The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-29 00:00:00

ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN.
Sheriff Gums informed the Court that her Majesty
would receive the Address of ;the Corporation on the
birth of the Princess Royal on Wednesday next, at two
o'clock, at Buckingham Palace, and that Prince Albert
would receive their Address immediately afterwards,
and also that the Duchess of Kent would receive their
Address after the presentation of the Addresses to the
Queen and Prince Albert.—( Hear, bear.)

REGULATIONS OF ELECTIONS IN Tim CITY.

Mr. ANDEItTON gave notice of a motion, That it he
referred to a Committee to take into consideration the
propriety and necessity of presenting a petition to Par-
liament for an Act to amend the 11th of George the
First, cap. 18, entituled an Act for regulating elections
within the City of London, and for preserving the peace,
good order, and government of the said City, and that
the said Committee do report their opinions to this
Court.

Upon the appointment of inembas to serve upcn
Committees,
Mr. WELLS objected to be put upon any Committee.
He was ashamed of the acts of Committees and repu-
diated them altogether.

Deputy 13LACcETT said that as the gentleman ex-
pressed and entertained so bad an opinion of Commit-
tees it was but fair that he should witness the conduct
of those who constituted them, that he should have a
complete insight into their workings. Of the labours
of the Committees, the labours of Comnron Councilmen
principally consisted, and he trusted that when Mr.
Wells had experience in these Committees the opinion
he so strongly expressed would be altered.—(Hear.)
Mr. WELLS—If you elect me I shall not serve.
Whatever information I may require I can get from the
officers of the Corporation.
Mr. ANDERTON said that Mr. Wells had expressed
his determination to ferret out the rats of the Corpora-
tion, and surely he could not refuse to avail himself of
the opportunity of examining and inquiring which was
thus open to him.
Mr. AsituasT thought that Mr. Wells ought to be
excused. It was the duty of the Members of that
Court to put themselves in possession of every necessary
information, and he who refused to avail himself of the
opportunity was not fit to sit upon Committees.
Mr. Tar Lott thought it would be advisable to ap-
point Mr. Wells to Committees, and as other Members
were appointed, let him take the responsibility of blind-
folding himself.—(Hear.)
111 r. ASHURST.—The subject is not worth discussion.
I withdraw my objection.
Mr. Wells was then appointed.
JEWS TO HOLD CORPORATE OFFICES.

Mr. ASHURST gave novice that he should move for a
petition to Parliament to make such alterations in the
form of the declaration contained i a the :!)d George the
4th, and the Ist and 2d of Victoria, as would enable
Jews to hold Corporate offices.—(llcar.)

ROYAL ASYLUM, PATRONISED BY THE QUEEN, FOR

DESTITUTE FEMALES.

The Chairman of the Coal, Corn, and Finance Com-
mittee brought up the following interesting report
on the reference to examine the alkgations contained
is the petition of the Committee of the Royal Asylum
for the reception of Destitute Females, praying for
pecuniary assistance :—" We have proceeded in the con-
sideration of the petition and have been attended by
Mrs. Pirie, Mrs. Pearson, Miss Fry, Miss Shepherd,
Mrs. Fry, and Mr. Charles Pearson, a deputation with
Mr. Cooper, the honorary secretary, whom we several!),
heard, and it appearing that the Institution was esta-
blished in 1822, for the reception and refei mation of
young females who stand exposed to the fearful
consequences of vie,: and ignorance, and par-
ticularly those who have been convicted at the Central
Criminal Court, and imprisoned for first offences,
for those discharged from service for dishonesty, but not
prosecuted, as well as fur the ignorant and destitute,
who, although not guilty, are incapable of obtaining
their livelihood. The only property of the Institution
is the asylum at Manor-house, Chelsea, which is held
on leiise for twenty-one years, at the low rent of 751.
per annum, upon which a considerable sum has been
expended in fitting it up for the purposes of the Institu-
tion. The utmost economy seems to be adopted in the
establishment, and most of the officers perform their
duties gratuitously. The expense of carrying on the
Society in 1839 amounted to 1,590/. 2s. 3d., including
about 500/. expended in repairs of the building, &e.,
and the income arising front gifts, subscriptions, and the
sums received for the work done by the inmates
amounted to about 1,325/., the latter item reaching
nearly 300/., leaving a deficit of `6A 2m. 3d. The
Committee find that the building ut Chelsea, which has
been thoroughly repaired and conveniently adapted to
its present uses, is arranged to contain about fifty in-
mates, and might, if the funds would permit, be en-
larged to accommodate double the number ; but a debt
has already been contracted for the necessary repairs.
It also appears that the Committee of the Sheriffs'
fund have entered into an arrangement by which
twenty female prisoners from the Central Criminal
Court are to be constantly maintained and taught in
' the asylum, for which :1001. per annum is to
be paid out of the Sheriffs' fund toward' the
expenses of the establishment. The Committee
having attentively considered the several circv!m-
stances connected with the Institution, and the im-
portance of sending timely assistance to a So-
ciety, having for its object such benevolent iutentions,
are unanimously of opinion that the sum of 210/. be
granted in aid of its funds."
Mr. BOLT seconded the grant.
Mr. WELLS objected to the grant. He did not
see how the disposal of the money in such a way could
benefit his fellow-citizens ; and be thought the Magda-
len quite sufficient for the purposes described. No
doubt he Society, if they obtained this grant, would
come in regularly for 800 guineas a year upon the Cor-
poration.
Mr. LOTT supported the grant, and considered it
highly honourable to the Corporation to originate as it
did an institution of the kind.

Mr. LAWRENCE thought that the Society was a
hobby of the very charitable and excellent ladies who
were labouring to bring it to perfection, and that seve-
ral public institutions had much stronger claims .
Mr. PEWTRESS said that he was no enemy to im-
provements or charitable institutions, but he wished to
call the attention of the Court to the principle upon
which the Royal Asylum was established, and which
was radically bad. It was stated that the house was
open to those who were discharged from prisons, who
are convicted of crimes. Now he wished to know
whether criminals were to be treated in a way su-
perior to that in which the guiltless were treated ? Ho
looked upon such an institution as an imputation
upon the law. The law provided for destitute per-
sons such as the report alluded, and the proper
asylums for them were the union-houses. If these
union•houses were to shelter the innocent poor, surely
criminals ought not to be taken from the prisons to a
more comfortable place of refuge. He meant to say that
there was a legal receptacle for all such people, and that
they ought not to be thus mad*, a species of tax upon
the citizens. There wa.t another thing in societies of
this sort to which he objected. These criminals were
kept a limited time in the asylum, and again introduced
to virtuous society. Now, if they happened not to be
reclaimed, they would inevitably corrupt the virtuous
and innocent.
Mr. It, L. JONES said, that Mr. Pewtrcsz had used
an odd argument in favour of his position against the
grant, in stating that the union-houses v.O .e open to
receive the unfortunate females discharged from prison
after having been confined for criminal cff,:nces. So
that he would send these guilty persons straight from
gaol into the union•houses, as if
the poor had not
enough to contend with there without being subjected
to contamination from the inmates ()r a ---
was surely prison.
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") It
more judicious and more humane to separate
e rate
objects of the Society's compassion from thsor v
were compelled from necessity to seek the ale native of
the union-houses ; and if they are to be! separated,
where arc they to go if not succoured by the benero-