The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-02 00:00:00

FIRST DAY OF TERM-.

This being the first day of Michaelmas Term, when
the resumption of business after the long vacation takes
Place in the different courts of law at Westminster, the
judges and Queen's counsel breakfasted, according to
custom, with the Lord Chancellor, at his private resi-
dence, and afterwards proceeded in their respective car-
riages to Westminster-hall, where a large crowd of per-
sons of both sexes had assembled to witness their ar-
rival.

Their lordships were attired in their state robes and
bag wigs, and passed in procession along the hall to their
different courts, a line having been formed for that pur-
pose through the crowd.

It was not until past two o'clock that the judges ap-
peared oa the bench in each court. In the Queen's
Bench the judges were Lord Campbell and Justices
Coleridge, Wightman, and Erle ; in the Exchequer, the
Lord Chief Baron Pollock, and Barons Parke, Alderson,
and Platt ; and in the Common Pleas, Lord Chief Jus-
tice Jervis, and Justices Maule, Williams, and Talfourd.
The following gentlemen having obtained the dignity
of Queen's counsel, were, first in the Queen's Bench, and
afterwards in the other courts, called within the bar :
Mr. Grove, Mr. James, of the Chancery bar, Mr. M.
Smith, and Mr. Temple.

No motions of any public importance came on in any
of the courts.

CITY OF LONDON COMMISSION.
(THIS DAY.)

The Commissioners resumed their inquiry this morn-
ing in the Chamber of the Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council.

Mr. John Ingram Travers, a merchant of the city of
London, who was under examination for some time, said
he was connected with the Fishmongers' Company, and
it was his opinion, as well as the opinion of the
class to which he belonged, that the present state
of the Corporation was unsatisfactory, both in
management and system. It was obsolete, old,
worn-out, and quite unfitted for the requirements
of the age we live in. He would, therefore, sweep it
entirely away and substitute for it a Chamber of Com-
merce which should give the preponderating influence
to the mercantile community. He did not believe that
there would be any additional inducement for men of
eminence to fill the office even if the municipality of the
City were extended over the whole area of the metro-
polis, or the citizens were allowed to select the Lord
Mayor from amongst whom they pleased, irrespective of
the corporation. In Liverpool this latter system was
found to succeed, because the office of mayor carried
with it great commercial and political weight, but in the
City of London, the office enjoyed no such influence,
while its character had so degenerated of late years that
it would be an insult almost to offer it to any merchant
of eminence. In point of fact, the only parties who
were anxious to continue the existing Corporation, were
the small shopkeepers, but the great mercantile class
held aloof from it, believing that it was much better
that the sewer's police, and other municipal func-
tions of the city should be placed under simi-
lar management to that of the rest of the metropo-
lis. Possibly if the area of the City were extended so as
to make the municipality embrace some 15 or 16 square
miles, a better class of men might be induced to accept
the office of Lord Mayor. His objections generally
did not apply to persons, but to the system itself, for he
was quite ready to admit that the affair 3 of the City were
as well managed as the system would admit of, and though
he thought the office of Chamberlain, which was by no
means arduous, was too liberally remunerated, he yet
on the whole believed that the other salaries were far
from being too high. The system of porter fellowships
was a great abuse, little better indeed than a monopoly,
while the practice of compelling small tradesmen and
shopkeepers to take up their freedom, which carried no
corresponding advantage with it was a down-
right act of oppression. Mr. Travers concluded
his evidence by expressing the gratification of the class
to which he belonged at the appointment of the com-
mission, and conveying to the commissioners the wil-
lingness of the mercantile parties of the City to render
them all the assistance in their power.
The evidence of Mr. Acland was then resumed, and it
occupied the attention of the commissioners for the re-
mainder of the sitting.