The more money lying idle the less, _caeteris paribus_, is the dividend; the less money lying idle the greater is the dividend.

And at almost every meeting of the proprietors of the Bank of England, there is a conversation on this subject.

Some proprietor says that he does not see why so much money is kept idle, and hints that the dividend ought to be more.
Indeed, it cannot be wondered at that the Bank proprietors do not quite like their position.

Theirs is the oldest bank in the City, but their profits do not increase, while those of other banks most rapidly increase.

In 1844, the dividend on the stock of the Bank of England was 7 per cent, and the price of the stock itself 212; the dividend now is 9 per cent, and the price of the stock 232.