The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-13 00:00:00

!:VENING EDITION.

THE SHERIFFS AND THE COURT
OF ALDERMEN.

The Court of Aldermen have come to the determina-
tion not to pay a farthiag of the expenses incurred by
the Sheriffs during the imprisonment of these officers
by order of the House of Commons, and the refusal has
given rise to a great deal of conversation in the city.
It is well known the Sheriffs were most strongly en-
couraged in the resistance they made to the command
of the House of Commons in the case of Stockdale and
Hansard by the members of that Court, and it is very
currently reported that Mr. Sheriff Wheelton re-
ceived the most positive assurances from several
members of their body that every farthing of expense
incurred by them during the period of their con-
finement should be defrayed by the Chamberlain. The
frequent visits of the Aldermen to the Sheriffs' room
adjoining Westminster Hall, while the Sergeant-at-
Arms was acting as gaol-keeper, confirmed the worthy
Sheriff in the opinion that the moment he and his col-
league should be permitted to shift. their quarters to
the more congenial atmosphere of the City, the amount
of the bill, which we understand exceeded 5001., should
be liquidated, particularly as their worships never re-
tired from the apartment without having their whack of
good eating and drinking. It turned out to be a mis-
take, however, and "no mistake." The bill was
handed in to the Court of Aldermen, as we are cre-
dibly informed, about a fortnight ago; and, after hav-
ing been stared at in silent surprise by some of the
members, referred to a Committee, consisting of the
whole body of Aldermen. The Committee met, and,
upon hearing the items of the bill read by the clerk,
appeared to be altogether ignorant of the meaning of the
affitir. Out of rezect, however, to the shrievaity, they
desired that the books should be searched for pre-
cedents.

The proper officer, upon examining the documentary
authorities of the corporation, found that there was no
instance of the payment of the expenses defrayed by a
Sheriff confined by the order of the House of Commons
fur a breach of ate privilege of that House, committed in
supporting the privilege of the citizens of London ; but
he ascertained that the corporation had made an offer of
the disbursement of the charges to which a person of the
name of Crosby was subjected during his confinement for
disobedience to the tyrannical command of the third es-
tate, which offer had been refused. Armed with this
precedent, the Committee of Aldermen thought the
wisest course would be to use it according to the eco-
nomical construction that no money had been paid ;
and they accordingly reported to the Court that they
entertained the highest respect for the Sheriff, a feel-
ing which they had expressed in the strongest manner
by a vote of thanks unanimously passed (and written
in the most beautiful manner by Paton, the
greatest penman in the country) ; that they considered
that the names of those two excellent officers would go
down to posterity in one of the brightest pages of civic
h;Ftory ; but that it was quite impossible for the com-
mittee to recommend the payment of expenses which
were incident to the shrievalty, and with which there-
fore the Court of Aldermen could not presume to in-
terfere.
We are given to understand that this report was read
in a closed Court of Aldermen, when the Sheriffs were
present, and that Mr. Sheriff Evans, the moment the
delicate communication was made, rose and declared
most solemnly that he never had directed any bill to be
scat in to sent in to be defrayed by the Court, and never
contemplated any application of the sort. The Court
after a few observations highly complimentary to the
Sheriff—for to do the Aldermen justice, they can give
gentlemen credit for conduct they approve in execeJ -
ingly liberal phraseology—agreed to the report, whicn
was crdered to be carried into execution forthwith,
thus confi-Tning to the Sheriffs the privilege of paying
all their Own expenses.—Stenday