The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-27 00:00:00

millions of money, and the outlay should be con-
tinued every year, in order to keep down the annual
increase which would of course be in the inverse ratio
of the population. What extraordinary benefits for
Ireland, what abundance and national prosperity
might be obtained by the judicious application of
even one-tenth part of that amount in the improve-
ment of the land, in giving employment to those able
and willing to work ! The money would produce an
ample return, and not be utterly cast away and de-
stroyed, as that expended in the banishment of the
people. It appears, therefore, that emigration to the
extent desired cannot be adopted or sanctioned by the
State.

We certainly were not without the hope, a short
while since, from the complexion of the last discus-
sion which took place in the Court of Aldermen
with respect to the reform of the corporation of the
city of London, that the violent dissensions, which
have for some time past prevailed between the Alder-
men and the Common Councilmen, would be speedily
and amicably terminated. In this hope, we confess,
we have been disappointed. The tenor of the discus-
sion which was held in the Court of Common
Council on Thursday last evinced very little
hope of reconciliation between the contending parties.
It is undoubted that certain reforms are required in
the Corporation ; some contend that their present
powers are sufficient to effect them ; whilst others as-
sert that they cannot be accomplished without
the intervention of Parliament. The majority of
the Aldermen conceive they can dispense with the
services of Parliament; the Common Councilmen,
that an appeal to the Senate is indispensable. We
are persuaded that the latter will be found, in the
end, to be correct in their opinion. On Thursday
the Court of Common Council agreed to the report
of their Committee of Privileges, which recommended
that they should be empowered to prepare a Bill to
Parliament for reforming the Corporation. This step
was objected to as being premature, seeing that their
law officers had not yet given their opinions upon the
rights and powers of the Corporation. Still
we cannot wonder at the eagerness mani-
fested by the Common Councilmen to get
to Parliament. They are anxious to guard
themselves against unnecessary procrastina-
tion ; and their apprehension that needless delay will
not be disfavoured by the Court of Aldermen is not
without some show of reason. Their fears
in this respect are justified by a re-
view of the nature of the differences
between the Courts, and the fierceness with which
they have, from the first, been respectively main-
tained. The power claimed by the present Lord
Mayor, of not putting any question from the chair of
which he may. individually disapprove, is of itself
quite sufficient to determine a body of men, who
conceived they constituted a deliberative assembly,
to repair to Parliament without loss of time, and
demand that their chief officer shall be forthwith
divested of such an objectionable act of authority.
The reluctance displayed by the Aldermen to appeal
to the Legislature does not place them in a very be-
coming light. They seem to be afraid of losing
some of their present powers, privileges, or immu-
nities. But why should they, if these are really
subservient to the public good? If they are, they
can have no difficulty in establishing the fact; and if
they are not, ought they to desire to retain them ?
Were not the subject-matter too grave, as affecting
a Corporation which for antiquity, power, wealth, and
renown has never been equalled, one might be in-
clined to be amused at the spirit in which the dis-
putants support their wrangles. According to the
version of Mr. LAWRENCE, the Alderman thus ad-
dresses him :—" But look at what you will lose if
You go to Parliament I" In due Socratical fashion,
the Alderman is immediately replied to—" Will you
lose nothing ? Will you not be clipped ? " We
submit that this style of disputation savours too much
of the Peachum and Lockit school; and it is clear
that when matters have reached such a crisis, the
sooner the parties resort to the mediatory influence of
the Legislature the better. We are, therefore, re-
joiced
that the Court of Common Council have deter-
mined on adopting this course.