The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-21 00:00:00

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COURT OF ALDERMEN.

.9.-esterday a court (the first during the present mayor-
alto was held, for the despatch of public business.
1!):be LORD MAYOR, on taking the chair, said—Gentle-
meii, in taking my seat in this court for the first time
since my accession to my new office, allow me to say
that :11: highly appreciate the honour which has been dors
me in. placing me here. During nsy year of office I shall
at all times be most happy to claim and to receive your •
valuabl e assistance in the discharge of the various duties
connected therewith ; and I shall do the best in my
power to uphold the honour, dignity, and privileges of
the Cour t. (Hear, hear.)
VOTE OF THANKS TO THE LATE LORD MAYOR.
Alderman WILSON said he rose for the purpose of
butnrogm,
tjau
hcaeht
ptlihreeessetahnwat
nenkaoss
ero. he
thiss
He o n
doing that which he was free to admit was a custom,
f
ld be deviated
Ch whyaodu Court he ebsaehtoppurleeasesnurteedintomoSvi;
Francis Graham Moon, 13art., late Lord May or of this
city, for the promptitude with which he convened this
court, an d for the courtesy and ability with which he
presided over its deliberations ; for the impartial and
benevolent discharge of his duties as a magistrate; for
the attention given and the munificence nifested by
him to the various charities of this great metropolis • for
the graceful hospitality with which he entertained' the
distinguished foreigners and other illustrious guests at
the Mansion-house; for the dignity and propriety with
which ho upheld the honour of his high office on the oc-
casion of the visit to this City of her Majesty's faithful
and august friend and ally the Emperor of the French,
accompanied by her Majesty the Empress ; and for his
general desire to uphold the high privileges of his office,
and to support tie rights of his fellow-citizens. Nor can
this court fail to congratulate him upon the distinguished
favour conferred upon him by her most gracious Majesty.
This court hopes that his life may be spared for many
years to enjoy such honour, and that on his retirement
from the office of Lord Mayor his services to his fellow-
citizens may be increased and prolonged."
Sir C. MARSHALL said it was with great sincerity that
he seconded the proposition of his friend Colonel (Alder-
man) Wilson, He had known the late Lord Mayor for
a great number of years, and believed him to be pos-
sessed of a feeling of peculiar kindness towards his fel-
low-citizens. Under these circumstances (Sir C. Mar-
shall) hoped there would be no opposition to the propo-
sition.
The RECORDER having put the question,
Alderman COPELAND said it was at all times an ex-
ceedingly ungracious task for a member of the Court to
make any comment upon the usual vote of thanks pro-
posed to be given to a gentleman who had just passed
the chair, but with him it had been a custom through
life openly and plainly to deal with matters brought be-
fore him. He bad made up his mind to tell his brethren
that he could not assent to the motion, and therefore,
knowing how unpleasant a task it was to discuss the
sentences of a vote of thanks like the present seriatim,
and in order to get rid of a painful discussion, he asked
the Court to send the matter to a committee, who might
prepare and bring up such a vote of thanks as they
thought necessary. He therefore moved, as an amend-
ment, "That it be retrred to the General Purposes Com-
mittee to prej see a vote of thanks to the late Lord
Mayor." (Hear, hear.)
Kderman WILSON—It is an unusual course. Should
you not give some reasons for the adoption of such a
course ?
Alderman COPELAND—Yes, I will, if necessary."
Alderman FAREBROTHER said he intended to second
the amendment of his friend Alderman Copeland, in order
that no reasons should be stated as to why the motion
should not he agreed to ; and if the different portions of
the proposed vote were to be discussed, some words
would doubtless escape the lips of members which had
better be spared, and some observations might be made
which it would be far more to the dignity of the Court
should not be uttered. Under these circumstances, it
was better that every word in the vote which could do
the late Lord Mayor honour, and show the respect of
the Court for him, should be used and adopted ; but he
(Alderman Farebrother) could not agree to the mo-
tion as it then stood. His friend had asked for a
committee, in order that the most ample justice might
be done to the late Lord Mayor, and upon that ground
alone he (Alderman Farebrother) seconded the amend-
ment.

Alderman SIDNEY said be was taken quite by surprise
at the course adopted by his two senior brethren, and he
thought the court would also express their surprise at
two gentlemen, having interposed their veto to a custom
which had been almost if not entirely universal there for
centuries, and that they should attempt, without a single
word of explanation, to refer the usual vote of thanks
to a committee to prepare. He bad listened attentively,
and thought that every member of the court must have
been at an entire loss to conceive any possible objection
to the eulogiutns contained in the vote of thanks, to one
iota of which neither the mover nor seconder had taken
the slightest exe?ption. (Hear, hear.) He did not know
why the mover and seconder of the amendment wanted
the matter referred to a committee, but as the late Lord
Mayor had filled a public position it was due to him
that he Should have a public vote of thanks. Referring
it to a committee, to discuss in private points affecting
a man's public character, was a course to which he
(Alderman Sidney) was entirely opposed.
Alderman WIRE said he was utterly and entirely
taken by surprise, and had never known, since he had
been a member of the court, such a ceurse as that sug-
gested by the mover and seconder of the amendment.
What was there to justify such a proceeding l If his
friend Alderman Copeland said that he was restrained
by feelings of delicacy —that he knew there was some-
thing in the vote of thanks which the court ought not to
agree to; the proper and manly course to be adopted was
not to send a man's character to be discussed in a secret
committee, but to state openly and fairly the objections
to the vote. He (Alderman Wire), therefore protested
against referring it to a committee to prepare a vote of
thank., that being a secret tribunal, which in its turn
would send it back to that court, when the subject would
again undergo discussion. (Hear, hear.)
Alderman WiLsoiY, in reply, said the reason why
Aldermen Copeland and Farebrother wished the subject
referred to a committee wag, bec time there was not a
si, gle paragraph in the proposed vote of thanks to
which they could take exception.
The ItECoRDER put the amendment, which was lost
by a majority of 1, there being 5 in favour of and G
against it.
On the original question being put,
Alderman CoPELAND said he had hoped ho sheuld
have been spared from making any further observations,
but, as he had been asked by Alderman Sidney his rea-
sons for the course be had taken, he would mention
them. (Hear, hear.) After the experience of 25 years
he (Alderman Copeland) would venture to say that he
had never known any other Lord Mayor do that which
the late Lord Mayor bad done. He had seen him at-
tempt to appoint a 10C11,4 tenens7in the chair during the
dicussion of a matter of the greatest importance, and
nothing but the firm persuasion of Alderman Farebro-
ther ha 1 prevented the Me Lord Mayor from leaving
the chair. (Rear, bear.) If illness or some peculiar
circumstance had arisen which necessitated the appoint-
ment of a locum tencits he (Alderman Copeland) should
not have had a word to say, and he defied the law offi-
cers of the corporation to search the records of the court
and see Whether such a circumstance as th tt had ever
before arisen. If it had, he would be most happy and
tp offer a most ample apology for the statement
he ha'd made. When the proposed vote of thanks al-
luded to the late Lord Mayor's univeri al attention to
the duties of his office, it was notorious as that the sun
shone at noon-day, that the great commercial interests
of the country, when they required the seal to important
documents, were unable to obtain it because the Lord
Mayor was absent from his duty. (Hear, hear.) He
had never known a chief magistrate of London during
his year of office less among his brethren than the late
one, and would anybody deny that that gentleman had
had a copy of the bill for the Reform of the Corporation
in his possession, although he had not bad thheecocio,
to communicate it t) other members
of th©
he u(A-rtl'?
(Hear. hear.) If a committee were appointed,
give
euld for the pre-
demean C ipeland) would be able to
of the statement he had made, and he would
question.
sent move as an amendment the
Preying that he did not
-iositive proof
Alderman FAREBROTHER,
offer the slightest opposition
was referred to a cOMlllit-
svaoyte of thanks to the
late Lord Mayor, so long
heWair:ospON.itnn
important engagement
tee to prepare the vote, aconeitt
loner da ed by seconding the
amendment.
tsnaiiedntheoftiandioecrustraood that
ion the
tenens, tie late
occasion to keep else-
Lord Mayor bad an p
Aldermano
where.
Alderman COPBLAND —The engagement was going to
a party
anYt ntl
i'lethnn
the river.
was r. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
The put and lost, there being 7 in
favour of and 8 against it.
The original motion was then put and carried.
Alderman WILSON moved—cc That a copy of the vote
of thanks be written on vellum, signed by the town
clerk, and presented to the late Lord Mayor."
Sir C. MARSHALL seconded the motion, which was
carded.
world Sir R, W.
the. bbye kanown
majority
to the
oef
CtAnnoptiEoNn—h la
s hb
eoepne carried
l
ono. (Hear, hear.)
OFFICE OF GOVERNOR OF NEWGATE.
The doors of the court were closed during a very con-
siderable portion of the day whilst the subject
o f the ap-
pointment of a new governor of Newgate, by reason of
the resignation of Mr. Cope, was under discussion. On
the re-admission of the public, Mr. Weatherhead was
unanimously elected governor of that gaol.
The court adjourned.

dtvhieceesxchann
at
Ham-
THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Tuesday.—
The White Star Royal Mail-ship Mermaid, Captain
Edward Devey, sailed this afternoon for Melbourne,
with the usual mails for the Australian colonies, about
250 passengers, and a very valuable cargo of fine uler..
0,11
we, jet:
at
te
the
2E51•22g91
English
chandise on freight,
at short bein.
PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about 5 per mills premium (according_ the last tariff),
exchangeii7s43.2;popiiiredrri.. ,
rap oearrio;:,u Londonnone ,
for
which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 10)d.
Per
ounce for standard gold, gives an
and, the
25.35, it I,llows that gold is about .22 per cent, dear
from Hamburg"
in London than in Paris.
;Baynd:
1 ‘ thei.
nst price n ? prickse ox felo3nl
id
g.
e of 13.0 standard gold,
give
London at short
burg on Lon ,being 13.5, it followsb
is 0.18 per cent. dearer in Hamburg than that gold
The course of exchange at New York in London.
bills at 60 days' sight is about 1081 on London for
par of exchange between England per cent., and, the
and
log 23-40 per cent., it follows that America being
nally 1.08 per cent. against the exchange is nomi.
allowance for charges of England ; but, after making
i❑-
terest, the presentanGport and difference of fa-
g=
of
gold
_,,i rateleaves no profit on the transmits-
'''t "la" way betwee VI two count:it,.