The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-06 00:00:00

A Court of Sewers for the C ity of Westminster and
the Liberties thereof, was yesterday hold at the Office
of the Commissioners, Greek-st. met, Soho, at twelve
o'clock, Edward Willoughby, Esq in the Chair.
Minutes of the proceedings .of th last Ordinary Court
were reed and confirmed.
Mr. LESLIE complained of the was eof time occasioned
by the reading of those parts of the a inutes which related
to the ordinary business of the C out-
Mr. W. Beacit—There are some p eople who waste the
time of the Court much more b v let ng speeches, which
might advantageously be condense. d. The minutes must
be read as part of the business of th o ourt.
Mr. LESLIE thought that all o rdt rs of course might
be entered in a book, avd the partie s all called up and told
by the Chairman as to whether t he it applications were
granted ; and on the minutes it migh t I e entered—" various
orders were made, for which see or de r book."
Mr. ADEY thought great difficulty would arise unless
the minutes were read as at prose tit . They would then
bo tr usting entirely to the clerk for tl re correctness of the
record of their proceedings. If, hog rt ver, any plan could
be devised to save time, he should be b sppy to accede to it.
Mr. LESLIE thought the having tl los e orders entered in
a tabular form, and signed by the (;hi irman, thus making
those orders a record of the Court, tvo uld save at least an
hour on the fi.-st day, and half an by star ia reading the mi-
nutes.
Mr. W. I3EACII thought it was of great importance that
the minutes should be read for con 6 rotation.
Mr. ADEY proposed that the mint tr.es should henceforth
be laid on the table, and if their cot 1 eetness were certified
by the clerk, unless that correct to :as were impugned
during the course of the day, they el to uld stand confirmed.
Thew was little use in reading tilesa t as they were now
read.
The minutes of the proceedings ti r the Special Court,
held for trying the traverses for Oat lsea Hospital, were
then read and confirmed.
The CHAIRIIAN then signed chearue s for the payment cf
various tradesmen's bills.
An application was made by Mr. 131cKNEnn, the Soli-
citor for Chelsea Hospital, for pe,rathssion to have a
copy of the short-hand writer's totes .at his own expense.
Mr. ADEY moved that the applicuatical be granted.
Mr. LESLIE said, the Court hati Iscvter ordered the em-
ployment of a short-hand writer ;he was employed by the
Chairman, and the Court had nothing to do with him.
Mr. ADEY said the Solicitor having been engaged by
the Court to conduct the case— the Solicitor, if they
thought proper, might employ him and charge for him in
the bill.
Mr. BEACH would suggest that Me. Bicknell be referred
to the short-hand writer hioaself.
Captain BAOUE thought t:ltc application must fall to
the ground, as the Court knew ,nothing of the employment
of a short-hand writer.
Mr. LESLIE had objected to the employment of the
Solicitor, and if any one wished to have the short-hand
writer's notes, they might go to hint 2and obtain them.
do
Mr. ADEY said, if the question has
been whether the
Chairman was authorised to employ a s.hort-hand writer or
not, these observations would be well found
question was, whether Mr. Bicknell natL-ht to the
short-hand writer for his notes.
a es the;
butcu the
rt
Mr. LESLIE moved as an amendment, that
had not ordered the employment of the short-
Mr. Bicknell be referred to that gentleman.
Captain BAGUE seconded it, and it was carried Mnani-
mously.
Capt. BAGUE complained of the want of accommodation
for the Commissioners on Friday last, and hoped that on
the next occasion the inconveniences of which he com-
plained would be remedied.
Mr. ADET thought, unless it was intended to exclude
reporters and the public, it would be better to leave the
arrangements entirely in the hands of the Chairman. The
room was a very small ene, and if it were possible to point
out a plan fur affording greater accommodation he was
convinced it would be cheerfully adopted.
The Court then proceeded to hear various petitions for
new Sewers.
Mr. LESLIE again drew the attention of the Court to the
waste of time occasioned by going at length into these
matters of course.
A communication was read from Messrs. Delmar and
Wynn, relative to the manner in which the Kensington
Sewers would be affected by the proposed West London
Railway.
A communication was read front Mr. W. Wickens, of
Hammersmith, requesting the co-operation of the Commis-
sioners in procuring the erection of additional street conve-

niences.
A complaint as to the removal of, the pavement in the
Horseferry-road, was ordered to be referred to the Com-
missioners of Paving.
A communication was read from the Solicitors, stating
that they had met the Solicitors of the different parishes,
and that three of them had consented at first to a special
case to obtain the opinion of the Court as to the liability of
the churches to be rated, but the two others had entirely
dissented, stating that, even if liable to berated, the Com-
missioners had no power with which they could enforce the
rates, on which the others had disagreed to the state- •
ment of any special case. Ito also reported :the different
steps which had been taken in- the various suits in which
Commissioners are engaged, and enclosed forms of
subeceaa for the enforcing the attendance of the witnes-
ses on the trial of the ;,r averse on Friday next.
Mr. Any moved the postponement of the business re-
lating to the churches to this day fortnight.
Captain Beeue seconded the motion, which was agreed
to neanitrously.
Mr. LESLIE said that in the case of Medley and Pri-
chard, I.e should object to the payment of any money,
and should like his amendment to be placed on the busi-
nt ss paper, in order to ensure a full ateentlaace.
Blank sulapee las for summoning witnesses in the tra-
verse case on Friday next were then signed.
A Report of the Solicitors was then read, in which they
gave it us their opinion that it was not necessary to tee
legality of %Vat rants, that the collector who asked for them
should be first sworn ; neither was it necessary that in
very case a separate warrant should be issued for each
defaulter.
Mr. LESLIE moved that the opinion be printed and cir-
culated among the Commissioners; and while on his legs
he would remine, the Court that on last Friday there were
various matters inserted in the business paper, without
any order of the Court. The second matter on he paper
was to sign a decree. On inquiry he found it was the
Chairman's order; and on pressing the Chairman, he
found it was Mr. Ogle's order. Now, he thought the
Commissioners ought to conduct the business of the
Court, and not Mr. Ogle, or the Chairman.
Mr. ADRY rose to order. The matter was not now be-
fore the Court. He appealed to the Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN decided that Mr. Leslie was not in
order in the observations he was making.
The question was then put and carried.
Mr. T. DYER thought the matter alluded to by Mr.
Leslie ought now to be investigated, as it was a matter of
privilege He also had a complaint to make relating to
privilege. The Court before the last was summoned spe-
cially to sign a precept ; but it subsequently took up a
second question, and decided on it in a manner which he
considered calculated to damage the Court in public
opinion.
Mr. LESLIE had given notice to the Solicitors that he
doubted their law, and that it was his intention, after the
traverse Jury had delivered their verdict, to draw the atten-
tion of his brother Commissioners to the manner in which be
conceived they were being misled by Messrs. Smith. The
Court bad made no order for Nos. 2 and 3 in the busi-
ness paper of the last Court, and it might be very well for
the Chairman, or Mr. Ogle, to wish to have a decree
signed immediately ; but it was a breach of privilege, and
a great assumption of power on the part of any Chairman,
or any advocate, to put matters in the business paper with-
out the approbation of the Court. He wished to know
whether No. 2 and 3 were to be smuggled into the business
paper for next Friday, as if so be would give a notice of
motion to bring the whole matter before the Court.
The CHAIRMAN said, that if it depended upon the chair-
man of the day they certainly would not, as he conceived
it would be better to defer the matter until after the
verdict.
Mr. LESLIE was glad to hear that he had written to
Messrs. Smith about this opinion, and had been referred to
cases. He had asked for a copy, and had been told that
it was too long, but that he might send any one to copy
it. Ho came himself and did so, and on examining the
books he found the opinions of the Attorney and Solicitor-
General were recorded in the books, without the case
being given. The opinion was tacked to a case which bad
not been submitted to the persons who gave the opinion.
The CHAIRMAN thought it would be better to defer the
consideration of these matters until the parties interested
should be present.
Sir GEORGE FANANT rase to order, and after a scene
of the greatest confusion,
The CHAIRMAN interfered, and said that jie considered.
Mr. Leslie wasp
of rocee
the ding iness.rregularly, and interrupting
the whole con
busi
Mr. LESLIE thought it right to state that the case to
which he referred occurred in 1833, He thought it right
to state that, to exonerate the present Chairman and Clark
from blame.
Orders were made relating to the rebuilding of various
eTadhomas Read, one of the
a Report relative to a
Sewers.
collectors of the Sewer's-rate. The amount was, as far as
thacecoCunotusrtolf-
known, 1871. 17s.
The two sureties, a Mr. Collinson and a Mr. Wallace,
were both insolvent.
defiTcliieeneCyee ;le
tohfe
The CHAIRMAN said all public bodies in such eases had
only one course to pursue. They must put the bond in
force ; that was the only course to pursue in justice to all
parties concerned.
After a desultory conversation, the Court ordered the
bond to be put in force against the collector and his sureties
immediately.
The CHAIRMAN said they had now to appoint a new
collector.
Mr. LESLIE said the manner in which the collectors
were appointed was almost sure to load to the diffi-
culties they were now in. They ought not to appoint
tradesmen, for however fair their outward appearance
might be, it was impossible to know how they were in-
volved. He would propose that they should have paid
clerks belonging to the office down stairs, who would give
proper security, like bankers' clerks. They would ac-
count fu, all they had received every night, and no defal-
cations could take place. He would propose that the va.