The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-08 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Vesenday a Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall,
when the Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR informed
the Court, Chit, pursuant to requisition, it had been made special,
for the purpose of considering the propriety of petitioning Parka-
meat for a revision and alteration of the laws relative to the impor-
talon or foreign grain.
. • DISTRESS IN HANOVER.
The minutes of the last Court having been read,
Alderman Bacon x presented a petition from the Secretary of the
Committee foe relieving Distress in Hanover, which, on the motion
of the worthy Alderman, was read.
It detailed the late awful visitation of Providence, and prayed
melt aid from the Ilononurable Court as it should feel disposed to
t.
gr
Alderman BROWN moved the reference of the petition to the
Committee of General Purposes.
After a few observations from Messrs. Taylor, Dixon, and Old-
ham, the motion was agreed to.
EQUITA !ILE LOAN COMPANY.
Several petitions on private business having been received and
disposed ot, a Report was presented from the Committee of Gene-
nerd Purposes, on the proceedings of a Committee of the House of
Commons relative to the' Bill proposed to be introduced into the
Honourable House by the Equitable Loan Company.
The Report in question complained of the conduct of the House
of Commons Committee, in refusing to allow Alderman Width-
man, an agent to the City Corporation, to enter into the general
merits of the Bill, and protested against the partiality of such
Committee, u eleven of the twenty Members being pecuniarily in-
terested in favour of the Rill. •

On the motion that the Report be printed.
Mr. S. Dixow commended the conduct of Alderman Welch.
man in reusing to waive his right, as their agent, to enter Into an
opposition to the Bill on it; general MetitS..
.51r. Etym.e congratulated the Court on the acquisition of so
promising a recruit to its corps of Parliamentary Reformera.
Mr. S. DIXON would set for the future as he had ever done—
conscientiously.
After some farther observations by different members,
Alr. Alderman WAITII3IAN, considering the circumstances in
which he stood with reference to the subject before the Court,
would say...met:Ping respecting the' em'*se he' had taken. On the
occasion in question he certainly would :,ot have put himself for.
ward if better talent at the time could here been had. There was
not tote to obtain the aid of Counsel, and in the absence of that
advantage, he thought it as well to state a few plain facts, and thus
perhaps some pecuniary expense was saved. He wished partiht.
July to call the attention of the Court to the fact, that on the Com.
mittee of the House of Commons there were to less than eleven in.
wrested persons, Directors of the Company. The Committee no
doubt was an open Committee, and oche: Members of the House
might have attended, but it happened that they did not. He kept
a narrow look-out, and-could my front his own observation, that
such was the fact. It was, he thought, rather extraordinary,
that when he came before that Committee an objection should
be taken to his being heard, as also an objection to thtiir pe-
tition. Counsel was heard in support of the objection, but toes
was heard- in favour of their tight, and the Committee took
upon itself to make its decision, bearing only one side. lie
earnestly requested their attention, (much noise prevailed at the
rime,) for the subject was really of mioth importance. It was, he
repeated, very extraordinary that the Committee should have heard
Counsel, and witnesses for two days on one aide, and yet refuse an
opportunity to the other side of baying one word In mak.
ing one statement to rebut that of the opposite ratty. However,
in the end, they did agree to hear that, as a matter of favour, which
they ought at once to have conwded as a matter of right, for it was
contrary to the acknowledged principles of justice to make a deci-
sion without hearing both sides. In that place, he meant in the
business of the Corporation of London, they could conceive nothing
more partial and unjust than such a course of proceeding. In his
attempts to be heard before that Committee he was interrupted not
less than thirty times, yet, under all the circumstances, be deemed
it better not to accept that as a matter of favour which they were
justly entitled to claim as a matter of right, and though, even af-
terwards offend as a right, still he would not have it piecemeal. It
could be of no value unless yielded uninterruptedly, and ii as to
produce its natural effect. It was, he could not help saying, very
extraordinary, that in the House of Commons they should have had
but twelve to support the petition of the Corporation of the city of
London. The individuals who assumed the management in this
Company were connected with no less than 20 different Companies.
The treatment the Bill received in the Home of Commons
we', that it passed through all its stages without observe.
pion, and as to the way in which it had gone through the
Committee,i the particulars of that was already before them.
But be trusted that Its course would be arrested in another
place; he looked to the Upper House for a rejection of this Bill;
and would observe that their opinion on this subject was likely to
prove to the country the value and importance of the hereditary
branch of the Legislature. lie trusted to the honour of the Lords
for saving in this emergency the public interest. He was not to be
understood as an eases to Joint Stock Companies; on the contrary,
' he thought them highly y advantageous when applied to objects too
great for the efforts of individual capital and industry ; bet when
they are used only for the purpose of overpowering private exertion,
no one could doubt of the sordid and interested views of those who
make themselves active ; more especially, when It was recollected
that twenty or thirty names are to be found concocted with not Wm
than fifty different companies. Ile would recommend gentlemen to
attend some of the Committees of the House of Commons, and they
would see there, es be did, much that would make ill= better
satisfied with their 01b11 Committees in the Corporation.
After Mr. W•ITIMAN had concluded the preceding observa-
tions, a short conversation ensued between him and one or two other
Members, relative to printing the minutes which had been made
respecting this subject, and the printing was ordered accordingly.