The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-25 00:00:00

gold boxes, fur presents—and they had given sit
entertainment to the Liberators of Europe, which
was said to have coat 44,0001.—but which, on.ex-
aminatiosh would be found to have gone nearer
to 40.094 than to 24,000 i.—( Hear, hear.)—The
Geatlemon to whom he alluded might have mode
an @mimosa calculation—but he held an account
in his hand, to which he wished to call the peril.
cular attention of the House, as it was published
for the use of the Members of the Corporation
themselves, and therefore might be presumed to be
correct. From this it appeared, that, in the last
37 years the Corporation had expended—
la the Improvements of Public Streets
Gold boxes, swords, Sic.
Statue of the Kiag—Moomients to Lord Chat-
ham, Mr. Pitt, aad Lord Nelsen—Gold boxes
to the Dukes of Kent and Kamen, Col. Wardle,
and other poblic characters —(a lough) 111,131
Coburg' of the Voluntser Corp.
Public Charities 43,072
Donations to public objects, esionectod with go-
-Mica—cm laugh)

11laklag a total et L.1111,640
If they had had superfluous money to expend,
many of the objects selected for their bounty he
considered extremely proptera—buts he conceived,
when they had no sessey of their own to command,
their munificence eittromely reprehensible.—
They had ex the gaol the sum of
130,0(x/. which 1144ne obliged to borrow. But,
if they had abstained NM laving out the sums he
had mentioned—if they had slithered to the maxim,
" Bo just before you are s"—they would
have had a fund mettle =mg on the work
without applying to raeliament. It was, therefore,
tl Miami!Scaliest of Abbe money, which the House
'might to investigate% This, was tint the first time
their funds were dolleillot. In a former period of
their history 730.0001. had been forcibly taken
from orphans, under the specious plea of protecting
their interests, in consequence of the supineness end
inattention of that House. That sum (which gave
rise to what was celled the Orphan's' Fund) was slis-
isivase.l—was made a source of private emolument
to the Corporation—who, instead of their
owls money, had recourse to that. He held in his
hand a paper, which wee called a brief statement of
their accounts. They there made themselves debtors
in the sum of sa,ocoOL to a fund of which they
were the trustees—and which was granted for •
specific purpose. He meant the bridge-house
Estate Fund, which was given for the purpose
cf building and repairing Loudon-bridge. From
this fund they had, without security, bor.
rowed 33,0001. in tummy, and 25.000/. three per
vents Consols. which amounted to 20,0001. So
that if London-hridge were swept away to-morrow,
they had not the means of re-building it—but must
again Emily to the Orphans Fund. This was not
the only misapplication of money, which was in-
tended solely for the use of that btidge. By an
ancient Charter, die Corporation had a jurisdictiou
in the Borough of Saithwark=but it was not eli-
gible for any pen" se assume it, tusk's he had
passed the Cltsift Thil right lay dormant for many
years—but it was Weir revived. For what pur.
pose ? lu order to emote a place for a decayed
Altlermilo. It was a gross, a nefarious job !
Did thb Corporation mean to my, that there was
a want or justice in Sauthwert ? There were 34
justices of the Penes resident within that district.
Now, great incontinence had been created by this
new system. The Sessions must, of course, be all
held tit the same week, so that there were two
Courts sitting in Surrey—two Grand Juries were
acing—and the suitor did not know to which he
was to proceed. To defray the expense of this
establishment, 1,4001. per annum were taken from
the Bridge-house Estate Fund. This was the
trislversation of which he complained. With re-
spect to the salami. nothing could be worse planned
or worse constructed. He need snit pass jetilgtnent
tin it—fur the Members of the Court of Common
Council themselves spoke of it as the most scanda-
lous thing that was net. see's. Were they then to in-
trust tlwm with theexpenditure of 34,00 a taken out
of the pockets of others, in order to do that, which,
by the law of the land. they were obliged, in their
own district, to perform ? They complained,
that they were bound to maintain the gaols in
Middlesex, as well as in London. But they did
not sell Parliament, that, along with this expense,
them were various privileges and iminuirties. They
would not suffer the Magistrates of Middlesex to
interfere within their jurisdiction—and they had the
exclusive nominatibh of Sheriffs. Let the House
mark the way in which this latter power was ever-
civil. In the course of • year no persons were
called me sometimes to till the office of Sheriff, 19
of whom, it was well known. would not undertake
the duties of the office, and must, of necessity, fine.
These floret in one particular year, had amounted
to 9,4004—and, on an average of four years, had
Predolled 30.000/. or 5,000/. per ann. Had they
appropriated this suns to the iniyinent of interest.
tl•ey might have burrowed the money necessary for
building the prison. For all these reasons. it was
',roper that the House ahould call for the City ac-
counts, that they might see whether the sums
gr ontrii to the Corporation had been faithfully ap-
pt ise ose—mid he should therefore noise—
Thl.ll awe be laid berme this House a Statement of the
A.rowit of the Seventies of the City of Loudon. as the some
kn.. Leven resoimul in the Chamber of the said City, fur See
)tars, ending the 31st of Deeember, 1817; distinguishing
the twits cuiniog is from rents sad quit-rests, partial °nom
"nil leg uest*--Isrukei s—frcedonts suld—Ansedoiste take. up—
(lwo fur aka—losorance of 'Akers' hies—interest of pub.

a becurities," is.

Sir W. CURTIS said, the Hon. Member had
seveial observations on gross jobs—but, for
part, hr never heard so gross a speech in the
iirse of largh.)—The Corporation
heel) mist unjustly accused. The City were
i•Yige(i, in some degree, to maintain gaols for all
timisties of England—and they were put to
mast enormous expense by the County of Mid.
olesex. Last year it cost them 19,000/. for the
tosi.iiewilice of the several prisoner., who came to
1...,0100 from all quarters. If the City had only
support its own prisoners, the expense would not
h.ive been more thou one.eighth of that sum. If
I,:ey were to Maintain prisoners for others--if they
"tie olilived to employ 250 persona to look after
"'tin —i,e conceived it very hard that relief should
be to the Corporation, especially as they
were w;ily carrying iiito effect that which the House
hod prevu.,l3Shr sanctioned. The City of Loudon
ol:jr,:iioti to give au account of the expendi.