The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-27 00:00:00

FOROIM BANK NOTES.

Mr. lIOIIIIOUSE said, he held en his hand a Peti-
tion which lie considered peendarly entitled to the
consideration of the (louse. It was levee' a respectable
Tradesman living in the Strand, who maw], that in
the spare of a very few days, h had taken twenty.
threr turfed one pound lutes ; and of elso.e he believed
he had taken ten in one day. Tin Petitioner stated,
that he and his assistants were aieie to distiw•nish the
counterfeited coin, but they hai no means of ascertain-
ing furgeAes of Bank Notes. The petition went on
to state, that s.e great was the increase in the number
of convictions for uttering forge I notes, that there
wen, 111., convictions in the last year more than in
the year preceding. Ile (Mr. II.) really thought it
was indisiiens tidy necessary for the. Legislature to
endeavour to put a stop to this dreadful evil. Ile
heliesed it appeared that no less than 30,011 U forged
notes had been presented at the Balk in one year;
and that the loss in this respect fell principally upon
shopkeepers. If the Bank neglected to provide the
means of preventing forgery, they ought, in his
opinion, to be compelled to indemnify the suffering
tradesman. Ile thought especially that a return to
Cash Payments, at least with respect to small notes,
would have a material tendency to check the evil.

Mr. BENNETT said he could vouch for the accu-
racy of the statements of the lion. Member. It cei-
untie was his intention in a future stare of the Bill
brought in by the Chancellor of the Exchequer rela-
tive to Cash Payments, to make a proposal which
should have the effect of brinzing under the conside-
ration of the House the loss of life which had occurred
since the fatal day, in 1797, on which the Bank were
allowed to suspend their payments in cash.
►Mr. CLIME\ called upon Sir W. Cunereee, as
ort... of the Commissioners for the prevention of Forgery,
to state when there was any probability of the Bank
of Ent;land prudurin•LT their new notes'?
Sir W. CONORF:VF: said, that called upon as he
was, it became his duty to state that the functions of
the Commission had ceas••d after the signing of their
last Report ; that they hail ►sanctioned a plan sent to
them by the Bank, but that the responsibility of its
execution rested entirely with the artist who had pro-
posed it. That nothing could exceed the liberality
which the Bank had eleven in carrying this artist's
plans into effect ; they had provided the most com-
plete and costly array of apparatus perhaps ever seen
fo► any purpose. That it was much to be regretted
that the effect had not entirely answered the expecta-
tions formed of it in theory ; but that the Bank were
not willing to make any change until they were satis-
fied they could make an efficient one. That,for his part
be was convinced that the problem of making a Bank
note much more difficult to counterfeit than the pre-
sent coins of the realm, was perfectly feasible—that.
be had paid no ordinary attention to the subject ; and
that a plan, which he had had the honour to propose,

r. PEARSE !chi that 't was the intention of the
the laofMtt', to commence p:tying their
:tot ;..t :o %over •igtut ; hnt that Lhould the accantro-
11:tti.ot of the ewitatty r squire it, title B..nk would sell
COOlitIttl• to I•SO.. •111:11! 1101e9.
Sir W. CONliltral-P. expla:yed. lie denied Oa:
t• Irt.l aliserttil that the Ctinnuissioners had riven thn
•n?.jeet referred to them ent;rely up to tl.e ttank ; on
the contra' v, they net— still employd, and in the
ewttse ..f one month they expected to develops. a /Aar. .
for tl:e rrevention of fitrgery with respect to country
banlzs.

Mr. I) IVIES' CI utrAT said, that the labe,urs
the Committee had !wen unwearied, fur Coe puts" of
rennin:ins the object of tilde appointment. 11.
arree.l that Hank paper might be made a better teen-
ri-y than the coin: and lee conceived, that Hon. tieD•
demon nho wished to sue the Hank paper poi! elowr,
wer, very land] mistaken in their views. He thouxh:
hiElmay robberies had decreased since the substitu-
tion of pow r for c.eiti.
N 1.% J. SMITH comidered the circulation of smar
notes productive of very great mischief. He w .1%
~iven to understand that the Bank intended In ply
their small note.,and hr should be glad to he int.orole'
by the lion. Gentleman oppoNite, who was a 2.en:.
Director, whether this was the case or not.

Sir M. W. 1:111I.PY said, that the forgeries en
country banks were so sere few. that any plats to pre-
veal thew 'Timid be scarcely suith the tronkile of
adopting.

After a short cunrersation between )4.f:red6ll ant'.
Mr. PPane, the Petition was brought up and *raved
to be printed.

REV. RICHARD HAI'S&

Mr. CAREWan4, ilt;i7eh;lthat day receive.] a
letter from ibis person, ityteiiing him to state that
he had never IsernlrekiManilkil,for preachivg a se.!:-
seetiton. The CatheWin:slurp of Weston, hse
.informea hint (Mr. yarns), Pk; he WAS Olin led
(rpritnand Mr. Ifiyre, for•preatiling a serm..n
he coneoived 'to have been of arblteditions tendency.
He would leave the. House it, jmlke'' beweett the de-
nial of Mr. Haves, 2Dir the arseritiett of his
--(Hear, hear.) .
TumßEit

Sir M. W. RI petfti'm from New.
castle-opori-Tyße, anJ frpiti Nortli tibteltl.., against the
Timber Outie9i. •

A .imilar petition was prespitted frittn'tke trnehitnt.
of Plymouth.
The Petition• were referred• to • ihi g,:ohemittee on
the Timber Trade. •

TIIF CATHOLIC Q 1: 11:13T1610
Lord 6. TIIYNNP. presented a ittotrtiLakfrein the
3layor add the l'orporation of Bads. .10-a'.n4t the Ca-
tholic Kill. which trait ordered to be printed.
Mr. (21:ItIt'EN said he hail to rail the sktiontion of
the House to a motibn to which he could anticipate
no objection—it was to.ascertain4 in flirt, whether the
public money was to be diaposed.of•gri.4; th!earction
of that (louse—his motion was far se are.olint of the
sums of mono,• paid to Mr. MsAtlim ; by what au-
thority they were paid. and sort of what ftintl.N.,.. '
The CIIANCELIAIIt of the EXlMEOlittßAsitid
that he had no objection to the matins.. Tlo!.stiailn
of Mr. M'Adam had been referred by the Treasury
to the Postmaster-OenerAl, who reported tint Mr.
M'Adam had made great improvements it the public
roads, and that his exerti.ms deserved reeroneratiou.
?Ir. *Adam was paid from the grants left by Pasliga-
ment at the disposal of Uovernment.—The motto* teas
agreed to.