The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-27 00:00:00

CORPORATION REFORM.

• A Court of Common Council was held yester-
day at Guildhall, the Lord Mayor presiding, to con-
sider the report delivered in on the 20th inst. by
the. Corporation Inquiry Committee, relative to the
London Corporation Bill in Parliament, and with a
petition to the House of Commons against the con-
fiscatory clauses of the bill, and generally against
the measure as altered and framed by the select
committee of the house.
Mr. J. WOOD (chairman of the committee) moved
that the report should be read, and, the motion
being agreed to,
Mr. WOODTHORPE, deputy town clerk, read the
report, as follows :
" We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, of your
Corporation Inquiry Committee, to whom, on the 18th of
February laet, it was referred to prosecute the petition of
your hon. Court against the bill ' For the Better Regula-
tion of the Corporation of the City of London,' brought
into Parliament by her Majesty's late Government, do cer-
tify that since our last report to your hon. Court, the select
committee of the House of Commons, to whom the saidbill
was referred, have reported the same with amendments to
the house.
" That in pursuance of the order of your hon. Court a
copy of the said bill, as amended by the select committee,
has been sent to every member of the Court.
" That the said bill, as reported to the house, contains
many clauses which, in the opinion of your committee, are
exceedingly objectionable ; and undesirable alterations
have been made in other clauses.
" That the corporation was not permitted to be heard
before the committee except upon a single clause of the
said bill ; and they have therefore had no opportunity of
enforcing their objections to the several other provisions
therein contained.
" That the deliberations of the select committee being
conducted with closed doors, your committee were but im-
perfectly informed of the details of the amended bill until
after it was reported to the House of Commons, and printed
in its amended shape.
"That as the bill willshortly be discussed in committee of
the whole House an opportunity will be afforded of pro-
posing such amendments as may be considered expedient
to the several clauses of the bill.
" There is, however, one most important subject upon
which your committee are of opinion that immediate and
energetic action should be taken. The clauses confiscating
the metage and other revenues of the corporation have been
allowed to remain unaltered in the bill; nor has the case of
the corporation, in support of their rights, been heard be-
fore the select committee, nor any provision made for com
pensating the citizens of London for the loss thus inflicted
upon them.
" A statement respecting the metage dues on corn, &c.,
belouging to the corporation, which was submitted to the
select committee, is hereunto annexed for the information
of your hon. Court. [This statement has already appeared
in our columns.]
"That the second reading of the said bill was unopposed
by the corporation, ou the understanding that they should
be allowed to present and enforce their case against the
several provisions of it before the select committee, and
that ample opportunity would be afforded them by their
counsel, agents, and witnesses to establish their various
objections to the bill.
" That under these circumstances your committee are
of opinion that great and manifest injustice has been
done to the corporation, particularly by the abolition,
without compensation, of metage dues. We, therefore,
recommend your hon. Court to present a petition to the
House of Commons to recommit the bill to the select com-
mittee, and praying that the corporation may be heard
against the confiscatory clauses thereof, and generally
against the measure.
That Mr. Remembrancer has by our directions prepared
the draught of a petition accordingly, which is hereunto
annexed, and which we submit to the approval of your
hon. Court.
" All which is respectfully submitted. Dated this 20th
day of May, 1858. "JOHN WOOD, &c."
Mr. WOOD, in commenting upon the report, said
the committee had considered both the billintro-
duced by Sir G. Grey and that introduced by desire
of that Court, and had hoped that the result of the
two bills in the house would be to give them a bill
of a satisfactory character. He regretted, however,
that this was not the case, and especially that the
select committee had determined to hold their sit-
tings
in private, so as to prevent the corporation
from watching the details of the bill as the work of
the select committee proceeded. (Hear.) they had,
however, been heard by counsel against the clause
of the bill which deprived them of their metage dues
without compensation. • but, nevertheless, those
dues, amounting to 15,0001., and for which at the
outset a good and valid consideration had no doubt
been given, were swept away without compensa-
tion. (Hear.) With regard to the general question
of corporation reform he knew there was a great
diversity of opinion existing among the members
of that Court, but he hoped there would be a per-
fect unanimity of earnest and manful exertion upon
the part of the Court to get the confiscatory clauses
struck out of the bill. (Hear.) If the House of
Commons should reject their petition, which he did
not anticipate would be the case, they would have
the power of opposing the clauses in a committee of
the whole house ; and if the bill in its present shape
passed the House of Commons he hoped they would
be prepared to give it their most decided opposition
in another place. (Hear.) In conclusion he moved
" That this Court do agree with the committee in
their report."
Mr. 14. L. TAYLOR suggested that, before the
discussion was proceeded with, the alterations made
in the bill should be read at the table.
The Court acquiesced, and the alterations were
read by the deputy town-clerk accordingly.
Alderman CIIDITT then said he was anxious to ex-

press to the Court the desire which the aldermen
had to carry out the bill according to the compact
which had been made between the two courts The
Remembrancer had prepared clauses for that pur-
pose, and they having been committed to his
charge he moved them in committee ; but although
he ink ome cases insisted upon a division, the com-
mittee would not accept some of those clauses.
There was a clause regulating the number of com-
mon councilmen which was ojected to, he did not
remember exactly by whom, but he thought by Sir
G. Grey„ and seeing it hopeless to do so, he did
not divide the committee on that clause. (I:tear,
hear, and " Oh, oh.") There was another clause
making it obligatory upon the Court of Aldermen
to present quarterly to the Court of Common
Council a statement of their actual expenditure
for the past quarter, and also a statement of their
estimated expenditure for the next quarter, upon
which also objection was taken by the committee,
and which he did not, consequently, press to a divi-
sion. If he had done so nothing would have come
of it, but to leave him and Sir James Duke in
a minority ; but, since he found an impression
prevailing among rainy gentlemen there that the
interests of the Court of Common Coineil had not
been sufficiently attendel to—(hear)---he was sorry
he had not divided the committee on both those
clauses. (dear, hear.) This matter had been dis-
cussed at a Court of Aldermen, and a resolution
had been adopted, expressing the regret of that
Court that the clauses, drawn up as a compact,
had not been accepted by the committee, and ex-
pressing the wish of the Court of Aldermen cor-
dially to co-operate with that Court in an endea-
vour to get those clauses yet adopted, the confisca-
tory clauses struck out, and the bill amended in its
general provisions. (Rear.) If in his place in Par-
liament he could be instrumental in producing such
a result it would give him great pleasure, and he
would spare no exertions to do so. (Cheers.)
Mr. ABRAHAM was very glad the worthy alder-
man had repeated the explanation which he had
before given to the committee, as before hearing
those explanations he (Mr. Abraham) had been of
opinion thatthe bill was an alderman's bill. (Hear.)
No doubt the bill as it now stood was open to grave
-objections upon its details generally, but on that
occasion he advised the Courts to throw over all
other clauses and deal only with those of a confis-
catory nature. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BLAKE said the bill was important, not only
as regardedlthe city of London, but also as regarded
every body corporate in the kingdom—(hear)—
since since it was the first attempt that had been made
by act of Parliament to confiscate the property of a
body corporate without giving them compensation,
or even allowing them to be heard in opposition.
(Hear, hear.) There had been a promise given by
a Secretary of State th t the corporation should
have ample opportunities of being heard in com-
mittee against the clauses of the bill ; but, not-
withstanding, the &sleet committee had sat with
closed doors, and had only allowed them to be
heard by counsel against one clause of a most ini-
quitous character, which sought to deprive them
of their coal-dues, and at the same time to compel
them to make compensation out of their private
resource*. (Hear, hear.) It was shown that
this would draw so largely upon their re-
sources as almost to make them insolvent ; and the
committee, growing ashamed of such an iniquitous
clause, allowed the city to retain its coal-dues.
With regard to the metage dues, however, those
the bill still proposed to confiscate without compen-
nae. tion, although there was no possible justification
rs
eaittenb_ as proceeding, which was in reality a scheme
APutillatrety r, although it was introduced by a Liberal
House of 8114, so far, sanctioned by a reformed
fraught witrrigll!,ll;
—(hearn (Cheers.) The scheme was
property to the whole law of private
would use its energies to and he hoped that Court
ostthe utmost in order to get
the clausesconfiscatoryn4RalsoNruck out of the bill.
Mr. Deputy
as agreed with the propriety
of presenting a petition,tcotmhomended in the report of their committee, butrae
he
afctti th
thought more should be done, and th:tanimeore time
steps should be taken to secure the rights o
corporation. He wanted to have full information
disseminated in all quarters, for he felt assured that
if the question were once fully understood it would
be impossible for the bill to pass. As a means of
forwarding his views in this respect he moved to'
add to the recommendation of a committee, with
regard to petitioning against the bill, a recommen-
dation that the committee should take all other
nleaxures that might be deemed advisable, either

by printing and circulating the objection to be urged
against the bill or otherwise, to call the attention
of the liverymen, freemen, ratepayers, and other to
the glaring injustice that would be done to them
if the bill should pass. (Hear, hear.) There were
other points of detail to be bjected against, but
with regard to the confiscatory clauses, which they
then more particularly considering, he cer-
tainly thought no body of honourable men, such
as the British House of Commons, could give their
final sanction to them. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WOOD, as chairman of the committee, ac-
cepted the suggestion offered by the last speaker, as
an addition to the report.
Mr. ROWE said the bill had gone into committee
an iniquitous measure, and come out still more so.
At the same time he thought the corporation, by
failing to defend their rights when attacked, had
encouraged an idea that their metage dues were
rather an usurpation than a legal possession.
Mr. W. JONES said the City had been too passive
in the matter, and had been deceived by placing
too much confidence in public men in whom he had
himself lost all confidence. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BESLEY thought the clauses which reduced
the aldermen to 16 appointed for life, quite as bad
as the confiscatory clauses. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY thought it was unneces-
sary then to go into the general details of the bill,
as the confiscatory clauses, it had been generally
understood, would alone be brought undr consi-
deration ; and, with the exception of those clauses,
he, for one, regarded the bill as being a wise, just,
and prudent measure, and one which would be
favourably received by the public out of doors.
(Oh, oh !)
Mr. ti. TAYLOR was not at all surprised that an
alderman should regard the bill with satisfaction.
(Hear, hear.) Two members of the Court of Alder-
men had sat upon the select committee to which
the bill was referred, and it was a remarkable thing
that as the bill now stood, while that court was not
deprived of a single one of its privileges, there was
not a single privilege of the Court of Common
Council that was preserved. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Deputy DAKIN remarked upon the fact that
when the Royal Commission sat they expected to
find great malversation and mismanagement of the
corporation funds, but this had not been the case.
(Hear, hear.) Nothing of the sort was found ; no
case was made out against the corporation on that
ground ; and he, therefore, protested against inter-
ference on the part of Parliament and the Govern-
ment with the property of the City. With regard
to the confiscatory clauses of the bill, there could
be only one opinion in that Court, and if the bill
passed as it now stood, it would, in his opinion, be
a most unfortunate page in the history of England.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. ANDERTON denounced the bill at some length,
and in conclusion he tore to atoms a copy of the
bill which he held in his hand, exclaiming, amid
the laughter of the Court—" Dash the bill ; I don't
like it all. I should like to see it burnt by the
common hangman."
Mr. MORRIS, M.P., reminded the Court that
they had always been impracticable on the subject
of reform, and from that impracticability he drew
the inference that a reforming measure, emanating
from the late Government, went further than it
would otherwise have done. With regard to the
dangerous and unconstitutional confiscatory clauses,
he urged the necessity of making calm and delibe-
rate representations on the subject, expressing his
opinion that the House of Commons would give to
the arguments of the corporation a fair and atten-
tive hearing. He vindicated the conduct of Mr.
Alderman Cubitt as a member of that Court, and
of the select committee, and earnestly impressed
upon the Court the necessity in dealing with so
important a measure, of laying eside all party
feelings and petty jealousies, and being perfectly
unanimous in their appeal to Parliament.
Sir J. DUKE vindicatedhimsolf against the charge
of having neglected the interests of that Court, or
as a member of the select committee, and with
regard to the Court of Aldermen, he said that the
fact that that Court would no longer have the
power of drawing upon the Chamber ought alone
to ba sufficient to settle the differences that had so
long prevailed between the two Courts.
11,Tr. GRESHAM inquired whether it rested with
committees on public bills whether their sittings
were private or not ?
The REMEMBRANCER said it rested entirely with
committee themselves.
Sir J. DUKE said, one of his first motions en the
sitting of the committee was, that the officers of
the corporation should be admitted, but he could
not even succeed in that.
Mr. GRESHAM could not conceive why the select
committee should have resolved to sit with closed

doors. With regard to the report of their own
committee, it was too vague in not naming the
clauses which had boon amended in an unsatisfac-
tory way.
Mr. WOOD having replied,
The motion was put from the chair, and aareed
to unanimously, as was also a resolution in favour
of of a petition to the Rouse of Commons, to be signed
by the town clerk and presented by the sheriffs,
and which was as follows :

"To the Hon. the Commons of the United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Ireland Parliament assembled.

" The humble petition of the 1;;',ci;;01;-ziawrlen,
and Commons of the city of London in Common Council
assembled.

" Showeth,—That a bill is now pending ig your hon.
house entitled ' A Bill for the better Regulation of the City
of London.'

" That the said bill xval read a second time, without any
opposition being offered by your petitioners, upon the un-
derstanding that it should be referred to a select-commit-
tee, before which your petitioners' case should be fully
heard.

" That your petitioners duly presented a petition to your
hon. house, praying to be heard by the counsel, agents,
and witnesses, before a select committee to whom the said
bill should be referred, against the several clauses thereof.
" That a seleot committee was afterwards e.ppointed, to
which the said bill was referred, together with the petition
presented by your Petitioners.
" That by divers clauses of the said bill, it was proposed
to deprive your petitioners, without giving them any com-
pensation, of various sources of revenue-, of which they had
been possessed for a period extending beyond the time of
legal memory, and their right to which has been repeatedly
confirmed by charter, statute, and judicial decisions.
"That large sums of money have been borrowo 1 by your
petitioners for public improvements ou the credit of these
and the other revenues of your petitioners, and are still
charged thereon.
"That your petitioners were allowed to be heard by their
counsel before the select committee upon one clause, and
one clause only, of the said bill, and wore not permitted
to be heard upon other clauses prejudicial to their interests,
by sortie of which it was sought to deprive them of their
said property; and the select comrni: tee has reported the
bill to your hen, house without expunging the said last-
mentioned clauses, or introducing any prevision for giving
compensation to your petitioners in respect of the injury
thereby inflicted upon them.
"That your petitioners consider it unjust that the re-
venues of the corporation shouldibe confiscated, as proposed
by the said bill, without its being proved or alleged that
your petitioners have been guilty of malversation in respect
of them, and wi hout their being allowed any opportunity
of being heard in support of their rights and property.
" That there is no precedent in the legislation of your
hon, house for the course which has been adopted iu refer-
ence to the said bill, nor any instance of any individual or
corporation being deprived of any property wi, bout having
had the opportunity of being beard in defence thereof, and
without adequate compensation being given for the same.
"That your petitioners view with alarm the establish-
ment of a precedent which may be pleaded to justify an
interference with rights of property which have been
hitherto held sacred, and earnestly trust that your hon.
house will not sanction those provision!) of the bill which
embody a principle and introduce a practice so objection-
able.

" That your petitioners entertain a decided opinion that,
if they had been allowed to bo heard before the select corn•
mittee, the objectionable provisions above alluded to would
have been expunged or greatly modified.
" Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your hon.
house will be pleased to make an order for the recommittal
of the said bill to the select committee, and for your peti-
tioners being fully heard by their counsel, agents, and wit-
nesses against the clauses aforesaid, or that the said clauses
may be expunged from the bill ; and that such other relief
may be afforded to your petitioners as your hon. house may
"ourt then adjourned.
e eimh fie t
C.

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