The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-07 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON ELECTION ACTS.

Yesterday, at the Court of Common Council,
Mr. Deputy HARRISON brought up the report of the
freedom committee, with the draft of the proposed bill for
amending the City of London Election Acts. He stated
that Sir l'eter Laurie had two motions upon the paper of
business, the one affecting the privileges now possessed by
the freemen householders of the City with reference to the
choice of their own magistrates, the other relating to the
periodical election of magistrates, and he suggested, for the
convenience of the court, that the latter motion should be
first discussed. (Hear, hear.)
Sir PETER LAURIE then rose to move, in accordance
with the suggestion of the chairman of the Freedom Com-
mittee, that, " So much of the proceedings of the court upon
the report of the Freedom Committee as relates to tho peri-
odical election of magistrates, he rescinded, and that notices
to parliament be altered accordingly." Ho was not in-
sensible to the defects of the Court of Aldermen—(" hear,
hear," and a laugh)—but he would unhesitatingly say that
the administration of justice by the aldermen of the City
of London was not surpassed by the exertions and
judgment of any other portion of the magistracy
of the metropolis. (Hear.) Ile maintained that the pe-
riodical election of magistrates was unknown in the
City. It was true that in the time of Edward 11. the
aldermen were elected annually, but the aldermen were not
then magistrates. The law already provided for the
removal of aldermen under certain disabilities. The
Queen's Bench would remove an alderman who was legally
obnoxious. The Court of Aldermen could remove an
alderman upon sufficient reason, upon a petition from a ward,
and what was more powerful than all put together,
public opinion would render an obnoxious alderman totally
powerless and insignificant.
Deputy LOTT seconded the motion.
• • • -

Mr. BENNOCII trusted that the court would not stultify
itself upon that occasion by coming to an adverse vote. Ile
believed that it was essential to the well-being of the cor-
poration of London that the election of the aldermen should
periodically take place. (No.) They had had instances of
this during the last kw years when they bad come into
contact with obstreperous aldermen. (Hear.) He trusted
they would adhere to the principle of the periodical elec-
tion of the aldermen; for, if they persisted in not doing
so, they might be certain that they would cause a general
excitement, which they would be unable to withstand.
Alderman SIDNEI having defended the course he has
taken with reference to the list of voters in Billingsgate
Ward, said he was surprised to hear it said that it was
not possible for tkem to get rid of an alderman who might
prove to he obnoxious. Why, they had it already enacted
that if any person holding the office of alderman, or com-
mon councilman, in the city of London, should declare
himself, or be declared, bankrupt or insolvent, or should
apply to take, or should take, the benefit of any act for the
relief of insolvent debtors, or should make any composition
with his creditors, or should cease to occupy certain pre-
mane., or should altogether absent himself from his duty
for more than six calendar months consecutively, unless
prevented by illness or other reasonable cause, or should
' be convicted of fraud or of any crime, then and in every or
any such case, such person should thereupon immediately
become disqualified. It did not follow that the court
had not the power to act because occurrences of this kind
in that court were extremely rare, and at that rarity
he (Add. Sidney) rejoiced. He believed that if they were
to poll the entire city they would find that to a man the people
were content to leave the magisterial functions in the hands of
the aldermen, rather than throw them into the hands of the
government. (Loud cheers.) lie believed, moreover, that
the system of periodical election was open to many grave
objections, such as the intimidation of parties filling the
magisterial chair, and thus causing a check to the spirit of
justice faithfully administered under the present system.
In conclusion, he entreated the court to agree to rescind
their former proceedings If they did not they would
destroy their position, and the government would no doubt
soon grant them more than they required, for the "de-
structive party," as he might call them, in the House of
Commons, would be most happy to seize an opportunity of
it taking. from them their old and undoubted privileges.
Some further discussion having taken place,

On a division being called for, the numbers were de-
clared to be—

For the motion
For the report of the committee
Majori•y 4i
was received with cheering.—Ad-

The al
jotuned.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

The royal commissioners held a meeting yesterday
at the Crystal Palace at half-past 11 o'clock, His Royal
Highness Prince Albert being present as president of the
commission. The commissioners sat till near 3 o'clock.
The following report wu adopted
" TO TYE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
"May it please your Majesty,—We, the commissioners ap-
pointed by your Majesty's royal warrant of the 3rd January,
1850, for the promotion of the Exhibition of the Works of
Industry of all Nations, and subsequently incorporated by
your Majesty's royal charter of the 15th August, 1850,
humbly beg to submit to your Majesty the following report:
" The Exhibition, for the promotion of which we were ap-
pointed by your Majesty, was finally closed on the 15th of
October of this year, and we humbly beg to report to your
Majesty that the medals and prizes have been awarded to
the successful exhibitors by the juries appointed to judge
on the merits of their productions, and urc in Course of
distribution. The full reports of the juries will be
laid before your Majesty when completed, together
with the list of the successful competitors. We are
now engaged in bringing to a close all the business
connected with the Exhibition, and in defraying the
various expenses incurred during its progress. Most
of the claims on the funds at our disposal, however, are
already discharged, and after all shall have been satisfied, a
considerable surplus will remain, the precise amount of
which cannot be ascertained uutil the accounts arc finally
wound up, when they will be duly laid before your Ma-
jesty, but which surplus we have reason to believe will not
be less than 150,0001.
" This surplus will consist in the balance that may remain
in our hauls after deducting all expenditure from the sum
of (in round numbers) 503,0001., which has been derived
from the following sources :
Subscriptions £67,400
Entrance fees 421,400
Casual receipts

Total J:505,000

" Of the entrance fees, a portion has been paid by foreign
visitors, and it was owing to the fact that the contributions
of all nations were there displayeti, that the number of
visits made by persons attracted to the Exhibition amounted
to upwards of 6,000,000.
" The subscriptions were derived, with few exceptions,
solely fiom your Majesty's subjects, and were made after a
public announcement :that they must be ' absolute and
definite,' but that should any surplus remain it was the
intention of your Majesty's commissioners 'to apply the
same to purposes strictly in connexion with the ends of the
Exhibition, or fur the establishment of similar Exhibitions
fur the future.' .

"We humbly beg to renresent to your Majesty that we
arc of opinion that it is nut advisable to apply the surplus to
thelast-named purpose. Considering that the Exhibition
which has just closed has afforded ample proof that an un-
dertaking of this kind can be made self-supporting, and that
it may safely he left to the public again to ptovide, when
required, the means of meeting the preliminary expenses,—
considering also the impossibility of fixing long Isefore-
hand any definite period for the repetition of such
an Exhibition, which requires for its success so
many concurrent circumstances,—we arc of opinion,
that greater benefit may he derived by the public from a
judicious application in the interval of the means at our dis-
posal to the furtherance of the general objects for which the
xhibitiun was designed, and in such a manner that the
advantages which may be obtained should not he confined
solely to your Majesty 3 subjects, but should be shared, as
far as it may be possible, by other countries.
"Those objects your Majesty's commissioners conceive to
have been the furtherance of every branch of human indus-
try, by the comparison of the prucessea employed, and of
the results obtained by all the nations of the earth, and
by the promotion of kindly international feelings, by the
practical illustration of the advantages which may be de-
rived by each country from what has been done by others.
Your Majesty's commissioners have the satisfaction to be
able to express' to your Majesty their conviction that the
Exhibition has, to a great extent, attained these objects,
and that in its consequences the most beneficial results may
yet be expected.
Already many requirements on the part of the public
have become apparent during the course of the Exhibition,
and have found expression in various suggestions made to
us fur the application of the surplus; many of them, how-
ever, were for objects quite inconsistent with the pledges
above alluded to, whilst others, though for purposes in ac-
cordance with them, were of a limited, partial, or local
character. _
. . .

" Your Majesty's commissioners are of opinion that no
measures could be so strictly in accordance with the ends
of the Exhibition no those which may increase the means of
industrial education, and extend the influence of science
and art upon productive industry. We arc fully aware
of the difficulty of devising a comprehensive plan to meet
these objects ; should the view, however, which we have
taken as to the manner of fulfilling tea pledges meet with
your Majesty's approbation, we beg to assure your Majesty
that we shall give our fullest and most careful consideration
to this important subject, and we would suggest that
full time should be nlliirdcd us to consider and mature such
a plan as we should feel warranted in laying Winn your
Majesty, the more so as from the disproportion between
the end proposed and the means at present applicable to
it, much will depend on the extent of co-operation we may
receive from the public.
44 We are advised, however, that our powers under your
Majesty's royal charter will cease when all the expenses inci-
dental to the Exhibition shall have been discharged and
notice thereof given to your Majesty's Secretary of State,
and that we have not the power of deciding upon the dis-
posal of the surplus.
lf, therefore, it be your Majesty's pleasure that we
should act further in this matter it will be necessary, Wore
we can take even any preliminary step, that your Majesty
should grant to us by royal charter such further powers as
your Majesty may deem necessary, to enable us to lay be-
fore your Majesty a scheme for the application of the sur-
plus in accordance with the expectations held out to the
public, and with the sanction and approval of your Majesty
to adopt such measures as may be necessary fur such
purpose.
All which we humbly take leave to report to your
Majesty.
" Given under our corporate seal this 6th day of Novem-
ber, in the year of our Lord Mil.
(Signed) " ALBERT,
" President of the Commissioners for tho
" Exhibition of ISM."