The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-27 00:00:00

THE AFFAIRS OF GREECE.

A Paris correspondent of the Nord, writing on
the 24th, says :
I have not found in soy newspaper mention made of •
diplomatic fact respecting the affairs of Greece which co.
tainly ought not to remain unpubliahed. Without exceed-
ing the limits of moral action, it cannot fail nevertheless
to exercise • certain amount of influence upon the
state of things in that country. At • conference
recently held in London between Lord Clarendon, Baron
Bruanow, end K. de Latour d'Auvergne, representing the
three great protecting powers of the Hellenic kingdom, it
was resolved that in case King George should be
compelled by any disturbance to quit his capital, the
ministers of England, France, and Russia should
accompany him. As you ass, only • mere demon-
stration is implied in this, but it evidently
has its value, and ought to make those parties
is Greece pause who would speculate upon disorder. The
presence of men-of-war cruising in the waters of the
Pine= corroborates moreover the authority and the signi-
!icons of this eventual step of the representatives of the
three powers to whom Greece owes her political existence.
Thoes ships are merely there to protect, if need be, their
countrymen, but no doubt in caw of urgency and in the
general interests of public order, the commanders
of this small squadron would lake upon th•mselves
to efrt a leading foe the purpose of defending WWI in.
peeblnt misty 'awes dose not long ago under similar cir-
ca:intones, when the French, Russian, and English sailors
took up a position on shoe* in order to protect the Bank of
Athens from all attack. The resolution adopted in Loodoo,
without departing, as you see, from the programme
of motel intervention which the Journal of
Ss, Petersburg developed the other day, is sot
without distinctness or effectiveness. and we may rejoice at
this, not only on sooount of the understanding that it indi-
cates between the three great powers, but still more for the
salutary action it is destined to exercise.
The Nord, accepting the statement of its corre-
spondent, thinks the resolutions adopted prove that
the three protecting powers are resolved not to
abandon King George to the intrigues of agitators,
and that the support they might give to his govern-
ment would, if necessary, be of the most effective
kind. "In this," it adds, " there is enough to
make the party leaders who divide the chamber
seriously reflect, and induce them to silence their
animosities and their personal ambition before the
interests of their common country."

TER CORPORATION OP LONDON AND THE
COMMISJION OP SEWERS.

A Court of Common Council was specially con,
rimed yesterday, for the purpose of discussing some motion
having relation to the constitution of the Commission of
Sewers of the City of London, which were upon the paper
of business of the last court, and as the subject was one of
considerable interest and importance to the citizens of
Loudon, the Lord Mayor felt it his duty to appoint a
special court to take the subject into consideration.
The LORD .11AVOt presided, sod there was a full Wen.
donee of members of the court.
Alderman BAILS took occasion, before the busloeu for
which the smart was specially convened was brought on, to
mention • very gratifying feet in counexion with the City
of London School. He said that he had just received a
telegram from Cambridge informing him that Mr. Aid
who bad formerly been is pupil et tket echerd, bed obteined
• degree al Eittiehd Wnnglet. (Cheers.) This young gen.
, Valdes% two brothers had. also been educated at the City
l of London Scheel, and they had both obtained degrees, one
as First and the other as Sixth Wrangler. (Hear, hear.)
The court then proceeded to discuss the subject for
which it had been specially convened.
It may be as well to explain that the Commissioners of
Sewers of the City of London have very important duties
to perform on behalf of the corporation in reference to
cleansing, and also with regard to the sani-
tary condition of the City. The commissioners at present
are about eighty-three in number, and they comprise the
Recorder, the Common Serjeant; sed nearly the whole of the
aldernme. For a ooestilseable lime part esdeavours have
bees made to alter the constitution of the body, and a
select committee was appointed, of which Mr. Radkio,
very active member of the court, was chairman, to consider
the subject, aid this committee made a report which vir-
tually recommended that the Commission of Sewers should
be thrown open to every member of the Court of Common
Council. A long discussion took place upon this report a
short time back, audio the result it was negatived, but not
by • very large majority. There appeared to be no doubt
that a considerable portion of the constituency of the
City were not satisfied with the mode in which
the Commission of Sewers was formed, and various
endeavours wets made, after the decision above referred to,
to re.opsu the question. With that view several motions
were placed upon the paper of business at the last court ;
but as it was evident that there would not be sufficient
time to discuss so important a subject, a special court wee
called together by the Lord Mayor, for the express purpose
of having the matter fully discussed
Mx. MRDWIN brought forward the first motion, which
was "That the recommendation contained in the report of
the special committee, relative to the constitution of the
Commission of Sewers, namely, 'that so much of the 33rd
standing order as relates to the constitution of the Com-
mission of Sewers be amended by omitting the words "one
commoner out of each ward." and substituting the words
"all the commoners who are ' be agreed to by
this court." The honourable member addressed the court
at considerable length in support of the motion, arguing
that the mode in which the Commission of Sewers was at
present appointed was not satisfactory to the citizens, sod
also that the duties devolving upon them, and which were
of the most important character, were not performed as
they should be. lie particularly instanced the state of the
City after the recent snowstorm, which be said was die.
graceful, and he argued that if the Commissioners of Sewers
had performed their duty properly, such a state of things
would have been prevented.
Mr. M. GEORGE seconded the motion.
Mr. J. F. BONTEMS moved an anicodment the effect of
which was that in addition to the Lord Mayor, the Com-
mission of Sewer!' should consist of eight aldermen and a
certain number of commoners from each of the wards
in the City, the result proposed to be obtained by this
alteration being that the number of the commoners
would be increseed by about Dine members.
Deputy Borax seconded the amendment, and a long die-
cuasion took place upon that and the original motion, in
which Messrs. Anderton, Frecker, Hams, Lusher, and
Bedford took part.
Deputy Dr JERSEY, the chairman of the Commission of
Sewers, next addressed the court, and he endeavoured to
show that there had been nothing in any of their pro-
ceediegs that would justify the charge being made against
them that they had neglected the interests of the corpora-
tion or of the citizens at large. With regard to what had
i been said about the state of the City after the late scow.
storm, he said that the contractors hai full instructions
io such a case, and it was through their neglect,
and they had been summoned by the commissioners
and fined to the extent of 2001. for that neglect ; and this
would, no doubt, have the effect of preventing such an
• occurrence from again taking place. The commissioners had
done all that was in their power in the matter. (Hear,
, hear.) He then went ou to express his opinion that the act
' of parliament which gave the power to appoint the Com-
' missioaers of Sewers never contemplated for a moment that
the whole Court of Common Council should be appointed,
iand he urged that such a proceediog would not only be
contrary to the understanding that was come to by parlia-
ment, but would be absolutely illegal.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR said be believed that a desire existed
that there should be some alteration in the constitution of
the Commission of Sewers, but he could not for a
moment believe that the proposition made by Mr. Medwin
I would be • satisfactory alteration. (Hear, hear.)
! The amendment of Mr. Bontems was preferable to the
oritinal motion, but this, in his opinion, was
not based upoo any sound principle, and be con-
sidered that some of the wards would be overrepreseeted
and others under.represented, having regard to tbe popula-
tion and the rateable value. (Hear, hear.) He said it
appeared to him that it was very unsatisfactory to have
these discussioos in reference to the Commission of SIMON
taking place so continually, and that it was meet advisable
that the matter should be finally disposed of. (Hear, hear.)
With that view he would suggest thiit the subject of tbe
constitution of the Commission of Steers should be referred
to the Law and Parliamentary Committee, for them to
report what alterations they cooaidered advisable having
reference to the present number of commissioners, the num-
ber of freemen occupiers, and the rateable value of the pro-
perty in each ward.
The motion of Mr. Medwin and the amendment were then
put, and the latter was declared to be carried. A division
was demanded, when there appeared—
For the amendment
Against it .

Majority —37
Upon the amendment being put as an original motion, Mr.
H. L. Taylor, at the suggestion of Mr. Rodkio, who with-
drew an amendment he had spun the paper, proposed as
amendment to the effect suggested is big speech, and this
was declared to be carried. A division wu demanded, and
the numbers were—
For Mr. Taylor's amendment
Against it
Majority
The COMA this adjourned alter a los. pitting

63
44
-19