The Rhyl Advertiser

I j T H E DYNAMITE OUTRAGES IN LONDON. IHE intense feelitfgof indignation which wa s aroused through the length and breadth of the land by the outrages committed in Lon- don on Saturday seems to increase as the extent of the damage becomes more manifest. That in this nineteenth century—with all its benefits of newspapers and railways, tele- graphs and schools, and when the clergy and ministers of all denominations are working with all their might to better the position of the poorest in the realm —there should be found human beings who could plan and carry out such a project as that of Saturday, appears to be beyond belief. Yet such human beings there are— men who can coolly avail themselves of privi- leges intended for those who have not many opportunities for pleasure in their struggling lives, and \ho can seize that opportunity to destroy, not only buildings of historic worth and immense value,but at the same time bring a terrible death on hundreds of their innocent fellow-creatures. That there was not a great loss of human life on Saturday, and conse- quent suffering, is not due to the perpetrators of the crime, but to the happy chance, or in other words to the providential movement of those in the building from one place to ari- other. By the generous act of successive Governments, admission to many of the most interesting public buildings is free on Satur- days, and this free admission is taken advan- tage of by a great number of the working classes, the Saturday half-holiday permitting them to do so without loss and inconvenience. That this free day should be chosen by the miscreants is the more remarkable, as by whatever motive the crime might be prompt- ed, the people most likely to be paysicaily injured could have no interest in that motive at least not one in a thousand could, The mind starts with horror from the confempla- tion of the misery and loss which might have been brought into hundreds of homes had the means employed accomplished its fell purpose But as in all other of the dastardly attempts, there was a partial failure. The courage- ous conduct of police-constable COLE,in carry- ing the smoking missile away from the place where great structural damage might have been done, and at his own personal risk, keeps alive faith in human kind, and con- trasts brightly with the fiendish and coward- ly conduct of the would-be murderers. Three explosions took place in the short spacb' of lb minutes, that is between three minutes to two o'clock aDd fifteen minutes after two. And one of these explosions took place at a great distance from the other two. The old aud historic Tower of London i $) °.—- was the scene of the first outrage, and never since the first stone of its thick wall was laid, in what has so often been called the Dark Ages, has a more murderous design been planned, nor a darker deed been c-xecuted. Neither political exigence, nor political hatred called for the carrying out of that diabolical plot, which might have caused the death of many of the working population of London. The old Tower has witnessed many exciting and harrowing scent s, but each scene had some plea of justification for some of the actors, however, others might judge it. The scene on Satur- day was without justification and unparalleled in its enormity. Nearly every one now will be familiar with the details of the second outrage, how on the smoking object being pointed out to him, Constable COLE raised it in his hands, carried it from the crypt under St. Stephen's Ilall-riin up the steps and only dropped it when his hands were burned by some greasy matter oozing out of the burning parcel. The change of place lessened the damage which an explosion in the crypt would have caused. Yet, Westminster Hall suffered severely, That Hall which has been the scene of many a famous historic gathering Founded by WILLIAM RUFUS, the son of the COXQUKROH, through eight centuries it has been the hall of jnstice, where first kings sat on the judgement seat, and then their representatives, the Lords Chief Justices of England. Many and many a trial both of historic interest and of constitu- tional moment has taken place within its old, and in the eyes of a civilized world, its sacred walls. Language of ours would be inadequate to describe them, and a mere enumeration would fa:l tame on our readers. But MACAULAY, in his description of the trial of WAURKN HASTINGS, which took place in Westminster Hall, has not ouly enumerated most of the historic scenes which have there taken place, but he has in graphic terms pouitrayed the memorable scene when the COXQUJIROB of India was impeached by the Commons of England for high crimes i and misdemeanours in his Government of that far oil land. Here is MACAULAY'S enumerations,here is his graphic descriptions: The place was worthy of such a trial. It was the great hall of WILLIAM RUFus; the hall which had resounded with acclamationsat the inauguration of thirty kings, the hall which had witnessed the just sentence of BACON and the just absolution of SOMSRS, the hall where the eloquence of STRAFFORD had for a moment awed and melted a vi torious party inflamed with just resentment, the hall where CHARLES had confronted the High Court of Justice with the placid courge which has half redeemed his fame. Neither military nor civil pomp was wanting. The avenues were lined with grenadiers. The streets were kept clear by cavalry. The Peers, robed in go!d and ermine, were mar- shalled by the heralds under Garter King-at- Arms. The Judges in their vestments of btate attended to give advice on poiriti of law. The grey old walls were hung with bcarlet. The long galleries were crowded by an audience such as has rarely excited the fears or the emulation of an orator. There were gathered togethei, from all parts of a great, free, enlightened, and prosperous em- pirc, grace and female loveliness, wit and learning, the representatives of every science and of every art. There were seated round the Queen the fair-haired young daughters of the house of Brunswick. There the Ambas- sadors of great Kings and Commonwealths gazed with admiration on a spectacle which no other country in the world could present. —There SIDUOXS, in the prime of her majes- tic beauty, looked with emotion on a scene surpassing all the imitations of the stage. There the historian of the Roman Empire thought of the days when CICERO pleaded the canst) of Sicily against Verres, and when before a senate which still retained some show of freedom, TACITUS thundered against the oppressor of Africa. There were seen, sido by hide, the greatest painter and the greatest scholar of the age. The spectacle had ailured REYNOLDS from that easel which has preserved to us the thoughtful foreheads of so many writers and statesmen, and the sweet smiles of so many noble matron. It had induced PARR to su.spend his labours in that dark and profound mise from which lie had extracted a vast treasure of erudition, a treasure too often buried in the earth, too often paraded with injudicious and inelegant ostentation, but still precious, massive, and splendid,-Thore too was she, the beautiful mother of a beautiful race, the Saint Cecilia, whose delicate features, lighted up by love and music, art has rescued from the common j1 1 aecay. There were the members of that brilliant society which quoted, criticised, and exchanged repartees, under the rich peacock hangings of Mrs MONTAGUE. And there the ladies whoss lips, more persuasive than those of Fox himself, had carried the Westminister election against palace and treasury, shone round GEORGIANA Duchess of Devonshire." Scarcely bad the sound of the explosion in Westminster Hall died away when another concussion was heard, and this time the Chamber of the Commons was the scene.! Happily the numerous persons, nearly J 00, who had been iu that room a few minutes before, bad rushed out into the hall, when the first explosions took place. So at this one no human being was injured, although the" House" itself was seriously and some- what eccentrically damaged. It would take too much space to describe how one part of the interior escaped almost miraculously, while another close to it was destroyed, suffice it to say that the lowest estimate of damage done to the House of Commons and Westminster Hall exceeds X15,000 and that £ 3,000 will not restore the Old Tower oi'; London to the condition it was in on Satur- day morning last. A universal feeling of detestation of such diabolical crimes, prevades not only iu Europe but has extended to the United States. Nearly every country in Europe has published expressions of horror at the foul means u C and the Government of Attierica has eve -zinced further, as legislativo i measures h: been initiated whose object is to prevent the production and sale of these explosive substances and so it is to be hoped that in a short -ie the Governments of alf civilized States will be able to put themselyes against such dastardly outrages. To show that such a system lias been in existence, and has be^n going on for the last two years, we need only submit a list to our readers of the outrages which have taken place in London during that time and through the same in- strumentality. March Explosions at the Local Govern, nictit .Board ofiico and the "Times" office. Oct. :jlJ, 10;;J.-E1::p)o:,<iou on the Under ground Ra ihvav at Paddington and Westminster. 1'e!>. -f!, ISS-l.—Explosion at Victoria Station. FdJ. 2S', lS84.Dbcovery of infernal machines' at Paddington and Obaring--cross .Stations. March 1, 1881. — Discovery of an infernal machine at Lwlg-ute hill fetation. April lf;81.—Explosions iu St. James's- sqnaro and Scotland-yard. Dec. 1: 1881.—Explosion at London Bridge. Jan. H2, 188").—Explosion Ion tho l-mlergroulld Railway, uear Gower-street. | 24, 1885.—Explosions In Westminster Hall, j • the Huiioe vi Uomuious, aud tlio Tower, j' C'¿.¡ There are those who think that the real or imaginary wrongs of Ireland are the cause of these iendisli attempts. Whether this view be a correct one or not, no rational being can ever Imagine that such wrongs can be remedied by those diabolical acts against life and property it has been our principal duty b dilate on. The beneficent acts which the English Government have performed within the last five years in their endeavours to do justice to the sister island show, that what- ever may have taken place in the past, the people of England are earnest and sincere in their attempts to give to Ireland the benefits which accrue from wise and just laws. It was said some years ago by the great statesman who now presides over the affairs of the British Empire, and in a time of great emergency that the lesourues of civilization were not exhausted that profound senti- ment may to-day be re-iterated, and that tno with advantage. Were it not so, were the case otherwise, then the boasted civilization of the nineteenth century must be pronoun- ced to be & sham and the growth of Christianity a mere delusion.

Hotes ani) Sumimun V- Much interest has been excited by proeeed- iugs taken against tho Newcastle and Gates- head Gas Company for supplying impure gas. That the proceedings were warranted was justified by the fact that the magistrates fined the company AI10. Owing to complaints of the excessive cost

oE proeoodiugs in bankruptcy through the heavy fees allowed to official receivers, the six per cent. granted under iho new Act will shortly be reduced to one.

——•*> It is stated that Mr Gladstone has intima- ted his intention to recommend her Majesty to confer the honour of knighthood upon Mr Brinley Richards, the eminent Welsh musi- cian, and the composer of the well-known National Anthem, God bless thu Prince of AYales."

» One night this week, about ten o'clock, a lad who appeared to be about 16 years of age, was discovered to be fast asleep whilst in charge of a horse and trap, in Bath Street. When awakened by some passers-by, and reprimanded for his carlessness. the boy ex- plained that be was a farm servant, and that he had been hard at work since four o'clock that morning, and would very likely have to be up as early the next morning If an ac- cidcut. happened, it would be hardly fair to hold the poor lad responsible under such con- ditions.

-+- The Temperance Mission is doing good work. Besides afrording a means of pure enjoyment, the meetings have resulted in some scorei3 of persons taking the pledge of total abstin- c,tee. Even were the pledge kept but for a short time, only a few weeks, it would be an inestimable blessing to many families, who find existence a hard struggle enough without wasting the small earnings on that which is not bread and their labou" for that which satistieth not. Truly the temperance cause is a pliilantliropical one in the highest sense, and it is pitiable to think that there are even in Rhyl people who can ridicule the noble efforts of temperance reformers, while at the same time they themselves do nothing to- wards improving the social and moral condi- tion of their fellow-creatures.

There are persons in existence who con- demn everything not emanating from them- selves. This week we received a letter complaining that a covert attack on onr respected Vicar should be allowed to appear in our columns under a nom de plume. Generally we find that the old aphorism "set a thief to catch a thief is equally applicable to anonymous letter writers—in other words, those who are most severe in their condemn- ation before the world of that class of corres- pondence, are those who indulge in it freely themselves, when opportunities occur. The critics place all the anonymous letters under the same head. Surely this is an injustice to thousands of correspondents. We freely admit that posting scurrilous communications under a false name is a dastardly action, and for which no one can be held responsible. It is very differen t in the case of letters under nomn do plume in a newspaper. The editor requires a guarantee from the writer, and he becomes responsible to the public therefore we cannot for a moment allow that Sub- scriber's communication is in the same category as those of Rory of the Hills," or anything approaching it.

DENBIGH. H J. WILLIAMS, BKOOKHOUSE, DKNBIGH.—At Bangor Bankruptcy Court, on Monday, Mr. S. R. Dew, who appeared on behalf of J. Williams, junr., asked that the examination should be closed that day. On the previous day his client had received uotice that as his cash accounts were not complete the examination would not bo made. The bankrupt however, stated that he had answered all the questions to tho best of his ability. The official receiver examined the bankrupt as to the account which he had presented. The bankrupt said he cou'.d give no particulars as to the payment in two years of wages to the amount of 1;624, no wage. book having been kept. The snm mentioned in the account was simply an estimate. A horse and trap had been sold to his father's relative, a Mr Reevely, of Caerwys, for £ -30. That sum had been paid to his father. There had been no arrangement by which the horse aud trap wore to be returne d to his father. The Official Receiver There are some people in your neighbourhood who think that there was an agreement between Reeveley and your father for the keep of the horse, which they say was not sold. The bankrupt: I believe the horge has been sold by Reeveley. Other questions were put touching other items for a considerable amount in the statement of accounts, and of which the bankrupt could give no particulars. No estimate or particu- lars touching the takings at tne place of business wore 'jiveu. The judge in declaring the examina- tion closed, hoped the bankrupt would keep proper books should lie go into business again. The bankrupt said he would do so, as the present pro- ceedings had been a lesson to him.

At the <\),rnnrvnn Assizes the Grand Jury made a presentment to Mr Justice Stephen, to the effect 1 that great hardship was inflicted on accused per- sons out on bail, by being taken for trial to Chester or other places out of AVaLes." At the Anglesey Quarter Sessions the following presentment was made:—The Grand Jury are of opinion that it would be desirable that the intermediate Assizes for the North Wales counties should be held within North and not at Chester, so that Welsh prisoneis may be tried by a jury of their country- v men, and the expense involved upon prisoners and their witnesses by a journey to Chester should be avoided. Err's COCOA.—GRATM'UFA::T> COMI-OBTIXU.— Be a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected Cocoa, Mr Epps has provided our Lreakfast tables with a delicately flavoured coverage which may save us many heavy doctors' bills. Jt. is by the judicious use of such articles of diet that a constitution may be gradually built up until strong enough to resist every tendency to disease. Hundreds of subtle maladies are floating around us ready to attack wherever there is a weak point. We may escape mar.y fatal shaft by keeping ourselves well fortified with pure blood and a properly nourished frame." Civil Service Gazette.—Made simply with boiling water or milk. lc;d Sold only in packets, labelled—" Jamiis Errs & Co., lioincspathic Chemists, London." Also makers of Epp's Chocolate Essence. [.)Zll- NOTICE.—If you waut good Genuine and Wliolc- omo Tea go to Robert Price, :j, High street: RLyl, where you can get earns 2 per jib.—Best value iu 1 Town.—Advl. 'g.

MISCELLANEOUS. It has been determined to form a new railway oorps from the Royal Engineers, The Privy Council has refused to grant a charter of incorporation for Bournemouth. revolution is taking place in New Grenada, and the port of Sa vanilla has been closed. The South African Empire League has become ahiliated to the Imperial Federation League. The Earl of Dunraven has entirely severed his con. nection with the National Fair-trade League. Lord Kilcoursie, while riding with the Waddon Chase hounds, near Winslow, was thrown and broke his leg. .\t aterfoifl; on Wednesday, four men were sen- tenced to penal servitude for five years for highway robbery. Lieut.-Colonel 1). R. Cameron. R.A., has been selected to command the local forces in South Australia. The Wilts Chamber of Agriculture has passed a resolution condemning any increAse in railway rates for freight. A ( reenwich Hospital pension of k50 per annum has been conferred on Lieutenant-General Georee Webb, R.M. A golden eagle from Sutherlandshire, presented by Colonel E. 1J. Hunt, has been received at the Zoologi- cal Gardens, A woinaa named Gelshan, of Carrickmacross, has been arrested for murdering her infant and throwing the body into a lake. The (>tficial Receivers' fees in bankruptcy are to be reduced from six to one per cent. for the relief of bar.k ruptcy ] >roceedings, Baron Alexander de Stoeckl, attaché to the Rus- sian hinbassy, has been appointed Gentleman in \Vaiting to the Ci.:tr of Russia. A railway embankment has given way at Wagga Wagga, Xew South Wales, killing several persons and injuring a number of others. Frank and Harry Austis, brothers, are under re- mand, at Brighton, charged with robbing a local Chapel and committing a couple of burglaries, A man named Crossland was, without any provoca- tion, knocked down, kicked, and jumped on by a gang, one of whom was Fisher, who stabbed him. On Wednesday, in his chambers in the Temple, Mr. Thomas Xash, barrister, of Lincoln's-inn and the Northern Circuit, shot himself through the head with a revolver. The Peninsular and Oriental steamer Chusan, from London to Bombay, has gone ashore on the north side of Perim Island, situated at the entrance to the Red Sea. The Belgian Government has proposed to the Euro. pean Powers the calling of an international confer- ence to discuss the best means of putting an end to the sugar crisis. Another severe shock of earthquake, accompanied by what is described as a tremendous report, occurred at Alhama on Tuesday. By the fall of a house one person was killed and two others were injured. In one of the streets of Cardiff, on Wednesday night, a seaman shot a young woman whom he wanted to marry, and of whom he was jealous. The man, who is in custody, afterwards tried to shoot himself. The Victoria Bridge of the Grand Trunk Railway which crosses the St. Lawrence at Montreal is specially guarded, owing to a warning received by the police that a dynamite campaign is about to be com- menced in Canada. A petition for the sale of the estate of Mr. Parnell, M.P., at Avondale, co. Wicklow, was on Wednesday dismissed in the Land Judges' Court in Dublin, it having been shewn that the incumbrances, amount- ing to 1:13,000, had been paid off. The valuable collection of books in the Health Section of the International Health Exhibition Library, consisting of about 1,500 volumes, has been presented to the Parkes Museum, The Counoil have made special arrangements for the admission of students to the library and reading-room. A Russian Imperial decree establishes two schools, attached to the Russian Consulates of Urga and Maldja, for the instruction of youths above Hi years old in the Mongolian, Chinese, Kalmuck, and Tartar dialects of Central Asia, for service as interpreters in the Governments of the Steppe, Turkestan, Eastern Siberia, and Tomsk. In charging the Grand Jury at Monmouth assizes, on Wednesday, Mr. Justice Hawkins observed that those who had the duty of deciding how long the assizts should last had ordained that he should stay at Monmouth till the following Monday, when he was due at Gloucester, although the business at Mon- mouth would not last more than two or three hours. The Earl of Kintore, in reply to a request by his tenantry for a reduction of rents, saya it is out of his power to do so. He has expended 241,000 in the improvement of hid estates, chiefly for the benefit of the tenants, and were he to comply with their request his income would begone. He adds that he has been content to live on far less than half the income of hia predecessors. Mr.Massa, cashier to Truawell's Brewery Company, wa, when going to the bank on Wednesday with a large sum of money, set upon in one of the principal business districts of Sheffield by two men,one of whom tried to wrench the money-bag from him while the other attacked him with a stick. Mr. Massa, how- ever, stuck to the property, and his cries caused his assailants to relinquish the struggle and run away. Kaily on Tuesday morning the body of a young man named Hill, of New Southgate, was found on the road below Highgate Archway. On an envelope found in his purse was the following; In a fit of de spondency I took yesterday a dose of cyanide of potassium. It did not kill me, as I thought it would, ht loosened my palate and compelled me to this. God furgive me and help my poor mother and father." In the case of an old man, aged 70, who, after spending six weeks in gaol, was put upon his trial at the Manchester assizes for stealing a brush worth about .id., Mr. Justice Wills said it was astounding for what a trivial cause some people would set the machinery of the criminal law in motion. He strongly deprecated the sending of such cases for trial, and described that before him as a trumpery one. The prisoner was found not guilty. The American ship Santa Clara, which was in collision with the Admiral Moorsom when the latter sank oH Holyhead, is now under arrest by the British authorities, at the instance of the London and North- Western Railway Company, the owners of the sunken steamer. A writ in Admiralty was issued against the Santa Clara but it was thought that arrangements could be made for a bond to be given, and for the vessel to be set free. The negotiations, however, fell throuerh, and the vessel is now under arrest, The judge at the Driffield County Court on Wed- nesday, gave his opinion upon the jurisdiction of bailiffs appointed under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 18*3, under certificate of the judges. A bailiff asked the judge if the certificate he held entitled him to act out of the circuit. His honour said there was a difference of opinion among the judges on the point, but he should certainly advise the bailiff acting under him not to go out of the circuit until the question was raised upon an illegal distress and decided in a superior court. Wright, of Orelton, Herefordshire, gave him- self into the custody of the police on Wednesday for the murder of his wife Eliza. The prisoner, who is a saw sharpener, stated that on the previous day his wife c-tiue home and threatened to cut his eye out with a knife. He took the knife from her,and having cut her throat left the house. He returned at night and slept by the side of the corpse, and in the morn- ing laid out the body. The prisoner's dwelling, which is an old turnpike house, on being visited, presented little, if any, evidence of a struggle. The body of the woman was found as Wright had described. The General Association of Church Sohool Mana- gers and Teachers, having issued inquiries on the subject of over-pressure to their various branches throughout the country, have received a large num- ber of answers. In all but two cases of overpressure is stated to exist and to manifest itself in the ill- health of the children. The remedies suggested are an increase of the fixed grant, a relaxation of the exassive requirements of the code, and a greater liberty in the matter of withdrawing delicate and backward children from examination. A letter em- bodying the above proposals has been sent to Mr. Mundella. No little consternation was caused at the Castle Barracks in Limerick the other night in consequence of the discovery by the sentry that a number of boats were being rowed about the river. To his alarm he also observed the occupants lighting matches. He immediately reported the matter to those in charge of the guard, who were at once ordered to turn out. The men in the boats, however, were only fishing. Great alarm was caused on Sunday at Guernsey by a terrific explosion heard all over the island and far out at sea. The crew of the steamer Commerce corroborated afterwards by others, spoke to having .seen an enormous ball of fire shoot from the heavens and all into the sea to the west of the island, the fa 1 being attended by a terrific explosion. Houses vibrated with the shock, and some persons were so frightened as to he deprived of their senses. At the annual meeting of the Hnddersfield Cham- of Commerce, on Wednesday, fli., council re- poi ted that while trade had been d oi 'ssed through- out the country, in Huddersik-U and the district full employment had been maintained. In spite of low prices and keen competition, the American tariff trade from Huddersfield to the United States had increased over the preceding year by about 1:40,000. .Mr. Gladstone, in reply to a resolution passed by the Stowmarket and Central Suffolk Farmers' Club in favour of the appointment of a Parliamentary com- mission to inquire into the cause of the depression in agriculture, writes "that her Majesty's Government -uid approach with much hesitation the considera- !;o of a proposal for au inquiry into the causes of <:• i region for fear of encouraging hopes not likely to l.v icalised." Notwithstanding that thousands of men engaged m thp shipbuilding trades on the Clyde are idle, an oiler )ii behalf of Messrs. Edler and Co. to build a of "2000 tons, on the same rate of wages as was pai I iu ] has been rejected by the Trades LTmon by a majority of 209 to 5, ♦

If you want good value for your money call at Robert Price, 2lJ, High Street, where you will get I C, the best Provisions at the lowest market priccg,

NORTH AND SOUTH WALES BANJi. ANNUAL MEETING OF PROPRIETORS. The foity-ninth annual meeting of the pro- prietors of the North and South Wales Bank was held on Tuesday afternoon, at the Law Association Rooms, Cook-street. Ir. George Rae, the chair- man of the board of directors, presided, and there was a large attendance of proprietors. The report, which was read by Mr. R. Meredith Jones, manager, was as follows — "Thedirectora beg to submit to the proprietors the following report "The RlIlk of England rate of discount during the last twelve months has averaged £ 2 198. 2d. per cent., but the market rate for first-class bankers bills has ruled at a much lower point, so that the profit on the bank's large holding of that class of paper has been almost nominal. "In addition to this, the increasing competition for banking business, which continues to narrow the margin of profit on banking transactions generally,has had a prejudicial effect on the profit of the year, and these have beeu further affected by the general depression and inactivity in most departments of business during the past months. Ihc reneral result has been that after paying the usual dividend and bonus' of 1 ï per cent. there- remains in hand a balance of £ 9046 to be carried forward, as against :t balance of XI-1,236 brought forward from last yenr, [The statement of accounts as it appears in our advertising columns was here iead.1 "The various branches of the "bank have ItS heretofore, been visited during the year by deputa- tions of the directors and the country manager, and the cash, accounts, bills, and securities audited and examined by them on tli 2 spot, the rendt in each case bung satisfactory. "The directors who go out by rotation at the present meeting are -Afr. Joseph Beausire and Mr. Edward Thompson, both of whom are eligible for le-eleetion, rnd oiler themselves accordingly. GEOKGE RAE, Chairman." The Chairman said-I rise, gentlemen, to move that the report which has just been lead be adopted, piiutel, and circulated amongst the pro. prietors as usual. In moving this resolution, I will, with your permission, call your attention to (Ine:or two points and figures in the balance sheet, which has been my usual custom. And, to begin at the vexy beginning, the expenses of the year have been in excess of those of the year immediately preceding by about £1600. It will suffice, pernaps, with respect to this item, if I say that three-foiuths of the amount has been on salaries. An unusual number of our apprentices have com- pleted their terms during the last twelve months and been put on a higher scale of salary. The next item which I havemarked for notice is that of deposits. The increase has not been so great as it has been of late years, but still it is an increase, although it only amounts to X120,000 (applause). Passing to the other side of the balance-sheet, I find that the three first items in the assets-that is. cash in hand, at the Bank of England, at call and Consols—amount to a little .'over 02,000,000, or 3o per cent, of our immediate liabilities. If vou add to these the two items following, namely, first-class preference railway shares—which I may mention in passing, are worth X20,000 more than we paid for.thei-n,-(appl.,Ause)-,And the bills of o "mui may interest vou to know that over £ 1,000,000 consist of first-c'lass bankers' bills or bills on the Treasury—we have a total of immediately available assets of £ 4,oQ0,000. to set against immediate liabilities of £ o\j00'000 In other words, we hold 77 per cent' of available resources for our immediate liability (applause). If we come to the total figures, iv I"' -ha,V0' in rouud numbers, Lb.oOO,000 of assets in hand: and if you add to this £ l,o00,(.00 in reserve liability, you wdl sea that our total resources amount to £ 8,000 000 against total liabilities of about £ 5,o00',000' (applause). I don't mention these figures,' gentle- men, by wny of boasting, but simply for the guidance and information of those of our depositors who may not yet quite understand the meaning of limited liability under the Act of 1879. The next point to which I wish to call your attention is with regard to our holding of consols. This time last year we held only £ 500,000. }."nn S('f-,hy ,the figures that we now hold i 1 t u 18 say> we havs now invested in what I think I may call the first security in tho world, the whole of our paid-up capital and re- serve fund (applause). We made the addition to our consols about the beginning of last year, and, consequently, some four or five months before the Government brought forward its proposal for the conversion of cons, into a lower denomination of security but the proposal did not inspire us with any serious uneasiuess, for two reasons. One was, that we did not believe it possible that the Govern- ment could carry the proposal out on the terms which they offered, which was proved to be the tact; and the other reason was that, if the Government should succeed in carrying their pro- posals, they would have to pay us off at par, so that the worst that could happen to us would be that some day we should have £ 25,000 to add to our reserve fund-(applause) that being the ditterence between what our consols have cost us and what they would produce if paid off at par. And now a few words as to the profit and loss statement, The profits of the year have not been -0 satisfactory as we could have wished, but they were quite as satisfactory as we expected. They have not been diminished, as might have been suppa-ed, by an excess of bad debts charged to the profits of the year, becauso that item has only been equal to the average of other years. The shrink- age has been in the profits of the general business of the bank, and has arisen from two causes, ,c one of which we hope fs transitory I mean the great depression which has prevailed in all departments of commerce and trade during the last twelve months. We hope that this will in time pass away. The other cause of the shrinkage may prove to be of a more permanent character, and arises from the keen-I was almost going to say the intense- competition which exists for all descriptions of banking business—a competition which has di- minished and is continuing to diminish the margin of profit in most classes of banking transac- tions. The general result of our operations for the year is this: that in order to pay our usual dividend and bonus of 172 per cent., we have to take t-CoO from the profits brought forward from previous years. But there is nothing strange nor unusual in this, because almost every bank in the country has had to do the same thing more or less, or reduce its rate of dividend. We might, of course, have reduced our rate and divided simply the net profits that we had realized; but we did not do this,foi two reasons. In the first place we had three times the amount in hand necessary to make up the deficiency and in the second place we felt, as a board, that we ought to be well assured that the depreciation of the profits was permanent before we disturbed, without any notice or warning to the shareholders, a rate of dividend which they had received now, I think, uninterrupt- edly for 18 years. (Applause.) There is one other item, gentlemen, about which, before I sit down, I wish to say a few words. It is now exactly 22 years since we commenced to establish branches in the town of Liverpool, now a city. Our first three branches were established in the year 1863, and were planted as near as we could measure it, about one mile distant from the banking centre of Liverpool. We had ascertained by careful inquiry that the districts beyond that radius were virtually bankless. We found that that the people living in those districts having a couple of mile. or more-a mile there and a mile back-between them and the nearest bank, had in it great measure turned bankers for themselves. /,Y"\ ? \WW °i coring them of this bad habit— Ua ignte*) and seeing how difficult it was for them to come to us, we,thought it might be a great convenience to them, and perhaps a great advan- tage to ourselves, to go to them and we went, and have remained in undisturbed possession of the business thus developed and acquired until quite recently. But now other bankers in Liverpool are moving in the same direction, and though we had no intention to increase the number of our town branches we may find it necessary, at an unprotect- ed point hero and here, to establish a small branch, or sub-branch-not with a view to extension, but ill order to protect a business and connection which it has taken us so many years to build up, and which we are not willing to relinquish. (Ap- plause.) Before sitting down, I wish to express the sincere regret of the board and myself at the loss of an old friend and colleague, Mr Richard Bryant;, by death. (Hear, hear.) He died since our last meeting. Mr Bryans, was as many of you remember, a zealous and able director of the bank for many years-(hear, hear)-and to the last day of his life remained one of our largest shareholders. Gentlemen, I beg to move the resolution. (Applause.) Mr J. H. Hind seconded the proposition which was unanimously carried. On the motion of Mr C. C. Dobell, seconded by Mr Paull, Mr Joseph Beausire and Mr E. Thompson were re-elected directors of the bank. A proposition conveying the thanks of the shareholders to the directors and to place X3000 at their disposal as remuneration during the current year moved by Mr R. Nicholson, and seconded by Mr Charles Hughes, was unanimously adopted, as also was one to re-appoint Messrs Harmood Banner and Son as auditors at a remuneration of 200 guineas. Mr William Nicol moved-" That the thanks of the suareucldei's be giyea to the managers aud otlwt 'I h