Morning at the Office. Weather exceedingly warm and for the season a little unusual. I went down this morning and attended a meeting of the Stockholders of the State Bank in order to satisfy my-50self in regard to the condition of the Company.1 Much excitement has been produced in the Community by the omission of this Bank to make any Dividend this Season. The losses of the Bank have been very heavy and a Committee was raised in order to inquire into them and produce the result which they did. The losses have been considerable and owing to the state of the times, not unattended however with some negligence on the part of the Directors. To punish this negligence an attempt was made to remove the present Board of Directors and elect an entirely new Set. I did not very well see the expediency of such a measure, as it seemed to me hazardous to bring an entirly new set into the management of a Capital so large as this, at a time when all property of this kind is in very depressed circumstances, but I thought it would be expedient to make a partial change in order to serve as a warning to the old Directors, and to bring in some new who had a deeper interest in the Capital Stock of the Company—It being a singular fact that six of the Directors have but forty two shares in the aggregate. That is to say that one half the board own about 2500 dollars in a Capital of 1800,000. I voted therefore eight of the old Board with four others of the New List whom I supposed to possess the most Capital in the Company.

This took much of the morning, the rest was spent in a Call upon Mr. Brooks, where I talked about things in general, and in Conversation with Thomas B. Adams Jr. who called and sat with me for an hour or so. He returns to Charleston, leaving this tomorrow, his furlough being about to expire. I was unable to do any thing this afternoon as he again called at my house shortly after I had commenced my afternoon’s occupation and remained until after tea. He came to take leave of Abby before going away. I know too well what it is, not to feel somewhat sympathizing for him. Passed the evening with Abby at Mr. Frothingham’s, and enjoyed much a little Supper which we had.

Morning at the Office. A man named Brown called upon me about this eternal business of George’s, and I was obliged to go over the same business with him that I did with Dr. Storer and satisfied him as little. I then went down to the State Bank and found that all the Directors had been elected yesterday with the exception of Mr. Henshaw,1 who upon hearing it had withdrawn. I do not know but this may be on the whole the most desirable result. There is no fault attaching to the 51Directors and they have had warning enough to prevent their negligence, hereafter. The trial today was between Mr. David Ellis and Mr. John Henshaw brother of the late Director.2 I knew nothing of either, but as the Bank had lost by the Jackson partiality of the former director I thought the best course was to prevent any political bias influencing a man’s mercantile transactions, Mr. Ellis as I presume, not being partial on any side. As the meeting was small and nothing likely to be done on the subject of the application for a renewal of the Charter, I returned to the Office and busied myself arranging my papers which have fallen into great confusion. My Office is now cleared of the rubbish which was to go to Quincy and I shall now feel as if I could sit down and pursue my regular occupations more methodically. I called in and paid a short visit to Mr. Brooks. These calls are a little irksome for they are always interrupting the busy time of a person always busy. I do not think myself ever at liberty to say more than a brief inquiry after Mrs. Brooks, and often feel as if I was intruding to do that.

Afternoon at home. Tried to divide my time so as to read a little, write a little, and arrange a little. Commenced making a Catalogue of my Books, which will be a considerable labour. Read some of the Commencement of the Book on Animals published by the Society for Useful and Entertaining Knowledge in England and was interested by it.3 The account is simple and pleasing. The evening was however passed in visiting Mrs. E. Brooks and Mrs. F. Parkman, the latter is a Cousin of Abby’s, sister to Miss Hall.4 Her husband is a singular man, quite in character with the rest of the family in eccentricity, but withal a man of good and charitable feelings. Returned home to read my Chapters in the new Testament before retiring.