A. D. 1744. 243 



But, as the bank has for feveral years pafl divided 5^ per 

 cent yearly to the proprietors of the faid L9, 800, 000, 

 being -- -- - -- - - L539,ooo 



By deduding the faid yearly interefl: received from the 

 public, being ________ 396,000 



There remain, as the annual profits of the faid L900,ooo, 

 their undivided capital, and all their other various profits 

 by banking, as aforefaid, amounting together to - 143,000 



Now, if the interefl; paid by the government for the 

 LgoOjOOO undivided capital, at 4 per cent, be deducted, 

 being - - _______ 36,000 



Then the clear annual profits of the bank, by their mo- 

 ney concerns with the public, and by all their other cer- 

 tainly-known banking concerns, will be - - - 107,000 



DeducT: thereout (luppofe) for houfe-expenfe of all kinds, 

 iis falaries, &c. ________ iy,ooo 



And there will remain then of the known annual profit 

 by mere banking - - - - - - - 90,000 



Laftly, fome might poflibly be fo much farther inquifitive as to form 

 conjectures, for they can be no other, concerning the proportion which 

 the quantum of ready cafli, always neceffary to be referved in this^ or 

 any other, public or private bank for the circulation of all their cafh 

 notes and credit of accounts in a bank, bears, or fhould bear, to the 

 total amount of thofe cafh notes and credit ; and which is the ultimate 

 article in all banking bufinei's, and probably alfo the mod confiderablc 

 one, moreeipecially with refped to our London private bankers, though, 

 at the Tame time, an extremely calual and uncertain one : neverthelefs, 

 as this kill point may be properly termed the fair and reaionable myf- 

 tery or fecret of all banking, we can fee no benefit which can arife by 

 any fuch minute inquiries to the generality of men ; neither do we ap- 

 prehend them proper to be inquired into at all, without there Ihould 

 arife any reaionable fuipicion oi fraud. For it has been a political ob- 

 fervation of long rtanding, that even the reputation of great and power- 

 ful monarchies and flates often fubfifis more by common fame or 

 <ipinif)n than by real (Ircngth or ability (' 7//.-'^/j- Jama quam 17') ; fo it 

 ni ly more fl:ridly and properly be aj^plicable to a bank and bankers ; 

 of which we had a moll pregnant inilance a few years ago at break- 

 ing up and dividing the profits of an eminent partnerfliip of a private 

 bank in the city of London, which for niany years had cleared or di- 

 vided feveral thoufand ]>ounds yearly for the partncrlhip ; when, upon 

 apprailing all the real flock of that partnerfliip before the highefl judge 



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