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

CAB QUERIES.

Yesterday a, gentleman in the laudable pursuit of
knowledge looked in upon Mr. Bingham, the sitting
magistrate at Marlborough-street police court, with a
written paper. in his hand, which he stated contained
several questions in relation to the new cab act which
he begged to have answered, not only for his own in-
formation, but for the guidance of the public generally.
The questions were read seriatim by Mr. Bishop, the
magistrates' clerk : -
1. Was a cabdriver, on reaching his destination,
bound to ring at the bell or knock at the door if re-
quired to do so by his fare ?
Mr. Bingham thought not. It was only a matter of
courtesy to do so. .
2. Was a cabdriver, on being hired, bound to open
and shut the door of his cab to let in and out his fare ?

Mr. Bingham considered he was, for he thought that,
if a cabdriver refused to do so, the refusal might be con-
strued to come within the meaning of misconduct.
3. Was a cabdriver bound to deliver the ticket at the
time the fare hired the cab, or might he deliver it during
any period of the journey ?
Mr. Bingham was aware that the commissioners of
police were in favour of the reading of the clause which
compelled cabmen to give the ticket at the time of the
hiring, and was also aware that some magistrates bad
decided that any time during the journey to give the
ticket was a sufficient compliance with the act. For his
own part, he should be reluctant to convict in a case
where a driver was summoned for not giving a ticket at
the time of hiring, but who proved that he had given
the ticket some time (luring the journey. Without
giving any positive opinion on the question, he would
say that he thought it would be more generally conveni-
ent if the ticket were given when the hiring commenced.
4. Was a cabman required to put his name and ad-
dress on the ticket ?

Mr. Bingham said the law did not require him to do
so ; but the driver's address could always be had at
Scotland-yard.

The gentleman thanked the magistrate and retired.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.

At the Mansion-house yesterday, the Lord Mayor, on
taking his seat in the justice-room, said that, in compli-
ance with the wishes so generally expressed, that Monday
next should be kept as a holiday, he had written slew days
since to Lord Palmerston, who was then Secretary of
State for the Home Department, requesting to be in-
formed whether it was the intention of Government to
observe that day in the manner adapted to the public
expectation. To the communication ho had transmitted
to the noble lord he had received the following reply :

" iteh all, ec. , 1853
"My Lord,—l am directed byWh ViscountD Palmerston to
acknowledge the receipt of your lordship's note of the 14th
inst., in reference to the proposal that Monday, December
the 26th, should be observed as a general holiday, in con-
sequence of Christmas-day falling this year on Sunday;
and I am to state that, as regards the city of London, the
question is one as to which the feelings and opinions of the
mercantile body would probably have a main influence on
your lordship's deciilon. With respect to the public offices
of the Government, when Christmas-day falls on a week-
day, it is made a holiday, in order to enable the persons
employed in those departments to attend to the religious
observances belonging to that day ; but to in the present
year those observances will have been duly attended to on
the Sunday, the 25th, there does not appear to Lord Pal-
merston to be any good reason why the public service of
the country should be stayed and impeded by a holiday in
the Goverhment offices on 'Monday, the 26th December,
when there will be no religious observances to attend to.—
I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's obedient
servants H. WADDINGTON."

The Lord Mayor, after having road the letter, said
that, whilst he regretted that the Government should
not have met the almost universally expressed desire for
making the day a Government holiday, he felt persuaded
that it would still be observed as .one by mercantile
firms and others within the City, and generally through-
out the metropolis, but that he felt some difficulty in
issuing out any general order on the subject beyond the
expression of his own opinion,