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

•
Infinite pains appear to ha n taken to coned the
cuments in which the ne ssary information was to )4%
-nd from the knowl ge of the public ; indeed, it in s,
',ter of grave doubt whether aldermen themselves are at
acquainted with the duties they and their predecessors
were bound to discharge. They have acted, however, upon
the instinct of concealment, just as ravens do when they
filch a silver spoon and bury it in some hole, of which
only they have the secret. " Their policy," said Mr.
Pulling in his evidence of Friday last before the commis-
sioners, "is to conceal their charters. Their instructions
to their officers are to deny the public access to them,
although I contend that they ought to be accessible to
every citizen of London." There are in existence 200 cha-
rters relating to the City ' • of these, 20, and probably the
most important, are not even in- p Ant. The City makes
claims founded upon the charters, but never produces the
documents themselves. It is very possible that the strik-
ing reluctance evinced on many occasions by the legal ad-
visers of the Corporation to enforce claims against recalci—
trants arises from the fear of what must follow if they
produced parchments which would bear witness to their
wrongs as well as to their rights. At any rate, their own
4;ubious course of proceeding loaves them open to the full
license of conjecture. Mr. Pulling told the commissioners
that there are at least 250 local acts of Parliament in force,
applicable to the City, as well as the 200 charters, and it
is much to be hoped that one of the earliest fruits of the
labours of the commissioners will be a digest of this valua-
ble body of information. If the necessary documents are
given to the world, no doubt some editor of sufficient an-
tiquarian, as well as legal knowledge, will quickly step
forward and let us somewhat into the arcana imperil of
the London corporation. Thanks to Mr. Pulling, we find
ourselves in a condition to point out at least one notable
example of a neglected duty—of an obligation imposed
upon the London corporation by act of Parliament, which
has been altogether neglected, and that for the obvious
purpose of gain. We should, perhaps, rather say that
the corporation of London have set an act of Parlia-
ment at defiance in a matter which closely touched the
health, comfort, and convenience of the citizens, in order
that they might make their profit of the violation. It
will, no doubt, be as much a matter of surprise to our
readers as it was to ourselves, when they hear that an act
of Parliament was passed in the days of Charles 11. which
directed that the river Thames should be embanked from
London-bridge to the Temple, and that no houses should
be built there. Houses, and warehouses, and streets have
been built, as the world knows, along the northern bank
of the river, under the name of " Thames-street," ;
but it may not be as generally known that a considerable
portion of the revenues of the Corporation is derived from
that very property, and that they enjoy it in direct viola-
tion, not to say in direct defiance, of an act of Parliament.
That is the reason why we have no Thames embank-
ment, and why the capital of the English empire is fairly
obnoxious to the reproach of having neglected that feature
in its position which might have been converted into its
greatest beauty and adornment. The neglect, however,
or rather the illegal act of the Corporation, dates from an
earlier time. They were not only bound to maintain the
river in its course by the provisions of the act of Parlia-
ment indicated ; the obligation dates from an earlier
epoch. Among the earliest functions claimed by the mem-
bers of the Corporation is the conservancy of the river
Thames. Whether they take it by charter or custom we
cannot say. In bygone ages, as in our own time, it was
necessary to keep the river Thames within its channel
by artificial embankments. It is evident that in times
beyond memory it has changed its bed. The irreenlar
deposit of gravel in various places, and the uniform
covering of loam which is found above it, offer a satisfac-
tory proof of the fact. It was a matter of great conse-
quence that the channel of the river should be exactly
maintained, at least where it flowed through the actual
buildings of the town. An embankment of sufficient
strength was the only obvious course for securing this
benefit, and this the wisdom of our ancestors—which is
here no empty phrase—attempted to provide. They might
well have supposed that, as years rolled on, other advan-
tages besides the one which they had immediately in view
would follow from their most wise and salutary precaution.
At this moment, had not the Corporation been guilty of
so flagrant a violation of the act of Charles 11., and of so
gross a neglect of their own duties as conservators of the
Thames, we shpuld have been placed in a most favourable
position for carrying out the great system of trunk sewer-
age, according to which all the liquid refuse of the town
might be conveyed away to any distant spot which might
be desirable, without polluting the waters of the river.
The duty has been neglected and the statute set at defiance.
Here are Mr. Pulling's words :—" Being the conservators
of the Thames, they have been in the habit of granting
leave to encroach upon the banks of the Thames, and to do
that very thing which the office of conservators directed
them to prevent others from doing." Mr. Pulling then
goes on to describe the act of Charles 11. and its objects,
and then adds :—" Hundreds of houses have, however,
been built, as we all know, along Thames-street ; and I
believe, although I am not in their secrets, that a very con-
siderable portion of the property of the Corporation is de-
rived from the rents of that very property which has been
obtained by encroachment upon the bed of the Thames, con•
truly to their trust." This, however, is only one point, as any
of our readers may quickly enough perceive who will be at
the
pains of referring to Mr. Pulling's evidence. We have
not space to quote it at length, but we should add, that it
appears the city claims to hold lands in mortmain, dating
the claim from the days of the Fourth Edward. Under
this claim they receive a large revenue from rents and quit-
rents. " The greater number of these rents and quitrents
is derived from property which I conceive they clearly had
for the purposes of a trust, of which trust they have com-
mitted a breach." These are heavy charges, referring to
most important matters, and involving very deep culpa-
bility, if they be sustained. We give them with every
circumstance of time, place, and person, in order that the
answer, which is inevitable, may be as precise as the
charge.
If the points be made out, the only possible excuse or
palliation which the Corporation can offer for their viola-
tion of a most sacred trust is their own crass ignorance.
But can this plea be sustained ? An alderman is not pre-
sumed to have the requisite agility of mind for threading
his way through charters and acts of Parliament, but at
least, as Alderman of London, he has ample means at his
disposal for commanding the highest legal skill and ability
in the country. Why have the charters been con-
cealed and studiously kept from the knowledge of the
public ? If there was a consciousness of neglected
duty with regard to the charters, why not with regard
to the acts of Parliament ? It should be observed that
this case is clearly distinguishable from that of a pri-
vate proprietor, who may not unreasonably object to
grant permission for strangers to sport over his title deeds.
He may well desire that the requisite wave of time should
pass over his muniments of title Wore dealers in subtleties
and conveyancing points have access to them. We pre-
sume him to have purchased in good faith, and therefore
entitled to guard his possession as the return for his pur-
chase-money. But—with a Corporation—with a public
body holding large revenues in trust for public objects,
the case is different. They, at least, should have no
secrets from the world, and should desire nothing more
earnestly than that any stranger should inform them of an
error in the discharge of their duties and obligations.
Secrecy and concealment offer strong presumptions against
good faith in such a case as that of the Corporation of
London.

mat

MI?. PELLATT AND HIS CONSTITUENT&

A public meeting of the electors and non-electors of
Southwark, was held last evening, at the Literary In-
stitution, Borough-road, at the instance of Mr. A.
Pellatt, M.P., to receive from the hon. gentleman an ex-
planation of his conduct during the short period he has
had the honour of being one of their representatives in
Parliament.

Mr. PELLATT, M.P., who was received with loud
demonstrations of applause, expressed the pleasure
which he felt in redeeming the pledge he had given.
For the first few months of the session he had sought
rather to take lessons in Parliament than to obtrude
himself on the attention of the house, and in listening to
the eloquence of men like Russell, Graham, Gladstone,
and Williams, he had derived much advantage. He
had given his support to the present Government, and
in particular to the budget of Mr. Gladstone, because it
dealt radically with many subjects ; amongst others, the
duty on soap was entirely abolished, and the Ministry
had entitled themselves to the thanks of the country for
the measure imposing the duty on successions. (Cheers.)
The landowners had long enjoyed an unjust exemption
from this duty—the fact being that they were averse to
tax themselves ; but Mr. Gladstone had overcome their
resistance. And though personal property waspropotirli.
taxed at a higher rate than real property—in the propor-
tion of about 3 to I—a great deal had beeneea,ar,inheedarb.y)
getting in the thin end of the wedge.
The equalization of the Customs duties, long advocated
by Mr. Hume, had been taken had been
by Mr. Gladstone,
Gibson
and a number of small duties beon
Milgot rid of. He
Mr.
had pledged himself to support e
taxes
he might proper onner knowledgeonly
nhisev
enr:itohtei
loens
sf,o r
he
he e repealhad
thoefe
thong Chancellor
•
support the budget of the Cttnucgelhlorhe odfidthnoot Ex-
support
chequer without inconsistency,-
the di-
vision negnththoef G
Jew Bil
ibis °hues h
apdoposition. On the
voted in the majority.
r
as a nonconformist ; but, by
had not met his approval
on
Lord Palmerston, he had
The bill relating to burial-grounds, as at first proposed,
pressing their objections a
clause meeting their views.
been induced the had never given a vote with greater
(Hear, hear.)
Reserves
g
(Canada) Bill,
. ofa p
itihnee Clergylha t
ht hon. colleague Sir William
pleasure than thathinmfhaevdoiuerd
He had voted against the clause for
Molesworth.
tee to the clergy ; and though the
giving
a guarasnlost, it was subsequently ascertained
been supported his rig
amendment
was one of the greatest importance of
tion of education that the guarantee could not be carried out. The ques-
tion
thin, to discourage voluntary effort,
any that h come before Parliament. He should be
sorry to do 9
which at the present time raised 500,0001. a-year in
taxation which was not felt ; and had Lord
11s ' scheme been carried out, he believed it
would ultimately have involved a taxation of two and a
half millions. The great objection to it was that it did
Johnp tinc e
Vusse
not hit the evil in the right place—it did net supply as-
sistance where it was needed. He objected to any cen-
tralized power, and to the grants coming through the
Committee of Privy Council. He would prefer to see
the funds supplied by local rates, and to have the schools
under lay management, and wherever the voluntary
principle was strong enough lie would give the option of
doing without a rate. (Hear, hear.) In every•case he
would have a religious, but not a sectarian education.
(Cheers.) He had voted for the ballot and short Parlia-
ments, and should consider no measure of reform com-
plete without those points. He was only induced to
support the income tax, with all its inequalities, in the
belief that it would be extinguished at the time promised
by Mr. Gladstone. He should vote for the removal of
the duty on paper and of the stamp duty on newspapers,
believing them to be an efficient means of popular edu-
cation. (Cheers.)
A vote of approbation having been
posed upon Mr.
Pellatt, the meeting separated.

COLLISIONS AT SEA.—LIVEEPOOI., TUESVAY..—The
William Rathbone, which arrived here this afternoon,
reports having been in contact on the 6th November, in
lat. 44 N., long. 46 W., with the British brig Chance,
from Vienna to Newfoundland. The brig was totally
dismasted and cut down to the waters edge, but the
crew was saved and brought to this port in the Willi Arm
Rathbone. A schooner was reported to have been rim
down this /Doming off the b" by an inWard•bollll4
Lteauaer.