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which they carry on business. They also lend money at interest 
by way of overdrafts, and receive money on deposit. The lend- 
ing of immense sums for a long term of years on mortgage is 
not considered good banking now. It is done in these days by 
Loan and Building Societies and through the medium of solicitors. 
Though permission to lend money on goods is granted in the 
Charters of the largest Banks it is now left entirely to the pawn- 
brokers who have adopted the ancient sign of the Lombards, 
‘three golden balls.” There are firms in London now who 
lend money on nothing but short dated bills. They are not 
called bankers, but bill-brokers. Discounting bills, however, 
will always form part of a banker’s legitimate business. 
TI. Karty Banxrine. 
Under this head reference was made to that disputed question, 
the origin of the word “Bank.” The reader was of opinion 
that the two words ‘‘ Bank” and ‘‘ Bench” are derived from a 
barbarous Latin word “ Bancus,’’ which denotes a high seat, 
hillock, mound, or heap—in law, a seat of judgment. This is 
confirmed by Blackstone, who speaking of Florence, says ‘‘ that 
government owed £6,000, and being unable to pay, formed it 
into a principal sum called metaphorically a mount or bank.” In 
an Italian dictionary of 1659, the word ‘bank’ is explained ‘‘a 
standing bank or mount of money.” Evelyn in his diary speak- 
ing of the “ Monte Pieta”’ says ‘this is a foundation of which 
there are several in Italy, where there is a continual banque of 
money to assist the poorer sort.” Having referred to the money 
lenders of the times of Moses and Jeremiah, and those of the 
New Testament, the paper mentioned some of the laws which 
governed loans amongst the Brahmins, one of which was that 
the interest on gold was not to rise higher than double the debt, 
but on substances from which spirituous liquors are extracted, 
and a few others, the interest was unlimited. The paper then 
referred to currency amongst the Chinese and Russians, the 
former being the inventors of Bank Notes called “ feytsien” or 
flying money, in 800 A.D. Over issue caused their use to be 
abandoned for over 200 years. Banking amongst the Assyrians, 
was referred to. From this nation we get the name of the 
earliest bankers on record, ‘‘Egibi & Co.,’’ of Babylon. Mr. 
Marquis gave a translation by Mr. Pinches of a negotiable 
instrument in baked clay, belonging to the firm. By these 
instruments the firm can be traced from Sennacherib B.C. 712, to 
the reign of Darius. Banking amongst the Greeks and Romans 
was fully described until the fall of Rome, when it would appear 
that Banking was confined to the Jews, some of whom emigrated 
to London and settled in Lombard Street. 
Oo 
