The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-17 00:00:00

LONDON UNIVERSITY.

A lecture was delivered on Wednesday evening by
Captain Maconochie, R.N., Professor of Geography, on
, Captain Ross's late expedition, and on Captain Burnes's
journey in central Asia. In the first portion of the lecture
the Professor described, with great minuteness, the details
of Captain Ress's expedition, and the results which may
be derived from pursuing the discoveries which Captain
Ross's attempt suggested. He dwelt with fervour on the
disinterested liberality of Mr. Booth, who furnished from
his private resources the means of fitting out the expedi-
tion, and on the enterprising spirit which bad actuated
Captain Ress to encounter the perils and privations at-
tendant on his undertaking, and which had induced Capt.
Back to give up the repose and ease he was enjoying, and
to devote himself to the generous task of endeavouring to
rescue his friend from the dangerous position in which he
was believed to be placed. The second portion of the lecture
was devoted to the account of an expedition undertaken
by Captain Burnes, with the sanction of the Govern-
ment of India, for the purpose of exploring the mouths
and course of the Indus, and an extensive tract of country
in central Asia, the greater part of which is almost un-
known to Europeans, and of none of which any accurate
account has before been made public. The time which bad
been consumed in the earlier part of the lecture precluded
the professor from entering as fully as be was prepared to
do upon the particulars of the journey, but he announced
that a narrative from the pen of Captain Burnes was pre-
paring for publication, in which would be contained all
such details of the route, and of the events which marked
the expedition, as could be properly made public.
The lecture was received with marked approbation by
a numerous body of auditors.

There were not less than 350 persons present, among
them were Lord Auckland, the Bishop of Chichester, Sir
John Franklin, Dr. Richardson, Mr. Poulett Thomson,
Captain Ross, Sir Astley Cooper, Mr. Lubbock, Sir
Alexander Johnstone, Colonel Colby, Mr. Murchison,
Dr. Fitton, Dr. Roget, Mr. Brande, and Colonel
Alexander.

CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION

INQUIRY.

The Commissioners were occupied for a considerable
portion of the morning in examining the Controller and
Master of the Bridge-house Estates, and Controller of the
Chamber, touching their duties and emoluments; but
there was nothing elicited in the course of the examina-
tion of any interest to the public.
In the course of the day Mr. Lutyens, one of the sworn
brokers of the city, presented himself to the Commissioners,
and stated, that he came on the part of the body to which
he belonged, who were anxious to have inquiries made
with respect to their appointment, duties, &c., and that
he and any other members of the body would be happy to
attend the Commissioners, and give them every informa-
tion in their power on the suhject.
Sir F. PALGRAVE said that the Commissioners would
particularly attend to the suggestion, and would give
Mr. Lutyeus timely notice when his attendance might
be required.

The attorneys of the Mayer's Court again attended, and
gave evidence respecting the constitution and practice of
the court.

Mr. Pearson complained generally of the constitution of
the court, which he said indisposed suitors to resort to it.
The late Recorder in his decisions in that court, in cases
where the corporation was a party, was suspected of a
leaning towards the hand that fed him,—namely, the cor.
poration, On a question respecting the construction of
one of the by-laws, that officer declared that a gentleman
who carried a lady's reticule and did not surrender it
when requested by a city porter, who offered to carry it,
was liable to a fine of W.

Mr. Deputy Wood here asked the Commissioners
whether they considered it a part of their duty to hear
insinuations thrown out upon judges for acts done in their
judicial character ?

- Sir F. PALO RAVE said that the Commissioners could
not help receiving any evidence which was offered them.
Mr. Pearson's evidence was, that in consequence of the
mode of the Recorder's election an impression was made
upon the public mind that he had acted harshly.
Mr. Pearson said his phraseology was not, perhaps,
as courtly as Mr. Wood's, hut, perhaps, the Commission-
ers would not take down in evidence the homely phrase
which he had employed with respect to the late Recorder.
Mr. Wood said that he thought the Commissioners
ought not to allow attacks to he made upon any individual,
but more particularly a Judge, in his absence.
Mr. Pearson begged it might not be supposed that he
had availed himself of the absence of the late Recorder, to
make the statement which he had submitted to the Com.
Council,
ihadl, i
ins the
presencethesam eotfhtihnagt
nn d
itvhied
uCa
lo,uwr th
eonf
racohmsimotaienrsc;o
he was in the plenitude of his power.
Sir F. PALGAAVE asked Mr. Pearson whether the
im-
pression on the public mind against the Recorder was
because be had enforced a harsh bylaw, or because it was
thought that he had strained it beyond its fair extent ?
Mr. C. Pearson—Because be extended it beyond its
fair import.

Mr. Wood said, that in such a case the party aggrieved
bad his remedy, and the Recorder's conduct ought not to
be made the subject of extra-judicial inquiry,
Mr. Richard Taylor said that the Recorder presided in
the Mayor's Court in a case in which he was opposed to
the corporation, upon a question which involved property
to a great amount, and he felt bound to say that he felt as
much confidence in his impartiality as he would have done
in that of any Judge of the King's Bench,
The Senior Attorney of the Mayor's Court said, that to
prevent misunderstanding, be thought it necessary to state
that the Recorder had not given any decision of the nature
described by Mr. Pearson, but had merely stated that one
of the by-laws of the city was so harsh, that if such a case
as bad been mentioned should occur, the party would be
fined 5/.

Here this conversation dropped, and nothing further
worthy of observation occurred until the adjournment.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING CHRONICLE.
SlR,—The evidence I gave before the Commissioners was
founded on the Report I presented to the Common Hall on
the 24th of June, 1830, which you will find in the public papers
of the following day. Upon that occasion, a great many Com-
mon Councilmen were upon the hustings at Guildhall. They
made a great noise, and, in whispers on the hustings denied
the correctness of my statements. I challenged them re-
peatedly to the proof, but none of them came forward. The
Auditors were desirous of ascertaining the number of
houses belonging to the city estates, and this could not be done
without inspecting the leases, as in many instances several
houses were let to one person, and in the Chamberlain's book
they appeared in one item; for example, the Duke of Grafton
holds, if I remember correctly, ten houses, but his rent appears
in the book in one item, without any specification of the
number of houses.
In order, therefore, to avoid reading all the leases, which
could not be done before Midsummer-day, when the Auditors
were obliged to make their Report, they endeavoured to ob-
tain this information from the City Officers in attendance upon
them. They were told that the number was about 7,000;
they were asked if they were sure there were 6,000 ? Their
answer was, undoubtedly. By the same process of inquiry,
the Auditors ascertained the number of those houses situated
within the City to be about 2,000, which are let for 33,365/. 4s. Zvi,
averaging less than 171. each per annum. The Report then,
states the mode of letting many of these houses, which are, to
a great extent, in the principal streets, and are worth, in
most instances, from 100/. to 250/. a year. It was ascertained
by the same means that the Conduit Mead Estate consists of
about 600 houses, situated in Hanover-square, Maddox-street,
Conduit-street, Bond-street, Saville-row, Grafton-street, Albe-
marle.street, Boot-street, and other streets in that neigh-,
bourhood on both sides of Bond-street, which are let at
3,456/. 4s. 5d., averaging less than 61. each, subject to a
premium every fourteen years, equal to from five to seven
years' rent. The Report alluded to contains everything F
stated to the Commissioners respecting those estates, word for
word; and was agreed to by three Auditors, and signed by
them, as may be seen by reference to it. In my evidence I
have cast no reflection upon any one ; I merely give a state-
ment of the amounts as I found them, which is confirmed b.y
two gentlemen who served with me the office of Auditors ;
and
iePt „
Peacock talks of my statement "having
remained urn. V n
r A
d.
I will not, upon the present occasion, trespass further
yet, M
upon
your columns than to observe, that Mr. W. A. Peaeock was
a member of the Committee of Common Council Who drew up
c lo a
the Report, and to which his signature was attached, recom-
mending the Chamberlain to withhold the production' of bills
of particulars to the Auditors, upon which recommendation
the present Chamberlain has acted, which in effect and in
fact, renders the ancient office of Auditors a mere farce.
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
Watling-street, Jan. 16, 1831. W. WILLIAMS.

THE BLACK WATCH.--" The author of
The Dorninie's Legacy' has here broken new ground.
The time of the novel is the middle of George, the Se-
cond's reign ; the scene is laid in Scotland and England,
with an excursion to the field of Fontenoy and to the
Court of Louis XV. at Paris. The incidents are nume-
rous. We have a graphic history of the celebrated
Highland Regiment, The Black Watch,' now the
Forty-Second ; its'fardiation; its march to London; the
desertion of a large body of its ' shentlernen;' their
retreat through part of England; their interception, trial,
and the final execution of the ringleaders. The Black
Watch' is the best of Mr. Picken's productions."—.
Spectator,