The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-21 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

A Court of Common Council was held yesterday at
Guildhall, which was very numerously attended.
The Gresham Committee presented a report of their
exertions in endeavouring to procure the Gresham Lectures
more available for the benefit of the public; upon which
the Court referred it to a Special Committee to consider
the 4epti the Corporation ought to adopt for ensuring so
beneficial a measure.

SIP. CLAUDIUS STEPIIKIJ MINTED. AND THE LONDON

MII.ITIA.

Mr. CUARLES PEARSON WAS most anxious to draw the
attention of the Court to a most important subject, which
stood upon the paper of business, an inquiry respecting the
receipt and expenditure of what was termed the Trophy
Tax, an impost wrung from the pockets of the citizens of
London, fur the purpose of supporting that contemptible
humbug of shreds and patches constituted the Lon-
don Militia ; as, however, his remarks would press
somewhat heavily upon the Colonel (Sir C. S. blunter),
he was desirous that the Gallant Colonel should be present
upon the discussion, and had written to him accordingly.
Sir Claudius bad, however, informed him (Mr. Pearson)
that he WAS actively engaged upon public service in the
disturbed districts—(Hear, hear, and laughter)—and re-
ferred hint to a letter which he (Sir Claudius) bad written
to the Lord Mayor on the subject ; that letter his Lordship
would be good enough to have read.
The Loan MAyoa here produced the letter, which was
read as well as the Town Clerk could get through it,
amidst the roars of laughter of the whole Court.--The
following is a literal copy :
" Mortimer, near Reading, Dec. 11,
"My Lord,—l have received a letter from Mr. Pearson, stat.
jug his intention to say something about the Royal London Mi.
litia and myself; as the Colonel. lam curry 1 cannot be there;
amongst other reftiollll, the disturbed state of the counties of
Hants and Berks' for both of which I am an active Magistrate
—(Loud laughter)—and the alarming tires that surround us call
for hourly care, and as London is in comparative peace—
(Laughter)-1 prekr staying where I can du the most public
good.—(Roars of lungi.ter.)
" 1 know Mr. Pearson me greatly mistaken in his views of the
militia and myself, and he may he led by mischievous people to
make statements which are altogether untrue. one lie spoke
to me about the other day, that 1 received 100/. a year for pitying
the men. Now I never paid a man in my life.—(Ekeessive
laughter.)—There is lOU a year allowed me by the Lieutenancy
to find repairs, coals, candles, and the pay of certain servants,
for the care of headquarters, and fur the supply of °Blur mat.
term, and I know of no oilier money whatever. When the mis.
chief is over hereabouts—(Loud laughter)—and I am released
front my attendance at Winchester, whither 1 must go on Batur.
day next, having Billy committed 22 poor men for capital
felonies—(hears of laughter)-1 shall be happy to conic to Lem
don awl explain to a Committee of the Court all that 1 know on
the subject. 1 must add that 1 have had in former times much
reason to respect that Court, and 1 ardently hope I may have
reason to respect and regard it again. lam with great respect
and affixtion—(Laughter)—your Lordship's faithful humble ser.
rant, .6 CLAUDIUS S. HUNTER,"
When the letter had been read,
Mr. CUARLES PEARSON said it was impossible, after
such a statement, for him to press the consideration of the
question in the absence of the Gallant Colonel, who, ac-
cording to his own account of himself, was so actively
employed in the performance of his magisterial duties in the
disturbed districts.—(Hear and laughter.)—He Mr.
Pearson), however, pledged himself that he would take the
earliest opportunity after the re-assembling of the Court,.
to bring the whole tnatter forward, when he would show
that this London Militia bad been fur many years one of

the most barefaced jobs, by which, In fourteen years, since
the peace, 15,000/. had been taken from the citizens for
no earthly purpose but to suatain a piece of contemptible
mockery, in which the Gallant Colonel's fully was not the
most prominent feature of the part he had played in the
business..—.(Hear, bear.)
The Court adjourned at a late hour,

The Hon. and ltev. Dr. GratALD VALE-
RIAN WE'LLWSLEY ie Rector of Chelsea; Rector of
flishop`v Wearmoutb, with u stall in Durham, Hector of
Therfield, Herta, and Chaplain of Hampton Court.--
Morning Paper.—This 'Reverend Plurahat is brother to
the Duke Of WELLINGTON.

While BRUCE, the traveller, one day was at
the house of a relation in East Lothian, a gentleman pre-
sent bluntly observed, that it WM; impossible that the na-
tives of Abyssinia could eat taw meat. BAllelt said not a
ward, but leaving the roam, he shortly returned from the
kitchen with a piece of raw beef steak, peppered and silted
in the Abyasinisn fashion. " You %ill eat that, Sir, or
fight met., he "id. When the gentleman hail eaten up
the raw flesh (most willingly would he have eaten his
words instead), Batten calmly observed, "Now, Sir, you
will never again say it is impossibls."—Murray's Family
Libretry)

EDINBURGH REPORNI PrriTtow.--At two
o'clock yesterday the aignaturea amounted to 23,000, and
before the subscription papers are finally closed this even-
ing. there will be at least a thousand added. Sanguine as
we were, wo scarcely expected such a number of names.
As Edinburgh, apart from Leith, contains about 130,000
inhabitants, or 32,000 adult males, the signatures are
actually equal in number to three-fourths of all Persona
who are qualified to sign. It may be safely said,, that so
great a proportion of the people never express an opinion
unless it prevails almost unanimously amongst tb. popul*
Scotsman of Saturday.;

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 21, MO.

Sir R. PEEL'S remarks last night on the three
great principles to which Earl GREY'S Administra-
tion are pledged, namely, Reform, Economy, and
the maintenance of Peace, ore such at will not ma-
terially elevate his character as a Statesman in the
estimation of the country. They are marked, indeed,
by a Jesuitical affectation of candour, but breathe the
spirit of a mean illiberal distrust. The Right Hon.
Gentleman expressed his doubts whether the present
Ministry would be able to effect a greater reduction
in the public burdens than the lair, and hinted his
apprehensions that the strength which the former
possessed " to carry on the Government was not
too great." Despite this unworthy sneer, we
can assure the Right Hon. Gentleman that Earl
GREY'S Administration has little to fear from in-
terested and factious opposition. Lt is strong
in the confidence of the country, grounded on
the securest of all foundations, the sterling ex-
cellence of its principles. It is strengthened and
retained in office by the very same power that drove
the Right Hon. Gentleman out of it, and now enables
hi

m to enjoy that retirement which he professes so
much to relish, namely, the resistless force of public
opinion. We are too sincerely his well-wishers
to desire to see his present privacy disturbed
If he waits until the country calls on hint to resume
office, we have the satisfaction of assuring him that
he need entertain no uneasiness on the subject; his
retirement Is likely to be of as long continuance as
he can possibly desire. With regard to the Right

lion. Gentleman's remarks on the maintenance of
peace, and above all, on the late glorious
revolutions at Paris and Brussels, we shall
content ourselves with asserting that they are wholly
unworthy the character of a great Statesman.—
Would Lord CIIATUAIII-.-.would PITT.--Would CAN-
NING have condescended to deprecate (even indi-
rectly) the resistance of high-spirited nations to
the tyranny that crushed them to earth, merely be-
cause trade would thereby experience a fluctuation ?
Would they have thought of the ledger when the free-
dom of Europe was at stake; or allowed the somewhat
deteriorated balance sheet of the one to outweigh the
claims of the other ? But the Right Honourable
Gentleman is neither a CIIATIIAM,A PITT, nor a CAN.
NINo. The commercial character is still upper-
most in his mind. He takes a tradesmanlike view
of a revolution, and thinks only how he may en-
hance the balance-sheet of commerce, while others
are struggling to improve the moral and intellectual
destinies of mankind.

An interesting discussion took place, last night,
in the House of Commons, on the subject of the
new Irish judicial appointments. Mr. G. DAWSON
led the way by expressing his astonishment that
Lord PLUNKETT had been selected to fill the office
of Chancellor, chiefly on account of his politics. The
lion. Gentleman added that the " great cause of the
satisfaction which Sir ANTHONY HART had given,
was his being a Judge totally divested of political
bias." There is some truth in this assertion, but
not in the sense to which the Ex-Member for Derry
would restrict it. Sir ANTHONY was undoubtedly
popular, in Ireland, as a Chancellor, but he was so
chiefly by comparison. He stood out in direct contrast
to his predecessor, Lord MANNERS. The one was
active—efficient—experienced ; the other lazy—
Shallow—and altogether incompetent as an Equity
Lawyer. The polities of Lord MANNERS were ex-
treme and offensive in their character; those of Sir
A. HART, so far as he permitted their display, were
temperate, conciliating, and enlightened. If it really
be Me. DAWSON'S opinion that an Irish Chancellor
should know no party, how does it happen that he so
long
of
the preservedesm e s
Government
ovi
eoini
tt s uw
with
rcdt ,
MANNERS--the
a m
At eNriEstserl member
most self-sufficient lawyer and intolerant party-man
compromise,
ec aor, n
ee from
that ever caricatured the Chancery Bench in Ire-
land ? We do not remember that he ever lifted up
his voice against such an appointment, although on
Ids own showing the chief virtue of as Irish Chan-
cellor is Isis absence of political feeling Surely
thi Honourable Mereber's patriotic sensibilities must
have maintained a severe shock on this occa-
sion ! That his silence, however, could not have
arisen from an anxiety to keep his place—from a
is
in short, between his conscience and
h
—is morally impossible : we scout
t}l
monstrouset with disdain I It must
ha
that happy frame of mind which
induces some Ex-Ministers to suppose that abuse is
logic ; and the expression of disappointed ambition
the very perfection of eloquence and sarcasm.
On the subject of the Irish Chief Baron's
intended elevation to the Peerage, the Honourable
BM:
omtib(cart A ‘ftiv u equallys feus tlei ictyo
iins. . a He
st
iancgcut sot r
oLcourd
re
this appointment, in consequence of his Lordship's
having some years since been one of a minority who

charged the Chief Baron with exacting illegal fees .
Now, the very circumstance of the Lord Chan-
cellor having been left in this minolity at
once acquits him of inconsistency, inasmuch as

it establishes the Chief Baron's innocence,
and his own mistaken views on the subject;
which he is, no doubt, anxious to take this oppor•
tunity of amending. But, granted that Lord
BROUGHAM were inconsistent on this occasion, pray
who is it that makes the charge ? Who, but en
apostate Orangeman,bimself inconsistent to a degree
beyond the attainment of ordinary men, who though
he had been for years a desperate opponent of the
Catholics, turned round at the very first whisper
from the Treasury bench, and ranked himself among
their staunchest advocates. From such a source a
charge of gross- inconsistency comes with peculiar
propriety. Sir J. GRAHAM replied to the attack,
of the Ex• Member for Derry with much point, and
the most unqual:fied success.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.)

FROM LLOYD'S.

DEAL, Dec. 20.—Wind N,W., blowing strum in
squalls.—A ship, reported from London for New South
Wales, supposed the Vilselia, pused this morning with loss
of anchor and cable.

PORTSMOUTH, Dic. 20.—Wind N.W., strong breeze.
—Arrived the Diligence and Industry transports, frum
Plymouth.

FALMOUTH, DEC. 19.-.. Wind W., light airs.—Sailed
the Duke of Marlborough packet for Lisbon.
PENZANCZ, Dac. 19.—Arrived off port the Jonge
Hendrika, from Alexandria.
BEISTO4, Dec. 19.—Arrived the Concord, Johns, from
Quebec ; Wanderer, from Lisbon ; and Economy, from
St. Petersburgh.
Homizan, DEC. 19.—Arrived the Belgrave, Fleming,
from Brazil; and Mary Ford, Barton, from St. Andrew*
New Brunswick.

lbarAsT, Drc. 18.—Arrived the Joseph Hums, from
irginia; and .Avon, Dicks, from Dalhousie.

The Hawk, from Leeds to London, sunk on the Bar-
nard Sand yesterday.
The St. Jean Giroux, from New York, arrived at
Brest, with damage, and loss of rudder, bound to Havre.
The Betsey and Janet, St. Clnir, is stranded at Castle
Donart, Sound of Mull.