The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-22 00:00:00

PRICE 5d

COURT OF ALDERMEN.
Yesterday a Court was held for the despatch of business.
Mr. Charles Pearson came to the table, to be admitted
one of the attorneys of the Mayor's Court.
Sir P. LAURIE asked if there was any precedent for
the City Solicitor holding the two appointments ?
Mr. PEARSON said in ancient times the City Solicitor
was an attorney of the Mayor's Court. For many years
it had been otherwise, and the inconvenience had been
frequently experienced, from the City Solicitor being
debarred from practising in the Local Courts of the City,
which might with propriety be called his own Courts.
Alderman T. Wool) said that the object of the Court,
in appointing Mr. Pearson, was to endeavour to effect
reforms in the City Courts, which were rendered indis-
pensable by the alterations of times ar.d circumstances.
The Corporation had been prevented from accomplishing
this by the fact, that all the offices were held as pur-
chased places, until the decease of the late Mr. Williams,
without having alienated his office, restored the appoint-
ment to the Corporation.
Sir P. LAURIE said he entirely concurred in the ap-
pointment of Mr. Pearson, as he found there were pre-
cedents for the City Solicitor holding the office. He was
glad that his question had elicited that explanation.
THE PIER AT BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE.
Sir P. LAURIE said that he considered it necessary to
call the attention of the Court to the dangerous condi-
tion of the temporary pier at Blackfriars-bridge, at which
a late accident occurred, which nearly proved fatal.—
(Hear, hear.) He understood that the inquest Jury of
the county of Middlesex! had presented the subject to
the Court of Conservancy, and he wished to know whether
any thing had been done to remedy the evil complained of.
The LORD MAYOR said that the question had been re-
ferred to the City Solicitor, who had instructions to ap-
ply to the parties particularly interested to make the
necessary arrangements to abate what was certainly justly
considered a very great nuisance.
The CITY SOLICITOR said that numerous representa-
tions had been made of the pier, to which the worthy
Alderman alluded, both as an obstruction to the naviga-
tion and highly dangerous for the embarkation of steam-
boat passengers. Zpresentment to that effect had been
made ; but it was informal, and could not be put in
force. If the Lord Mayor would summon a Court of
Conservancy for London the Jury might, upon inspection,
condemn the pier as a dangerous nuisance and an ob-
struction to the navigation, and the Water Bailiff would
be authorised, levi manu, to abate the nuisance ; or, if
;the Court of Aldermen thought proper to direct an in-
dictMent to be preferred against the parties who had
erected it, he would at the next Central Criminal Court
take the requisite proceedings. A Court of Conser-
vancy for the City of London had not been held
since the mayoralty of Alderman Thorpe ; but
the- powers of the Court were in full force. The
Navigation Committee had directed measures to be taken
to render more effective the jurisdictiou of those import-
ant Courts, by a vigorous and impartial exercise of the
extensive powers they possessed. Application had been
made to Captain Bullock and other able men acquainted
with the tidal course of the river, to lay down, in concert
with 'the officers of the Port and Navigation Committees,
a line of demarcation, showing the point beyond which
encroachments of any kind should be strictly forbidden.
As soon as this survey could be completed, the extensive
powers of the Conservators of the river would be put in
motion, to abate all the nuisances which, of late years,
had grown up on the banks of the river, both above and
below London-bridge, to the serious detriment of the na-
vigation. Except by some general measure of this
kind, it was impossible to put down the evils com-
plained of hear.) Juries and Magistrates
would not convict in isolated cases, when it was alleged
that other nuisances equally dangerous and injurious
were permitted to continue, whether with the sanction of
the Conservators,:or in defiance of their authority. At
Greenwich, a short time since, informations laid by the
City against a pier which was reported to be dangerous,
were defeated, and the Corporation were charged with
an improper interference with the watermen's pier ;
while others, it was said, were allowed to continue,
though equally injurious to the free navigation of the
river.—(Hear.)

Alderinan FAREBROTHER said that there was an Act
of Parliament for improving the river Thames westward
of London-bridge, and over the river to the east of Lon-
don-bridge the Lord Mayor had unquestionable power.
But in case of danger no delay ought under any circum-
stances to take place. He had, when Lord Mayor, being
convinced of the necessity of an immediate interference
in a case in which a dangerous obstruction took place in
the river Thames, directed, without consulting any one,
that the most determined course should be adopted
to remove the source of annoyance and peril at
once; and the removal accordingly took place with all
possible expedition.—(Hear, hear.) He should, if ne-
cessary, move that the Lord Mayor do call a Jury of the
City of London to inquire into the state of the river at
Blackfriars-bridge.
Sir P. LAURIE said that Mr. Walker, the engineer,
had suggested the placinc, of a pier at the Westminster
side of Blackfriars Bridge, as a much more eligible
site. He had also heard it suggested that a pier should
be raised in the river, as was the case at Southwark-
bridge, in such a manner as to obviate the necessity of
incommoding either side of the street leading to the
water,—(Hear, hear.)
The LORD MAYOR said that he should order a Jury
for the city and county of London to be summoned for
ThurSda4,, the 12th of August, to enquire into the state
of the pier at Blackfriars-bridge.—(Hear,)
The probability is, we understand, that a pier will be
erected at the Bridewell side of Blackfriar's Bridge.

DINNER TO ALDERMAN FARN-

COMB.

On Monday the 19th inst. the electors of the ward of
Bassishaw had the pleasure of giving a welcome dinner to
the newly elected Alderman of the ward, Thomas Fern-
comb, Esq.. one of the present Sheriffs. Thomas Wadd,
Esq., an old and much esteemed inhabitant presided,
supported byAlderman Farncomb and Mr. Sheriff Gibbs,
Mr. Secondary Potter, Deputy Frisby, and the whole of
the Common Council ; the deputy chairs were filled by
Mr. Undersheriff James and Mr. Drew Wood. After
the Queen and the usual loyal toasts, the Chairman ex-
pressed the delight he felt in proposing the health of
Mr. Alderman Farncomb, who had been elected almost
the might say from the retiring of the other gen-
tleman candidates for the aldermanic gown) by the
unanimous voice of the electors. The known re-
spectability of that gentleman,— his aptitude to
business, which had been shown by the manner in which
he had filled the important office of Sheriff—his urbanity
of manners, and general sterling worth, was a guarantee
for his being an excellent Alderman. The toast was
received with great enthusiasm, and was replied to by
the worthy Alderman with much feeling. He expressed
the delight he experienced in the reception he had met
with; much beyond his most sanguine expectations, and
he had pleasure in saying that those gentlemen who did
not promise him support met him in the kindest manner,
and had since treated him with the most gentlemanly
feeling. lie assured the gentlemen present that it would
be the study of his life to protect the interest of the
ward, which he hoped for the future would be considered
as one family ; he would act as an independent Magis-
trate of the great City of London ought to act, for the
general benefit of the City, supporting its rights and
privileges, and administering justice to all with the
greatest impartiality.
ac-
knowledged by the worthy Sheriff, who expressed the
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The health of Sheriff GibbssgNivvaesnpbryop(l)dsfeerds.c,rnainpaditiyonat;
great pleasure he had experienced in acting with the
pleasure in
worthy Alderman (Farncomb), to whom he had felt great
warrant for his perfsoeransioinnge_otul duties of ol,atshegoi%fliecne, livviitthh
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The healths of the Rev. Lecturer, Mr.Povah, and the De-
s
puty Chairman, were proposed and heartily responded to
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Messrs,Mth
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%ended
_URDER AT GLOUCESTER.---.
inquest on the termination of the fortunat
evening.
man,rhe named
niTToehtdersajeeatcaeordbe
was brought to aon Fridaeyinart,
the chief facts elicited at the inaquest :John Overbury,
AhVniaevdaenesday, the 30th of June, by pe-
trantity of stolen potatoes in
intohgne, supposed
n gash tappo
apprehended
n Littleworth, about eleven
ohicosirropcoi sks'sboesnesi
liceman Harding. This
called upon the deceased n resisted the policeman, who
graceful fact to state, that to
aid and assist. It is a dis-
ance with the demand thus in consequence of his compli-
and which he could us authoritatively made upon hull,
ruffianly crowd
attacked and personally ill-used him. The
policeman obtained other assistance and took his prisoner off
to the station-house,attacked when the deceased was again cowardly
by the mob, and beat by them till he fell
senseless on the pavement, where they left him, and where he
was afteswards found by the policeman on the return of the
latter from the station-house. He was taken into the in-
firmary, bat life had fled. It was sworn that a man named
John Phelps was the most prominent person concerned in
beating the deceased ~ that Oliver Southan was active in the
crowd, and was heard to incite Phelps to renew the attack
and that John Smith threw snuff into the deceased's face, and
after deceased was knocked down, Smith was forcibly detained
from going back to beat him still more. These three were the
only persons distinctly named as taking a part in this cruel
proceeding, and the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful mur-
der" against John Phelps as principal, and against Oliver
Southan and John Smith as accessories—all of whom have
been committed on the Coroner's warrant for trial at the assizes.
WHAT THE FRENCH THINK OF OUR CORN-
LAWS.—If any one argument were better than another
to prove the oppressive operation of our monstrous bread
tax, the following important fact would suffice :—A friend
of ours, when at Lyons a few days ago, found that a ma-
nufacturing company there
.had suspended the completion
be applied to their machinery,
of a steam power to till the
question of the Corn-laws should be decided in this coup- ,
try. They felt that the intended extension of their business
would be useless, if the proposed fixing of the duty at or
about the rate Ministers propose, were carried. Having'
never yet applied
steam power to their looms, ,they readily
discovered that they could accomplish a vast deal more
work by its aid, but foresaw, that if the 13rif h
the Corn-laws, or adopt a low fixed duty, the
. . .„ ,„. ~ destroyed. chance of
ompetition will be effectually
,They, doubt-
less,
indulge the hope that the monopolists will carry
the day. But let the country look to it, and baulk them
of their expectations.—Communicated to the Edinburgh I
Chronicle.