The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-20 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.
Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of

business.

WHITECROSS-STREET PRISON.
The Sheriffs presented the following report of the
state of the debtors' prison, in Whiteeross-street :
" Middlesex, 115 males, 4 females ll9
Prison of Ludgate
Poultry Compter . 12
Giltspur-street Compter .

" Total 146
The Governor respectfully reports to the Worshipful
the Court of Aldermen that he has carried into effect
the classification and regulations recommended by the
Secretary of State, and confirmed by your Worshipful
Court on the 29th ult. Already thirteen belong to
the remanded ward,' and when commitments are
made under the City of London Small Debts Act'
an increase may be looked for. The average daily
numbers for the last quarter do not show an increase,
although the annual number committed in the year
ending the 29th of September gives an excess of no
less than 453 on the two preceding ones. The pri-
soners have been generally healthy during the past
. quarter, and their conduct has been very quiet and
orderly.

"THOMAS BURDON, Governor."
THE ROYAL HOSPITAL RETURNS.
The returns from each of the Royal Hospitals
having been read,
It was stated by the TOWN CLERK that the only
return made according to custom was that made
from Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospital.
Alderman FAREBROTHER hoped there would be no
attempt to revive the late conflict between the City
authorities and the governors on the subject of
precedence. The public were not likely to be in-
structed or benefited in any way by a collision,
whatever increase it might attach to the dignity of
the Court.—(Hear, hear.)
Alderman CHALLIS fully agreed with Alderman
Farebrother's discreet view of the subject; and the
returns were received and referred to the General
Purposes Committee, after a few words from Sir
PETER LAURIE, who said the Court ought not to
forget that the Corporation stood no chance in a con-
test with the governors.
The LORD MAyou laid before the Court a letter
which he had received from Mr. Goodman, the
chief clerk at the Mansion-house. It was as fol-
lows :

" My Lord,—ln the early part or your mayoralty
I received permission from your Lordship to examine
the contents of several large boxes of books in the
cellar of the Mansion-house. I have the honour now
to report to your Lordship that I found the books
contained the minutes of the various mayoralties
(with some exceptions) from 1686. They were in a
most neglected condition, being very damp and co-
vered with mildew and dirt, and had had been depo-
sited without the least regard to order or date. By
your Lordship's direction I had them removed and
carefully cleaned, dried, and arranged, and they are
now placed in the bookcase ordered by the Court of
Aldermen.

" A few extracts from and reference to the minutes
will show that they refer to matters of interest, not
only as illustrative of the usages and customs of
London, and the power of the chief magistrate, but as
matters of history.
I have the honour to be, my Lord,
" Your obedient humble servant,

" October, 1847. " S. R. GOODMAN."
The LORD MAYOR said that, as his year of office
had nearly expired, he could not perhaps take a better
opportunity than the present Court afforded, to bear
testimony to the services of Mr. Goodman, to his
knowledge, zeal, and integrity, and his distinguished
abilities.—(Hear, hear.) It was impossible to speak
too highly of that skilful and indefatigable officer.
Alderman Farebrother, Sir P. Laurie, Alderman
Musgrove, and Alderman Sidney, spoke in similar
terms of the conduct and character of Mr. Goodman.
The paper was ordered to be entered on the journals.

THE SUN,