§ MR. HOWELL (Bethnal Green, N. E.)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state to the House what progress has been made in the settlement of the affairs of the Chelsea Savings Bank, and the amount in the pound paid to depositors up to this date, and also what prospects there are of a final dividend; and will he state the amount of the total embezzlements of the late manager and secretary?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN, St. George's, Hanover Square)An Order was made on the 24th of December for payment of 1013 a further and final dividend, making 20s. in the pound. The liquidator is proceeding with, the payment of the depositors. The secretary of the bank has this week been arrested, and is remanded on charges of falsification and embezzlement. It has not been, and will not be, necessary to ascertain the exact amount which is supposed to have been embezzled by him, but sufficient has been traced by the official liquidator to enable charges to be preferred, and for him to speak as to a large amount. As, however, the charge of embezzlement is now the subject of inquiry in a Criminal Court, I think it would not be right at present to give any answer to this part of the question, which assumes the guilt of the accused.