THE BANK CHARTER.
LORD ALTHORP declares that the Bank Charter Bill must pass this session. If such be the will of the Minister, a bill of some kind pro- bably will be pushed through Parliament. But we suspect his Lordship deceives himself, if he supposes that it will be the one which, in fulfil- ment of his wretched bargain with the Bank Directors, he has intro- duced into the House of Commons. A most formidable opposition has been raised to that important 'clause -which prevents the establishment of banks of deposit and general business with more than 'six partners Within sixty-five miles of London. Petitions against it are getting up in rations quarters, and there is good reason to believe that the Govern- ment will have to concede this point. Their own journal, the Globe, admits that there are" the strongest possible grounds, for objecting to this clause." This looks like shrinking on the part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer; for the Globe would scarcely venture directly to attack a Go- vernment measure, unless it had first received its cue from the Treasury. The reasons for a further postponement of the renewal of the Charter gain weight with every day which brings us nearer to the end of the session. No Minister 'before ever ventured to leave a question of such immense practical importance as this to be settled at the fag-end of all other business. We are aware of the desire which prevails among corn-. mercial mess to see this matter laid at rest. But, as it appears to us, the choicelies between a hasty and ill-considered, or a delayed and discreet arrangement of it. Ought we to hesitate, therefore, in preferring the latter? It should be recollected, that every individual who makes use of money is deeply interested in this subject--not those only who happen to have mercantile speculations afoot, and are therefore eager for its settlement on any terms.
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