The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATIMOAY, JANUARY 16, Is4l.

Mr. ADEY—Do you mean to traverse, Mr. Farr?
Mr. FARR—I do not. I merely wish to submit the
quest ion to the Court ; and if they should decide again,t
me, I shall submit.

The CHAIRMAN said there was no doubt it was
rateable.
Mr. FARR would then submit, but he considered,
being an uninhabited building, it was rated too high.
With respect to the Magazine Barracks, he should
withdraw his appeal, &titer the decision which had just
been come to. With respect to the assessment of
531. 10t. on the Cavalry Barracks,
he objected to it,
on the groilnd that it was in connection with the new
drain in Sloane-street.
The CHAlnmaN—The assessment was quite uncon-
nected with the question of the new sewer ; if it had
never been proposed, the rate would have been the same.
Mr. Farr then withdrew,
The CHAIRMAN said that as questions of great legal
interest would arise when the traverse question came on,
ale thought it would be advisable that a gentleman of
;me legal attainments should take the chair. He
Should therefore propose that Mr. Broughton take the
chair.

Mr. BROUGHTON thought the proper way would be
to appoint a legal assessor to the chair, who would be
rcsponzible for his opinion. He should be happy to
render any assistance ro his brother Commissioner, but
pis opinion was decidedly against the legality of the
presentment.
Mr. LESLIE doubted the power of the Court to ap-
point an assessor. The question was one entirely for
the jury to determine, and not for the Court. A
eounsul coming there was not a member of the Court,
and the employing one was a virtual acknowledgement
of their own incompetence. The more legal opinions
.hey got the greater was the mess they got in.o.—(A
laugh.)
Mr. BROUGHTON said they had a clear power to em-
ploy and pay an assessor. He would not decide the thing,
nor take it out of the hands of the jury.. The jury
would have to decide on certain flets, but they would
have to take the law from the Court. They should re-
nernber that it al:vays looked well with the Queen's
Bench to have acted under the advice of counsel.

Mr. ADEY said the Chairman having charged the
last jury, he thought it advisable that ho should now
Jaye the assistance of an assessor. Who was to answrr
the arguments addressed by the appellant to the
jury ? He thought a barrister acting as assessor-would
be the most proper person.
The CHAIRMAN appealed to the Court to relieve him
;tom a responsibility which he felt was too much for him.
Mr. MULLINS wished to know if Mr. Broughton
would take the chair.

Mr. 13RO0GFITON thought the constitution of the
Court ought not to be altered, but that the Chairman do
continue in the chair.
The CIIAIRDIAN said the constitution of the Court
would not be altered by Mr. Broughton taking the
chair. He wished the Court would give him leave of
►hsence for that day, and ask Mr. Broughton to occupy
his place.

Mr. MULLINS said he could not conceive the necessity
of an assscssor—the Court was a Court of Justice.
They did not appear as defendants, and therefore did
not wont a counsel• to reply for them,—they were to
administer justice as judges. It would be derogatory
to the Court to appoint an assessor.
Mr. ADEY said•that although they sat there as Jus-
tices they represented the rate-payers ; they did not
decide the question, the jury did. How was the ques-
tion to be put to the jury, if the Chairman did not put
it properly.
A ComatissioNra-=-A Commissioner might.
Mr. ADEY—That is it, I want to have an assessor
appointed to avoid discussion before the jury.
Mr. LESLIE was glad that the object of appointing
an assessor was .ax owed. It was to gag the Commis-
sioners.—(Cries of Older and Shame, and great con-
lusioo.) It would be delegatirg the authority to some
paid man, and if they could not execute their duties
themselves, they had better resign the situations.
Mr. BaonntrroN—The authority is not delegated.

Mr. LESLIE—What does he corn:: here for then?
Mr. BROUGHTON—To answer questions, if asked.—
(A laugh.)
Mr. LESLIE wanted to know what need they had of
A counsel—they would only be getting further into
the mire, and he hoped that the relief they would get
from a new jury would be to throw the whole of this
overboard.

Mr. MULLINS protested against the doctrine that
the charge of the Chairman should be submitted to the
jury until it had been approved of by the Court.
Mr. WILLOUGHBY thought they ought to grant to
the Chairman the assistance he required, by granting
him the aid of an assessor, and he should move that
Mr. Ogle be appointed the assessor.
Mr. MULLINS decidedly objected to the appoint-
ment of an assessor. This was a special meeting, and
no business could be entertained that was not in the
business-paper. Notice should have been given of it.
He doubted if it could be put.
Mr. BROUGHTON had been misunderstood by the
Commissioners over the way. All this argument went
to the power of the Court to appoint an assessor ; when
they sat judicially they must have but one voice, or it
would be impossible for the jury to act. lie thought
the question could be put _without any breach of the,
rules. The question was one merely of detail-as to
facilitating the conduct of the business before them.
A long discussion ensued on the point of order, which
ended by the Court deciding that the resolution could
be put, because it was merely carrying out the busi-
ness on the paper.
On the question being put,
\lr. llamas said he wished to know what an assessor
was. It, appeared to him that it was a barrister to be
employed to defend the Commissioners. He did not
believe the rate-payers would like to have their money
employed for such a purpose, and he thought the
Chairman was perfectly competent to perform the duties
required of him.
Mr. LESLIE said that on another point of order he
did not think the question could go on. Mr. Bicknell
had been asked, and said that he would not employ
counsel, ard now they wanted in his absence to appoint
a barrister themselves. Nothing could be more inde-
cent than to appoint Mr. Ogle, who had already given
an opinion on the subject contrary to that of the Lord
Chief Justice. _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN said they appointed him as an as-
sessor, not as an advocate.
Mr. \Villoughby's motion was then put and carried,
on a division of 14 to 5. _ _ _

Mr. TAYLOR, Deacon of Paddington-green Chapel,
appealed against the rate, on the ground of excessive
rental.

The CHAIRMAN submitted that the rate should be
Lowered.

Mr. Mut,LiNs doubted if they had the. power to
do so.

Mr. LESLIE would remind the Court that this was
the first oase which had occurred after the presentment
had been traversed.

The question was then put that the chapel be rated
at 801. and carried.

Mr. CORNEL appeared for Chelsea Church and for
the, Board of Guardians, to object to the, rate. He was
proceeding to argue the question on principle, when he
was interupted by
Mr. ABET, who said they could not suffer any one
to argue the principle of the question.
Mr. MULLINS—What is the meaning of to hear
part:es then in the notices?
The CHAIRMAN said the principle of assessing
churches the Court would not entertain ; it woJd

merely entertain objections to the amount. He would
ad% ise the applicant to claim a traverse.
Mr. CORNEL was not in a position to determine
whether he would claim a traverse.
Mr. Lestee—The public were invited to come, by
the Court saying they would hear them. Why was not
the public told they must traverse, before they came
there?
Mr. ContrEL wished to know whether 'the assess-
ment would remain in its present shape, exactly as to
the double ptettentment for Chelsea church.
'the CHAIRMAN—It
Mr. CORNEL, after some (listhission, claimed a tra-
verse, which was ordered to be heard before the same
jury as the other.
Mr. UrioN, solicitor for the London and Westmin-
ster Cemetety Company, appealed against the rate, on
the ground of overcharge ; they were rateable enly for
the profitable occupation of the land, and he could
show that, up the present time, they had realised tin
profits, and therefore be thought the assessment ough•
not to be more than it was before the land was a ceme-
tery. They had been assessed to the Poor-rates at
2,000/• a year, and on his representing the case to the
Vestry, it was reduced to 2,15/. per annum.
The CHAIRMAN proposed that the assessment should
be reduced to 2451.
A. CommissioNEa proposed to examine the Sur-
veyors on the point.
On inquiry it *Rs found the Surveyors had left.
Mr. LESLIE thought they had acted wisely here
They made oath before the Jury that the rating a
the property was 2.,:300/., and now this gentleman said
it was only worth 2451. ; and on his representation they
were about to alter a presentment made by a Jury, after
hearing evidence on oath. lie should not vote at 3:1
on the question.
Mr. MuLuris thought the Solicitor ought to be asked
if the Court could interfere.
The SOLICITOR thought it would be hardly safe for
tie Court to interfere to give relief in this instance,
without putting the party on their traverse.
Mr. llamas thought the profits should be rated,
and not the buildings.
Mr. WHITE moved that the rates should be reduced
to 245/.
On a division, there appeared—
For the reduction
Against it

Mr. LESLIE considers lih decision put the whole
rate in jeopardy.
The hearing of the applilants was postponed to
Friday next.
The Clerk then read a statement of a deficiency in

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the accounts of one of the collectors, and, stating, that.
in reply to an application to the solicitor of one of h 6.
sureties, it had been stated, that if he were now allowed
to make up his account, the money would be forth-
coming.

Mr. ADEY proposed that the clerk should have the
books made up, and apply to his surety for any defi-
ciency that might be proved, which was agreed to.
The Court then broke up, at a quarter after six
o'clock.

THE FLEET IN THE lIIEDITER

RANEAN.

Letter from an Officer of Sir R. Stopford's squadron,
dated the 18th ult.:—
" MARMOIIICE BAY, DEC. IS, 1840.
" On the 21st of November, Commodore Napier
joined our squadron off Alexandria, which then con-
sisted of the Powerful, Revenge, Ganges, Rodney, Van-
guard, Cambridge, Carysfort, and Medea, the Dido hav-
ing been previously sent to the Admiral to acquaint him
of an accident which happened on board the Medea, a
shell having burst below, and wounded several men.
" The Commodore immediately began to treat with
the Pacha, and first sent in Captain Maunsell, of the
Rodney, who had known him when commanding the
Alfred. The Commodore afterwards went in himself,
and had a long conference with Mehemet Ali, in which
I believe no words were wasted ; the consequence was,
that. the Pacha, finding that Acre was taken, and that
the French had deserted him, agreed to give up the
I urkish fleet and all Syria, retaining the hereditary
Pachalic of Egypt, and
,his troops to be withdrawn
from Syria by us.
" I may mention, that on the morning of the Com-
modore's arrival, two boats came off at daylight to the
Ganges, which happened to he the inshore ship, con-
taining Emir Bey, the Turkish Rear-Admiral of the
MahmouWeb, Emir Captan, the Captain of one of the
iarge frigates, the Admiral's Secretary, and 39 men ;
they had made their escape during the night. From
them we heard that the French had decidedly promised
Mehemet AU to appear off Alexandria with a fleet, and
that on their arrival his f',_Tt was to come out and join
them. The Rear-Admiral and party were sent on
board :he Revenge (senior officer), and then .to the
Powerful, and, I believe, eventually to Beyrout in the
Prometheus.

" On the day Napier went in, we observed the
Turkish and Egyptian fleet suddenly swung their top-
masts and top-gallantmasts up, and cross royal yards,
firing a royal salute, and dressing in colours. The effect
eras beautiful, and vc all imagined that it was in conse-
quence of the Treaty. We found out afterwards that
it was the festival of the Bairam, which accounted for
the salute ; but I think they began to get ready for sea
immediately on hearing of the Treaty.
" Having sent off his despatches 133 the Oriental,
which was detained for a day, and also letters to the
Admiral b) the Prometheus, Commodore Napier mad
the signal to the squadron " Peace with Egypt," and
we stood off the coast, as it came on to blow ; and on
the 2,1 of December we experienced a heavy gale, in
which our six ships did not, of course, suff2r much
damage, but we all felt glad we were not on the coast
of Syria. In this gale, as we afterwards learned, the
Zebra was driven on shore in the bay of Khnifa, and
the Pique had to cut away her masts, and was also
nearly wrecked. The Bellerophon was at anchor at
Beyrout, and was nearly lost ; and nine sail of trans-
ports and all the small craft anchored on the coast were
driven on shore or foundered at their anchors. Had we
all been in the midst of our operations along the whole
line as formerly, the effect on our fleet might have
been disastrous.

" The Commodore th?n decided on coming here, and
on the Sal instant anchored in this most beautiful of
harbours ; finding the Thunderer, last from Beyrout,
Calcutta from England, Implacable, which had left our
squadron some time since, and come here imagining the
Admiral had left Syria, and Edinburgh from Bayrout ;
also Gorgon, Dido, and Hecate, from England, with
General Mitchell and several officers of artillery on
board, waiting the arrival of the Admiral previous to
going to Syria.
" On the 9th arrived the Admiral and Bellerophon,
and on the 10th the Benbow and Hazard, all from Bey-
rout, and the Stromboli from Alexandria, where she
had been to land two Turkish envoys, and had been
looking for our squadron.
" It appears that the Admiral had sent Captain Fan-
shatve, his Flag Captain, to Alexandria, in the Magaaiai,
a proposition for Mehemet Ali—not, I believe,
• quite so good for him as Napier had granted, merely, I
believe, offering Egypt for his life. We expected that
Mehemet would tura rusty again, and that we should
have to attack Alexandria in the spring. The waivel
here, however, of Captain Fanshawe on the 14th, settled
all. 1 believe Mehemet Ali told him he threw himself
into the arms of the Allies, trusting that England would
be generous ; Captain Fanshawe has been sent to Cen-
stantineple in the Stromlitili. On the 13th and 14th the
Austrian squadron arrived here, so that this bay now
contains the following ships :
" Princess Charlotte (flag), Powerful (Commodore),
Rodney, Ganges, Thunderer, Vanguard, Calcutta,
Cambridge, Revenge, Edinburgh, Implacable, Ballero-
phon, Benbow, of the line ; Gorgon, Medea, steamers ;
Dalo and Hazard ; also two Austrian frigates and one
corvette ; and we expect the Daphne and Magicicnne.
The coast of Syria will probably be watched by steamers
I during the winter. At Malta we have Asia and
Hastings, of the line, Castor and Pique ; the Carysfort
is off Alexandria ; Talbot is at Stamboul ; and ere this
the Britannia and Howe must have entered the Straits
of Gibraltar, which will give us seventeen sail-of-the-
line, mostly very heavy ships.
" Yesterday (17th), the Medea came in with the
mails brought -by the Great Liverpool to Malta ; and
we hear of- the birth of a Princess. Tilare is naturally
much disappointment at there being no brevet on such
an hopoatant oeeasion, especially as the marriage v:as
allowed to pass without one ; but we have not heard
for certain that there is nut to be one.
4- Napier has hoisted his red pennant as first-class
Commodore, and well he deserves it. This, and some
promotions for the affair at Sidon, lead us all to hope
that there will be :a liberal promotion, as well amongst
those ships who had the good luck to be at the takieg
of Acre as amongst all connected with the operations
along the whole coast of Syria. Many would thy, ob-
tain it who might have no other chance of advaiiceinent.
" Certainly, when one looks backs and brings to mull
that on the 13th of August Napier, with his four ship,
Powerful, Ganges, Thunderer, and Edinburgh, an-
choi ed at Beyrout, round which Soliman Pacha, with
some 14,000 men never yet beaten, was encamped, that
Ibrahim had possession of the passes of the Taurus, all
the forts and towns oa the coast, and the 4' invincible
Acre," well garrisoned, and that all the mountaineers
of Lebanon, Naploose, and Haouran had been defeated
and disarmed, which made them at first lukewarm about
beginning again with us ; that on the 9th of September
a small force was landed in Djouni Bay ; and that on
the 81 of November, by the fall of Acre, the whole of
Syria was in our possession, Ibrahim himself beaten by
Napier,—one must acknovJedge that the navy have
done their work well."

REGISTRATION OF LETTERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,---I believe I may say with confidence that the
recent regulaticn for registering money letters is not
calculated to satisfy those for whose benefit it is in-
tended, both on account of ita tediousness and expense.
I submit to you the following plan, equally simple in its
arrangement, less expensive to both the Post-office and
the public, And attended with every security the present
plan offers.
I would have covers or envelopes provided especially
for the purpose of cash letters, to carry not exceeding
one ounce, and to be sold for sixpence each ; to be num-
bered in the game way as Bank notes, and printed in-
side in the same form as at present. On presenting one
of these at any post-off=ice, I would present a duplicate
of the number of the stamp and address, for the purpose
of receiving the post mark of the town where it posted,
in the tame *ay as the letter, and then the clerks in
every office through which it passes should be required
to take the number, and attach to It the Post-office
stamp in the same way. Of course I should only pro-
pose this plan for inland letters, and am persuaded that
it is worthy of the attention of the Post-office authori-
ties, both on account of its efficiency and economy.
Doncaster. Jan. 13. 3UVENIS.