The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-19 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.
(YESTERDAY.)

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
Mr. ICING, the Chairman of the City of London Com-
mi:tee, presented a petition from the itihabitants of the vi-
cinity Of Bing-street, Cheapside, praying that measures
might be taken to widen the great thoroughfare to S.;uth-
wark-bridge. It was, he said, stated as au argument ill
favJur of widening the streets on the north aide of Cheap-
side th,t the great inns of the City were all on that rice.
The railroads, however, had effectually interfered with
the business cf those inns, and the traffic had most won-

del full increased cn the south side, so that the necessity
for improvement about Thames-strcet and Watling-street
was now very great indeed.
Mr. LOTT wished to see the money of the Corpora-
tion expended in improving the City, but he considered
that Watling-street ought, for the sake of humanity, as
well as expediency, be the very first improved.
The petition was referred to the Landon-bridge Ap-
proaches Committe?..
Two petitions, one from the merchants, bankers, &c., of
the City, ar.d the other from Southwark, were presented,
praying the Co• rt to t such steps as might be lir unary
for throwing open to the public Southwark-bridgr, fr, e
from 011. They were, however, both ordered to be laid
upon the table, after some discussion.

£EPULTURE IN THE CITY OF LONDON.
Mr. ANDERTON gave naice of a motion, that it be re-
ferred to t.:;e City Lands Comnaitt 'e to exa,nine and re-
port into the means of Eepulture in church-yards, places
and vaults for burying the dead !herein ; and also whether
it is expedient that an end should be put to the interment
of the dead within the City of London.

COUNTY COURTS DILL.
Mr. ArioEwrox brought up the Report on the subject
of the County Courts Bill, which was, without Lcing read,
ordered to be printed. lie stated that the Governmet,t
were willing to exempt the City from the operation of the
Bill, if such were the wish of the Corporation; and the
Report recommended that the Court, should effect improv e-
meats which were indispensably necessary, by throwing
open the Mayor's Court and 1112 Sheriff's Court to tar-
risters and solicitors generally.

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
Mr. JONES, the Chairman of the London Midge Ap-
proaches Commit►ee, brought up the Report on the subject
of widenirg the thoroughtaie of Mason's-al:ey from Col.
man-street to Basinghall-street. It stated that it would
certainly be very Cesirable to have the narrow passage
widened, but that under existirg circumstances the al-

teration was iropmcic.able. -
Mr. IlooLE expressed a hope that amongst the other
prospects of improvements it would not escape the advc-
cate3 for rendering the streets more e3namodious and
healthy that Aldertuanbury required to be widetr,d.
Mr. L. L. JONES S:,11 that the expense of doing a 3 was
suggested would be i,conveniently expensive. By and by,
in probobilly, that as well as many other great im-
provements which are not at present in contemplation,
would be effeetee.—(llear, hear.)
Alderman I'. Waco brought up the Report of the Police
Coenstatee, sta,ing that a suitable house and offices had
been provided for the City Police Commissioner in the

Old Jewry.
Mr. WELLS said that the C;ty Police Commissioner had
said it was all nonsense to suppose that he w;.,uld reticle in
the house et hich had teen procured kr him.
Alderman T. WOOD said that the house was formerly
the residence of Alderman Lee, who contrived to psrf.am
acts of elegant hospitality in it.—( Hear, hear.)

The Report was agreed to.
THE POOR-LAW IN THE CITY.
Alderman THOMAS WOOD brought up I,lle fAlowing
Report:—
" To the Right Hon. the Lord Al r; or, Aldermen,
rind Commons of the City of London, in Council
assemble:l,
" We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, your Com-
mittee appointed in relation to the police of the City, to
whom, on the 16th day of Juno last, it was refetted to
consider of the best means of carrying into effect the pro-
visions of the Poor-law, with regard to persons found in
the streets of this City in a state of destitution, and to
report our opinion thereon to this Court, do hereby certify
that we have proceeded to the consideration of the said
reference, and requested the attendance of Mr. R. Taylor
and Mr. Deputy Pewtress, the mover and seconder thereof,
in the Court of Common Council ; and also of the Con:-

missioner of the City Police ; and these gentlemen subse-
quently attending were heard thereon, when Mr. Deputy
Pewtiess laid before us a Report explanatory of his opi-
nions ; and the Commissioner laid before us a Return
showing the number of destitute persons and vagrants
found in the streets cf the City, and the mode of treat-
meat in each case during twelve months. We also di-
rected the City Solicitor to consider the legal bearing
of the question and to report thereon, and he having
so (kite, we have caused a copy of his said Report to be
I ereunto annexed. We have also received a further
communisation from Mr. Deputy Pewtress upon this im-
portant subject, which, to some extent, recapitulates the
matter contained in his firmer Repert, but also introducing
additional and serious matter for deliberation ; viz., the
consequent reduction of the number cf petty criminals
who are now constantly filling the City gaols, upon the
duties appertairing to the police and Poor-law authori-
ties, as preset ibed by law, bring properly and consistently
carried into execution, a subject a Mel; our Committee
suggest is entitled to the fullest, eonsiderati on by this
Cowl, t even retetided (as Deputy Pewtiess remarks) as
a questioned' finance and economy, independently of the
inhumanity of transferring such a number cf paupers to
the criminal department.'
•• Your Committee, therefore, agreeing with the principle
of the said report; and suggestions of Mr. Deputy Pew-
tress and the Solicitor, beg to recommend this Honourable
Court to represent to the Beard of Gusrlians for the
City of London Uzlien their opinion that the spirit of
the law should be carried into effect under the
most humane vices, cousistcnt with public justice
and duty, and that provision should be made by the
Board fur all destierte persons found in the streets
of this City, by the establishment of a proper place for
immediate shelter and relief, such as the recessities of each
case may require. All which, we submit to the judgment
of this Honourable Came.
66 1 homes Wood " R. Webb Jupp
J. Hartley James Lake
G. Stacy W. Stevens
Wm. Lister W. Christie
Richard Hicks H. J. Elmes."
John Black et
Alderman T. WOOD having moved that the Reps rt should
be printed for the purpose cf being discussed upon a future
occasion,
Mr. RICIIARD TAYLOR rose to make a few observations.
Now that the subject of the Poor-law was under con-
sideration, it appeared to him this was an opportunity of
making some regulations by which the existing difficulty
of distinguishing between the vagrant and the unfortunate
might be removed. The vagrants who were taken up were
not, in his opinion, treated us they ought to be treated, and
he wished to impress upon the guardians the
necessity of acting with kindness and humanity
to the destitute, who were at present buffeted
about; means should be taken to obtain facilities
of discriminating betweett the two classes, the treatment
of each of which ought to be essentially different. In the
Union of which he was a Guardian, fifty or sixty casual
poor are received every night, and it was impossible to
maintain cleanliness in a place to which many d;ssolute
and abandoned vagrants resorted, and from which they
issued in the morning to resume their occupation of
vagrancy. He thought that there ought to be one central
place to which persons of that description might be sent,
so that the really unfortunate would not be insulted by
being obliged to hive with them.—( Hear, hear.) By the
co-operation of the Guardians and the Police Commis-
sioner, such measures could be adopted as would mate-
rially benefit the condition of the heuseleas poor, and tend
to diminish the large amount of vagrancy.—( Hear.)
Alderman THOMAS WOOD said that if he thought the
Court would have discussed the subject, be should have
prefaced the Report with some observations. The fact
was the Report came to the point which be had ori-
ginally contemplated. When he found that the Poor-
law Commissioners were determined to introduce
the New Poor-law into the City, he suggested that
the City and its Liberties should be included ia
one great union, in the belief that it could be
more beneficially carried into effect by such a provision
than by the appointment of separate unions. He remem-
bered with what virulence he was attacked in the columns
of two newspapers by Mr. Thomas Jones, of Coleman-
street, who was remarkable for his hostility to the New
Poor-law, for the view he took of its operation; and he '
thought that the Commissioners were influenced by the
opposition to adopt the alternative of appointing three
unions, although it struck him that one would have much
greater advantages.—(Hear.) He saw good reason to
complain of statements which had been made at the Man-
sion-house with reference to the Poor-law, by persons,
some of whom were evidently wholly ignorant of what
they talked about.—(A laugh.) He had to complain, too,
that at that place no distinction appeared to be made be-
tween the deserving poor and the idle vagrant. The public
were abused by the most notorious vagrants in the garb
of paupers ; and amongst the City Police there was such
want of discrimination as to the two classes, that the
greatest confusion and injustice prevailed, and all
was laid t) the charge of the New Poor-law. The
complaint against that law, be believed to be
quite unfounded. He believed Mr. Miller, the relievirg
officer of one of the Unions, who stated that four-fifths of
the persons who appeared at the West London Union were
sturdy beggars, and his own experience as a Magistrate
led him to suppose that the same proportion existed in the
other Unions of the city. Such was not the state of things
at the west end of the town, becaeseithe police there did
their duty. In the City of London Union he considered
himself bound to say the Guardians acted with tenderness
and humanity towards the poor, which did them the big hest
honour; but he could not shut' his eyes to the necessity
which existed for the appointment of a central housee,orTthhet
Union had a farm-house, but a distant resihd.cene
visited at any time by the Guardians, to wt:
poor was not like a residence on the spot,bwmi h
distance from
extremely inconvenient to go to a remo it
tocoiguhldt
be
e
hears). w hI
Foil hdt hbe
'cheese in the centre of
businessent. pHr
oo
aer
theirau be
subjected
clot weandda :Itmloaec sietisi othfraeraitt able toe_ htahvee poor, and he was cone_
the City for the reception f
oaseswou ldof tincreaseire destitute the
facilities
a n and t hef
dd
isuctr
itinh ai
astui
tic
gh
bet r:el:1a ttre
sturdy and practised beggar
•
said that the guardians of the Union •
regular visitations from nine in the morn-
inginMr. COLLINSON S
his districttnine h:rd. ten a t night. The conduct of the guar-
diansre numerous poor
applied to them was humane and liberal in the ex-
treme.who of the City of London Union to tl
They cared nothing about the expense, but sent
the poor to comfortable quatters without once thinking of
the charge.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. BARKER said it certainly
appeared to him that the
grand defect in the City regulat ous was that the Central
Union had no receptacle for the poor. The consequence
was that the it4c),-,;1,1-, 'poetised was excessive.
CUOUilit sac ; t'ees she City of London Union paid
the greatest attention possible to the poor, and sent them