The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-17 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

A very unusual scene took place in this Court,
on Tuesday last. Our reporter was not permitted
to enter, but he collected the following particulars
. .

from various impartial sources :
About one o'clock the Lord 4ayor entered, ac-
companied by Aldermen Thorp, Thompson, Kelly,
Wil-on, and Cowan, who were followed in a short
time by Aldermen Garrett and Copeland. Al-
though there was much business, as well as inquests
waiting, and brokers to be sworn, a Court was not

formed till past two.
It is usual at the first Court of the new Mayoralty
to move a vote of thanks to the late Lord Mayor, but
as the brokers had been detained upwards of an
hour before the Court was made, they were first

called in.
Alderman THORP then said that he had great
pleasure in moving, a vote of thanks to the Lord
Mayor for his conduct during the past year. He
felt satisfied that the resolution would be passed
unanimously, as it cautiously avoided all allusion to

politics.
Alderman THOMPSON bad the greatest pleasure
in seconding the motion, in every sentiment of which
he most cordially agreed.
Alderman COPELAND never rose with greater
difficulty than on the prtsent occasion; for although
he fully agreed with the mover and secomder that
she vote did not contain one word in which all could
not fully agree, yet an imperative sense of duty to
himself, and the respect he felt for the high and re-
sponsible station he held as a Member of that Court,
compelled him to perform the painful duty of oppos-
ing the motion of thanks. He would never consent,'
while he held a place there, that the rights and pri-
vileges of the Court should be frittered away. They
had been deprived of their just rights and privileges
by the result of the late election. They had been
most unjustly deprived of them; and he should never
cease to regret that they had not continued firm in
their opposition to such an unjust aggression. lie
felt ashamed of himself for not having continued his
opposition, by voting again at the last election in
opposition to his Lordship ; but, (and he blushed
when he stated it) he dared not. He was afraid to
vote as he wished. His property and his person
hail been threatened if he did. his Worship con-

eluded by moving the previous question.
Alderman WAITHMAN rose to second the amend-
ment. He was astonished that Alderman Thorp
had introduced the motion of thanks to an indivi-

dual who, instead of attending entirely as he ough
to have attended, to the Magisterial duties of the
office, had lent himself to all manner of schemes only
for the purpose of gaining popularity, and who, by
proettating all the influence of his office to support
the political views of himself and party, had rendered
the office altogether a political one. When be
(Alderman Waithman) was Lord Mayor, he would
have nothing to do with politics, and he had per-
formed the whole duties of the office without sub-
jecting himself to reproach. The Lord Mayor had
grossly insulted that Court in his letter of the 28th
of September, wherein he stated, that if the system
of rotation were adhered to, the elective franchise
would be a mere farce, and the election would lie in
the Court of Aldermen. He for one would declare
boldly that any other body had no right to deprive
the Court of Aldermen of their rights. As a body
that Court had eternally disgraced themselves
by giving way in so cowardly a manner to an
attempt to vindicate them. For himself he
should never cease to regret the vote they had come
to cn the first election. The Livery of London, by
re-electing, and the Court of Aldermen by foolishly
Ruling way, had held out to the world that the Lord
Mayor possessed more talent than any of the other
members of the Court, and that he had fulfilled the
duties of his station more honourably than ever be-
fore had been the case. Now he lAlderman \V.)
would unhesitatingly state that there was not a single
duty of any kind or sort to which the Lord Mayor
had ever attended; and while a set of individuals
had re-elected the Lord Mayor, who had never per-
formed one duty, they had insulted himself, who had
served them for forty years most faithfully. In com-
mon justice they ought to have elected him, who had
so much, instead of the Lord Meyer, who had done
less than nothing.
Alderman GARRETT would not vote at all, and
hoped the Hon. Mover would not press his motion.
Alderman HEYGATE would bear testimony that
the splendour and hospitality of the Mansion-house
had never been surpassed by any former Mayoralty.
The kindness which he, as well as every othermem-
ber of the Court, had invariably received from the
Lord Mayor, must endear him privately to all of
'hem ; but he (Alderman Ht ygatt) sincerely re-
gretted that the Lord Mayor had made the office
toLtical. He agreed with Alderman Garrett in hopeig
that the motion would not be persevered in,
Alderman WILSON was surprised to find any of his
brethren so far suffering t he mortification of a defeat,
as to get the better of their honourable feelings. As to
his Lordship's hospitality, from ail he had heard or
seen, it had never been surpassed, if ever it had been
equalled. According to one Worthy Alderman's
statement, the Lord Mayor did not possess one good
quality of any kind or sort whatever. Ile really was
astonished how men of honourable feelings could so
far forget themselves, as to suffer any disappoint-
ment to induce them to adopt such a course.
Alderman COWAN fully concurred in r,hat had
fallen from Alderman Wilson.
The LORD MAYOR said that With regard to the
remarks made by those whose political feelings were
opposed to his, he felt the same respecta4 if they
had joined in the vote ; but as to the paltry feeling
which arose from an exasperated disappointment, he
certainly entertained a mixed ft chits', one part of
which seas compassion. In fine, he hoped the deci-
sion would be as speedy as possible.
Alderman WAITHMAN denied that he had any
wish to be Lord Mayor again, Ile declared that if
the motion were persisted in, he should count the
Court.
Alderman WILSON was surprised to hear the
threat to count the Court, when there was no chance
of success for the amendment. There were not
thirieen present, and of course, if the Court were
wanted, the motion must fall to the ground. The
Court had been broken up on Saturday last by the
same Worths, Alderman, and if the same plan were
now adopted the public business would suffer con-
siderable impediment.
Aldermen Thew and THOMPSON pressed the
vote, but Alderman WAITHMAN counted the Court,
which of course broke up.

_
The Countess 0f JERSEY, the Countess of
ciIiNaALL, the Cotmtess of WiN,:tirt.r,xA, and Lady.
LvNnnuns'i, are said to be the most consummate female
politicians of the present day.
he intended consecration of the new church
in Franckwell, Shrewsbury, fixed for next Monday, has
been postponed by the Ifotiop of LICHFIELD and CO-
VENTRY till the beginning of next yea: journal
MARY Queen of Scots is said to have given
most mortal offence to her mother-in-law, CATHERINE
DE MEnrcrs, by once saying in her presence that she
(Many was descended from a "hundred kior."