The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-27 00:00:00

[1)R10E SD.

WIT OF LONDON COMMISSION.

The Royal Commissioners resumed their inquiry again
in the Privy Council Chamber, Downing-street, yester-
day. Commissioners present, Mr. Cornewall Lewis and
Sir John Patteson. At the commencement of the sitting,
Mr. C. Pearson, the City Solicitor, appeared to ex-
plain the circumstances under which the goods of Mr.
Gentry, a trader in the City, had been seized on his
refusal to take up his freedom. He said that Mr. Gen-
, try and five other persons were proceeded against, to
induce them to take np their freedom, and, judgment
having been signed against each of them, six writs were
placed in the hands of the officer of the corporation,
who was instructed to inform the parties that the pro-
ceedings had been taken, not for the purpose of recover-
ing the penalties, but to increase the constituency, and
that if it were their pleasrue to take up their freedom,
and they would apply to him, he (Mr. Pearson) would
relinquish his costs, and that lie had no doubt the com-
mittee would relinquish the fine also. In consequence
of this representation, five of the parties took up their
freedom, and the costs and fines were relinquished
accordingly ; but the officer reported that Mr Gentry
refused to make any such application--,--that he said he
would not step over his threshold on the matter if
anybody were to offer him 501. to do so ; and, in fact,
that he dared the corporation to proceed against him.
He (Mr. Pearson) then told the officer that in that
case he must do his duty, but at the same time
begged him to state to Mr. Gentry that if he would
still come to his office on the subject he would not con-'
eider what had taken place as an affront offered to
himself, but would stay the execution of the warrant, in
the same way as he had done in the five other cases. He
(Mr. Pearson) afterwards saw Mr. Gentry himself, and
remonstrated with him on the matter, telling him that
if he would even then take up his freedom the money
would be returned. Mr. Gentry then spoke in a sub-
dued tone, and he sympathised with him ; but he sub-
sequently came to his (Mr. Pearson's) office and com-
plained of the manner in which the warrant had been
executed. He then once more repeated the offer that
if he would take up his freedom the penalty would be
relinquished ; but Mr. Gentry had chosen to take his
own course, and all he (Mr. Pearson) could say, under
the circumstances, was, that what had been done in
executing the warrant had been done in due course of
law ; and whether the law was a good one or not was
an entirely different question. Ho (Mr. Pearson) had
made this statement in order to vindicate his professional
character, and to show that he had not acted with any
1 degree of harshness ; but that, on the contrary, he had
gone out of his way, and sacrificed his own profes-
sional emoluments to prevent the possibility of any such
imputation being cast upon him. The officer who exe-
cuted the distress was now present, and would explain
his own part in the transaction to the commissioners.
Mr. J. Z. Gore examined—l am sheriff's officer of the
city of London, and was employed by the City Solicitor
to execute a distress warrant against the goods of Mr.
Gentry. It was on the 3d February that I received my
instructions to do so. I then went and asked Mr.
Gentry if he would discharge the claim, and avoid un-
pleasantness. He said he would do no such thing. I
then requested him to call and see the City Solicitcir, to
prevent the necessity of my removing his goods and in-
curring further expenses. He, in answer to this, de-
clared that he would take no trouble to see anybody,
and that if the corporation had authority to seize his
goods they must do so ; that the corporation had almost
ruined him by making him remove his place of business
and driving away his customers ; that he had sustained
the loss of several hundreds of pounds by pulling down
his premises, and he had been led to expect compensation
for it, but that it had been denied him. I saw him again
afterwards, and he was still of the same mind, and would
not take up his freedom, or go and see the. City Solici-
tor on the subject. I was therefore obliged to enforce
the writ against him. The sum to be levied was as
follows :—Cost of writ, 4s. ; bailiff's fee, ss. ; man in
possession (two days), 10s. ; appraisement, 21s. ; van and
men, 7s. Bd. ; warehousing goods for several days before
they were sold, 20s. ; carting goods, ss. ; auctioneer's
fees, 235. ; making the total expenses 41.155._ Bd. The
amount for which the writ itself -was obtilned was 81.
Os. 4d., which added to the expenses above stated, made
a total of 131. 2s. To recover this amount a portion of.
Mr. Gentry's goods were sold, from which the 131. 2s.
was deducted, and the remainder handed over to him.
That is all I know of the transaction.

Mr. Child examined—l have been surgeon to the
City police since the year 1844. Mr. Acland had
stated that I was the son of the partner of an alderman ;
but that is not the fact. Mr. Acland appears to have
confounded my name with that of one of the other can-
didates for my situation, who was the son-in-law of an
alderman. When the appointment I now hold became
vacant there were 25 candidates for the place, and I was
selected for the office without any interest, and solely on
the ground of professional qualifications. My salary is
now 5001. a year, without fees. The amount has been
raised in consequence of the onerous nature of my duties.
The witness having detailed the various duties he had to
discharge said—The City police is a very fine body of
men ; its standard of height is five feet eight inches,
the standard of the metropolitan police being one inch
below that. lam not aware why taller men should be
more necessary for the City than for the rest of the me-
tropolis ; but I think the practice secures a vigorous and
efficient body of men. The metropolitan and the City
police act interchangeably in each other other's districts
when necessary. The two bodies co-operate harmoni-
ously ; and the feeling between the two is the same as
that between two policemen on different beats.
Mr. Benjamin Bower examined—l am the deputy of
the ward of Billingsgate, and also deputy-governor of
the fellowship porters. The governor of that body does
not act personally in his office, and practically I dis-
charge his duties. I have been connected with the fel-
lowship only one year. There are 12 " rulers" of the
body, whose duty it is to meet oncea month to manage
the finances, settle disputes betweent he meters and
workmen, and hear complaints against the porters. Tho
deputy-governor has the power of appointing the men,
of fining them for misconduct, and even of dismissing
them if necessary. The fellowship porters claim their
rights by prescription, like the privileged watermen. I
suppose that, originally, the corporation claimed the
right of performing all porterage within the p'rt of
London, and that they employed these men as their
servants to do the work. The corporation has no other
interest in the matter, and derives no revenue from the
present system. There are 2,000 fellowship porters on
the books, but a great number of them do not attend to
do the work at all, or work only occasionally. From
800 to 900 of the fellowship, on an average, are at
work constantly. The fellowship porters must all be
freemen, and they have to apply for appointment to
the deputy-governor. Each porter, on his admis-
sion. deposits Si. as a sort of security for his good
conduct. The men are all required to be strong and
able-bodied. I think it would be in the power of
the corporation to dissolve the fellowship, as it was
constituted by an act of common council ; but I
believe the porters are a very useful body, and in
my own trade (the fruit trade) I am satisfied that
we could not do without their services. The ordi-
nary class of unprivileged porters cannot be so well
trusted as the members of the fellowship, who. are an
organised body acting under a kind of surveillance, with
security for efficiency and good behaviour. Our trade
has forty fellowship porters allotted to it, but that num-
ber is of en
th
n inadequate, and the fellowship in these casese
do not object to work with other parties, but on
contrary guarantee their fidelity, by which,
bothweevfelerl
they frequently lose money. Ido not consider
lowship porters are over-paid—indeed, in some cases, I
think they are paid too little. They
0 have a benefit fund
of their own, amounting to 3,.,r01 ~ which is invested in
Government securities. This fund is created out of the
entrance money paid by each porter (51.). There is a
further fund, of 5,5701., kept in the hands of Mr. Rush-
ton, the "shifter," who always retains it in his posses.
sion, in order that he may be able to pay the men from
it immediately their work is done, and afterwards collect
their wages from the persons who employ them. I
think, however, that 5,570/. is a much larger sum than
there is any necessity for the shifter retaining as a se-
curity for this purpose, and an alteration in this respect
might be beneficial.
Mr. C. Lewis—Are the fellowship porters a distinct
corporation ?
Mr. Bower—l hardly know. '
th ey,
Mr.
as C
body
C. Lewis—They cannot sue and be sued, can
a ?
Mr. Pearson here interposed to explain that the fel-
lowship was not a legal corporation, and for that reason
it applied to the corporation of London to lend the fel
lowship its name in bringing the action against the
Messrs. Combe and Delafield. It was, however, a quasi
corporation in some respects.
Mr. C. Lewis—Have you anything else you wish to
state, Mr. Bower ?
Mr. Bower—lf I may be permitted, I would like to
say a word or two on an entirely different subject. It
has been stated to Ow commission that it is the practice
of the committees of the corporation to choose for their
chairmen the men who are fondest of conviviality. This
is not the fact. The practice rather is to select for
chairman the man who has shown the greatest know-
' ledge and aptitude for the business which the committee
has to discharge. The best business man may not
always be the most brilliant speechmaker. Mr. Bennoch
was never elected to a chair, because he was a man who
looked in at the committee room to gossip for half an
hour with somebody, and then went away. He was not
1 a man who attended patiently and regularly to the
business, but preferred to be showy and to make a
display.
Sir J. Patteson—But would not the fact of a chair-
man of committee declining to partake in the convivial

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meetings of his fellow merit em:a
cause him to be disliked and rikpielretUF c:iZ,
as
Mr. Bower--Certainly not. Ilichpn o
been elected as chairman lie holds Vie o fora whole
year.
Sir J. Patteson—But if he does not attend the dinners
would he be likely to be elected again ?
Mr. Bower—That would be no obstacle to his being
elected chairman of another committee, if he is other-
'!" wise an efficient man. The practice is not to re-elect
the same person to the chair of the same committee, but
to choose the members for that post by rotation as much
as possible, consistently with efficiency. But probably
the man who does the duty of chairman best in the
transaction of the business, does equally well to take
the chair at dinner.
Mr. C. Lewis—Do you believe the system of dinner
allowances is necessary in order to secure a proper atten-
dance at the committee business meetings ?
Mr. Bower--I do not, because I belong myself to one
committee which has no allowance, and where there is
no difficulty in obtaining a good attendance. At the
same time I think it is but fair, when gentlemen attend
to public business, and have their social habits broken
into by being detained beyond their family dinner hour,
that they should have a dinner provided for them at the
close of their duties. But this I consider is a matter
of very small moment either way. There is another
point in Mr. Bennoch's evidence that calls for remark.
That gentleman stated that the corporation consisted
only of retail dealers and men of no influence. On such
a point every one must of course speak from his own
experience, and I can only say that my own ward has
eight representatives, and there is not a retail dealer
among them—they are all men of education, respecta-
bility, and considerable wealth.
Mr. C. Lewis—Then you think it is not true that the
members of the corporation generally are composed of
retail dealers ?
Mr. Bower—No ; their general character is quite the
reverse of that.
Mr. W. Lawrence examined—l am one of the twelve
rulers of the fellowship porters. The rulers are elected
by ballot by the whole fellowship. Their duty is to
meet once a month, and also to attend the quays and see
that the different branches of the trade are supplied with
men. I was elected ten years ago. lam constantly
on duty, and receive 361. a year for acting as a ruler.
I derive 601. a year more for attending at the Fellow-
ship-hall and collecting all the porterage dues and other
moneys, and seeing that the nut and orange trade, and
the trade at Billingsgate, does not suffer from want of
hands. Each porter pays down 51. admission-money,
and finds two bondsmen of 401. each, as security for his
honesty. In the case of death, 31. is paid out of the
fund for the burial of each member of the fellowship.
The employment of the fellowship is more regular and
constant than that of the other classes of porters, but
their payment is not any higher than theirs. There is
more of our work to be done now than was formerly the
case in the port of London, but it goes to the docks, from
which the fellowship are excluded. The employment of
the fellowship has been falling off for the last five or six
years. Mr. Rushton, the corn shifter, pays the men their
money daily, and he holds a large sum in his hands, be-
longing to the fellowship, as a security for his own repay-
ment from the importers. There is a deduction made from
the earnings of the men, of which Mr. Rushton receives 41
per cent., and the other 31 per cent. goes back to the
fellowship. We think that Mr. Rushton does not pay
back a large enough sum to the fellowship. I consider
that 2,0001. would be quite a sufficient fund for Mr.
Rushton to retain in his hands as his security, instead
of se great a sum as 5,570/., which lie now holds to
carry on the business, and for which he pays no inte-
rest to the porters. The greater part of the fund ought
to be repaid to the porters. I believe that the evi-
dence of Mr. Brown is perfectly correct where it states
that Mr. Rushton, the corn-shifter, has • received,
since his appointment in 1827, no less a sum than
87,000/. I believe lie received the whole of this sum for
his own use. Deficiencies in the collection are not made
good by the " shifter." One of the potato-meters takes
a penny in every shilling earned by the porters at the
potato work, and in consideration for this pays back to
the fellowship 1301. a year, which is not sufficient. I
regard the fellowship as a very useful body of men, who
are in favour with the trade of the port for their efficiency
and good behaviour. They make good all losses to the
importers, and there is hardly a box of oranges missing
in a year.
Mr. Samuel Baylis examined—l am the collector of
the tonnage dues levied in the port of London, and was
appointed in 1849 by the corporation, at a salary of 2001.
a year. I employ a clerk and messenger, whose remu-
neration reduces my net receipts to 801. ; but in addition
to this lam also collector of the City wine dues. The
present rates of the tonnage dues levied by the City in
the port of London are as follows---4d. per ton register
for every coasting vessel coming from or going to any
port of the United Kingdom ; id. per ton on every ship
coming from or going to any foreign port in Europe
north of Cape llshant ; id. per ton on every ship coming
from or going to any port in Europe south of Cape
ITshant ; and id. per ton on every ship coming from or
going to any port in Asia, Africa, or America. These
tonnage dues formerly belonged to the Government.
No charge is made upon vessels coming or going in
ballast. The wine dues levied by the City amount to
4s. 90. per tun of 252 imperial gallons. The tonnage
and the wine duea are paid into tle Chamberlain's office.
The inquiry was then adjourtfea till this day.

1: A ZLWI:-Y--INTELLIGENCE.
♦
LONI:IK.BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.
Yesterday, the half-yearly meeting of this company
took place at the Bridge-house Hotel,—Mr. S. Laing in
the chair.

The advertisement convening the meeting, and the
report, as already published, having been read,
The CHAIRMAN said he would offer a few observations
relative to the results of the last year. Looking at the
gloom and despondency which prevailed in thercompany
five years ago, he believed there were few who then ex-
pected to see so satisfactory a return as five per cent.
on their eapital. Five per cent., however, was but a
poor return on one of the most prosperous of the
English railways, when compared with those of
foreign countries, and reflected no credit on the rail-
way legislation of England. At one time it became a
question with the directors whether they should keep
down the number of the trains or extend the public
accommodation, and thereby in some measure increase
the expenditure. Perhaps the most popular course to
have pursued would, at the time, have been to keep
down the expenditure, and leave the receipts to shift for
themselves. That, however, would not do on the
Brighton line, which required that the traffic should be
brought to, he might almost say forced on, the line.
With the exception of Brighton, they had no other town
of importance on the line of 170 miles in extent. It was
true they were connected with Hastings and Portsmouth,
but the traffic of one place they had to share with the South-
Eastern ; and of the other, with the South-Western ;
and they only got a small portion of it. The same
might be said of Reigate, which they also shared with the
South-Eastern. They had, therefore, mainly to depend on
Brighton and the suburban traffic of the Croydon line nearly
100 miles of their railway running through a thinly
peopled district, with the sea on one side of them, and the
South Downs on the other. Accordingly they had to do
everything in their power to promote the traffic, and the
result was, that whereas in 1848.9 the number of miles
run was about 1,000,000, they last year amounted to
1,700,000 ; and the number of passengers had increased
in a still larger ratio, the number in 1848-9 being only
2,500,000, whilst in 1852 they had increased to 3,500,000.
and in 1853 to 4,500,000. It was right to add, whilst
speaking of the number of passengers, that arrangements
had been made for carrying large numbers of workmen
to and from the Crystal Palace daily, and probably a
deduction of about 300,000 ought to be made on that
ground, as they could not be considered as belonging to
the regular traffic, and therefore the numbers would stand
at about 4,200,000 in 1853, as compared 2,590,000 in 1849;
and that, be it observed, was irrespective of the season and
periodical tickets, the receipts for which had increased in
the sametime from 10, 400/. to 27,0001., or nearly threefold,
notwithstanding that reductions of from 30 to 50 per cent.
had been made in the rates of charges in the meantime.
cA theirr ne aost
ehgdeohrof
arfdeodsamtt
ru6arf
file,
doubled,oc
onwotheir
tctihloe
(exclusivelmiles
oeso prosperityorlu.n,
ofwa
dds
cartage) two hbi whilst
increasedfho
tauhanef found
from
re-
ceiptsnn
214,000 to 557,000. The mileage showed an increase of
70 per cent, on the last year, as compared with 1849,
but the cost per train per mile run was, in 1848, 3s. 4d. ;
in 1849, 35. 61d. ; and in 1853, 2s. 114 d. This he
thought very satisfactory ; but as to whether they
could maintain the 5 per cent. dividend now declared
was a matter of anxious consideration. Irrespective of
what might be expected from the Crystal Palace, which
would °pan in the course of the summer, he had
no doubt then that the traffic, if it was not
stayed by some extraordinary disturbing cause, would
be maintained, and he trusted the time might arrive
when 5 per cent. would not be looked upon as the maxi-
mum dividend. When, however, that period arrived,
he should propose that the public should have a share
of the advantages. His policy was, not to screw as
much out of the public as possible, but giving them
every possible accommodation, and he was sure that in
the long run that would pay them best. In paying the
five per cent. dividend on the line, he supposed it was
generally understood that it was benefited to the extent
of about 4s, per cent. by the stoppage of the 10,000/.
per annum formerly carried to the reserve fund, and
which was deemed to be no longer necessary. He had
formerly estimated the amount required to complete
their works at 7,670,000/., whilst the bill before Parlia-
ment asked permission to increase it to 7,800,0001. In
conclusion, he begged to move that the report be re-
ceived and adopted.
Mr. Lao SCHUSTER seconded the motion.
After a few explanations on matters of account, in
answer to questions by Mr. Herapath,
The report was adopted, the agreement with the
Crystal Palace and West-end Company approved of, the
dividendMeclared, and the retiring directors and audi-
tors re-elected.

Captain YOUNG then brought forward a motion for
the discontinuance of all Sunday traffic, excepting in
cases ofnecessity and mercy, which, upon being seconded,
was put to the meeting and i
negatived
by a large ma.
jority, only four hands being held up n its favour.
A vote of thanks was then given to the chairman, and
the meeting separated.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURN.
SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAILWAY.—Traffic return for thi
week ending Jan. 22, 1854 ....................... 21,504 15 54
corresponding week last year .................... 2,573 16 7•

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