The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-18 00:00:00

COURT OP COMMON COUNCIL.

A Court of Common Council was holden yester-
day in the Council Chamber at Guildhall ; the Right Hon.
the LORD MAYOR presiding.

Tar LATZ LORD MATOR.
Upon the motion of Mr. Deputy liAWTRIRA resolution of
thanis warn unanimously passed to the late Lord Mayor (Mr.
AM. Lawrence), for the services he had rendered the City
in hie capacity of chief magistrate during the put year, for
his calm and impartial administration of juitice, for the
readiness with which be had presided st the unnaual number
of meetings of that court which had been convened during
his year of °Moe, for his liberality and hospitality, sod for
the frank sod omirteoua manner in which he had treated
every member of the court on ►ll occasions • which it was
further resolved should be written on vellum, orna-
mented, and forwarded to the late Lord Mayor ; and alio
that the resolution should be recorded in the minutes of the
caul.

Deputy Fir brought up a report from the Improve-
ment Committee on a reference to reconsider their report
relative to the expenditure incurred by the Commissioners
of Sewers, during the years 1862 and 1863, in effecting cer-
tain street improvement., and reoommendmg that a sum of
1,000/. be contributed in respect of the improvementa in
Ball and Mouth-street, Paternosterrow, and Upper Thames.
street. The hon. deputy in introducing the reportdrew the at-
tention of the court to the large emna which had bees expended
in the improvements in the City, and mid he had thought it
right, considering the peculiar position of the finance" of the
corporation, to object to certain grants being made which
had been the subject of previous references. It had been
maid that the corporation had in years goes by contributed
largely to street improvements ; but he reminded the court
that at that time the corporation had the Ml:wpm:toy coal duty
to fall back upon, whereas the whole of that duty had been
laid by for years to come for other objects. Nevertheless,
he said the corporation had of late years contributed more
towards improvements of the kind referred to out of their
income minus the fourpanny coal duty than they had
while they were in receipt of it, for from the year 1801 to
1844 they paid for public improvements 12,8204, whereas
from 1845 to 1861 they had contributed no ism • sum than
32,7701. The report which he brought up recommended
that 1,0001. should be granted with respect to certain im-
provements, and in moving the adoption of the report he did
not ask them not to agree to it ; but he hoped the court
would consider well the step it was taking before granting
the money.
Mr. LAWLER hoped that the recommendation of the
committee would riot be carried. He did not think for
• moment that the finance( of the corporation were in a
desperate state ; on the contrary, they were in • very good
condition. They had only to husband their resources and
be careful over their expenditure to remain in the same
healthy condition as they were at the present time, and he
moved that the contribution of the 1,000(. be not screed to.
Mr. Deputy BONE seconded the amendment of Mr. Law.
ley. He said the corporation had plenty of money if it
were used for legitimate purposes, but he did not think
the expenditure of I,OOOL, as recommended by the com-
mittee would he prudent.' It was well known that the
finances of the corporation were a better stars, but
if they were celled upon to pay mums of 1,0004 for such
purposes, there would be a deficiency where there would
otherwise have been • balance. Although the corporation
had plenty of money, there ware no fends at preset avail.
able for street improvements. They were called on to pay •
thus in other improvement., and had to contribute one.
tenth to every improvement that was carried out by another
body, and be hoped the court would not agree to the report
as far as regarded the contribution of 1,0004
Mr. Di JIKERY hoped the court would agree to the re.
port, and was surprised that any discussion whatever should
have arisen upon a matter of 1,000/. to be laid oat in public
improvement; The court had granted much larger sums
without a word of opposition, and it was only at the last
court that 17,000/. was granted, in addition to what had
already been spent, for the Lunatic Asylum, an undertaking
which they were not compelled to enter into. The court
had by;previous resolutions resolved to contribute something
towards the improvements mentioned in the report, and if
they rejected the report they would be acting at variance
with those resolutions, which .be was sure they would not
think ofdoing.

Mr. Mrowis opposed the adoption of the report ; Mr.
Itudkin, Mr. Saunders, and Mr. Harris supported it; sod
busily the report was agreed to upon a division by • large
majority ; and it was then referred to the Coal, Corn, and
Finance Committee to consider and report from what funds
the money was to be provided.
Mr. H. L. TAILOR brought up • report from the Markets
Improvement Committee of the proceedings under the
reference to obtain designs, plans, &c... for the meat and
poultry market to be erected at Smithfield, and for authority
to select from the designs sent i• a limited number for the
approval of the court.
The report was agreed to, and the court shortly afterwards
adjourned.

RAILWAY PASSENGERS' SIONAL.—Mr. Edmund
Tattersall's plan for giving railway passengers a means of
communication with the guard in case of accident wee yes-
terday submitted to the chairman and directors of the
London and South Western, at the Waterloo Station. A
carriage on that line had been placed at his disposal for
some time peat, fitted up with the apparatus, under the
superintendence of the engineer of the company, and several
trials run with it, sad with perfect success. The trials
were repeated yesterday in presence of the officials above
mentioned, and with results which were gratifying to ell
present. The invention, which is patented, points out at
once to the guard, by day or night, the carriage, and even
the oompartmeot, from which the alarm signal is given.
Each passenger mu use the signal without moving from his
mat. sod each carriage km its ova aspirate apparatus.