The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-19 00:00:00

CORPORATION REFORM.

MEETING OF THE LIVERY OF THE CITY OF

LONDON.
A meeting of the livery was held yesterday at she
London Tavern, on thi invitatisn of Mr. Sheriff Wallis,
for the purpose of considering how best they might assist
her Majesty's Commissioners in the forthcoming inquiry,
and so perpctuate the constitutional rights of local self-
government. The meeting was numerously attended.
Mr. Sheriff WALLIS arrived a little after two o'clock,
sad was loudly cheered. On the ground of indisposition
he asked permission fur a gentleman not connected with
the livery to read the notice of the meeting and the royal
001111110581011. _ .

Mr. T. ACKLAND then read the notice and commission,
alter which

Mr. S man expressed his hope that as this was •
maiden of the livery none but liverymen would interfere
is it. promediaits. (lieu, hear.)
Mr. Sheriff WALLlC—Certainly not.
A Li x proposed that all who were not in the
livery should leave the room. (No, no.)
These preliminery proceedings having been disposed of—
Mr. Sheriff Wattas proceeded to state that he hail con-
veyed that meeting in obedience to the royal eommimios,
oad had not ventured on such • step until the last moment
M which be weld, by taking it, give any assistance to the
commission, and without such assistance he felt that the
nisamissitio a ould be, like many previous ones, a dead letter.
(Hear, hear.) When it Wixom known that he was
abort taking this step it was said that he con-
templated an attack upon the livery. (No, no.) If he tied
wished to injure the livery he would not have invited them
to meet him; no, his object was not to injure the livery,
but to assist her Majesty's Commissioners in a searching
famatigation into whatever was wrong in the corporation,
Old thus to promote its preservation and real efficiency.
(Rear, bear.) He hoped the result of that days proceed-
ings would be to induce the Lord Mayor to convene a com-
mon hall, so that the voices of the citizens of London
generally might be heard on the whole question of corpo-
ration reform. (Loud cheers.) He had been sated why
be had not consulted his colleague respecting the step
be had now taken, but the simple reason was that his
college', for some unexplained reason, had never
consulted him. Sorely the interests of a great city were
not to suffer, because their two sheriffs could not agree.
(Hear, bear.) Ile had been elected sheriff without any
perigee knowledge of maven on his part, and now that
be had accepted the office he was determined to perform its
duties to the best of his ability. With this explanation he
hoped the meeting would proceed to business. (Hear.)
Mr. LAMBZILT expressed his dissatisfaction at the pre-
*nee of gentlemen not liverymen, and moved that they be
repeated to retire.
Mr. loam seconded the motion, but after some stormy
discussion it was rejected, and an amendment in favour of
proceeding to business carried unanimously.
Toe CUM/JUN then said that he had prepared two reso-
lotions, which he woald leave in the hands of the meeting
to deal with as they thought best. (Hear.)
Mt Beane moved—" That this meeting approved of
the appointment of a royal commission to inquire into the
state of the corporation of the City of London, and pledged
itself to give the commissioners any possible assistance in
tie discharge of their important duties."
Mr. LITINOsTONI seconded the resolution.

Mr. Banal, while he supported the resolution, censured
the attempt to expel citizese, who were not liverymen, from
the room. (Hear, beer.) He knew that persons, sot
liverymen, sot into Casemen Hall at elections, and the
reason was, that there wen Ant live and twenty private
en•raaets to omadh.ll, whidi men ender the control of the
corporation officers. He did an meoplam of this, bemam
he thought that any citizen gibs paid soot, er ben let, in
the city of Lemke, should ban a nide in all Ms preerod-
inn For his part he append Odds eseamisies, and he
felt that it was the duty of lb. Winn Mi emit Qs sena-
missioners in their inqsdries. He en mid deey that the
corporation dikes had bees mismaneeed, but Mimed that
if the liverymen did sot bestir themselves, them parties
who were most to blame. weld' pay sash attention
to the comemeinen, sad
_would take such pains

to legume tom, that very little real reform would ;snit
from their Mews. (Heat, hear.) The management of
the corporation affairs was seakilfill and corrupt, and it
was, therefore, of the utmost impetuses that thole who
timid give evidence might be induced to come forward, and
be protected in doing so. (Hear, hear.) The corporation
bad great power, and it was no trilling thing for a private
eitavn to resist it. They bad also great legal power, whisk
an doubt would be all brought forward, with Alarms
Wire at it. head. (Groans.) For all these reasons ha taps
roved of the present movement, and should give I IN
hearty support.
Mr. JONVI eloquently described the perfections elf the
municipal .)stem, and claimed for the London sorpossink
an antiquity coeval with Chriateauity. So wage gam wee
the system in theory, that if Plat.) true to rise fres hi,
grime and reek to 'stabbed% a new republic, he midis& flig
• model to the London corporation. (Loud laughter.) IS
wee the theory, however, he praised, not the practise.
(lieu, hear) the Lord Mayor and aldermen, when reeks
tog the suffrages of their billow cetaens, gave dß= a
course plenty of honied words, but when testiest time eels
round they went all over the kingdom with their
lions, sad never asked the liverymen to dine. (Great
laughter.) The Mace of sheriff also had been much de.
graded. (Roars of laughter.) He did not know under
what pressure the worthy chairman bad accepted the office,