The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-20 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held at Guildhall for the
dispatch of important public business.

LORD MAYOR'S DAY.

Mr. SNELLING, the chairman of the City Lands'
Committee, brOught up a report on the reference
respecting accommodation in the Guildhall, on Lord
Mayor's Day.

The report recommended that in future the prac-
tice of holding a public breakfast on the morning of
Lord Mayor's Day, in the Council Chamber of the
Guildhall, be dispensed with, as seriously interfering
with the necessary arrangement for the banquet.
The report, after some discussion, was then agreed
to, and referred back to the committee to be carried
into execution.

IMPROVEMENTS ON THE RIVER THAMES, HEALTH Or

TOWNS BILL, &C.

Mr. JOHN WOOD called the particular attention of
the Court to what he considered to be a most im-
portant report from the consolidated committee, and
declared that he was ready to answer any question
upon the subject.
The report stated that the committee had pre-
pared a Bill for the regulation and improvement of
the River Thames for the last session of Parlia-
ment, together with the necessary petition for
leave to bring it in. A copy of the Bill was also
transmitted to Lord Morpeth, who was requested
to confer with a deputation respecting it; and
a reply having been received the bill was ordered
to be deposited, pursuant to the standing orders
of the House of Commons. Certain clauses in
the Bill were likewise transmitted to the Board of
Admiralty, and the deputation were directed to
prosecute the measure in Parliament, and watch its
progress. The Board of Admiralty being willing to
favour any measure for the improvement of the
River Thames, and increasing the facilities of its
commerce, the deputation were from time to time en-
gaged in communications with that board, and also
with the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, with
the view of obtaining their concurrence in this mea-
sure so essential to the public interests. These com-
munications, as well as others with the heads of the
Government, were frequent, and necessarily occupied
a considerable portion of time—so far impeding the
progress of the Bill that an application to the House
of Commons for the purpose of delaying it beyond
the time allowed by the standing orders of the House
became necessary; and such application was made
accordingly, an intimation being given, at the same
time, to Lord Morpeth, pressing for an early inter-
view upon the subject of the Bill. A conference was
accordingly appointed with his Lordship, at which
he stated that he was advised that he would not
be justified in giving at that time his consent to the
Bill, and that the suit between the Crown and the
City must proceed.
The committee, still deeply convinced of the neces-
sity of some general measure for the regulation of the
River Thames—for the extensive improvement of the
City, with the view of providing for the increase of
its trade and commerce—for the removal of all diffi-
culties with respect to the river—for the security of
the proprietors of the valuable properties acquired
and improved on the banks of the Thames, and a
general arrangement of all matters connected with
the City, financial and commercial, and bearing in
mind the efforts which for the last 16 years had been
continuously made by the corporation to promote
extensive improvements in the river on a general sys-
tem—prepared themselves, with the assistance of the
officers of the corporation, to enter upon a compre-
hensive view of the whole subject, to be submitted to
the consideration of the Court, if a reasonable ex-
pectation had been held out of the concurrence of
the Government, and of the several boards to
which reference must necessarily be made. The
committee regretted to say that as yet such ex-
pectation of concurrence had not been so far
realised as to justify the entering upon the detail of the
general arrangements they had contemplated, but as
the objects which they had in concurrence with the
sentiments of the Court always kept in view, the pro-
moting the public good, the general improvement of
the metropolis, and the extension of trade and com-
merce, without any selfish regard to the particular in-
terests of the corporation, they firmly relied upon
those objects working their own way, and that they
would speedily prevail. Finding, therefore, that the
greatest advantages for the promotion of those objects
had been derived from the consolidated union of the
chairmen of the several committees to whose care the
respective concerns of the corporation had been in-
trusted, and who had all contributed their share of
suggestions and information, particularly the coal,
corn, and finance committee, to whose functions many
of these matters particularly belonged, the committee
with full assurance of the importance of these objects,
and the necessity of their progress, applied to the
Court for a continuance of its.confidence in them, and
of the authority to confer with the Government and
the necessary boards for their concurrence in a gene-
ral measure of regulation and arrangement, and for
the renewal of the application to Parliament for a Bill
for the regulation and improvement of the River
Thames, and to give the proper notices accordingly.
The report concluded with certifying that a Bill
for the further regulation of steam-vessels, which
had been brought into Parliament by the Govern-
ment, contained a clause to protect the rights of the
corporation, and passed into a law.
To the report were appended the signature of 26
chairmen of committees.

The report was likewise, after some discussion, in
which Mr. L. Jones, Mr. John Wood, Mr. Hall, and
Mr. R. Taylor took part, agreed to, and referred
back to the committee to be carried into execution.

THE NEW PRISON AT HOLLOWAY,

Mr. LOTT (chairman of the coal, corn, and finance
committee) brought up the report of that commit-
tee, recommending the mode of raising the sum of
10,0001. for the building of the new prison at Hol-
loway.
Agreed to, and referred back to the committee to
be carried into effect.