numerous class of the national creditors eleven years ago--and there
has, we believe, been no later return--were those whose annual
dividends did not exceed L.50. These numbered 98,946: the next
largest class, 85,069, were creditors whose yearly dividends did not
exceed L.5; whilst only 192 persons were in the receipt of annual
dividends exceeding L.2000.

But leaving these haunts of money-dealers, let us pass over to
Leadenhall Street, turn down Billiter Street, and walk on till we
reach Mark Lane and the plain, spacious, substantial, Doric-fronted
building on the left hand, in which the great London Corn Market is
held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday--the chief market, however,
being that of Monday. There are no clamorous shoutings here. These
crowds of staid, well-dressed, respectable people fly no kites, deal
in no flimsy paper-schemes and shares. Their commerce is in corn,
flour, seeds--the sustenance of man, in short. There are sober
traders in realities, and the busy hum of voices has a smack of
healthy traffic in it. It would so appear at all events, if we care
not to look beneath the surface; and, in sooth, since the abolition
of the sliding-scale has rendered the corn-supply continuous and
regular as other staples, gambling to any ruinous extent has become
almost impossible.

There is another great change apparent here; albeit this has been a
very gradual one. A stranger will have remarked with surprise that
there are but few, very few, of the knee-breeched, top-booted,
double-chinned, jolly, old-class farmers amongst the numerous groups
who are either watching their sample-bags and waiting for customers,
or chewing and smelling handfuls of wheat and barley, and casting
what they do not swallow on the flags, already carpeted with grain.