The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-07 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

On Saturday a special Court was held for the purpose
of swearing in Mr. Prendergast, Q C., who was elected
judge of the Sheriffs' Court, by the Court of Common
Council, on Thursday last. As soon as the minutes of
the last court had been read and confirmed,
Alderman SIDNEY rose and sa'd—My Lord Mayor,
seing that we are summated for the purpose of sweating
in the newly-elected judge of the S;ieriff,' Court, and f it
no other business, I wish to ask your lordship whether
the court is not master of its own proceedings I This is
the first court that has been called since a bill has been
introduced into Parliament by the Secretary for the
Home Department for the reform of the Corporation of
London.
The LORD MAYOR (interrupting Alderman Sidney)—
No doubt the court are masters of their own proceed-
ings, and they can act upon their own rules. If they
determine to pr,c,,,ed to other bu:dness of course I cannot
I help it ; but at the same trne, in sending out a very
\short notice, as it was imperatively necessary that the
judge of the Sheriffs' Court should be sworn in to-day, I
\thought, it convenient to suggest that no other busities,
than that should be taken. I therefore suggested that
1 some member should move that no other business be

taken.
Alderman SIDNEY— I trust your lordship, in common
courte-y and kindness to me, will allow ale t i propose a
motion that a certain bill should be referred to a com-

mittee.
The LORD MAYOR —Mr. Prendergast will be at once

sworn.
Immediately on the completion of this ceremony a
the members rose for the purpose of breaking up the
Court, and the L.ifd Mayor was about to vacate the
chair, when
Alderman SIDNEY said—l perceive an intimation that
your lordship is requested to leave the chair, and I,
therefore, wish to ask whether your lordship will set the
example, which is quite foreign to your usual liberality
et character, whether you will deny a member of the
Court the privilege accorded to him by his position ? I
wish to make a metion. I wish it to be distinctly un-
derstood that Ido not ask any favour whatever. I de-
mand a right. (Hear.)
The LORD MAYOR (with some warmth)—l am on my
legs now. When lamon my legs upon a point of order,
and a gentleman will not sit down, then I think I ought
to leave the chair. I called this Court for a special
purpose.
Alderman SIDNEY—Then I hope it will go forth to
the world that we are a divided Court.
The LORD
necessary that
Court should byes orn in to-day. I called this Court
at a late hour yerday afternoon for that, and for no
other purpose. Is it the opinion of the Court that any
other business should be proceeded with ! (Cries of
" No.")
Alderman SIDNEY—If that is the way in which the
business of this Court is to be conducted, the sooner it
is done away with the better.
The Court then broke up.
A summons has been issued to the members of the
Common Council for a meeting of a committee of the
whole Court, which includes the aldermen, fcr to-day,
and it is understood that a vigorous effort will be made
to exclude the public from all knowledge of their pro-
ceedings while measures are concerted for the purpose of
opposing the bill introduced into Parliament for thb
cos reform of the Corporation.

PALMER'S Homo!! AT RUGELEY.—During Easter week
a vast number of persons visited Rugeley from all parts
of the country to inspect the house of William Palmer.
We are informed on credible authority that the late re-
sidence of Palmer is about to be opened as an inn, with
the sign of the " Strychnine Arms. —Birmingham Mer-
cury.
SUICIDES IN PARlS.—Several suicides (says Galignani)
have taken place within the last two days at Paris.
One was that of a young man of twenty-two, a clerk in
a shop in the Palais Royal, who, having become some-
what dissipated of late in his habits, received notice on
Monday from his employer to seek another situation.
Ye,terday morning he was found dead in his room, hav-
ing terminated his existence with the fumes of lighted
charcoal. Another case of suicide, by means of char-
coal, was that of a hirer-out of carriages, residing in the
Rue Bayard, who, after making great sacrifices for his
son, an ill-conducted young man, and finding that an
additional sum of money was required from him to pay
fresh debts of his, paid the amount, and then committed
1 suicide. An elderly woman, afflicted with an incurable
disease, threw herself, on Monday morning, from the
window of her room on the thud floor in the Rue des
St. Peres, and was killed on the spot. She left behind
her a paper containing these words :—" I i enture to
hope that God will pardon me, for I have suffered so
greatly and prayed so fervently." Lastly, two cases
occurred of suicide by banging on Monday, one being
that of a mason named Goodin, of Auteuil, aged 32,
whose mind family annoyances bad affected ; and the
other, of a marchand de yin of La Villette, named Smi-
ler, who terminated his existence because a young wo-
man, to whom he was paying his addresses, had em-
ulated to marry another.