The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-08 00:00:00

STEAM- VESSELS.

Mr. BEDFORD asked whether the Court of Alder-
men had done anything to prevent the crowding of
the steam-vessels, and the other objections so long ex-
isting and complained of ?
The LORD MAYOR stated that the Committee of
Aldermen had framed a set of regulations for the go-
vernment of steam-vessels, and were waiting for some
further information, after receiving which they would
proceed immediately to the enforcement of what they
considered to be necessary for the complete security
of the public.—(Hear.) By those regulations the
number of passengers would be limited.
Mr. KING moved that the report of the Royal Re-
ception Committee, which was read at the last
Court, should be received and printed in the minutes.
After some discussion the report was ordered to be
printed, and the consideration of it was adjourned.

WHOLESALE DEALERS.

Mr. BEDFORD desired to put a question to the
Chairman of the Committee appointed by the Court
for the purpose of compelling the rich merchant's and

wholesale dealers to become free. He wished to know
why, upon it matter of such deep importance to their
' Reipptipn4, the directions of the Court had not
i "*);:41.01 gip, while poor retail tradesmen were bar-
-0:4:141. . Octpressed by constant threats of actions?
,stse.,, vol, in the absence of the Chairman, said
that. the Cbitmittee had experienced great difficulties
in giving effect to the orders of the Court, because the
inquests of the different wards had failed in most in
stances to present the class of persons to whom the
resolution of the Court principally applied. They
had, however, now succeeded in obtaining the names
of several, and the strongest measures would be
adopted.

Mr. GRESHAM said that a letter, signed " J. Pon-
tifex," ward clerk, had been sent to retailers in his
ward, threatening them with prosecutions, and he
wished toknow whether, pending the inquiry, these pro-
ceedings would he permitted to go on ?—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Jour/ Dlxorg said that, in his opinion, mea-
sures should be taken to bring the question to an
immediate decision ; and that in the interval these
vexatious actions ought to be suspended.—(Hear.)
Mr. ASHURST (the Chairman, who then entered the
Court) said it was only within the last few days the
Committee had been able to make the selection from
the numerous persons presented by the ward inquests.
They had now selected persons who stood on the
ward books as occupying the largest establishments
in the different wards—men of station and means—
competent to try the question of liability as wholesale
dealers, which it was the object of the Court and the
Committee to have fairly set at rest.

Mr. GRESHAM—But ✓what do you say as to the
suspension of proceedings against the poor ?
Mr. ASHURST requested that the City Solicitor be
questioned on these points.
The CITY SOLICITOR being called 'upon, said that
in no single instance, since he had been in office, had
he taken proceedings against any one, either whole-
sale or retail—poor or rich. Under a resolution of
the Common Council, passed several years 'since, no
action could be brought against non-freemen, except
by the direction of the Chamberlain, and through the
instrumentality of himself, as attorney of the Mayor's
Court. He had received no such directions, and, of
course, he had taken no such proceedings. The
case, however, was now altered.' On Satur-
day last he received instructions from a Com-
mittee, under the authority of the Court, on
which he should promptly act. A list of twenty-
three persons, principally merchants, bankers,
and wholesale dealers, had been selected by the Com-
mittee from the ward inquest presentments, and he
had received directions to write to them to take up
their freedom, and, in case of non-compliance, to sue
them for the penalties in the Mayor's Court. Upon
investigation, it appeared that some of these persons
were already free, and others were exempt, having
served in the army or navy. As in all proceedings of
this nature something depended upon the manner in
which they were commenced, he had framed a letter
to apprise the parties in the list of the measures in
contemplation. That letter he had submitted to the
approval of the Chairman and the Learned Town
Clerk, under whose advice the Committee were acting,
and, if it met their approbation, not a day should be
lost in giving effect to their directions.
Alderman LUCAS presented a petition' from the
rector, churchwardens, and authorities of 'Gravesend,
more especially of the parish of Milton, praying for
assistance in building a new church.
After some discussion, the petition was , ordered to
lie upon the table.

INFIRMARY FOR THE CURE OF CUTANEOUS DISEASES.

Mr. ANDERTON presented the following petition
against the establishment of an infirmary in Bridge-
street, Blackfriars, for the cure of cutaneous diseases :
" To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor; Aldermen,
and Common Council of the City of London.
" The petition of the undersigned, 'a Committee
appointed on behalf of themselves and other the
inhabitants of New Bridge-street, Blackfriars,
and the adjacent parishes of St. Andrew-by-
the-Wardrobe, St. Ann, Blackfriais; and the
Bridewell precinct,

" Showeth,—That the inhabitants have heard, with
the greatest alarm, that it is proposed to establish an
infirmary for the cure of cutaneous diseases-at No. 25,
in New Bridge-street, Blackfriars. •
" That an infirmary for such purposes•conducted in
a small building, without an inch of open ground at-
tached to it, and situated in a plpulous and -respect-
able neighbourhood like that of New Bridge-street,
is not only totally unfit for a public.inWttition like
that contemplated, but will create so great a nuisance
to the neighbouring inhabitants as to drive many of
the most respectable families from their present resi-
dences, and depreciate the value of, property not less
to the tenants than to their landlords.

" That the Governors of Bridewell Hospital, being
the owners of a very considerable property in New
Bridge-street, did, on the 13th day of October last,
pass the following resolution, viz.
" Resolved, that it is desirable that the .cstablish-
ment of the infirmary should be opposed by the Go-
vernors of this hospital, and that the clerk be di-
rected to make known the opiniOri of this Committee
to the Apothecaries' Company, in the hope that they
will not supply the said infirmary -With hot water, or
give their countenance and support to it • and that the
Governors will assist the inhabitants of the street and
neighbourhood in preventing a continuance of the
nuisance.

" That in confirmation of the opinions of your peti-
tioners and other the inhabitants of the neighbour-
hood, and of the opinion expressed by the Governors
of Bridewell Hospital, the Worshipful Company of
Apothecaries have decided on withdrawing the per-
mission (conditionally granted) of supplying hot
water to the Cutaneous Infirmary, and the Directors
of the New River Company have also determined not
to supply the said infirmary with cold water from the
main.

"That the house taken for the said infirmary is, to-
gether with many of the most re= ectable houses in
the street and neighbourhood, the property of the
Corporation.
" Your petitioners, therefore, pray that your Ho-
nourable Court will take the subject of the, said
nuisance into your consideration, and afford your aid
and support in preventing the same from being esta-
blished.

" JAMES ANDERTON, Bridewell-precinct.
" J. HARTLEY, New Bridge-street.
" JAMES BROMLEY, Churchwarden of St.
Ann's, Blackfriars. _

" D. J. APLAUdIILAN, Printing-house-square.
" DANIEL COCKERELL, Churchwarden o'
St. Ann's, Bla,chfriars.
" H. SILVERLOCK, Churchwarden of St. AL-
drew•-by-the-Wardrobe.
" W. F. A. DELANE, 4, Chatham-pace.

" NORTH, SIMPSON, and GRAHAM, gib, 36
and 37, New Bridge-street."

Mr. ANDERTON supported the petition in a very
resolute tone. The Corporation of London, he said,
were bound to protect the citizens of London by all the
means in their power against nuisances of all descrip-
tions. They had never failed to petition Parliament
for the abatement of steam smoke, and those other
abominations by which the public health, in so dense
a population, is constantly assailed. They had com-
bated the various sources of annoyances that existed
for a length of time; and here was a nuisance which
had not grown up amongst them, but had been
brought into the City in its entire condition, and oc-
cupied a building in one of its most populous neigh-
bourhoods.—(Hear.) It was quite impossible that the
inhabitants of Bridge-street and the vicinity could
remain there if an hospital, to and from which deplor-
able objects would be passing in constant succession,
were to be permitted to be established in one of the
houses. For himself he would say, that nothing could
induce him to allow his family to reside in the street.
A MEMBER-It is not on your side of the way.
Mr. ANDERTON said that was perhaps so much the
worse, for the objects would be seen from morning
till night by those who resided opposite to the place
to which they would have to resort.—(Hear, hear.)
He might be told that the diseases which the hospital
professed to remove were not contagious, and, there-
fore, could not be objectionable as regarded the health
of the neighbourhood. He knew that the itch and the
ringworm, the sufferers from which would form a
mass of visitors to the institution, were contagious.—
(Hear, hear.) Chatham-place was constantly re-
sorted to by nurses with children, and afforded an
airy and wholesome recreation to the youthful
branches of the neighbouring families. What might
their condition be if they were surrounded by crowds
of the objects whom the infirmary professed to aid ?
—(Hear, hear.) The very size of the building
selected for the purpose formed a capital objection in
itself, for there was not an inch of ground belonging
to it, and yet 700 or 800 individuals were expected to
crawl there every week to taste of its advantages.—
(Hear, hear.) Mr. Anderton moved that the petition
be referred to the City Lands Committee, with direc-
tions to assist the petitioners to remove the nuisance.
Mr. HARTLEY seconded the motion. He stated
that the objections to the establishment of an in-
firmary in such a place were innumerable. They
would be proved beyond all doubt by evidence which
should be produced before the Committee which
would be appointed. The thing was a complete de-
ception. The words, " suppprted by voluntary con-
tributions," was a gross misapplication of the language,
for the projectors of the scheme sold them medicine
and charged for their baths.—(Hear, hear, and
laughter.) It was also alleged, most modesty, that
the infirmary was established to supply the deficiency
of the royal hospitals, and other large establishments
of the kind. Why, the royal hospitals never rejected
a patient, and the poor were at all times supplied
with everything requisite for their cure in those ad-
mirable establishments.—(Cheers.) But it was pretty
well known that the philanthropic establishment for
the cure of cutaneous diseases was a mere bubble,
blown out by parties whose object was pecuniary profit.
Why did not Mr. Moxey, who was the prime mover
of the undertaking, give up part of his Commercial
Hall for the undertaking ?—(Laughter.) No, no.
Lie would not attempt to set pp eilch 4 concern in

that neighbourhood. He (Mr. Hartley) trusted that
the Court would see the necessity of scouting a de-
sign calculated to destroy a most respectable neigh-
bourhood, without in the slightest degree serving the
poor, for whose benefit it was falsely declared to have
been projected.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. MOGGERIDGE also contended in favour of the
petition, and declared that the house was much too
small to answer the purposes for which it was said to
be intended, and that an hospital in such a situation
would completely destroy the neighbourhood.
Mr. WILLIAMS was against the petition, and in
favour of the hospital. He really considered the
objections to be imaginary. Those who were best
qualified to judge had decidedly expressed an opinion
that no public injury would be constituted by the esta-
blishment of an hospital there, and certainly no situa-
tion could be better adapted to the purposes than that
which had b. en selected. He gave every credit to
those who originated the plan for purity of intention,
and stated that, at all events, if opposition should be
persevered in, those who had: exerted themselves for
the purpose of rendering such service to the poor,
would be interrupted.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. STACEY was against the petitioners. The Court,
he thought, ought not to be placed in the unpleasant
situation of interfering between the miseries and the
relief of their fellow-creatures.

Alterman LUCAS strongly contended against the
establishment of an hospital in such a place ; and as
president of Bartholomew's Hospital declared that at
that institution, and he was convinced at Guy's and
St. Thomas's Hospitals, everything that was possible
to be done was done for the patients, without regard
either to trouble or expense.—(Hear, hear.)

After some further discussion, in which Mr. R.
Taylor advocated the cause of the petitioners, and
Mr. Peacock and Mr. Corney supported the institu-
tion, the petition was, by a large majority, referred to
the Committee.