Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-09-28
Bank Of England.
Mr.. Weed thus describes his visit to the
Bank of England.

II
Mr.. Weed thus describes his visit TO the
Bank of England.
\ We avoiled ourselves this morning OF IN,
permission obtained bv Mr.. WIggIn. TO visi
he Bark of England. An Official (Macer o.
Ushet) with laced dress cont aud three-cOr
nercd hat, escorted us leisnrely through an
Institution that is 50 potent in controlling
and regulating the money pnlsaiions OF Eu
rope. II Is situated ON Ihreadncede street
but fronts on half a dozen others, and oc-
cnpcs an irregular area Of eight acres
There nie no windows through The exterior
~ the building, lights being supplied by sky
lights and open conrls within. There is q
clock. by which Bank time IL kept, with dial'
indicating The time in sixteen different off
ices. The Bank with i's various officers are
open from . A. NJ. till 5 p. NJ. The Bark
has its Printing Office. Book-bindcry, En-
craving Office, &c. &c. Checks. blank
books. &c. nre all printed within the Bank.
~ are The Bank notes. In the room where
the circulating notes are printed. there nrc
eight Presses, all constantly employed, and
which throw IF about 5000 Impressions
daily.
We saw two presses rolling off five pound
notes. aud others upon The various dcnomlDa.
lions up To u fl000, which is the largest
n"te the bank issues The dates aud the
numbers are supplied by similar presses ~
another room. The paper Is delivered to the
presses counted ian hundred sheets nj time
and when worked and returned, another hon
dred sheets are gwen. Prcssmpn work five
hours and earn from two 10 three guineas n
week. In the office where redeemed notes
are examined: When we entered this room
our attendant was SHARPLY rcprlmanded for
bringing strangers there. bat on being in.
formed that it was ";he Governors order, >
W. were allowed 10 pass. Forty lhoussni
different notes are frequently sent to this
Office, 10 be- cancelled, in day.
The bank, yon know. never reissues
note. When returned 10 the counter for pay
men' a Nule is raucelI,d, flied away, to be-
burnt at the expiration Of ten years. The
arinory of the bank contains an hundr' d
stand of mnskc's. with pistols. cutlasses.
hand.grenedes. &c. and has night guard
of b strong. In the office whore the bank
notes are counted into parcels, tied with
twinr and placed in pigeon holes, we found
five staid, mcthodlcal, matter of-fnci looking
clerks. whom you would trust for their faces
WV w '"'>t pIu 'nlpS, W ! " iHt pltc'sNH w
"OLp OwtN' and the good nature of "Tim
Llnkenwa'er," took his keys and unlocked
the deposi,orles of paper wealth. The rags"
of each denomination were IN separate par
GELS. When we came to the .'hleh number
he placed foui packages IN my hand. and re-
marked. You noio hoH "a coo COO sterling in
.your kand. sir. Yes. was actually IN pos
session of TWENTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
sum mnrh larger than the wh"l" estate Of
John Jacob Aslnr! But II all returned TO its
and left me a far happier man
Than those who are cncumbercd with over
grown fortunes.
Another Of the Old Clerks opened The gol
den dormitores, where rcp0sc m endless
number Of bags, each containing eight hun.
rcd sovereigns. We were next and finally
conducted To q snbiefrancan region enriched
precious metals were as p'cnIfully henpcd
,s those Of iron aud steel are IN the si0rcs OF
,ur friends Benedict, Townsend aud Corning. ]
The silver We did not medd,c wiil but we
handled bars of Gold, each weighing eigh, 1
thousand pounds sterling, that were piled in
barrow loads Of seventy thousnnd pounds
tcrlng each. Much oi this bullion was re.
cnlIy received from CHM. as an instrument
'p"n 'Ilr sum John Bull N kts The Cclostiai>
my for their obstinate refusal to stake opium"
Fhc Bank OF Euuland has now in paper and \
pccr nearly thirty eight millions Of pounds
tcr.ng. There ~" eight hundred persons
~ Us various departments, constantly en-
,loyed within lis walls Il