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

CITY CORPORATION COMMISSION.

The Commission eat yesterday in the Privy
Council Chamber, Mr. labouchere in the chair.
Mr. It. N. Fisher, solicitor to the firm of Combs and
De'afield, was examined and gave the following evidence.

Messrs. Combs. Delatteld, and Co., are brewers of consi-
derable note is London. Their house Lin Castle-street,
Long Acre. They took a lease of • wharf from the
oMee of the Duchy of Lcucaster, near Waterloo-bridge,
for the purpose of storing their corn. They had a
malting establishment in Yarmouth, from which they
brought the malt in their own ships. They stored it
i• their own stores. The City corporation insisted on re-
moving every particle of this malt for thein,and at their own
price. In 1835 the corporation and the C4uspany of Porters
filed • bill against Messrs. Combs and Delafield. Maus.
Combs finding they could remove the malt at a greatdeal less
cost than that at which the Fellowship of Porters would do
it, resisted. They therefore put in an answer to the bill .
the corporation. Whilst this suit was going on, the coepor
ration claimed to measure the malt. Mean. Combs re-
fused to allow them to de so; and the campuses was
that another bill war filed in 1839, to which ea
answer was put in in 1840. In Mari, 1840,
a bill of discovery was filed by Mums. Combs &pima the
city, with a view of obtaining an iuspeetion of the &mo-
ments on which the City fonaded this claim. ♦ MI Of
discovery was filed both in the wastage suit and nertesella
suit. Several answers were pat in on behalf of the Com-
pany of Porten and the City, but Messrs. Combo did not
pt what they wanted from the City. In Jaw, 1842, ea
order was obtained from Vice-Chancellor Knight Braes
ordering that we should have as inspeetion of the docu-
ments. The ease came on again, on appeal, Defers the
Court of Chancery, Lord Lyndhurst presiding, and he
afireaed the decision of Vice-Chancellor Knight Brno.
This was in 1845, at which time the an was ripe for trW
at the Winchester Assizes. Bat we heard that the ow-
potation intended to appeal to the Bons* of Lords; and in
fact they did so appeal. The ease is sow before the House
of Lords.

tlir J. rattans—This was on • waned hews.
Witame—Yes, the suit was this protreeted hem 1886 to
1863. Gm suit hangs upon the other. I ought to maths
that this wharf of Messrs. Combs is outside theshy bonds.
I believe that it has oast Meson. Comb. aomsihlar like
2,0001. to mist this claim. The expense wadi
swamped another. Oise of the winsome in the suit seated
that the hlieweldp of porters charged 3s. U. per to
ata=, whereas others maid do the seas week in a
time for std.
lir. Lewis—What would you have lost if you complied
with the City demands ?
Mr. DelaWd, who was present, stated that he estimated
the icon at ima a year.
Mr. Fisher—l believe others are in the same position as
Means. Combo, but they have given in. They had not the
earth meant of resisting as Masan. Combo, and I myself
advised some not to resist in consequence of the expense.
This claim of the City extends to all sorts of corn and
grain, corteht kindest' fmice, and all merchandise measure-
able or to be measured, brought into London. This claim
of the City eztends from Staines to Yantlet.
Mr. Hubbard. governor of the Bank of Engle ad, was
next examined-1 esny on the business of a Dunham in
the City of Lendcia. I have bad very little connexion with
the City corporation. My connexion with them has been
mined to the m.tage of corn. I have no reason to com-
plain of them in that respect. I can't say if their charges
ate low or not, because 1 have had no means of comparing
them with others. I have no knowledge of the constitu-
tion of the corporation. The large City merchants are dis-
inclined to accept corporate offices. I was invited to accept
the offlos of alderman, bet I declined for various MUM.
I declined because I knew that a lord mayor or alderman
bad to attead many civic feasts, which would not agree
with my constitution. My unwillingness was further in-
creased !femme I was unwilling to undertake the magiste-
rial duties which an aldermen and a lord mayor has to per-
form. Aldermen or lord mayors have to preside at the
Mansien-house, the Guildhall, and police courts, and I
believe they could not properly discharge those duties
without an amount of preliminary information which I
was not prepared to undertake. I should have shrunk
either from administering justice either imperfectly in my
own person, or trusting to the guidance of a clerk, who
may be better informed than myself, but for whose de-
claims I should not like to make myself responsible.
Chairman—lf a person were to be appointed a Lord
Mayor, without the neersaity of being first an alderman,
do you think there would be any objection on the part of •
merchant of the highest duo to accepting the office of first
magistrate ?
Mr. ilubbard—lf the office was made to partake of anew
character, and the acceptance of it made a matter of duty,
!the existing feeling against its acceptance might not be
found.