The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-03 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN, MARCH 3

COMBINATION BETWEEN COAL.OWNERS AND FACTORS.
Alderman HARMER. brought up the following report:-
" In obedience to an order of this Honourable Court of the 12th of
December last, to examine the allegations in the petition of Thomas
Bradfield, relative to the detention and delay of the delivery of colliers
in the port of London, and the damage and inconvenience arising there-
from, and for this Honourable Court to make bye-laws under the au-
thority of the Act of Parliament of the Ist and ted illiam IV., cap.
76, for regulating the coalonarket, and to report our opinion thereon,
we whose names are hereunto subscribed of your Committee, in relation
to the police of this city, do certify that we have from time to time pro-
ceeded therein, and been attended by the petitioner, by Captain Fisher
(the principal harbour-master), Mr. J. Pearsal (the clerk and registrar of
the Coal-market, Messrs. Horace, Green, Patton, and Taylor, coal.
merchants and factors; Mr. Gillespy, Mr. Scott, Mr. Vale, and Mr. Bar-
ber, officers acting under the Committee of Coal-merchants and Factors;
Mr. J. Thompson, a ship-owner and proprietor of the Eliza, engaged
in the coal trade, and Thomas Young, the Captain andmaster of the
same, who were severally heard and examined upon the various state-
ments contained ; and we your Committee having referred to the pro-
visions °idle before-mentioned Act, find that this Honourable Court is
by the 32d section thereof, only authorised to make bye-laws for the
regulation of the coal-market, and not of the coal-trade ge.
nerally, and is not required to make such bye-laws as are set
forth in the petition. And having also taken into serious considera-
tion the remaining allegations contained therein, and the state-
ments of the respective parties, it appears to us that the charges
contained in the petition of improper conduct at the meters' office are
not proved. But we arc of opinion that a combination exists between
the coal-owners in the north, and the coal-factors in London,
whereby the supply of coals to the metropolis is regulated, and the price
of that necessary article of consumption greatly enhanced to the con-
sumer, and that various impediments and obstructions to the hee
navigation of the river are continually created by colliers being de-
tained under the exist:ng regulations between the owners and
factors waiting for their turn of sale and delivery, it appearing
from the evidence of Captain Fisher, the principal harbourmaster, that
there were nearly '720 colliers lying in the river at one time during the
month of December last, so waiting for their turns. Under these cir-
cumstances, therefore, and also es the renewal of the said Act (which
will expire at the end of the present Session) is now before Parliament,
and a Committee has been appointed by the House of Commons in re-
lation to the Cnal.trede, we recommend this Honourable Court to pre-
sent a petition to Parliament, praying that they will be pleased in the
new Act to adopt such provisions as may effectually remedy the evils
and inconveniences before stated, or to take such other measures as
they may deem most expedient for the protection of the public and the
fair trader. All which we submit to the judgment of this Honourable
Court. " WM. VENABLES.
"JOHN LAINSON.
"JAMES lIARMER.
"J. WHITE."
Alderman Hertmea said, that although the authority of the Court
was limited, they had it in their power at all events to prevent the
Thames from being made a collier dock, to the great injury of the navi-
gation and the prejudice of the community.—(Hear, hear.) Of the ex.
istence of a nefarious combination there did not remain a doubt, upon
the examination of the witnesses. Amongst the various instances was
that of a Mr. Meesom, the proprietor of lime works in Essex. The
works of that gentleman were standing still for want of coals, and he
applied to the captains of the coal vessels which were in the immediate
neighbourhood for a supply. He found it, however, to be fruitless to
ask the question. Without the authority of the London factors not a
coal was to be had. Subjected to such injurious refusals, he sent a yes-
ecif himself to the north fur a cargo, and larded it at his premises with.
cut submitting to the regulations of the factors. The consequence was,
that communication having been made to the coal proprietors by the fac-
tors, Mr. ,Meesom could obtain no more coals, except he consented to pay
8/. ns, re. for the cargo than was demanded of those who did not venture
to infringe the regulations.—(Hear, hear, hear.) In another case, the
captain of a vessel who had the humanity to dare to sell coals at a cheap
rate in the Surrey Canal to the poor, was waited on by the factors and
assured that Vile persevered he might save himself the trouble of going
to the north any more for the commodity.—(Hear.) Under such a
system it was quite impossible to expect anything like fair play, and he
(the Alderman) would move that the report should be agreed to, and
that Parliament should be at once applied to.
Sir Marrnsw Weon suggested the propriety of waiting until the
Parliamentary Committee now sitting should make its report.
Alderman Heamen said that the matter was of the most urgent
nature to the public. The persons engage., in the freightage were se.
cloudy injured too, by being kept nine or ten weeks in the river, while
their families were starving.
Alderman Sir W. HEYGATE said that the great coal-owners had
managed to get thera,elves placed upon the Committee on account of
their own Interests, and it tvould be absolutely necessary to apply to the
!louse of Commons before they made their report.
Alderman HARMER said that Sir M. Wood mess completely in error in
supposing that the Court of Aldermen had it in their power tomake bye.
laws for the regulation of the trade. The Committee had, in the report
just read, after having consulted the law authorities on the question,
stated that their potter ofniakieg bye-laws Was limited to the regulation
of the mill-rtiatkilts.
t`l,ll M. WOOD animadverted upon the conduct of members of the
Court in following up the visionary speculations of the petitioner, who
was a wild enthusiast, in the habit of boasting of what he was able to
. compel the COttrt of Mail-left arid COMmen Council to do. From the
hatUre of the tonnettioh Of Sit HeMate with the projected
Collier Doris, it Wail dertdin:y hot to be wondered at that he should feet
ahelotie about the crowded state of the river.
Alderman Ifeiteret said that it certainly was by no means necessary
that a mats should be an enthusiast to think, after the evidence before
the Committee, that a combination against the public existed, and it was
but a wOfts: triode of arguing to reflect on the party
complaining, instead
of e,orrisating the twee its front of the truth of the charge.
Aidc.titlari Waits submitted that the question Was not, as Sir M.
Wocd wisleal to make it appear to be, relative to an individual, but
to the whole public. The Thames could not be converted into a re-
ceptacle for any particular goods, hut must he open to all. He did not
mean to say that the sale of coats was compulsory, but certainly the
Court had the power of clearing away obstructions from that great
highway. They could not compel the sale of cora and hay, but they
would not permit the great public thoroughfare to be choked tip with
theta commodities.—(Hear, hear.) The evils of !shish Alderman Her,
mer complained were most serious, and along with all these was the evil
of demoralization,
Sir WILLIAM HeYeeee hoped that the citizens of London would
look to the condition of the river at the present pericd, when the
commerce was so enormously increased, and such facilities were re-
quired.—( Hear, hear.)
It was finally determined that the report should be agreed to, and
that the consideration of the question of petitioning be adjourned.
The Court then adjourned.

1838.—The following is the House List of Go-
vernors and Directors of the Bank of England for th© year

cnsu4q;:--

TOR GOVERNORS.
tis, Esq., Governor.
rt., Deputy Governor.
[ECTORS.
Robert Barclay, Esq. James Morris, Esq.
John Bowden, Esq. George Warde Norman, Esq.
Henry Davidson, Esq. John Horsley Palmer, Esq.
Abel Lewes Gower, Esq. James Pattison, Esq.
Thomas Hankey, Jun., Esq. Christopher Pearse, Esq.
John Benjamin, Heath, Esq. John Henry Pelly, Esq.
John G. Hubbard, Esq. Charles Pole, Esq.
Charles Fred. Huth, Esq. Henry Poreher, Esq.
Alfred Latham, Esq Wm. R. Robinson, Esq.
James Maleornson, Esq. Thomas Charles Smith, Esq.
Wm. Mellish, Esq. Wtn. Thompson, Esq., and Al-
Humphrey St. John Mildmay, derman.
Esq. Thos. M. Weguelin, Esq.
The election for Governor and Deputy-Governor will be held
at the Bank on Tuesday, the 3d, and for Directors, on Wed-
nesday, the 4th of April next, from ten o'clock in the fore-
noon till four in the afternoon.

Timothy Abraham Curt
Sir John Rae Reid, Bai
FOR DIR

During the past year the tribunals of Prussia have
pronounced 3,2D1 divorces. The suits amounted to 3,888;
so that only 597, scarcely one-sixth, were unsuccessful.