New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-16
THE BRITISH WILDCATS.

Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.
LONDON, May l, 1857.
The inquiry of the Court of Bankruptcy into ths
mysteries of the Royal British Bank is well nigh
drawing to close, and more complete exposure
of the recklessness, the hypocrisy, the shams aud
the infamies that lie hidden under the gded outside
of respectable society, has perhaps not been made
since the days Of Hudson the railway kings
downfall. One of the gentlemen last summoned to
the pillOry Of public opinion is Mr.. Humphrey
Brown, late NJ. p. for Tewkesbury, described in
Dodd's Parliamentary Companion for 1855 AS
merchant" an active promoter OF railways"
known railway statist and traffic taker, sup
porer Of ree-trade principles IN the fullest sense"
and Liberal to boot" Immediately after tho
burst of the Royal British Bank bubble, il became
known that this influential parsonage had used his
position as a Director II the Bank for swndling the
latter out Of some go 600 sterling-mtch reyela-
tion however was not allowed to interfere any
way with his customary State functions. Humphrey
Brown quietly continued 10 make his appearance IN
tho House Of Commons, as well AS on the benches
Of the Great Unpaid" He even gave public
vent TO bis high sense of social responsibility by III
ficting, in his qualty as county magistrate, the
most severe punishment allowed by law on poor
carrier who had happened to embezzle q small
quantity Of potatoes and by administering to tho cui-
prit an unctuous sermon about the atrocousness OF
a breach of trust. A Tewkesbury paper thought
itself warranted to improve the opportunity for
finding fault with that peculiarly Of the British in
stituti0ns which makes great thieves the judges Of
small ones Mr.. Brown then threatened not only
to bring the unhappy Journalist to trial. but forever
to turn his back on the good town OF Tewkes-
bury, should its inhabitants fail IN expiatng
the crime Of insulted innocence by some
solemn act of cOntritiOn. Accordingly tbere was
d triumphal procession offered 10 the Weum oi an
unscuuulous conspiracy" testimonial winch, To
Judge by the descriptions printed at the time IN the
public pspers. made up for ts artistic shortcomings
by metallic heayiness. Nr. Brown harangued the
multitude from his balcony pocketed the testiIno-
NAL declared but for the oath binding him to secrecy
in respect TO the affairs Of the British Bank has III
nocence would appear clear as the sun at monday
and wound up his Grafton by calling himself man
more snned against than shining. During the last
general election he stepped forward anew, as par
lnmentary candidate for bis snug borough, but tho
Cabinet Of which be had always proved staunch
partisan, was ungrateful enough 10 drop him.
On the 10Th of April this pompous gentleman telt
rescued at last from the thraldom OF the oath which
till now had sealed his lips, and condemned hum To
endure the obloauy Of disgraceiu SANDER; the Com
missioner Of the Court Of Bankruptcy acting az MS
confessor. IL is a general rlie with joint-stock
companies that their directors Should possess GER
tain number of their shares. Mr.. Brown mveluns
the common order oe things, became nr.t uIe.'D
and then \ stakeholder; but If be ned W ".
he Dispensed vita paying for them, ~ ,os,hoS
their possession b. the following 'eiy a. p,s,;.h
p'. oaneiHni we 70 him twenty shares, Of the
.,oa,.n, 80 81 900 while he (l'roWb1 hahhed over
to Mr. Cameron pro%i.sG y "%te s td ,S'
'.at Of nt GG to pay ON on asfi Se shilling Having
| gr.a. car director in the month Of February
become SscS te began his banking operation, u
10, Nth Of March. He deposited IA the Bank
lIe I""dT INN Of Els las, and on the very s'm'
tle Iar yp:ved from il ON ncte of hand the sum Of
IS CO. thus proving himself at once to De- no new
hand IN the directorial management of lHn''s'oc'
49,, Nth H.. ROYAL British Bank, he honored with
~. drectorial infringement the chartered Austraisl
Importing and Refining Company the Pasea