The Sun. — London, England, 1854-01-13 00:00:00

MARKET NEWS-(THIS DAY.) CORN . • To-day's mar k e t was EX very s C cantily HANGEsupplied with Eng lish wheat coastwise and by land carriage. The sho ‘. of samples was, consequently, barely equal to the wants of the dealers. However, the demand was by no means -brisk ; yet, in some instances, fine wheats were rather -dearer than on Monday. There was more doing for for- Ward delivery. Foreign wheat, the imports of which are 18,260 quarters, • was in fair request, and the quotations had an 'upward tendsacy. Floating cargoes were held on higher terms. We had a good demand for barley, at very full prices. Malt was rather dearer, with a fair demand. Oats sold readily, and prices were quite 6d. per quarter dearer. Beans and peas were firm. The flour trade was steady, and tin top price of the best town-made was 75s per 280 lbs. The imports of foreign are large, viz., 3 t,400 barrels. .iniligh .. art •11 .... rereigli .. Wheat. 940 ARRIVALS THIS WEEK. }Barley. I Malt. 2,950 4,670 Oath, Flour. 630 )8,260 3,430 - 1 1,850 4,670 31,400 br SMITHFIELD. The supply of beasts on sale in to-day's market being extensive, and the dead markets largely supplied, the beef trade was in a depressed state, at a decline in the quota tions obtained on Monday of fully 2d per Blbs, and a clear ance was not effected. Sheep—the numbers of which were by no means extensive—were very dull, and quite 2d per 81bs lower. We had a moderate inquiry for calves, yet prices were with difficulty supported. In pigs, very little was doing, on former terms. Milch cows sold slowly, at from 141. to 181. each, in cluding their small calf. Per Sibs to sink the offals. s. d. s. d.' Inferior Beasts.... 3 4to 3 6 Second quality._ 3 8 4 0 Prime large oxen 4 2 4 4 Prime Scots, dze. 4 6 4 8 Inferior Sheep ...3 4 3 8 Second quality ..3 10 4 4 Prime erne.-wlled.4 6 4 3, o. d. s. d. Prime Soutt down 4 10 5 2 I Large crse. calves 3 6 4 4 Prime small d 0... 4 8 5 4 Large hogs 3 6 4 2 Small porkers 4 4 4 10 Sucklingcalves ..22 0 28 0 Quarter old pigs 21 0 27 0 TOTAL SUPPLY. Beasts .......... Calves •• ... ~.• 4,004 Pigs . 129 • • • ........ .... 310 NEWGATE AND The supplies being unusual] ruled heavy, at a general deel Per Sibs by a. d. a. d. Beef, inferior 210 3 2 Do., middling 3 4 3 6 Do; prime large 3 8 3 10 Do., do. small 4 0 4 2 Pork, large 3 6 4 2 FOREIGN SUPPLY. Beasts ......... Sheep LE ADENFIALL. ly large , the gene ra l d eman d ine of quite 2d. per Blbs. the carcase. i. d. s. d. Mutton, Inferior 3 0 3 6 Do., middling 3 8 4 2 Do., prime 4 4 4 8 Veal 3 6 5 0 Pork, small 4 4 5 0 BOROUGH HOP. The show of hops continues very limited ; about an average business is doing, at last week's currency. The imports are 42 bales from Gluckstadt, 1 ditto from Calais, and 225 ditto from Ostend. The quotations are as follows : Mid and East Kent pockets, 141. Os to 171. 17s ; Weald 46f Kent ditto, 101. 5s to 121. 12s ; Sussex ditto, 101. Os to 121. ; and foreign, 71. Os to 91. Os per cwt. COLONIAL. SUGAR.—The market has been good for most descrip tions. Refined is scarce, but with less demand. Brown is very- firm at 455, and low to fine g rocery at 453 to 51s. Th e advanced price asked for West Idia has rather checked business, and the parcels sold have realised very full prices. Barbadoes went at 34s to 39s for low to fine, being is ad vanced. St. Lucia found buyers at 35s 6d to 37s for good and fine, at 34s to 35s for mid, and at 32s 6d to 34s per cwt for low to fine brown. Madras common brown has been sold at 30s to 31s, and at 31s 6d to 34s for low to good yellow. Bengal, principally date sort, has been in demand at 35s to 37s for good and superior dry yellow, at 33s Gd to 34s Gd for mid yellow, at 30s to 32s for b rown t o l ow yel low, a t 39 8 t o 393 Gd for good white Benares, and at 38s to 38s 6d. Cossipore sold at 41s to 41s 6d for moist grainy, and at Ric 3s 6d to 39 for mid to good ellow. F Port o 8 o has beens wanted, and a parce y l sold at 36s orei togn 398., for low mid to good bright grocery by auction, being full values. P r i va t ely, white Havannah realised 27s to 28s 6d, and 40s Gd per cwt. for florettes for home refining. Bahia went at former prices —viz., 35s to 37s 6d for low to raid white, and 378 to 38s for mid white. Penang, at auction, brought enhanced rates, being required for refining purposes, and lo w t o fi ne b rown rea li se d 2 9s 6d to 33s 6d, ow to good mid yellow 33s Gd to 35s 6d, and soft greyish white 36s to 36s Gd per cwt. There is less inquiry for re fined, but being scarce, 45s have been obtained for brown, and 45s to 51s for low to fine grocery. COFFEE. --The market has been rather quieter, but with fair support to the quotations. Native Ceylon has been sold at 50s for good, and the latost prices obtained for plantation at auction have been 57s 6d to 68s for mid, and good mid Ns for small grain. 51s to 54s for triage, and 31s for blacks. Peaberry has realised 61s to 625. Jamaica was taken in at 80s to 84s for good. A cargo of Rio for a near port was purchased at 50s 6d, about 3,000 bags, the quality being good fresh. Mocha realised 80s to 81s 6d for fine long berry. COCOA. —Trinidad has been sold at 37s for good dark red, being full prices. Bahia has been sold at 275. RlM—There has been an active demand, at fuller rates, although some slight falling off is observable at present. Good white has realised 16s Gd, and mid white 14s 6d for Bengal. SPlCES.—Nutmegs have declined id to 64 per lb on the small and mid, and 4d to 6d on the good and fine descrip tions. Brown Singapore 2s 3d to 4s 14. Mace is fully 14 per lb lower, mid and good and dark pale having been sold at 2s 6d to 2s Bd. Black pepper has been in good demand at full prices. Mid grey to good black sifted Singapore 44d. to 4d., and mid to good brown Penang 4id. to .Rd. White was also dearer, mid and good Singapore 10d. to 10Ad., and good bold Rid. to ls. Cloves were rather lower, mid and good dark 6Ad. to 6d. Cassia Lignea ad vanced, good first pile being sold at 1405., and third pile at 1355. to 1365. Pimento was steady, mid coarse mixed at 64. per lb. SALTPETRE.—The market has been firm, but without Much doing. Refraction 11 per cent. has been sold at 318 6d per cwt. COTTON. -There has been a quiet market, but at steady Pnces. At auction 700 bales were offered, and about half that sold at 344 to 44d. for Surat. ittlM.—The price is up 24. per gallon, proof Leewards havin g been sold at 2s. 104. to 3s. , TEA. —The public sa l es went off irregularly, about one- Laird finding buyers. T ALLOW.—P..k.C. had declined to 61s. 6d. on the snot. GREEN FRIIIT.—The severe weather has operated against "les, and this, with the combination of the buyers to re sist lot money at public sales, has prevented business, and added to the depression. Of two cargoes oranges from St. Michael, offered by Keeling and Hunt at public sale, one was withdrawn from the cause assigned above; the s econd went at a re d uc ti on o f 3 s per b ox . Other kinds of fruit with ou t a lt erat i on, an d i t i s to b e hoped i n a few US Ys the market will resume a more favourable position. I St. . •• •• •••• . 292 St •• •• •• • . •••• 420 1 rdl2 . . 90 AN AMERICAN CLERGYMAN IN AUSTRIA. - - The Rev. James Cook Richmond, an American clergy man, gives the following account of his treatment by the Austrian police while travelling in Hungary : " Felegyhaza, Dec. 23.—This morning, between 4 and o'clock, a gendarme intruded into my bedroom, or dered me up, and, in a violent snowstorm, compelled me to leave Kecskemet in a jolting waggon, over frozen roads. I arrived only two hours before the mid-day train, by which I had voluntarily p rom i se d t o l eave , an d so exhausted that I could not continue my journey. " Dec. 29.—Last night I hoped to rest. Three gen darmes, by order of the Hussar-Bittmeister, Herr Von Falkenhayn, of Felagyhaza, broke down the door (which was split into two pieces), and threatened to shoot me dead' if I did not instantly arise. I arose, showed the word America' in my regular passport, and told them that you had declared that the rights of an American citizen should not be violated with impunity, but should be reverenced throughout the world. With brutal, coarse, and disgusting minuteness and violence, they proceeded to examine my dress, thrusting their dirty hands into my bosom, and rifled my pockets of lily papers and money. They told me I had never fallen into the right hands before, and they would teach me that my obstinacy (in refusing to answer their in sulting questions) would soon be diminished,' &c. The officer of' the three then declared me under arrest, and, taking me, at 1 o'clock in the morning, through another snowstorm, showed me a soldier's dirty bed in the guard room, saying, 'There's a good bed at your disposal.' Meantime, as they had forgotten to look under the pillow in the room where I was arrested, and had asked per mission to take what they had left, with the under standing that I was not to be searched again ! I then took out my watch and paper-money, which I did not suffer them to see. As soon as I reached the guard room the officer, who had before commanded the gen darmes to feel for letters sewed under my clothes,' undertook to examine me again. On my manifesting surprise, he said to one of the soldiers, Cock your gun' (Spann des Hahn.) He then thrust his hands i n t o my pan t a l oon s pockets, rifled them o f my paper money, m i sc ounted it, and put it away. With out undressing I lay down upon the bed, a prisoner, while the gen d armes i n th e guar d r oom playedat a c i a er s drank, quarre ll e d , an d swore d ur i ng the remainder of the night. I asked permission in the morning a ing t to telegr a ph or wr i te to the A mer i can Ambassador Vienna. R e f use d . A t 1 0 a.m. I wa s taken to the Bittmeister (com man d er o f H ussars ) , H err Von Falken hayn, w h o , meant i me possi ble , had become alarmed by the c onsequences of these proceedings execute d under his ord ers. I must confess that the accused an d t h e judge rapidly changed places, and, on his questioning me, I replied, the matter was now out of my hands, and must be settled between the Austrian Empire and my country. He promised to restore my papers and set me at liberty, if I would immediately depart. I re minded him of the declaration of the Apostle Paul, They have beaten us openly and uncondemned, being Romans,' and told him it was easier to arrest an Ame rican citizen than to set him at liberty. It was finally resolved on my part, that I should demand satis faction from Austria through the American Ambassador, and, on his, that I should remain under police observa tion till the answer came down from Vienna. This last was only a ruse to alarm me, for in an hour my papers and passport Were sent to me, with a wish th a t I s h ou ld leave the pl ace. This I shall do as soon as it suits my convenience. I have not been invited to pay for the broken door. " It is absolutely necessary that this occasion should be used to teach the Austrian Government that an inno cent American traveller, whose papers are almost more than perfect (my passport is covered with sig natures of Austrian ambassadors, from Baron Hulse mann, through Paris, Italy, here, &c.), cannot with impunity, between Christmas and December the 29th, be searched, ordered out, violently arrested , with an d t w i ce minutely searched aga d, in, with exposu re t o an hourly and childish repetition of these capricious and dang erous prose di They must learn that there is an importa n t difference betwee n their su bjects—exposed without remedy to all their whims-- and a freeman from the United States. Not doubting that the President will take immediate and decided steps in this important matter, I remain, with the highest regard, as before,•44c.; • "J C g. 12. Princess in ied by Earl of 3 ral Sir oon, at- her Ma ly Gran 3ry, the la Stan muntess eral Sir l in the ng coin- a Their. lotow. meth. ossini. Ise. :*ASCII. attend- "ober. ~rold. Llhubert. Royal I at the present , oulson, (secre- r morn- Broad- incellor ad also at his state of •day in Lou H. nesday any in le, the Mr. C. d Mr. DSO.R. ling at In was y, and g pro- lacy. Cean. 1. 'heart. SHARE MARKETS.-(THLS DAY). BRITISH RAILWAYS. •.I raid! RAILWAYS. .00 l Aberdeen ....... 8 Ambg. Nottng. Bost. dz En§tn. Junc....... all ; Belfast & Ballymena; 4 all 'Birmug. Wolverh. Stour 1 28 Birkenhd. Lancsh. do Cheshire Junct all Do. Chesh. & Birk., _ _ .1 £5O dr .C 25 Cons—. 22 18} Do., £2O 25 30 Blyth & Tyne original £25 (iss. at £45)....1 St. 100 Bristol & Exeter St. 100 Caledonian. 50 all' Chester & Holyhead 50 all .Cork and Bandon 20 all !Cork, Black. & Pass 20 12 Cornwall 50 45 Dublin&BelfastJunc 25 all Dundee Perth &Aber decn Junction 25 all Do. New ..... all :East, Anglian (£25 L. - I do E. & L. & D.)..... .8 all Do., (£lB E. & H.).. ?..6 all st. 100 3t 5 . 100 ! 8i 3t. 100 Eastern Counties..... Easterntrnion,A.stk. Do., do. 8.. ....... Do.NewA(lateThirds) East Lancashire ... 'St. 100 Edinburgh & Glasgow 0 3. Edinb. and Peebles A 100 Edinb.Prth.&Dnnde 0 1 Forth and ClydeJunc. 16() ,Glasgow & S. Western it. 100 'Great Northern Stk it. 100 Do., A. Stock A. 100 , B. Stock 1100 ;Gt. SOL &West. are. ;100 Great Western....... 11 ! Irish South-Easters. all ,Laneaster &Carlisle. 11i 'Do. , Thirds....... ..... 100 Laneasa. &Yorkshire 174 Do., Fifths . ...... 11i Do., Wst. Riding Un. all Leeds Northern-- . all Liv. Crsby. &So uth pi. . _ all ILondou di Black.vralll Si Lond. Tub. & Sthend. 100 Lond.Bright.& S. Cat. 100 London &N. Western 12 Do. Fifths 1 D0.,1G1.5h.,M&8...0 21 Do. Eighths 100 London 4S. Western 42,i Do., £50........ 34 Do., 1 all Lndndrry.&Coleraine all Lndndrry. & Ennisk. 100 Manch.Shef.&Lincln. 44 Do., Man. & Lin. Un. 100 Midland ..... 100 Do. Birming.d; Derbyl 474 ! Midland G. West.(lr.) 173 Do. 5hare5.......... all Newcastle d; Carlisle.. 100 Newmarket....... ..... 5 Do. Bury Extensions) 1711Newpt.Aberg.6illtfd., Newry 41 Enniskillen' all Newry Warrenpointi dt ROstrevor... 1100 I Norfolk.. 3? I Northn. Counties Un 100 North British 16 North Devon, No.l 110 Do., No. 2 all Dc., i A Deferred 8 Do., i B Guaranteed all North London ..... 1.1 N. &S. Wstn., 11amp. stead, and City Jn 17i North Staffordshire all North Western 10 N. &S. Westrn. June 1 Nuneaton, Hinckley, and Leicester 1100 Oxford Worcester & Wolverhampton 2.2 Portsmouth 100 Scottish Central ...... 1100 Scottish Midland...... 1100 Shrewsbury d; Birmg. 100 Do., L. d; N. Westn. Guaranteed Stock... 10 Shrewsby. & Herefd. all Shrewsby. & Chester (Nor. W. all Do. Halves, do. all Do. Oswestry ..... 64 Shropshire Union.... Do. A, B,C, &D, fully paid up at per cent. all South Devon 100 South Ea5tern......... all South Wa1e5........... 15 S. Yorksh. Riverinn 5 Do. 2.2 Staines,Wok.,&Wok. all Stockton & Darling.. 164 Stockton & Hartlepl 100 Taff Vale 8 Do. £lO shades 100 Do. Pref., No. 20 'Thames haven Dock and Railway... 17 Vale of Neath , all Waterfd. & Kilkenny all Waterford&Limeitick 14 West Cornwall 1 West End of London and Crystal Palace all West London 51s. Wmbledon &Croydon 100 York Newctl. & Berw. 20 Do. Extensions ....... 11 Do. G.N.E. Purchase 100 York dr N. Midland.. Closing Prices yesterday. 19h - 20! 4i - 5 9 - 9i 11 9dl 18 - 19 5i - 94 - 96 52 - 521 141 - 15§ 14 - 15 ii : 45. 8 - 9 4i - 5 12f - 128 36 - 42 26 - 28 62 - 64 61 - 63 21 . 1 - la 8 3 i - 84 59 - 61 L 27 - 129 99 - 101 81i -- 82 90 -- 95 1 12i -- 130 63 -- 64 7g -- 12i —13 e — gyp 96 —9B 101 A 102 1 d par Par # P 4 75 77 13 12 di 10 9 (11 21 - 22 - d 60A— 61, 33 35 54 56 d par 5 4d 2 3i 6 - 8 3a 34 ell 28 —29 8— 10, li - 24 64 - 7A 52 ... 55 8 84 1 d 35 - 37 91 - 93 56 - 58 55 - 60 55 60 26 2clis i 13 15 66 76 10 12 '3l -- 30 13 - -15 59 60 32 33 3 --- 2 d '4 5 27 - 30 ~. -. ... 2i 2i 14 - 15 5# - 25 - 27 8 • 8i 621 9 -- 801 4i 44d 45 -- 46 FOREIGN. 7 Axitwrp & Rotterdam 3 Belgian East. Junct., 8 Beziers to Graissessacl ... Can ixal of Italy all Charleroi & Erquelin all Demerara 20 . 20 20 20 10 Dijon and Besagon., 8 Dutch Rhenish ...., all East Indian 2 Do. Extension all Gt. Indian Peninsula 10 Gd. Junct. of France 10 Gd. Trunk, of Canada Shrs. and Bonds 8 Gt. Central of France 20.1 Gt. Westn. of Canada Shares ... Do. bonds(l i55.)1857 Do. bonds (2 i55.)1862 IN Hamilton & Toronto all Do. 6 per cent 5 Lake Const. & Basle 4 Lucca and Pistoja, 5 per cent. pref. 15 Luesembourg 10 Do. (Railway) 2 Do ... 3 Do. (Canal) 5 Do. 6p. cent. prof. 12 Lyons & Mediteman, 10i Madras 29 . Maria Antonia 10 Do. New 2 Melbourne Dk. &Ry. all Namur & Liege (with, _ • interest all Do. (ex interest), 2i - 2 4 1 - 4 - 2 12 - 14 3 3a2 id p r 2 3 p 4! 3id id id 2 ld id Par 9 6k 6g lg lg 2 id p 7i - 7i all Northern of France all Do. 201. 3 p. c. Bds [fmy.B. &A ms. She. ] all NorwegianTruk. Pref 10 Paris and Lyons 40 Do. bonds all Paris and Orleans all Paris and Rouen all Paris and Strasbourg 4 Paris Caen& Cherbrg. 10.1 Quebec & Richmond all Rouen and Havre 12 Royal Danish 2 Royal Swedish all Sambre and Meuse_ 6 Do. s t i per cent. pref. 2 S.E. of France 6 Southern of France 6 St. Andrews & Quebec 2s. Upper India Scrip all West Flanders 10 Do. 5i per c. Pref 10 Western of France 4 West. of Switzerland 2 Wiesbaden ....... 12, Zealana ....... 1... 3i = 32i gi 14 -- 14ip 42 ii 37 39 30 304 2 4 p 3 1 d 17A 184 la par - i . --4 p 1 i d 1 5 6 p n - lid 51 X li "a = id . .... v • LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS. Bbr. Paid RAILWAYS. Leasing Closing Prices Buttress B in7 l e e dk g t c e B a h h l aa e r y e jh. Compare yesterday , this day. 50 all Bedford and Lu.&N.W. C a 1 L d : d N o n . W . . 1 5 6 1 i 16 - 5 :4 2 S so t . 100 a c B St. 100 E.Lincoln. gr. 6 p. cent. .. . . Gt.Northn 140 25 all Glas. Barr. & C a ld onian. 143 Neils. Direct. 2i all Do. New Do., .. .. .•.. •" 25 all Glstr.&Dn.Fr Gt.Westn. 100 all Hrtlpl. Dk. & Yk. New. Railway & Berw.. 50 all Hull & Selby Y.&N.Md. ,- ;•.; 25 all Do. Shares Do ......... ___ 1.2 A all Do. Shares Do 27 2B 121 all Lon.&Greenw S.Eastern 2 1 4 31 111 20 all Do. Prefere nce Do . St. 100 Lowestoft gr. 4 per cent... Norfolk ,st 92 94 St. 100 Do. 6 per ct... Do 53 all Manch.Baton. Ln. N W & Midld. - 3 _ 50 all M a i n d d M dlesb at r l o o ' c l Stekton & &d ear Darlingt. [OO al ail l Northern 62 t ld h . e ß rn rad a f nd d. Midland... 99 --101 50 5 all D E a . sternsP i c. E. Do Count.. 60 ..• 5 ,, all Do.Fisedsp.c Do . ..... ••• o 6 per c— -2) a ll Prest. (kWyre L. ik . l\ .W. &Ln&Yk 1 12 Do. 3 Shares. Do — S 100 Roystn.ez Hit. Gt.Northn 140 143 S. 100 Do.Shepth.St. Do 140 143 2 18a Shef. Roth. & Lancash.ot Goole g.5.p.c Yorksh — d 12 9S. Staffordsh.. Mr3lClean 2 —13 d 50 all WearValleygr Stookt. 6 per cent... Darling. 25 all Do. 5t..100 WiltodrSomrst Gt.Westn 97 Basiness done this day. 20 20 20 25 St. 10 St. 25 20 St. St,. St. 96 524 3 14 4 i 12i i 13 984 7 1024 i 211 61/ i 4 29i 30 TIIE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 13, '1*854. CITY OF LONDON COMMISSION. within the City, such charter could only be considered as an acknowledgment of the pre-existing rights of the citi zens, which had been secured t , . them, with their other rights, bythe charter of William the Conqueror, which had been recognised by similar instruments in subsequent reigns, and which, though abrogated by King Charles 11., were restored and confirmed by Act of Parliament as soon as the Revolution of 1688 had restored law and order within this realm. " Having regard to the principles by which property is acquired and protected in this country, we apprehend that the possession of I,2ooJyears would confer an adequate title, even if we could produce neither charters nor Acts of Par liament to vouch our rights. The title of the corporation to the Conduit Mead estate, though of much later origin, is secured by the pos ession of centuries, and the property which has for ages been held by the corporatien from the prebend of Finsbury is vested in them by Act of Parlia ment until the year 1867. "A great portion of the rental of the corporation is said by some of the witnesses to be derived from embankments of the Thames, and the pending suit with the Crown is re ferred to as if that suit-had been intended to put an end to such encroachments. " This statement is founded on a total misapprehension of the facts. The entire amount of rental derived from embanknaents made, not for the sake of revenue, but for the improvement of the river and the convenience of com merce, does not exceed 1,1001. per annum. It is not mixed with the corporation rental, and forms no part of it. It is, and has been for many years, kept a separate fund, and is applied to the purposes of conservancy and improving the river only. This sum of 1,1001. formed only a portion of the amount expended by the corporation under this head, the remainder being paid out of the corporate funds. " The history of the impending suit with the Crown may be very shortly stated. " From time immemorial, probably from the period when the Thames was first embanked, in very ancient times the corporation of London have possessed the conservancy and soil and bed of the river. They have claimed and exercised the right from time to time of granting licenses to embank in cases where it has been considered beneficial to the river, applying the proce e d s t o th e remo val of shoals and other purposes of improvement on the river. " In 1842 the corporation contemplated a large expenditure of money for the purpose of carrying into execution an im provement of the river upon a more extended scale than had before been attempted, but in order that they might re ceive the best advice before they commenced the under taking, they applied to the Admiralty for the assistance of Capt. Bullock, who had been engaged in surveys for that board for many y ears , an d Mr. alker, the engineer, Captain Bullock, and the officers of the coporation in the harbour and conservancy service made a survey of the Thames within the limits of the city jurisdiction, and pre sented a most able and elaborate report, recommending a definite system for the future management of the river and its branches, for the purpose of removing shoals, securing the banks, and erecting steam-boat piers where requisite. " As this project contemplated the expenditure of a very large sum of money, the opinion of the most eminent counsel was taken as to the legal power of the corporation to carry it intoiexecution ' and to apply the fines or r en t s which might be received from the owners of wharf pro perty wishing to embank, in defraying the great charges of the improvement. " Counsel were unanimously of opinion that the corpo ration were fully justified in taking this course. The re port was printed and extensively circulated, and the re moval of the shoals was about to be commenced, when the solicitor of the Woods and Forests filed an information against the corporation, which had the effect of restraining them from executing their design. The ground alleged for this step was, that by the prerogative right of the Crown, the soil and bed of all rivers within the flux and reflux of the tide formed a part of the hereditary revenues of the Crown, and that when the state of the river justified its embank ment, the ground reclaimed from the river should be let or sold for the benefit of the Sovereign. " The corporation, under the advice of most distin guished counsel, unconnected with them, controverted this doctrine, and they have taken such proceedings in resist ing the claim of the Crown as counsel have from time to time advised, always professing their readiness to be bound by act of Parliament to apply the revenue which might be derived from this source as they had previously done, not to corporate uses, but for the benefit of the river. The corporation have been in negotiation with the Government during almost the whole time the suit has been pending for a settlement of all differences con nected with the river in a manner that would be just to the Crown and to the corporation ; and at the same time beneficial to the public. These negotiations are still pend ing ; and, as ancillary to this object, the corporation have each year placed themselves in a position before Par liament to enable them, in case the proposed arrangement with the Crown could be accomplished, to carry it into effect by means of a bill. " Complaint has been made that the corporation, in con ducting this case, have resisted by all the means in their power the proceedings of the Crown ; to which we reply, that we were advised by counsel that the proceedings them selves were unusual, and ought to be resisted at every step. When any of the subjects of the Crown are in the actual possession of property, they can be ousted only by some one who, in a court of law, can show a better right. In ancient times the Crown claimed by its prerogative to be exempt from this rule of law, and asserted a right to the possession of a disputed property, unless the person in actual possession could prove his own title. To redress this grievance a remedial act of Parliament was passed in the reign of James 1., and the Crown by writ of intrusion ought now to seek to enforce its claims to property by the strength of its own title, and by means similar to those which a subject must adopt. The present suit is said to be an unconstitutional evasion of this statute, by which the Crown seeks to oust the corporation of the soil of the river, of which they are in actual possession, by question ing their title, instead of asserting its own. The corpora tion have repeatedly offered to the Ministers and officers of the Crown that, if they would proceed by writ of intru sion or otherwise in the common law courts, they would afford every facility for a cheap and speedy trial of the case. " 2. The corporation contend that their title to the tolls, offices, and duos which constitute the remaining portion of their income is alike unobjectionable; they are held by prescription or recognised legal title of the highest order ; but the Common Council, as representing the citizens, have expressed their willingness to concede such modifica tions and reductions of some of these dues as the interests of trade and commerce may require. The corporation, however, confidently believe that no violence will be done to the rights of property by interfering with any of these revenues, except with the full and free consent of the representatives of those to whom they lawfully belong. " The first of these revenues to which objection has been made is the charge upon admissions to freedom. This charge, which until within the last 20 years was 271. 6s. Bd., and produced some thousands a year, is now reduced to the ancient fee of 21. 6s. Bd., and yields now very little more than one-tenth of its previous amount, and is obviously too small to deserve a single ..omment, except from the mis representations which have been made as to the proceed ings taken within the last few years to compel persons to become free, not for the purpose of increasing the amount of the funds of the7corporation, but to increase the number of the municipal constituency. " One of the witnesses stated that in 1845 he was elected The royal commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of the corporation of the city of London, re-assembled in the Privy Council Chamber on Wednesday, after a long adjournment, for the purpose of resuming their investiga tion by examining the officers of the corporation, in answer to the various allegations which the previous witnesses have preferred against that body. Commissioners present: the Right Hon. H. Labouchere (the chairman), Sir John Patteson, and Mr. Cornewall Lewis. The Right Hon. J. Stuart Wortley (the City Recorder), Mr. Charles Pearson (City Solicitor), Mr. Sergeant Mere wether (Town Clerk), Sir J. Key (City Chamberlain), Mr. Tyrrell (City Remembrancer), Mr. Alderman Wilson, Mr. Deputy Harrison, Mr. Dakin, and other gentlemen con nected with the corporation, were in attendance. At the commencement of the sitting, The Chairman said—We now propose to take the evidence of the officers connected with the corporation. We thought it advisable to begin by hearing parties who had paid at tention to City affairs, and who were disposed to suggest alterations in the management or constitution of the cor poration. We thought this course would be the one most convenient to pursue, and the authorities of the corpora tion acquiesced in this proceeding. We are now desirous of hearing the evidence of the corporate officers; but at the same time we do not preclude ourselves, ii.' we shall deem it necessary, after their evidence has been received, from reverting to such points as we may think have not been sufficiently considered, or from taking the evidence of other parties whom it may be desirable to examine. Yet we have thought it for the convenience of the public that a sort of prinui facie case should be made out upon those points with regard to which some persons hold that there ought to be alterations made in the system of the corpo ration. Mr. Sergeant Merewether said—lt certainly has been the apprehension of the corporation that their case and their witnesses would be heard last.; but lam sure that the com missioners will clearly understand by that that it is not at all the desire of the corporation that an opportunity should not be offered for examining further witnesses should the commissioners deem it necessary. The Chairman—ln all our communications with the City authorities from the beginning we have stated that we would first examine parties who opposed the corporation, and then hear the officers of the corporation themselves ; but that at the same time a e still retained to ourselves an unfettered discretion to call further evidence afterwards upon other points which might not appear to have been sufficiently cleared up, or which might require further elucidation. There is one point—viz., the management of the Irish estates of the corporation— upon which no evidence whatever has been adduced; and upon that subject it may be desirable to examine a, ditional witnesses. Of course, I need hardly add, that if anything should arise in the course of the new evidence which the corporation may wish to answer, we will consider it only just that the officers of the corporation should be heard with regard t o it. The Right Hon. J. Stuart Wortley, Recorder of the city of Loudon, then presented himself to the commissioners, and said—l appear before you as the chief officer of tho corporation, in no sense as an advocate, but in my official capacity ; and, in the first place, I must ask permission to read, as the most convenient course, a written statement which has been drawn up by way of general refutation of the main charges which have been made against the corporation, and by way o f v i n di cat i on of their general administration. It has been thought con venient to adopt this course, in order to concentrate in this form all that might otherwise be dispersed at greater length over the evidence of the various witnesses who will be called before you ; and if this statement, so read, is placed upon the records of the commission, you will only have to refer to the facts contained in it to see whether or not the evidence of the witnesses supports its allegations. The statement is drawn up within the smallest possible compass ; and although I read it on the part of the corpora. tion, I do not at all shrink from taking upon myself the responsibility for its contents ; yet it is only right to say that it is not my address, but the address of the corpora tion generally, which I am now about to read. The right hon. gentleman then proceeded to read the following " GENERAL DEFENCE OF THE CORPORATION. "TO HER MAJESTY'S COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE STATE OF THE CORPORATION OF LONDON. " We, the consolidated committee, appear before you as representatives of the corporation, in pursuance of a reso lution passed by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Com mons of the city of London, in Common Counciiassembled, on the 30th of June last, after reading her Most Gracious Majesty's commission under the Great Seal ; which resolu tion is in the following words : " 'Resolved, and ordered, that it be referred to the con solidated committee to assist the inquiry before the Royal Commission on behalf of the corporation of London, and afford the fullest information on every subject connected therewith. " ' And that all the officers, clerks, and servants of the corporation be authorised to attend before the commis sioners, and to give them the fullest information in their power, both oral and documentary.' " Since the receipt on the sth inst. of the official copy of the evidence taken before the commission against the cor poration (up to the fourteenth day of the inquiry), we have considered the same as fully and carefully as the short into/ val would permit. "If all persens examined before you had (as some of them have done) cconfined their observations to a fair and temperate review of the past history and present position of this ancient corporation, and if they had accompanied their statements by suggestions of such alterations and amendments as they might consider necessary or expe dient, we should, without making any preliminary obser vations, have tendered the members and officers of the corporation to the commissioners as witnesses to furnish the most ample information in their power, both oral and documentary; and we should have felt it our duty to seek instructions from the various branches of the corporation, to enable us to submit to your impartial consideration the various projects for improving our corporate institutions, which at different periods have been proposed in the cor poration, many of which would have been long since effected if e the governing body had had within itself the clear legal power to carry them into execution. " We observe with satisfaction that many of the wit nesses who have been examined bear testimony to the in tegrity and honourable character and conduct, both official and personal, of the several members of the corporation ; we, however, perceive that there are exceptions to this rule, and that some of the persons who appear to be con ducting the case against the corporation, have constituted themselves at once accusers, witnesses, and projectors, and have in ther evidence on oath so intermingledoffensive mis representations and exaggerations of assumed facts with specious arguments, groundless opinions, and speculative projects, that it is difficult to deal with the multifarious questions they have thus raised in any of the forms by which truth is usually investigated. " Being anxious, iu a question of so much importance, to avoid this inconvenient intermixture of opinions, facts, and proposals for alteration, we desire, with the permission of the commissioners, to keep them distinct. We propose, first, to furnish a written answer to the accusations made against the corporation in as definite and concise a form as their vague and irregular character will admit ; we then propose to tender the officers of the corpo ration, and other witnesses, as well to substantiate on oath the fads stated in answer, as to submit themselves to a gene ral examination upon all matters into which the commis sioners may think it right to inquire, asking leave to re serve the expression of either corporate or individual opi nions upon any proposed alterations either in the consti tution or administration of the corporation, until we shall have concluded what we intend to be a full and perfect refutation, either writt en or oral, of the various charges that have been preferred against the constitution of the corporation, or against the conduct of the members who compose it. " In the belief that this course of proceeding will be ac ceptable to the commissioners, we have prepared the fol lowing statement, in which we have collected and arranged under distinct heads th e several charges against the corpo ration, and we propose to answer them seriatim in that order. a common councilman to enable him to correct abuses, and that an attempt was then being made by that body to com pel wholesale dealers who acted as retailers to become free. If this had been the case it would have been a measure perfectly unobjectionable, provided the means were as fair as the abject was just. But the witnesses further stated that the corporation had employed spies to lodge informa tions against wholesale dealers who, not in the regular course of trade but to oblige a customer, might cut off a few yards from a single piece or divide a dozen of stock ings to accommodate a particular customer ; and stated that the object of this proceeding was to get money. The facts connected with the freedom question are as follows : "In the year 1729, when, as will be hereafter explained, the corporation was under a different management from that which now prevails, a redemption fine of 251., in ad dition to the ancient payment of 21. 6s. Bd., was imposed upon freedoms, some of which were sold to pay the debts of the corporation, and others were distributed amongst certain members and officers, who soldd them for their own benefit. "First. It is charged that the income of the corporation is excessive in amount. " Secondly. It is said to be derived from objectionable sources, viz.:— "1. From rentals of property including encroachments on the Thames. 2 . From tolls, offices, and dues, including charges on freedoms, coal dues, metag e o f corn. ' " Thirdly. It is charged against the corporation that their expenditure is excessive in its amount and useless in its objects, namely :- 1. As respects the costs of the mayoralty, including the costs of the banquet and pageant on the inauguration day. 2 . A s regards the expenses of the committees. 3. The salaries of the corporate officers. Fourthly. It is said that the police and sewerage of the City, instead of being under the management of the corpo ration, should be amalgamated with the establishments for the rest of the metropolis. Fifthly. It is charged t hat the accoun t s o f th e cm pora tionally so kept. tion are in an unintelligible form, an d t h at t h ey are inten- Sixthly. That the lord mayors, aldermen, and common council, during the present century, have been, and are, greatly inferior to the corporators of former times both in rank, respectability, intellig ence, and public spirit ; that they are unfit for the stations they occupy, and are, and have been, regarded with disrespect by the citizens. " To these charges we submit the following answers : " First. In answer to the charge that the revenue of the corporation is excessive, we say that, considering the spe cial circumstances which affect the City, this is not the case. The proper income of the corporation averages about 200,0001. per annum, of which a little less than one-half is derived from freehold and leasehold rents, and a little more than the other half is derived from tolls, offices, and casual sources of revenue. This sum represents the gross receipts of the corporation in respect large c leduefrions for collection and management, as well as charges for rebuildin and all of whichnecessarily repairing the property , become augmented as the properties increase in number and extent. The aggregate amount is likewise liable to large fixed charges, which cannot b. diminished., thus leaving the sum upon which economicalre trenchments can operate very much less than the magnitude of the entire sum would to a superficial observer appear to imply. Besides the proper revenue of the corporation, the police committee of the Common Council, and the Commissioners of Sewers, consisting of members of that body, have the raising and expenditure of an average amount of about 111,000/. per annum by rates upon property in . the City, naively, 84,0001. for paving, li g hting, sewers, and about 27,000/. for police. " It should be remarked that i nasmuch as the foregoing particulars of receipt and expenditure are annually pub lished, it was impossible for the witnesses to misrepresent their actual amount; but they obtained for the exaggerated statemen `..s given to the commissioners, and through the commissioners to the world by means of the public press, all the effect of misrepresentation, by _ mixing up these sums, which are avowedly received and accounted for by the corporation, with tithes, poor rates, charity funds, and other sums with which they have no connection. Having thus mixed up these sums together, the annual revenue of the City is by one witness said to be 350,0001. ; by another, 450,000/. ; and a third represents the amount to be upwards of a million. " Secondly. It is said that the sources of the corporate income are objectionable. We will examine them sepa rately. The rental, amounting to nearly 100,0001. per annum, is chiefly derived from houses in the City, from the perpetuity leases and occasional fines of the Conduit Mead estate, and from the rents of the Finsbury property, which is held on lease. "1. A large portion of this property is built upon the site of the old walls, gates, and fortification s of the City, which existed when London was a flourishing free city un der the Romans ; and on their departure from the island the property devolved upon the citizens, and has been pos sessed by them during the twelve centuries that have elapsed since that event ; for although one of the witnesses has deposed that this site was part of the common soil of the City, and although King Henry VI. did by charter pram* to grant to the citizen* of London the common " The practice of exacting this fine continued until with in the last 20 years. Complaints having at length been made that the weight of the redemption fine and the charges of the livery companies upon an ad mission to the freedom pressed heavily upon trade, and tended to reduce the municipal constituency, the Common Council, before the appointment of the former Royal Commission, referred it to a committee to consider whether it was expedient gradually, and to what extent, to reduce, and ultimately to remit, the fine upon the admission of all householders paying their scot and bearing their lot to the freedom of the city. " The Common Council had it also in contemplation at the 83M0 time to admit non-freemen without the interven tion of the livery companies. The former Royal Commissioners were apprised of th e contemplated alterations in the mod e o f admitting non freemen, and having investigated the subject themselves, they reported that the then existing method by which persons became free appeared to them highly objection able, and that the livery companies possessed no one fea ture from which they could discover any advantage in compelling freemen to belong to them, and that that part of the system was, in fact, no more than a troublesome and a capricious method of taxing the inhabitants of Lon don for the emolument of the companies. The commis sioners also objected to the acquisition of fri edom by pur chase, as being practically a tax upon the retail traders of the City who were compelled to take up their freedom. The commissioners, at the same time, stated that if re demptioners were to be admitted to the freedom of the City without the livery of a company, they could not, without the alteration of the 11th Geo. 1., be enabled to vote for a corporate officer in the common-hall elections. " Being thus justified in these contemplated changes by the opinion of the Royal Commissioners, the Common Council, in 1835, under the advice of their law officers, passed resolutions to admit householders and persons carry ing on business in the City to the freedom without the in tervention of the livery companies, and then commenced a reduction of the redemption fine by remitting 101. out of the 251. imposed in 1729, and they have since proceeded in further reductions until that payment is extinct ; and there remains now only a nominal fine of2l. 6s. Bd., together with official fees not yet abolished, amounting to 15s. Bd. ; and the Government duty of 31., the principal portion of the fees with which the admission was formerly encumbered having been abolished from time to time as vested interests ceased. " Whilst these reductions in the cost of freedoms were being effected, the Common Council directed their serious attention to other alterations is their constitution which had received the approval of the commissioners. And in 1843 a committee had matured a proposal for repealing the City Election Act of the 11th Geo. I. • and for extendi n g the right of voting, both in war d mo te and common-hall elections, to the ratepayers withi n th e City. It was also proposed to render the wards more equal iu size and popu lation. One of the main arguments for extending the franchise was that, notwithstanding the reduction that had been made in the cost of freedoms, the number of freemen was still diminishing, and the merchants, bankers, and wholesale dealers still refused to become free, whereby colour was given to the popular complaint that the corpo rators, both representatives and electors, were principally confined to the retail c l ass ; a body which, although large, respectable, and w e ll qua lified independently to exercise their various functions, v ere much less numerous than householders, who were governed by the same authority and contributed to the same rate. " When th e re p or t o f th e committee was brought b e f ore the Common Council, recommending an application t o Par liament to effect th es e objects, it was violently oppose d by the livery c o m p an ies. This opposition might, h owever, have proved fruitless, had it not been for an opinion then expressed that, under the customs and bylaws of the City merchants, bankers, and all other persons occupying pre mises within the City were liable to the penalty of 51., imposed by the by the by-law, as Occupiers, without re. ferfence to any trade they might not carry on therein. From a mixed motive, partly from an apprehension of op position in Parliament from the livery companies, and partly from a desire to effect their object by their own powers, the Common Council referred it to a committee to endeavour to enforce the law against merchants and whole sale dealers in the manner that had been suggested. " For this purpose actions were threatened or com menced against twenty persons, including in the list foreign and English merchants and wholesale dealers, not as wholesale dealers occasionally retailing goods (in the manner suggested by the witness before referred to), but as merchants and wholesale dealers acting in that capacity alone. The defendants contributed funds for a joint de fence, and for the purpose of trying the case in an ami cable manner as an abstract question of law. The twenty actions were consolidated in one, and by the directions of the committee that action was tried upon admissions agreed upon by the counsel on both sides, so that the pos sibility of raising the fact of retail dealing may be exclu ded, and it was arranged that, whatever might be the ruling of the judge, either party should be at liberty to put the matter at issue on the record, to be tried before a superior court. The cause was tried upon the admissions in the Lord Mayor's Court, before the then Recorder, who was of opinion that the action could not then be sustained. A bill of exceptions to his ruling was prepared, but the committee and the Common Council determined not to carry the case further. It is to be regretted that a wit ness in a matter with which he represents he was per sonally connected should have permitted himself to charge his colleagues with having employed spies to entrap the unwary, with the object of obtaining money, when he might have known the contrary. The action was against Mr. Stuart, and not against Messrs. Ward and Co. It was commenced and carried on in a spirit of frankness and fairness on all sides, without the slightest reference to pe cuniary objects, solely to determine the question whether the franchise of the City was to be confined to retail dealers, or whether the obligation of citizenship could be enforced upon the merchant and wholesale dealer. " After the decision in Mr. Stuart's action had been pro nounced, the Common Council determined to apply to Par liament to accomplish some of the objects recommended by the commissioners, but, being unwilling to provoke the opposition of the livery companies, they obtained, in 1849, a partial measure, which was impaired in its efficiency oy alterations forced upon its promoters in its progress through Parliament, and in 1852 they introduced a bill to extent the elective franchise to the ratepayers, and to ad mit them to the right of voting in common halls. This measure met with a strenuous opposition from the livery companies, and was finally rejected at their instance. " If it had not been for the City Election Act (the 11th George I.) an ancient prescriptive power (confirmed by charter and act of Parliament) to amend any of the old usages that might from the change of times and circum stances might need amendment would have enabled the corporation themselves to have made the requisite altera tion in the election law ; but, Parliament having refused to amend the law, and being unable themselves to legis late against the express provisions of an act of Parliament, the Common Council determined to make another effort to induce or compel retail dealers to become free. For this purpose, they referred it to a committee to cause all per sons returned by the wardinquests, merchants, bankers, or wholesale dealers, to be summoned before the Chamberlain, and against thirty of them actions were brought for the penalties. In these cases, with few exceptions, the parties took up their freedom. It has been represented by some of the witnesses that these proceedings were enforced with unnecessary harshness and severity. If this were done, it was without the sanction of the Common Council or the committee. The officers who conducted the proceedings will be tendered for ex amination ; they have reported that the fact was the reverse, for that when the parties consented to obey the law, the costs, which were very trifling, were re mitted in all cases except one, where a wealthy firm car ried on a very large wholesale trade, but being in the con stant habit of supplying customers by retail, it was not thought right to remit the costs in that case. There is ne pretext for saying that the corporation instituted these proceedings either for the purpose of oppression or extor tion. By relinquishing the redemption fine of 251., which their predecessors had received for upw. rds of a century, it must be obvious that the present corporation cannot have been influenced by any such motives as those which have been imputed to them. The Common Council hove suspended all further proceedings, but in doing so they feel that the constituency already too limited, will be fur ther reduced, unless Parliament will assist the corporation in applying a sufficient remedy I , r this acknowledged evil. " The next source of revenue enjoyed by the corporation is a toll upon coals, yielding about 70,0001. per annum. " The coal duties consists of an ancient duty, subse quently confirmed by Parliament, at 4d. per ton, belong ing to the corporation of London ; Bd. per ton applied to metropolitan improvements not within the city of London : and ld. per ton granted for the establishment of the coal market, but now applied to metropolitan improvements not within the city of Loudon ; making together the sum of Is. ld per ton. " Tho duty of 4d. per ton has been for some years past, and is now, appli e d b y th e corporation of London to im provements within the city of London. The New Cannon street has lately been made out of that duty, at an expeasc of upwards of 500,0001. "The duty of Bd. per ton is applied in payment of the principal and interest of sums raised by the Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods, &c., for public improvements in the metropolis not within the city of London. The New Ox ford-street and other important improvements have been executed out of that duty. The corporation of London pay 11,500 per annum and other sums towards this fund, for improvements out of the city of London. " The duty of Id. per ton was granted to establish a coal market, with a provision that when a sufficient sum was accumulated to defray the expenses of the coal market the duty was to cease. In the year 1845 the corporation of London relinquished this duty, in order that the public might have the benefit ; but the Government of that day immediately appropriated the duty to metropolitan im provements, under the direction of her Majesty's Commis sioners of Woods, &c. "If public improvements are to be effected, it appears difficult to devise means by which the amount required can be raised in a manner so little injurious to the public, and falling so equally upon the persons for whose use the improvements are required. " The avenues of the city of London are sufficient for the inhabitants of the city of London, and the necessity for their improvement and enlargement arises from the immense concourse of people who daily frequent the City from miles around it. What, therefore, can be snore equi table than that the persons residing within 20 miles round tho metropolis should contribute to the improvements required for their comfort and convenience ? With respect to the alleged extension of the area of the limits of taxation by the act 14th and 15th Vict., cap. 146, the opinion of the law officers of the Crown is con clusive that the area of taxation was not extended by that act. " The next source of revenue is derived from the metage of corn ; it amounts to about 10,0001. a year, sub ject to the cost of collection and management. " The corporation are entitled by subscription to the metage of all measureable ar ti c l es b roug h t i nto the port of London ; this right has been constantly exercised, and wa, confirmed by charter in the reign of James I. For tin convenience of trade in very ancient times, the measuring and delivery of corn was effected by the corporation meters and the ancient fellowship of porters acting together. In the year 1835 a complaint was made to the corporation by the fellowship of porters that Messrs. Combe and Company were in the habit of bringing malt into the port o f L on d on and deliverin g it at th e Savoy Wharf without emeloying the meters or porters. At the request of the porters the corporation allowed the fellowship to use their name xs joint plaintiffs in a suit to enforce the ckini for porterage. In the progress of this suit the City's claim for metage be came involved, and the proceeding has since been carried on for the purpose of enforcing the claim to both rootage and porterage. " The corporation have for several years been impressed with the opinion that the time was approaching when :le interests of the commerce of the port would require a con• siderable modification of the ancient customs of London, as far as both metage and porterage were concerned. With a view to the accomplishment of these objects with as little detriment as possible to the interests of individuals, an act of Common Council was passed, regulating the admission of porters, which would have the effect, in the course of years, of enabling the Common Council to accomplish the proposed modifications of the existing customs, which would, it was hoped, lead to an amicable arrangement 0: the suit with Messrs. Combe and Co. "During the last 18 months an investigation lies eeee proceeding which has had for its object the removal of ail disputed questions, as regards both porters and meters ; and there is good reason for believing that it will result in an arrangement satisfactory to the merchants, the corpora. tion, and the fellowship. So solo as the proposed arrange ment shall be placed in a more definite form, it will be submitted to the Common Council, in order that, if ap proved, it may be placed before Parliament in the shape of a bill, as tho law officers of the corporation have ex pressed an opinion that, however desirable such arrange ments may be, they cannot be legally effected without the authority of an act. " Thirdly. We proceed to answer the third charge, that the expenditure of the corporation is excessive in amount, and useless in its objects. "1. To support this statement it is said that the costs of the mayora ty are excessive, and that the inauguration banquet and its attendant pageantry are expensive, use less, and absurd. " To this we reply that the allowance to the Lord Mayor to maintain the state and hospitality of his offi t c y e ) (in dt u s d n in o g t his proportion of the banquet and 1 - ) exceed a sum between 8,000 1 . and 9,oool.fiesor the ° for the The casual sources of income, such as the etc., referred to admis sion of Jew brokers, grants of freedoms, by some of the witnesses, which were formerly perquisites of office, have been for some years abolished or commuted for money payments included in this sum. " We contend that the inaug uration banquet is not pro fuse either in its character or cost, and that is con d ucted as becomes a State banquet given to the Mi n i s t ers of the Crown, th e representatives of foreign powers, th e elite of the learned professions, and the great commercial City, monetary establishments of the by the corpora ;iuthteheexwpeonrlsdes. an d . tion of the first city of a t u h e e sts firs e t nt e ert ou a n in tr e y d There are about I, defray3d by the Lord Mayor and by the sheriffs, in - equal moieties, amounts together to about 2,2001., of which sum the cost of the pageant and procession by land and by water does not, on an average, exceed 2001. Besides this sum the corporation defray the cost of lighting and fitting up th e hall. We likewise contend that, the pageant being in con tinuation of an ancient custom, it ought not to be abolished without stronger reasons than have yet been assigned for its abolition. Previous to the last 9th of November the Lord Mayor took the opinion of the bankers in Lombard street, the brokers in Mincing-lane, and of the market traders in Thames -street. They did not feel that it would occasion any such inconvenience to their pursuits as would render it improper for the procession to pass along those streets in its progress through his lordship's ward. A dif- I ference of opinion upon this subject, however exists ; by many it is contended that, in this age of competition, the humbler classes of the people have but little respite from their labours ; some hundreds of thousands of both sexes, and all ages, amuse the passing hour by gazing on this spectacle as a memorial of ancient times, which costs them nothing, and adds so trifling a charge to the other ex _ pauses of the day. A further justification of the corpo ration in incurring the charges of the banquet may be found in the fact that various sums have in past ages been given by the citizens to the general fond to perpetuate festivities on state days. In the time of our Saxon ances tors, out of the funds raised by the guilds of the City, a portion was to be applied to festive purposes. " In answer also to the assertion of two or three of the witnesses, that the cost of the mayoralty is 2.1,000 , . per annum, it should be observed that this statement is fou mied upon a report made by the committee in 1634. The atten tion of the commissioners is invited to the proceedings of the Common Council, in which court in 1836 this report was examined. As further evidence of the extravagant expenditure of the corporation, it is said that the allow• PREFERENCE SHARES, A D b o. erd N e o en .i . , ... 7 . . p ...... : Blyth & Tyne 10 per et. pref. (iss. atX5O) ristol & Exeter 4 pr cent., stock... Do. Do., shares Caledonian .410 Chester d; Holyhead Guar. 5. per cent Cork&Bandon 5i P.C Dundee Perth &Aber deen Junction EastAnglian (X 3 10s; 6 per cent Do. (5) 7 per cent Do. (il7 17s) 7 p. et Eastern Counties Ex tension, 5 p. c. No.] Do., No. 2 Do., New 6 p. 0. St Eastern Union, Scrip Guar. 6 per cent Do. £lO Deben. Sh EastLaucash. 6 p.cts East & West Yorksh Junction Fifths Edinb. Prth. &Dundee 4 per cent. Glasgow & S. Western guar. 5 per cent Great Northr 5 p.c Do. 5 p. c., Redeem., at 10 p. c. prem Do. 4 percent. Scrip Gt.N. of Scot. ,lst Pref Gt. Southn. &Westu. (Ireland) Eighths Do. 4 per ct. pref. St Gt. Westn. (Berks Hants Ex. 5 p. c.) Do. con. & red. 44 p.c Do. do. 4 per cent Do. irredeem. 4 p. c Lan. & York. F. 220, Do., 6 p. 0., Stock Leeds Nn. 6p. c. No. 1 Do. Quarters,lB4B London and,Brighton Guaranteed 5 p. c Do. Pref., 5 p. c. St Do. Convertible, 5 p c., 1852 . Do. New Guar. 6 p.c Lond. & N. W., Coy & Nun., 5 per cent 'London & S. Western, Con. Thirds 100 100 100 6 100 124 all all Londonderry& Coler. Shares Coady. & Ennis. Sh lanch.,Shef., &Lin., 4 Shares, No. 1...... Do. New, £10......... Do., £G ........ ..... Nlaryp t.&Carl. 4p. c. Do. 4 per cent Do ....... Mid. Consol. 6 p. c. St. Do. Consol. Bristol dt Birm. 6 per cent Do. Pref. 4i per cent Norfolk Debent. Sh Norfolk Extension Do. Pref. 5z per et Do. Way. Val. 5 p c North British North Staffordshire Oxford Worcester it Wolverh. £15,6p.c Do Scot. Cen., New Pref. Shrews& Birm. N. G. Shrewsby. & Chester (Nor. W. Min),B p. c. Do. 5 per cent South Devon Do. New S. Eastern (Reading Ann.,) of £1 08.6 d. S. Yorksh.4p. c. Guar. Waterfd. &Kilk. 6p. c. York Newcastle and Berwick, 4 p.c.Pref Do York& N. Midland H & S. Parch. 7 iiii 6i -- 61 4 -- 4} 5i 6 P 1* -- lip -- I #P 13i -- 144 2i - :3i 118 - 120 108 - 110 - P 8 - 84 6 7 101 103 93 100 98 100 id par 140 142 2i - 3 121 13 61 7 96 10 Par— p! L4O 142 a id 23 - 25 1 1 100 - 102 1 i - i A 9i 10 154 16 9 —lO 12 14 d 4 /3 1 23 24 17 19 14 4d 94 97 34 44 id part MINES. Agna Fria ..... Anglo Austrin. Gold Anglo Californian Australasian Australian Australian Cordillera Australian Freehold Ave Maria Baden (Gd. D achy of) Blmarvon Iron and Coal British Austrin. Gold British Iron I Brazilianlmp.(issued at £5 pm Do. Cocaes & Cufacia Do. St. John Del Rey Carsons's Creek Cobra Copper 'Colonial Gold. Copiapo . Copper Min. of Eng. Do. Pref. 72 p. cent. English and Austin. Copper Smeltg. Co. General. , Gt.Nug,getVeiuSerp Do. Registered Great Polgooth Lake Bathurst , Liberty Linares Lond.&Californ. Gold Quartz Crush. C 0... Marignita. IMexican&S.Amerien. INew Granada New Linares Miuiuk and Smelting Co Nouveau Monde Pontgiband Silve] Lead MM. & Smelt Port Philip Quartz Rock Rhymney Iron New Santiago de Cuba.... South Australian.... Tin Croft ... .... ....... United Mexican . Waller West Granada, West Mariposa...,,,, , Worthing Mining o: Australia Yuba.. JOINT-S' Australasia British Colonial Bank and Loan Company] British N. American' Chrtd. Bnk .of India, Austral., and China Chrtd. 13nk. of Asia Colonial Commercial of Lona. English Scottish and Australian Chrtd, London Chrtd. Buk of Australia London and County London Joint Stock Lond.andWestminst National Provincial I of England IDo. New National of Ireland New South Wales Oriental Bank Cor poration Provincial of Ireland Do. New Royal Australn. Bkg. and Gold Imp. Co South Australia Union of Australia Do. New Union of London Union of Madrid MISC] d d 4 2 4 9 - 1 8 - 1 5 6 2 2j 32 34.xd i {d 45 47 12 - 134 65 - 75 4 - 6p 24 - 14 -16 is __ par I t -- 2# d I d 10-- 4 i -. 1 1 d 6j 7i i i d .. - ... i . - iP 4 - id par p 31 33 9 10 4A 5A Ad 5 7 3 4 d i i dl I BANKS. 75 - 77 •.• -- ••• i idia 14 idis 2 lid P ii = U 43 - 45 4 d — par 74 - 76 7} - 7t 'EOUS. St. 20 12i St. 124 12i 25 12i 124 124 St. St. 16i 10 St. St. St. 15 ai 8 10 10 25 10 L.o•f all 1 10 00 100 100 100 100 all 100 15 all all all 10 all 14 all all 13.5 244 all all all all all 1 10 1 1 all all all all 12s. all j all 25 100 100 20 50 50 100 100 20 50 20 25 20 10 20 35 25 all 2i 10 all 5 Aubin (Jou! and Iron [7l Australian Agricult. L 2 Australsn.Pcific Mail 8 Australn. Royal Mail, 21 Berlin Water Works 381 Brit. American Land 1 Brit. & Coln. Smeltg. and Reduction Co 121 Canada Company 5 Crystal Palace 4 Do. New ••• --- ••• 44 - 46 ••• ''.... 6 -- ii 75 80 i 1 1 n Crystal Pal, of France Eastern 5team........ 'Electric Telegraph (A) Do. (B) Electric Tel. of Irel Gen. Steam Navigat General Screw Steam Irish Beetroot Sugar Magdalena St. Navig. Nat. Pt. Steam Fuel Netherlands Land.... N. S. W. Coal & Inter- Stem. Nay. Co 16 - ii 11 - 13 2 —ldaill N. B. Australasia,n Do. New •• ••• Par — iP NAIL of Europe Steam Peel Rr. Ld. & Minrl. Peninsular & Oriental Do. do. Portland Iron Co ••• ••. id par 60 all 25 all l 2811 Royal Mail Steam.... Scot. Austral. Invest. South Austral. Land Submarine Telegraph Van Diemen's Land lip 37 39xcli 38 xd ild- - 15 iP 1 THE ACCIDENT AT SOUTHAMPTON DOCKB.—The official report of Mr. Giles, the engineer to the South ampton Docks, respecting the late accident there, was submitted to a board meeting of the dock directors, at Southampton yesterday. The cause of the accident is attributed to a rent in the wall near where the shears stood. This rent, acted upon by the working of the shears and the frost, caused the accident. The founda tion of the wall is believed not to be injured to the extent it was at first surmised. A coffer dam is to be formed about 200 feet in length, and the wall is to be rebuilt effectually on a solid foundation. Shears are again to be erected where they formerly stood. ft is expected that the damage will be repaired and new shears erected in six months from the present time, and the cost is •sti rated at 10,0004 li I 414 zd at a 6i i sates to committees is excessive in amount and mischiev ous in their application. " 2. The cost and efficiency of the department of corpo ration business which is conducted by the committees were inquired into by the former Royal Commissioners, who reported of the Common Council and its committees. Whatever opinions may be entertained respecting the con stitution of this body, the manner in which its duties have been exercised seems to have given satisfaction with very f exceptio 's to its constituents, and, as it appear to us, justly so. The system of committees in parti, ular seems to operate very successfully, and to corn bine in a remarka ble degree the requisites of power and li ability to control. in in cas h , ca ll e d li ne inquiry the f our s t an di ng c mu " m A i t u t e h e es received t certain that foall owances rmer money, which was distributed equally at the close of the year among the members who had been present at the time their names were called over. Besides these sums they had certain stipulated allowances to be expended in dinners or other refreshments for members. We present in a tabulated form the allowances to the committees at the date of that inquiry, as well as those of the present time. We h ave likewise set out the average amount of the allowances at the commencement of the present century, when the in fluence of the merchants and bankers was felt in the ad ministration of the affairs of the corporation. We have also set forth the amount of the revenue under the manage ment of the committees, as nearly as we have been able to ascertain it, and the average number of meetings of the committees in the course of the year. This table is as fol lows, viz.:— Average of Years. 1802. 1832. 1852. City Lauds Committee : Allowance £2oo Expenses Bridge House Committee : Allowance • Expenses Navigation Committee— Allowance Expenses General Purposes Committee: Allowance Expenses Average amount of revenue under management of committees " It will be observed that at the present time the line money formerly allowed to the principal committees is no longer paid to them. That allowance was abolished ; and the other payments were regulated by an order of the Court of Common Council in the year 1836. The commis sioners, in their report, questioned the propriety of such a payment, amounting, as they say, to only 3s. W. for each attendance, as it might be said to place common councilmen in the invidious position of managers of busi ness paid out of the funds under their own control. A great difference of opinion prevails on this subject. Some persons think that, like the directors of the Bank of Eng land, the joint-stock banks, dock companies, insurance offices, and other public establishments, it would be better to pay the committeemen for their attendance in money, leaving it to be expended in refreshments or any other mode that might suit their own convenience ; but, in ac cordance with the judgment of the majority of the mem bers, the line money was discontinued, and the allowance for tavern expences was moderated, but retained. " Although the vast augmentation in the revenue and expenditure of the corporation has rendered the creation of additional committees necessary for the convenient di vision of labour, and although the number of meetings has been proportionately increased, vet the aggregate amount of the alio eances to all the committees in the present day is less than it was at either of theformer periods embraced in these returns. " 3, The salaries of the officers of the corporation are stated by some of the witnesses to be excessive " The remarks we have just made as to the committees may be likewise applied to the officers. The commissioners thus express themselves with respect to them ; " ' It is a common practice with the Common Council, when offices of any importance become vacant, to refer to a committee the business of examining into the duties of the office, and reporting whether they should be changed, whether the office itself should be abolished or consolidated with any other, whether the salary sheuld be altered, and questions of a similar kind. The reports which have re sal ed from these inquiries furnish most valuable accounts of all relatin g to the office, and many most important re forms have been effe..ted from time to time with a very scrupulous regard to existing interests. We believe that the history of no other corporation furnishes such honour able testimonials of the vigilance, good sense, and justice of its legislative body' " In the time of our predecessors in the last century the corporation offices had been bartered and sold, some with and s,.me without the power of alienation, and with the right to remitueration from fees and emoluments, which were undefined. It is, therefore, impossible to state with any precision what'the amount of their emoluments may have been, but the commissioners thus report of the offices as they existed in 1832 : " With respect to the salaries in general, we have to observe, that they are undoubtedly framed on a very liberal scale, but we are of opinion that the question of their amount is one which may safely be left to a civic legislature fairly chosen.' "The practice of the corporation described above has since the date of the report been constantly observed. The officers state to us that their labours, cares, and respon sibilities have been augmented, as the accoimt of the re venue and expenditure of the corporation have increased; notwithstanding which we believe that their net income is less than it was at the date of the commissioners' report. We have no desire to screen those gentlemen any more than ourselves from the fullest inquiry upon this point, and we have directed them to submit themselves for exa mination upon this and every other matter upon which the commissioners may think it right to inquire, Returns of the particulars and accounts of their salaries made out by the officers, will be delivered to the commissioners, from which they will be able to compare the amounts payable to them at the two points. " Fourthly—Amongst the items of revenue and expen diture under the management of the Common Council to which exception has been taken, the City police and the sewers' commission are named, not on account of the man ner in which these services are conducted, but principally because it is assumed that, if amalgamated with the cor responding establishments of the metropolis, those func tions would be more economically and more efficiently dis charged. We will sake a few observations upon each of these subjects : " POLICE.—It is well known that in ancient times the watch and ward of London, and other ancient cities and towns, were performed by the male inhabitants, bearing their lot in turns, their duties extending to the night only. Instead of rectifying the inconvenience of this system by an act of the governing body of the corporation, which might have been amended from time to time as experience called for alteration, an act of Parliament we sobtained (11 Ge 0.11.), by which a nightly watch was established. Watchmen were to be appointed, their authority to act was limited to their respective wards, and their duties were confined to the nocturnal hours. The want of a day police, for which this act made no provision, having been pressed upon the Court of Aldermen they established, about 25 years ago, an effective day police, consisting first of 68 and after wards of 100 men, properly clothed and accoutred, to act war the entire city during the day only, under the Lord Vls.yor and Court of Alderman. The cost of this corps of police amounted annually to about 7,0001., and was main tained at the corporate charge. Some time afterwards an other advance was made in the improvement of the system. t; , vernrnent had provided an adequate police force under commissioners to act both by night and by day over the remainder of the metropolis, which tip to that time had been entirely without any dsy police. A parliamentary committee investigated fully the whole matter, and a bill was brought in by the corporation, and passed with the nporobation of Parliament, to reoeal the old act establish in!'' the nightly watch, and en a bli n g th e Common Council to form an effinien force for the protection of the city both Amy day and by night. Under this act it is efficiently pro wcted having every portion covered. By subsequent acts •nd additional regulations, the metropolitan police and the city police, the aldermen of Lo , b.n and the Ktipendiary magistrates of the home counties, have interchangeably the power of acting and executing warrants within the several jurisdictions as often as the public service may require. 'There are peculiarities in respect to the City force that dis tinguish it r oin the metropolitan police. £2OO 500 " The men aro picked men, both as to age and height, ind they are all required to reside within the City, so as to ensure prompt and vigorous united action in cases of emergency, in conse tuence of which both officers and men are a!lowed a higher rate of wages. The force is likewise ere n ired to be more numerous, in proportion to the area au, i population of the City, than any other part, of the me tropolis. It is necessary that the ground sheeild be more closely covered, both by night and by day. The vast number of vehicles that pass and repass through the streets of the City, and the multitude of persons who continually have resort to the bank, where 24,001,000 Z. of dividends are an nually paid, the Post-office, the Royal Exchange. the Stock Exchange, the insurance offices, the banking houses, and other commercial and monetary establishments, many of them with property of great value about their persons, re. quire the daily service of a greater numl,er of able, active, vigilant, and trustworthy men than any other part of the metropolis, where these circumstances do not occur. And by night a much larger force than under ordinary circum stances are re muired ; because although there are in the banks, counting-houses, warehouses, and sho os i n th e Cit y cash securities and goo d s of immense value, these estab lishments are almost deserted during the hours of night, leaving the property to the protection of the police. To secure the additional number of men of a superior order, turindonertethoenctoonftrt their l i of their ow n officers the corporation con the entire body The funds one of the cos t of the metro -fourth of the annual cost of metropolitan t a n Governmentpolice, in likewise ret p u a r y n one-fourthfor which p they have a right to employ the men for especial govern mental purposes, not only within the metropolis, but also to send them, as they have often done, to any part of the wintry where their services are required. We respectfully urge, in answer to the charges that have been made against us on this head, that the general interests of the metropo lis cannot in any degree suffer from the independent exer tion of two co-operative forces, acting, as they do, in har mony with each other for all purposes where co-operation is required, and acting separately only in the instances where special circumstances require a special treatment. " SEwERS.—The objection to an independent commis sion for the lighting, paving, and sewerage of the City is founded upon the same arguments, and is to be met by the same reply. The affairs of both the sewers and the police are superintended by members of the Common Council, selected by the inhabitants of each locality, whose wants and wishes are known to, and attended to, by their repre sentatives with a diligence and intelligence that it would be impossi 'de to impart to a central body acting for the entire metropolis. covering 80 square miles of territory, and representing two millions of inhabitants. Upon the score of united action with the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers in all matters where union is required, there can be no pretext for destroying this ancient and useful com mission in the City, or for merging it in the larger and already overburdened body which has charge of the rest of the metropolis ; for under the act of Parliament the Com mon Council appoint four representatives. to act as mem bers of the metropolitan board in all cases where combined action is required ; and it has been proved by the experi ence of several rears that the members of the united body can act in conformity and harmony with each other for the benefit of the whole community, while both sections have special regard for the interests they respectively r e , present. "It should not be forgotten that b oth befo re aed since the Boardformation ofHealth rhf, thee iMetropolitan carrying .'siß°noacrd iaanndid the n their e o c f6 u cers have been diligently engaged extensive measures for the organic improvement (d . the w sewers, and for the Isani tar y im p rl veolisnt of th e Cit y. During the last few y ears the commissioners h ave con verygreat structed many miles of sewers, necessarily a, t a e d expense, having to form !hair um ter the en , thorough fares within their jurisdiction. These sewers having been substantially constructed, will last for many years, and the rates on the citizens will be reduced. if the change proposed by some of the witnesses were to be carried out, the citizens may be aersesied to defray in other localities 300 200 300 900 300 - 300 - 600 500 ..... 300 200 200 200 500 300 - , r Mx. wing :re ant ind ges 60i 1 127 100 82 i 64 1 1 59 1 i