The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-25 00:00:00

CO'SII,T OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a Court was held for the transaction of a
great deal of business.

ABSENCE OF ALDERMEN FROM THE CENTRAL CRIMI-
NAL COURT.

Alderman COPELAND requested to be informed whe-
ther the Sheriffs had any representation to make on the
non-attendance of Aldermen at the Central Criminal
Court, during any part of the session about to be con-
cluded ?

Sheriff JOHNSON said he was far from being in the
habit of complaining. Indeed, in the event of a failure
of attendance upon the part of any member of the
Court, the deficiency was so instantly supplied, that he
had had no occasion to say anything upon the subject at
any former period. The absence of a member from the
Court on Saturday last, however, had drawn forth such
animadversions in the public prints, and so much incon-
venience had been complained of, that although he
(Sheriff Johnson) did not come to the Court of Alder-
men to make any representation, he could not help
stating that the public business was impeded by the ab-
sence of a member for an hour.

The LORD MAYOR said that he had no private com-
plaint to make of the conduct of any member of the
Court ; he certainly had a complaint to make upon
public grounds. Saturday last happened to be a public
day with the Lord Mayor, and it was his duty to attend
Christ Church. lie was ready to set off from the Man-
sion-house to be present at divine service at the usual
hour, when information was brought to him that the
Central Criminal Court could not proceed with
business for want of an Alderman. It was ne-
cessary for him to state that on a former occasion
the Judges had privately complained to him of the
non-attendance of the Aldermen on the rota, and
he replied that he certainly would bring the subject
before the Court. He accordingly wrote to the absent
members to come to town. The course he adopted on
Saturday was to proceed at once to the Central Cri-
minal Court himself, instead of going to Christ Church,
and there he remained till one o'clock, or the public
business must have stood still. He regretted the oc-
currence very much, and he put it to the Court whe-
ther it was not incumbent upon them to adopt some
strong measure to prevent future inconvenience of the
kind.—(Hear, hear.)
Alderman VENABLES said he was aware that he was
the member alluded to as having infringed the arrange-
ment of the rotation. He regretted the circumstance
very much, but he had gone out of town with his family,
and had not the least idea that his presence at the Cen-
tral Criminal Court would have been necessary. 11
trusted lie need not say t hat no member of this Court
attended more closely than he did to his duties.—(Loud
cries of " Hear.") His absence on the recent occasion
originated entirely in mistake. He lamented that
the public, to whose business the Court of Aldermen
was bound most strictly to attend, should have sufferee
inconvenience, and he should take care that the error
should not be repeated.—(Hear, bear.) With respect
to the letter which the Lord Mayor had sent after him,
he bad not received that communication, as he was tra-
velling from place to place.
The LORD MAYOR made some observations upon the
duties of his office, which he said did not comprehend
the obligation to send for Aldermen to supply the place::
of those who might be absent.
Alderman COPELAND said it was most desirable that,
for the sake of the public, all chance of future inconve-
nience arising from such a cause should be obviated.
He trusted that measures would be resorted to
which the regular attendance of members wou!d be se-
cured. He should submit a motion to meet the object.
Alderman VENABLES declared that he would rnos
willingly second any proposition calculated to answer
such an end. Perhaps it would he most desirable to
refer the matter at once to a Committee.

Alderman COPELAND observed that he was prepared
to show strong grounds for some effective regulation for
the attainment of punctual attendance.
Alderman VENAELES again expressed regret at the
inconvenience to which the public had been subjected
by his oversight, and he again appealed to the Court
whether he did not punctually attend to his duties.
The appeal was responded to by every member of the
Court, and there were those behind the bar who could
testify as strongly as the members themselves to the
punctuality, zeal, and unwearied exertions of the gen-
tleman who in this one instance fell into an error.

Sir W. HEYGATE entirely concurred in the propo-
sition for referring the whole question to a Select
Committee, by whom he trusted such arrangements
would be made as would prevent the recurrence of any
inconvenience. The Court had the power, he believed.
of imposing fines amongst themselves, and that would
probably materially remedy the evil, at the same time
he must say that no care or exertion could
prevent casual failure of attendance, arising
from illness, accident, or other circumstance,
to which the most healthy and the most activ:
were exposed in common with the rest of mankind.--
(Hear, hear.) Alderman Venables had always been
distinguished by his punctuality and attention ; yet even
he had forgotten, whilst on a journey, the duty in ques-
tion Such an accident might and ought to be provided
for, by regulations amongst themselves. With respect
to the general performance of the duties of the City
Magistrates, no duties, he must say, had for cen-
turies been performed with so much iadependence
and satisfaction to the City, and not only at no cost to
the public, but at a considerable loss to the individuals.
Others who served the public either received large
salaries, or did not hold themselves bound to particular
hours and days of attendance. The Houses of Lords
and Commons, if he might venture to allude to them,
containing more than five huntired members each, oft 11
could not make a quorum, although one of them re-
quired only four or five, and the other forty, small as
either number was in proportion to that of the Court of
Aldermen which required thirteen members out of,
twenty-six to enable them to act as a body.—(Hear.)
He did not say this to throw blame on them or to dis-
parage the advantage of a magistracy chosen by then
fellow citizens and consisting of men for the most part
engaged in the trade of the country. The disadvantages
arising from that circumstance might be provided for
and the advantages preserve d.—(Hear, hear.)
Alderman HARMER thought that some arrangement
might be made by which the paid officers of the Cor-
poration, who are in the cot omission of the Central Cri-
minal Court, might attend and considerably ease the
Aldermen whose duty had 'hi icome exceedingly laborious.
Sir PETER LAURIE would not suggest anything of
the kind. He had his apprehensions of the introduc-
tion of paid substitutes for the City of London Ma-
gistrates. He certainly was of opinion that those who
were incapable of performing the duties of the situation
by age or infirmities ought to retire, for their incapa-
bility threw an enormous weight upon their brethren.
Alderman HARMER—The Central Criminal Court
ought not to be obliged to .:top in its functions, and our
paid officers might occasion ally act in the event of any
extraordinary emergency.
The whole question was then, upon the motion of
Alderman Copeland, seconded by Alderman Venables,
referred to a Committee of the whole Court.—Ad-
journed.
m••

The St. George Steam-packet Company's steam-
ship Sirius arrived off the Le,ndon Docks on Monday, at twc
o'clock, from St. Petersburg h, having performed the voy_
age in eight days, includir,g detention at Copenhagen.
The Sirius made the outwar d voyage in seven days ane
half. Lords Clarence and .Alfred Paget came PassenPer ,
per Sirius.
SINGULAR CASE OF SUFFOCATION.—On
Saturday morning an inquPst was held at the Red Lion,
Kensington, on the body c Frances Cooper, whose death
was or.casioned in rather a :singular manner. It appeared
that the deceased, who wa s an elderly woman, had been
afflicted fi.or some years past with a pain in her throat, for
which she had medical ad, rice, but to no avail. Having
obtained some relief from t he introduction of the handle
of a spoon down her t!nr oat when the pain was at its
height, she purchased an ies strument called a probang, and
with it was in the free
uent habit of operating upon her.
self. On the preceding tevening, when in the kitchen
alone, the unfortunate doc eased was attacked with pain,
and having had recourse to the probang, she ruptured one
of the vessels of the throat , while in the act of using it. A
faint scream having been 1 seerd, some persons ran into the
kitchen, where the dn. as sdwas found leaning against the
dresser, with the probasig i fe her hand, and vomiting bkod,
Although medical aid ;vas: speedily procured she died
iu
the space of a few minut es tfroin sutiocation ; and a verdict
to that effect was returneti,
SHOCKING ()CCU RRENCE.--On Saturday
evening last, about dusk, a German, named Peter Patzler,
who ha.: been for the last si x years employed at Manayunk,
in the establishment of Me ssrs. Cash and Co., met with
his death in the foliowi ng manner :—lle had been in the
City in the afternoon for the poll:use. of purchasing
clothing,
and was returning to hi t: home wtwitha friend, when Lt. a
short distance above Gi, .Cottage, a dog belonging to
a person who goes by th e name of " Dutch George," at-
tacked the two men, rend hit one on the leg ; Patzler
crosses:the road, and to ; k a rail from a fence for the pur-
pose of driving the dog xff, when the owner threatened
him that if he struck the clog lie would shoot him. Patzler
paid no attention to the t 5 read', but advanced towards the
dug, and while in the act c r.6..sing the rail to strike him,
the owner fired a pistol, ;vn. ich toc,keff&ct in the breast and
shoulder of Ritzier, killh him instantly. A wo,ilid
about nine inches in extent was made in the region of the
lhaeragret. Dr.
shots
friVlo rm
tsheel iws, houwndo,x
orexaminedseven t he by,
of
which o , tookha 7
dpe-
netrated the heart. The ms .n was committed to prison:.