The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-10 00:00:00

TEE CORPORATION REFORM BILL.

On Tuesday a Court of Aldermen was held, the doors of
which were closed. The following resolution, to which
the committee of the Court of Common Council agreed
on Monday, was, We understand, introduced to the
Court and adopted with
._the unanimous approbation if
the.aldermen:—
"The Right' Hon. Sir George Grey, her Atajesty's
Secretary of State for the Home Department, in intrd-
ducting a bill into Parliament affecting the Corporation
of this City, declared that, from the great antiquity of
t)e c.irforation,, its immemorial connection -with the'
City, its historic association, And. from the, service it
has rmdered variods' periods to the cau.te of evil and
religious liberty, and of constitutional government, the
Corporation of tho City of London is entitletto be
treated with all possible respect and consideration.
"The Conimisqoners also, who had under. her Ma-
jeity's commission investigated the state.of the corpora. }
lion, reported that they had 'found the utmost readiness
in all quarters,to asiist•thern in the'execulion Of their
commission, as well by the governing,toembera of .the
carp 'ration as by their afiCers, and added that they bad
foutri nothing which could affect injuriously tie hononi
and integrity of the officers to, mhorn the affairs of the
great corporation bad been confi.led.
"That with respect to the constitution of Ilia tOrpo-
ration, of London,. An itno,,ittant distinction existed
between that corporation and the other municipal bodies
before they. were reformed. - The most strikiiag defect in
V!ein wa- that they existed itidependently,f the con,m-u.
nitirs amongst whichth.7 werelound, most
,plat e
all iden..ity of 'iriterest-between the corporation and its
inhabitants had disappearr I. From this defect. the Cot-
pi,ri3Oin of London had been ,for..rna.oy years exempt.
The ,manner in wbich • the Common Councd is elected
having produced to a great extent at,: ithmtity of in t,r4-11 s
between the governing municipal body and the exist ng
municipal-onnmtinity ; and having secured to the totter
a council representing their general opil it,ne arra' '
and so distinguishing the Corporation of London from
the close corporations-which then -prevailed throughout
the country. Receiving, therefore, with satisfaction
these expressions as to the integrity and honour of the
.proceedings of this corporation, this committee sees
with much surprise that a bill has' been brought in; not
restraining itself, as suggested, to the aolehdmenti,
which were assumed to he necessary, but
contait
wide and sweeping provisions, injuriously and
unneces-
sarily affecting the -ancient rights and-privileges Of the
citizens of London."
The subj.undergo
ct will, it ia expected, discussion in
the Court. of Corniuou Council on Friday next.

CROSSED OREM. . -

The bill regarding crossed checks, in the futile•
form to which it has been reduced by a Govern-
ment "amendment," has just been printed. It
simply provides that crossed checks must pass
through some banker—a custom already enforced
in harmony with the opinion of the judges, and,
consequently.requiring no legislation 'to insure its
continuance. The evils intended to be met by the
bill as it originally stood are to be left untouched,,
and the public must therefore still bear in mind,
for their own secnrityN that the crossing -of checks-
with a banker's name will afford them no reliable
protectidifigainst dishonesty cr carelessness on the,
part of thOse to whom subli'cliecks may be intrusted.

FIRS IN HOLLAND smaini:L--Yesteiday evening a fire
brake out on ,the premises of Messrs. Bayed! ancl-
bacon—dressers, 61, Holland•street, Blackfriars-read,
Owing to thecinflatutnable hature of the block contained
in the ,warejimpie, ltoonsiderable amount' of-danfagetus
linfllcted-befo're the flames could be subdned. The cause
of the fire is not known. The loss is covered by an in-
, eurance.