The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

On Thursday a Court was held for the dispatch of pub-
lic business.

THE ROYAL COMMISSION.
Deputy BENNOCH-My Lord Mayor, before proceed.
ing to the business of the day, I wish to ask a question
which may be of advantage to some members of this
Court. It is in connection with the royal commission
appointed to inquire into the doings of the corporation
of London. I observed in a letter yesterday certain
statements made, and the letter itself was dated from
one of the Government offices at the West-end. This
morning I find another letter, referring to the same
subject, dated from King's Bench-walk, Temple. I wish
to know whether the royal commissioners are to conduct
their inquiry at the West-end of London or in the City,
or whether any definite arrangement has been made in
the matter ! (Hear, hear.) I cannot help thinking
that it would be more convenient if these gentlemen
would come into the City, rather than drag people to the
West-end of London, at very great inconvenience, for
the purpose of being examined. (Hear, hear.) Is the
exact locality known in which these gentlemen intend
to hold their inquiry, and, if so, where is it ? (Hear,

hear.)
The Lord MAToa—The inquiry certainly will be corn
menced in Downing-street, at the office of the First
Lord of the Treasury. I was surprised to seo the letter
that appeared in yesterday's papers, because, as I un-
derstood, it was a letter communicated to me as the
head of this corporation, and as I had shown it to no one
it could not have been from any copy of that letter that
the communication appeared in the newspapers as
having been addressed to the Lord Mayor. (Hear,
hear.) I have written to the commissioners stating
my surprise, and assuring them that whatever infor-
mation is necessary for the inquiry will be most freely,
and cheerfully afforded by the officers of this corpora-
tion, and that I should not feel myself at liberty to com-
municate to the public press any communication that the
commissioners might choose to send to me without their
sanction. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. WOOD—As this subject has been mooted, it
is right that I, as chairman of the consolidated commit-
tee, to whom this Court referred the watching and the
conduct of this business on the part of the corporation,
should say a word. Seeing that letter in the newspaper
yesterday, I, accompanied by the Remembrancer, thought
it my duty to call upon the Lord. Mayor, for the purpose
of ascertaining by what means it had
.obtained publicity.
(Hear, hear.) I was very much relieved on learning
from his lordship that it had not obtained publicity from
anything he had either done or said. How that letter
got into the papers his lordship does not know, nor can
he, nor can you
u ; but I should
certainly have thought
it the very height of indiscretion, if I may be pardoned
for saying so, if his lordship had, without the sanction
of the commissioners, permitted that document to go
forth, because, upon the face of it, it might or might not
be intended as a public communication. It was a do-
cument sent for the information of this Court. The
consolidated committee met yesterday, and passed a re-
solution desiring the town-clerk to communicate with
the secretary to the commissioners, requesting to be in-
formed whether it was the intention of the Government
to hold their sittings in public or in private. (Hear,
hear.) The committee, of course, can assume nothing.
They know nothing further than the information con-
veyed to his lordship. An answer, no doubt, will be re-
turned to that communication, and, when received, the
committee will meet, and will, if necessary, come up to
this Court. I ask the Court not to come to any conclu-
sion themselves as to what course the commissioners
intend to take. The matter will be watched by the con-
solidated committee in conjunction. In the meantime,
the committee may rely upon the interests of the cor-
poration being thoroughly guarded by the consolidated
committee.