The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-12-17 00:00:00

• PROJECTS FOR DRTRCTING POILGED
NOTES. ‘.
$
TO THE PDITOR OF THE STATESMAN.
Sri,—The issue of the recent trials for Bank
'Forgery, et the Old Bailey, has diffu've'd a very ge-
neral satisfaction amongst all classes of the commu-
nity. This is nothing more than estural on seeing
-the decline of a system, which it has cost so great a
sacrifice of human life to support, and which has been
attended with so much less and inconvenience to almost
every one. But when we reflect on the situation in
which at the sane time it places us for the present, I
...afraid we shall perceive bet little ca use for rejoicing.
We are fairly left a prey to the forger, who will
doubtless perceive his advantage, and, according to
•
the pressed), "make bay awhile. the sun shines."—
To afford protection to the, Public in this dilemma,
so ingenious Gentleman proposes to have an Inspec-
tor appointed for every street, assuming, of course,
'that they will all find plenty of employnient. Now
,oasis idea strikes me as one of en excellent kind, and
J beg leave to trouble you with my reflections upon
'it. Ile does nut say who are the persons he would
haw' appointed to this office, and It is in this parti-
cular t hat I presonseltele beofeminent service to him.
1 by no means wish to hit accounted one of the num-
. ber, and so incur' the charge of self•interestedness
'‘ when I propose to this situation those worthy
tenembers of society, the publicans. My reasons
tiler fixing oil this respectable class are many,
*lnd I should suppose convincing. In the first
-place, they are to be found in every street, and
• are, in tonere; es civil, obliging, good•humoored
(people as one can desire to meet with. Then when a
person carries his Notes to be inspected, lie need not
fear to be kept hanging on his feet, among half a,
dozen grumbling and impatient people, fidgeting to
get elf again. Nu ; there is a parlour, an inviting
',Me, a paper, pleasant company, and what you
please. Those, again, who disdain to keep the Bank
• papprln their possession, may there, if they please,
get rill of it altogether; or, if they rather chute, may
come off with some of their favourite specie in ex-
change. Ido not expect any opposition from Go-
vernment to the scheme, because the publicans have
• always been great promoters of the Revenue, and
. should not wonder but the CitANGELLott of theKscuE-
. %um will pronounce this the only plan " without
any facet defect." Wren en honest fellow COMPS
home of ti Satuti)lt night, and finds his old woman
disposed to qoestir hins,,whai bas kept him so late,
It must satisfy her St once, unless she is very vurea.
amiable, to tell bee that he just stepped to the In-
Species'., and there were so many there that he could
slot get home sooner,. This scheme too, will save'
porters, footmen, apprentices, kr. n good deal of
trouble ; for as they make it a point at all events to
call in at the publican's, they will thus be enabled to
make one errand serve fur two. I do no pretend
to
• say, that this scheme it calculated for a very.ferigthiseet
esistence... Perhaps the nitrite of business, sigiulti not
make this desirable. 1 rather think that tile sooner
ghe Commissioners appointed to search fors remedy
;Nang Forgery, can bring their labouss to a termits•-
• lion the better.
Before heard of this scheme, which I Ostler
myself I have so greatly improved, I had intended
to propose one entirely my own. I laid it down as
A matter of fact, thot the Bank-notes at present in
.circulation are just' like so many Lottery Tickets,
• and Chit the holdeis of the one could not, any more
. than tftosi,of thd other, tell, without assistance,
whetherthey would turn out blanks or prizes.—
.. Now, I learned from several of my friends, just re-
s' :formed from their Meets, 'that there are on the Con-
, ,Ititient a great mail people who have the gift of dis-
? .covering 101 numbers, and to whom you have
••oly to tell the number of your ticket to know whe-
ther you will Nitre gOod or ill luck. Ac Bank-notes I
have numbers as well as Lottery Tickets, it occurred
to, me that lime people might, in tdi, probehility, be
able to tell, by looking at the number, whether a.
Note was a forgery or not. Accordingly, I intend.
. to pinpose, tiringing over all -those people, and
having them posted in convenient places about the
retfupolis and, country, so that a person, before
taking a Note might be able to run and have it in-
spected in this manner. On talking over the subject
to several grave friende,bowever,l found they had a
great many objections to it. But what chiefly in-
duced me tor reliequish this idea, was the doubt whe-
ther the different Goverameo6 would agree to part
with so toasty tamable subjects, and whether the
people would,peaceably submit to be deprived of the'
Inestimable advantage of knowing beforehand their
good or bad fcirtune.
But the footing oat which I most wish to see this
matter ultimately placed is, that every tnan shall be
Air own inipedor, and this is also the opinion of a
great many sensible persons. I could quote many
sensible remarks' of your own to the same purpose,
when speaking of the kind of evidence which ought
to satisfy a Jury in a case of Forgery ; but I doubt
mot you end your readers will recollect them. To
speak seriously,; I do nut know of any plan which
promises to do this more effectually than The In-
lersectimi Plan" proposed by Mr. FEnoussoet, which
lam lately been so much spoken of. From a thorough
knowledge of it, I can say that it affords a facility
of detection—the greatest possible guards against
,imitation--identity of resemblance—and the means
of sopplying the most extensive demand,--with the
power left to the Bank to continue, for their own
secnrily,whatever private marks and checks they may
think proper. All this from a professional acquaintance
with most of the arts which it embraces, I have been
able to demonstrate to several people of intelligence to
whom I have described it. Ido not know of one
requisite which it does not possess when tried by the
standard of the qualification which a Bank of Eng-
land note should possess, as given in Mr. WYE
WILLIAMs's late excellent Work. But as it is before
the Commissioners, I shall forbear making any far-
ther remarks upon it, and content myself with vy-
ing, that if they find abetter plan th. y will exceed
my expectations; if they sanction one less effectual,
they will incur a heavy responsibility ; and if their en-•'
quirks eitti its the adoption of thislthey will not have
laboured io vain.
I am) Sir, your's, &C.
t.fluditu, Vec. 11, 1818. J. R. D. N.

tfit -STA'

ri" EAST INDIA-110USg.
•
A _entreat Quarterly Court of Proprietors was
held yesterday et the India-hosise, at which a divi-
dend of Five sod a Quarter for the last half year was
declared. ,
PENSIONS.
The CHAIRMAN informed the Court, that in pur-
suance of the 19th s. 6th chapter of the Company's
Irlye•laws, the Court had been made Special to couli•
' der of a Resol lion of the Court of Directors, to grant
a Pension of 8001. a-year to W. W. Daveton, Esq.,
of the St. Helena Establishment.
The Resolution was then read, and stated, that
the Directors had thought lit to greet a pension on
tarairernent of 8001. per annum to Mr. Doveton (the
amid pension being one-half of his emoluments at St.
flelena), on account of his services during the space
of 48 years, and the high testimonies always borne
to his conduct by his superiors ; subject to the appro-
bation of the Proprietors and the Board of Coutroul.
The question being put that this Resolution be ap.
proved of,
Mr. Hume said he did not rise to oppose the mo-
tion, bat as precedents were dangerous, and as this
was the first instance of any pension being granted Iu
St. Helena servants--(!leer!)—he wished to guard,
the Court against this being drawn into a warrant for
similar applications in future. He therefore sug.l,
gested that some addition should be made by one ci
the Direttors, 'stating the special reasons of the pre.
sent grant, which words of caution might guard
themselves from unpleasant applicatiOns, and the
Proprietors from a heavy charge on their finances.
Mr. LowNnrs rose to second the observations of
Mr. Home, and thought precedents were dangerous
its producing the waste of their money, as well
as in preventing deserving persons from having
justice done them. He did not object to the grant
itself. Mr. Doveton's services were long, and the
character which had been given of him was high. It
did not seem to be one of those which were so highly
coloured as to be extravagant; it was delicately laid
on; it was not japanned ; he should therefore vote
for the pension, nay more, should wish him long life
to enjoy it. Ile wished to mention that he had that
day gone into a room in the India-house, and, as
the day was dark, there was a candle on the table;
but there was no snuffers to snuff it.—(r.4 tuagh.)—
The worthy Proprietor then expatiated on the danger
to premises, whet° there were so many papers, from
candles unsnuffed, and complained, that when he
asked for a snuffers, they brought him a pair of
tongs. No, said he, if you filet snuffers, I will find
tongs. At last, when a snuffers was brought, there
was no point to it to take a thief from the candle.—
('l'he worthy Proprietor was here interrupted by the
generality, who thought him wandering from Ilse
question )
Mr. It. JACicsori, though he should be rather will.
iug to urge than to cheek the liberality of the Corn-
parry toward. Mr. Dort-ton, observed, that when the
ponderous weight of the List was consider-
lad, arid the Rood of applications which would burst
ill upon then!, if a pension were granted to any or
..tigo Cavil Serra, alarmed, he wished to add some
words to the 'motion, eapresging the .desire of the
-Court that its liberality might not be drawrr iette-4-
precedent. Hitherto it had not twirl the practice
grant pensions to the Civil Servants of• the Company',
either in St. Helena or India; he therefore wished to,
add words to this effect—" But the Court. must at
the same time express its desire, that this grant be
not drawn into a precedent for submitting to their,
consideration grants of pensions to their servants its;
St. Helens, or any other persons, not in the con-
templation of the Legislature, in giving them the
power to grant pensions from the fuuds of the Com-
pany."
Mr. Dtioat thought this. was a cobbling amend.
merit, and would not unmet the end proposed. If
there was any way of avoiding the danger of the prece-
dent, be should be happy to do so. As the question
stood at present, he should have great difficulty in
acceding to the grant.
The Cua Di-,
said, that if the Court of in-,
rectors bad chosen 'to act on the superannuation
clause, they might have granted a much higher pen.'
lion than that which was now proposed; and withoot
coming to the Court of Proprietors. Ile hoped the
Resolution would be passed without a restriction,
which would prevent the Directors from rewarding
merit in future. There was a striking difference too
between the St. ileletia and the India servants of the
Company : the St. lielena servants had but small
•allowarices, end were obliged to live expensively ;
white it wits the character of the India service, that
the Civil Functioriaries were enabled to lay by
money, on which they might live in comfort in this
country.
Mr. GRANT (the Director) said the pension ori-
Igisiated its the desire of the Directors to economise
on the St. Helena Establishment. Some duties had
beers attached to the Offices of Councillors, which
were deemed too laborious for the two senior teem-
hers (Mr. Doveton and another, three deceased) to
perform. The option was therefore given them to
retire on pensions. Mr. Doveton, after two years,
accepted the proposal, and the only difference was,
that the pension had been raised from 5001. to 8001.
on account of the long services and high character
of this Gentlemen.
Mr. R. JacKsox observed, that as ell the special
circumstances mentioned, were connected with the
grant, it was still more proper to add the words he
had proposed, to the motion.
After a few words from the Chairman and Mr.
Lowndes, the amendment was negatived by a large
majority, arid the original motion agreed to.
IIUDLESTON AND COL %MKS.
The CHAIRMAN stated, that the Court had also
been made Special to consider the following Resole.
tiou, submiited by Mr. Jackson and Mr. Hume:—
" Resolved, that this Court having duly con--
sidered a Letter from John Iludleston, Esq. one of
the Directors of this Company,dated 31st May Usti,
with the Documents accompanying the same, ere of
opinion that Mr. fludleston is entitled to a con-
tinuance of that confidence which the Proprietors
have so long placed in him."
Mr. It. Jacissort, after apologising for having
brought forward this question instead of his Hon.
Friend near him (Mr. Hume), and after some pre-
fatory remarks
,to show the importance of clearing,i
(row every impatationt the character of a Gentle-

) . •