Memoirs of a banking-house

MEMOIRS OF A BANKING-HOUSE. 33
Street. You might be sure we could not mean to desire you to
solicit [business], either by the partners or their friends. But
there could be no harm, in our opinion, in making the thing known
by this means either to friends or others, and this was all we
aimed at, leaving it to speak for itself, and everybody to do as they
please. It is in this way that we have mentioned it by cards not
only to our friends, whom we thought most likely to be of service,
but also to several of the nobility ; and it is very indifferent to us
into whose hands those cards may fall, as no fault will probably
be found with them, unless by those who are disposed to find
fault at all rates. We neither in those cards nor in the course of
conversation busily publish our intentions, but endeavour, as
modestly as possible, to shew what they really are, without attempt-
ing either to conceal them or cloak our money-banking business
under the former plan of exchange notes. If we were so disposed,
nobody would believe us, and think meanly of us for making use
of any covered language, when the truth speaks for itself without
our telling it. Sir Charles Asgill and some others, before there
was any appearance of a counter, or anything of that kind, in St
James's Street, and before we had let anything drop of our second-
ary views in that establishment, plainly asked us if such was not
the intention of that house, and you may be sure we were above
denying it. We thought at first that Messrs Coutts and the other
bankers in general would have favoured our plan, while we steered
clear of any connection in their business. But the reverse has
been the case with them all ; and we believe none of them have
applied for our notes, but when expressly ordered by their custo-
mers so to do, and in this way we have issued more in proportion to
indifferent banking-houses than to those appointed to receive our
lodgments in the Strand, who did wrong to accept of our business
unless they had been disposed to do our plan common justice. It is
plain from what one of them mentioned, on our first telling them of
the formation of the present Exchange Banking Company, that they
either considered that company already on the footing of rivalship,
or suspected what has since happened, although at that time far
from our intention. It is above a twelvemonth since we were
informed that, in order to be on a footing with our plan, they had
agreed with a house at Paris to pay their letters of credit in the
same way as our notes, charging a commission of one per cent. ; and
we have been since informed, from pretty good authority, that they
had written to Paris for a clerk, as was supposed to assist them
in furnishing credit to travellers. Whether they mean to adopt
our plan altogether or not, we cannot say ; but we have heard