23 SEPTEMBER 1837, Page 2

A Court of Proprietors of Bank-of England Stock was held

on Thursday, for the purpose of declaring a dividend. In reply to ques- tions by Mr. Selwyn, the Governor stated, that the amount of the " rest " was 2,854,44.2./. ; that the branch. banksystem was profitable to the concern ; that the profits of the Bank during the last six months were in a very slight degree less than in the previous half-year; that none of the Deadweight had been parted with; and that the London and Westminster Bank had abandoned their appeal to the Howe of Lords against the decision of the Master of the Rolls which prevented it from infringing on certain privileges of the Bank of England. A dividend of four per cent. for the half-year ending 10th October next, payable on the 11th of October, was then agreed to.

A communication has been received from Lord John Russell, by the Secretary to the Society for Protecting Shopkeepers, in which it is stated that the subject having been submitted to the Law Officers of the Crown, their opinion is that " Selling in shops on Sundays is not indictable at common law ; and that the practice of constables and others compelling tradesmen to pay a sum of money for entering appearances to presentments for a nuisance is entirely illegal." It is said that% public meeting will soon be called to devise the best means of recover- ing the sums already paid into the Crown Office.—Morning Chronicle.

At a meeting of the Middlesex Magistrates, on Tuesday, the report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the health and medical treatment of the prisoners in the House of Correction and the new

prison was read, and approved of. It appeared that Mr. Wakefield, the surgeon of both prisons, was most attentive to his duty and suc- cessful in his practice ; that he needed no additional assistance, and

that a comparison with the health of the prisoners in other gaols was most favourable to the medical treatment of the inmates of the prisons referred to ; there being fewer sick, and the cost of sickness being less in proportion to the numbers requiring medical assistance, than in other prisons.