The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-26 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON COMMISSION.

The Commissioners sat again yesterday, at the Privy
Council Chamber, Downing-street. Present—The Right
Hon. H. Labouchere • (chairman), Sir John Patteson,
and Mr. Cornewall Lewis. , At the opening of the sit-
ting,
Mr. Merewether, town-clerk, attended to put in vari-
ous documents, among which was a copy of the will of
Sir Thos. Gresham, for the erection of the Royal Ex-
change by the corporation, in conjunction with the
Mercers' Company. This will, he said, had been car-
ried out first by the purchase of the Gresham College ;
next by the building of the old Exichange, and afterwards
by the erection of the new Exchange, which took place
under the joint supervision of the corporation and the
committee of the Mercers' Company.
The Chairman—The site of Sir Thomas Gresham's
residence has been recently sold by the Government,
who had previously bought it from the City for the Ex-
cise-office—do you know how much purchase money it
has fetched to the Government ?

Mr. Merewether—l do not, as it was not sold by the
corporation. In 1767 the corporation sold it to the
Government under act of Parliament, for a rent of 5001.
a year.
The Chairman—And I believed the Government re-
ceived in 1852 the sum of 108,0001. purchase money for
it, besides the annual rent of 5001. Judging from the
sum at which the property was originally sold to the
Government by the City, and the greatly enhanced price
which the Government has recently obtained for it, do
you think the City made an improvident bargain when it
made the sale to the Government ?
Mr. Merewether—The answer to that, I apprehend,
would be, that the transaction received the sanction of
Parliament.

The Chairman—Oh ! but many bills may pass through
Parliament for effecting arrangements of this kind for
which Parliament is not reponsible ; and Parliament is
not bound to protect the interests of the City in any bar-
gain it may make like this, if the City does not protect
them itself.
Mr. Merewether—The prima facie presumption would
rather be that, if Parliament passed the bill, it contained
nothing that was improvident. Besides, the value of
property in the City has greatly increased since the year
1767, and I should think the great difference in the
terms of the sale at the two periods would be quite ac-
counted for by the general rise in value.
The Chairman—But this property must have been
very valuable when the corporation sold it, as it is situ-
ated in the very heart and centre of the City.
Mr. Merewether—True ; and I think the fair inference
therefore is, that the corporation, in disposing of the
property so long ago, endeavoured to obtain as large a
sum for it as it could, especially as it was dealing with
the Government. With regard to the lectures delivered
at the Gresham Institution, several of them are given
first in Latin and afterwards in English.
The Chairman—Are the Latin lectures much attended?
Mr. Merewether—l think not. There is a rule that no
Latin lecture shall be delivered unless five persons are
present ; and that number are very rarely present. I
was present myself many years ago at a Latin lecture
given in the old Royal Exchange, when I was
the only auditor who attended. The City's por-
tion cost of the Gresham College, including the
building and the site, was 6,055% 155., and
the City's moiety towards the building of the Royal
Exchange was 84,2671. Mr. Merewether then said
that he had previously stated that the corn trade were
desirous of having the body of sworn meters continued in
existence, and that their measurement should be madea
compulsory, except under peculiar circumstances. He
now held in his hand a report presented last year to the
House of Lords by commissioners who were appointed
to inquire into the markets in Ireland, and this report

recommended that meters should be generally esta•
blished throughout Ireland, and particularly in Dublin
He understood that Liverpool and other large towns in
England had applied to have the benefit of a similar ar-
rangement. Tho general purposes committee of the
corporation, who were now investigating the propriety
of remodelling the system of levying the metage dues in
the port of London, had engaged a gentleman of experi-
ence to visit the different outports of the country to
ascertain the practice there, and the result of his inquiry
was that the dues levied in the port of London were as
low as, if not lower than, the dues levied at most of the
outports. With respect to the management of the
prisons of.the City, he (Mr. Merewether) did not kno w
that he need say much, as Captain Williams's evidence
on that point was generally very favourable to the City.
It was true that Captain Williams stated that the remu-
neration of the officers of Newgate Prison was very
large, and ho reamed to think that the corporation was
in the habit of amply remunerating all the officers it em-
ployed ; but this allegation the corporation regarded
rather as a matter of pride to them than otherwise.
Prima facie the better pay they offered the more likely
they were to secure a higher class of officers. The cost
of the prisons in the City did not fall upon the ratepay-
ers, like the cost of prisons in other localities, where they
were maintained out of the county rates. The City
prisons, on the contrary, were supported solely from the
corporate funds. The jurisdiction of the chamberlain
over apprentices was very ancient, and he (witness) had
always considered its operation to be most beneficial.
The witness then handed in a list of the paid officers of
the corporation, who are 262 in number.
The Chairman—Are there any of these oacers who
have bought their offices ?
Mr. Merewether—Yes ; a number of them purchased
their offices with the power of alienation ; but the policy
of the corporation, for a very considerable period, has
been gradually to buy up the power of alienation, and
the present number of officers who have that power has
been greatly reduced. A list of those who still retain
that power will, however, be made out and produced to
the commission. Mr. Merewether also adduced the
following statistics, to afford an idea of the sum which
the corporation has been in the habit of contributing
out of its own funds for charitable and public purposes.
The figures apply to a period of 25 years, ending 1852.
During that period it has applied to public improve-
ments, 560,0641. ; in donations to charitable purposes,
65,0231. lls. 10d. ; expended on public purposes,
25,8691. 7s. 10d. ; and for the new Holloway prison,
136,0891. 9s. 3d. ; • making together a total of 787,0451.
Bs. 11d. He said the corporation devoted its attention
to the promotion of education. By the munificence of
a former town clerk the City of London School had been
established, and it was supported partly by bequests and
partly by contributions made out of the funds of the
City.
The Chairman—What sum does the corporation vote
from its own funds annually for purposes of education ?
Mr. Merewether said that he was not prepared to
state at the present moment. Besides the City of Lon-
don School, the corporation had also under its charge
Christ's Hospital School, St. Paul's School, Merchant
Tailors' School, and an Orphan School. The Lord
Mayor, all the aldermen, and a proportion of common
councillors, were always governors of Christ's Hospital.
Before concluding his statement, Mr. Merewether said
that, in the evidence he had given, his object had simply
been to state facts connected with the corporation rather
than to enter into enter into an elaborate defence of that
body. He did, however, beg permission to say a word
or two with regard to the extent of the unfriendly feeling
towards the corporation which was alleged to exist
among the citizens. The members of the City of Lon-
don Municipal Reform Association, according to the
statement of their secretary (Mr. Acland), numbered
1,200 members, who had each paid a registration fee of
is. This society appeared to be in an unfortunate po-
sition with regard to the state of its finances ; for Mr.
Acland, as the secretary, had recently issued a circular
to the members, stating that the liabilities which had
been incurred by the secretary amounted to 2391., whilst
the amount received in registration fees and voluntary
contributions was only 1431. 19s, ; leaving the balance]
against the society about 951. In his circular Mr. Acland
stated that he was personally responsible for the whole
amount of the balance, but that, as the object for which
the expenditure had been incurred was a public one, he
hoped that the members would como forward with sub.
scriptions to aid in liquidating the debt, and not leave
the burden to be borne entirely by a single individual.
Mr. Acland (who was present) here stated that hifs
circular had been issued among the members of the asso-
ciation exclusively.
Mr. Merewether continued—Now, be would call at
tention to the proportion which the members of this so.
ciety bore to the entire body of the citizens. Mr. Acland
himself stated the number of registered members at 1,200,
and the population of the City was 125,000.
The Chairman—But Mr. Arland said that the mem.
berg of the society were all householders.
Mr. Merewether, then, would, give the number of