The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-11 00:00:00

gulation Act.
The New City Traffic Re

The forthcoming operation of the act at the in-
stance of the corporation of London towards the end
of last session of Parliament, for regulating the
traffic in the streets of the city and for preventing
obstructions, is looked to with some expectancy and
interest. As its provisions are cumparativety little
known, and as it is a time-honoured legal maxim
that ignorance of the law excuses no one, we give a
summary of its enactments for the benefit of all con-
cerned. The preamble recites, what has been matter
of notoriety for years past, that it is expedient to
make better provision for the regulation of omni-
buses, cabs, cart iages, carts, and other vehicles pass-
ing through the city or its liberties, so as to prevent
obstruction and enable the increasing traffic to be
conducted with less delay and in a safer manner.
With that view the Act empowers the Court of
Aldermen to make from time to time such by-laws
and regulations as they may think necessary, and
these are to apply to three principal subjects. First,
the Aldermen may prescribe the routes to be fol-
lowed and the particular street or parts of streets to
be used by omnibuses, cabs, and vans; secondly,
the height and width to which the heavier vehicles,
such as carts, waggons, and drays, for the convey-
ance of goods, wares, and merchandise, using the
streets of the city between nine in the morn-
ing and six in the evening, may be laden ; and,
thirdly, they may determine the period of the
day or night during which carts, waggons,
or other vehicles wholly or partially laden with
timber, metal, or any other material exceeding 25
feet in length or 8 feet 6 inches in breadth, may be
allowed to pass or be prohibited from passing. The
Court of Aldermen is empowered to regulate the
mode of distinguishing hackney cabs when empty
and when actually plying for hire ; the time of day
during which coals may be shot into cellars through
openings in the streets; and to appoint places at
which street shoeblacks may stand to exercise their
calling, and to determine the number of such shoe-
blacks at each place. The by-laws may at any
time be varied, altered, or repealed, but not in a
manner repugnant to the general laws of the king-
dom or to the provisions of this particular Act.
They are also to be enforced by penalties not
exceeding 40s. for each offence, with the alter-
native of a term of imprisonment. For purposes
of the Act and the recovery of penalties certain pro-
visions of the City of London Police Act are incor-
porated, and are to be read as if re-enacted. A
right of appeal is given, or rather an existing one
in like cases continued, to a superior court. No by-
law or alteration in a by-law is to come into opera-
tion until one month after its approval under the
hand of one of her Majesty's principal Secretaries
of State ; nor shall any by-law or alteration be sub-
mitted for such approval until one month after the
intention to apply for the approval shall have been
publicly notified by advertisment. The by-laws,
when so settled and approved, are to be posted in a
conspicuous manner on the Mansion-house, the
Royal Exchange, Guildhall, Temple-bar, the Cus-
tom-house, and the General Post-office, St. Martin's-
le-Grand. The Act is to continue in force for
seven years after its passing, and thence to the end
of the then next Session of Parliament, and the
expenses of obtaining it are to be borne out of the
City police-rate. Much of the merit of its passing
is due to Mr. Deputy Lott, who has for years, in
season and out of season, urged the necessity of
some such measure on the Court of Common Coun-
cil. On the other hand, Alderman William Law-
rence has invariably deprecated any undue interfe-
rence with the conveyance of merchandise, or any
unnecessary restrictions on trade within the city,
such as were proposed, as unwise and vexatious.
The duty now devolves upon the Court of Alder-
men to devise a code of regulations in conformity
with the statute ; and as the Act has been pro-
cured at the express instence of the corporation it-
self, and through its own law officers, it may be
presumed they will set about the matter forthwith
and with an earnest desire to give it full effect.

WORCESTER HOP MARKET, AUGUST B.—We
have been blessed with a continuance of fine, warm weather
with some rain, which has been most favourable for the
growing hop plant, and it is now coming well into burr
With every prospect of an abundant crop. The fears enter-
tained a fortnight ago that after all the crop of 1863 would
be but a poor one appear to have been banished by the
favourable turn in the weather, which has certainly im-
proved the healthy appearance of the crop. The bine is in
a forward state and early picking may be expected. There
is little or nothing doing in the market, the stock being
Pretty Well sold out,

Arbitrary Edict of General Mouravieff.

General Monravieff has recently issued the fol-
lowing edict :
" In consequence of communications made to me by the
military chiefs that many bands of rebels are dissolving,
and that the peasants, nobles, citizens, and similar vaga-
bonds constituting the same, are appealing to our mercy, I
have already given permission that the peasants who volun-
tarily and contritely return, may be detained in their for-
mer dwelling-places and delivered over to the heads of the
communes until further orders. I further decree as fol-
lows :

" 1. The peasants, minor nobility, and citizens, wbo vo-
luntarily leave the rebel bands, return, and beg for mercy,
shall be detained in their former places of residence, after
the communes have pledged themselves for their safe cus •
tody, after the district chief has personally convinced him-
self that they repent, and after they have taken the oath of
fidelity to his Majesty. This oath shall be administered in
the presence of the chief of the district by a reliable eccle-
siastic, who has shown himself worthy of especial confidence.
"2. Special care is to be taken that the individuals im-
ploring mercy deliver up their arms, or state the place in
which they are concealed.
" 3. Exact details are to be furnished by such persons of
the composition of the bands to which they have belonged,
by whom they are led, and what operations they intend.
"4. Those who seem evil-disposed upon examination
shall be arrested, and delivered over to the inquisitorial
committee, who shall then proceed with them as with
rebels.

"5, Landowners, clergy, officials, and in especial all be-
longing to the nobility, who sue for pardon, after having
given in their confessions, shall be detained in custody in
the towns until I have decided as to their acquittal.
" 6. The district chief must exercise the greatest caution
in the examination of parsons suing for pardon, taking into
immediate custody those who return home without submit-
ting themselves to the authorities, or when submitting,
manifest no contrition. These persons shall not be per-
mitted to remain at their homes.

"7. Report must be instantly made of all persons who
return home, or to their estates, communicating their reve-
lations, that I may give orders concerning them.
" 8. While I assume that the bands roaming about the
forests are nothing but collections of robbers, whose stub-
bornness and opposition deserve no mercy, I order, as I
have already ordered, that all persons belonging to these
roving bands who may be taken prisoners, whenever they
have been guilty of any cruelties or acts of violence against
any person whatever, shall be placed before a court-martial
within 24 hours, and, after the confirmation of the judg-
ment of the military chief, shall be punished with death, of
which lam to be informed within a similar time. Inde-
pendently of this, in case any nobles of the vicinity, re-
gardless of the injunctions already given, shall be con-
victed of participation in crimes committed by rebels upon
peasants of faithful subjects, or of assisting such persons
therein, information thereof is instantly to be given to me,
that I may take the severest measures to deter the
whole of the surrounding nobility, by terrible ex-
ample, from similar transgressions. In such cases,
while detaining the actual culprits in custody, a fine of 10
to 25 roubles will be levied with all the severity of military
law upon every noble household, such fine being devoted to
the benefit of the families who have suffered by the insur-
gent bands.
" 9. While I am aware that the majority of the cruel
deeds and crimes are executed by the insurgent bands, con-
sisting of citizens, nobles, and clergy—who are not seldom
assisted by the possessors of the adjoining country houses
and their stewards : I hereby order that strict investigation
be made from which of the houses nearest to the scene of
the outrage aid has been given to the band by which it has
been committed. All goods and crops are to be taken from
such houses; the former shall be sold, and the produce de-
voted to the benefit of the injured persons, the grain being
used for the support of the army. The proprietors of the
country houses and their stewards shall be arrested, and be
placed before a court-martial.
" 10. The governors of the districts shall also apply
sequestration to the goods of all proprietors who have sup-
ported the insurrection. The proprietors and their families
and stewards shall be at once removed from these estates.
The inventory of the estates where the outrage has been
committed shall be presented to the family of the injured
person, or to other peasants. While I reserve to myself the
right of issuing further orders, I desire speedy information,
that I may make examples of any clergyman, citizen, noble-
man, or steward who does anything whatever calculated to
foster and support the insurrection."