Harvey had had his knife in the Master of the Union ever since the last election. Harvey, who had always been on friendly terms with the Master, and so much so as to have been surety for him on two occasions, naturally resented the insinuation of enmity and told Vidler that if he said so again he should call him a liar. Vidler repeated the imputation, and then carried out his threat, and called a liar. Upon that, Vidler pulled and twisted Harman's nose. Mr. Langham was engaged for plaintiff, and Mr. Francis, Q. C. from London, conducted the case for defendant. The Hall was crowded almost to suffocation, and the trial evoked frequent bursts of laughter. Mr. Langham contended that £50 was not a farthing too much, and Mr. Francis, in an amusing manner declared that a brass farthing damages was quite enough. The Judge, however, awarded damages £5.
A New Treasurer. At a later meeting of the Board of Guardians, Mr. Francis Smith having resigned his office of Treasurer to the Union in consequence of the failure of the Hastings Old Bank, of which he was a partner, the said office was offered to Mr. O'Neil, of the London and County Bank, at a salary of £10 a year.
Removals. The incidental allusion to the London and County Bank is a reminder that the said Bank was at this time about to be removed from George street to 9 Pelham place, where the Old Bank had been held, and Mr. John Phillips, a solicitor (late Shorter and Phillips) from High street to the premises to be vacated by the London and County Bank. At a later period both establishments removed to the neighbourhood of where is now the Memorial.
Failure of the Bank
Said the St. Leonards Gazette of June 27th "For many years, the borough of Hastings has not witnessed such a state of excitement (shall we not say dejection?) as that into which it was thrown yesterday morning by the announced suspension of the Hastings Old Bank. The astounding intelligence circulated with electrical vivacity and in a short time the whole place was in a state of wild perturbance. "I'm a ruined man!" exclaimed one; "I deposited several hundreds, yesterday!" ejaculated another; "I hold a number of their notes!" gasped a third; "how shall I pay my men tomorrow?" imploringly asked a fourth. Groups of anxious men were to be seen at every turn; visitors were asking a hundred questions that no one -
