PRIVATE AND JOINT - STOCK BANKS OF LONDON.

During the year, much activity has been displaye•d in the direction of Joint-Stock Banking. Two new banks, the City Bank and the Bank of London, have commenced business; several of the established banks have increased their capital and opened additional branches. The Royal British Bank has joined the Clearing-house ; and in a few months the South Sea House, a building of historic note, will be occupied by the Oriental Bank and the Royal British. A bank under the designation of the London and Paris Joint-Stock Bank is in course of formation ; and another, the Unity Joint-Stock Bank, is about to commence business.

The failure of the private banking house of Strahan, Paul, and Bates, on the 11th June, was attended with striking disclosures as regarded the con- duct of business. For their malpractices the three partners were criminally prosecuted, and sentenced, on the 27th October, to fourteen years' trans. portation.

Mr. James William Gilbert, in a paper read before the Statistical Society in April last year supplied some interestino.° details. connected with the pro. gross of the banking interest since 1845. From the information so given the following is compiled. January 1845. January 1855. Firms. Partners. Firms. Partners.

Number of Private Banks 60 ... 217 .... 59 ... 205 Joint-Stock Banks 5 ... 3,013 ,... 6 ... 4,323

The five Joint-Stock Banks which were in existence in 1845 are the Lon. don and Westminster, the London Joint-Stock, the Union Bank of London, the Commercial Bank, and the London and County Bank. The additional bank established since 1845 is the Royal British. The financial comparison of the two periods stands as follows.

Paid-up Capital. Surplus fund. Deposits

Five Banks in January 1845 £2,063,925 _ 188,001 _ 7,984,305 • Six Banks in January 1855 2,772,795 _ 486,217 „ 26,338,586

LONDON PRIVATE BANKING FIRMS LN JANUARY 1856.

Number of Name of Finn. Place of Business. Partners.

Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, and Co 54, Lombard Street 4 Barnett, Hoares, and Co Lombard Street 5 Bauer, Abraham, and Co 113, Lcadenhall Street 1 Bennett, W Metropolitan Cattle Market.. 1 Biggerstaff West Smithfield 2 Bosanquet, Franks, Whatman,lt Hannan 73, Lombard Street 4

Brown, Janson, and Co London 5

Brown, John, and Co 25, Abehurch Lane 1 Call, Marten, and Co 25, Old Bond Street 2 Challis and Son 37, West Smithfield 2 Child and Co 1, Fleet Street 6 Cocks, Biddnlph, and Co 43, Charing Cross 5 Coutts and Co 58 and 59, Strand 5 Cunliffes and Co 24, Lombard Street 4 Cunliffe, Roger, Son, and Co 24, Bucklersbury 3

Curries and Co 29, Cornhill 6

Davies, Robert, and Co 187, Shoreditch 2 Dimsdale, Drewett, Fowler, and Barnard. 50, Conthill 4 Dixon, Brooks, and Dixon 25, Chancery Lane 3 Drummond, Messrs Charing Cross 6 Feltham, John, and Co 42, Lombard Street 2

Fullers and Co 66, Moorgate Street 2

Glyn, Mills, and Co 67, Lombard Street 6 Goslings and Sharpe 19, Fleet Street 4 Hallett, Maude, and Hallett Little Geo. St. Westminster. 3 Hanburys and Lloyds 60, Lombard Street 5 Hankeys and Co Fenchurch Street 4 Berries, Farquhar, and Co 16, St. James's St., Westmin. 6 Het-wood, Kennards, and Co 4, Lombard Street 3

Hill and Sons 17, West Smithfield 2

Hopkinson and Co 3, Regent Street, St. James's. 2 Boares, Messrs 37, Fleet Street Johnston, Hugh and John, and Co 28, Cannon Street 3 Lacy and Son 60, West Smithfield 9

Loyd (Jones) and Co 43, Lotbbury 4 Lubbock, Forster, and Co Mansionhouse Street 2

Martins and Co 68, Lombard Street S

Mastennan, Peters, Mildred, Master-2 Nicholas Lane, Lombardi 5 man, and Co f Street Praeds and Co 189, Fleet Street 4

Prescott, Grote, Cave, and Cave 65, Threadneedle Street 5

Price, Marryatt, and Co, King William Street 2

Puget, Bainbridges, and Co 12, St. Paul's Churchyard ... 4 Ransom, Bouvene, and Co. 1, Pall Mall East 6 Robarts, Curtis, and Co 50, Lombard Street 4 Rogers, Olding, Sharpe, and Co Clement's Lane 5 Sapte, Muspratt, Banbury, Nix, and Co.. 77, Lombard Street 5

Scott, Sir Samuel, Bart., and Co 1, Cavendish Square 2

Shank, John 76, West Smithfield 1 Smith, Payne, and Smiths Lombard Street 6 Spielman, Adam, and Co' ' 10, Lombard Street 1 Spooner, Attwoods, and Co 27, Gracechurch Street 3 Stephenson, Salt, and Sons 20, Lombard Street 3

Stride, .1. and W. S 41, West Smithfield 2

Tisdall and Ward 15, West Smithfield 2 Twinings 215 and 216, Strand 3

White, Ludlow, and Co 6, Haymarket 3

Williams, Deacon, Labouchere, Thorn- I

ton, and Co Birchin Lane 6

Willis, Percival, and Co 76, Lombard Street 3

58 Firms. Total Number of Partners—. 201

The junction of the banking firms of Messrs. Bouveric and Co. and Messrs. Ransom and Co., under the firm of " Ransom Bouverie, and Co." has re- cently taken place. Most of the Smithfield bankers retain their old esta- blishments, in addition to new offices at Bank Buildings, Metropolitan Cattle Market.

LONDON JOINT-STOCK BANKS.

The following details are more recent than those given by Mr. Gilbert. Paid Fula. Paid-up per Present Dividend

Name of Bank. blithe& Capital. 8 are. Value. per cent. London and Westminster.... 1834 - £1,000,000 .. £20 .• £48 .. 16

London Joint-Stock 1836 .. 600,000 .. 10 .. 34 ., 25 Union Bank of London 1539 _ 422,900 ..• 10 .. 30 , . 20 London and County 1839• • Commercial Bank of London 1840 .. 300,000 .. 20 .. 30 .. 10 Royal British Bank 1849 .. 120,000 .. 50 .. 51 .. 6 City Bank (Carden's) 1855 , . 150,000 .. 50 .. GG ., -

Bank of London (Shelley's) 1855 .. 300,000 .. 50 .. 58 .. - Other Joint-Stock Banks having establishments in London may be enu- merated : Agra and United Service Bank ; Bank of Australasia ; Bank of British North America ; Bank of New South Wales; Chartered Bank of Asia:. - Chartered Bank of India ; Colonial Bank ; English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank ; Ionian Bank ; London Chartered Bank of Australia ; London and Eastern Banking Co oration ; Melbourne, Sydney, and Ade- laide Chartered Bank ; Mercantile Bank of India ; London and China ; National Bank of Ireland ; National Provincial Bank of England ; North- Western Bank of India ; Oriental Bank Corporation ; Provincial Bank of Ireland ; Royal Bank of Australia ; South Australian Banking Company ; Union Bank of Australia.

.. 12