The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-14 00:00:00

THE LORD MAYOR AND COURT

OF COMMON COUNCIL.

After the breaking up of the Court, on Tuesday, the Mem-
bers who did not leave the Court to show their approbation of
the course pursued by the Lord Mayor, assembled and elected
Alderman Wood their Chairman, and proceeded to consider
what was best to be done under the awkward circumstances in
which the Corporation are placed.
Alderman Noon repeated what occurred at the Mansion-
house, before the Aldermen, and suggested the propriety of
letting the matter of dispute stand over till next Court.
Sir PETER LAURIE—We have bad the opinion of the Com-
mon Sergeant in writing, and the Lord Mayor says he will
not call another Court until the matter is settled. Is it not
better to let the business of the Court go on in its regular way,
and postpone this ?
Mr. HEPPEL said the question was not whether the Com-
. .

mittee of the whole Court was legal or not, but whether a
breach of privilege had not taken place, and whether the Lord
Mayor had not taken upon himself to decide upon it without an
appeal to the Court ?—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR said that it was not a ques-
tion for lawyers at all, but for the decision of the Court.
Mr. PEWTRESS said that the Court had arrived at a
peculiar crisis. The wrong began with the Lord Mayor, and
the best way in which the Lord Mayor could protect his own
privileges was by not meddling with the privileges of others.
He thought they had better apply, in this emergency, to the
standing orders. How to overcome the obstinacy of the indi-
vi.:ual, was a matter of difficult calculation ' • but in his opinion
they had better meet it patiently, as they had already met it.
The Committee of the whole Court could, he thought, take
the subject into consideration.—( Hear, bear !)
Sir PETER LAURIE said the Lord Mayor had the dis-
cretion of putting on or taking off any notice of motion. The
Town-clerk handed the business-paper to the Lord Mayor,
who threw his eye over it, and drew his pen across anything
he pleased. That was the manner in which it was done in his
mayoralty.

Mr. R. TAYLOR—And did you omit anything ?
Sir PETER LAURIE—No, I believe I did not —(A laugh.)
The fact is, you never will have a Court till this matter is set-
tled. You can't change the Constitution. There is more
power in this Chair, than in the throne of England.—
Laughter.) It is the most extraordinary power that ever
existed.—( Renewed laughter.) A Lord Mayor may say--
You shan't have a Court during my year.—(Laughter.)
Mr. R. TAYLOR said that such information was worth a
Jew's eye. What a case was this for the Municipal Re-
formers ! What would be the effect of showing to the Legis-
lature the existence of so monstrous a power, if what the
Hon. Knight said was true ?—(A laugh.)
Mr. E. WILSON said, that until they got a concession, they
could not proceed with the public business.
Alderman Woon—What is the best step to take for that
purpose ?
Mr. FRENCH—Let us call Wardmotes throughout the City,
to take the conduct of the Lord Mayor into consideration.
Mr. W. WESTON thought there ought to be a Cbmnaittee
of the whole Court, to agree to and publish resolutions on the
subject of the obstinacy of the individual.
Sir PETER Lauktis—There was more than one individual
concerned.

Mr. WEsToN—The Court of Aldermen who had hitherto
taken a wrong view of the subject, would, it was to be hoped,
advise the Lord Mayor properly—since Members of the Court
of Common Council had grossly calumniated the rest, by re -
presenting that their conduct--and not the Lord Mayor's—
wim- outrageous, and had obstructed the business of the
Court.—( Hear. ) _ _

Mr. Willi; quite concurred in what Mr. Weston had sug-
gested. The simple point to be decided was, whether the
Lord Mayor had, or had not, the power to exclude anything he
pleased from the paper of business. The Lord Mayor had,
again and again, by virtue of his office, been guilty of a
breach of privilege. In the House of Lords, when that branch
of the Legislature wished, they consulted the judges, but the
opinion of the judges did not govern that House. Here, how-
ever, the Lord Mayor would rule by his dictum, and pretended
to he molt unbounded power. If—under such circum-
stances—the Common Council did not make a resolute
stand, they deserved to meet with additional insolence.—
( Hear, hear.) They were accused by those who advocated
the Lord Mayor's conduct, of having obstructed the public
business : and then up got the Lord Mayor, and, with
an insolence which ought not to be submitted to,
lectured the Court as if there did not exist amongst them as
much gentlemanly feeling and independence as could be found
in his own person. He must declare that he had never seen
that man get up and lecture the Court without feeling deeply
degraded, and the Court ought on any such occasion to rise in
a body and vote the offender out of the Chair.—( Hear.)
Mr. PRIOR said, if any liberal-minded men would go to the
Lord Mayor and implore him to renounce his bad advisers, he
thought there would be in his Lordship a disposition to act
properly. _

Mr.
bALLOWAT could not sec that they had any chance with
such a man except through the medium of the King's Bench
or Parliament. It was impossible to brook his lectures, and
every gentleman who rose to say a word was immediately
threatened with the dissolution of the Court.

The meeting then voted thanks to Aldermen Wood, and
summoned a meeting of the Committee on the great question.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

NEWMARKET SECOND SPRING MEETING.
The following is the programme of this meeting:—
TUESDAY, MAY 19.
Fifty Pounds for three yrs old; colts, Bst. 71b. ; fillies, Bst. 41b.
R. M.

Sweepstakes of 10 sovs. each ; three yrs old, 7st. 41b. ; and four,
Bst. 71b. T. Y. C. The winner to be sold for 60 sovs. if de-
manded, &c.

Handicap Sweepstakes of 10 sovL each, for three yrs old and
upwards. D.M.
A Sweepstakes of 50 sovs. each. D.M. If only two accept, to
be a match for 50 sovs.:-Castaway, Bst. 121 b. ; Oakapple,
Bst. 121 b. ; Shoveller filly, Bst. ; Young Rhoda colt, 7st. 111 b. ;
Stargazer, ist. 111 b. ; Mademoiselle de Jeck, 7st. 111 b. ; Burden,
7st. 101 b. ; Fop, 7st. 101 b. ; Doll Tcarshect, 7st. 91b. ; Fawn filly,
7st. 71b. ; St. Julien's filly, 7st. 51b. ; Mozart, 7st. ; filly by Filho
-Lark, 6st. 91b.
A Sweepstakes of 50 sovs. T. Y. C. If only two accept to be
a Match for M. :-Lyrnessa colt, Bst. 121 b. ; Lucifer, Bst. 31b. ;
;
Mulebird, Bst. ; Becassine, Bst. Florin, 7st. 111 b. ; Lady Albert,
7st. 111 b. ; Sir Felix, 7st. 101 b. ; Sister to Zulima, 7st. 91b. ;
Rushlight, 7st. 71b. ; Mohair, 7st. 71b. ; Daniel, 7st. 41b. ; Flame,
7st. 31b. ; Orpheus, 7st. ; Bassano, 7st. ; Matilda, 6st. 101 b.