The Sun.
London, England, 1837-10-13 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held for the despatch of business
CHANGES APPREHENDED FROM THE CITY MUNICIPAL BILL.
Mr. W. PRITCHARD presented a petition from the attor-
neys of the Lord Mayor's Court, praying that compensa-
tion might be granted to the petitioners who had purchased
their places, and had the right of alienation in the event of
passing a Municipal Bill, by which their emoluments would
be affected. He moved that the petition be referred to
the Committee.
Mr. JONES moved, as an amendment, that the petition
should be laid on the table.
Mr. HEPPE'''. seconded the amendment.
Sir P. LAURIE said it was impossible for the Court to
think of entertaining the petition.
The petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. KING presented a petition from the Printers' Pen-
s'on Society, praying that pecuniary assistance might be
granted to them by the Court in the adverse condition of
their circumstances. He moved that it should- be referred
to the coal, corn, and finance committee.
The petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
SWINDLING IN TILE CITY OF LONDON.

Deputy COREY presented a petition, praying that the
Court would adopt means to clear the City of London of
the swindlers who were represented in the Mansion House
reports as having established a very extensive system of de-
frauding the tradespeople.—( Hear, hear.) He stated that
the petition had reference to the proceedings before the
Lord Mayor on the subject of the fraudulent conduct of
the tenants of a house in Cushion-court, Old Broad-street,

the exposure of which had been so effectual as to put an
end to the operations of the swindlers, at all events in that
district.—(Cheers.) But he had a complaint to make
against the City police. He considered that the blood
money formerly acted upon at the other end of the metro-
polis was adopted in the City in another shape, for if a
banker's parcel happened to be stolen they knew perfectly
well where to go if a reward awaited their interference ;
but their activity entirely depended upon the reward. He
supposed that adequate payment was not given to the men
who were appointed to protect the citizens of London, and
if such were the case he should be the first to propose that
sufficient remuneration should be given to them. Whatever
was the cause, it was certain that the security for property
which erery tradesman had a right to expect was not to be
found, and he hoped that the Court would join warmly in
the experiment to establish it. If the officers were not
well paid they ought to be well paid, and if they were
they ought to be discharged. He then moved—" That it
be referred to the Committee for General Purposes to
examine the allegations of the petition, with power to confer
with the Aldermen thereon, and to examine into the state
of the law relative to frauds and fraudulent dealings, and to
report their opinion to this Court, as to whether any and
what amendments can be made therein, so as to render
them more efficient in the punishment of persons guilty of
such offences."
Alderman LUCAS seconded the motion.

Sir P. LAURIE said that the Deputy had certainly done
a great service to his fellow-citizens, and with an earnest-
ness and zeal well adapted to the occesion. It was absurd
to charge the City Police with neglect.—(Hear, hear.)
Let those who accused them bring forward charges of frau-
dulent dealing, and the Magistrates of the City would deal
with them, perhaps, without allowing themselves to be tied
up by the technicalities and forms of the law.—(Cheers )
In Genclusion, he hoped the Deputy would pursue the
swindlers with vigour ; but he deprecated the attack upon
the police altogether_
Mr. It TAYLOR agreed with Sir Peter Laurie,. drat the
officers were not deserving of blame. The evil lay_ =deeper.
The defect was in the law, which did not sufficiently define
the offence, but left it open to a vast variety of construc-
tions, so that the difficulties attending the prosecution of
persons who practised frauds were incalculable.

The LORD MAYOR elect said that the thanks of the
citizens of London were due to the Deputy for what he had
done in this case. He was bounq to declare, at the same
time, that his belief was that the City Police was as efficient
as possible.
Mr. PEWTRESS said that, in his opinion, the most effec-
tual way of gettioc, rid of swindlers would be to get the Le-
gislature to abolish imprisonment for debt.

Under-Sheriff WIRE knew from his professional experi-
ence that it was one of the most difficult things imaginable
to fix the charge of swindling upon a man.
The motion was then unanimously agreed to.
THE APPROACHING VISIT OF THE QUEEN.

Mr. HALE (the Chairman of tho city of London School)
at the desire of the Committee, rose to move that the va-
cant piece of ground at the top of Cheapside, should be
allowed to be made use of to accommodate the scholars,
who were most anxious to see their young Queen on the 9th
of November.—( Hear.)
After some observations from Mr. R. Taylor, Mr. Ste-
vens, Mr. Pewtress, and other Members, the motion was
agreed to, and it was ordered that the City of London
School Committee should draw a sum not exceeding 2501.
to defray the expences.
Some conversation took place upon the subject of the
propriety of appointing a deputation of six Common Coun-
cilmen to accompany the deputation of Aldermen to receive
her Majesty at Temple-bar on the 9th Nov.

Mr. -WOODTHORPE (the Town Clerk) mentioned the
precedents of the visits of George the Third to St. Paul's,
and the visit of the Prince Regent and the Continental So-
vereigns to Guildhall, and a motion was agreed to appoin-
ting such deputation.

kr. JONES (the chairman of the London Bridge Com-
mittee), in speaking on the subject, cautioned the Court how
they resolved to send six of their body to meet the Queen,
as the deputation must ride on horseback.—(Laughter.)
He remembered how Mr. Dixon, the late father of that
Court, remonstrated with his brethren on the hazard they
encountered by so bold an experiment. The story ran
thus :—lt so happened that very few of the six Common
Councilmen selected to ride to Temple Bar to receive
George 111. could ride at all. There was, however, one
who could, and he determined to make up the deficiency of
the rest by hiring a very handsome white horse, which had
been long accustomed to run in the Circus. The deputa-
tion reached Temple Bar, and his Majesty entered in state
at the gate. The moment, however, the order to go for-
ward was given, a most unexpected -obstruction presented
itself. The white horse, upon hearing the music, instead of
advancing began to gallop round and round, .as if he was
on duty in the Circus, amidst the shouts of the crowd, and
to the surprise of the venerable King, who was at last per-
suaded that the vagaries of the animal and its rider consti-
tuted part of the City pageant.—(Great laughter.)
Under-Sheriff WIRE moved that the Court agree to pe-
tition the House of Commons to repeal the duties on fire
and life and marine assurance policies.—Agreed to.
Adjourned.

THE WEATHER.—SO uncommonly clear And bril-
liant has the moonlight been for some time back, that the
workmen employed in excavating a sewer in Russell-square,
have been able to continue operations throughout the greater
part of the night without making use of any kind of arti-
ficial light. We believe the same thing takes place on se-
veral of the railway works, where dispatch in the construc-
tion of any part of the line is particularly desired. It is a
remarkable fact that, at present, the weather is much more
genial than it was during the early part of May, and that,
in many places, vegetation is proceeding quite as rapidly
now as then. Apple trees are beginning to put forth fresh
blossoms, and were it not for the nipping frosts that now
and then appear in the nights, many trees would present
the appearance of fruit and -blossom simultaneously. The
potato crop continues still in a growing condition, and while
the present weather lasts, seems likely to do so.
The General Steam Navigation Company's packet
Giragi', from Rotterdam, arrived off the Custom House at
eleven o'clock yesterday forenoon.
When MM. Arago and Odillon Barrot recently
passed through Mayence, on their way to Germany, their
attention was drawn to the statue of Guttemberg, erected
at the recent fete devoted to his memory. While thus
employed, they were gratifiA by the sight of a Prussian
detachment, which was defiling by the statue, presenting
arms, by order of their commanding officer, to-the image of
the great benefactor of civilization.
A Somersetshire squire having occasion lately to
find fault with the stupidity of a servant, had recourse to
the well-known adage, by telling him, " All, John, you will
never set the Thames on. fire to which the latter in-
stantly replied, "God forbid, sir,-that I should ever ao any-
thing so .wicked !"