The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-03 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL

A Court of Co,nrron Council was held yesterday
in the Council Chamber at Guildhall—the Right
Hon. th...; Lord Mayor presiding.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CORPORATION.
Mr. LAWLEY gave the following notice of motion
—" That a special Parliamentary committee be ap-
pointed for the purpose of watching the several bills
now before Parliament, or that may be introduced
during the present session, which may in any way
interfere with the municipal government or the re-
venues, rights, or privileges of the City, with power
to do therein as they may think fit, and to report
thereon from time to time to this Court." He then
said it was very important that the matter should
be settled at once, and he therefore asked leave of
the Court to put his motion at once instead of wait-
ing until the next court as would be the ordinary '
course, as if left until then it would be too late.
The Court having agreed to this proposition,
Mr. LAWLEY, in patting his motion to the Court,
said he was thankful to the Court for having com-
plied with his proposition, and having a deep sense
of the responsibility devolving upon that Court, he
was induced to take the course he had adopted. He
had no desire whatever to pass over a committee
which was appointed by the Court for taking such
steps. But the circumstances of the case were very
peculiar. There was no committee of Court in
which the element of submission was not promi-
nent, and there was no committee to whom the
Court had simply deputed the powers of watch-
ing any encroachment on the rights and privi-
leges of the City. He thought there should be a
body of men, none of whom were before Parliament
or likely to he so, and who had no preconceived opi-
nions. When the Coal, Corn, Finance, and the Im-
provements Committee brought up a joint report on
Tuesday, and asked the sanction of the Court at once
to permit the Metropolitan Board of Works, as well
as the Government, to ride over them without a
show of resistance—
Mr. Deputy BOWER thought the hon member was
not addressing the Court in a discreet manner.
Mr. LAWLEY said he was about to say, that when
the committee, to whom the Court had delegated
that particular work, brought up that report, their
action was paralysed by the decision of the Court in
negativing that report. The Remembrancer was
unfortunately absent, through illness, during a
time when the police was threatened—and there
would only be a few days interval before that sub-
ject was tried—and they bad no Parliamentary
officer, and no committee to watch the fourpenny
coal dues which were threatened by the Metropo-
litan Board of Works, and he thought a special com-
mittee ought to be formed with power to do what
was necessary. If they valued their privileges, if
they were to keep out the threatened introduction of
the Metropolitan Board of Works into their rights
to the coal dues, or to prevent any encroachment on
their privileges, it seemed to him that the course
which he had proposed should be adopted, and that
they should have such a body as would make an
opposition, and if they were to be beaten, it should
not be until they had shown that they did not
shrink from any difficulty, whatever it might be, if
they thought they could conquer it. On the other
hand, if it were referred to any of the existing com-
mittees, it would meet the same fate as that which
went to the joint committee.
Mr. BENGOUGIi seconded the motion.
Mr. ROWE asked the hon. member if he thought
it possible out of the court to form a committee,
none of whom had any pre-conceived opinions; and
hoped that if he did not quite agree with him he
should not be excluded from the list of true-hearted
men. He thought it time that the Corporation
should endeavour to obtain a character for consis-
tency. They had departed somewhat lately from
the rules of consistency. They had now began an
antagonism with the Government and the Metro-
politan Board of Works, and he hoped the court
would well weigh and consider the situation in
which they were placed. They had been playing
fast and loose with the Government, and now they
said they would have all or none. He was afraid
if they did not mind they would get none ; they
would loose their fourpenny tax. There was a notice
of motion before the Metropolitan Board of Works
that they were not content with their ninepenny
tax, and they wanted the fourpenny tax.
Mr. BLAKE, chairman of the Law Offices and
Parliamentary Committee, thought that committee
was equal to the requirements of the case. He had
formed no opinion, for he was not present on Tues-
day, when the report of the joint committee was
discussed, and therefore he had no opportunity of
doing so, and since he had the honour of being
chairman of that committee he had had nothing to
do with any other. The committee was comprised
of gentlemen as well calculated to deal with such
an emergency as any others, and he thought it
ought to be left to their charge.
Mr. HARTRIDGE hope the court would adopt the
course proposed by Mr. Lawley.
Mr. LOWMAN TAYLOR said it was in the power
of the Court to order any committee in existence to
carry out certain instructions, and until the decision
which was agreed to by the majority of the Court
was revoked, it was their order, and it was in their
power, if the court pleased, to instruct any commit-
tee to carry it out ; but it did not follow that they
must appoint a fresh committee. He did not see why
he should be excluded from a committee to consider
a question in all its bearings. He had always
looked to the interests of the Corporation and not to
his own, and he considered it cast a reflection upon
the committee ordinarily appointed to inquire into
law and Parliamentary matters—(hear, hear, and
No, no)—a committee that was free from any im-
putation of having preconceived notions. In his
opinion they could appoint no committee which
would be superior to the Law and Parliamentary
Committee, which consisted of eight aldermen and
a member from each ward, and also the chairman of
every committee of the Court. To appoint another
committee he thought would be a serious reflection
upon them, and he should like to see them resign,
to a man, if such a proposition were carried out.
He hoped it would be referred to the Law and Par-
liamentary Committee, and he was sure they would
do all that was necessary.
Mr. Alderman and Sheriff LAWRENCE said he
was sure it was not the wish of the Court to take
any action which would be looked upon as an in-
sult to the Court, or to any member who was one
of the committee. One circumstance ought to be
taken into consideration, and that was, for what
purpose was the Parliamentary committee con-
structed; and secondly, whether or not the circum-
stances were not of such a character as to require
calm consideration, and the greatest cake in t.
selection of a special committee; but it seemed to
him that any one who looked at the existing cow-
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een
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mittee, and for what it was framed, would say that
that was a committee such as should be selected
avo.
the purpose required on the present occ
asion, d
_carried.
he hoped the motion would be carried.t
be
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it the Court would not be
could be a committee
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a special
• out of their usual course by selecting
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Mr. BENCLITGO
committee, as the had done in 1856 dun er similar
circumstances.
Mr, Deputy HARRISON tr oved, as an amendment,
that it should be referred to the Lay
and Parlia-
mentary Committee. He thought, • with Mr. Taylor,
that it would reflect
seriously
upon the character of
that committee ifasp •emit I committee were appointed.
Mr. BONE seconded the amendment.
Mr.SAUNDERS favoured the motion of Mr.Lawley.
Mr. FRY hoped
the motion would not be carried,
and that it would be referred to the existing
mittee, who, he was sure, would do the work as
well, if not better, than any other, and he hoped it
would be referred to that committee.
Some further discussion took place; and, upon a
division, it was ultimately referred to the Law and
Parliamentary Committee, instead of to a special
committee.
Mr. F. K. GLOVER presented a petition, signed
by a large number of the inhabitants of Ludgate-
street and vicinity, praying that the Court would
be pleased to take such steps as might be considered