The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-26 00:00:00

COURT OP COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court of Common Council was held,
principally for the purpose of discussing a motion, of
which Mr. C. Pearson lied given notice, relative to the
London Militia. The motion was the more attrac-
tiVe on account of the call of the Government upon
the city to furnish a quota of men for public and ge-
neral service,- as well as on account of the expected
developement of the militia system under Sir C. S.
Hunter, the present Colona
Alderman WO6O requested that, in consideration
of the paramount importance of the question which
his worthy friend (Mr. Pearson) intended to bring
forward, the Court would wave the appointment j't.
various Committees. The immediate attention of
the Court was indispensably necessary to the sub-
ject, as it relatcd to an enormous increase of ex-
pens% which might, if not met in the outset, be
fixed upon the 'citizens of London.—(Hoer, hear.)
The LORD MA ox then read a letter from Sir C.
S. Hunter, stating in a few xvords that it was not
in his power to attend the Court, but that nothing
would give him greater pleasure than to afford all
the information in his power on the question to any
tiuthorised tribunal.
Mr. CHARLES PEARSON then rose to address the
Court. He regretted moch the levity which had
attached itself to the question from the N','llirnsieal
cemieulities of the Gallant Colonel. He wished to
call the serious attention of the Court to a subject
much more important than the personal character of
the Colonel, or the follies of his band of drummers
arid fifers—he meant to the grew constitutional
question involved in the continuance of this regi-
ment, in despite of the chartered rights of the city.
—(Hear.) Sir Claudius was, no doubt, a most
good-Humoured, sod except when at the head of his
regiment, or on Lord Mayor's Day, he was a very
inoffensive person. He (Mr. P.) acquitted the Hon.
Baronet of any bad intentions, or, indeed, of any
intentions at all. His countenance was the very
index:of his mind—(Laughter)—and as it appeared
by the papers that a worthy Alderman bad recently
given Sir Claudius a good character as a well-mean-
ing man, and a favourite in that Court, there could
be no doubt that it was upon the principle of the
poet—

" Though to his share some trifling errors fall ;
Look in his face and you forget them all."
—(Laughter.) In order that the Ceurt might take
the fairest view of the question, he would speak of
the military force of the city in its three characters
—as it was, as it is, and as it ought to be. The
best coarse he could take to give the Court a correct
view a,f the redoubtable corps as it was, was to
read the annals from the Report of a Special Com-
mittee, that did itself imrportal honour by the bold
and honest manner in which it had conducted the
inquiry in 1810, under the auspices of the late Al-
derman Goodbehere, with Aldermen Wood-and
\Vaithman, and several other public-spirited mem-
bers of the Court. He ventured to say, that a
series of more atrocious frauds had never been prac-
tised upon the public than were developed in that re-
port. It was wonderful that the leading partici-
pators in those frauds had been allowed to walk the
streets of London without " the slow moving finger
of scorn," pointing them out to the public as ob-
jects of universal execration, and driving them from
seats in high places which their very presence pol-
lutes. Mr. Pearson then read copious extracts from
the report in question, from which it appeared
that the militia, consisting of two regiments, nomi-
nally of 600 each, were commanded by their re-
spective Colonels, who were generally Aldermen and
members of the Lieutenancy, by whom they were
self-appointed, and they became Magisterially at the
Sessions auditors of their own accounts.—(Hear,
hear.) It appeared by the report, that Sir Watkin
Lewes, Sir John Eamer, Aldermen Newnham and
Sir Claudius had severally filled these situations,
and, in some instances, the accounts of the regi-
ments allowed at the Sessions were passed, when the
Colonels present farmed the actual majority of the
Bench—(Laughter, and cries of hear, hear)—t hat
Sir J. Earner and Sir Claudius had peremptorily
refused to give any answer to questions respecting
the amount or appropriation of the stock purse of
the regiment. The Committee, however, reported
that it amounted to several thousand pounds, chiefly
arising from the Colonels charging the wards
seven guineas a man, whereas they hired all sorts
of vagabonds, provided they could get them cheap.
—(Laughter.) The halt, the deformed, the wretched
in the last stages of disease, were enlisted at a guinea
and a little upwards each object, and afterwards dis-
charged, while the wards were compelled to pay for
fresh substitutes at full prices; so that, by these
and similar circumstances, the Colonelcy of the Re-
giment was :made more productive to the holder
than a similar appointment in the line.—(Cheers,
and cries of " 'tis true !")—Such was the scanda-
lous recklessness with which those men had been
taken from the offscouring of society, that by the
returns of one regiment, it appeared in One year,
that the number of the deserters was equal to one-
sixth of the whole force; and upon an average of
six years it did not amount to very ranch less.
Well might the Committee report that the greatest
abuse, misconduct, and mismanagement had pre-
vailed, and that the whole had been a job profitable
and useful only to individuals, but highly grievous
and oppressive to the city.—(Cheers.)—lt must
(said Mr. Pearson) be in the recollection of many
members of the Court, that the disgraceful state of
the London Militia was long the theme of general
condemnation; and the burden imposed upon the
citizens to defray the expences was most oppressive.
The charge upon the wards for the maintenance of
the wives and families of the men—a charge from
which the wards are now exempted—is stated in
the report at 4,0001. per annum ; in addition to
which, the parish officers loudly complained of
such a development of the organ of philogeni-
tiveness in the pericrania of both officers and
men, that they were perpetually burdening the
parochial rates by a left-handed mode of adding
to the general stock of population.—(Loud laugh-
ter.)—There were other qualities of this regiment
singularly conspicuous. Alderman 'Wood in that
Court attributed seriously the increase in the
length of the sessions, to the number of the red-
coated tribe who had to appear at the Old Bailey.
(Roars of laughter.)—Such was the strange confi-
dence in their notions of mourn and Ittum, that they
seemed to imitate the example of their brave Com-
manders, and to want to make a sort of regimental
stock-purse of every thing they could lay their
hands on. He had no doubt that this was the hy-
pothesis upon which they could account for such a

large proportion of deserters—it did not arise from
their inability duly to appreciate the exertions
and excellencies of their worthy Colonels, to show
any dissatisfaction at their discipline—it was doubt-
less the result of a nice calculation, that the very
best way to provide for the security of their necks
was to confide it to the celerity of their heels, and
that their only motive for deserting was to try by
practical experience whether a thief or a thief-taker
could run the faster.—(Laughter.)—Some years
ago, one of these gentry was brought before Har-
vey Combe, who was about to commit him, when
the prisoner pleaded his services. If, like Cori°•
Lulus, he had wounds to show, like the Noble Ro-
man, he did not condescend to show them ; but he
did the same thing. He said, " Please your Wor-
ship, I have served my King and country, and my
coat bespeaks it." To which the worthy .Magis-
trate replied," You serve your country—you scoun-
drel! Why, you belong to that rascally London
Militia. The only way in which you can serve
your country is by sending you out of it; and as
to your regiment, if any man at die head of the bat•
talion were to cry out Stop thief!' there is not
one amongst you that would not run away by in-
stinet."—(Excessi ve laughter.)—It was impossible
not to indulge in another anecdote respect-
Mg this notable corps, to show how ready
the officers were to enter into any arrange-
ment which savoured of a job; although he trusted
it would not be looked on in the light of a reflection
upon the individual to whom it referred, or upon
his very amiable family. The gentleman in ques-

Lion was of the Jewish persuasion (Mr. Michael
Myers), and a more worthy or benevolent man did
not live; but as he could not by law become a free-
man of London, he resorted to an expedient to
enable him to carry on business within its precincts
—he enlisted in the London Militia as a private ;
but being several inches in stature below the
standard measure, he kept in the rear rank until the
conclusion of the, year; When, by military service, he
had purchased the required privilege. lie then
stepped into the front rank ; and the Colonel, fix-
ing his eyes upon him, said to an inferior officer,
" Why, what's that ?" " That !" said the officer,
"why that.is one of our men."—(Loud laughter.)—
" Impossible I" obseived the Co " that's not
the size. It won't do---pass it under the standa-d."
The ceremony was performed, the Jew proved to
he five inches and a half under the recognised
height ; he had left his house in the morning a ci-
tizen soldier, and he returned at night a good citizen
fishmonger.—(Loud laughter and cheers.)—But
the affair ended not there, for some time afterwards,
when the very amiable daughter of the fishmonger
was about to be led to the Temple of Hymen, the
gallant Sir Claudius, like another Cincinnatus,
laid aside the honour cf his station, and wan-
ing the distinctions cf rank, played the guest
to the little ex-militiaman, and, footing it on
" the light fantastic toe," " threaded" the mazy
windings of the bridal dance, band-in-hand with
the datk-eyed maid of Judah.—(Loud laughter
and clapping of hands.) Having given a
faithful picture of the London Militia, as it
had been when embodied, he would speak of it
as it was at present. What would the Court
think of the proffgate expenditure of 3,000/. in the
erection of barracks, after fifteen years of peace, for
the nominal accommodation of the humbug skele-
ton of this humbug regiment ? Mi. P. then read,
amidst great laughter, from the accounts of the
ililiti t, items of the expenditure amounting to above
that sum in the erection of the bead-quarters,which,
however, the regiment never occupied, but now
paid about 18/. a month out of the public money to
provide them-elves lodgings in lieu of quarters,
while the Colonel received 100/. a year for taking
care of and inhabiting, himself and family, the very
same quarters.—(Hear.)—This regiment, he found,
consisted of one colonel, one adjutant, 13 serjeants,
one drum-major, and Severn drummers and fifers.—
(Laughter )—A regiment somewhat equivalent in
force and utility to the celebrated troops at Lucca,
mentioned by Oliver Goldsmith. By the Gazette
of that distinguished State, they were in doubt
whether they should support the cause of the Em-
press, or join the forces of her opponents. One
thing, however, they all agreed upon, which was,
that they could bring into the field a force which
would have great effect in determining the fate of
nations, namely, two cavalry, seventy infantry, but,
above all things—the same desideratum which the
London Militia enjoyed—an able and intrepid com-
mander, and two drummers of great experience—
(Excessive laughter.)—ln addition to the 100/.
they paid to the Colonel for living in " head-quar-
ters," and 18/. a month to the rest of the regi-
ment for not living there, the Paymaster NUS
paid two hundred pounds a year for attending
once a month to pay the said 18/., and he had an
assistant with 100/. a year for helping him to per-
form the laborious duty.—(Hear, hear.)—What a
satire upon military affairs was this wretched regi-
ment ! It was said to be a nucleus for the forma-
tion of a perfect regiment in case of sudden inva-
sion, that they might have a few veterans to instruct
the new levies in the art of war. This might be a
good reason for maintaining a permanent Colonel;
as if Providence were to remove him, the regiment
would not easily " look upon his like again !" But
of the drummers—he had only lately discovered
their utility : theie was nothing so riccult in the art
of beating a military " Go to bed, Tom," as ren-
dered it probable it would ever be remembered
amongst the dropped sciences ; but he had been
given to understand that the gallant Colonel was
wont to taste economically a specimen of their qua-
lity ; and as he was so good-tempered a man before
he went riding after incendiaries in the country,
where he was an active Magistrate, or ran after
elderly gentlemen stealing beef in the city, that the
sound of the drum should raise an acetous fermen-
tation in courage, as thunder was used to turn stale
beer into vinegar.—(Roars of laughter and ap-
plause.)—He should with this remark conclude his
description of the militia, as it was at the moment
he was speaking, and he would ask the Court
whether he was not borne out in the assertion,
that in its strength, when embodied, it was inju-
rious and mischievous, and in its weakness scan-
dalous and ridiculous ; in war a dangerous in-
novation upon the liberties of the citizens,
and in peace a profligate waste of the -public
money ?—( Great cheering.)—The next question
was, what then ought it to be made ? He would
riot disguise his sentiments, that he wanted to see
the standing army and the militia much reduced,
and the people return to their old constitutional
protection, a domestic force. He intreated the
Court to appoint a Committee to confer with his
Majesty's Ministers, and to propose the formation
within the City of a domestic force adequate to the
protection of the public tranquillity, and thus re-
lieve the citizens from an intolerable nuisance, and
the people from a heavy taxation.—(Loud cheering
followed the conclusion of this speech.)
Mr. TIGILNER, without comment, seconded the
proposition.
Alderman WINCHESTER did not rise to oppose
the motion, but to express his regret that Mr.
Pearson spoke rather to amuse than to instruct, and
that, in some respects, that gentleman misrepre-
sented facts, where he called the regular army cut-
throats.—(Cries of No, no.)
Mr. PEARSON explained. He could not allow
the Hon. Alderman to misrepresent him, by ac-
cusing him of misrepresentation. He could not
permit him to measure his corn by the Alderman's
bushel, although it was Winchester measure.

Alderman WINCHESTER said the London Militia
had always, in all their service, been considered a
most gallant regiment.—(Loud laughter.) He
hoped that no further attack would be made upon
the amiable Colonel of the regiment.
Alderman WOOD observed, that the worthy Al-
derman who had preceded him would have some
difficulty in describing- the field in which the Lon-
don Militia had displayed their gallantry, as they
had never been further than Greenwich or Wool-
wich—(Laughter, and cries of " Hear!")—and as
to their services, the Government had such an opi-
nion of them, that the Ministers were glad when
they got rid of the expense and trouble of one re•
giment ; and he made no doubt that they would be
equally glad to get rid of the other in the same way.
After a few words from Mr. Deputy BLACKET,
Alderman VF,NABLES, and Mr. C. PEARSON, the mo-
tion was carried unammously,and the Court broke up.

The letters from Alexandria state that water
has ken discovered between Suez and Cairo, in the
Desert; it is rneatione.l as an important discovery for the
natives, and will also facilitate the projected intercour,e
with India.

On Monday a meeting of the inhabitants of
Cambridge was held in the Town-hall, when it was agreed
to petition the House of Lords and House of Commons
for a Reform in the representation of the people in Par-
liament.

ROME.—Private letters from Rome, received
on Thursday, say that the voices of the Cardinals still con-
tinue to favour the election of Cardinal WELD to the
Papal chair; but numerous and powerful intriguers were
at work in favour of the Austrian interest, and it was
supposed the deliberations would be protracted for at least
another week.—The weather had been extremely severe.
Nearly thirty skeletons, in a high state of pre-
servation, were last week found in the work-house garden
of St. Helen's parish, Abingdon. They indicated a hasty
interment after a battle, and are supposed to be the remains
of some who fell in a skirmish between the adherents of
CHARLES and the Parliament. One of the skeletons was
that of a female, the disjointed skull of whom lay upon
her chest, and by her side lay the frame of a child about
four years old.—,Berks Chronicle.