The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-09-19
Tho RanL Of ENGLAND.
From Mr. Beds Letters from abroad.

From Mr., lFteds Letters from doTedd.
LONDON, JuLy Is.
We availed ourselves this morning of
the permission obtained by Mr.. Wiggln TO
visit the Bank Of England. An official
(maccr or usher with laced dressed-coat
and three -cornered hat, escorted Us to an-
other officer OF the bank, who took US let
surely through an institution that IS potent
in controlling and regulating the money
pulsations OF Europe. II Is situated Oh
Threadneedle street, but fronts upon hall
a dozen others, and occupies an irregular
area Of eight acres. There are no win
dows through the exterior OF the building,
light being supplied by skylehts and open
courts within. There is a clock, By which
bank lime is kept, with dials indicating the
time 10 sixteen different offices. The bank,
with its various rooms are open from A.
NJ. rili 8 p. N. The bank has lis printing
office, book -blndery, engraving office, &c.
&c. Checks, blank books, &c. are all
printed within the bank, as are the bank
notes. In the room where the circulating
notes are printed there are eight presses,
all constantly employed, and which throw
oil about eight thousand impressions daily.
We saw two presses rolling of hive pound
notes, and others upon the various demon
nations up TO 81 600, which Is the laTg.
est note the bank issues. Tha dates aud
numbers Of the notes are supplied By small.
Ter presses in another room. The paper
is delivered to the presses counted, an
hundred sheets At u tune, and when work
Cd and returned another hundred sheets
are gwen. Freshmen work five hours and
earn from two to three guineas week.
Ia the Office where redeemed notes are
examined, cancelled, DC, oLc hundred and
lhiriy-sx clerks are constantly employed.
When we entered this room our attendant
was sharply rcpr,manded for sr,nging s,ran-
gers there, bot, upon being informed that
Il was by the Governors ORDER VIC
we're allowed 10 pass. Forty Thousand
different notes are frequently sent to this
office, To be cancelled IN day. The bank,
YOU know, never REISSUES a note. When
returned to Ills coualer for pay menl, the
note is cancelled and filed away, to be
burnt al the expiration OF ten Years. The
armory Of the bank contains an hundred
stand Of muskeis, with pistols, cutlaSes,
hand grenades, &c. and has a night guard
thirty aht strong. In The office where
lac bank notes are counted into parcels,
tied with twlne aud placed "a pigeon. holes,
We found live slald, mothod'cal, matter Of
fact hooking clerks, whom you would trust
for their faces. One Of these old chaps,
with the precision Of "Old Owen aud
the good nature OF Tim Underwater.
took his KEYS and unlocked the dePos,,o.
res Of paper wealth. The rags Of
each denomination were IN separate par.
cells. When lie came 10 the " high mum.
Der he place four packages IN my hand,
aud remarked, f" yog noe held "a COO 900
sterling N your haad, AR. Yes, | aetu-
ally vas 90 possession Of hseatv mtIiions
Of doIiarE. a sum mueh larger than the
whole estate Of john lsCob Aston. But
IT all returned TO ,ts pigeon hole, sod leig
me far happier man. than those 20 are
encountered with such osefgroan fortunes
Another Of the Old clerks opened the cul.
den dormtlorses, where rcpose an cndlcss
number Of hags, eseh Continuing eight hun
bred soserslgus. We uere next and lnal.
~ conducted 10 a sutaerranean region. en-.
uched by gold and silver GALLON. Here
bars OF tie precious meals wero IA plcn.
lhuHy beaped 10 thosc OF iron aud stoe
are 10 the stores Of cur friends Bctedtct,
Townsend and Corning. Tho silver We
d'd net nseddle with, bul we handled bars
Of gold, each weighing eight thousand
pounds sieTliag, that were piled ~ barrow
loads II seventy lhousand pound sterling.
Much Of this bullion was recently received
from China, as an isAtaimsai upon the sum
Jahn Bull makes ihe Cclcsiiais ras for
their obstinate refusal TO take OPIUM.
The Bank Of England has rY2, 10 paper
aad specie, nearly thiny.eight millions vi
pounds sterling. There are eight hundred
persons 10 iis yarious departments, COZ.
s,anily employed within lis wallis,
albany Ertaiag Journal.