PROMISSORY-NOTES.

An Account of the number of Promissory-Notes stamped in England in each

year, from the 5th of Jan. 1815 to the 5th of Jan. 1819; distinguishing those granted for a sum not exceeding L.1, 1s. ; those exceeding. L.), 1s., and not exceeding L.2, 2s. ; those exceeding L.2, 2s., and not exceeding L.5, 58.; those exceeding L.5, 5s., and not exceeding L.10; those exceeding 1.10, and not exceeding L. 20 ; those exceeding L.20, and not exceeding L.30; those exceeding L.30, and not exceeding 2.50; and those exceeding L.50.

Year end 1 Year end. Year ending Jan. 5. ing Jan. 5. ing Jan. 5. ing Jan. 5.

Year end.

1816.

1817.

1818.

1819.

Not exceeding L.1, 18. ma

2,626,928 1,857,662 3,282,251 | 3,535,477 Exceeding L.), Is, and not exceeding L.2, 25. manana

37,699 23,416 68,540

61,602 Exceeding L.2, 25., and not exceeding L.5, 5s.

469,850 459,493 701,497 745,563 Exceeding L. 5, 5s., and not exceeding L. 20gan

80,716 Exceeding L.5, 5s., and not exceeding L. 10,

48,932 139,992 222,533 225,280 Exceeding L. 10, and not exceeding L. 20, 11,864 23,681 39,978 52,858 Exceeding L. 20, and not exceeding L. 30, 613

15
441

711 Exceeding 1,30, and not exceeding L.30, 513

445

701 Exceeding L. 50, and not exceeding L.100,

86
405 2,131

504 Comptroller's office, Stamps, Jan. 30. 1819.

C. R. TREFUSIS, C. & A. G.

119

An Account of the number of Licences granted for issuing Bank-notes, in the

years 1815, 1816, 1817, and 1818.

THE ARMY.

The

following is a Return of the Effective Strength of Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Privates, serving in the British Army, on the 25th of January 1819, with the number of Horses :

Drum- Farofficers..Serjeants

.
Stations.

Troop
Total.

Rank
and
File.

mers. riers.

horses.

N. B._Of the above numbers there are about 14,000 pon-commissioned officers and privates supernumerary to the peace establishment of the army; viz. about 2000 belonging to regiments at home, now in the course of discharge, and waiting to pass the board at Chelsea hospital; and about 12,000 at present on foreign stations, who are under orders to be discharged.

There are likewise included in this return about 1300 supernumerary horses of cavalry regiments in Great Britain, of which 813 have been sold, or ordered to be sold, since the date to which the return is made up ; and the remainder will be disposed of without delay,

The following is a Correct Return of the Effective Strength of the Royal Artillery, serving at home and abroad, on the 25th of January 1819, distinguishing the Fool from the Horse Artillery :

Marching battalions at home.
Officers, 366_Non-commissioned officers and men, 3,583

Marching battalions abroad.
Officers, 105-Non-commissioned officers and men, 2,186

Total, 471

5,769

658

Horse Brigade, at home.
Officers, 47-Non-commissioned officers and men,

Invalid battalion, at home.
Officers, 35-Non-commissioned officers and men,

Invalid battalion, abroad.
Officers, 0-Non-commissioned officers and men,

147

18

Total, 82

823

508

Royal artillery drivers, at home.
Officers, 23—Non-commissioned officers and men,

Royal artillery drivers, abroad.
Officers, Non-commissioned officers and men,

26

Total, 23

534

Grand Total, 576

7,129

..................

.........................

..............................

An Account of the number of Prisoners tried, and the Offences they were con.

victed of, at the Old Bailey Sessions, in the Year 1818. Murder........ 3 Embezzlement

2 Burglary ........ 25 Fraud

6 House-breaking... ...... 7

Grand larceny

.................... 1093 Highway robbery............. 25 Misdemeanours

6
Stealing in a dwelling-house 68 Uitering counterfeit coin 13
Stealing privately in a shop 16
Stealing on the river Thames 2

1430 Horse stealing............. 11 Sheep stealing...

9 Cattle stealing

1

Between the age of ten and
Cutting
down trees .............

1
fourteen

83 Returning from transportation 1 Between the age of fourForgery

2

teen and eighteen ...... 195 Uttering forged bank notes 25 Between the age of eighHaving possession of ditto

teen and twenty-one...... 391
without lawful excuse ..... 98
Receiving stolen goods ..... 10 Total under twenty.one
Manslaughter.............

6
years of age ...............

624

Capital offences.

OP THESE THERE WERE

.............................

FIRST REPORT

By the Lords' Committees, appointed a Secret Committee, to inquire into the

state of the Bank of England, with reference to the expediency of the resumption of cash-payments at the period not fired by law, and into such other matters as are connected therewith ; and to report such information relative thereto as may be disclosed without injury to the public interest, with their observations.

The Committee think it right to session of Parliament. By another premise, that in this investigation act, passed on the 30th of November they have taken as their guide the in the same year, the restriction was decided opinion of Parliament, as further continued until one month declared by many repeated enact- after the conclusion of the war by ments, that the removal of the re. a definitive treaty of peace. On the striction upon cash-payments by the 3d of January 1799, the Directors Bank, or, in other words, the restora- of the Bank, in pursuance of a tion of the currency of the country power reserved to them by the acts to a state of regulation by its an- of Parliament referred to, gave notice cient metallic standard, is an object that on the 14th instant they would which ought to be accomplished at pay in cash all fractional sums under as early a period as shall be found L.5; and on the 1st of February safe and practicable.

1800 would pay cash for all notes The first act, confirming and con- of L. 1 and L. 2 dated prior to the tinuing the restriction contained in 1st of July 1798, or exchange them the minute of Council of the 26th for new notes of the same value, at of February 1797, was passed on the option of the holders. By anthe 3d of May 1797, and was to be other act, passed on the soch of in force till the 24th of June 1797. April 1802, the restriction was conThe restriction was further con- tinued until the 1st of March 1803. tinued by an act passed on the 22d On the 28th of February 1803, it of June 1797, uniil one month after was further continued until the exthe commencement of the then next piration of six weeks after the com

!

mencement of the then next session possible to the payment of its notes
of Parliament. On the 13th of De. in cash, and that unforeseen circum-
cember 1803, the country being then stances, which had occurred since
again at war, it was further conti- the passing of the last of the pre-
nued until six months after the rati- ceding acts, had rendered it expe-
fication of a definitive treaty of dient that the restriction should be
peace. In the year 1812 an act was further continued, and that another
passed for preventing any note or period should be fixed for the ter-
bill of the Banks of England or Ire- mination thereof; the restriction is
land from being received for a small- further continued until the 5th of
er sum than the sum therein speci- July 1819. Of these unforeseen cir.
fied, and for staying proceedings up- cumstances, the most important was
on distress by tender of such notes ; the apprehension of the effect of
and in 1814 this act was further con- further foreign loans (particularly
tinued during the continuance of those of France) upon the exchanges
any act imposing restriction upon and the price of gold.
the Bank with respect to payments Subsequent to the first restriction
in cash.

upon the Bank of England, similar
By an act passed on the 18th of restrictions were imposed and con-
July 1814, the restriction upon the tinued by different acts upon the
Bank was continued until the 25th Bank of Ireland, and their termina-
of March 1815; and it was further tion was fixed at three months after
continued by an act passed on the the expiration of the restriction up-
23d of March 1815, to the 5th day on the Bank of England.
of July 1816. On the 21st of March During these successive prolonga-
1816, an act was passed, by which, tions, the Bank appears at different
after reciting in the preamble, “ that periods to have made great exertions
it was highly desirable that the to procure such a mass of treasure
Bank should, as soon as possible, re- as might enable it to replace itself
turn to the payment of its notes in upon its ancient footing, whenever it
cash; and that it was expedient should seem good to Parliament to
that the provisions of the former acts remove the restrictions. In 1798,
should be further continued, in or- the treasure was increased to an a.
der to afford time to the Directors mount which bore, in the early part
of the Bank to make such prepara- of 1799, a very large proportion to
tions as to their discretion and ex. that of the outstanding

notes. Dur- . perience might appear most expe- ing the years immediately subsedient for enabling them to resume quent, this treasure experienced a payments in cash, without public in- considerable reduction; but from convenience, and at the earliest pe- the middle of 1804 to the middle of riod; and that a time should be fix. 1808, the favourable state of the ed at which the said restriction exchanges enabled the Bank to should cease;" it was enacted, that make large purchases in gold. In the said restriction should be con- order to encourage the importation tinued untif the 5th of July 1818. of gold, the Directors determined to On the 28th of May 1818, another give L.4 per oz., and the treasure act was passed, by which, after re- was so much augmented as to have citing in the preamble," that it was exceeded in 1808 the highest a

“ highly desirable that the Bank of mount which it had reached in 1799. England should return as soon as From that period it successively de