The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDINESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 23, 185 3.

rience of cab drivers he thought he never met with one
so bad as this man. .

Defendant declared that when told by the gentlemen
to drive to a police court his reply was that he knew
none nearer than Westminster. He admitted that he
told the gentleman he couldn't drive faster than 6 miles
an hour, and that was all ; and as regarded the remainder
he was neither offensive nor insulting, and never was
to anybody.
Sir Robert stated that the defendant had never said
a word to him about six miles an hour, or about his
knowing of no court nearer than the Westminster. On
the contrary, he had most positively refused to drive
him to a police court, and his manner was insulting and
offensive.

Mr. Broderip remarked that it was quite clear defend-
ant had been guilty of gross misbehaviour, and fined him
20s, or 14 days.

Defendant was locked up in default.
Mr. Broderip received 101. from a lady, per "J. C.,
for the poor•box.

THAMES. —Mr. Samuel Brown, landlord of the Steam
Packet public-house, Limehouse, was summoned by
Charles Kiddy, a cab driver, who claimed 6d. only.
The complainant said that he was called off the rank
at Poplar-gate, took up the defendant in Parkplace,
Poplar, and drove him to Sutton-street, Commercial-
road, opposite the George. After waiting there a short
time the defendant said he should have to wait some
time longer, and he should engage him by time. Wit-
ness told the defendant that it would be another hiring,
and he made no answer. He then waited above 20
minutes at Sutton-street, and drove the defendant to
Whitechapel Church ; from there to White Horse-street,
Ratcfiff ; and finished the drive in Park-place. He
charged 6d. for one mile from Park-place to Sutton-
street, and 4s. for time. The defendant only paid
him 4s.
Mr. Brown said that when he told the cabman the
Yardtlheye whainis
nqguibtye
tsiamteis,fieadndththeatcabhderiwvaesr
onlyhad
hiring must be by time he made no reply.
M sanctionedr
entitled to 4s.

The complainant said he was engaged four miles be-
yond Charing-cross, and was entitled to ls. per mile.
Mr. Yardley said the last act of Parliament relating
to Hackney carriages enacted that is. per mile should
be paid for every mile, or part of a mile, which a cab-
man should be required to drive beyond the circum-
ference of a circle, the radius of which shall be four
miles from Charing-cross, provided such carriage shall
be discharged beyond such circumference. Surely that
must mean to apply to cabs hired within the circum-
ference of four miles, not to a cab hired at a standing
beyond the four miles.
Mr. Brown -- The cabdriver did not give me any ticket
until the drive was over.

Mr. Yardley thought that to be sufficient. He knew
that some magistrates held that the cabdriver was bound
to deliver a ticket at the commencement of the hiring
whether he asked for it or not, but he was of a different
opinion.

GREENWICH.—CarI Renel, Alexander .Bruinel,
Hendrick Brunelli, and Hendrick Gusto, Chrolm, four
seamen belonging to the Russian ship Salerzia, from
Finland, lying in the Commercial Docks, were charged
with being concerned in stabbing Thomas Brosnaham
and D. Sullivan with a large case knife, late on the night
of Monday last, near the dockyard in New King•street,
Deptford.

The affray arose out of a quarrel respecting some
women in the street, and it seems that Bresnahan struck
one of the prisoners and ran away. The prisoners fol-
lowed and in the scuffle the men received severe wounds.
Brosnahan had been stabbed in the lungs, and was at
Guy's Hospital in a state of great danger.
The prisoners were remanded.

SPURTING INTELLIGENCE.

BETTING AT MACHESTER-TUESDAY.

Considering the season there was a good attendance
this morning and a fair amount of business transacted
(principally on the Chester Cup) at the following
prices :

NEWTON HANDICAP PLATE.
sto 1 agst Thelia colt (taken).
CHESTER CUP.
2,000 to 30 agst Newminster (taken).
2,000 to 30 agst Friday (taken).
1,000 to 12 agst Red Lion (taken).
1,000 to 10 agst Balrownie (taken).
500 to 5 agst Little Harry (taken).
500 to 5 agst Peggy (taken).
500 to 5 agst Indian Warrior (taken).
500 to 5 agst Marc Anthony (taken).
500 to 5 agst Torment (taken).
500 to 5 agst Robin Hood (taken).
500 to 5 agst Brother to Little Swift (taken),

DERBY.
6to 1 agst Autocrat (taken).
10 to 1 agst King Tom (taken to 25/.).
25 to 1 agst Ruby (taken).
25 to 1 agst Acrobat (taken to 501.).
40 to 1 agst Meteora (taken).

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

MALTA, Nov. 15.
The Ardent has arrived from the fleet, but brings no
news of importance. She announces the fact of the fleet
having left the Dardanelles for Constantinople on the 2d
inst. On her arrival the went into dock for repairs.
We are hourly expecting the Fury or the Inflexible.
Should the nature of their despatches transpire, I will
communicate them.

A sad accident has occurred to the crew of one of the
French steamers, the San 6. In rendering assistance to
the Jupiter, which vessel had got on shore, her boat
swamped, and 12 poor fellows lost their lives.

. .
Captain Stephens, Royal Marines, of the Albion, has
arrived in Malta by the Ardent for surgical treatment in
the hospital.

The French steamer Caton, from Constantinople, has
reached Malta in nine days, en route to Toulon, for re-
pairs.

- The Shearwater, from Corfu, arrived on Friday, and
left yesterday on her return, having put back on Sunday
owing to the heavy weather she encountered 15 miles
from port.
The Vectis (Peninsular and Oriental Company s
steamer), from Marseilles, arrived on Sunday, and will
leave at eight a.m., on her return, touching at ports in
Italy and Tuscany.
The Ripon (Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steamer), with outward India mails, arrived yesterday
afternoon, and left a few hours afterwards for Alexandria.

..... The report of the capture of a Russian line•of-battle
ship by Captain Slade is not confirmed by subsequent
arrivals.

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 22.
Rear-Admiral Arthur Fanshawe, C. 8., superintendent
of this dockyard, is selected by the Admiralty to succeed
Vice-Admiral Sir George Seymour, K.C.8., in the com-
mand-in-chief on the West India and North American
station. It was to offer him this oppointment that the
gallant superintendent was telegraphed to the Admiralty
on Friday. He returned yesterday evening, and we can
honestly state the news he bore relative to his removal
from this dockyard has caused great regret. His suc-
cessor, we believe, will be either Rear-Admiral Charles
Hope Johnston, late Captain-Superintendent of the
Royal Clarence-yard, and the Naval Hospital at Haslar,
or Rear-Admiral William Fanshawe Martin, son of the
Admiral of the Fleet, and late commodore in command
of a squadron on the Lisbon station. We believe the
Boscawen, 70, new ship, at present ordinary guardship,
at Chatham (which has been ordered to be fitted for a
flag), will be Rear-Admiral Fanshaw's flagship ; and his
nephew, Captain W. F. Glanville (1846), his flag-captain.
We believe the newly appointed commander-in-chief will
not wait to sail in his flagship, but will proceed as
speedily as he conveniently can arrange to the station,
as Sir George Seymour has written to the Admiralty,
urging
to be immediately relieved. We should not be
surprised. as sundry changes in the constitution of the
board have of late been talked of in well accredited
rqsaeufiil.atrtienn:sit, to see Sir George return to the Admiralty.
The Russian corvette Navarin, having completed her
obrialhaararbtsoucrha,
twkaas. towed to Spithead by the Echo
tug, and shiPped her powder and shells, &c., prior to
Fritey.frigeS te
Aurora will probably follow her about
She is to be undocked on Thursday.
The Princess Charlotte 104, was placed in No. 3
dock of the fitting-basin a-clay
The SPy, 8, brigantine, T. or overhaul and refit.
Lieutenant-Commander Beres-
ford, sailed last night for —Cheatham to be paid off.
al despatch yacht, Master-Commander
AlTfrhede EBandisßtoony, went to Osborne this morning, and
returned in the afternoon. The Court
rt are now expected
on Friday.
The Widgeon paddle steam-vessel, Master-
Commander
P. Rundle, put into harbour this morning from Pem-
broke for a supply of coals, and left again in the after-
noon for the eastward.

PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY EATING
Her Majesty's steam-vessels Imperieuse, so, Captain
Watson ; Valorous, 16, Captain Buckle ; and Desperate,
8, Captain Chambers, got up their steam this afternoon,
and left the harbour at half-past three o'clock. Outside'
the Breakwater they hoisted their colours and bore
away for the westward, under topmast and topgallant
studdingsails. Wind, light from the east.
The steam-vessel Rhadamanthus arrived this afternoon
from Pembroke, and came into harbour to coal. The
steam-tug Jasper, arrived to-day from Portsmouth ; she
is to be used as an extra tug at this port.

WOOLWICH, Nov. 22.

APPOINTMENTS.
Assistant-Surgeons—John C. Messer, M.D. (1852),
from the Arrogant, 47, screw steam frigate, to the Sa-
racen, surveying vessel, at Devonport, for service in the
Chinese seas ; Charles H. Chambers (1851), to the Arro-
gant, vice Messer.

Third Class Assistant-Engineer—F. .T. Hunter, to
the Rifleman steam sloop at Woolwich.

PROMOTIONS.
Assistant-Surgeons William H. Sloggett (1842),
serving as additional assistant-surgeon to the St. George,
120, guardship of ordinary at Devonport, and James J.
Martin (1842), first assistant-surgeon of the Agamem-
non, 91, screw steamship, to be surgeons.
The Alban, 4, paddlewheel steamvessel of 100 horse-
power, is ordered to be completed with all despatch, as
her services are required as soon as she can be made
ready.
The Boscawen, 70, at present serving as guardship of
ordinary at Chatham, and carrying the pendant of Cap-
tain Peter Richards C.B Superintendent of Chatham
Dockard, is ordered' to be prepared to serve as flagship
on the West Indies station, to relieve the Cumberland,
70, the present flagship on the North American and
West Indies stations

CITY OF LONDON COMMISSION.

The commissioners re-assembled in the Privy Council
Chamber on Friday, and renewed their investigations
into the state of the Corporation of the City of London.
Commissioners present—Sir John Patteson and Mr.
Cornewall Lewis.
The first witness examined was
Mr. William Cotton, late governor of the Bank of
England, who stated—l am one of the directors of the
Bank of England, and have been connected with the
shipping interest of the city of London for 45 years. I
have paid attention to the general subject of the consti-
tution, but not to its details. I would retain the Court
of Aldermen as a distinct court from the Court of Com-
mon Council. I think there is an advantage in having
an unpaid and independent magistracy ; but, looking at
the altered state of circumstances in the city, the mer-
chants of the city are unable to devote sufficient time to
the office of alderman, because of the magisterial duties
attached to the office. I would not, however, deprive
the aldermen of the city of their judicial functions ; but
I would have a legal officer in the capacity of a paid
magistrate to preside on the bench. I believe the alder-
men to have paid assessors to assist them with legal
knowledge at present ; so that practically, although not
nominally, you have a system of paid magistracy in the
city, but you have it without an efficient responsibility.
The merchants do not reside in the city now, as they
used to do, which accounts to some extent for their in-
disposition to take part in the affairs of the corporation.
The former residences of the merchants in the city have
now become warehouses and the places of business of
retail traders. In my younger days the corporation used
to represent the great bankers and merchants, but now
it only, or at least almost exclusively represents the retail
traders. At the same time the principal retail establish-
ments are not now chiefly within the city—many of them
are situate at the west-end. I recollect Mr. Williams,
and other leading merchants and bankers, throwing up
their aldermanic gowns on account of the disrepute
into which the municipal offices in the city had fallen.
Attacks had been made upon them in the House of
Commons, and ridicule was cast upon the corporation.
The charges to which I refer have taken place within
the period of my recollection. My opinion with re-
gard to the Court of Common Council is, that such a body
may be adapted for the transaction of its deliberative
functions ; but it is too numerous for the proper dis-
charge of the executive duties now intrusted to it. If
you can establish a system of electing members to the
Court of Common Council, in whom the public would
have confidence, I think it would be better to leave that
court to elect its own executive officers, as is done in
other municipal boroughs, instead of having them
elected by the Common Hall, as is now the case in
City. The livery companies at present have, generally,
no preference to the respective trades whose name they
bear; but the goldsmiths, the bowyers, and one or two
others of the guilds, still retain a connection with the
trades to which their members originally belonged. The
constituency of provincial boroughs under the Munici-
pal Reform Act would be better adapted for the city of
London than the existing constituency. It appears to
me to be improper for the corporation to compel the re-
tail traders to take up their freedom when they cannot
enforce it upon the wholesale merchants. The City has
a large amount of property independent of its rates and
dues. I think the corporation have applied their funds,
arising from rents, &c., honestly, but not judiciously ;
because they have not carried out social improvements,
such as baths and washhouses, and the like, which have
engaged the attention of corporations like that of Liver-
pool and other large places. The corporation has cer-
tainly improved the streets of the City, but I do not
think the application of its funds ought to have been
exclusively confined to objects within the limits of the
City. I think a plan might be devised for giving mu-
nicipal institutions to the whole metropolis ; and I think
there ought to be such a means ; and I believe that some
body might be formed for attaining that end ; but I do
not feel myself competent now to determine what that
body should be. If an improvement is proposed in the
metropolis, you must go to the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, or to the City, for the necessary funds to carry
it out ; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer may fairly
answer, "If I give money to build bridges in the me-
tropolis, I cannot refuse to give it to build Edinburgh and
other cities." I think, therefore, that there ought
to be some board instituted to execute improvements
within the whole metropolis, and having for that pur-
pose powers of taxation co-extensive with the entire
metropolis. Ido not think a chamber of commerce
desirable within the city of London. The merchants
have now free access to the Board of Trade and the
other departments of the Government, and the various
branches of commerce having their head-quarters in the
City, and possessing each its own particular association,
where all matters of importance can be discussed, the
establishment of a chamber of commerce in the city of
London, I think, is quite unnecessary, and could be at-
tended with no good result ; and that I believe to be
the general opinion of the merchants.
Mr. Pulling, barrister, who attended before the coin-
mission last week, appeared again at this sitting, to con-
clude his evidence. He stated—The city of London has
a very peculiar jurisdiction, both civil and criminal. It
has peculiar laws, exempting the citizens from the juris-
diction of the Queen's ordinary courts, and the citizens
have also the power of choosing their magistrates and
judges. The City authorities have likewise a very pecu-
liar mode of trying prisoners. I contend that these laws
still exist, being yet unrepealed. They are based on
certain charters, the first of which goes back to the reign
of Henry I. If a freeman of the city of London, for in-
stance, commits a felony in the county of York, a ques-
tion may arise whether he has not a right to be tried in
London, because, by the old laws to which I refer, a
citizen of London has a right to refuse to plead except
within the City walls. I know, indeed, of no instances
of such pleas being used in the case of prosecutions by
the Crown, but there are several instances of it in civil
actions. In the City there are the wardmote courts,
with the ancient jurisdiction of court leets, but all that
now remains of them is that certain men go about the
streets dressed in fur, collecting money at Christmas.
Then there is the Central Criminal Court having jurisdic-
tion over the whole metropolis, but co-existent with it
is the conflicting jurisdiction of the London Sessions
within the City, at which, however, very little business
is done except in assaults and other petty cases, as well
as in appeals against rates. Then there are the alder-
men's police courts, and the Lord Mayor's Court of Con-
servancy- -the latter a penal court, relating to the river
Thames. There is also the coroner's court, London, being
a county of itself, has its own coroner. The Lord Mayor
is the coroner, but he has a deputy who does the duty.
The Lord Mayor has also the power of, mero moto suo,
summoning any person before him residing within the City
and its liberties at the request of a citizen, and of deter-
mining any matter of difference between them. This is
a kind of court of arbitration, and many cases are enter-
tained in the aldermen's courts which are never heard
before the paid magistrates in the metropolitan districts.
The civil courts are very numerous, and include the
Court of Hustings, the Mayor's Court (a court of equity),
the Sheriffs' Court, the Appeal Court, for hearing ap-
peals from the Court of Hustings and from the Mayor's
Court. This appeal court is called the Court of St.
Martin's-le-Grand, where the Queen's judges preside,
but they have not sat there within the last fifty years.
Then there are the Court of Orphans, two Courts of
Policies of Insurance, two ancient courts of pie-poudre ;
and the Lord Mayor being Admiral of London, it is a
question whether the City has not also an admiralty
jurisdiction. The witness then proceeded to detail the
functions and the forms of process belonging to the vari
ous City courts abovenamed, and illustrated the manner
in which their jurisdiction conflicted with each other
and with the general law of the country. He said, the
City is an exception to the general County Courts Act,
and has a small debts jurisdiction engrafted by a special
act upon the Sheriffs' Court.
Sir J. Patteson—Perhaps that accounts for the fact
that, under the Charitable Trusts Act, whereas cases
relating to charities are to be carried to the county
courts throughout the rest of the kingdom, cases relating
to charities in the city of London go up direct to the
Master of the Rolls ?

Mr. Pulling—l dare say it is so. Besides the Court
of Equity where the regular judge, the Recorder, sits,
there is also a Court of Equity in which the Lord Mayor
has the power to sit to administer equity without the
presence of the Recorder. The Court of Policies of In-

iurance was created by an act of Queeit Elizabeth, and
was afterwards regulated by an act of Charles 11., since
which reign the court has never been called into exist-
ence, but it has never been formally abolished. With re-
gard to the 12 or 13 different courts in the City which I
have enumerated, it certainly does appear inconvenient
that there should exist so many separate jurisdictions, and
that doubts should exist in the minds of parties sued as
to whether they are under the jurisdiction of these City
courts or under the jurisdiction of the general laws of
the land, or whether they are deprived of the benefit of
those laws. The City courts were established at a time
when justice was not perfectly administered all over the
country ; but that state of things having passed away, and
justice being administered everywhere by the Queen's
courts, there is no longer any necessity for keeping up
these exceptional courts. The corporation as a corpora-
tion has no peculiar interest in maintaining these courts,
the advantage or disadvantage which arises from them
accrues to the citizens at large. But supposing the
general County Courts Act applied to the City in the
same manner as it does to the rest of the country—a
measure which I think would be very beneficial—still I
think it would be advantageous, out of the wreck of all
~IT'zl: CLeou,cvrtis
the other City courts, to preserve one good court for the
Fay a London, where civil cases could be tried by a
PIT ; and such tribunal might be formed out of the
—You would have all the various petty
jurisdictions consolidated into one general and useful
court ?

Mr. would.
o f debts
I w
—thle trial oif large amount in the
ild have one consoli-
dated court
tllifnogr
city of London. Similar courtsoexis
and are found to be very useful. There
pool, and another I believe at Exeter,
a question more for the merchant than the t in other places,
l one at Liyer-
is certainly
but I doubt whether attachments for debt ought mere
lawyer; to pre-
vail in the city of London and not over the rest of the
kingdom,
Mr. C. Lewis—Might not the custom of
attachment
be modified without being abolished ?
Mr. Pulling—lt would be very difficult to do anything
else but destroy it altogether, unless you apply it to the
rest of the kingdom. It gives the creditor in the city an
advantage which he does not enjoy elsewhere. I would
recommend the abolition of all the peculiar Customs of
the City with regard to attachments, arrests on mesne
process, the distribution of property left under intestacy,
femmes couvertes, &c. Great inconvenience arises from
their being left unrepealed. The City Remembrances
sits in the House of Commons to watch the course of
legislation on behalf of the City ; and besides attending
to the private bills he often gets a clause inserted into a
public act excepting the City from the operation of the

measure. By this means have been saved and preserved
the customs of the City with regard to apprentices, dis-
tribution, orphans, the law of mortmain (for the citizens
of London can still devise under mortmain), and in
modern times the Municipal Reform Act, the County
Courts Act, the Health of Towns Act, the acts
with regard to ports and harbours, and, in fact,
all sweeping measures, effecting great changes in
all the rest of the kingdom, have contained
special reservations in favour of the city of London.
Sometimes the clauses introduced by the Remembrancer
prejudice the rights of the citizens ; for instance, when
Sturges Bourne's Act, regulating vestries was passed,
the clause inserted by the Remembrancer precluded the
measure from extending to the city of London and
Southwark. Again, the rights of the City are saved in
all metropolitan acts, as in the case of the metropolitan
police, and the police magistrates, the sewerage, and
the regulation of porters, in all of which respects the
City is excepted from the general system. In all acts
relating to the sale of wine, care is taken that the Vint-
ners' Company shall not be prejudiced in the City, and
so with regard to the sale of beer, and, in fact, in the
whole mass of acts of Parliament, relating to every
branch of trade, the City is excluded. The City, in
short, has special charters and privileges, which vest it
with the control over all trades, and which, although
they are rarely exercised in many cases, they are inva-
riably saved and excepted from the general legislation
of the country. Now, I would make it certain that all
these special laws and conflicting customs should be re-
pealed, and cause the general law of the land to prevail
in the city of London the same as elsewhere.
Mr. C. Lewis—Do you think that the customs of the
City can only be taken away by a special act of Parlia-
ment, and that the general words of an act cannot de-
stroy such a custom ?
Mr. Pulling—l can hardly answer that question. I
have known cases in which it has been held that a spe-
cific custom is repealed by the general words of an act,
and other cases again where it has been held quite the
contrary. The point is one respecting which there exists
great doubt. Next, with regard to the conflicting juris-
diction in the metropolis generally in criminal cases, I
would observe that whilst the Central Criminal Court is
holding its sittings, the Middlesex Sessions, the City of
London Sessions, the Surrey Sessions, the Sessions of
the Tower, and in fact all the sessions of the various
metropolitan districts may be sitting simultaneously
with it. It would be advisable, I think, to take away
the whole of the metropolitan sessional jurisdictions, and
to transact the whole criminal business of the metropolis
at one court, say the Central Criminal Court, having the
assistant-judges sitting there to try the minor cases after
the higher class of business had been disposed of.
I would relieve the Lord Mayor and aldermen from their
duties at the Central Criminal Court, and make the
Recorder, the Common Sergeant, the superior judges of
the land, and the assistant-judges, the real judges of
that court.
Sir J. Patteson—There are generally three of the
Westminster judges standing on the rota for each court
of the Central Criminal Court, I believe—are so many
judges necessary there ?
Mr. Pulling—One judge sitting in each court, as is
the case on circuit, would, I think, be quite sufficient.
I think the grand juries are useless, and even inconve-
nient, and ought to be abolished. If the commitments
are made by competent stipendiary magistrates, the
functions of the grand juries are quite superfluous. Then
I consider there ought to be a public prosecutor.
Sir J. Patteson—That is a question which I am afraid
does not come within the scope of our inquiry.
Mr. apply my suggestion particularly to
the City. The cost of prosecutions conies out of the
City funds ; but London being a county has the power
of making a county rate if it thinks fit. I do not be-
lieve the expense of the court I propose would be greater
than that of the courts which now exists, each of which
nave separate jurisdictions, and have also their own
staff of officers. Ido not see why a different practice
with respect to the magistracy should prevail in the
City from that which is followed in the rest of the me-
tropolis. I would, therefore, employ duly qualified paid
magistrates in the City, in lieu of the aldermen. The
aldermen who now act as magistrates in the City are
not qualified to discharge such duties, and they have
not only their own private affairs as merchants or trades-
men to attend to, but to exercise the functions of civic
senators in managing the various departments of muni-
cipal government.
Mr. C. Lewis—Do not the aldermen rely generally
upon the advice of their paid assessors ?
Mr. Pulling—l cannot say. The aldermen have only
acted as magistrates since the reign of George 11.
Another cause of great inconvenience in the City is the
number of conflicting local boards. There are no fewer
than 700 acts in force in the metropolis for the regula-
tion of local affairs, and it is absolutely necessary that
their provisions should be consolidated, More than
one-half of the 700 of these local acts are in force within
the City. There are 52 separate charters belonging to
the City which are in print, and besides these, I should
think, there are at least 20 more which are not in print.
Mr. C. Lewis—Are litigants, who call in question the
power of the City to enforce the rights hgainst them
which it claims under charter, permitted to see the docu-
ment upon which the claims made upon them are based ?
Mr. Pulling—Most certainly not.
Mr. C. Lewis—Can you tell the reason why this is
refused ?
Mr. Pulling—The policy of the corporation of late
years has been to conceal its charters: It denies the
public access to them in order to prevent the discovery
of their contents, although it appears to me that every
citizen and every resident of London is clearly entitled
Ito inspect them. The officers of the corporation are en-
strusted to withhold the charters from the public. Mr.
Sergeant Merewether has the custody of them, and one
of the standing orders of the Court of Common Council
is that no officer shall show the charters without the
leave of the Court.
Mr. C. Lewis—Even after the charters were produced
it would be a question then, I suppose, whether they
applied to the case in dispute, just like the provisions of
any act of Parliament ?
Mr. Pulling—Of course.
Mr. C. Lewis—Do you see any reason, then, why,
while the charters are in force, the corporation should
refuse to allow them to be made public ?
Mr. Pulling—l can conceive a reason. I have never
been engaged professionally by the corporation, and
therefore in what I say I violate no confidence. My
information is derived from other sources. I have rea-
son to believe that the City has committed the forfeiture
of many of its rights, and if the City were to allow its
title to be looked into, it would expose the errors which
have caused a technical forfeiture. For instance, the cor-
poration claims the right to hold land in mortmain under
a charter of Edward IV.: and in the City accounts there
is a large revenue shown from rents and quit rents. Now,
the greater part of these rents and quit rents is derived
from property which I conceive the corporation merely
holds in trust, and if there is a trust, then it has com-
mitted a breach of that trust. Then, again, being the
conservators of the Thames, the corporation has allowed
encroachments to be made upon the bed and the soil of
the river, and it has derived, and still derives, a revenue
from giving licenses to parties to make these encroach.
ments. Again, under a chaiter of Charles 1., Smith-
field and Moorfields were granted to the City on the
condition that both places should be maintained as open
spaces unbuilt upon ; and it happened after the great
fire of London that pent-houses were erected in Smith-
field to accommodate the sufferers by that great cala-
mity ; yet in the act which was subsequently passed for
the rebuilding of the City, mention was made in the re-
cital that such pent-houses had been built, and the act
specially directed that they should be pulled down, and
that no houses should be built upon the open space of
Smithfield. Now, it is a great question whether the
corporation has not forfeited its right to Smithfield, be-
cause the present open space there is not one-tenth, or
one-twentieth of its ancient size, and the corporation has
not only allowed it to be built upon, but they have pro-
fited from the houses which have been erected there. In
the case also of the Finsbury estates the corporation has
contravened the original grant of Moorfields ; and under
these circumstances I conceive that there is good reason
why the City should withhold its charters from the
public eye.
Mr. C. Lewis —That may be a reason why the City
does not mish to lose its charters ; but is there any good
reason why they should be withheld when it is desire-
able for the public good that their contents should be
made known ?
Mr. Pulling—l see none.
Mr. C. Lewis—Have you anything else which you
wish to add to your evidence ?
Mr. Pulling—l would merely add that I think if,
throughout the metropolis, a general system of munici-
pal government were established, modelled upon the
Municipal Corporation Act, and separate municipalities
were constituted for each of the metropolitan boroughs
as well as for the City, great advantage would be gained.
At the same time I would reserve to the City any pro-
perty, title, or beneficial rights which it now legally en-
joys. I think there ought to be a uniform system of
police and police magistracy, as well as of sewerage,
throughout the entire metropolis. I would have the
whole of the local acts to which I have referred repealed,
and would substitute in their place a municipal system
for the whole metropolis, giving a separate corporation
to each parliamentary borough. In the city of London,
however, I would reserve to the livery a great deal of
their ancient rights, as they might be made a very valu-
able body. Whilst the householders might have a voice
in all general matters of local government, I would leave
to the livery alone the right of electing to the high
offices. I would have the livery reformed and the con-
stitution of the companies altered. I believe the trade
of London could not be efficiently represented in the
corporation without the livery companies. The freemen
householders would not represent the commerce of the
City so well as the livery. The original connection of
the companies with their respective trades does not now
exist, but that connection I would restore. In the sense
that the companies do not retain their original connec-
tion with the trades, they certainly do not represent the
trade of the City. I would not maintain the present
distinction between the Court of Aldermen and the
Court of Common Council. Originally, I believe, the
Court of Aldermen had a veto upon the acts of the Court
of Common Council. This is not now the case ; but the
aldermen have the power of voting away the City funds
to a certain extent, and they possess a considerable
amount of patronage. I would not allow the livery to
elect the Recorder or any of the other judicial officers.
The aldermen should not hold office for life, but be
periodically elected.
Mr. C. Lewis—ln order to ascertain any custom which
exists in the City, is it not necessary to go through a
very laborious antiquarian research into both printed
and manuscript authorities ?
Mr. Pulling—Quite so.
The examination of this witness having at length been
concluded, the commissioners adjourned the inquiry till
Tuesday next.

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday the first court under the present mayoralty
was held, and

The LORD MAYOR in taking the chair, expressed the
sense he felt of the honour which had been done him by
his election to the civic chair.
Sir PETER LAURIE moved a vote of thanks to the late
Lord Mayor, which was seconded by Alderman Fare-
brother, and carried unanimously.
Alderman COPELAND, with a view to demonstrate that
this court was not so useless a body as had been repre-
sented, moved for a return of the number of courts and
committees held du'ring the year ; the like of Emmanuel
Hospital, the attendance of aldermen at the Central Cri-
minal Court, at quarter sessions, at the justice-room at
Guildhall, at meetings to license persons to sell game,
and to hear summons for non-payment of rates ; also a
separate return of the number and result of the commit-
tals from the city to the Central Criminal Court. Or-
dered unanimously.
Alderman LAWRENCE, alluding to a statement made
by a witness before the commissioners, to the effect that
nineteen members of the court had met at the Mansion
House, and subscribed 1,9001. towards the election of a
brother alderman, asked if his lordship was aware of any
such thing ?

The LORD MAYOR categorically denied all knowledge
of such a transaction. He had, however, known alder-
men subscribe to assist late aldermen who had been in
unfortunate circumstances. (Hear, hear.)
Alderman COPELAND looked upon the statement of the
witness who charged them with subscribing 1,9001.
towards the election of Sir John Key as a vile aspersion.
He believed that the person who had given the infor-
mation had told a gratuitous falsehood for purposes of
detraction.

Other members of the court protested their entire ig
norance of the affair.

Sir P. LAURIE—Wait till all the evidence is pub-
lished, and then we shall be able to give a satisfactory
answer to all charges, as we did in the case of Bethlehem
Hospital. (Hear, hear.)

Alderman WILSON had been an alderman 23 years,
and had never known money subscribed by members of
the court towards any election whatever. (Hear.)
Alderman iIIIMPHERY-I was present when it was
moved (as it was by one of the aldermen) that a subscrip-
tion be raised for the purpose of Sir J. Key s election. I
opposed the proposition, and it was immediately repu-
diated. lam sure that no money was subscribed.

ward Hinde, Esq., Lieutenant 65th Bengal Native Infan-
try, to be Captain, vice Stuart, resigned, Nov. 9.

BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED.
William Thomas Ferris, carpenter, Charles-street, West-
minster.

BANKRUPTS.
Joseph Rowe, baker, Hunter-street, Kent-road, to sur-
render, Dec. 1, at half-past twelve, and Dec. 29, at one,
at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee,
Basinghall-street ; Wilson, Gresham-street.
Joseph Bradstreet, baker, Pearson-street, Kingsland-
road, Dec. 1, at two, and Dec. 27, at twelve, at the Court
of Bankruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-
court, Basinghall-street; Moss, Queen-street, Cheapside.
Hugh Williams, jun., tailor, West Smithfield, ov.
28, at half-past eleven, and Jan. 7, at twelve, at the Court
of Bankruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basinghall-
street ; Sheard and Baker, Old Jewry.
Robert Frederick Cooper, oilman, Three-colt-street,
Limehouse, Dee. 2, at half-past eleven, and Jan. 3, at
twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official
assignee ; Buchanan, Basingball-street.

rohu Single, builder, Poplar, Nov. 28, at one, and Jan.
7, at half-past twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Pen-
nell, official assignee, Guildhall-chambers; Barrow, Old
Jewry-chambers.
James Woods, miller, Buckfastleigh, Devon, Dec. 1, and
22, at one, at the Exeter Distriet Court. Hernaman,
official assignee, Exeter; Edmonds and Sons, Plymouth;
Stogclon, Exeter.
Eliza Lloyd, dressmaker, Wigmore-street, Dec. 5, at
twelve, and Dec. 27 at one, at th Court of Bankruptcy.
Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-court; Steinberg,
Bread-street.

Larratt D. Shields, merchant, Lime-street, City, Dec.
2, at one, and Jan. 13, at two, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall-street ;
Vandercour, Cree, Law, and Comyn, Bush-lane.
Thomas Davies, cowkeepm, Rosemary-lane, otherwise
Royal Mint-street, Dec. 2, at half-past one, and Jan. 3, at
one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, fficial assignee ;
Turner and Sons, Whitechapel.
John Hodges and John Foster Hodges, hosiers, New
Bond-street, Nov 28, at two, and Dec. 7, at one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basing-
hall-street ; Depree and Austen, Lawrence-lane.

DIVIDENDS DECLARED.
Thomas Bathgate, of Birmingham, draper, first dividend
of 2s. 7d. in the pound, payable at 7, Waterloo-stre9t,
Birmingham, on any Thursday.
Henry Thompson, of Manchester, and Nafferton, York-
shire; corn merchant, first dividend, of 3d. in the pound,
payable at 35 George-street, Manchester, on Tuesday
December 13, and any subsequent Tuesday.
Walter Jenkins, of Caervent, Monmouthshire, shoe-
maker, first and final dividend of 4d. in the pound, pay-
able at Bank-buildings, Chepstow.
William Henry Williams, of Newport, coal dealer, first
and final dividend of 2s. lid. in the pound, payable at
Great Dock-street, Newport.