lighten the burden on the tradesmen. The St. Leonards Commissioners had money in the bank, and the St. Leonards people nobly engaged in a voluntary rate to meet the needs of the town.
Meeting of Creditors. A very crowded meeting took place in the Town Hall on the afternoon of July 4th, with the Mayor presiding. Mr. Langham gave a detailed account of filing the petition of bankruptcy and exculpated himself from any attempt to take undue advantage in the part which he had assigned to himself. He had acted, he said, solely for the benefit of the creditors. In alluding to a placard issued by Mr. Young, Mr. Langham said that as that gentleman had told them a part of what took place between himself and Mr. Young, he (Mr. Langham) would tell them the remainder. Three days after the adjudication offered him £25 and his expenses if he would not oppose him. He found a circular had been issued soliciting proxies on behalf of Messrs. Deudney and Piper as assignees even before the parties were bankrupts. That might be convenient, but was it decent? He had no hostile feeling towards the late bankers; on the contrary, he had the utmost respect for them; but as bankrupts, their affairs ought to undergo a strict investigation. He did not object to Messrs. Piper and Deudney on the ground of unfitness, but he contended that they were the nominees of the Bank, and as such, ought not to have the appointment. He understood that Messrs. James Smith, Tilden Smith and Francis Smith were indebted to the Bank to the extent of £40,000. He also understood that some handsome settlements had been made; that Mr. Hilder, a few years ago, settled a large amount of property on his son; that a house in Pelham Crescent was settled on Mrs. Smith. But if the Bank was insolvent at the time, such property must be restored. After some other remarks, Mr. Langham moved the following resolution:- "Resolved that this meeting recognise the necessity of a rigid investigation of the affairs of the Old Bank and the importance of appointing men of ability and perseverance (free from bias on account of family connection with members of the Bank or otherwise) to the offices of assignees and solicitor."
Mr. Hawkins (late of Hastings) had come from London with much personal inconvenience, but as a large creditor, he had received a circular asking him to vote in favour of Messrs. Piper and Deudney, but after what he had then heard he should certainly not do so. He had heard as he came down that Mr. Langham's assignees were Mr. Clement and Mr. Shirley; he was glad to find that Mr. Langham -
