The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-13 00:00:00

COURT OP ALDERMEN.

A court was held on Tuesday for the despatch
of public business.
Reports were presented by the governors of the prisons,
which were all stated to be in a healthy condition.
After the ceremony of voting several sums in lieu of
freedoms, with which it had been,itme immemorial,the prac-
See of the court to present certain functionaries connected
with the office of chief magistrate, the court very strongly
condemned the system, which ought, they admitted, to have
been long ago abandoned.
Alderman and Sheriff WIRE said the impropriety of the
existing arrangements of the Lord Mayor's household was
so palpable, and the whole plea was so slovenly and so ill
adapted tts the condition of the times, that he was sure the
court would allow him, without the form of giving notice,
to move that the subject, with " all its contingents and
appurtenances, be referred to a committee iastructed to
in-
quire what alteration might be necessary to be made, and
to report their opinion." (Rear, hear.)
The motion was then proposed and aerced to unanimously.

CITY OP LONDON LUNATIC ASYLUM.
The following report upon the letter of the Lord Viscount
Palmerston, Secretary of State, with regard to a lunatic
asylum for the City, was brought up :
In obedience to an order of this honourable court, in
relation to providing a lunatic asylum within this city, we,
whose names are hereunto subscribed, your Committee for
General Purposes, do certify that since our several reports
upon the subject of providing the asylum—of the 21st day of
October, 1851, the 25th day of May, and the 27th day of
July, 1852, have directed the City's architect to mike
inquiries for a proper site for the same, and on the first day
of October inst.. we received a report from him stating that
under the regulations made by her Majesty's Commission-
ers in Lunacy, ten acres arc required by them fur every
100 patients, and after consulting with Mr. Alderman
Cabitt he wrote to the owners of the land adjoining the
City's property at Holloway, to ascertain the terms on
which they would part with their field, containing shoat
9 acres, held on lease for a term of 500 or 600 years, which
added to the extent of the City's property there of 4 acres,
would admit of the erection of an asylum for 140 patient',
who asked a sum of 11,0001. for the said field—that we,
your committee, having duly considered the same, approve
thereof, for the proposed site, and recommend that Mr. Bun-
ning be di- ected to enter into a treaty with the parties in-
terested in the said property, for the purchase of the same,
in addition to this City's ground for that purpose. All which
we submit to the judgment of this honourable court.

WILLIAM CVBITT.
" D. W. WIRE.
HENRY IVEGGERID4E.
W. LAIIRENC E.
THOMAS Q. }INNIS."
Considerable discussion ensued, but ultimately the report
was approved, and referred back to the committee to be
carried into execution.

Alderman LAWRENCE then mecca that the report should
be referred to the Finance Committee, with directions to
that committee to consider and report the most advisable
means of raising the necessary funds.
Upon the motion of Alderman WIRE, it was referred to
the Recorder and the City Solicitor to advise tPc curt
whether the Court of Eluting!' could be adjourned for a
longer period than one week.
The court then adjourned.

NEW SPIRIT ACT.—On 'rneulity an act, passed in
July last to regulate the excise duties on spirits, Lame into
operation. The act imposes additional duties ou spires in
Scotland and Ireland, and alteres the countervailing duties
on spirits the manufacture of Guernsey, Jersey, Al.lerney,
or Sark imported into Scotland or Ireland, and the counter-
vailing duties and drawbacks on the removal of certain
mixtures and compounds between Scotland, Ireland, and
England, and also amended the laws relating to the collect-
ing and securing the duties of excise upon spirits. The latter
part of the act took effect on the 11th inst. Various alter-
ations are made as to the distillation and warehousing of
spirits. Proper scales, weights and measures, ars to be
kept, and accommodation afforded to the officers of Inland
Revenue at every distillery or warehouse under a penalty
of 501.

NORTH LONDON FREEHOLD LAND Soctm —A
meeting of the members of this society was held on Tuesday
evening, at the British School-rooms, Denmark-terrace,
Pentonsille, Mr. J. Lewis in the chair, at which the first
ballot fur ch4,ice of allotments in the Enfield estate took
place. Tlie estate, it appeared, has been purchased for
7,0001., and is situated • few minutes walk from the rail-
way station. The first part to he distributed among the
members coasista of 248 allotments orthe depth of 220 feet,
et the price of 301. each.
LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Amount of traffic for the week ending Oct. S. 18.53:—Pa0.
Fenger., 10,3981. 141. Od. ; goods, 3,1811. 17s. 3d. Total
145801. lh. 3d.