The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-24 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of much
public business.
THE LORD MAYOR AND CHRIST'S HOS-

VITAL.
The TOWN CLELIC stated that he attended at Christ's
Hospital on St. Matthew's day, and found that the list
of governors had not been 'made out in the proper form;
but he wouid direct th?...t a proper list should be made
and presented at the *.,ext Court.
Some members or, the Court having expressed a wish
to be informed, 'whether any misunderstanding existed
between the g Jvernors and the Corporation,
The LoRD. 4MArou said that in the list which had
been exh;:eited, the name of the Lord Mayor appeared
under ';hose of the President and the Treasurer, and
that, to he considered such a position was an insult to
the Chief Magistrate and the Corporation of London,
he bad refused to sit down to the dinner provided at the
bor,pital.
Mr. ANDERTON said that if all Lord Mayors acted in
so spirited a manner, there would be no insult offered to
the office.—(Hear, hear.)
SCRIPTURE READERS' ASSOCIATION.
Mr. WIRE presented a petition from the Scripture
Readers' Association, praying for a donation in aid of
their funds. The great object of the association was,
he said, to aid the clergy of the Church of England in
diffusing Christlan knowledge amongst the poorest, and
most dese:mte, and most ignorant of the population; and
for the purpose of accomplishing that object they were
emplAying persons who were competent to the task of
ins,cructing, and were recommended by the officiating
e.tergyman of the parish which it would be necessary to
visit. The result, be was convinced, would be that a
new aspect would be placed upon society.—(Hear.)
Mr. R. TAYLOR thought that such an application
ought not to be made to a municipal body consisting of
individuals of many different persuasions.—(Hear, hear.)
The society from which it came was evidently a prosely-
ling society. If it had come from a Catholic society the
Court certainly would not for a moment listen to it.
Why, then, should they entertain a petition from a body
belonging to any other exclusive church?—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. LAWRENCE objected to the application. The
petitioners, instead of showing that they wanted money
to advance their object, very plainly proved by their
statement of their income above their expenditure, that
they had no occasion for the assistance of the Corpora-
tion at all, and moved that the petition should lie upon

the table.
Dr. LYNCH seconded the amendment. He considered
the object of the Association to be partial and proselyting,
and altogether at variance with the tolerant and generous
spirit' which was daily diffusing itself amongst all
classes.—(Hear, hear.) He did not wish to encourage
the frantic railing of journeymen shoemakers, and tai-
lors, and carpenters, who, under the plea of a call from
the Lord, uttered all sorts of extravagant folly. Without
meaning to give the slightest offence to the gentlemen
at the bar, he could not help declaring that he looked
upon the plan thus proposed of assisting the clergy as a
most bitter satire upon that body. It was telling the
lazy dogs that it was actually necessary to get up a secu-
lar staff to do the duties which they were bound to per-
form themselves.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Hanassox said that Mr. Lawrence did injustice
to the Association, when he said they were not in want
of the assistance for which they petitioned,. It was but
a new society, and every one knew that it was the prac-
tice of patrons to subscribe liberally at the beginning
of an institution, in order to give encouragement to the
the public to follow the example ; but it would be ab-
surd to calculate upon the permanency of such contribu-
tions.—(Hear, hear.) The Association stood in need of
assistance in carrying out their object, and he trusted
they would receive it most extensively. He regretted to
hear the epithet lazy dogs applied to the clergy. He
well knew how they laboured, and he knew that it was
quite impossible for them to go round to the lanes, and
alleys to the poor creatures who required religious in-
struction. Perhaps in the district of one clergyman
there were thousands of poor whom it would be the care
of the Association to supply with the instruction which,
without such aid, it would be impracticable to administer.
Mr. ANDERTON said It appeared to him that the As-
sociation did not at present need the aid of the Corpo-
ration. If, at any time, they should be i❑ a condition to
require that aid, then they might come forward with a
good excuse and good effect.—(Hear.)
Mr. BENNOCH thought the ridicule cast upon those
who, without being possessed of liberal education, under-
took to expound the Scriptures, illiberal and unjust, and
referred to the great apostolical labours as evidence in
favour of their zeal and energy. He was in favour of
anything at all calculated to take information, religious
or secular, into the miserable, benighted dens of the
metropolis.—(Hear, hear.) There was no cant, in his
opinion, more despisable than the cant of parsimony,
when a fair d rand was made upon the funds of the Cor-
poration.—(llear, hear.)
PEWTRESS said the question was whether the ob-
ject was a leaitimate object upon which to expend the
funds of the Corporation. In his opinion, they had
nothing to do with the subject. If the funds belonging
to the Ests!dishecl Church were properly disposed of,
there would he no need of application to that Court.
After some observations from Mr. LOTT, who said there
were plenty of poor clerg-ymen well able and willing
to do the duties prescribed by the Association, and from
othr members, a division took place, when the original
eqrriftd, by a na3jority of nine, in a Court