in giving judgment, that the Court
were unanimously of opinion that it was not necessary to
hear any argument in opposition to the application; it ap-
peared to them so clear that it ought not to be granted, for it
was quite clear that the applicant had been disbarred for
some misconduct, though he had modified it by the name of
some breach of etiquett e or good manners. He (Lord Denman)
had never heard of such a thing as the Society of Gray's Inn dis-
barring a member of the profession without having some
very grave and serious cause for doing so. He was aware
that the fifteen judges had heard the case—be did not even
hear that they had directed a re-hearing of the case—but he
was aware that those judges were unanimously of opinion
that the Society of Gray's Inn had come to a very proper
decision in this case. The applicant said that there had
been a conspiracy entered into against him to prevent his
practising upon a certain circuitwhere he hadbeen somewhat
successful ; but from his (Lord Denman's) recollectionof the
case, he should say he did not think there was any founda-
tion for the attacks that the applicant hid made upon others,
and his (Lord Denman's) opinion upon the course adopted
by the Members of Gray's Inn had been formed more upon
the affidavits of the applicant himself, in which he said he
set forth all the circumstances of the case, than from any
other cause, and he believed such was the case in regard to
the opinions of the other judges also. He thought it was
only what was duo to others to state that fact.
Under those circumrtarces, then, he felt compelled
to say that it was merely trifling with the
time of the Court to persevere in the application. It might
not, perhaps, be well to punish the party ; but certainly the
Court felt bound to protect their profession. The applicant
appeared to labour under some incapacity to find out what it
was that he had been disbarred for, but the Court were of
opinion that it was such a matter as should not warrant
them in allowing him to be placed upon the roll of attorneys.
The Court could not be held responsible for the consequences
which the applicant stated would result to himself by this
refusal ; but they were responsible for the protection of all
branches of the profession, and therefore it was quite impos-
sible they could listen to this application.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

THE ROBBERY AT THE BANKING•HOUSE OF MESSRS,
ROGERS AND CO.—Yesterday Mr. Hobler, the solicitor,
having attended the Mansion-house upon a case of for-

gery,
The LORD MAYOR observed to him that twelve months
having elapsed since the perpetration of the robbery at
the banking-house of Messrs. Rogers and Co., it would
no doubt gratify the public feeling to be informed exactly
of the nature and extent of the measures adopted to
prevent the circulation of the stolen notes, and to cause
the apprehension of the thieves. The plan of giving pub-
licity to all the circumstances at the Mansion-house
before the Chief Magistrate, would, in all probability, be
productive of good, in impressing the necessity of keeping
alive the inquiry amongst the police authorities of all the
continental countries in which attempts might be made
to circulate the notes.
Mr. nobler said the Lord Mayor had anticipated his
wish in desiring to be informed of the steps taken to
detect the plunderers and to recover or render wholly
useless the stolen property. It was just twelve months
since the monstrous robbery had been committed, but up
to the present moment not the slightest clue existed
which was likely to lead to the discovery of the perpe-
trators, nor had one of the stolen notes made its ap-
pearance, or been heard of anywhere, although some
romantic accounts had occasionally sprung up, the off-
spring of the curiosity excited by so extraordinary a
robbery. In order to obstruct the circulation of the
stolen notes, it was unnecessary to mention that the
utmost activity and watchfulness had been exercised.
Within twelve hours after the discovery of the very
serious loss sustained by the firm, he dispatched
his clerk to the principal cities and towns
of France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany, to
secure the vigilant co-operation of the British
Consuls and of the police in each country in furthering
his detective measures, and he put himself in correspon-
dence with every representative of the British Govern-
ment in every part of the world upon the subject on
which he had been employed, to act with instructions
without limit or control. He rejoiced to say that the
powerful aid he thus applied for had been most readily
and 'cheerfully accorded. The expense attending the
extensive means taken to circulate the information of
the robbery, and to serve proper notices on all money-
changers, and others who were likely to be resorted to
for the negotiation of the notes, not to receive them, but
to stop the parties by whom they might be offered, was
of course large, but it was an object of inconsiderable
magnitude in comparison with the anxiety to get hold
of the parties implicated in the robbery.
The LORD MAYOR said he had been given to under-
stand that the General Steam Navigation Company
had yielded prompt and efficacious assistance in convey-
ing the published lists of the stolen notes to the places
to which they were directed ?
Mr. Hobler said that no Opportunity had been neglected
in repeating the caution, for on the Queen's visit to Ger-
many, when the Continent was inundated with English, a
fresh supply of the lists of stolen notes, with cautions in
different languages, was, by the zealous kindness of the
directors of the General Steam Navigation Company,
conveyed to different parts of the world for new distri-
bution. In England, Ireland, and Scotland the most
active measures had been pursued, the outports and
principal towns having been well supplied from time to
time with lists and cautions, through the agency of the
police, independently of the circulation of immense num-
bers through every Government office in the country, and
the thousands which bad been and were continually being
applied for by, and given to, mercantile men of all de-
scriptions. To these measures, and to unceasing vigi-
lance in pursuing them, was it attributable that not one
of the notes had got into circulation. It was due to the
Commissioners of her Majesty's Customs and Excise to
mention, that they immediately consented, upon his ap-
plication, to send lists to all their respective collectors,
and the stations connected with the various departments
of those authorities ; and he also stated the readiness
of Lord Lonsdale, the Postmaster-General, to aid us far
as he could, and although it was out of his Lordship's
power to circulate the bills through his department, he
supplied lists of all the postmasters in the United King-
dom, to whom bills were forwarded without delay. Va-
rious other public bodies and companies had likewise ex=
pressed their readiness to assist in the matter. The Royal
Mail Steam-packet Company bad supplied all their sta-
tions (nearly forty in number) with great quantities of
the lists. The New South Wales Packet Company had
acted with similar energy, and the loss was as well
known at Sydney as at London. So also had the di-
rectors and superintendents of the railways acted with
the utmost kindness and liberality. The Great Western,
the London and Birmingham, the South Eastern, the
Brighton and Folkstone and Dover, and Southampton.
In fact, almost every public company, besides numerous
private firms of publishers, Manchester warehousemen,
and others, inclosed lists in their parcels to the country.
Every department of business had been applied to for
co-operation and the readiness to give aid had been
universal, and it was most satisfactory to know that in
nearly all the instances above mentioned the parcels of
lists had been transmitted and consigned to their desti-
nation without cost.
The LORD MAYOR said it gave him great gratifica-
tion to learn that such praiseworthy sympathy had been
manifested by the parties applied to with the loss which
Messrs. Rogers had sustained. He was convinced that the
public, who had shown so much good feeling upon the
occasion, would be glad to be informed that no effort was
left untried to render the respectable firm upon which sO
awful a robbery had been committed every service, and
to mitigate the inconveniences to which they must for
some time have been necessarily exposed, His Lordship
was of llopinion that the publication of what had been
stated by Mr. Hobler, who bad acted with such skill and
judgment in the whole of the distressing affair, would be
the means of reviving the activity of the authorities ori-
irgimesnpoalriletlaidtimplicated
to
appealed
athe
d producedrtoo . b b
eI
rt
yvv,a evidentfsogrr:ast
ra erctathsua
upon
on tnuhl
tedh
ebuiee
personss s ure
ascer-
tained,
athbely sntstags
g scheositsnaorll3;eatorhftahttohiteohme epvv;b albark-notesince .4hh,laut
idavih,eaexseensrtsciellsieenintE;is
lance with with which
were engaged in it
commenccree- • • •
the proceedings of those who
.se inquiry was marked from the
DE,r,., _at to the present time.
-aCTED FORGERIES UPON THE NORWEGIAN GOVERN-
-11 and Schmidt, the foreigners who were, in the
middle of October, brought upon the charge of having
conspired to commit extensive forgeries upon the Nor-
wegian Bank, were put to the bar for re-examination
before Alderman Gibbs.
Mr. Clarkson appeared for the Norn egian Govern-
ment, which was represented by the Consul; Mr. Hobler
attended for Schmidt; and Mr. Towsey for Bull. Mr.
Kersey conducted the prosecution upon the part of the
Norwegian Consul. The prisoners were in the custody of
John and Daniel Forrester. The justice-room was
crowded during the investigation.
Mr. Clarkson stated that the Government of Norway
bad considered it necessary to send over a gentleman
officially employed there, to give evidence as to the
genuineness of the bank-note fur 100 dollars, which the
prisoners had been endeavouring to get imitated in this
country. He had also other witnesses to produce, who
would distinctly show what the intention of the pri-
BOND was.