^ THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS I LIBRARY B875 V.27 ■ i I THE LATE CREDITORS OF THE or Messrs, Joyner^ SurridgCt and Joyner^ BANKRUPTS. FRIN.TSD DY THOMAS ROBINSON, ROMFORD. 1828« M^jm^ THE LATE THE few following remarks are addressed particularly to the Creditors of the late Romford Bank, but they are no less entitled to the attentive consi- deration of the Mercantile and Trading Public, for the object, indeed the only object, is to expose fraud and to unmask hypocrisy. Why this duty should have devolved upon nie, rather than upon those who were bound to see justice done to all parties, I will leave the Public to judge? but that justice has not been done, is too manifest to admit of contradiction. I am, I confess, a volunteer in the eervice, but 1 am so on principle alone ; and though the task be ungracious, yet, amidst evil report and good report, I conceive it to be my duty, as it is that of every honest man, to do all in his power to lay open Abuses which affect the best interests of society in so great a degree, as does those to which I now call your very serious attention; I have already endeavoured, by every possible means, to accomplish this object, and, as a necessary consequence, j have provoked the hostility of those who had but too much cause to wish for concealment; all that malice could devise or falsehood invent was spoken of me, and why? because I did not wink at the frauds prac- tised on the injured and unsuspecting Creditors, but while sustained by the approbation of good and honest men, I san never sink under the attack of mere libellers. Wilh these few introductory observations, I shall proceed to the subject; if I err in aoy thing, no man is more open to conviction thifn I am, nor can any one be more ready to nmiie reparaUon for an injury however unintentional. The affairs of the Romford Bank, in its Bankrupt state, have been long, indeed too long, before the Puhlic. There has been Meetings of Creditors, public and private, vilbout number. An immense proportion of the Assets have been squandered away, but without any thing like a thorough investigation of the Bankrupts Affairs. I hap- pened to be a Creditor, and v^hen I saw the way in which the business was glossed over, applied myself zealously and determinedly to do that which the Assignees had omitted. And I do not hesitate to assert openly and fearlessly ihat there is still a great deal more concealed Property, and if possible, it shall be brought to light. For this, I have been attacked by a weak and selfish tribe called Methodists, vith whom Mr. Surridge is connected, so much so, that easy access was had even to the Public money entrusted to his care. If a Chapel was to be built from whence were the funds to be obtained.^ From whom but the religious Mr. Robert Surridge! If a begging subscription was set on foot, whose name appeared at the top of the list? But the pious Mr. Robert Surridge! Begging being their trade, as the hymn says " Do put some money on the plate, Or your poor Preacher cannot eat." Banking was Mr. Surridge's vocation, and the mendicant* pastor could not have made a more eligible choice of a Patron, than one uho always had nioney at command, no nuitter whether it belonged to himself or to the Public. Perhaps some will say, I have no right to question the purity of Mr. Surridge's principles, that 1 think: is best left between God and his own conscience; but what I contend is, that he should not have made the Public suiter from the indulgence of those pious leanings; he should have worn two large pockets, one to hold the conventicle money, the other the Bank money, having especial care never to mistake one for the other. I would not have it supposed, from any thing I have said or done in this business, that I have been actuated by private pique or personal animosity towards Mr.Surridge; on the contrary, he well knows that 1 have been his friend for the last thirty years; nay, I will say, one of his best friends, and should be so still, had 1 not been aware that a systejn was pursued which no honest man could sanction or encourage, with a due regard to Public ju^tlce. It has been truly said, that an injudicious or over-zealous friend is more to be feared than a direct foe; an illustration of this maxim is to be found in the present instance. It was the folly, or the insmiitij rather of Mi. Surridge's canting friends, that first provoked Public feeling against him, and excited a spirit of enquiry which they find is no easy matter to quell. 1 allude to the snug " hole and corner " meet- ing held for the purpose of resioring to Mr. Smridge, so much of his furniture and effects as then remained unsold by the Assignees, This act was most ill-judged, for it made enemies of friends ; no sooner had this self constituted jiinlo taken i>pon them to legislate for the rest of the Creditors, than the measure of their adopliwi was resistetl, and Nviih the most complete success. I confess when I read the account of that shameful affair in the Kent and Essex Mercury, I could hardly s(ip[)osc that svich a proposition would have been attempted, and still less did I imagine that if attempted, it would have been carried nnanimomfi/ ; but mv notions of these things were formed in the old School, where such a thing as a smuggled iMeet- ing, to carry a particular measure, was never heard of; the moderns, however, seem to understand those matter* better, for half-a-dozen friendly Creditors, can, if they think proper, undertake to represent the opinions of so many htmdrcds. 'J'hus it was with regard to the Meetings at which Surridge's furniture and effects were vated. I wouhl here beg leave to ask upon what principle this was done? And I take the answer from the reported speech of ihe Chairman, Mr. Mashiter, who said, forsooth, " that the Bankrupts had assisted the Assignees so materi- ally in the arrangement of their affairs, that Mr. Surridge had a strong claim on their sympathy." Dear Sympathetic souls! So, because, indeed, a BanUrupt Banker^ who has contrived to make away with some thousands of the money committed to his care, in the character of a Public Trustee, his sycophant friends, must turn round, and say that he has a strong claim on Public sympathy, because indeed he had been compeiltd to do his duty^^ Tiiis is the plain interpretation of tiie argument; for is it not the boimden duty of every aum who has done a great wrong to society, to endeavour by all means in his power to make reparation; but how has Mr. Surridge done thi;^: How has he performed his duty ? The fanatics with whom he has associated, will explain it accordino lo their own peculiar ni<»de o) thinking; but v\hat .say the poor Trodf«- men and sinaH Farmers, who held his notes when t'he i?ank stopped payment, who were unable to make good tl'eir little engagements, and whose business declined in consequence, who were forced to travel many miles from all parts of the Country up to London, at great inconve- nience, and no small expeiice, to prove their notes What, I ask, do these poor people say on the snhject? Do they confirm the vote of that " hole and corner Meeting," do they consider that JSir. Surridge had any claim on their sympathy? If Mr. Surridge has built Chapels, if he has pensioned Preachers, if he has neglected his Business to attend to the suggestions of his pious friends, to the ruin of himself and others; why, in the name of wonder, did not those friends come forward to assist him in his hour of need, by a voluntary contribution from their own coffers, without arrogating to themselves the right to vote away property that belonged only to the Public? But, in the next place, let me ask any rational, any ihiiiking man, is it possible that Surridge could have stood in need of such assistance? I will just mention one or two of the principal items which appear in the Bankrupts' published Balance Sheet, and the Public will then judge what sympathy, (1 like the word !) they or any of them w ere entitled to, after so shameful an admission. The statement is as follows: " Debts, £. b6,000 f ,. Cash received of Joyner, sen. 17 000^ £. 151,000 i Profits of the Bank, 48,000 3 This sum they are bound to account for, if the claim to sympathy is well founded; but what set-ofFdo they exhibit 8 against tlils sura of £.151,000? — mark, ibe credit side of account ! " C'asli, Bills, and other Property, delivered ^ r in rrxr^ into tile hands of the Assignees, ^ '"^ So that there remains a deficiency on the debit side, (or vhifh no satislactory account has ever been rendered, of £. 140,500; — no small sum for a Country Bank. What, then, was their actual capital to carry on business at Rum ford, Kppitig, Oiignr, aud Crtij/s? Why £. I0,j()0 to be sure, agreeable to their own showing. " Oh," but say they, " we have paid a very large dividend, lifleeu shillings in the pound, and wliat right has any one to complain?" Granted, so they have pakl fifteen shillings in the pound, but \v!»ere la.uU -j. because with such resources, and what has been kept back,, anil not delivered up to the Assignees, the Bank had no plea for stopping payment at all, and if the business had beeu properly managed, there would have been abundance of Assets to have paid twenty sliillings in the pound, which the Creditors have still a right to look for; and which if they are not blinded to their own interests by the niisre- ))resenlalions of certain selfish persons, they will obtain. I indulge thisexpectalion with the more confidence, because it seems rather extraordinary to me, as I am sure it must to every unprejudiced man, who reflects for one moment on tlie abourdily of a Banking establishment, being kept up at four separate places, and existing on a capital of only £. 10,500. Why every one who knows any thing of Me!c;mlile business must be aware no such thing could hi dore! Tliis staj^eri';? fact provoked cnq^uiry, and I 9 have been told, upon pretty good authority too, that the Bank had a balance of £.60,000 in hand, a few days before the doors were closed. If ihis be tlie fact, I would ask Mr. Snrridge, as the Accountant, what became of the residue, £.49,o00. I would ask him, in preference to the two other partners, because he was the practical man. He was, I believe, some sixteen or seventeen years Clerk in a most respectable Banking House in London ; his father being a Farmer at Rainham, the elder Jovner was also a rich Farmer in the same Neii!,libourhood, and the old men, with a view no doubt of providing for iheir sons, agreed to commence a Bank at Jlomford, under the firm of Joyner, Surridge, Joyner, and Surridge. The Joyner's names were put first, as being the richest, and consequently the most likely to command lespect and confidence with the Public. The present Robert Sun i(1ge was brouglit from Ijondoii, and young Joyner being sud- denly transformed from a Farmer to a Banker, under the tuition of Surridge, the management of the concern was put completely into the hands of the young Gentlemen, who indulged all their own ideas without controul or hindrance. They took a Shop or the ground floor of a House, which they dignified by the name of Bauk, and then commenced business, somewhat on the same principle that a round game of cards is generall} begun, (all put into the Pool) by getting as many as they could prevail on, to open accounts with them; they got some local notes put into circulation, through the interest of friends, and they obtained credit on the faith of an imrigitmrj/ capital. As such an establishment was decidedly a great convenience to the Public, its »olveucy being guaranteed as every one 10 ^upposeil, (ami as in truth it was) by tljt liability of Joyncr's and otUcrs available property, and not less so by the sobrr and sanciilied deir.eanour of Mr. Siirridge, who was tlie manager of the concern. Upon the \\liole, the prcGpect of their success was most flattering. It became ihe pride and glory of old Joyner to find himself thus miraculously placed at the head of a flourishing concern; but, poor mail; his pride got the better of his prudence, and to that he owes his present degradation. Though a well meaning, and so far as I ever knew, a strictly honest man, up to the lime of his adv« rsiiy, that is the time to try men, he was wholly unfit for the station to which he had been thus suddenly lifted up: when he became a Banker, he got out of his natural element. If, instead of driving round the Market iu his Carriage, attended by a liveried hacquey, paying high flown complime4»ts to such as he ihonght worthy of such condescension, and then, standing at the door of the Bank, to attract notice, in the same austentatious manner; if, I say, in place of this, he had gone into the Counting House, which was his proper place, and looked over the Ledger, to see how the accounts stood, and particularly the accounts of the two partners who had the management of the concern; if he had done this, the misfortune and disgrace that has befallen the House, might have been avoided. Every one who knows any thing of Trade, well knows, that in the framing of articles of Partnership, there is an express stipulation as to the sum which each of the Partners are to be allowed to draw out of the concern for subsistence; and in all well regulated establishments a Ledger account is opened, and the accounts kept posted up, as a neceesary 11 check upon them; so tliat whenever they come to take Stock, (which Bankers m particular cannot do too often) each can see what the others have over-drawn, or how much the concern may be indebted to them, a balance is struck, and their accounts carried forward, on the same principle as those of any other person who does business with the House. Mr, Joyner, sen must have had money from the Firm, and must necessarily have had such an account, so must the other Partners, and does it not seem very strange that he should never have had curiosity enough to look into them, and see what they were about, being so often at the Bank. Yet we have been told that he was wholly ignorant as to what was going forward. Can any one believe it? But will the plea of ignorance avail Mr. Surridge? Assuredly not! He was the acting Partner; he, who had so long been a Clerk in a Bank himself, where it may be fairly presumed the strictest order and rule was observed, could not have been ignorant that this was the invariable practice. He must have known how such accounts ought to be kept, and he had no right to break in on the rule himself, any more than sutler his Partners to do so. If he drew more money at any time for his current expences, than was previously agreed upon, or than his fair pro- portion of the profits warranted, he acted wrong, and it was a duty that he owed no less to his Partners than to the Public, to have replaced the excess so drawn out over and above his share, at the earliest possible opportunity; thus keeping the accounts properly balanced, and ready for production on any emergency that might demand their lurrender. If this had been the case, would there have 12 been any occasion for upwards of /?/>*/ Mot tings lo put them in what was callt(l order? Would two years have been spent in the adjustment of .lie affaiis of the House,' which aught to have been accoinphslied nioie satisiucloriN in as many months? But, (and here comes the unanswef' able question) has Mr. Surritlge done lliis or has hf not? His own conscience will negative ihe proposition. The more narrowly this suhjocl is scanned, the worse it appears. Well may the Bankrupts endeavour t«' shrink from that investigation, which it is the pride of every honest man to court, however unfortunate he ipay have been in Trade. The fact is, tliat the money which came into their hands, lither as balance, or for iheir notes, was, from the tirst, laid out in buying Ksitates, and fitting up Banking Houses in different Towns. By such means» not merely were the profits eaten up, but ihc fictitious Ciipital, upon which ihey were speculating wa* e-entually swallowed in the same vortex ; so that I am of opinion^ the Bank never was solvent; for it does not appear that any money was brought in, until they were in danger of stopping for want of funds to meet tlie demands made upon them, and then it was that the elder Joyner advanced seventeen thousand pounds ; but whether this w as drawn out of the concern as profits on his share, during its existence, has not been ascertained. Indeed amongst the numerous statements put forth, it is dtfficult for the most expert Accoiuitants to arrive at any thing like a just con- clusion. J only w onder that the Ct»minissioners could have permitted such accounts to pass. In place ol being clear, explicit, and plain of coniprehension, they were ambiguous, complicated, and indefinite; the design of those who drew r IS them out was evidently to be.vilder and mislead those for whose inspection they were intended. The gross debt* from one large item ; the gross assets, another verv small one ; but in the otiier items, that should explain this un- fortunate disproportion, there is no classification or distinction, from which an inference might be deduced as to the real cause of insolvency. We learn, indeed, that Joyner, jun. has made away with no less than £.90,477, and he has the effrontery to let his Creditors know that his property will produce £.6,000. The pious Mr. Robert Surridge is only £.70,000 deficient, for which he gives somewhat a similar apology. Young Jovner makes an effort at explanation in regard to a part of his defalcation, he puts it down to " losses by Stock and Share Transac- tions with Mr R. Surridge " but, Mr. Surridge, thinking no doubt, that the character of a gambler would not mix well with that of a Chapel-buildef, had the ill-manners to Contradict what his Partner had solemnly deposed to on oath, by asserting in a letter to the edition of a London Is eivspaper, (the Courier) that he never trafficked in Stocks or Shares; though, unfortunately for him, that assertion has not been borne out by subsequent discoveries that 1 have made. The contention between these worthies is pretty much like that between Peachum and Lockitt, and just z» much entitled to credit, though of the two, I should prefer taking Joyner's story to Surridge's refutation, as the latter fiad a most cogent reason for keeping the gambling affair in the back ground ; but the truth will come ont hi spite of him; the consequences that must necessartly follow will be iBOSt serious, in regard to those to whom such reports have reference. This must now be the business of the Creditors themselveS; for the tardy and imbecile conduct of the Assignees throughout the whole Coiuiuibslon; their siipiueness and indecision, together with a too pulpabic inclination to screen the Bankrupts, leave no liopes of any very cflicient co-operation in that quarter. As Mr. Surridge has thought proper to attack n»c personally by two paragraphs, in the Kent and Esiex Mercury^ of Febniarj/ 26, one signed a Creditor, and (he other signed Robert Surridge, evidently both drawn up by the same Person, and that Person evidently an Attorney, and one well practised in quibbling, as I will show his first remark upon the Meeting, held December 28, 1627, and in the Newspaper of January the 1st, which was >vholly done by their own reporter, who was not known to me at the time, and its plain he did not know me, as he mistook my name; however this worthy defender ©f these Bankrupts, has made pretty free in telling to them, addresses his letter to the Editor, and says, " there are pitiful beings, who dare not, could not, tarnish or impeach bis strict integrity, (meaning one of the Bankrupts,) who now gloat at his misfortunes, exaggerate facts, invent falsehood, and when detected takes shelter in common re- port, which received existence from themselves;" (all very fine Mr. Attorney, fame and strict integrity, high sounding ■words, they shall be examined into by and by). His next reiuark is the 5 gass shares ; the Solicitor told me they never had been brought into account, and how the As- signees could think of selling 15 shares, (for that was the number put up for sale) worth £.20 each for £.30 to a man in Mr. Surridge's situation is for them to explain; this was no bad speck, £. 30 for £. 300, were these the same shares, Mr. Bristow \Yas arrested upon three 15 months afterwards, put into prison, and sent tor me to come and bail him, that led to my examining into this gass business ; the Solicitors said no such shares had been given up or accounted for, and how these \5 shares ean mean the 5, I am at a loss to find out; but it shall be seen into. This advocate for the Bankrupts next says, " if the Creditors conceive they have a right to further infor- mation, tlsey may seek it in a manly and honorable way, by applying to the accused, as he has done; " wonderful advice, apply to the person who has robbed you to get the truth, and to know if you have any right to enquire after your Property. He next admits that many public and private Meetings have been held, but he does not state the cause ; why does he not speak owt like an honest man, and say at once, the Creditors have had confidence in these men, and placed large sums of money in their hands, so that they rolled in money, and instead of making use of it for the benefit of the Partnership, they have been the whole time living upon the balances, and spending the money confided to them, and when they became straitened they made Bills, and lived by such means so long as the London Bankers or Bill Brokers would discount for them. During this time the two managing Partners kept on pulling away at the concern, until at last, its said, (and I believe it) they sent for some of their Croneys, and put security and cash into their hands, to the amount of more than £.6,000; to one, £.3,000, to another £.600, and so on; what they secreted and kept back from the Creditors, that he does not state. In speaking of the gambling iransaction, he says, I recollect Mr. Surridge wrote to the Paper, stating that on his separate estate, there was a loss of £.600 only, by Stoch Transactions, a« he would show any person that 16 would cull upon him, and that the Boo/c in which losses of tlie Bank by Stock Transactions was Inst, aiul that they was sol- vent at the time, ami these bargaiiiii lor Slock and Shares Mere for investments. Why this woiiUi try any man's pati- ence, a business begun without one shiUing capital, that ne- ver was solvent, and one of the Partners h;id over drawn his account more than £. 70,000, and the oilier more than JC. 90,000, and the 15ank existing upon discounts of ac- comodation Bills; to talk of private investments, indeed! See the impudence of this Mr. Siirridge, lie says " what appeared in the Paper, from its contents, is from nic, and ill the immediate Nei«;hbourhuod it needs no confutation, that the grant made to him on the 6th of August last, he never asked for or expected ; the grant extended to so much of my household furniture and eflfects, as then remained unsold by the Assignees, and no further ;"—^now mind the cunning of this man an-; his lawyer; — in their own Paper sent forlh to the Public, there is no such word as " household," the words are " so much of his furniture and effects as remain unsold by the Assignees." Be- sides what reason can be given for these things not being sold two years since .'' If there is any mean- ing in words, it included all his property unsold, or the words would have been thus, his furniture, plate, and other property unsold, and that would have included all that have been moved away. This man again states he had 33 persons to give him his furniture, and I could only procure 9, to oppose it ; — now this must show the man in Lis true colours; — for every one must know the 9 Signatures was to request the Assignees to call a Meeting, and lay before the Creditors w hat was going on with John Joyner, as I had heard they was about to compound with him for 17 the £.5,000 the Creditors were entitled to ; but what wUl not this man do, say, or swear ? look into his numerous statements and contradictions made and sworn to. This man has printed a Paper and calls it an answer and justi- fication of his conduct, mixed up in every part by hLi Attorney or Adviser, with tlie most scurrilous and bil^ ingsgate language possible to be used, and for want of argument they have mistated the few points they have thought proper to touch upon; and then Mr. Surridge exclaims in just such language as you might expect from him, after what he has d(»ne and said, (tiiese are his words) *' without further comment, sir," (to the Editor)" in the most unequivocal and unqualified manner, I pronounce that the statements sent forth by Mr. Elsee, are false." Not being aware that 1 have done or said any ihmg but upon public principles, and not out of spite, for gain, or interest; 1 ■will now do all in my power to give Mr Surridge and the other Bankrupts an opportuniny to explain and prore themselves what their advocate describes them, "men of fair fame and strict integrity ;" and to enable them the better to defend themselves, I will state some of the reports that have gone abroad to their prejudice, some of which I cannot believe to be true, and others may be explained if an opportimity is offered, and as all honest men will court enquiry, as far as lays in my power, they sliall have that advantage. As I am, and have ever been, a citizen of the world, an encourager of honesty, and a detector of fraud ; I hereby declare, after the circumstance of this Bankruptcy is investigated, should it turn out that they have been more sinned against than sinning, I will set about a sub- scription for tkem,' and put down £. 100 to begin with , and what I hereafter state is merely to give lliem an opportunity to confute or explain what has been »aid, as Mr. Surriiige says all that J have stated is lies. In the first place, I shall appeal to Mr. Surridgc and ask him, did the Bank first open by getting a few friend? to pay in deposits, and issuing local notes without any other capital; was not he the resident and managing Partner, was it not his duty and business to open and keep strict accounts, and to see no one over drew Un balance. Had not each Partner an account, and also in the articles of Partnership, a stipulated sum what he was to draw as subsistence money, was it or was it not incum- bent upon Mr. Surridge as manager of this concern, to see this strictly adhered to; and was it not doubly wrong in him to make use of the deposits committed to his care, and over draw his own account to many thousands, and still to the last, never attempting to return any part, but keep on in his various speculations and investments, and even in lending money to the last for his own private benefit, and placing the securities after he was a Bankrupt, in the hands of a relation to keep for him I It was also currantly reported at the time, that both waggons and carts, were seen to go through the Lion Yard after dark, and load at Suiridge's back door, and carry away goods, could the Assignees be ignorant of all this? I only ask any Creditor to call upon Mr. Harvey, and see the inven- tory of all that could be found when he took it, both at old Mr. Joyner's and Surridge's; \\hat became of the greatest part of the plate at both places? Did not old Joyner deliver £.3,000 to his son, which was recovered back by a verdict at Chelmsford, have not the Assljjnees 19 favoured the Bankrupts, by accepting a small compision without the consent of the Creditors r On the contrary, did not I get a requisition signed by nine Creditors, requesting them to call a Meeting before they ventured upon such a step r Which they refused to do, and the Creditors will, 1 am told sustain a loss of nearly £.2,000. At old Joyner's last examination, he was supposed to be honest and wa§ pitied, and about 80 sovereigns and some other things were given up to him, and he no doubt signed and swore he delivered up his all. And how has this turned out? Why some thousands of pounds have in various ways and means been found out and recovered, by the exertions of the Solicitors and others, and his accounts are yet unsettled, more is expected ; upon the whole these three Bankrupts Lave fraudulently kept back and plundered the Creditors, and thrown every impedinent in the way to prevent the truth being come at, and before half the Meetings were had, if justice had been done, two of them ought to have been committed ; but they had Mr. Gadsden as their friend, the Meetings were so numerous, very few or no Creditors attended ; Mr. Mountigue attended for the Creditors, and things appeared so plain against them, the Commissioners could not suffer their accounts to pass. But, lo, and at last, Mr, Mountigue was otherways engaged, and did not attend, and there was no one but Mr. Gadsden for the Creditors, and a great balling was made about declaring a dividend ,and thus the accounts passed. There never \va» three men in my opinion, more deserving of censure and punishment, as an example to deter others from acting in the same way; and that man that will not take a little trouble, and be at some expence for the good of society > is neither a good subject, a good cilizen, nor deserves lo be protected by the laws. Having said thus much, I am satisfied to let an im- partial and discerning Public decide on the merits of the rase which I have laid before them ; but as I am anxious, my motives in doing so, should not be n)isundcrstood or misrepresented ; I will, in conclusion, beg leave to say one or two words respecting myself. Had they f:jllen into embarrassment by the unforeseen and unavoidable casual- ties, wliich often betake men engaged in Tiade, I should probably have not been the last to come forward and assist them out of their distresses; but there is a wide distinction between a man's faults and his misfortunes, the one de- mands censure, the other commiseration. In the former predicament, 1 think, Mr. Surridge is placed; I was once his friend, but that I am so no longer, 1 do not hesitate to avow; for I should blush to be on terms of amity or intercourse w ith any man who had acted as he has done. It has fallen to my lot, on other occasions previous to this, to detect and expose fraudulent practices, and never yei have I yielded eiiher to compromise or threat, though both have been sometimes employed. The office of Abuse Detector is an ungracious one, and necssarily exposes the man who undertakes it to many illiberal remarks; I was aware of that, but it never deterred me from the perform- ance of that duty which every man o>ves to society. For what I have already done in regard to this Bank- ruptcy, I have provoked the unappeasable enmity of those I hold at utter defiance ; I have spoken and will speak out, until full satisfaction be, n:ude< 21 to the plundered Creditors of the Bank; or if not, until llie whole system shall be laid bare to the Public eye in all its deformity and fraud. 1 have attacked Surridge's character on strong grounds; he has maligntd mine on no ground, except such as his rancour afforded. Ail that his worst spite can say of me, I am not ashamed to say of myself. When I set out in life, I was a poor and almost friendless boy, I wanted the advantage of education, even of the most humble description, for 1 was never put to school, but at that early age, I learned to eat the bread of industry, and by that alone, have I obtained my present independence. In the beginning of the year, 1760. 1 went into service with a Farmer, and from that period until 1776, I was never a month out of place. I then came to London, and got a situation, as a porter, in Cheapsidef where I continued until my Master died, in 1784, when I took a house near Queenhithe, and commenced business as a wholesale Stationer, (and were I continue to have connexions to this day,) and at one time I shipped more Paper and Stationary abroad than any other house in the kingdom; my almost unexampled success induced others to try the same experiment, and from that time it became the Paper Market. Having giving my calumniator an op- portunity of enquiring into my character for 68 years, during which time it has been the pride of my life to be thought honest, punctual, industrious, and independent; and to maintain that name, and to reform abuses in this County, and particularly about the Forest, I have been most shamefully used, at a loss of not less than ten thous- and pounds; and should similar circumstances occur, and my expences was to be double tliat siun, 1 would not diviate (ron» the stringlit course I begun w life, and 1 challenge the whole world to prove one transaction during that tune, but what has been truly just and honorable. And it Mr Surridge, as he has insinuated, is aware of any one transaction, the disclosure of which can tend to dis- honour ine, 1 call on him to avow it openly; but until he does thai he had better not deal in innuendoes which he cannot sustain by proofs. At all events, a man who can give no account of j£. 70,000 of the Public money entrusted lo his care, presuming to attack the character of a niun, whose crime is, that he has stood up for fair dealinjj,, is plainly absurd; but the Public will decide who is right, and who is wrong, and to that decision, I most cheerfully submit. JOHN ELSEE. N. B. There is one observation amongst the Law- yer's abuse worthy of notice, that has not been mentioned, and cannot be exceeded for absurdity; he says, " for the recovery of j6. 5,000 through the exertions of your cor- respondent, I, as a Creditor, thus publicly tender him my thanks ; but I feel that much is due to Mr. Surridge, for voluntarily resigning so large a sum to his Creditors. I have now done." — A capital finish! -''•• X. MniimoHy Prinitr and Statiotur, Essex Pretff Romford.