The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

THE ACCOUNTANT TO THE BOARD.

Mr. DALTON brought up a report from the Finance Com-
mittee, recommending that a retiring allowance of £250 a
year for life be granted to the accountant, Mr. Hatton ; but
that such retiring allowance he subject to the condition that
if at any time hereafter (his health being restored) he shall
be appointed to any office or employment at a salary equal
to that which he now receives—viz., £550 per annum, the
payment of his retiring allowance shall be suspended so long
as he shall receive such salary.
Mr. ROCHE very mach doubted whether the Board had
the power to grant retiring pensions.
Mr. SICTR, the solicitor, advised the Board that they
had the power to grant this pension.
Mr. BROSTER moved as an admendment to the original
recommendation that the sum proposed be granted during
the pleasure of the Board.
Mr. ROBERT TAYLOR supported the amendment•

The subject led to a further discussion, and on the
motion being put, the amendment was carried by a majority
of 17 to 12.

THE EXPENSES OP TEE *OAED, OFFICERS' SALARIES, &O,
Several letters were read from vestries and district Boards
protesting against the working expenses of the Board, and
also the continual increase of officers' salaries, believing
that they were at present very adequately paid for their ser-
vices.

These communications were received, and ordered to be
entered on the minutes.

The rest of the business havisg been disposed of, the
Board adjourned.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL,

A special Court of Common Council was held yesterday
for the purpose of considering the report of the Royal En-
tertainment Committee, appointed to make the necessary
arrangements for the reception of the Prince and Princess
of Wales at the ball at Guildhall, last June, and other
business. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor presided.
Ii will be remembered that when the report of the Enter-
tainment Committee was originally brought up a good deal
of discussion took place respecting it, la consequence of a
statement that was made by Deputy Elliott, that large quan-
tities of valuable cuticles that had been procured from diffe-
rent tradesmen for the purposes of the entertainment had
'been diVided among certain members of the committee; and
also that they had expended a very considerable sum of
money for wines, luncheons, and other refreshment. The
discussion upon the report was postponed, and several no-
tices of motion were placed upon the paper of business of
this court in reference to the subject, and those motions now
came on for discussion.

Deputy BURNELL brought forward the first motion as an
amendment to the reception of the report, which was to the
effect that the committee be dissolved, and that the Court re-
gretted to find that several articles the property of the cor-
poration had been appropriated to certain members of the
committee, in ccntravention of the standing orders or the
Court, and impairing the dignity of its members. He said
that no doubt the entertainment committee had oarried out
in a very satisfactory manner the object for which it was
appointed, but it appeared to him that by their imbseqttent
proceedings a minority of the committee had entirely spoiled
the good effect. (Hear, hear.) He then alluded to the
charges that had been made of several members of the com-
mittee having taken costly articles to their own use, that
were undoubtedly the property of the Corporation ; and said
that although possibly some members of the court might
think it advisable that the matter should be passed over
without discussion, he was not one of those who entertained
that opinion, but felt on the contrary that the honour and
dignity of the court and the Corporation of London were
deeply involved in the matter, and with a view to prevent
such a proceeding from occurring again, he hoped his pre-
sent motion would be agreed to. (Hear, hear.)

Deputy PERKIN'S seconded the motion, and a long debate
ensued upon it. -
Mr. HARRIS said that although he was a member of the
committee, he did not approve of the proceedings they had
taken with regard to the presents that had been made to
their chairman, Mr. Truscott. He suggested that the com-
mittee should apply to the court for its saneti6n for this
course, which ho was sure would have been granted. If they
had done so, there would have been no ground for the outcry
that had been made upon the subject, and the ridicule that
had been oast upon the Corporation in consequence. (Hear.
hear.) After the long time that had elapsed, howeirar, it
appeared to him that the beat courso was to lot the matter
drop, as any further discussion must not only be unpleasant
to the Corporation, but also to the high and illustrious per-
sonages for whom the entertainment was provided. (Hear.)
Deputy ELLIOTT complained that an amendment he had
placed upon the paper for discussion had not been brought on
for discussion beforo the motion of Deputy Burnell. He said
that he was not actuated by any hostile feeling towards the
committee, and certainly not towards the chairman, Mr.
Trusoott, who he had no hesitation in saying was " a jolly
good fellow"—(hear, hear, and laughter)—and he had only
taken the matter up out of respect to the Corporation, and
to endeavour to prevent the repetition of what he considered
to be a most improper proceeding on the part of the commit-
tee. Those who occupied the position they had done in
providing for the entertainment of Royalty were sometimes
supposed to be satisfied by the honour they acquired by their
position, but most undoubtedly the committee, besides
honour, had had a very good share of solid pudding. (Hear,
hear, and a laugh.) He found by their report that they had
spent £243 in luncheons,l277 in a breaking. up frolic en the
river, and £l7O for wine, and, in point of fact, out of the
total cost of the entertainment, which was ,515,000, he cal-
culated that the committee had engrossed £2,300 for then;-,
selves. (Oh, oh, and hear, hear.) The cost of each person
invited was about £7 10s. per ticket, and, besides their own
tickets, the ooramittee appropriated 160 others for their own
use, which, at the sum stated, amounted to more than
£l,lOO. With reference to this subject, he might state that
upon the occasion when her Majesty attended a City ban-
quet he knew that £lO was offered for a ticket, so that the
Court might judge the extent of patronage obtained by the
committee by having so many tickets. (Oh, oh.) Deputy
Elliott went on to express his opinion that the committee
had exceeded the powers vested in them by the Court, and
that the expenditure they incurred was very much larger
than it ought to have been, and he reminded the Court that
upon the occasion when King William visited the City the
cost of the entertainment was only £3,000, upon the visit
of her Majesty it was only £6,000 ; but upon the last occa-
sion £16,000 was expended through the unnecessary extra-
vagance of the committee.
Mr. BLAKE said, as one of the members of the Royal
Entertainment Committee, he had no hesitation in stating
in reference to the statements that had been made by Deputy
Elliott on the present and former occasion that they had
very little foundation of truth in them.
Mr. SLOWMA.N, another member of the committee, made
a statement to the same effect, and said that so far as he
was concerned all the property that came to his share was a
wooden-backed hair brush, which he only prized as ame •
mento of the interesting occasion.
Mr. WHEELER considered Deputy Elliott was quite jus-
tified in the course he had taken, and that the public would
not be satisfied unless the Corporation took time steps in
the matter.

Mr. RowE said he could not agree with the opinion that
the Court was under obligation to Deputy Elliott for the
course he had taken in this matter, as he considered that
nothing was more calculated to bring the Court into ridicule
and contempt. The statements that were made upon the
subject were only "nuts" to the public, and he hoped the
matter would be dropped.

Deputy DE JERSEY expressed hie opinion that the state-
ments Lade by tee committee in their own report, and the
omissions, were quite suffie!ent to justify further inquiry,
and that when a committee was appointed by that Court for
any specific purpose, they ought to take care that all their
proceedings would bear the light of day. (Hear, hear.)
there was not a word in the report about the sum of £350
having been expended in luncheons, and although he, of
course, was aware the committee had a perfect right to have
refreshments, the amount so expended ought not to be kept
mit of their report. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. COCKERELL said he hoped the matter would be al-
lowed to drop. The committee had no doubt transgressed
the standing orders of the Court, bat he thought they had
suffered quite enough for what they had done.
Deputy FRY expressed the same view, and said that
what already taken place would completely answer the
object in view, and the Court might feel assured that no
similar committee would ever act in the same way again,
or dispose of any property without the sanction of the
Court.
The motion of Deputy Burnell, after some further discus-
sion, *as put by the Recorder, and declared to be negatived.
Deputy ELLIOTT then proposed another amendment to the
effect that the subject should be referred to a special cora-
naittee,!th consider and report how far the committee in ques-
tion was justified by anclettt usage and custom in appropriat-
ing to their own use various costly goods the property of
the Corporation, and also by what means the expenditure of
special committees may in future bo under the same control
as that to which all other committees are subject.
Mr. TRUSCOTT, the chairman of the Entertainment Com-
mittee, after some discussion had taken place upon this
amendment, briefly addressed the Court, and said he
considered he had already fully answered all the charges
that were made against the committee, and that on the
present occasion lto oeusidered lie should best consult the

PRICF 4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

dignity of the Court by leaving the patter entirely in their
hands.

A division then took place, when there appeared—
For the amendment 52
Against it 67
Majority against the amendment

The original motion, that the report of the committee be
received and agreed to, Was then put, and carried unani-
mously.

A report was then brought up relative to the ptirchase by
the Corporation of the library and office furniture of the late
solicitor, Mr. C. Pearson ; and in answer to a question that
was put by one of the members of the Court, it was stated
that certain moneys for counsel's fees and other matters re-
maining unpaid at the time of Mr. Peareon's dsccafe, had
since all been paid by his relatives.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

NORTH-EASTERN.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yester-
day, at York, Mr. H. S. Thompson, M.P., in the chair.
The report was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN then made some remarks on the position
and prospects of the company, and in defence of the policy
pursued by the directors. He concluded by moving that
the report be received and adopted.
Mr. Alderman LEEMAN (the vice-chairman) seconded
the motion.

A long discussion thou took place, and the report was
finally adopted.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the dividends recom-
mended by the directors, which are to be paid on the 27th
inst. _ _ _

Mr. KITSON, of Leeds, seconded the motion, which was
carried. _ _

The CHAIRMAN next moved that the construction of a
line from York, via Selby, to the Great Northern Railway
near Askern, was expedient, and that the directors proceed
with the bill introduced into Parliament.

Mr. HARTLEY seconded the motion, and it was carried.
The CHAIRMAN proposed a motion approving the oon-
struction of a branch from Church Fenton to Micklofleld,
to shorten the communication between York and Leeds.
Mr. PRIESTMAN seconded the motion, and it was carried.
The directors were also authorised to proceed with the
bill for the construction of the short branches at Bishop
Auckland and at :Deere, in Cumberland. The retiring
directors were re-elected, and the prooeedingo concluded
with a vote of thanks to the chairman.