The Mayor's Opening.

The Mayor, in opening the proceedings, expressed the hope that Sir Robert would speak as to the great banking inquiry. (Hear, hear.) Personally, he thought these banking inquiries were more detrimental to the colony than anything else. ('No' and 'yes') It would prove itself detrimental to the colony in the end, and he hoped Sir Robert Stout would be able to show some way out of the trouble or give his views upon it.