1823.] 
may be known to all the world, it would 
seem unnecessary to go farther; but then 
all the world do not consult the Enrol- 
ment-office; however, the list of persons 
who necessarily know of the affair is not 
yet complete; for the affair is known— 
17. To the neighbours of the aunuity- 
broker. ‘They have as much curiosity at 
‘secing the customers going ont and in as 
the people whio live opposite an house of 
ill fame, and have as much pleasure in 
pointing them out to their friends who 
come to see them. A nobleman’s or gen- 
tleman’s person soon becomes known to 
them; and by-and-bye they meet him in 
the park, or elsewhere, and point him out 
_to somebody who knows who it is. 
18. "To veterans in iniquity, who have 
been at the office themselves for money. 
The rooks whisper to each other at the 
gambling-houses and club-houses. It is 
known that the pigeon is likely soon to be 
in feather, and plots are laid to relieve 
‘him of his newly-acquired treasures, and 
send him back for a fresh supply. 
19. To the assignees of the annuity. 
‘The new man, being shy, is desirous that 
few people should know what he is doing, 
and requests that he may have all the mo- 
ney from one man, or from the annuity- 
_. broker himself, to whom he is to grant the 
aiinuity. His wish is complied with, and 
_ he executes a deed accordingly, in which 
there is only one grantee. But that 
grantee has perhaps advanced only a small 
part, or none whatever, of the money, and 
Ummediately executes assigninents of dif- 
ferent portions of the annuity to all the 
Yeal parties making the advance. Thus 
the son of a Scotch duke borrowed, as he 
thought, from the broker only, and little 
knew. his annuity was assigned by him 
‘afterwards to nineteen different persons, 
‘and some of them his own servants, and 
must of them persons whio visited below- 
stairs at his father’s honse, and’ sometimes 
waited behind his chair. It is not always 
that so much trouble is taken to conceal 
from the grantor who are the pasties be- 
neficially interested. They may all be in- 
serted in the deed of annuity, as granted to 
some one in trust for the rest; and, when 
the deed is read over, it is easy to slar over 
that part where they are enumerated, and 
the grantor will never perceive it. ‘Thus 
the names of the servants of the most no- 
ble heir of the chieftainship of a great 
northern clan, were put in the deed of an 
“annuity which he granted, and it is proba- 
ble he never knew it; but, if he employ 
his solicitor to obtain for him the names of 
the parties beneficially interesied in the 
aunnities he granted when he raised the 
wind at a great money-lending house in the 
west en of town, he will find what will 
surprise hin. 
20. If the annuity be not regnlarly paid, 
then proceedings are taken to enforce it, 
Exposure of the Grantors of Annuities. 
413 
and anew set of the iron-handed ministers 
of the law are employed; the granton’s 
house is invaded, and his goods seized. 
He is disgraced in the eyes of all. his 
family ; and, if he cannot raise the needful, 
to get rid of the execution, his goods are 
carried off and sold. ) 
91. in case of the bankruptcy of the 
annuity-brokers, on the exannnations be- 
fore the commissioners, and the proving of 
debts against the annuity-brokers by their ~ 
clients, the books are bronght forward, 
the names of the borrowers are current as 
‘household words.” They get into the 
mouth of every body, and find their way 
into the public papers. 
22. In cases of disputed debts, or 
claims on the bankrupt’s estate, law-suits 
arise, and then a fresh exposure. A long 
list of noble and commoner grantors came 
before the public on the trial of Grimstead 
v. Shaw, on the 23d of December, 1822, 
in the cout of Common Pleas, in the city 
of London. 
Such are the exposures which any 
young nobleman may bring on himself, 
by only one transaction at a money- 
lending-house ; but, if he become a 
regular dealer in annuities, his degra- 
dation becomes the more complete. 
The money-broker, who is aware of 
his necessities, ventures to take liber- 
ties with him, at which the pride of the 
noble youth in his betier days would 
have recoiled with horror. Most un- 
fortunate of all it is, that his own feel- 
ings become debased. He loses the 
fine sense of honour which once distin- 
guished him; and happy will it be for 
him if any extraordiuary event arise to 
stop him in the midst of his career, 
and withdraw him from a connexion 
which can only lead to his permanent 
infamy and ruin. 
As an instance of the liberties taken 
by the basest of mankind, we give the 
following. A most noble lord of the 
Admiralty was down in Oxfordshire, 
enjoying the pleasures of the early 
part of September in company with the 
Duke of York. The clerk of the mo- 
ney-lender went down to the neigh- 
bouring inn, and wrote to bim to come 
to him. ‘The noble lord sent to en- 
quire what was the business on ac- 
count of which he was troubled. He 
was then informed, his acceptance was 
wanted for some bills which were to 
be used for the purpose of raising a 
temporary supply for the money-lender 
himself. As he declined to lend him- 
self to this purpose, the clerk. went 
back to town, and the money lender 
himself came down on. the same 
errand ; and, more than this, he 
cha ged 
