The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-07 00:00:00

THE GUILDHALL BANQUET.

Mr. HEATH called attention to the extreme inconvenience
caused by overcrowding at the recent banquet at Guildhall
on Lord Mayor's-day, and moved that in future it would
be desirable to issue a less number of invitations. He was
proceeding to read a letter adarePsed to him by a gentle-
man from his club, describing the scene of confusion on the
occasion, but' ho was called to order, and he then explained
that his simple object in referring to the subject was that
those who lead the management on those occasions might
In future make such arrangements as to prevent cause for
complaint.

by rot
whether it
OCm. Lord Mofsyt
makingho re
The motion gave rise to a long conversation. Tly Alder-
man Copeland and Mr. Cox, the late member of Parliament
for Finsbury, it was contended that as the entertainment
was given by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, the Common
Council, who were merely guest e, hail nothing to do with
the matter, and had no right to interfere as to the arrange-
ments. Mr. Heath stated that the Guildhall could only
conveniently accommodate 1,029 persons at dinner,
but on the last occasion there were 1,164 guests
and no wonder there was confusion. Mr. R. P. Taylor
referred to the uproar, banging of doors, and singing which
took .place at the lower end of the hall after the dinner,
atondasstuhmee impossibilityethoneshecliguhenatnd
part of the hall any of the speeches. Mr. M,George
important
officeo f hearingo
f s hoteinenwrtni f
fol
uisitlnistdlheoetonuhuoltaal.tat
thought it extraordinary that gentlemen who were called
at the very outset have to contribute .£750 each towards
the cost of the entertainment. He suggested that the
arrangements should be under the control of the Common
Council in future, through a committee of their own body,
and not be left as now in the hands of a committee who
whcoaeinries, not necessarily members of the Corporation, and could
therefore have no sympathy with it. He moved an amend-
ment to the effect that whereas improved arrangements
might be made in reference to the annual banquet at Guild-
iidterbethreefseurbr
jeedottoanthae
tGoeinorieroailrePwu
ttt
and Sheriffs, and that a special
he
bee
paid expedient
by th that
Corporationa tt h e ex pen expense
rather
the entertainment
acmunhil:
Imo. Mr. Sheriff Water-
low should be an-
nually appointed to conduct
neverthe same.
except that the Sheriffs had to
the arrangements, so that,
of the banquet,ancl had the honour
bear half of the expense
of distinguishedpersons,
of entertainiug a number
__
____ they
lEonwteerxtapinlamineendtthat it
Committeehad to
•ciphers. Several members, and MI: If. Lowman
were mere eenslblet etnh e the
Sheriffs custo
inm
what were called " coach orders"
of the practice of giving
Mr. Taylor remarked, by the way, that the
Exchequer.
after all, found one half the money for the
Corporation,
to the banquet, and the customary dinner in the Court of
x statement of which Alderman Sidney de-
Taylor among the rest, strongly urged the discontinuance
Sheriffs had always the right to invite 350 of the guests
pnonierttedrottfhate:a:cdeconutitr'aiaciy. ,
Danedpuetnyterrreyd
said
do
tehxeplLaonradtiolanasyionrsaunpii*
among them, and he complained that it was not adignitied
proceeding that the Common Council should be herded
together in the manner they were at the banquet, and so
low down the hall. He asked, amid cheers, whether the
time had not come when, instead of the Lord Mayor and
Sheriffs bearing the expense and giving the invitations, this
should be a Corporation entertainment. Deputy Farrar,
referring to a recent discussion on the same subject in the
Court of Aldermen, took occasion to say that in his opinion
the Remembrancer had been unfairly dealt with, and that
he had no power of himself to issue a single ticket, nor had
he assumed to exercise any such power.
ets
Mr
between themselves.
the members nianneynttCicokitthtee ecliairnlanand
appropriated
Eonf
the
dutheorw many

.Deputy SNELLING, the chairman;roplied that the com-
mittee did not issue any extra tickets to the dinner.
Eventually the amendment of Mr. M'George was carried
by a large majority, and the subject dropped.

BENEVOLENCE.

On the motion of Deputy OBBARD the Court voted tho
sum of £5OO in aid of tho fund arising from the gifts of per-
sons on their admission to the freedom of the city annu-
ally distributed by the Chamberlain on St. Thomas's day
to the poor widows of freemen.

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