The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-02 00:00:00

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

"Corbet court, November 26, 1847.
" My Lord Mayor,—The position I am in calls upon
me to take some decisive step in reference to my public
engagements, as well as in deference to the Court to
which I have the honour to belong. Feeling that my
pecuniary circumstances will not allow me to maintain
the rank usually expected of an Alderman of London,
and knowing also that I must be subject to the usual
course of the law, I think it due to the Court and the
public at once to retire from the magisterial chair,
rather than excite observation, do ought to discredit the
Court, or reduce its position in Fublic estimation by any
loefficiency on my part. I therefore request permission
to retire altogether from the office, to which I am in-
duced as much by the considerations above as by the
mt.o.t ,oasevere personal affitctions I have
had to encounter for the last two years. I cannot close
this notice to your Lordship without expressing my
great gratitude for the kind and sympathetic feeling
which the Court, ac well as its individual members, have
of late awarded to me, and I trust that, however unfor-
tunate I may have been, I retire in possession of the
good opinion of all with whom I have had the honour to
associate, as magistrates of the City of London.
"I have the honour to remain, my Lord,
" Your faithful servant,
" TH
" To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor.OM"AS WOOD.
There was a general expression of sympathy in the
Court.
Alderman 11. HUGHES, in moving that the resigna-
tion of Alderman Wood be received and entered upon
the journals, said the letter just read did great credit
to the head and heart of the writer.
Sir PETER LAURIE seconded the motion, which was
then unanimously agreed to.
Sir C. MARSHALL then, after a few words, expres-
sive of his sense of the talent and unwearied exertion
of Mr. Wood as a magistrate, moved the following
resolution :—" That this Court cannot receive the
resignation of Thomas Wood, Esq., of the office of
alderman, without expressing its deep sympathy in
his late melancholy bereavement, nor without ex-
pressing its sense of the exemplary manner in which
he has discharged the important duties of his magis-
terial office, arid the valuable aid and assistance he
has at all times afforded to the members of this
Court, collectively and individually."
The resolution was carried unanimously, and a
copy was ordered to be presented to Mr. Wood by the
Town Clerk.

ISSUE OF THE WARD PRECEPT.
The Court requested the Lord Mayor to issue his
precept for the election of an alderman for Cord-
wainers' Ward in the room of Mr. Wood, and his
Lordship gave directions accordingly.
The subject of the election of a new alderman was
very freely canvassed in the Court amongst the mem-
bers, who seemed to be impressed with the belief that
Mr. David Salomons will not only be elected, but
that he will not be opposed.
SANITARY STATE OF THE CITY.
The inquest of Portsoken Ward made a present-
ment to the Court, complaining of the abominably
filthy condition of the lanes, alleys, and courts in the
neighbourhood of Whitechapel, particularly in the
locality of the slaughter-houses. The presentment
embodied the vigorous condemnation uttered in the
Court of Common Council by the lamented Dr. Lynch,
who was the first to draw the attention of the Cor-
poration to the necessity of adopting, some mode of
cleansing the miserable habitations of the poor.
The Foreman said: the inquest had appeared before
the Commissioners of Sewers on the subject, but the
Court of Aldermen was considered the Most powerful
body capable of acting upon the occasion. He called
the attention of the Court most earnestly to the ques-
tion, and stated, that although temporary checks
were given to the nuisances, there appeared to be no
chance of any effective or permanent improvement,
without the energetic agency of the Court of Alder-
men.

The LORD MAYOR said the usual course of remedy
was through the alderman of the ward, who would,
if the nuisance was not abated, be privileged to com-
pel its removal, and to punish those who were instru-
mental in its continuance.—Adjourned.

CHELTENHAM, Nov. 27.—Mr. Wilson gave one •f
' his highly interesting entertainments here this morn-
' ing, which, notwithstanding the inclemency of the
weather, was fully and fashionably attended. Mr.
Wilson was in splendid voice, and gave all his songs
with even more than his accustomed excellence. In
compliance with many requests, Mr. Wilson announced
that he would give an evening performance about the
end of the month.
The Grand Lodge of Druids, on Tuesday evening,
held their sixty.sixth anniversary festival at their new
club-house, "Ancient Druids' Hall," Farringdon-street.
At seven o'clock a most excellent dinner was placed on
the table by the stewards, and the wines supplied during
the whole entertainment were of the best quality. The
present N. G. A. Evans presided, and P. A. Cittadini
took the vice-chair. There was not a very numerous
attendance, owing to none but members having been in-
vited,
and of which no less than twenty-six sent apolo-
gies for not coming, on account of illness arising from
the influenzl at present so prevalent. On former fes-
tivals visitors not belonging to the order'
were
to attend, but the meetings
no permitted
w being carried on strictly
members accordance with the
cl b
members could not be allowned. BYlternianyother than
the party,
Nevertheless,
al though comparatively
small numbrs, were not
wanting, in their accustomed sociality and merriment.
lhe toasts were givenA.by the N. G. A. Evans, P. A.
William Kensett, J.
each made some Inckes, and G. Wenborn, and
judiLdious observations on the present
state of Druidii,mhe, art' on the future prospects of the
grand lodge.
by the singing harmony was kept up to a late hour
of Brothers Beuler, Delavanti, and Frost,
and by performances on the pianoforte by Brothers
Noble itud Cittadini•

- -
COURT OF ALDERMEN.
On Tuesday a Court was held for the purpose of re-
ceiving and disposing of Alderman Thomas Wood's
resignation of the gown of Cordwainers' Ward.
Sir PETER LAURIE gave notice of motion for the
next Court, " That it be referred to the General
Purposes Committee of Aldermen, that in addition to
the clauses in the proposed City of London Sewer
Bill, prohibiting the use of advertising vans and other
matters, there be introduced by the Remembrancer a
clause providing for the more effectual punishment of
wilfully breaking shop windows."

THE PREVAILING SICKNESS.
Alderman COPELAND thought it necessary to make
some allusion to the observations mad by Alderman
Sidney, with respect to the prevalence of fever. He
had in consequence of the statement of Alderman
Sidney at a former Court, moved for particular re-
ports of the surgeons of the London prisons, on the
state of the persons confined, and he found that
although fever had existed to a considerable extent,
it had abated, and there had been no fatal result. He
condemned the readiness which he thought Alderman
Sidney had exhibited to listen to exaggerated state-
ments on such a serious question.
Alderman SIDNEY did not consider that he lent too
ready an ear to so alarming a report as that the
cholera was approaching our shores. He had com-
plained of the crowded state of Giltspur-street
Compter, and he had expressed his very natural ap-
prehension of the consequence of the introduction of
so awful a calamity amongst the unfortunate inmates
at a period like the present.
Alderman 11. HUGHES thought the City prisons
extraordinarily free from sickness at such a time,
when almost in every family six or seven persons were
prostrated by influenza. That was surely a test of
the magisterial care bestowed upon those places, and
called rather for approbation than censure.—(Hear.)
'THE RESIGNATION OF ALDERMAN THOMAS WOOD.
The LORD MAYOR rose and said he had called the
Court specially together for the purpose of handing to
them for their consideration a letter which he had
received from Alderman Thomas Wood.
The following letter was then read by the Town
Clerk :