The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-17 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a court was held for the dispatch of
public business. The Loan MAYOR laid before the court
the opinion delivered by Mr. Wilde, of the Bar, on the
question of the pririleges.
The RECORDER was about to read the opinion of the
learned gentleman to whom the cue had been referred,
when a long discussion took place se to the propriety of read-
ing it. Ultimately, the court:resolved to refer the opinion
and the question as to holding a conferesce with the Com-
mittee of Aldermen to a committee of the whole court.
The RECORDER requested to be allowed to represent, in a
few words, the position in which he stood with respect to
the privileges o the corporation. He had received from
the City Solicitor a copy of the questions submitted by the
committee of the whole court for counsel's opinion.
These questions appear,fi to him to involve matters of
paramount importance connected with the ancient muni-
cipal constitution of the city of London, and were so
comprehensive, and, at the same time, se very
vague, that to give an opinion upon them without a case,
would be a matter of insuperable difficulty. To send such
questions to a professional gentleman, without accompany-
ing them with a case, was without a precedent in the history
alma practice. The court might as well require from
him a statement of all that had occurred from the days of
Richard the First to the days of Victoria the First. (Hear,
hear.) He earioney advised the court, that it would not
be to the interest of the court that he, who occasionally sat
as a city judge, should be called upon to define any matter
of the kind, and he certainly considered that opinions given
upon such loose interrogatives would not he worth • gargle
farthing.
Mr. Wins immediately moved that the Recorder be
excused from giving answers to the questions propounded
by the court.—Mr. ASH VEST thought the Recorder's object
was to shake off the other officera—The Recounos said
the questions had been propounded brthe City Solicitor,
his inferior officer.—Mr. T. H. HALL aid not think the
Recorder was justified indeclining to answer questions.
Alderman II MCP HIRT moved that the town clerk be
excused from answering the questions.—Mr. KING seconded
the motion.—Mr. L. Taytime said be was decidedly of
opinion that any officer who was not competent to answer
the questions propounded was no longer lit to fill the office
he held.—Mr. AsatVR.T said the court had set a bad example
in excusing the Recorder. He altogether disapprovea of the
project of obtaining the conjoint opinion of the officers.—
The court decided against the question that the town clerk
be excused, and proceeded to the orders of the day.
CORPORATION OP LONDON REFORM. —ht P. ABRIIRET
brought up the report of the committee of the whole court,
embodying the resolutions passed on Friday last, and con-
tained en our paper of yesterday. lie stated that the ques-
t tion differed in principle from that on which the lord mayor
had exercised his power in opposition to the strongly ex-
pressed feeling of the court, and he moved the first resolu-
tion, to the effect that the corporation repaired reform,
which could only be effected by the aid of parliament.—Mr.
L. TAYLOR seconded the motion.

The resolution was, after a few observations, agreed to.
Mr. AMP fun' then moved that " That the court had the
right to regulate its own proceedint."—Mr. ANDEETON se-
conded the motion.—Mr. COPE paid he should oppose the
motion, so he denied that the court had a right to put ques-
tions in such a form. The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Mutuar finally proposed the following resolution:
" That that portion of the report agreed to this day which
refers to reforms requiring the aid of parliament, be referred
back to the committee of the whole court to consider aad

roTh
e LORD MAYOR refused to put the question, and said he
considered that it would be necessary to give notice of the
last motion, an observation at which several members ex-
pressed the utmost surprim, and some of them expressed
great indignation•
-

OROCEIM' AND TEA-DEALERS' BENEVOLENT PRO-
Tscriox Socirri.—The tenth annual meeting to receive
the report of the central committee, sad for other purposes,
was held lest evening at the London Tavcrn, Mr. W. Bewsll
presiding. The committee in their report first noticed the
confirmation of a principle in the society, by which its
benefits are extended to an merchants, brokers, importers of
and dealers in colonial or other foreign produce, and all
others whose principal business is connected with the trade
of a grocer or tea-dealer. The income of the peat year was
1,4921. 3a., and the investments during the same period bad
been 6001. 31 per cent. annuities. tacking the total amount
invested in that stock 10,0001., yielding en annual dividend,
free of income-tax, of 3441. 10s. During:the peat yes:, four
vacancies for pensioners had taken place; the total
number admitted up to the present time wee 49
and there were at present 31, receiving annually 6541.
The receipts of the society, including the balance of 431. from
the last account, was 1,636/. ; out of which a present balance
remains of 1631. 15s. 6d. The report was adopted on the
motion of Mr. Kellam, and carried unanimously. The
chairman and other officers of the gimlet, were then re-elected,
and Mears. Payne, Kellam, and Piroidge were elected
honorary secretaries in the room of Mr. Richards, whom ill-
health had compelled to resign the office, but who was
immediately constituted a vice-president. Several alterations
were then agreed to with regard to rides the principal of
which was, that all elections of pensioners shall take place in
January end July in each year, and shall be by ballot ; and
should the poll in any easebe equal,the chairman to have the
casting vote; and that the total number of votes polled at
I any election on behalf of an unsuccessful candidate, shall be
carried forward to the credit of such candidate at the suc-
ceeding election. The proceedings terminated after some
routine business and complimentary votes of thaaka.
The LATE Me. WILLIAM CLOWEJL-11s• dock in
trade and personal 'property of this celebrate& pekter has
been valued at 90,0001. ilfith the exceptioe el • kw be-
quests, vis., to his modem, and to his Mod NA old as-
sistant Mr. D. Phipps, sad M hie servants, be arms of the
whole of his property anmelet his eight Whim la certain
proportions, and the residue squally immeio *ma,
JENNY LEND.—TL.IIIBOWinM & Unmask= of a
letter which has bass dismal to Mr. Bann by Amy Lind.
lad the beam of sVr your Mem of Ilth De-
cember, lie, 111 whiteyes to ems to aim ifial IMO
&MIN at OVIONWiIId
Terz=ftily anement
Mk my Nem= kerne mew, me Tea
my
=st year Orme lemblie. mewl vett?: less
dm you bed est at Se tbse dart tbe amkm "PM.
lope trembiel
yleleigtase MOM I ems repine to
sew bmare tesm OM kb sahle, br ought \slim anoint
ef Mime yield yea nail bet 1 ea delmmlael you Mall

not tax se again with b 14th, howler little I any deserve wall a
reproach, and I offer tom you the WM of 2,01161. en year returning
the paper elowd by me to the prism I ehaJdzaint for
easing
ei4wirpolles
As 1 shall, in all canal. douse to London, pre*, *alb
the cosaciomancla of wing done all that depended ipso se, sad I
leave It to your daW and judgment whether pan will prefer deb
arrangement to ■ kw wit from which you wow* desire nothing.
—(84.1d) MOM LOW

_ -
FlRM—Yesterday morning a fire woo discovered
upon the premises in the occupation of Id,. Pittman, No, 57,
Elizabeth-ebreet, Hackney-road. It began in Ike lower floor
of the Mese. The inmates at the time were In their beds
Mem. Mr.. Penman made an crape in bar night-clothe,
over the roof of the premises, and the rensainarr of the occu-
pants got out of the back windows. The intelligence having
been promptly forwarded to the firestatimasi the Whitet".
street brigade engine arrived, and having been set to wort,
the firemen tumid, din getting the fire extinguished, but not
I until considerable damage was dose. Mr. Putman was insured
I in the Phcenix.— —About the same hour a tire broke out its
I the wine-cellar under No. 9, New Broad-street, City. the pro.
perty of Mem.. Butler and James, wine-merchants _ The
Jeffrey's-square engine and an escape of the Royal Society
were speedily on tho spot, and the tire was soon extinguished.
—Another fire took place in the premises of Mr. Alexander
Young, maltster, in Church-lane, Fulhim. It originated in
the malt-house, from a spark flying out of the kiln. The
parish engine, with two of the brigade from town, and that
of the West of England Company, attended. The fire was soon
subdued, not, however, until the window, and door. on the
ground floor, together with the joistings and flooring., were
burned, and the stock damagtil by water.—A fourth fine
broke out at 24, Williant•street, Lant-sheet, Borough, be-
longing to Mr. Ridler, chandler. The engines of the brigade
attended, and tie damage wan confined to the destruction of
a number of books, and injury to the stock in trade and
fixtures. Insured in the Sun rice.

INQUESTS, YESTERDAY.—THE COLLISION ON THE
Rivers—By adjournment, before Mr. Lewis, at the World's
End: Tilbur; Fort to inquire concerning the death of
James Emmett and IL nry Shillebcer, who, with twe others,
were drowned in the schooner Rom. Theresa Odder, an un-
dertaker living at Gravesend, proved finding the bodies in
the wreck off Hole Haven. She was on the Essex short,
He conveyed them to Gravesend but the Kest
fused to act In the matter. Ills teen removed them into
Rases. The jury censured him for removing them out of
the jurisdiction in which they were found. The coroner said
it was not the first time he had been guilty of such a pro-
ceeding.—John Church, a bargeman, said that on the morn-
ing of the 28th ult. he was with his barge in the river off Hell
Haven. He brought up there about 2 o'clock. It was moon-
light. There were several Teasels moored neer his barge.
The nearest was the schooner Rose. She was at anchor
about a quarter of a mile off the spit of Hole Haven. His
vessel was anchored between the Rove and the shore. The
tide was ebbing—it had been about three hours. The first he
saw of the steamer was at half-past three o'clock, she was
corning down to the north' ard along the Essex or north
shore, at the time he was at his' mast-head, shifting a sail
from the larboard to the starboard side. As the steamer
approached, he remarked to his mate that there would he
pretty work with her, for she was coning direct upon the
schooner. When he first saw her, she appeared to be going
at full speed, but she seemed to be eased on coming up to the
bay. Her engines were working, up to the moment of the
collision. She struck the schooner on her larboard side with
great force, sinking her in his than two minutes. The
steamer brought up in about halfa-mile after the collision.
There were no vessels sailing up the river to the south'ard of
mid-channel at the time. There were several light brigs at
anchor about the schooner.—By the Coroner Was panties
there were no vessels to prevent the stemmer going down mid-
channel. The schooner Rose was lying out of the course
of large vessels and steamers. Could sot tell the
proper course steamers should take. If the steamer had net
slouch the schooner she might have gone ashore. Wes
thistly ef opinion that if a good look-out had been kept on
board the steamer the collision could have been avoided.
Saw no vessels to prevent her going deer of the Rose. She
was moored in the place vessels usually anchor, and out of
danger. He put a boat off to rave the crew of the schooner,
and picked up the muter, Mr. Webber. He took him on
board the steamer, and a person, whom be understood to be
the captain, said it was a bad job the steamer would
not answer her helm. Robert Jessup, the mate of
the barge, corroborated the previous witness's testi-
Dicey. The steamer was out of her course. He
a steamer of her sine so does in the northward before. There
were between 40 and 60 vessels lying in the bay near the
schooner. John Frame, the carpenter of the Royal Vit-
toria steam-ship, deposed that his vessel left London for
Leith on Saturday night, the 27th ult., at twelve o'clock.
David Meikelreid had the command of her. On the pilot
leaving her at Gravesend he joined the captain on the
paddle-hog-bridge. He saw the schooner ten minutes before
the cellision. There were several vessels lying ahead, and
noticed two under weigh standing to the northward. They
were so far northward, that the captain said he could not
clear them, so he mile I out for the helm to be put aped
three time., to clear the schooner. The helm did not
answer, when the engines were stopped and reversed. Im-
mediately afterwards, however, she struck the schooner. He
then went forward to let go the anchor.—By the Coroner :
Could not say who was on the look out. Did not know
what occasioned the steamer striking the schooner. Had
seen the Royal Victoria steer as close to the northward as cis
that occasion.—Alexander Hutchinson, engineer of the
Royal Victoria steamer, said that about a second before, he
felt the slight :shockj of the collision, he had orders to stop
and reverse the engines, which he did. She was going at
sixteen revolutions a minute, her full speed. She could not
go faster.—There being no other witnesses, and the coroner
hearing that several disinterested persons, who were on
board vessels at anchor near the schooner, witnessed the
steamer's approach and collision, the inquiry was again ad-
j2uroed, in order that those parties might be summoned.--••
FOUND DROWNED.—Before Mr. Carter, at the White
Lion Rotherhithe, on the body of a man who was
found off the Horseferry, in the river, and had ap-
parently been a ship's carpenter. He had not been
owned..—Mr. Gardner, the constable, explained to the
coroner the new system adopted by the Police Commis-
sinners respecting dead bodies. They had given orders to
their men, that whenever a body was found, the earliest
information should be sent to Scotland-yard. Printed notice.
were then to be forwarded to all the station-houses within
the power of the commissioners, and the notice punted on
the outside, so that persons missing • relation would have only
to go to the station-hour, itautsad of travellisa mile, about—
The Coroner said there weeetwo sawassisas be would throw
out, which would make this excellent pima complete It was
that the parish constable should also sod information, sad
that if parties left a description of a mass at the principal
ofticelhey would send word back when sneh a body was found.
Relatives wool l not then die, as they do now by hundreds
yearly,without knowing what had become of parents, sisters,
or friends. After again recommending the new system, he
repeated he hoped it would have, from its public importance,
the assistance of the pram to give it publicity.

MEETING AT BATH TO PETITION IN FAVOR
OF A POOR.LAW FOR IRELAND.
Yesterday, one of the most influential and numerous
meetings ever held in Beth took place, for the purpose of
adopting petitions to parliament in favour of the measures
proposed by Lord .1. Russell, for the establishment of poor-
laws in Ireland. The meeting was convened by the mayor,
Mr. Barrette, upon a requisition signed by many of the
most influential residents, as well Conservatives as Whigs,
and was held in the large room of the Guildhall, which was
crammed by an audience numbering between 2,000 and
3,000 persons.
The MAYOR, in taking the chair, stated the circum-
stances under which the meeting had been convened,
and expressed himself In favour of the object, as it must
be obvious, that • poor-law for Ireland, upon an efficient
principle, was absolutely requisite.
Da. SEARLE moved the first resolution, expressive of
the satisfaction with which the meeting viewed the deter-
mination of government to provide for Ireland such a aye-
tem of poor-lawn as would compel the Irish landlords to
fulfil their duties by providing) as was done in England, foe
the destitute poor ; and pledgusg those present to support
the government in such an intentions. Dr. Searle argued
that the cause they were met te espouse was not one of
party but one of benevolence ad jades to the poor, both of
Ireland and of Ragland. (Cheate.)
Mr. At. Hoar asunded the radiation.
Mr. J. Km., briefly the mead resolution,
= r de-
manse g apoor-law forl nialiteeition to the •
House of Commons in avow of the measure,
Carried unanimously.
Lord Duncan, H.P., said the great question of the pre-
sent session of parliament was Inland, and the measures to
be pursued in regard to that esmetry. (Has, bear.) He
would not review all the propositions of the mislietry, but it
must be conceded that that data bad bra plead in a
position in which no government MI beiliplmel before,
and in which no ministry would probably be planed again.
Under the difficult circumstances theywas pissed in, therm.
nistry was comfielidisitom:ome down and ask the Meese of Com-
mons to vote vanes of the issZechzfilarad's money
for the relief of In the Ms slaty to
by constituents, bs WWI aces i=e as has conduct
of the landlords of Otani questions,
he was told that he !tisseliVin opprifillt OD the feeling
of the people of Reglad, ems of the sham of Bath.
He had, however, &no Ids duty, and he bad se fear of his
constituents doing their duty. (Hear.) The people of
Rath bad subscribed 5,0001. for the relief of Irish distress,
' but there was a class which had not done Its duty—the land-
kris ef Ireland, (Hear, hear.) The reports in the House
'of Comma showed that they had not done their duty. h
was skew that Lied Lucian, and other noble lords, had not
ATM paid their peer-rates. (Hear.) He had asked why this
was permitted, when the goTerementwee asking for millions
for Ireland, and the next night Lord Liman got up in the
House of Lords, and said if he and Mr. Beebe& abused Ini-
land, they would not get re-elected for Bath. ("Oh, oh," and
hear.) If an English labourer did not pay his rates, hie
goods were taken and sold by the collider i and be had,
therefore, asked how Lord Lucia had get aft it paying his.
Hie question brought forth a letter tram Iltr. Otway, Asa.
tact-Poar-law Commissioner, but it want lir nothing. The
effect of the lax mode of collecting rates to Inland limjim
out of 250,0001. arrears existed to the ansont of 110,000 k ' • ,
(Hear, hear.) He did net object to the ammo of --- ,- ", •
4v :
1 which had been voted for Ireland, nor would ha ovum . . ' -
double :hat rum, could they be assured that s-
would be restored to a proper condition—but ...•'.. ,
the case / He apprehended not; for the same ''‘,",r,t. ' ',.,"
difficulties lay much deeper than the pima iillosiek ' : ~_..:•.: t:- ~,1
was it that English capital flowed to Hong Kong 'Th, .",,,r4'• -",
' ' .. •,>./
tent places, while Ireland lay contiguous to one I,
and possessed mines and land which could be pvgs . , s ....
worked ? It wu because capital would never be e ' . .‘ ..4
in a country where it would be insecure. (Hear.) t wee
said that there was a natural disposition in the Inch people •
to destroy property; but no such thing, it was theirdeititm
tat sad the abacus of hope *hick dim Oleo too moll