The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-08 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a court was held for the despatch of
public business.
WINDOW-RILEARINO.—AIderman Wilson called the atten-
tion of the court to the fact that window-breaking had much
increased and that the spirit of mischief had inermwed along
with it to a disproportionate extent, for the delinquents
broke the most valuable windows when their object of being
locked up in prison could be gained by smashing windows in
the same houses of comparatively no value. For instance,
in his ward, on the day before, a pane had been broken
which coat 951. lie trusted that a clause would be intro-
duced into one of the bills to be brought into parliament by
the government calculated to remedy the evil by making the
offence, upon repetition twice or thrice, punishable by trans-
portation for seven or fourteen years. The suggestion was
eventually adopted.
Tax PRISONERS IN OILTSI•OR-STREET COMPEER.—
Alderman Farebrother presented a petition, signed by several
risoners, confined for various offences in the Giltspur-street
ompter, applying for an increased allowance of meat. The
petition was drawn up by a fellow, who had been fiequently
I brought before the magistrates upon charges of " bilking"
taverns and public-houses. The petition was referred to a
committee. . . .

Suess Cass.—Mr. Field, jun., of the
firm of Field, Son, and Bayley, attended the court relative
to the complaint made against him by Mr. „Horatio Folliott
Nelson, at the last Court of Aldermen. Mr. Nelson was
also in attendance, but the learned counsel for the com-
plainant and respondent were both engaged in cases in the
courts of law A solicitor appeared upon each side.—
Mr. Field put in a statement of the circumstances con-
nected with the transactions in Wexford, Waterton],
and Valentia shares referred to in the complaint
Up,*

against then of Mr. Horatio Folliott Nelson. Upon
the part of the complaining petitioner, application was
made to adjourn the case until counsel should beside to
attend. Mr. Field, however, earnestly entreated the mem-
bers, for the sake of his character, which had already suf-
fered by the statements made against him, to take the matter
at once into consideration.—The court was soon afterwards
cleared, and, after a short deliberation, the aldermen came
to (as we were given to understand) the almost unanimous
resolution not to put the bond of Mr. Field, jun., in force.—
The respondent was called in ; the doors were opened, and
the Town Clerk read the decision of the members, which
was to the following effect. " The court, considering the
circumstances of the case, do not think it necessary to put
your bond in force."

DISTURBANCES IN TRAFALGAR-SQUARE.
On this subject we have received the following com-
munication, ; the second is a complete answer to the first :
Sir,—A great deal of silly, unmeaning disturbance has
been goiog on throughout the afternoon at Tratalgu.square,
between the police and a promiscuous multitude. What the
object of either party could be seemed a mystery to the
spectators. I heard generally amongst respectable parties,
who were standing as spectators, bitter complaints against
the officiousness and the injudieious display made by the
police ; and it was frequently repeated, that if the police
had never come, the crowd would havespeedily melted, but
their arrival and interference caused bad feeling. Whether
this be correct or not I shall not say, as I did not see the
commencement of the fray, and could make no sense out of
the movements or countermovements either of the police

or of the mob. But this is not the point I care
mach about. Here seems to be the serious part of the
affair. lam told a public meeting had been convened in
Trafalgar-square ; that the commissioners of police had de
elated it would be illegal ; that in consequence of this de-
claration the meeting was not held; and that the subsequent
tumults arose from the police trying to clear the square. I
am only speaking from the reports on the soot ; but it be-
comes you, and your other sincere and earnest fellow-
labourers in the cause of freedom, to look narrowly into this
case. I have as little sympathy as I believe you have with
the party who I understand convened the meeting;
but here we have two serious questions that
ought to be more distinctly settled than I have
ever yet seen them. 1. What are the distinctive
qualities that render • public meeting legal or
illegal in this country ? 2. What authority have the com-
missioners of police to declare certain public meetings ille-
gal ? and upon what grounds did they declare that this one
was so ? Insignificant as the occasion seems, I think it right to
suggest that a clear definition should be demanded as to the
test of the legality or illegality of public meetings, and also as
to the authority in such matters possessed by the police com-
missioners. Whether they admire or despise the getters-up
of this meeting, Englishmen should look very sharp after
any attempt to interrupt their liberty of meeting.—NOTA.
B min.—Monday afternoon.
Si it,—When -Mr. Cochrane was informed that the holding
of a public meeting in the open air (he having tried noose-
cessfidly to have it held in the first instance at the late
Crown and Anchor; and secondly at the Freemasons' tavern)
within one mile of Westminster Hall during the inning of
parliament was illegal, why did he not adjourn it to a lace-
'icy beyond that distance (he might have gone to Coveat-
garden market, it appears, by the act, the scene of his former
triumphs) ? He had sufficient time and opportunity for so
doing, instead of issuing a placard at one o'clock in the day,
saying the meeting would not take place, when it had
already assembled. An hour's notice would have been suffi-
tient, and " padding the hoof " would have been no punish-
ment to the majority of his assembled auditory composed as
it was principally of those who to see a " mill "
—not • " wind" of that ilk would go ten
times that distance, on finding a protesting " beak"
or parish " Bumble " interfering to prevent its " com-
, ing olf "on the proposed scene of action ? Why did
not Mr. C. direct his " Tom Oliver" to take the ropes and
stakes elsewhere ? It would appear that, having raised his
" Frankenstein," there he left him to play his pranks at plea-
sure reckless of the consequences that might ensue. It is all
very well to say that if the police had not interfered all would
have gene off quiet:v ; but the time and place demanded
that tae assembly, constituted as it was, should disperse.
The business of the day !sad been abandoned, a rival body
had had its say, and Mr. Reynolds, the speaker of the new
occasion, had been escorted in triumph to his hotel, or " two
pair back," in Wellington-rtrott, as the ease may be.
Again to-day hat this disgraceful acne been renewed,