The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-08 00:00:00

STUBI

bers of the b
it it was too

the share list lie
no less than 41,,

the loss to who

of their payment of the calls. There were no fewer than 58
lady proprietors among the shareholders—(hear); and it was
absolutely necessary that they should know where all this
money had gone.—(Hear, hear.) It was most disgraceful
that such a sum of money should have been lost by parties
who called themselves gentlemen (hear): they ought to
make themselves liable for it, and if they did not their charac-
ters would be gone.—(Hear, hear.) His own opinion was,
that every director was bound to sell every stock and stone
to pay the liabilities of the bank. It was a shame that the
shareholders should be swindled out of their property in the
way they had. (Cheers.) He wanted to ask, first, what had the
bank lost by Messrs..l. H. Heron and Sons.—(Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN replied that the property which had come
into the possession of the bank from that estate was in such
a state as to make it impossible to answer the question.
Mr. STUBBS said, that was just the answer he expected.
His next question was, how much the bank had lost by
Raleigh and Co. ? (Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN, in reply, said, that considering tha
security which the bank held, and the affairs of that estate,
it was quite impossible to answer that question with any
degree of accuracy. (Hear.)
Mr. STUBBS had another question which he wanted
answering. It was this :—What would the bank lose by
Burdekin? (Hear, hear.) He saw by the list, that Burdekin
was the holder of 1,400 shares. Were those shares his own
property, or did they belong to the bank ?
The CHAIRMAN.—He is the holder of the shares, and he
is indebted to the bank besides. The defalcation which has
accrued through his abiconding will be met, and more than
met, as far as we can gather, by the gentlemen who are bound
with him as security.

Mr. STUBBS.—I9 he gone away with the cognizance of
the directors ?

• The CHAIRMAN.—He is not gone away with my cogni-
zance, and I cannot for a moment imagine he is gone away
with the cognizance of any other director. _ _

Mr. STUBBS.—He is a scape-goat for somebody. •
The CitAißmAN.—The whole idea is so entirely absurd
that I cannot conceive how it can be entertained. This is
my answer, and I have no doubt my colleagues will answer
in the same way.

Mr. STUBS.-Will you tell me whether arrangements have
been made between the bank and the celebrated Mr. Richard
Roberts ? (Cheers.)
The CuasztAlsr=There have not.

Mr. STunns.—Why is he not in the Gazelle? (Cheers.)
A SHAREHOLDER.—How much does he owe to the bank?
The CHAIRMAN.—Perhaps Mr. Smith will answer you
that question at the proper time.
Another SHAREHOLDER suggested that as Mr. Roberts
was present he should be heard in the first instance. (Hear.)

Mr. LowE thought the meeting ought to know first what
he was indebted to the bank.
Mr. STUBBS said, it was very evident he should not get an
answer to his question. He should, therefore, before the
meeting separated, submit a motion concerning the conduct
of the directors. (Cheers.)
Mr. GREIG said, there was no motion at present before the
meeting, but he thought the step he was about to take would
probably be the means of bringing one forward. He had
endeavoured at the last meeting to bring the steel of investi-
gation into sudden collision with the flint of fraudulent de-
linquency, and thereby to elicit such a spark as would
lighten the tortuous windings of the deep abyss into which
the baseness of a certain individual had plunged the bank.
The individual to whom he alluded was now present; and he
(Mr. Greig) trusted the chairman would see the necessity of
allowing the suggestion for dissolving the company to remain,
in abeyance till that person came forward to give an explana-
tion, which the shareholders were entitled to receive, and
which they must receive before entertaining such a question.
(Hear, bear, and cheers.) He (Mr. Greig) had, however,
brought some distinct charges against that person, which he
would repeat in his presence, and to which he expected true
and faithful answers would be returned. He was aware that
an attempt might be made to throw all the blame upon the
unfortunate man who had absconded; but bad and worthless
as he believed that man to have been, still he must himself
have been unable to carry on so successfully such a compli-
cated scheme of villany as that which this bank exhibited.
He (Mr. Greig) now charged Richard Roberts of peculiar
notoriety (hear) with having abused the trust and the con-
fidence reposed in him as a director of this bank by the share-
holders. (Cheers.) Secondly, he charged him with having
abused the trust and confidence reposed in him by the di-
rectors as one of the Committee of Management. (Cheers.)
Thirdly, he charged him with having given entirely false re-
ports to deceive the shareholders and the public. (Cheers.)
And fourthly, he charged him with fraudulently obtaining

Mr. G

nounced his i

explanation, beca

in which he criminated of

3 along Wit'

•Who do von a

Mr. UREIG said he meant Mr. Lich
person was not heard, he (Mr. Greig)
a distinct motion against the dissolution

The CliAmmANexplained tha

was to ascertain

would propose the dissolution of the cc

Mr. GREI
SO remarkably foolish
should consider such a man f

s to pr

Mr. CURTIS said there were three pa
in this unfortunate concern might be call

to have acted, and th