The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-13 00:00:00

EXTORTION AT CORPORATE ELECTIONS.

Alderman WIRE (one of the sheriffs elect) gave bond
to perform the duties of the office.
Mr. TURNLEY was then called upon to go through the
same form as co-sheriff with Alderman Wire. The for-
mer gentleman appeared at the bar of the court, and
Sir JOHN MUSGROVE rose and said that he had been
requested by Mr. Turnley to present a petition to the
court complaining of the mode of nomination and elec-
tion to the office. He apprehended that the presentation
of such a petition would not have the effect of releasing
Mr. Turnley from the obligation to serve, or the heavy
penalty attached to the refusal, but it would at any rate
give him an opportunity of confirming the extraordi-
nary allegation in the document, and thus lead to the
correction of a very grievous and disgraceful evil.
The petition was then read. It detailed the par-
ticulars of a system which has been long in practice at
times of election to corporation offices by the livery of
London and by means of which certain persons well
known to the rabble voters are in the habit of
extorting money from honourable men, who, not
being able to serve for various reasons, found it
necessary to compromise for exemption, and it con-
cluded by representing to the Court that the petitioner
had been elected to the office, not by the free voice
of the livery, but by the conspiracy of persons, as a
punishment to him for not submitting to extortion ; and
by praying that the facts might be inquired into, and,
if proved, that he might be exonerated from the office of
sheriff without the payment of any fine. (Hear.)
Sir JOHN MUSGROVE said, he believed his brethren
were pretty well acquainted with the subject matter of
complaint, and moved that the petition be referred to
the committee of general purposes, from the report of
which might spring something upon which to found a
plan of complete relief, or, at any rate, partial mitiga-
tion. (Hear.)
Alderman FAREBROTHER seconded the proposition,
which was immediately and unanimously carried.
The LORD MAYOR told Mr. Turnley that the court
were not able to interfere upon the question as to the
obligation upon him to give bond to serve as sheriff.
Mr. TURNLEY—My lord, I decline executing the bond.
THE CORPORATION COMMISSION.
The TOWN CLERK informed the Court that a letter
had been received from Mr. Coleridge, the secretary to
the commission appointed to inquire into the corporation
matters of the city of London, stating that due notice
should be given of the time at which the business of the
commission would commence.
Alderman WIRE said he rejoiced to find that the in-
quiry was to take place, as the result must have the
effect of removing most erroneous impressions of the
conduct of the corporation of London, and the spirit by
which it was influenced and conducted. (Hear, hear.)
He could not, however, help saying that the commis

sioners were invested with powers which appeared to
him to be exorbitant. But he did not object to the ex-
cessive license given by the act, because he not only had

reliance upon the honourable exercise of the functions of
the commissioners, but he knew that the more strict and

searching the investigation should be, the more highly
would it redound to the character of the corporation.

Hear hear.)
Alderman FAREBROTHER said that whatever might be
the character of the act itself, the names of the commis-

sioners were guarantees of fair play. (Hear; hear.)
The latter was ordered to be entered on the journals,

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

GLOUCESTER, Tuesday.—The most important of the
trials of implements and machines took place to-day, in-
cluding the trial of the numerous reaping machines, the
excitement respecting which appears to have been re-
vived with all its pristine fervour. The greatest anxiety
was manifested ever since Thursday, when all the im-
plements had been brought into the yard, to ascertain
the when and the where of the trials of these machines.
Every effort was made to keep the arrangements secret,
in consequence of the difficulty which had been experi-
enced on former occasions, through the pressure of the
crowds of strangers, anxious to witness the modus ope- '
randi, but, nevertheless, it got bruited abroad that the
trial would take place to-day, and the locality of the CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.—
h annual general meet-
meeting for this purpose was soon discovered, by the ing ofhthlde governors of this charity was yesterday after-
appearance of the machines wending their way
Mr. Hull
in
theh board-room of the institution ~ the Rev.
eyecahrairl.6,2TBoheihrdeipgoerhtt sstiaethedptehrsaetnisn
had
towards the Stroud turnpike. Within a, short distance deifstamncre.
courser.
Oil' nlastt
of this gate was a field of rye, on the
purpose.h been. admitted on the books for relief, at a cost of
Wm. Jones, which was reserved for the
There thirteen reaping machines were brought toget ether 2,553/. 4s. Old., and that of these, 1,282 had been in-
goflol3_,,zeenwgaltlr. {))eaetnienTtsis,itaecdd Its, 204 out-
street, Patients,
ofthhemieraalntfyha,moaiflniewdsh.omThha.ed
the owners bein Burgess and Key,
thheeir own homes, and the greater
London ; Dray and Co..
lane,-aa rnhde ;o .iNorrfigLheti,st oenf
occupations
praetsi
et restored to
rt o
thet subplepsesritngosf
to their
Harkes, Lostock, Cheshire ; Garrett and
Works, Suffolk ; Woods, of Stow
market
and Sims, Ipswich ; committee, while respectfully soliciting the affluent for
St. Nicholas, near Cardiff;
and Samuelson, of Banbury. their support to so meritorious a charity thankfully
~
Crosskills, M'Cormick,
roundgl. was very great ; but acknowledged the kind contributions to the hospital
nter within the limits of the during the past year, and also the liberal dona-
The crowds of people at the
they were not permitted to e .
ground get apart for the reaping, and much dissatisfac-tions to the fund for the completion of the building,
additionalfor
wards children—
weretion was expressed thereat: though, no doubt, the and the fitting-up of four
arrangement was a perfectly justifiable one. The results an addition which will supply 50 additional beds, and
understood to be on the whole, not satisfactory or enable the hospital to receive -between 400 and 500 more
decisive as to the merits of the several competing in-patients than heretofore ; and recorded the following
legacies—from the late T. Croft Esq., one of 4001. ;
machines.
Other trials were going on at the same time in the from the late Mesdames Hatch and Harris, and the late
other trial grounds, where the digging, mowing, and Miss Harris, three of 200/. each ; and from the late Miss
draining machines came under the inspection of the Cauntlett, one of 20/. They also gratefully thanked her
Majesty the Queen, and the clubs in the neighbourhood,
judg-es.
The arrivals of cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry con- for to pour in all day up to four o'clock when the a suppl
tinned yof old linen. Of the cases relieved they re-
(' , marked that 2,428 of them had been cases of accident and
doors were finally closed against any further specimens ; sudden injury, of which 324 had been of an extremely
of agricultural stock ; and this evening the judges en- I dangerous character. It appeared from the financial
tered upon their arduous task of deciding ai to the I statement that 1,3081. had been expended in the pur-
merits of the stock and poultry. The Great Western, I chase of
stock. The report was unanimously adopted
South Wales, and Bristol and Birmingham Railways, I and some other routine business having been transacted,
by increasing their ordinary and goods trains greatly the proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to thg
facilitated the reception of stock, &c, chairman,