Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-09-07
THE BANK OF ENGtAN
AN INTERESTING SKETCH.


Mr.. Weeds Letters from Europe are amo
the best that appear. The style is unpreten
ing, yet forcible, and The facts are grouped +
gether in the most agreeable manner. o,
readers have doubtless met with various a,
counts of the Bank of England; but we wi
venture to affirm that they have never read
more Interesting one than the following, com
prised within similar limits
1--WE avaled ourselves this morning of the
PERMISSION obtained by Mr.. Wiggin, to visi,
the Bank of England. An official 3Macer or
Usher) with laced dress coat aud three corner
ed hat, escorted lis 1eisureiy through an inst.
'ution that is SO potent i'm controlling and re-
gulatIng the money pulsations of EUROPE. 1t
Is situated on Thread-neede street, but fronts
upon half a dozen others, and occupies an ir-
regular area OF eight acres.-There are no
windows through the exterior of the buildihe;
light being supplied by sky-lights and open
courts within. There is a clock, by which
oahk time is kept with dials indicating the
''lne IN sixteen different offices. The bank
WIN w, us various Offices are open from 9 A. M.
TIL r. Nj. The bank has its printing Office:
book bindery, engraving office, &c.-Checks.
plank books, &c, are all printed within the
oank, as are the bank notes. In the room
Where ths circulating notes are printed. there
are elght presses, all constantly emploved.
daily.
"esaw two presses rolling off five pound
notes. ana others upon the various denomina-
ions up to Gl000, which is the largest note
he bank issues.-The dates and numbers of
he notes are supplied by smaller presses in
mother ROOM The paper is delivered TO- the
presses counted Gan hundred sheets at time)
ma when worked and returned another hun
'reu sheets are given. Freshmen work FIVE
hours, ana earn from two to three guineas
week. In the office where redeemed notes are
cancelled, SC 1876 clerks are con-
family employed. When we entered This
DOM our attendant was sharply reprimanded
or bringing strangers there, but on being in
ormed that it was slhe Governors order,n we
we're allowed to pass. Forty thousand differ
mt notes are frequently sent to this Office, to
e cancelled in day.
ne pahk, You know, never Reissues note
men returned to the counter for payment, d
o'e is cancelled, filed away, to BE burnt at
ne expiration of ten years-The armory OF
ne bank contains hundred stand Of muskets:
nth pistols, cuasses, hand grenades, SC. and
as nigat-guard 3S strong. In the office
mere the bank notes are counted into parcels.
ed with Irvine and placed in pigeon-holes,
re found five siald, methodical matter-of-fact
boxing clerks, whom you would trust for
lelr iaces. One of these old chaps, with the
RECESSION OF GOLD OwEN' and the good ma
ire OF slim Linpenwaer,' took his KEYS and
nlocked the repositories of paper wealth.
he "rags" of each denomination were in >
eParate parcels. When we came to the shigi
umber,' he placed four packages in my hand,
nd remarked, you nov hold G4,OOO,OOO sters
ng IN your hands, sir" Yes, was actually
] possession of TWENTY MifLtoNs OF po1
Ahs-a sum much, larger than the whole
nrned to its pigeon-hole, and left me far
appier man than those who are encumbered
nth overgrown fortunes:
Another of the old clerks opened the gold
ormitores, where repose an endless number
bags each containing eight hundred sovers
lgns. We were next and finally conducted
D subterranean region enriched by gold and
liver bullion. Here bars Of the precious me-.
ais were as plentifuly heaped as those OF
ION and steel are in the stores Of our friends
'enedict, Townsend and Corning. The sill
er we did not NEEDLE with, but we handled
ars of Gold, each weighing eight thousand
ounds sterling, that were piled in barrow
Dads of seventy thousand pounds sterling
ach. Much of this bullion was recently re-
eived from China, as an inStalment upon the
um John Bull makes the celesliaIs paw for
heir obstinate refusal to stake opium" The
sank of England has now, in paper and specie;
early thirty. eight millions Of pounds sterling.
there are eight hundred persons, in lis varis
us departments, constantly employed within
Is walls.