The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 18351

its golden transparent sky? All is dull and cloudy, as in a
gorge of Savoy or Auvergne in the last days of autumn."

CORPORATION REFORM.

LIVERPOOL MEETING.
A public meeting of the inhabitants of Liverpool was held
on Friday, in Clayton-square, " For the purpose of considering
the propriety of petitioning both Houses of Parliament in
favour of the Bill brought forward by his Majesty's Ministers
to reform the Municipal Corporations." The total number of
persons present soon after twelve o'clock was estimated at
from seven to eight thousand.
JAMES BRANCKER, Esq., was voted into the chair. He said,
Gentlemen who entertained different political opinions were
now assembled to advocate Corporate Reform, which was not
a political, but a local question. Even the burgesses, hitherto,
had not a fair share in the election of those who ruled over
them. He could not tell when self-election first came into
vogue, but he thought it must have been about 1611, for in
that year, it is recorded, the town's arms were a cormorant.—
(Laughter.) It was in this year, he supposed, that the Com-
mon Council swallowed up all the rights of the burgesses.—
(Continued laughter.) At last they got ashamed of the name
cormorant, and called it a liver. But, although the bird had
got a new name, it continued its old practices.—( Roars of
laughter.) They pretended that Liverpool took its name
from this bird ; but he contended that the name was derived
from two Latin words, or rather a Latin and a Greek word,
signifying " free-town."—( Cheers.) He hoped it would
soon be again a free town.—(Loud cheers.) In 1579 the
Council was elected in Common-hall. At this time" it
was very efficient, for there was no prison in the town.—
( Laughter.) Now that we were governed by a self-elected
Corporation, the prisons were overflowing. In a few years
after, an order was passed that no man should speak evil of
the Mayor, under pain of losing his freedom--(laughter)--
so that by that time they had got into disrepute. In 1672
there was another order, that all the councilmen who did not
attend the Mayor decently apparelled, should forfeit 6s. Sd.
—(Cheers.) The Common Councilmen of the present day
always took care to be decently apparelled.—( Laughter. )
A brighter era arose in 1735, when James, Earl of Derby was
mayor, for he called a Common Hall, and the Council were
elected in the old fashion. In 1791, the late Mr. Sparling,
who built St. Domingo-house, was elected mayor. He called
two Common Halls, and elected two Common-councilmen. A
trial subsequently took place at Lancaster, and, though op- ,
posed by the Corporation, the jury found that it was the
right of the burgesses to choose the Common-council, and
that the council should choose the mayor. That was the
state of things to which they were now about to return—
that was the gist of the Bill.—(Great cheering.)
JAMES AIKIN, Esq., moved the first resolution. The
Tories had always been great prophets, and they had begun
to prophesy on the present occasion. When we were advoca-
ting a general political reform, we were told that ruin would
ensue, that property and life would be endangered. He (Mr.
Aikin) found, hoewver, that the country was still worth living
in, and so, he believed, did the Tories.—(Laughter.) But
our Tory friends were at their prophesies again, for we were
now told that if this measure passes, every thing would
be turned topsy turvy.—( A laugh.) From what did this
alarm spring ? Why, from the notice to quit which had been
given to the Common Council against next October, and
from the intention to elect 41 true and honest men in their
stead.—( Laughter. )
JOSEPH HORNBY, Esq., seconded the resolution, which was
put and carried almost unanimously.
WILLIAM RATHBONE, Esq. moved the next resolution.
THOMAS BROCKLEBANK, Esq., seconded the resolution.
RICHARD SHIEL, Esq., came forward to propose a petition
founded on the resolutions. The money of the Corporation
had been squandered, the patronage misapplied, and the Ma-
gistrates improperly elected ; and he therefore called upon
them to support the great measure of Corporation Reform
which was now introduced.

The CHAIRMAN then read the petition.
Mr. Mulleneux, Dr. Carson, Mr. R. Alison, Mr. Godfrey
Barnsley, Mr. Samuel Hobson, Mr. Blackburne, Mr. W. P.
Freme, Mr. Ottiwell Wood, and Mr. Bradburn, severally
addressed the meeting, the proceedings of which were con-
ducted with the greatest order and unanimity.
The CHAIRMAN here intimated that the business of the
meeting was at an end, and returned thanks for the attention
which bad been shown him.

Mr. RATHRONR moved a vote of thanks to J. Braneker,
Esq., for his able and impartial conduct in the chair, which
was carried, accompanied by tremendous cheering.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

ST. JAMES'S PALACE, Dzc. 15.

The King has been pleased to confer the honour of Knighthood
upon Captain the Honourable Henry Duncan, of the Royal Navy,
Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath,
and Knight Commander of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order.

ST. JAMES'S-PALACE, JUNE 10.
The King was this day pleased to confer the honour of Knight-
hood on Dr. Whitelaw Ainslie, late of the Medical Staff 01
Southern India.