The Sun.
London, England, 1832-10-18 00:00:00

G UILDHALL.

The drivers of two omnibuses appeared before
Mr. Alderman WILSON yesterday, to answer the
complaint of Mr. Shufflebotham (on behalf of Mr.
Ellis), for obstructing the free passage of the car-
riage-way, by plying for hire after remaining sta-
tionary as long as was necessary to set down and
take up passengers.
In the first case the defendant pleaded " guilty,"
and was fined 10s. and costs.

In the next, the defendant, on being asked what
he had to say why he should not be tined for stop-
ping again after he had moved from the door of the
booking-house, replied by asking the Alderman,
" How much is it ?"

The ALDERMAN repeated his question, and the
defendant admitting he had no excuse, was fined 10s.
Inspector Martin reported that 160 omnibuses
as tdodpi
tped on t t
on
to
those le hill v r
w iencehr y day on
s topp
ed on their
comingla
v y; down,up. i n
The case of the driver of the hackney-coach No.
308 was then called, for standing at the door of
Mr. Ellis, and driving up and down the street for
one hour, while some ladies were making purchases
of haberdashery, &c.
Mr. Shtifilebotham had undertaken to bear the
coachman harmless, and now appeared with a soli-
citor to defend him.
Ins
a I iit leP e afterct°rMlarottrciloseakid,oitthaTt
noens
dgoing
ht oe tohme
hp
uo
st
coachmen crowded about him, and insisted he should
remove this coach instanter. He found it had been
standing at Mr. Ellis's door a quarter of an hour ;
he told the coachman he must move on; and he
said he had brought some ladies a-shopping, and if
he moved away, they would not know where to
find him. He, however, went in, and gave notice
to the ladies, arid then, with two other carriages,
moved slowly up and down till he was called.
Moving about in this way, they were a greater ob-
struction than if they had been stationary. The
ladie, remained at Mr. Ellis's one hour.

The solicitor, referring to 4th Geo. IV., cap. 144.,
sec. 44, contended, that any carriages, except a
stage-coach, were allowed to wait in the streets
when actually hired and stopping for their fare. The
clause ran, " If any person shall in any street, 8:c.
place or leave any coach, except for the neces-
sary time of any stage-coach, hackney-coach, or
other carriage let for hire taking up and setting
down any fare, or waiting for passengers when ac-
tually hired, so that no stage-coach shall wait for
passengers longer than ten minutes, in every case
such person shall be liable to a fine of 51."
Nlr. Alderman WiLsoN understood the Act dif-
ferently. Stage-coaches werd allowed 10 minutes,
other coaches were not allowed any time.
Mr. Shufflebotham said Mr. Ellis was paying
3,0001. a year in rent and taxes, and here was a
nuisance springing up—a new stand for omnibuses.
Mr. Alderman WiLsos was sorry to find an im-
pression had gone abroad, in consequence of the
order he had given respecting carriages standing at
shopkeepers' door, that he was unfriendly to trade.
tie drew a distinction between a carriage stopping
at a gentleman's door or at a tradesman's shop for
the purpose of trade, and an omnibus stopping to
ply for passengers, and thereby impeding the way
to the tradesmen's shops. The opening of booking
houses was a mere trick to create a pretence for
stopping ; for when a person walking up Ludgate-
street or Cheapside wished to ride, he might depend
upon meeting an omnibus every three minutes, and
what occasion could there be for booking ? He
,horrid persist in requiring the omnibuses not to stay
any longer than was necessary to take up passengers;
and with regard to carriages, he saw no objection to
their remaining at private or shop doors all day if