The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-10 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE PUBLIC COURT OF THE
COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS.

Yesterday the sittings of the public and open Court
of the Com►nissioners of Customs, created under the
powers contained in the 40th section of the Customs
Consolidation► Act, passed last session, for the purpose
of investigating complaints and disputes between mer-
chants and others and the officers of Customs, were
commenced at the Custom-house—the Right lion. Sir
T. F. Freemantle, the Chairman of the Board, presiding.
The court is situate at the ground floor of the eastern
end of the building, and is conveniently fitted up. The
board have issued the following regulations respecting
the course which will be pursued by the commissioners
in carrying out the intentions of the Legislature, and
conducting this new tribunal :

" Ono commissioner will sit in the court at 11 o'clock on
Tuesdays and Fridays in every week, when necessary, to
to conduct such inquiries as may have been demanded, and
on such other days as the commissioners may appoint, on
special application, in cases requiring more urgent de-
spatch. In order to obtain inquiry it will be sufficient for
the party requiring it to apply to the Board by letter, ad-
dressed either to the commissioners or their secretary, stat-
ing his place of abode or business, the case to which he
refers, and the substance of his complaint, or, if it have
any reference to any decision of the Board, the reasons of
his dissatisfaction with such determination.

" On receipt of such application the case will be heard
on the next possible court day, without further notice to
the party, who will be required to attend with his wit-
nesses, if any, on such day, at 11 o'clock, unless in cases
where on special application any earlier day is appointed
in which case he shall have notice thereof personally, if
he attend for that purpose, or by letter addressed to him
at the place of abode or business stated in his application.
" Any party demanding such inquiry will be entitled to
have a summons, requiring the attendance of any witnesses
necessary to establish his case, on application to the
Board.

"Any feeling himself aggrieved. and who may
be desirous of statio, h.to 00.0 to .ou of the commltssioncrs„"
instead ofdemanding an inquiry in open court, may do so
any day on applying to tho secretary of the Board.
`All parties concerned are referred to the provisions of
the law • in extenso,' contained in sections 31 to 40 of the

said act.
" With regard to the outports, the like rules are to be
observed as far as practicable ; the collector, controller, or
other officer deputed for that purpose, presiding at the in-
quiry instead of a commissioner; and complaints may be
made by letter and addressed to the collector. But any
complainant will be at liberty, and is requested, if time
will admit, to address his application to the commissioners,
in order that they may have the earliest intimation of the
case, and issue any directions which may appear desirable
for facilitating the inquiry."
The first case gone into was an appeal from a Mr.
Solomon, an importer of harmonicons, who had been
charged more duty upon an instrument, according to its
" stops," than it had been entered for, and which, it was
contended, was not liable. The question at issue was of
some importance to the revenue, as the duty is imposed
in proportion to the number of "stops." The instru-
ment was represented by the officers to have five, if not
more, and Mr. Solomon urged that it could only be said
to have three. Several witnesses were examined on oath
as to the construction of the harmonicon ; among them
Mr. Willis, the builder of the great organ in the Exhi-
bition ; Mr. Prowse, of Keith and Prowse's, Cheapside ;
and otherlmusical gentlemen. The evidence being closed,
The Chairman said, that be was required to confer
with the Board before he gave his decision, which he
would do on the next court day.

FIRES.—The engines and firemen of the London Bri-
gade and West of England-office were actively engaged
throughout the whole of Thursday night and Friday
morning, there being during that period no fewer than
six fires in various parts of the metropolis, which were
attended with considerable destruction of property. The
first occurred on the premises of Messrs Medworth and.
Harris, carvers, carrying on business in Little Howland-
street, Tottenham-court-road. The fire originated, from
some unknown cause, in the workshops, and, owing to
the inflammable nature of the stock-in-trade, it spread
with alarming rapidity to several rooms on the first
floor. The engines of the parish, London Brigade, and
West of England-office, as well as the Royal Society's
fire-escapes, were soon in attendance, and a plentiful
supply of water having been procured, the engines were
set to work ; but, in spite of the exertions of the fire-
men, the flames extended to the adjoining premises of
Mr. George Collier, licensed victualler, and proprietor
of the Bull's Head Tavern. By dint of great perseve-
rance the fire was eventually extinguished. The suf-
ferers wore insured in the Sun and Plicenix Fire Offices.
The Cause of fire unknown. The second fire took place
on the premises of Messrs. Chapman and Co., li,nve:
drapers, 91 and 92, Union-street, Borough.
caused by the carelessness of a boy, who placed
the suf-
ferers upon some 'of the stock. Fortunately,ill the ex-
tensive litAted
were insured. Another fire broke out
11. m.
tensive range of premises belonging
d Shadwell. The
Brown, sugar-refiners, in the Back-I: die, which set the
,to Mr.
• flames were caused by
°f
ance time serious appro.
' charcoal-house in flames.
a spark
Li?" shoe whole of the factory
' pensions were enter
I
would have been entertained that
- I)
at
t •
London Brigade proinib,tolsyn
obtained from
set
attended,d'i'li
The
and enginesa
plentifultlolthe
to
supply of water liav,i.v.trwor,
of the
the East London ' the wereengines
nit of the indefatigablefire
exertions Subdued until
work ; but, in s'"-, unable to get the
firemen, they the misfortune
tc.onoinisneen;cueudoiNiviienrge-
the premises oii.svthe
insured in the Tin-
hicliroof of the retor h
burned out, The property
dameadjob•Ye, rand Legal and Comm
BNK Messrs.
was;cial Fire Offices.
penal. Room Fon TIIE ArsUCElThßuArclilvAaNrd,Ahay.e
STRONG
of St. Pau .
' s and cor-
just coin-
Cht_
jibb and Son, ‘
iron strong loom ohfe l a
Ar gdeedl
ei
it
cfn
oe n shiroano o
h,
of the
rPoiseruont rig strength, for t
South .A.ustralian'Banking Company. This massive.. and
pacious chamber, for
a depositoeh cube
of
ff
seven books,
I. o e tit eeeadosh,
isi'inney, and securities,the
space due to its fire-proofing
way, and deducting .
cells, it has a clear interal capacity of 254 cubic feet: i
Within this strong and convenient recess, all the im-
p rta•- t books of the concern will be arranged on shelves,
together with deed-boxes, &c., &e., and at the remote
end are two separate iron closets, in which cash, hills,
and other valuables, will be deposited, and the interior
aof (these closets will be accessible only to confidential
persons, in possession of the keys. To frustrate any
attempt at reaching the inside by drilling, the strong
room is lined with a system of hard steel plates, which
must be perforated before the hillside can be got at
without the keys ; and before the steel is reached, the
thickness of the iron plates, exceeding three quarters of
an inch, forming the general body of the safe, must be
perforated. The fireproofing composition is inserted in
the cells wiled the room is erected, and its quantity and
arrangement present's, sufficient guarantee against this
description of casualty. A pair of strong wrought-iron
folding doors, also ifireproof, secure the entrance, and
these are fitted with Messrs. Chubbs' detector locks, on
their recently improved principle, th'rowing twenty
massive bolts all round. There are also two case
hardened iron scutcheon locks over the key-holes of the
main locks, and two of Chubbs' bank locks, with twelve
'tumblers in each, as additional security. Each door
opens independently of the other ; and the weight of the
room complete is nearly seven tons. •