The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-23 00:00:00

GRE.4T FIRE AT PARIS.

Our Paris correspondent says:—" A terrible fire
MA* out on Saturday night in the quarter of the Rue St.
Martin, and entirely destroyed *even houses in the Rues
Beaubourg and Montmorency. It was hoped op to a late
hour to-day (Monday) that no live. bad been lost, hut I
learn this ereemg that the dead bodies of a M. Desjardies,
hu son and daughter, inhabitants of the de►troyed Comm,
I.aoe been found among the ruin+. The fire first showed
itself in the warehouse+ of a furniture

gad

rapidly extended to the adjoining houses, the ground Boors
of which were also occupied by furniture dealers,
and the upper part principally by workmen. The
families were surprised in their sleep, and had
barely time to save themselves without any part of their
property. The fire brigade, with that promptitude for which
it is famous was soon upon the spot with the commandant
of the force, M. Condamine, at its head. Eight engines
were epeedily at work, but owing to the combustible na-
ture of the contents of the bedding the fire spread with
their ful rapidity, and threatened destruction to the entire
quarter. Two generals, MM. Conreud and Carbuccia,
with a large body of troops, the minister of the interior,
M rersigny, and the prefect of police, were upon the
ground shortly after the fire brigade. Unfortunately water
wee wanting, the mein conduit from the Seine being cat
oft owing to the works at the bridge of Notre Dame.
Altboegh all the neighbouring wells were opened, and the
waterearrieni pressed into the service by the pollee need
their utmost exertions, it was found necessary to leave the
seven bowies to their fate, and direct every effort to cave
those in the neighbourhood. Many of the blinds
on the opposite isle of the Beaubourg and Montmorency
streets caught fire. The conflagration was not get wader
till • o'clock yesterday morning. Two or three firemen
and some of the military were 1. ly injured. The
amo•ut of damage is estimated at • millms of francs. A
telegraphic despatch was sent to Fontainbleau in the morn-
left, to inform the Emperor of the occurrence. The Minis-
ter of the Interior before leaving the spot left 500 franca
with the mayor of the arrowlimement, towards the relief of
the eureeeen; subscriptions are opened try several principal
tradesmen in the neighbourhood, and receiving-boxes are
affixed to the corners of the streets leading to the teen. of
the catastrophes.'

FoG.—Last night the metropolis was visited
by a fog of unusual density, even for November. A great
many accident, occurred, some of them of a very serious
Wort

CITY Cr.RPORA TION COMMIS&IO.V. I

- e -

The Commissioners resumed the inquiry yesterday
Mr. Labouthere 111_ the dui!:

James Cherry, Mayor of Yon:Loath, exe.aluid, lye said
—1 have come here for the purpose of representing to the I
commission the prejuiieial eff,eis of certain du. e which an
imposed in the port of LAndnu nn corn. The duties he
which I refer are those of metope, fillage, lastage, peso
forage, Lord Mayor's dues, and some others. These dooml
are not lasied on grain coming into London by railway.
IThe consequence is, that the shipping interest was ',spend
to an unfair competition in the case of the importation at
grain. The amount of the duties so imposed is about 414.
OS each quarter of corn. The shipping interest could cur
pets with the railway companies if these duties were atm-
lished. In the year 1847 there were 56,000 quarters at
malt and 210,000 quarters of barley, making altogether
266,000 quarters. exported in ships from Yarmouth to Lon-
don. But in 1812 there were exported only 65,000 quarters
of wilt and 31,000 quarters of barley, making altogether
I 86,000 quarters. I attribute this decline of the trade to the
I unfair competitive of the shipping trade with the railw*y
companies. I presume the trade has gone to the railway
companies.
Mr

Ar. Lewis—Have you any evidence to prove that ?
Witness—No; the railway returns could ..lone prove it.
A think that the shipping interest could compete with the
railways were it not for these dues. The exports of corn
from Norfolk were at least as great in 1852 as they were in
1817.

A deputation tram Marylebone waited on the commission
with • statement complaining of the tax on coals, which
amounted to 21.0,0001., of which Marylebone contributed
20.0001. Mr. Belton stated that they were • deputation
appointed by • public meeting, which represente I the
opinions and feelings of the psrisb of Marylebone on the
subject. The tax on public lights alone, which were 4,000
in number in Marylebone, was greater by 4001. in conse-
quence of the coal tax. The coal duties, which were levied
for the payment of the sums expended on London-bridge
and its approaches, were paid off, sad yet the duties were
still continued.

iill:-.1;;;;;----Waa Dot New Oaford•street built out of that

Witten—Yes, all the expense that fell on the public was
borne out of that fund. The parish, however, had to bear
some expense. There are improved ground rents to a con-
siderable amount arising from the new street, which we
. .

think ought to go to the paying off t e fund, without our
being called on to continue the payment of the coal dues,
Mr. Lewis—Do you think it would be possible to make
each an improvement as that of New Oxford-street from •

parochial ;ate ?
Witness—l think it might be possible to de so. The
coal tax falls very severely on the poor of the parish. I
think a coal tax is an objectionable form of raising money.
The people of Reading can buy coals for 2r. 6,1. less thao
the people of LAdon, although the coals for the supply of
!Leading must pass through London. Maryleboue is
managed under Hohhouse's Act, and as far as I know the
people do not wish for any change. Our fear is that if
we had • municipality it would destroy the elected
vestry, and that would not be as improvement so far as
Merylebone is concerned. I don't think it would be an
improvement to the parish of llaryleboas to be joined
with the other two parishes that form the borough.
The cart duties ars another grievance of which we have to
complain. These duties are let for 6,0001., and I believe
they return 10,0001. The cart tat is levied most harshly
cad ungenerously, because the tee of 6d. was levied every
time that • loaded cart passes the toll collectors' boundaries
Mr. Bennoeh was then recalled and cont'nued his eel-
dence—l think the eldermea perform their duties to toe
best of that ability. But I waiald have paid magistrates in
the City, who would devote all their time to their =mgt.-
terial duties. My objection to the Court of Aldermen is,
that they hold the purse strings of the corporation as much
as the g 1 body. The aldermen have the power of
awarding sums of money to the decayed Wadies of their
own members. The Court of Cisnimon Councilmen do the
same thing in a different way. They appoint persons to
situatious. The property of the corporation is exceedingly
well managed as regards rents, and there are no better land-
lords. Their property is very much within the City. I think
the estates are well managed es regards the property itself.
I believe that nothing can be better managed than the
sewers of the City, and the accounts as to the sewers are
exceedingly clear. But this was in consequence of the ap-
pointment of prover auditors. The gross income of
the corporation is 215,.5721. The revenue from rents and
quit rents is 86,3111. ; renewal fund, 12,8001. ; markets,
20,6961. ; tolls and duties, 6,9111. ; offices—a curious term,
which means the coal duty and corn metage-73,1691. ; be-
quests, 1321. ' • brokers' rent', 3,7661.; freedoms, 8401. ;
Interest, 1,3921.; charitable foundations, 1,2001.; casual
ue, 6,4.591.; making a total of 216,6171. But in addi-
thin to this revenue they derive from this navigation com-
mittee 8,3771..; from the consolidated sewers rate, 66,8611. ;

from general dues, 19,4261. ; from the Bridge estates,
47,0211. • making a total of 355,356/. The revenue of the
Irish Soviet y and 30,0001. police rate is not included in this
aggregate. I apprehend the whole revenue of the corporation
I. about 400,0001. The expsuse of administering this fund
(and this is an important point, as on it I believe thejudg-
meat of the corporation must chiefly be founded) is as fol-
low*: general expenses of officers, 38,6721. ; legal solaria,
14,7801. ; legal expeons, 4,6001. ; pensions to the relations
of officers, 3,8441.; ditto to the relations of aldermen, 5801.;
parliamentary expenses, 14,0671. • committees' allowances,
0001., but 1 believe it amounts nolly to 4,0001. ;
1061. • printing and stationery, 3,1821.; state coach and
AWL clothing, 774/ ; disbursements through the hall-
keeper and petty officers, 4,0671.; that item will require
explanation. Then there is a variety of sundries, amount-
ing altogether to 14,6881. The total amount is 107,8781.,
end this sum is expended to administer the balance of
255,357/. One of the items of expenditure set down in the
ilerounts is 1331. for clothing for the great ministers of state.
This was given in former times, in consequence of some
Itgranted to the corporation.
Chairman—Can you say what great officers of state
resolve this clothing ?
Mr. Bennoch—l believe the first minister gets some, and
I kcow the Lord Chancellor does. There is a sum of
2621. for printing and emblazoning the address presented to
the President of France. I find that there is a sum of
19,6261. in the accounts under the bead of " Lodging
Hewn far the labouring poor." Any one would suppose
frees this that so much mon had been expended for this
ITT:But it is not so. This sum is part of a balance
Finsbury estate, which is held in trust, and being so
held it was not thought right to bring it into the genital
account. It was, therefore, resolved to apply it to a parti-
solar purpose, bet the foundations of the lodging homes
were net pot laid. The sum lies by to be used on some
future eemelme.
The Chalmem—Have the corporation expended anything
L Ma and tenehhouses ?
Mr. Stoma—Not one peon y except 601. or lOW given
ea sod spin to some ones to the neighbourhood, though
llama they intend to build so in connection with the
new street from Farringdon*strat. The tax on coals is
NM. ton, of which the city receives Id. for the expense
ofdetlisafien. They receive and appropriate' to public la-
under act of parliament, 44., and the remaining
iL irialinsid
handed over to the government for the purpose of
making general metropolitan improvements. Out of that
hind New Oxford.street was constructed. Most of the im-
provements in and about Traf nate and New
Coventry-attest, and about 90,0001. is now iyhigtelhe
await of the borough of Southwark for a aew MOM Sem
the Town Hall to Southwark Bridge-road. The Mai lea,
therefore ie not badly expended. The copoistka bee
alas of therefor,
~rob to answer for without
patting ea mos them whisk they do not deserve. The
411 par a hi applicable to city improvements alone.
1 Sri dot the pane tax has been &woefully borne, and I
hams that a tax tee improvements would be also borne
awfully. The soar the tax as soak is abolished, the
better. The expenditure in nonexion with the offices of
the City of Lon is math larger than that of the civil
federal government of the United Ban. What is more
startling still, it expends on itself, se shinietering the
funds of the eorporatim, more than the age amount re-
ceived frees rants, tolls, and fees trees balms, which
form the three great items of its issemo. The corporation
of Manehester manage funds to theamment of 41111,111111. at a
cost of 8,8491, and this includes water works and gas, which
in London are managed by private eampanies. If I include
the townships of Manchester, I lad that the corporation
there manage the expenditure of funds to the amount
of 535,2821. for 11,0001., or 60 per cent. more than
the corporation of London manages for 107,0001.
Mr. Lewis—Who orders the payments in the City of
London ?
Mr. Bennoch—The general rule is that no money of a
general nature is paid except by the chamberlain on the
order of the Court of Aldermen or the Court of Common
Council. _ .

Mr. Lewis directed the attention of the witness to a para-
graph in the report of the last commission, in which it was
st►ted that the Court of Common Council paid the mast
scrupulous attention to the expenditure and disbursements,
and asked if he thought it was a correct representation.
Mr. Benumb—lt is as far from my opinion as truth is far
from falsehood. I don't know what the court may have
been. I believe that many persons have been returned for
the purpose of trying to effect improvements, end after
several ineffectual attempts at reform, have retired in
dis rest.
Mr.
What is your opinion as to the hospitality
earrcived by the Lord Mayor ?
Witness—l t►ink if one were to judge from the number
of applications for tickets to the Lord Mayor's hospitality,
that its abolition would be considered a national calamity.
This feeling arises from the desire to see what has been so
much talked of, but w►en people have seen the inaugural
dinner, they only have to laugh at it.
Mr. Lewis—What is your opinion of the Lord Mayor's
show ?
Witness—l believe that it is seen with universal coo-
-1 tempt. The expense of the Lord Mayor's show is b,rne
half by the Lord Mayor and half by the Sheriffs, who are
most unjustly called on to contribute a quarter each. The
Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs have no control at all
over a great many of the invitations to the Lord Mayor's
inauguration dinner. This year one of the sheriffs Ins de-
clined to contribute to the expense of the dinner, and the
con•eqqucnce is that the Lord Mayor has debited himself
with 11.16ths of the expense, and the second sheriff with
5-16ths. One of the sheriffs, therefore, this year will have
to par 9001. instead of 4001. or 6001 ; and the Lord Mayor
1,400/. or 1,60 W. instead of 1,000!. or 1,200/. The system
pursued with respect to the election of sheriffs is open to
grave objection. There are always • set of conspirators
surrounding the Guildhall, who pounce on a person the
moment he was named sheriff, for the purpose of compel-
ling him to serve or pay the fine.
Mr. Benooch here handed in a scheme, which he had
draw* up for dividing London into nice municipalities,
with their fin wads Pad coancillon.