The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-11 00:00:00

OFFICE OF SECONDARY OF THE

CITY OF LONDON.

The following is the Report of the Committee of the
Corporation as to the Office of Secondary, and is to be
discussed on the next Court day :
To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Aldermen
and Commons of the City of London in Common
Council assembled, we whose names are hereunto
subscribed, your Committee in relation to the Secon-
daries' and the Sheriff's Courts of this City, to whom, on
the 19th day of September 1833, it was referred to
inquire into the nature and extent of the duties per-
formed by the Secondaries, with a view to ascertain
whether the same could not be efficiently peformed by
one person ; also to ascertain whether a satisfactory
arrangement cannot be made with the present Secon-
daries to consolidate the offiice ; also to inquire into the
amount of fees now demanded, with a view to ascertain
whether the same may not be increased so as to
afford an adequate remuneration to the Secondaries for
the discharge of the duties ; al3o to fix the amount of
salary to be received, and to report such regulations as
we might deem necessary to be observed by the Second-
aries in the discharge of their duties, do certify, that we
referred the consideration of the said references to a
Sub-Committee, who have since reported that they have
proceeded therein from time to time, and after due con-
sideration were of opinion, with respect to that part
which relates to a consolidation of the office of Secondary,
that unless there is a material change in the duties of the
office by a transfer of the judicial part of those duties to
the Judge of the Sheriff's Court, and the Secondaries are
relieved from their attendance at the Central Criminal
Court, and on State occasions, the present duties, as
performed by those officers, cannot be efficiently exe-
cuted by one person. And as there did not appear,
either on the ground of recovery or with reference to
the convenience of the public, to be any good reason for
eonsplidating the office, they could not recommend this
Honourable Court to effect such consolidation.

With respect to that part of the reference which re-
lated to the fees received by the Secondaries, the Sub-
Committee further reported, that since the period of
such reference an Act had passed the Legislature for
the administration of justice, by which the Judges
are empowered to sanction a scale of fees,
and such scale having been sanctioned and
allowed by the Judges, the same is now acted
upon by the Secondaries, agreeably to the recommenda-
tion contained in our Report presented to this Court on
the 2d of April, 1834 ; and it appearing from these
accounts that such fees for some years past have been
more than sufficient to pay the stipulated salaries of
these officers, together with the charges and expenses of
their office, the Sub-Committee are of opinion, that as
no charge was now made on the Corporation, that it was
unnecessary to inquire further at present into the
amount of such fees, and to consider a Report upon
any regulations to be observed in the discharge of the
duties of the office of Secondary.
But it appearing that one of the sources of fees re-
ceived by the Secondaries arose from the trial of
referred issues from the Superior Courts, under the
provision of the 3d and 4th of Will. 4, cap. 42,
the Sub-Committee directed Mr. Arabin, the
Judge of the Sheriffs' Court (before whom such
issues are also tried, and the Secondaries, to make
returns in writing of the number of issues referred to
them during the last year, respectively, with the fees and
charges thereon, and, having received the same, it ap-
peared that before Mr. Arabin the number of cases en-
tered was 133, of which 105 were tried before him and
28 withdrawn, and that the charges upon each case tried
amounted to 17s. 10d. ; and that before the Secondaries
the number of cases referred was 235, of which 177
were tried before them, and 58 withdrawn, and that the
fees and charges upon each case tried amounted to
H. 13s. : and that upon each case withdrawn the Se-
condaries received the sum of 4s. The report, after re-
ferring to the evidence of Mr. Arabin on the subject,
stated that the Sub-Committee were of opinion that it
was deserving of consideration whether the fees in both
Courts should be assimilated or not, and also whether a
portion of them should be paid into the Chamber towards
the expenses of the Sheriffs' Court, subject to the regu-
lations of the Court of Common Council. The Sub-
Committee, it added, annexed the following statement of
receipts and disbursements of the Office of Secondary,
in the years 1836, 1837, and 1838, with the balances
received by the Secondary during three years respec
tively, viz.:—

Salaries received by the
Receipts. Disbursements. Seeondaries.
836 ... £3,151 10 2 £972 12 9i £2,178 17 41
837 ... 3,350 3 4 867 0 2 2,483 3 2
838 3,973 12 6 890 17 61 3,032 14 11
11e Report ends thus—That we, your Committee,
agree with the report of the Sub-Committee, and re-
commend it for adoption.; and we are proceeding to
the consideration of the remaining references, and
hope shortly to be enabled to present a detailed Report
thereon. All which we submit—We are
R. TAYLOR, R. THOMAS,
A. GALLOWAY, H. DEJERSEY,
W. A. PEACOCK, W. H. ASHURST,
J. DAVIES, R. OBBARD.
W. JOHNSON,

THE MINISTERIAL SCRIBES AND THE
CHARTISTS---In the recent sentences for manslaughter,
the complaint was not so much that Coker had positively
too much punishment, as that Medhurst, who seemed the
greater criminal, had so little ; and in the same way it was
thought that hanging was disproportionately severe for the
practical Chartists, when the theoretical ones, who owed
their safety to superior intelligence or inferior courage,
were only washed, cropped, and imprisoned.—Globe,
which serves the Ministers badly by insulting those whom
they have injured by pointing a law against the Chartists
which the Whigs formerly set at defiance.
MR. SHERIFF EVAN'S STATE LIVERIES.
—These Liveries are now on private view at the Empo-
rium, Fleet Street. According to long established cus-
tom, which is now become law, dresses of this sort must
be showy, rich, and " all bespangled with gold," and it
requires no little skill in the manufacturer to adhere to the
old fashion without offending against the more chaste and
strict rules of modern taste. Mr. Charles, in this respect,
has succeeded admirably ; they are rich without being
gaudy, and though all, the edges arc decorated with
gold lace of the laurel pattern, and nearly the whole sur-
face of the garments is covered with splendid wreaths of
the richest " sun flower" braided in gold, the workman-
ship still appears predominant, and comparing great
things with small—the throne of the sun with the flower
that bears his name—we cannot help quoting the words of
the poet, " materiem superabit opus." The following is
a more technical account of these liveries, and will
be better understood by our fashionable readers,
than any description we can venture to give,
The coats are of the finest Tyrian purple cloth, lined
throughout with white soi-de-berri, the edges formed by
a rich gold lace of the laurel pattern ; splendid wreaths of
the " helianthus multiflarus" braided in gold ornament
the breasts, backs, sleeves, and flaps ; the skirts are deco-
rated with the Sheriff's crest on a wreath, a battle-axe
lying fesse ways, a lion rampant, holding in his dexter
, paw a silver scymeter, surrounded by a garter, with the
motto " Certum pete finesu," and surmounted by an
Esquire's helmet ; the whole beautifully embroidered in
gold and silver on Tyrian purple velvet. A massive gold
arguilet, with the crest, &c. (as above), embroidered on
the straps, hangs gracefully from the shoulder in festoons,
and fastens at the breast. The breeches of the finest white
casemere, with a rich gold lace down the sides and round
the knees, with bullion tassels, and on the front a full
trimmed Austrian knot, elegantly braided in gold.
FIRE AT RATCLIFF.—About half-past four
o'clock yesterday morning a fire of a very extensive descrip-
tion broke out in the cooperage of Messrs. Ashcroft and
Sons, Bere-street, Butcher-row, Ratcliff. The conflagration
raged with awful fury for upwards of four hours, in the
course of which immense property fell a sacrifice. The
cooperage was wholly burnt down and five other buildings,
besides a great many dwellings damaged. No account at
present can be obtained of the cause of the catastrophe.
The erection of temporary barracks in Mr. Bar-
ton's yard, Carlisle, for the use of the cavalry now sta-
tioned there, has been suspended in consequence of a let-
ter from Lord John Russell, stating that it would be illegal
to apply any part of the county rate towards defraying the
expense. The question is likely to give rise to a good
deal of discussion at the ensuing sessions.

A STAUNCH POINTER.—" We got into a field
of standing corn," said the Colonel, " when Sancho was
missed ; neither calling nor whistling had any effect, and
we went home without him, wondering what had become
of the dog. When the corn was cut, however, the mys-
tery was explained, for there stood Sancho, in the attitude
of pointing, and a covey of birds some few feet in advance
of him, all, both dog and birds, perfect skeletons."—
American, of course.
SLAVE TRADE.—A STRANGE STORY.—A
vessel was discovered off our coast on Wednesday under
very mysterious circumstances. The pilot-boat La Fayette
about ten o'clock on the morning of that day, while off
the Woodlands, about twenty-five miles from this city,
fell in with a Baltimore built schooner, painted black,
with a green bottom, and with the appearance of having
been at sea about three months. She bad two long top-
masts, and on her stern were two gilt stars. The pilot-
boat Blossom was in company with her. On approaching
the vessel a number of negroes, 25 or 30, were seen on
deck. Some were almost or quite naked, some were
wrapped in blankets, and one had on a white coat. The
Blossom had previously attached a tow line to the
schooner, but slipped it on perceiving an intention on
the part of the blacks to haul up the boat to their
vessel. The strange crew on board were armed with
muskets and cutlasses. One of them had a belt of
dollars round his waist ; another called the Captain,
had a gold watch. They could speak no English, but ap-
peared to talk in the negro language. The schooner of
which they were in possession appeared to the commander
of the pilot-boat, La Fayette, and to the others who examined
her to be a slave-ship. It was supposed that the prisoners
had risen upon the captain and his assistants and captured
her. Long grass was growing upon her bottom, and her
sails were much torn, as if she had been driven about, at the
mercy of the gale, with her sails set, and no one at the helm,
When the Blossom first fell in with the vessel it supplied
her with a bag of bread and a keg of water. One of the
Blossom's men was on board for some time, and reports
that the blacks were all furnished with knives. Two of
them got into the y awl of the pilot-boat, and there was
great difficulty in making them get out again. The
schooner had no small boat. On leaving her she stood to
the eastward, and at sunset, Wednesday evening, she was
seen still standing in the same direction.—New Yoilt
Paper, Aug. 23.