Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-02
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.
WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER, ls4t

The Bank of England is an immense structure covering
five acres of ground having windows in either of its
fronts, but receiving light from above from its 1t
open for business at nine in the morning. and continues
open until five in the aernoonempoyng during these hours
between mine hundred and thousand persons At
O'Clock in the evening detachment of soldiers marched
from the Tower into the Bank where they guard
until seven o'clock the next morning.
The Bank has capital oegheen millions sterling, and
managed by Governors &C. Its notes re-ssued by
the Bank, after being presented for payment They may
continue in circulation for any time and pass from bank
to another but when presented the Bank for specie the
name of the person presenting must be endorsed with his
sidence then, after careful examination, the paid
and cancelled.
The printing binding, &c required by the Bank and its
branches done within the building by the approved
methods The presses and all the machinery the
best that be obtained in England Scotland So adm-
raby arranged every thing from the engine TO the
bank paror, that every resembles beautiful
shop No "sloker" engine "driver" required to attend
the fire look after the engine during the day. The FIRE is
fed in the that wheat is ground In the
ing sufficient quantity put into the chopper and that
sends regular supply into the Crates Stoves and nothing
further required The supplied in the same way
and should there be any of water by accident other
wise alarm sounded by whistle. Each is printed
on what called sheet of paper the lowest denomination
five pounds the highest thousand The paper first
counted to those whose duty it " wet il down. This is
done by steam process. After the paper in proper
be worked it is locked up in boxes aud to officer
who recounts it, 1t is then counted again parcels of one
placed sliding ready for the pressmen who at
work above These sheets drawn up and printed, and
returned the every sheet worked registers
itself, and il well known in the below what num-
Der A. b. is printing above by himself If by accident A.
b. "spols a Sheet il must be marked such, and every
particle of the spoiled sheet sent down. Every bill
passes through the hands OF two Of pessmen First they
printed without the number and date Secondly the
number and date added when they ready for the finish
ing touch, the signature of OF the cashiers One Of the
ingenious pieces of mechanism have is that
used mark the number each bill There change Of
number by hand but ALI done by this machine and by
power.
When the bills have passed through the hands Of the pn-
tiers they sent TO the drying where they again
counted and dried they then put up into convenient
packets and the cashiers for signature. Thence
they go the registers department. and from that Office
brought back TO the treasury" Here they kept in
freproof iron which all the sides Of the
The itself is reproo there being only thing that
burn the counter On side Of this
filed with gold, tied up in bags and the other the
bills in packages convenient for the payng tellers There
two large locks to each cae ahd the keys kept by
separate officers that both must be present before any
be removed. held in my hand while in this tco
millions Sterling all ready TO be put in circulation.
Each day from thirty TO thirty thousand bills printed
The ink is made in the Bank, and it il of such peculiar
composition that by lis effect together with that Of the high
sized paper, the blankets used the presses require to be
washed by steam least day The highest number
Of the notes 90 999 When that number is reached they
number one, with a date. The pressmen and
Of the machnsts receive G3 per week The females
tho binding and ruling from fifteen shlngs one
pound per week.
The clerks paid good salaries after they have been
years the service of the Bank They commence however,
low rate, but become " higher graduates, with
increased salary in the Bank transferred Of its
branches The plan of personal security frequently OBJ
served, as in the United States but Informed that there
is institution called the "guarany fund.-" by which
individual paying much per month, becomes member
and this institution Is security for its members thus securing
the Bank against loss the painful alternative of calling
personal security in Of NAL administration
In one OF the rooms nlnetyseven clerks employed.
whose business is TO the by register and
mute and accurate the that is known in the Bank
what notes out and who received them and il is the
practice OF all Bankers in town country, TO take the
Der OF each note before is paid and to whom paid This
work OF time, but it gives great security
In the Bank there IS department called the weighing
room Here two gentlemen employed weighing
regns by steam The scales constructed drop
light coin on the left the full weight the right Those
that fall on the left taken and cut by machine and
returned to the local bank individual from which they
They are then sold to the Bank for bullion be recoined
There are several families residing in the Bank who have
very comfortable accommodations. There is also bank
Kitchen as well as bank parlor This is for the accommoda-
ton Of the directors duty, who may wish cup of coffee
or beef steak, &c -COrrespOndence ~ Y. Com. Adr.