[112] _Hansard_, vol. clxvi. p. 1974. It is not often that Mr. Griffith speaks the sentiments of the generality of English people, but he almost did so in this instance. No amount of tinkering could now make the old banks as simple, secure, and efficacious as those on the new plan. Mr. Griffith not having gone the length of mentioning any time, his prophecy was eminently a safe one. No one is more to blame, if indeed any one is to blame at all for such a state of things, than the authorities of Savings Banks themselves. Whilst they were systematically opposing with suicidal obstructiveness every measure of amendment, the whole ground was suddenly cut from under them by the institution of Postal Banks. [113] Appendix B. CHAPTER VI. A CHAPTER ON SAVINGS BANK FRAUDS. "There is such a powerful element of failure in all human affairs, that a shrewd man is always saying to himself, 'What shall I do, if that which I count upon does not come out as I expect?' This foresight dwarfs and crushes all but men of great resolution."--_Companions of my Solitude._ In this chapter it is our intention to describe with more or less minuteness the principal cases of frauds in Savings Banks pretty much in the order of their occurrence, and also to speak to some extent of the results which followed from them. How the progress of legislation was affected by these frauds has been already shown; and with the object of making more clear the legislation of 1844 and 1848, we have already entered into the details of the notorious Cuffe Street Bank failure, and one occurring in England prior to those dates. So far as we have been able to ascertain, the first case of fraud in a Savings Bank occurred at Carnarvon in the year 1824. In this case the actuary received deposits to a large extent for which he in no way accounted. Up to 1848 no less than ten cases, other than those already referred to, occurred, in all of which the trustees promptly paid the claims. These cases include the frauds which took place in Carmarthenshire, Northamptonshire, and Cumberland, one at Mildenhall in Suffolk, and another at Mitcham in the same county. In the latter case the secretary managed to embezzle a sum amounting to near 12,000_l._, and then made off; Mr. Hoare, the eminent brewer, paying down no less a sum than 7,000_l._ to atone for his neglect, and the other trustees making up the amount by subscriptions of 1,000_l._ and 500_l._ each. Into any further particulars of the above cases it is impossible to enter, inasmuch as they have never been allowed to transpire,--precautions which, so long as there were no efficient remedies at hand, were both wise and magnanimous. The catalogue, however, can be made black enough and full enough without such cases; and it is to others which have been exposed in all the fulness of their iniquity down to the minutest