The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-23 00:00:00

THE WARD MOTES.

St. Thomas's Day having fallen on Sunday, the
election of Common Councilmen and Ward officers fur the
coming year was pestponed until yesterday by virtue of a
precept addressed to the Aldermen of the variant wards by
the Right lion. the Lord Mayer. In several wards the
present members were returned without opposition, and
the changes being comparatively few, little it any excite-
ment prevailed in these that were contested.

FARRINGDON WITHOUT.
The annual wardmote was held yesterday at the
Old Bailey—Alderman Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P., in the

chair.

MR. PTARSON'S SCHEME OP CITY IMPROTEMTXTB.
Mr. LOWE observed that since the last meeting of the
wardmoto two or three events had occurred which would

materially affect the inten•sts of the ward. In the first
place, the inhabitants had lost the great market of Smith-
field, the legislature, in its wisdom, having thought fit to
pass an act of parliament fur its removal .(llear, hear.)
Now, he thought there was no one who would not admit
that this must prove a great injury to the wars and City
generally, but more particularly to those who lived in the
locality of Smithfield itself. (Hear, hear.) There was
formerly a market held in Farringdon-street, and then
called the " Fleet Market," and when that was removed to

its present site the property in that street suffered a consi-
derable loss. A friend of his, who carried on a grocery
business there, had declared to him that the week after
the removal of the nett-market he took 301. less than he

was in the habit of doing previous to that event. (Hear.,
Indeed, he could assure them, from what be knew of the
household property in the neighbourhood, that it had fallen
off at least 30 per cent. It would, therefore, be a most im-
portant thing if they could fiud • plan by which they
might recover back to the ward the business which had
been sacrificed by the removal of the one market, and that
might be expected to follow the loss of the other—a plan 'I
which would also enable them to tune to profitable account
the sites which he had named. The project of • railway
communication with the City, which hail been started b., I
Mr. Charles Pearson, appeared to him likely to effect all I
these objects; and he thought it was their duty to give it
all the encouragement in their power. (Cheers.) The
citizens had suffered a great amount of loss when
the railKova were first established, owing to the discon-
tiimauce of the old fashioned four-horse coaches. Before then
there was a large number of inns in a flourishing condition
and full of customers ; and such inns, he need not tell them,
always brought a great deal of business to their respective
neighbourhoods. (Hear, hear.) The Belle Sauvage used
to let for a thousand a year; but now it was not doing, he
was afraid, very well at 2all. (Hear, Lear.) The Swan
with Two Necks and many other exceedingly valuable inns
had also experienced a very great loss of business owing to
the remoteness of the termini of the railways. Now the
proposed city railway would not only bring back the rail-
way passengers, but it would pass over a great deal of land
which was occupied with houses of • very inferior if not of
a very disreputable description. (Hear, hear.) It would
clear out those scenes of iniquity which existed in the
neighbourhood of Field-lane, and Turnmill-street; and it
would likewise, get rid of the vexed question relating to
Bolt ortehill and Skinner-street. (Hear, hear.) It would
do much also to relieve Fleet-street from its present exces-
sive
traffic ; fur now the large waggons coming from Pick- I
fird's, which would naturally have taken the line of New-
zate-street and Holborn, were in the habit of going along
Fleet street and up Chancery-lane to avoid the bad gre-
dient, of the fonner route. In conclusion he felt convinced
that Mr. l'earson'a great scheme deserved the most cordial
support of the corporation, and therefore he begged to move
the following resolution That it is the opinion of this
wardinute that it would be highly desirable that the railway
proposed by Mr. Charles Pearson, the City. Solicitor, to
come down the valley of the Fleet into Farnngden-street.
should be carried into effect; and that our representatives
in the Common Council be respectfully requested to give
it all their assistance and support." (Loud cheers.)
Mr. KIRK mconded the resolution, and remarked that
as the proposed plan would facilitate the despatch of the
mails, it would he advantageous, not only to the metropolis,
but to the nation at large. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. lIERAPATH supported the resolution. When
railways were brat established the large towns were afraid
of them, but they had since been almost ready to eat their
fingers' ends fur having committed such • blunder. The
same sort of prejudice existed abroad, and if they wished to
sec its fruits they had only to look at Mechlin. That tows
was literally ruined by the policy it had pursued. (Hear,
hear.) A new town was springing up and the old one wen
rapidly decaying. The same sort of thing was happening
nearer home, at Kingston; and such would always be
found to be the result. He should support the proposition
with the greatest possible pleasure. (Cheers.)
Mr. I'OTTER, as an inhabitant of the desolate market of
Farringdon, thought the scheme would be beneficial to the
City generally, but he hoped they would see if something
could not be done to compensate the tenants of Farringdem.
market. (Loud laughter.)
The motion was carried without • dissentient voice.
CORPORATION RIFORM.
Mr. lIERAPATIL said they were aware that a bill bad
been prepared by the Court of Common Council for the
refbrm of that body. That bill would effect a very great
improvement, but it possessed one essential fault that would
completely mar that improvement—namely, it made no
provision for the equalisation of the wards. (Cheers.) It
appeared to him that any pion of reform that did not em-
brace such an equalisation would be futile and absurd.
(Hear, hear.) The Court of Common Council had shown
great timidity in dealing with the matter, and it would
therefore be desirable for the werdmote to express their
wishes on the subject. He begged to propose--.. That this
wardmote respectfully requests the Common Council to watch
over and sec that the bill about to be introduced into the
House of Commons for the reform of the municipality of
the City of London be carried out to the fullest extent, and
not frittered away by amendments, but rather, if possible,
to make the same more beneficial, br having a fair and
equitable proportion of representatives allotted to each
ward, according to the population of such ward." (Cheers.)
Mr. LOWE seconded the resolution. Their own ward
paid one fifth of the assessment of the whole city, but it
had only one-twelfth of the representation. lie thought,
however, that 16 common councilmen were enough for the
ward, and that the smaller wards ought to have their num•
bee diminished.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY, M.P., remarked that efforts
had of late been made to depreciate the importance of the
City ; and though it was true that its sleeptag population
was only 126,000, yet in the day time it contained at least
half • million ; and when they considered the extent
of its commerce they must see that it still maintained
its position es the heed municipality of the country.
He considered that the time had amved when every
parliamentary borough ought to have a municipality;
but that they ought never to submit to the centralisiug ten-
dencies of the day. He alluded more particularly to the
gees water question, and to the interment of the dead.
(Hear, hear.) It was true that the government plans had
failed on their very threshold, but what could be expected
when they wished to remove what had been from time im-
memorial under parochial jurisdiction, and to place it in the
hands of three Utopian individuals? (Cheers.) He consi-
dered that the city had act • bright example by introducing
the bill, and that the measure would have the effect of
raising up • power in its behalf which would enable it to
withstand any attacks. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. CHARLES BUTLER suggested an amendment,
calling on the Common Council either by their own powers,
ce by introducing a clause in their bill, to re-adjust the
somber of representatives.
Mr. ItICHA.RD TAYLOR saidthe Common Council bad
itself the power to readjust the representation; and that
15 or 20 years ago it had exercised its right by striking off
about 40 from the number returned by the smaller wards.
(Hear, hear.) After having been connected with the Com-
mon Council for 32 years, he felt bound most emphatically
is declare that he had never known any public body less
spa to the charge of jobbery. (Cheers.) The proposition
of the TiIACS to erect one vast municipality which should
intend from Brentford to Woolwich was perfectly absurd.
(Cheers.)
After some further discussion, Mr. Herapath's resolution
was unanimously agreed to.
The common councilmen were then elected without oppo-
sition, • circumstance which has not occurred within the
last fourteen years.

THE MARBLE ARCH.—From an official document
just issued it is shown that the cost of taking down, re-
moving, and reinstating the marble arch was little short of
11,0004.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.—It is stated in
the Report of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests just
published, that the commissioners have sold a piece of
ground from Charlotte-street to Long-acre as a site for
baths and washhouses fur St. Giles and St George's pa-
rishes. The parishes have paid 2,650!. for the site. A sum
of 30,000!. has been appropriated by the commissioners to-
wards the expense of forming and completing a line of street
between Southwark and Westminster Bridge. The com-
missioners have lent 30,0001. to the Westminster Improve-
ment Commissioners to enable them to complete and open
the new street from Westminster Abbey to Pimlico. The
property purchased by the Comaniuioners of Woods and
Forests to enable them to open a new street from the Lon-
don Docks to Spitalfields church, amounted to 108,2141.,
which has been raised by a duty of ld. per ton on coals im-
ported into the City of London.