The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-13

Commercial London.
LONDON, Oct. Z.
Ts'7sN'7'7a'f WI
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.


walls of an enormous roman building in
vite the attention and cause the stranger
almost Involuntary to imagine the nature
of the mysteries which they shield. All
the world is at liberty to visit the public
halls and rotunda, but in order to probe
the wonderland behind the grated doors is
required q talisman in the shape of the
Lord Deputy's signature upon an official
order
The bank of England was founded in
1901 and grew out of loan Of six million
dollars for the public service, but it was not
until the latter part Of the last century that
Sir John Soanc received the appointment
of architect, when part Of the old build
ing was taken down and the bank, much as
ii exists to-day, covering an irregular area
of eight acres, was completed. Fol the
sake of security the walls are without win
dows, all light being admitted through
heavily grated sky-ights in the roofs OF
the inner courts. The entire cdi1ce is in
the antique style, being at an end n copy of
the Temple of Sybil at Tivoli the arch
leading into the bullion yard being an imi-
tation of that of Constantine, while roman
Baths contain the stock offices
The various rooms, halls and vaults. are
ranged about an open court in the center
of which is the plash of fountains and the
rustic of foliage keeping novel accompany
mcnt to the chinb of gold and the rattle Of
crisp bank notes.
The management OF the bank is vested in
a Governor with the qualification of TWEEN
ty-thousand dollars in stock. Deputy
Governor, and twenty-four directors, eight
of whom go out of Office each year
The fortunate bearer of IAN order is met
in the grand veslibule by m official in cho-
colatc and scarlet bro ll.cloih. who CON
ducts the way to a live drawng-room hung
in purple and mouye tinis termed the
"Blank Parlour,' where the directors meet
once in every week. In this chamber are
the reports examined and the profits adj
justed which have accrued from the i'll
tercst on eXchangc-bils and on capital lent
to government from discounts and the
allowance made for managing the public
debt
Near by are the FORCES in which the type
is cast from which the notes, checks and
bills are printed, while spiral staircase
leads TO the upper regions where is the
crash and din of the presses which turn out
the valid bank notes. Although the vigi-
lance in this department of the bank is ex-
IRENE, yet, by "a wonderful arrangement,
the printing presses themselves are made to
register the number Of each bill or note as
it appears, thus prccluding the possibility
of fraud.
The guide leads on through vistas of
rooms and dim passages 10 an immense
hall in which the notes that have been once
used are returned to the bank, counted and
packed, by hydraulic pressure, into bales
which are placed in the library until the
expiration of seven years, when they arc
"o-~;c-,-,I q ,l.a Ha,,aa sc rn-nncn nv.
pressly constructed for destroying this use
less paper
Some five hundred clerks are here to be
seen engaged in sorting their several piles
of notes which, according to report, amount
to $4,000 per day.
Out of the rustic of the busy hall
and down the dark stone stairway and the
visitor is received into the sacred charge of
director who, semper ggiIWS, conducts
him into the silent bullion vaults, where
piles OF coin burn with their own light and
scent the very air with their sickly, sweet
metallic odor.
Benumbed with the enormous display of
wealth one wonders in through the gas-lit
aisles between the closely ranged cars with
their loads of fifty bars, each containing in
its golden heart eight hundred sovereign
until a massive door reveals the stacked
bags of coin lying in regal idlcness await
ing the touch of charmed hand to call
them into use 'Inilnte riches in little
room :"
Back again through the pavement of
gold, with guard before and guard be-
hind, to the dim entrance to the vaults.
where with the fresh air returns the con-
seriousness of a contcntcd mind with a light
purse which is worth all the joy Of the one
who "heapeth up riches and knoweth not
who shall gather them"
The amount of bullion in the possession
of the Bank of England constitutes. to-
gether with its securities, the assets which
it places against its liabilities on account of
circulation and deposits and the differ
ence, about three millions, between the
several amounts is called the crest " or
guarantee fund, to provide for the contin-
gency Of possible losses. The gold is
almost entirely obtained by the bank in the
bar-form, which is Il small brick weighing
sixteen pounds Troy, and valued at eight
hundred pounds sterling.
Separate apartments are devoted to the
process Of weighing in which number of
constructed balances are brought
into rcquisition. Upon this hand is one
which weighs bars of silver from fifty to
eighty pounds Troy on the other, gold
coin is balanced in quantities varying from
a few ounces to twenty pounds.
These instruments are very perfect in
their action, easy Of regulation and most
durable. But the marvle of perfection is
attained by a wonderful little scale, which
by its precision, the Shah of Per
'ia upon his late visit to England.
1t consists in a balance furnished with
glass weights, and weighs at the rate of 33
soyereigns per minute. The machine ap-
pears to be small brass box, within which,
secure from currents of air, is the machin-
Try 1t is so contrycd that upon receiving
he soyeleigns from long brass tube, one
" one, it discrminates so as to throw those
IL full weight into one box, and to reject |