Cis Country.
Sir George Staunton was elected Member for Portsmouth on Mon- day, and without opposition, Dr. Quarrier having resigned. Parts of Sir George Staunton's speech from the hustings were of too Whiggish a character to please the Radicals; some of whom say that they only took him because they had no time for preparation, and will have a Member more to their liking at the next election. We suspect that the next election will find the Tory interest pleduminant in the dock- yards and town of Portsmouth. Mr. Richard Potter, it is rumoured, intends to resign his seat for Wigan.
A statement was made at a recent meeting of the shareholders of the Manchester Northern and Central Bank, according to which there Will be a loss of at least 343,0001. out of the original capital of 1300,000/. ; but probably the deficit will be much larger. According to the statement of the Times— "The payment of the whole of the debt to the Bank of England, with the exception of about 3.0001., is stated to have been made, and there has also been paid off about 75,0001. of the debt due to the London and Westminster Bank. In a list, which was given in of the losses sustained at the various branches of the Northern and Central flank, Liverpool is put down at 27,2521.; Sheffield at 27,6891.; Nottingham at 69,6331.; Leeds at 61,6201.; and Manchester (the head-quarters) at 143,3711. It is manifest that nothing like an efficient control over the branches had ever been established, and that the directors at Blanchester were wholly incompetent to any organization of that kind. The branches had it all their k..,vn way; and a fine harvest some of them must have made of the temporary power and influence confided to them. This bank has been In operation about two and a half years, but many of the branches not so long ; and has made at least two dividends, one at the rate of five and the other at the rate of seven per cent. per annum profit. Of the facts disclosed at this meeting, relative to the conduct of the first set of directors and other parties concerned in the management, it is not necessary to say any thing : they are not worse, at all events, than those already made public through the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Joint Stock Banks."
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