The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-15 00:00:00

etbr bun.

The Queen and Prince Albert visited the palace at
Westminster yesterday to inspect the new House of Lords.
Iler Majesty and her Royal Consort arrived Irons Bucking-
ham Palace soon after twelve o'clock, attended by the
Countess of Mount F.dgecumbe, Hon. Miss Kerr, the Earl
Furtescue (Lord Steward), Major-Gen. Wemyss, and Capt.
the Hon. A. H. Gordon. The Earl Spencer (Lord Cham-
berlain) and Mr. Bury, the architect. received the QUeen
and Prince Albert, and attended her Majesty and his Royal
Highness during their inspection of the new House at Lords.
Her Mirj.sty and Prince Albert, and the royal suite (in.
eluding the Lord Chamberlain and Col. B. Drummond),
return.] to Buckingham Palace soon after one o'clock.
11.11.11. Prince Albert rode out on horseback yesterday.
attended by hie equerry-In-waiting. H.R.H. the Prince of
Wales took an airing yesterday in the royal garden. The
royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace yest• rday in-
cluded the Duchess of Sutherland, the Earl and Cauutess
Spencer and Viscount Morpeth.
H.H.H. the Duchess of Kent arrived at her resi-
dence, Clarence House, St. James's, soon after one o'clock
yesterday afternoon, from Frogmore.
H.R.H. the Duchess of Cambridge visited her
?Majesty the Queen Dowagar, yesterday, at Marlborough
House.

A Depilation from the United Wesleyan Com- I
mittees et Privileges and Education had an interview with
Lord J. Russell and the Marquis of Lansdowne yesterday, at
the official residence of the First Led of the Treasury, in
Downing-street. The-deputation consisted of the Rev. Dr.
Bunting, the Rev. "Scott, Rev. J. Beecham, Rev. C.
Prot, Rev. O. Osborn, Rev. J. C. Pengel:y, Rev. 8. R.
Hall, Rev. T. Vasey, Mr. R. Matthews, and Mr. J. Hnby.
His Excellency the Turkish Minister transacted
business yesterday.atthe Foreign Office.
Viscount Torrington, Governor of Ceylon, had an
interview with Earl Grey, yesterday. The Earl of Suffolk
bad also an interview with his lordship, yesterday, at the
Colonial-office. Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Excise,
had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon, yesterday, at
the office of the Beard of Trade. Mr. Henry Berkly, M.P.,
hod an interview yesterday with Lord John Russell.
The Lord Chancellor gave a dinner to the Cabinet
/ Ministers last eveni ,at his residence in Park-line.
The Marquis of Lansdowne (Lord President of the
Council) arrived at Lansdowne House, Berkeley-mnare,
yesterday afternoew, from bis seat, Bowood-park, Wilts.
Earl Grey arrived In town yesterday.

COURT OF ALDERMEN.
A court was held on Tuesday for the despatch of
buOness. _ _

Tut THROWING OPEN OF THE LOAD MAYOA'S COURT.—
Mr W. H. Astilitim appeared at ,the bey, and Alderman
Hoor ex presented the following petition :
To the Right Hon. the lord Mayor and Aldermen of the (Sty of
London, the respectful petition cat W. IL Aiburst. of 137, Cheapdde,
in the city of London, attorney-M-Law, aberroth, That your petitioner
hoe obtained from her Majesty'iCourt of Queen's Bench her illajmtv'o
pervmptory writ of mondani., c inimandi..g your lordship and the
Court of Aldermen to came tour petitioner to admitted an attonny
of the Moyor's Court of the City of london. That he has enured such
writ to be duly sewed open the Right lion. the Lord Mayor and other
aldermen of the slip. That the mid wilt of mandamus was kotied
after full srammat and da.mysion raked by toe attorneys of
the said court eisisst your petitioner, and they hare put
him to very moolitimble opens sad delay, through the
medium of UM days sollettor, and yaw petitioner believes at the
expense orris eleirom et Landon. UM your pedikawr hoe beard
and believes thee Me earner Mae soil meet Mee nein • &die
leer hat le brim resist your matienseis
and Mat relmseme winner/I by mar benooreble mom Wir 2,0
(UPI ealiebor !awl Aruba! hrrg • entree a
nem Me
judgreses end ise pmtpone*bedlam be the odd writ at mania-
mum Tem portimor adore it would net he whe to do either, but
to an°lll66='• ea half We" to lOW rot ask own litigation ;
and that it be 'Mb& die your bennsmblo court to obey the
flimen's writ. norm tree who MA to lice goad Mayor's Court
abut up from tie pail me ravines tmr pram that courts
of ioneenrenot *tide day anemic 1 to be opens* all her Majesty's
snorer, and wn Menierves bear the costa of ono hopeless a took.
Tour pritionoreespritfalty pass, to be heard In oppir•ition to the
petition of Ids eppmemln"
Mr. Assiut/sr upon being asked whether he wished to
odd anything to hie petition, said he WWI desirous to my a
few words. About three year• had elapsed since he had
commenced hie efforts to throw open the .day r't Court to
the citizens of London, against whom it was practically shut,
inasmuch as the attorney employed by individuals were nut
allowed to act there in cases with which, from their acquaint-
ance with the affairs of their clients, they were beet qualified
to act. As a peremptory mandamus had been issued by the
Court of Queen'. Bench to udmit him to that court, the
Court of Aldermen ought not now to allow the city purr
to be resorted to for the purpose of opposing an individual
by a process involving great additional experute. Mc sought

a public good, and seeing the waif in which justice was ad.
nainiatered in the Mayor's Court, the Court of Aldermen
ought to wish to have the facilities and pritileges of
that place extended. As the case was now, if he molted any.
thiug done for a client in that court, he was obliged to go tea
stranger, so that double lawyers were to be paid, fur gentle-
' men of that profewrion had not the reputation of acting fie
nothing. (Laughter.)
Alderman Woof) said it was wrongly asserted that the
Court of Aldermen in the course they were pursuing io that
Case, assisted the attorney of the Mayor's Court. The pro.
ceeding in the Queen's Bench was against the mayor and
aldermen, and nut against the :attorneys of the Mayor's
Court, rind the application for the new return to the writ of
mandamus, was, under all the circumstance . ~r the ease, the
only course which the court could adopt. The following
report of the committee was then read :
We, whose nanny, are hereunto subordied, your committee*
general purposes, to whom, on the 23rd day of Marta last, 0 was re.
(erred to consider Mt. Recorder's communitation in relation to the
judgment delivered In the Court of Queen's fteueh on the mandamus
granted by that court, calling upon the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of
the City of London to admit William finery Ashuest an attorney of
one of the sinerior courts, Westminster) to he an attorney of tee
lord Mayor's Court ; and to whom it was newt., refereed to ma.
skier the pietitiona of Messrs. George Thomas Robert neynal, 10en
Outer, and George Ashley, three of the attorneys of Mt lord Mayor's
Court, in relation to the said judgment, do certlfj that we have ore.
seeded in the consideration of the said reference, mil have Mewed
and consulted with Mr. Recorder and the solicitor thereon, and bow
abo been attended by Mean. Rental, Carter, and Ashley, three of
the attorneys of the sail court, who pure-hosed their
Omsk who wen heard, and examined upon their prtitione, and it art
peering to be indispernoble that a return or applkatron must be made
to the Court of Queen's Bench on the nest day of tern, far the corps.
ration to be permitted to mate a new return to the writ of mandamus.
we referred it to the solicitor, under the advice of Mp. Recta-4r, Mr.
(tunny, and Mr. Mugu rim, the comae! employed me the part a the
City in the previous proaredruira in this matter, to take suck coupe
therein under the circumstances should appear to those gentlemen
t the most expedient. All which we submit to the judgincut of the
honourable court. —W. T. T,oe. C1141.1.1e, TOO. Woo..
Alderman Woou said it was of jected to the Court of Al-
lermen that they kept the great body of the profusion not
of the Mayor's Court. Now, what was the effect of the
mandamus ? To admit the petitioner to practise in that
court. What would the petitioner do there ? It was the
fact, that nine-tenths of the business were dependent upon
the customs of the City of London,and the same opinion night
be formed of the consequences of ignorance of them customs
when he 'toted that one of the attorneys of the Mayor's
Court bad been obliged to pay 600/. in coos, quenee of an
overt act in the simple matter of taking reeoguitances. Hems
anxious to throw open the court, but the Court of Aldermen
should take care that they were not iavoleed in pecuniary
responeibilities by the ignorance of the profeasion. To sa
complish such a change as was contemplated by the peti-
tioner, it would be necessary to hare an act of parliament
calculated to reform it entirely. It was said that there was
an analogy as regarded the courts between the City of London
and all other corporations. He had thought that such was
the court but he found that by the Municipal Act the customs
of the courts of all the other corporations were annihilated,
while the proceedings iu the City of Landon Court entirely
depended upon their customs. Alderman Wood concluded
by stating that the Court of Aldermen were perfectly Pisti-
lti.:d upon legal grounds in issuing a writ of error.
The Itecontren said the Court of Aldermen were un-
doubtedly in this cass the defendants nominally, and the
were acting under his and Mr. Gurney's and Mr. Hugk
Hill's advice in inetrueting the City solicitor to apply for a
writ of error. The gentlemen of the Mayor's Court had
purchased their places for r• ry large rums of money, and the
Court of Aldermen were bound to show that they did not
loosely hold the character of the offimrs, or the respornipili.
ties attached to them. Trey were bound not to yield t 3 the
application for admission to the Mayor's Court till it was
clearly ascertained, by the opinion of the other judges, that
the writ of mandamus was maiutainahle. Ile should be
glad if the Mayor's Court could be put in such a position
1 that gentlemen could practise in that as they practised in
other courts but it was impossible to regard the question
without reference to the peculiar practice, the heavy
liabilities arising from errors of judgment or ignorance, and
the lomea to which the attsrneas of the Mayor's Court would
he subjected if the whole profession were to pour in upon
them. The learned recorder then more particularly de-
*cerised the nature of the duties of the interacts of the
Mayor's Court, and stated that the Court of Aldermen
were acting upon his serration to proceed deliberately,
without in the slightest degree prejudicing the interests of
either party.
Alderman WILSON considered that, instead of expending
the City's cash, the Court of Aldermen were duieg a;1 they
couli to save it.. . . .

Alderman iiI:3IPHIIET acid the court was bound to drop
the matter altogether, as Mr. Aahurat had obtained the lint
.4' mandamus, and let the attorneys fight it out amongst
themselves.
__

..—..—.
Alderman Mmitonove suggested that the petition of Mr.
Ashurst should be referred to the committee from which the
report had emanated; and thought that some means might ,
be adopted for the avoidance of litigation.—Some converse
tion here arose on the sat ject of relocating the corporation,
and—
Alderman WILSON started up and said : " By the bye,
what progress is Alderman Humphrey making with his
reform bill ?" (Laughter.)
Alderman HrmrittLET said the answer to that question
would in some degree involve the recorder. His proposition
had been agreed t.., and the ri membratteer had been ii.
strueted to draw up a bill to repeal the 11th of Geo. 1.
Without the opinion of tho recorder end common serjeant,
however, that officer could not get on ; and the Recorder
happened to be so occupied the be could not give may
opinion on the subject. The learned gentleman, however,
gave an opinion in the comrnitte.-, which they followed. He
said they ought not to proceed with the bill, and the majority
agreed with that opinion, which showed whet sound re-
formers they were. (Laughter.) Now he was prepared to
support the bill which he suggested, and which, with oat
clause, would effect all that was necessary; and he was
convinced that it would meet with the approbation of
parliament.
The liacohnen willingly took, upon himself the blame of
opposition to the grand remedy of the worthy alderman. He
fervently hoped that the court would not think of proceeding
with a bill so limited. He hoped the corporation would not
meddle with the qualification of electors without looking
also to the qualifications of the elected. (liar, bear.) Hit
thought it was contrary to the interests of the Court of
Aldermen to go to parliament to legislate without the as
quiescence of the other branch of the corporation, to attempt
so alter any of the institutions of the City without the con-
sent of the Court of Common Ci.,uncil. (llear, hear.) He
wan opposed to the idea of cobbling the ca.rporation with a
singe clause of carving out a little novelty, to send to par-
liament to be licked into shape. (Laughter, and tries of
" Hear, hear.")
Tho petition of Mr. Ashurst was then referred to the cow
mittee, and the court adjourned.

MEETING IN FAVOUR OF THE GOVERN--
MENT PLAN OF EDUCATION.
FREEMASONS'-llkt.L. —Last evening a meeting of
the friends and supporters of the guyerument scheme was .
held here. The room was densely crowded in every
part. The Eight Hon. Lord Ashley took the chair at seven
o'clock, after which the Rev. Melville Lee opened the meet-
ing with prayer.
The CMAIUMAs comment's(' the businee of the evening,
by reminding the meeting that they were assembled as the
friends and supporters of the educational unborn* which her
Mejesty's government had recently submitted to parliament.
They were to declare their readiness to co-operate with the
government, and he hoped that their example would have
some effect on those timid persons who believed that thee
was hidden under the minutes of the privy count some
dark and mysterious conspiracy against the civil and reli-
gious liberty of these realms. (Hear.) He hoped that their
declaration of opinion would convince those timid persons
that they were not about to be either enslaved by the govern
merit or suffocated by the priesthood. (Cheers.) Their
btuartess on that evening was solely with the minute which
bad been laid on the table of parliament. They had
nothing to do with queetioning the source from whirl(
they had come; he knew that many. objected to the
construction of the committee of Privy Council, bet
that was an accomplished fact, and they had only to
deal with the propositions which bad been laid before them:
He would undertake to say that any person reading thee
minutes for the first time would expect, not only the
they would not be opposed, but that they would he
thankfully and generally adopted. Why would they expect
this ? They would say them was a great detect to be sup-
plied, a great evil to he remedied, and the remedy would be
found in the minutes, which, while they reseeded the
rights of religion, offered assistance to all sects, without die-
tinction or partiality. (Hear, her.) An opposition had
arisen to the minutes from a party, from whom °pr.*.
ought least to have been expected. (Hear, hear) The
party which had supported the minutes of 110,
opposed these of 1847. Now the latter minus a mamma
much good, which those of 1839 did not; while in them
were to be found no evil, not also contained in de
minutes of 1839. (Cheers) What were the grouse
of opposition ? Firsts.. state interference. Why /mil
not that been started until the current year, um'
Me that since 1839 the objectors had themselves tees
participators in public grants. (11, ar, hear.) How was it
that themirerettady and hourly calling for state interference
with thelruivenities of Oxford and Cambridge, and MATO'
big the towards and distinctions conferred by the state h
London University? (Loud cheers.) Next they were told
that thee minutes would greatly increase the power of the
clergy of the church of Ettelaad. If the ohjicting earths
did not do their duty, no doubt that would be the case, but
if they came manfully forward there would be no unfair
advantage to any flee or sect. (Hear, hear.)
Then it was said that they (the minutes) would increme
government patronage and power, and bring the
whole British people under the claws of the dragons
of
Downing-street. (A laugh.) He denied that assertion,
On the contrary, governor nt had placed a limit on their
choice and freedom of appointment. They courted no sew
power, they sought to reward deserving persons, not OR
adherents or electioneering partisans. But the erowasj
argums nt against the government scheme was, that it wo
altogether extinguish voluntary efforts. He' was not pig
to decry voluntary efforts, but he would ask had they tom
in this kingdom of so tempi. to a character as to MO as
shiver in oar seam when any attempt made
to
disturb the exclusive cement* of the principle? bet
them look at the state of the cottony uteasst
of this vast metropolis, with their thousands and
who had never been brought within the heari,:w the
pal, and yet they were asked to leave everything ta't
voluntary aystem. which hod tormitted such s state of thee
to exist. (Hear, hear). No, he maintained that the great
combination should be, the principle of an establithinent
with the exertions of voluntaryism, toe eatablisementgitet
permanency to the voluntary prioei, le, wlmih the latter in-
fused renewed life and vigour into the estatilishamet,
I land
cheers). But with the view of producing ao effect. ..•
deceiving thee who had nut time ta consider these proioL
tione, they wees called a goreenmest scheme of odusties•