6S Notes for the Month. 



Lord Redesdale has a bill in progress through the House of Lords, the 

 object of which is to regulate the business of banking. Two important 

 provisions which it contains, are clauses which will compel bankers to 

 publish their accounts periodically, and to give security for the amount 

 of all notes that they may issue. There can be no doubt that if any 

 branch of our commercial system wants consideration and regulation, 

 it is that of banking. It is a trade, the direction and management of 

 which has been very little canvassed ; and of which the operation and 

 effect, we take it, are very imperfectly understood. 



The long-eared portion of society will do well to attend to a reso- 

 lution, promulgated by the new Vice-chancellor, Sir Anthony Hart, upon 

 an application to his Honour, the other day, for an *' injunction" in the 

 case of " Hunter v. Bell." The proceeding arose out of an affair some- 

 thing similar to the late dirty business of " Mr. Auldjo" and his fashion- 

 able acquaintances. The plaintiff, who is so fortunate as to be encum- 

 bered more with money than with wit, was benoodled into making a 

 bet of 2,0007. upon the St. Leger ; and, losing it, was compelled (after a 

 desperate effort to back out) to give a bill for the amount. The bill, 

 however, was given certainly under circumstances of some duress ; when 

 at a distance from the coaxing ways of the winner, the dislike to pay 

 revived ; and the losing gentleman accordingly applied to the Court of 

 Chancery, for an injunction against his note being negotiated. Sir An- 

 thony Hart said that he should not interfere. If the bill had actually 

 been given for a gambling debt, that fact could be shewn, and it was of 

 no value, no matter how often negotiated, or into whose hands it might 

 fall. And, for the guidance of gentlemen who betted at races in general, 

 it was his opinion (founded upon mature consideration), that the best way 

 of protecting monied ninnies from imposition, was to let them understand 

 that they must learn to keep out of ill company, and to protect them- 

 selves. We mention this decision, because it is important that it should 

 be known in Pall Mall and St. James's Street. 



French Politesse* An ingenious writer observes somewhere but so 

 many have copied or imitated the dictum since, that to trace it to its ori- 

 ginal owner would hardly be possible that it is practicable, by the mere 

 difference of manner, to grant a request in such a way as shall make it 

 offensive and, on the contrary, to refuse in such terms as shall make the 

 party denied feel that he receives a favour. A French officer at the 

 battle of Spires, when the ill blood ran very high between the troops of 

 JFrance and Germany, and orders had been issued to give no quarter in- 

 the field, seems to have had great reliance upon this writer's opinion. A 

 Hessian officer of infantry having been cut down and his sword broken, 

 just as the sabre was raised which was to terminate his earthly career, 

 entreated the victor to " spare his life." "Ah, Monsieur!" returned 

 the Frenchman with a shrug, which alone certainly ought to have re- 

 conciled the most unreasonable man to the thoughts of death " Ask any 

 thing else ; but life is impossible !" 



If the theatres, however, (as we observed above) have forborne to be 

 pre-eminent in attraction during the last month, VAUXHALL has pre- 

 sented the town with an exhibition that makes amends : no less than a 

 representation, by armed men and real horses, of THE BATTLE OF 

 WATERLOO ! An erroneous impression prevailed when this entertain- 



