The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-21 00:00:00

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iftX ,lence which would be done to the feelings et V.,‘--:\'.,
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and the great revulsion whisichin:nalldlye:ssapee Z,, Idv-V-t-i''':_r7,
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their ancient institutions were to be abolished. The man 1--.v.ii.h:4'/'''"
in which business is done in the City
peculiar, and has grown up in gradual adaptation to its 1-4.Pellijta municipal institutions. I am, therefore, for improving,
and not far revolutionising those institutions. With re-
gard, however, to the rest of the metropolis, this being the
seat of (government, there are' many things which are
done by the Government which are not done by it in the •
other towns and boroughs of the kingdom. It oondu atm
thtlpoliee„ and manages the sewers and other branches of
metropolitan local administration, for instance.
The Chairman—Do you think that no evil arises in the
metropolis from the clashing and collision of the numerous
local boards which exist within it?
Mr. Moore—lf there be, I would obviate it by remodel-
ling these boards. I feel satisfied that if local municipali-
ties were to be given to 2,500,000 people, and they were to
form a confederation, they might occasion great inconve-
nience to the Government of the day.
Mr. C. Lewis—Then we are to understand you to say
that because this is the seat of Government you would not
establish municipalities where they do not exist, but that
you would continue those of the City because they do
exist ?

Mr. Moore—Yes ; and because of the feelings of the in-
habitants.
Mr. C. Lewis—But you would retain thEfm in the City
rather because they exist there than because they are
beneficial ?
Mr. Moore—l would do it for both reasons. I think it
beneficial, for instance, that the administration of justice
should be in the hands of men of business, experience, and
independence, like the City aldermen, rather than in the
hands of mere lawyers like the stipendiary magistrates.
Mr. C. Lewis—But you proposed that the City police
courts should be filled with stipendiary magistrates?
Mr. Moore—Yes, but not to the exclusion of the alder-
men ; and even the paid magistrates I propose might be
members of the Court of Aldermen.
Mr. C. Lewis—ls that all the advantage the City derives,
independent of the ancient custom and habit you speak of ?
Mr. Moore—When you take away the police, the magis-
tracy, and the sewers from the local bodies, as you do in
the rest of the metropolis, there would hardly be anything
left for a municipality except ancient custom.
Mr. C.-Lewis—Then you would preserve the City cor-
poration rather because it is an existing institution than
because it-is a good institution ?
Mr. Moore—lt may not be a perfect institution, but I
do not say it is a bad institution ; and I can see no reasou
why the old privileges of the City shotild be taken away'
as
from
ltlhtehpeoliecexia.
ting City
yor
Mr.
c
i t,
.s such,
Lewis—But instance,lt
i
police an old institution, which has, I believe, only been
fifteen years in existence?
Mr. Moore—Yes ; but the old constables were formerly
appointed by the wards, and were under the authority of
the corporation in some way.
Mr. C. Lewis—Do you see any reason for preserving a
separate board of sewers in the City?
Mr. Moore—No, unless it be that the corporation should
be allowed to continue to manage its own affairs where it
has managed them well, which I believe to be the case with
regard to the City sewers.
Mr. C. Lewis—Then, according to your view, the City•
would be the only municipal body in the metropolis?
Mr. Moore—lt would,
Mr. C. Lewis—Then, under these circumstances, would
not the chief magistrate and the corporation of the City
remain, as at present, to a considerable extent the repre-
sentatives of the entire metropolis for municipal purposes ?
Mr. Moore—l dare say that in Paris or at St. Peters-
burgh it might be considered so but that could not be the
case in this country. I don't see that the Lord Mayor has
anything to do with the rest of the metropolis, than per-
haps to take the chair at some public meeting, which, in
fact, is rather beneficial than otherwise.
Mr. C. Lewis—But does the City corporation represent
the metropolis ?
Mr. Moore—No, it does not.
The Chairman—What is your view of the relation be-
tween the City and Southwark ?
Mr. Moore—l would sever the anomalous connection
which new subsists between Southwark and the city of
London. With regard to the 4d. coal tax, Ido not see
why the city of London should be entrusted with the ad-
ministration of affairs beyond its own boundaries, or have
the power to tax the inhabitants of the metropolis gener-
ally for purely local purposes.
. The witness then withdrew. ,
Mr. Edward Wilson examined.—He had been a silk
manufacturer in the ward of CriMegate Within, and re-
presented that ward in the Court of Common Council be-
tween the years 1832 and 1839, and took a very active part
in the affairs of the corporation. He was a member of
the committee of the Common Council, which was moved
for by Mr. Williams, the present M.P. for Lambeth, to
inquire into the salaries and emoluments of the officers
of the corporation. That committee agreed to a report,
which stated that the expenses of the office of Lord Mayor
amounted to 25,000/. per annum. 'He wished to state
that there was a fallacy involved in that calculation,
which was afterwards pointed out by resolutions of the
Court of Common Council, passed in March, 1836. The mis-
take arose from the original cost of the site and the build-
ing of the Mansion-house having been calculated at a per-
centage, and then debited as part of the annual expenses of
the Lord Mayor's office. He had drawn up an outline of
certain suggestions, the adoption of which he thought
would improve the constitution of the City corporation.
They were to the following effect. He would propose that
the corporation should consist of the Lord Mayor, from 20
to 25 aldermen, and no less than 100 common councillors
—that the wards should be equalised as to size, regard
being had to population, &c.— that there El could be as
many wards as alderman—that the Lord Mayor should be
elected from the aldermen by the whole constituency—that
one alderman and an equal division of councilmen should
be elected by each ward—the assumed veto of the Lord
Mayor and aldermen on the choice of aldermen should be
abolished--the Lord Mayor should be elected annually,
and the aldermen for life—the councillors and all other
officers should be annually elected—that there should be
no money qualification for the offices of Lord Mayor,
aldermen, or common councilmen ; but that there should
be a penalty impose 1 on any one who, having been an in-
solvent, bankrupt, or guilty of fraud, -hould be found
voting, or acting in either capacity. The Chamberlain
should bo elected by the electors ; auditors, not being
members of the corporation, should be annua'ly appointed
by the corporate body. The electors should consist of the
Parliamentary constituency, and the aldermen and coun-
cillors in each ward should make out and publish annually
a list of voters for each ward, and the poll should be
limited to one day. The corporate body should arrange
lists and voting places for the election of Lord Mayor,
Chamberlain. drc., the poll to be limited to one day in these
cases also. The Lord Mayor and aldermen should have
the administration of justice in the City, and the
charge of the prisons, .and should draw on the City's
cash for an agreed sum of money annually for that pur-
pose ; nothing beyond that sum to he expended without
the sanction of the Court of Lord Mayor, aldermen, and
councillors. The controul of the City's cash should be vested
in the corporate body. The necessity of being free of the
City, or of any municipal company or companies, for pur-
poses of trade, should be abolished. A commissioner should
be appointed to try appeals against the decisions of the
' Navicration Committee. The trade upon the river should
be as free as air, but in order to prevent accidents and to
preserve the river, there should be some control exercised
over it. Mr. Wilson then proceeded to say that he thought
the Navigation Committee had hitherto performed its du-
ties efficiently. He was of opinion that the corporate ac-
counts were extremely clear and easy to be understood. It
would be easy to suggest other modes of keeping the ac-
' counts, but abst, which was regularly published,
was almost perfect. The funds of the City proper were
really very small, and not above 150,000/. a year and so much of this amount was absorbed by the administration
of justice, the police, and the like, that really very little
was left to be dealt with by the City. With regard to the
coal tax, he thought its Proceeds had been expended for
the benefit of the metropolis at large. Such gigantic works
as the rebuilding of London-bridge, which were for the
advantage of the whole metropolis, could not fairly be
charged to tha expense of the City alone •
, and for improve-
ments of that character he did not think a general im-
provement rate would be a more equitable impost than the
coal tax. The City were extremely good landlords in the
management of their corporate estats.
Mr. M. Sayward examined— He said that he was the secre-
tary to a life assurance office, at Chatham-place, Blackt riars-
bridge, and his object in appearing before the commissioners
jurisdictionof police in the metropolis. The office with
was to point out the disadvantages arising from the double
which he was connected, which was situated on the west
side
yard that was the property of another party, was broken
into and robbed in the latter part of the year 1849, the
thieves having obtained an entrance by means of the coal-
yard to which he had referred. This coal-yard was ap-
proachable by a causeway of a hundred yards wide, which
was left at the margin of the river by the recession of the
tide, and which, although it extended all the way from
London-bridge to the Temple, along the water's edge, was
left entirely exposed to gangs of thieves, who roamed at
large there,during the low tides without' any let orte
hin-
drance from the police, and who committed frequent
predations. Indeed, there was hardly
marauders.
along the City side of the river's bank whaicchoicilandin& been
broken into and plundered by these unchecked
go
He had therefore brought the subject ofthe exposed
1:f the statet3, of this water-side hardway before the attention
corporation, in connection with thef robberyhis
ffi with the
been committed upon the
premises °d
r the protectiont of
0 __oewhich bad
view of inducing them to place it under
had
cee,.,,,_____,_
the police ; but the City authorial)
_h.
odu l P ru,,buy comply
with his request (in which his pee fohnbtraryrs
contrary, recommended
"
recommended
memo-
rial, joined him), and had, on th
the coal-yard at the rear,
to employ a private watchmanto the office where the burglary
him, in a letter written bytlieinir
_officer, Mr. Merewether,
although it did not belong
office,
of course, contributed its share
was committed. The
rates the City, but was refused the protec-
tionHe understood that the City authorities
t oth
ofe policeth e i
pole
,ri i c e
..
unaliction of their police stopped t the
said
and didnotextend to the stopped at a
the
ever dry at low water. Failing in his Lip-
pin i
c,. tthoahftithilgie,i;as
tide,
ri"r
placationYi to the City, he had next applied for redress to
getmpolitari Commissioners of Police, Who ' h
the
not jurisdiction over the City pol•
they hadlee, ye the
hd, althteug
control of the Thames police ; but as this force only
watchat ed afloat, he also failed in attaining his object in
th quarter. He understood that the metropolitan police
watched that portion of the river side left dry by the re-
but the of the tide which was within their jurisdiction,
City police did not, The case which he had laid
before the commissioners illustrated the evil of a divided
police jurisdiction in the metropolis, and he considered
it desirable that the police of the City should be placed
under the same authority in this respect as the rest of the
metropolis,
Mr. Henry Roy appeared to call attention to the City
privileges in connection with the Stock Exchange. Re
thought the corporation did not enforce its regulations id
respect to the sworn brokers of the City with sufficient
stringency. The Stock Exchange was entirely ii private
association, and what he wished the City corporation to
was, to prevent the committee of the Stock Exchange
xa from
rsnu
d
tat
rendering the Exchange a close market, which it was
present. He thought the license of the corporation oughtto be sufficient to admit a sworn broker to carry on busi-
ness in the Stock Exchange, without any restriction being
imposed by the regulations of the Stock Exchange com-
mittee.

The whole of the witnesses as yet summoned having been
examined,
The Chairman said that the commissioners now proposed
to adjourn the commission until the 11th of January, when
they would probably enter upon the examination of wit-
nesses connected with the corporation. They would not
sit again before the above date unless they should find it
expedient to examine some other witnesses whom they
w ere not at present aware of, and in that case due notice
would be given of their intention to meet. But, as at
present advised, the commissioners would not sit again till
the 11th of January, and then they would proceed to ex-
amine the officers of the corporation.
The inquiry was then adjourned accordingly.