The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-29 00:00:00

ELECTION OF A SHERIFF.

Yesterday a Common Hall was held for the election o
a sheriff in the room of Mr. James Hartley, who, upon
being elected, together with Mr. Cotterell, to fill the
office, declined to serve, and paid the fine. Soon after
the announcement that Mr. Hartley would not for the
present accept the office had been made, several gentle-
men of influence in the City waited upon Mr. Richard
Swift, a gentleman of high respectability, considerable
attainments, and influence, and without difficulty ob-
tained his consent to become a candidate for the dignity.
At one o'clock the Lord Mayor, accompanied by
several of the aldermen, the sheriffs, and the high City
officers, appeared upon the hustings; and
The RECORDER represented to the Livery the peculiar
circumstances under which they had been called together.
The Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman concluded his
brief address by stating that it was in the power of any
member of the Livery to propose any qualified person,
although the name might not be included in the formal
list of those proposed to their acceptance.
The Towel CLERK having read the long list of names,
Mr. WINKWoRTH came forward upon the hustings to
propose Mr. Richard Swift as a! candidate for the office.
It was, he said, the first time he had ever had the ho-
nour of addressing the Livery, and certainly ho could
not be engaged more beneficially to his follow-citizens,
or more honourably to himself, than in introducing to
their notice a gentleman so admirably qualified, in every
respect, to perform all the duties of the office of sheriff.
—(Loud cheers.) If he entertained a single doubt upon
the subject ho would not appear there to advocate the
claims of his excellent friend, but his intimate know-
ledge of the high character and eminent worth of Mr.
Swift strengthened and confirmed his confidence, and it
was a source of gratification to know that the gentleman
who was thus nominated was not only adapted to the
office, but was willing to accept it, for the service of the
citizens of London.—(Loud cheers, and a cry from a few
persons in front of the hustings of " He's a Catholic,"
which was drowned in applause.) In Mr. Swift the con-
stituency would have a sheriff who would not only
maintain their rights and privileges, but would most
splendidly support the hospitalities of the cffice, and dis-
charge all its duties in the most vigorous manner.
Two or three persons in the crowd said—" You may
as well propose Cardinal Wiseman as sheriff;" but they
were soon silenced by overwhelming cheers.
Mr. THOMAS NORRIS (the common councilman) se-
conded the nomination of Mr. Swift, and congratulated
the meeting upon the fact that a person of such distin-
guished qualifications had readily consented to take upon
himself so important and responsible an office. The
citizens of London had a most satisfactory guarantee for
the proper performance of the duties of the office of
sheriff in the well-known character, of the gentleman
whom he felt so much pride in supporting. It was im-
possible to say less of Mr. Swift. It would be very diffi-
cult to say more of anybody.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. GEORGE SHOOBRIDGE, who, it will be recollcctecl
succeeded some years ago in prevailing upon the inhabi-
tants of the City to build almshouses instead 0 illumi-
nating their own houses in honour of the.tp
Reform Bill, wished to iimpress upon
hhouses for the
necessity of raising fifty model lodg g the Livery
It:
accommodation of the poor; but the
subject un-
inelecators evidently
considered the introduction of such
watt for a better
seasonable, and advised him to
op-
portunity.
Mr. BENNOCH (the common councilman) came for-
bis an ualifi
ward to bear testimony to the mer
,ted the philanthropic
disposition of the gentleman who advocated the building
,ptheeyhaLd"veryad assemble
the 'd
met forh the purpose
of model lodging-houses;
for a different purpose.
of electing a model sheriff
most, and in choosing Mr. Swift to
that office they y
d effect accomplish that
woul uall
desirable object.—(Loud cheers.)
The names were then put up, and the hall resounded
with acclamations when the name of Mr. Swift was
announced.
The SHERIFF declared that the election had fallen
upon Richard Swift, Esq., citizen and spectacle-maker,
and the newly-elected sheriff was formally call upon to
take upon himself the office.

Mr. SWIFT immediately pL fe. 11 .:a
hustings, and was cheered from every part of he 1. X 1.6
said, 1 beg leave to return you my war A. andtoThst_ -
sincere thanks for the distinguished Llano ;an.haye jos?
couf:rred upon me by electing me one .Ibur'sheriffl;-=.--3., A
i;
for the ensuing year, and permit me to 4.11 re.,.. 1011-:-011.1tie.icA
in discharging the duties of the shrieva tV•A esiba4:,,u-; '':-67,, 1t,31
t
deavour to imitate as closely as possible hiliexinkee _set C. 1.•,?/''-':
by my predecessors.—(Loud cheers.) 01*,:irapiirtance
of the duties of the situation I feel deeei*b/trribeti•\'A. .1
it is no inconsiderable mark of your esteem 'TrilitiAlfic ra--, '
deuce that I have been appointed in so enequivocaftl'a IV
manner to perform duties of such a nature. I shall
make my best exertions to show that I am aware of the
extent cf the obligation. I shall firmly support the
rights and privileges of my fellow-c!tiz 3ns, and I shall
resign the office unimpairedinto their hands at the ter-
mination of my year of office.—(Lond cheers.)
The sheriffs then proceeded to the Court of Aldermen
and announced that the election was at au end, gad the
hail was •dissolved.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
A heavy storm, in the department of the Cote D'Or,
has destroyed the grape crop, and the price of wine
has risen in consequence.
The _National did not appear, in consequence of the
27th being the anniversary of the revolution of July.
The Assent?)lee Nationale states that General CA-
VAIGNAc has announced his intention of withdrawing
his pretensions as a candidate for the Presidency of
the Republic. " The wish" was, on the part of the
writer, " the father to the thought," for the Bulletin
de Paris authoritatively contradicts the rumour.
The Constitutionnel has the following on the sub-
ject of the desertion of their ships by French seamen :
" It appears to us that it may be useful to give pub-
licity to a judgment recently passed on this subject by
the Chamber of Commerce at Marseilles. The Minister
of Marine has ordered this decision to be made publicly
known in all the seaports, as it may have the effect of
putting an end to the practice of inducing French sea-
men to desert. The following is the decision referred
to :—A sailor, classed on the registers of the maritime
inscription of Bordeaux, had deserted and afterwards
come to Marseilles, under an assumed name, among the
crew of an American ship, commanded by a Captain W.
He was recognised,
arrested, and thrown into prison,
which, however, did not prevent his claiming from the
American captain the whole of the wages stipulated for
in his agreement. The captain being deprived of the
services of the man, and foreseeing that he should be
compelled to take another man in his stead, refused to
pay; but the affair being brought before the Chamber of
Commerce, ho was condemned to pay the wages, ren-
dering both his person and his ship liable in case of
non-payment. It is to be hoped that this act of justice
will serve as a lesson on the other side of the Atlantic,
and render the Americans less prompt to tamper with
our sailors."
The Municipality of the Commune of Urzel has re-
fused to vote a grant to a Jesuit school established in
their commune.
In the Assembly yesterday M. MENASCAUT pre-
sented the report of the Commission des Coves,
which recommended the adjournment of the Assem-
bly from the 10th of August to the 20th October.
The discussion was fixed for to-morrow (this day),
The sitting of the Assembly was suspended for 20
minutes, in order to afford Members an opportunity
of seeing the eclipse.
The Bourse was remarkably firm. The Five per
Cents. opened at 951. 65c., and closed at 951. 85c.
for the end of the month. The Three per Cents. closed
at 57f. 45c.; Orleans Railroad Shares, 8601. ; Rouen,
642 f.
f. 50c.; Havre, 246 f. 25c.; Great Northern, 470 f. ;
Avignon, 2221. 50c. ; Vierzon, 441 f. 25c.; Bale. 155 f. ;
Bordeaux, 396 f. 25g.; Paris and Strasburg, 363 f. 750;
Tours and Nantes, 273 f. 75c.; Amiens to Boulogne,
272 f. 50c.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, JULY 28.
Boulogne and Amiens, 10%—Dutch Rhenish, 31,4—Great
Indian Peninsula, 3% ex in.—Luxembourg, I—Ditto, 2
Orleans and Bordeaux, 4% ex in.