The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-19 00:00:00

LONDON CORPORATION REFORM

WARD OF FARRINGDON-WITHOUT.
Last evening a meeting of the inhabitants of this ward.
was held in the New Court, Old Bailey, at six o'clock,
for the purpose of discussing the question of corporate
reform for the City of London, as proposed by the con-
solidated committee of the Court of Common Council.
The chair was occupied by Sir James Duke, M.P.,
alderma❑ of the ward.

The CHAIRMAN having briefly opened the proceedings,
Mr. TouLmirr SMITH proceeded to address the meeting
in a speech of very great length, in the course of which
he commented upon and analysed the propositions
recommended by the consolidated committe. Amongst
these he particularly denounced the following recom-
mendations :—" That a new charter be issued, contain-
ing all such provisions in existing charters of the cor-
poration of London, and all such customs of the City,
as it may be deemed expedient to preserve ; that the
Lord Mayor be elected by the Common Council, from
the common councillors, or from persons qualified
to be common councillors ; that the aldermen be elected
by the burgesses of the wards for six years, and be re-
eligible, and that they be justices of the peace during
their term of office ; that the powers of the Municipal
Corporations Act with respect to the appointment of
stipendiary magistrates be extended to the corporation of
London'; that the Court of Aldermen be abolished, and
that its functions be transferred to the Common Council ;
that the number of wards be reduced to some number
not less than twelve, nor greater than sixteen; that each
ward return one alderman and five common councilmen
to the Common Council, and that their qualification be
that prescribed by the Municipal Corporation Act for
the larger class of boroughs—namely, the possession of
an
, or a
t the b ei
electionsng rat e d i
non Co-
mmon rannualealor personal
uoenoafl
acts tlaetaes
to3f
011.00; Ot/h.
Hall be abolished ; that the sheriffs be elected by
the Common Council ; that the fellowship of porters be
dissolved ; that the admission of brokers by the Court
of Aldermen be abolished ; and that the City police be
incorporated with the metropolitan police." The learned
gentleman concluded by moving the following resolu-
tion :—" That this ward meeting views with surprise the
inconsistency between the contents of a report of the
consolidated committee of the Common Council, dated
the 13th December, 1854, and those of a report of a
committee of the whole court, dated 22d Februvy, 1854,
and which last was agreed to by that coed on the 24th
February, 1854 ; and this ward meeting considers the
suggestions contained in last-named report to be, for the
meet part, sound in principle, constitutional in charac-
ter, and practical in detail."
The resolution was seconded by Mr. SMUT.
Mr. QUIRK and Mr. lIEBAPATH moved the following
amendment to the original resolution : —" That this ward
meeting request their representatives- in the Court of
Common Council to give their cordial and steady support
to the proposed alterations in the corporation as con-
tained in the report of the commissioners appointed to
inquire into the state of the Corporation in 1853, and
in the report of the consolidated committee of the cor-
poration, reported to the Court of Common Council
Dec. 20, 1854."
In the course of a lengthened discussion, Mr. Potter
supported the original resolution ; whilst the amendment
was approved of by Mr. Gresham, Mr. Masterman,
Mr. Acland, who ridiculed the idea of leaving the and
cor-
poration to reform itself, as, he insisted, was the course
contended for by the proposer and seconder of the origi-
nal resolution.
Mr. SRELEY, in explanation, denied that he was fa-
vourable to the idea of allowing the corporation to reform
itself. He was anxious for the intervention of legisla-
tion on the subject, and therefore preferred, as the basis
the recommendations of the whole
nee
Court
te thato
of
Common Council, rather than those of a com-
mittee legislation,t
tb e .

After a brief reply from Mr. SMITH,
The CHAIRMAN put the question to the meeting, when,
on a show of hands, there appeared—for the amend-
ment 35, for the original motion 23. The amendment
was accordingly declared carried.
A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings,