The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-17 00:00:00

PORTSOKEN WARD-COMMON COUNCIL.

Agreeably to a requisition presented to the Common Coun-
cilmen of this Ward, to call a public meeting, to take into
consideration the affairs of the Ward, the conduct of the public
officers, and to enter into resolutions expressive of the opinion
of the inhabitants, a public meeting was last night held for
tba tpurpcse at the Bell Tavern, Church-row, Ald ;ate. The
meeting was numerously and respectably attended ; Mr. Alder-
man SCALES in the Chair. .

The CHAIRMAN rose, and said he was as determined as ever,
indeed he was snore determined than ever, to stand up at all
hazards, and all circumstances, to assert the rights of that
Ward. The Chairman then went into a statement of the con-
test that was going on between the Ward and the Court of
Aldermen. It was well known that Mr. Johnston, whom the
Court had chosen, had only 70 votes, while he (the Chair-
man) had 155 votes. Mr. Johnston had pledged his word
that he would never allow himself to be sworn into office, as
he had only received a minority of the votes of the Ward.
This he said before and after his election ; and yet he had
allowed himself to be sworn into that office. He was sure
that the inhabitants of that Ward would not allow a Tory fac-
tion to domineer over, or trample on their liberties any longer.
Here the Chairman was interrupted by a Mr. Smith moving
that six or seven gentlemen who kept on their hats should take
them off. Considerable uproar followed, Mr. Smith protest-
ing that he had a great horror of broad-brimmed hats, and the
gentlemen maintaining that they had a right to keep on or to
take off their hats as they pleased.
The CHAIRMAN trusted that the meeting would allow them
indalge their taste.
The CHAIRMAN then resumed, but was again interrupted by
Mr. Smith.

The CIIAIRMAX--Mr. Smith, Will you hold your tongue?
•ou are out of order.

Mr. SMITH—I will not hold my tongue. I don't care for
Alderman Scales nor Alderman Devil.—(Loud laughter.) I
will keep you, Mr. Chairman, to order when you get out of it.
—( Loud shouts of laughter.)
Mr. W. SCALES then moved the following resolution—
nunely, " that the first and most important duty of an Alder-
man and Common Councilman of the city of London, is to
preserve unimpaired the elective rights of the freemen."
Mr. PARKER, Common Councilman, seconded the resolu-

tior, which was carried by a great majority.
Mr. SAUL then moved the following resolution, which, he
said, had his most cordial concurrence, and which was, indeed,
an expression of his real sentiments, namely,—" That Thomas
Johnson, the person elected and appointed by the persecuting
and vindictive Court of Aldermen, has not only usurped our
rights as freemen, by allowing himself to be sworn into an
Office to which he was never elected, but has put the inhabi-
tants to a large expense to remove him by law, himself being
defended by the public money of the city, by the law officers
Of the city, assisted by the Attorney-General, and three hired
counsel, for which he deserves the marked contempt of every
freeman in London, and the severe reprobation of this meeting."
• The motion having been seconded, Mr. TYARS suggested
that the word "vindictive " would be better left out. This
was objected to, when the motion was put and carried
unanimously.
Several other resolutions, connected with the Ward, were
then moved and carried, after which the meeting separated.