The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-19 00:00:00

BANKING.

(From Yesterday's Times.)
The Bankers' Circular which may be considered almost
as the oracle of the private banking interest, contains in
its last number various remarks on the present state of
the country issues under the new system, and the recent
proceedings of the Bank of England with regard to the
charge on transmitting money to different parts of the
country. After quoting the details of the plan, the
writer observes, that the disregard manifested by the
directors for the interest of those country bankers how
have stipulated to issue the promissary notes of the Bank
and no other, is one of the most remarkable features of the
proceeding. Most of these bankers have, it is said, faith-
fully adhered to their engagements, and have paid the
Bank at the rate of 3 per cent. per annum fur the use of
money during a protracted period, when they could have
obtained the accommodation in the money-market at
little more than half the rate, and now the Bank makes
use of its newly acquired power by offering premiums to
the customers of their confiding agents, to bring business
to the Bank of England.
These words, which are merely abridged from the ori-
ginal article, seem to convey a charge of ingratitude
against the Bank of England, and, further on, that es-
tablishment is expressly charged with "grasping at a
monopoly." For all remarks of the sort the Thrik of
England can find a ready answer—namely, that having
been deprived of their functions as managers of the cur-
rency, they must throw all their energy into their banking
business, and in justice to their proprietary must adopt all
measures that will increase the amount of their transac-
tions, and keep up the rate of their dividend. If the pre-
mium which they offer for keeping accounts with them
answers the desired end, it is hard to see on what prin-
ciple they are to' shun adopting it. They consider them-
selves as exactly on the same ground as private bankers,
and that all methods that would be legitimate for these
may be followed by themselves without hesitation.

The " Circular's retorts, that the country issuers are
put to much inconvenience by the change of system, the
license for a maximum of £8,000,000, proving not much
more than one for an average of £6,000,000, considering
the amount that the banker must keep in his till to avoid
isk. Hence the same paper recommends them to adopt
any " legitimate means" to supply a deficiency, especially
in places where there is a reluctance in taking Bank of
England notes on account of the alleged difficulty in de-
tecting forgery at a distance from town. Thus a plan
which, it seems, is in vogue among the bankers of the
north is recommended for general adoption. These bank-
ers, instead of drawing a bill, say at 20 days' sight, have
printed letters of credit, in which they say, " On the
day of— you will please to honour the draught of A.B.
for and place that sum to the debit of our account."
Another plan is for a banker to write "accepted" or
" allowed' across a check presented for payment, and
then to return it to the presenter, that he may use it for
any local purpose as an ordinary note. All these plans
of adopting a substitute for a note circulation seem to
mark a strong spirit of opposition among the banking in-
terest to the provisions of the new law.
The Bank of England return for the week ending the
9th of November, which appeared in the last night's
Gazette presents the following results :
The week ending 9th of November, compared with the
week ending 12th of October, being the week immediately
preceding the payment of the dividends, shows—
Increase Decrease.
Note with the public £328,660
Public deposits 4,423,397
Private deposits 109,771

Seven days' bills
Rest

__ --
73,919 --

88,635

On the other side of the account—
Bullion (in both branches) £329,405
Securities (in the banking branch) 3,744,277
The amount of bullion is again slightly increasing, the
last, compared with the previous return, showing an
increase of £76,878.
The highest amount of bullion was on March 30 £16,322,000
The lowest amount of bullion was on Nov. 2 14,038,751
The present amount in 14,115,629

MEETING OF M 4.GISTRATES -ALLEGED
INTERFERENCE WITH POLICE-OFFICERS.

A meeting of the magistrates of the borough was held
in the Sessions-house, at two o'clock yesterday, for the
purpose of investigating certain charges made by some
police-officers, alleging interference with them in the dis-
charge of their duties by Mr. James Parker, the successful
candidate for St. Anne's Ward at the late municipal elec-
tion. The following magistrates were present,—The
Mayor (who presided), Messrs. Crosthwaite, Harvey.
Earle, Hornby, Walmsley, Chaloner, Hodgson, Rath-
bone, Dixon, Rushton, Bolton, Benn, Brown, Aikin,
Sands, Houghton, Percival, Maxwell, Grant, and Shand.
Mr. arker was present during part of the proceedings.
Mr. PARKER, having taken a seat, said he wished to
claim the right, not as a burgess, but as an Englishman,
to know by whom he was accused?

Tie MAYOR said it had been requested that if any ex-
aminations were gone into, he (Mr. Parker) should be
present; and if he heard anything in the evidence that was
incorrect, he might ask any questions upon it that he
thought proper.

M. fiODGSON said he did not think this was magiste-
rial business, and therefore he would have nothing to do
with it. (Mr. Hodgson then retired from the room.)
Mr. PARKER presumed he should be furnished with a
copy of the evidence. If he was to be accused, he hoped
they would favour him with a copy of the accusations
brought against him. This was a privilege which he
trusted the magistrates were not going to deny him.
The MAYOR repeated that Mr. Parker should have an
opportunity of asking any questions.
Mr. PARKER said it was within two hours that he had
heard of any accusations being brought against him, and
he thought it unfair and unjust if he was not to In fur-
nished with the evidence, in order that he might reply
to it.

Mr. RuswroN said that more than two hours ago Mr.
Parker had insisted upon being present: and further he
happened to know that Mr. Parker was cognizant of the
charges,
Mr. PARKER.—I was not.
Mr. RustiToNT.—Not before ten o'clock ?
Mr. PARKER.—NO, I was not.
Mr. HORNEY moved that the charges be heard.
Superintendent Jones was then called in and his infor-
mation read—it having previously been reduced to writ-
ing. In substance it was, that at half-past 1 o'clock in the
afternoon of the sth instant, be was informed there
were two Orange flags hanging out from the second
window of the house of John Allen, who keeps a
public-house in Mill-lane, Shaw's-brow. He went
there, and called the landlord, and begged the flags might
be taken down ; but the landlord said they should not till
four o'clock, but if he chose to do so, there would be no
interference with him. He could not prevail upon them
to take the flags in; and he reported to the commissioner
what had taken place ; and he directed him to lay an
information, if there was any drunken or disorderly con-
duct in the house. The man went back, and expostulated
with the landlord, who stated that he belonged to the
order himself ; that there were 1,600 of them in Liverpool,
and if he offended them he might as well shut up his
house ; it would be his ruin. Inspector Goudy came up,
and he tried to prevail upon them to take the flags in ;
but he could not. Superintendent Macdonald then
arrived, and one flag was taken in at half-past three,
the other, they said they would not take in till four
o'clock. the landlord and several of the men were
drunk, and Superintendant Macdonald said it would be
, his duty to lay an information. The same evening, at
nine o'clock, Mr. Parker came to Rose-hill police station,
and addressed himself to Superintendent Macdcnald,
something about the public-house in Shaw's-brow. After
that, Inspector Goudy brought in his report, and Super-
intendent Macdonald read it to Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker
said he hoped no information would be laid, as it would
excite great political feeling, which he wished to avoid
after the election had been done with. He (Superintend-
ent Jones) said he perfectly agreed with Mr. Parker's
remarks. Superintendent Macdonald said the case should
be laid before the Commissioner, and of course be left to
his decision. The next morning, he (Superintendent
Jones) called at the Commissioner's office, and said he
ihought it would be better not to lay an information, as it
would excite great political feeling. The information was,
however, heard on Friday last, and the landlord was fined
fifty shillings.

IA)? Mr. PARKER.—Did you ever know me in any way
to give an order to any policeman or inspector, except
through the proper channel ? Not that lam aware of.
The deposition was then signed by Superintendent Jones
Mr. RATHBONE suggested that it should be sworn to,
but the suggestion was not acted upon.
saw the Superintendent
flagsMacd flyingonal from a win
dwasthe next witness
in
ess ile
said he the
second story ; and on going up-stairs he found
Jones engaged in a violent altercation with a number
of persons among whom was the landlord.
One of the flags was withdrawn at his request;
but the other was in charge of an ex-policeman, who said
he would not part with it till four o'clock, and it remained
till that time. About nine o'clock, Mr. Parker, with a
friend, called at Bose-hill police-station, and asked what
was done with Allan's house, and whether an information
was laid ? He said they had a right to hang out the flags,
and no law could prevent them. He was then informed
that the information would be laid for allowing drunken-
ness. Ile said he should like to see the magistrates look
as sharp after ribbonmen as they did after Orangemen;
but he was resolved to have the matter inquired into.
When Inspector Goudy had finished his report he (Mac-
donald) called Mr. Parker into the office and lead it to
him, on which he said the magistrates had nothing to do
wiih drunkenness in the day time, and if they convicted,
as he had no doubt they would, he said, emphatically, he
would appeal to the sessions. The rest of the deposition
related to Superintendent Jones'ssapiadrtainnyttl:eincgonavbeorsuattiaopn-,
in which he expressed his desire that the matter should
not be proceeded with.
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