The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-27 00:00:00

COURT 0.

'OUNCIL,

A special meeting of the Court of Common
Council was held at the Guildhall yesterday, the

LORD MAYOR (Mr. W. F. Allen) presiding.

THE SHERIFFS' COURT.
Mr. C. ROBINSON brought up a report from the
jfficers and Clerks' Committee in reference to the

seal of the Sheriffs' Court, stating that Mr. Justice

Willes had rescinded the order of Mr. Commissioner

Kerr, requiring the substitution of the royal arms
'or those of the City. The learned judge, however,

was of opinion that the words " Sheriffs' Court"

should be altered to " City of London Court," in
order to make the style of the court conformable to
the act of last session of Parliament. The Regis-
trar pro ton. had accordingly laid before the coin-

mittee a new seal containing this alteration, and
the committee now recommended it to the approval

of the Court of Common Council.

The report was adopted unanimously.
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF THE METROPOLIS.
The debate on this subject was resumed by Mr.
Horner. It will be recollected that at the meeting

of the court last week, Mr. Deputy Fry moved a

series of resolutions, which were in effect that in

order to secure to the ratepayers of the metropolii

the right of self-government, recognising direct
representation, and consequently direct responsi-
bility, it was desirable that municipalities should be

established in the several metropolitan parliamen-
tary boroughs ; that inasmuch as the corporation

of London had existed for many centuries as a
distinct and independent municipality, its connec-
tion with the Metropolitan Board of Works was
unnecessary and inexpedient, and that it be referred

,o the Local Government and Taxation Committee

to consider and report what steps should be taken,

with a view to assist i❑ the introduction of munici-

palities in the metropolitan boroughs, and to relieve
the corporation from its connection with the Board
of Works. To these propositions Mr. Richardson
moved as an amendment, that it was unadvisable
to declare in favour of any plan of municipal go-

vernrnent until the co-operation of the corporation

shall have been sought by that portion of the me-
tropolis which may desire to change its present form

of local government. A long discussion ensued,
and the debate was eventually adjourned.
Mr. lIORNER, in resuming the debate, expressed
his opposition to a measure which, if supported,
must be attended with considerable expense.
(Hear, hear.) Unless that court was prepared to

furnish the money he believed the establishment of
municipalities would not be desired by the already
heavily-taxed ratepayers of the metropolis. He was
not inimical to the extension of municipalities, but
what he wanted was, those who desired them should
take the initiative. Having called attention to a
circular in favour of Mr. Mill's two bills, which had
been distributed among some of the members of the
court, he expressed a hope that it would not in-
fluence their opinions, for if these bills were passed

into law it would be at the expense of the corpo-
ration. At present their revenues were in their
own hands, but how long they would remain so de-
pended upon themselves, and he therefore urged the
court not to do anything prejudicial to their own
interests.
Mr. Deputy DE JERSEY remarked that no one
would doubt the ability with which Mr. Deputy
Fry had brought this question before them, and
with many things he stated he (Mr. De Jersey)
cordially agreed ; but in the main—the result at
which he aimed—he most respectfully differed. He
could not help saying with regard to this motion
that it appeared to emanate from the Local Go-
vernment and Taxation Committee. (No, no, and
hear, hear.) He was very much struck with some
observations made by Deputy Fry as to the con-
nection of the Corporation with the Board of Works.
Deputy Fry condemned those who perniitted that
connection, but on making inquiries he found that
Deputy Fry was a member of the court when that
connection took place. He objected to the court
accepting a proposition which simply enunciated a
principle, but did not comprehend a plan ; and the
reason why no plan was submitted was that the
subject might be referred to a committee of "educa-
tion." (Laughter.) He did not believe the me-
tropolitan boroughs would agree to the establish-
ment of municipalities, believing that the Corpora-
tion wanted them merely as a lever to get rid of its
connection with the Board of Works ; and it ap-
peared to him, therefore, that the simplest course
would be to pass a resolution affirming that it was
desirable that the advantages of municipal govern-
ment should be extended to the several districts of
the metropolis, but without taking any further
action in the matter.
Mr. FRICKER supported the resolution, and hoped
they would not wait for the metropolis to goad
them on to come to a determination. Knowing
the advantages of local government themselves,
they should at once take speedy action to secure it
for others.
Mr. H. GOVEII said he could not support the
proposal to refer the matter to the local govern-
ment committee, because those gentlemen were
already pledged to a certain course. His opinion
was that they should not deal with the question
at all. They would doubtless require the co-ope-
ration of the metropolis in the future, as they had
done in the past, on matters of great importance ;
and they should not, therefore, place themselves in
opposition to the expressed views of the vestries,
who had declared themselves against the establish-
ment of municipalities.
Mr. Deputy ELLIOTT declared that people out-
side the city were scared at the bare thought of
municipalities ; and that if they did want them they
would have taken action themselves.
Mr. D. ROGERS said the question was whether
the corporation, possessing the advantages, of local
government itself, should not step forward and en-
deavour to get those advantages for other people.
At the present time the metropolis was nothing
more than a chaos, there being so many divisions
and subdivisions with regard to the management of
its local affairs. As to the statement that the
vestries did not desire the establishment of muni-
cipalities, he believed that was not so ; but that,
on the contrary, they did desire them. (Hear,

hear.)
Mr. JESSE TURNER contended that there was
nothing inimical to the privileges enjoyed by the
corporation in the resolution of Deputy Fry. As to
the Board of Works, there could he no doubt that if
it continued for any length of time it must have
increased power given to it, which would either be
for good or evil, and he believed it would be for the
latter. In concluding his observations, the hon.
member alluded to the chairman of the Board of
Works, and thought a person of more eminence
ought to have been elected to fill- so important a
position, to which was attached a salary of £2,000
a year. (Oh, oh.)
Mr. LOWMAN TAYLOR was satisfied the court did
not agree with the disparaging remarks—(loud cries
of " Hear, hear")—that had been made in refe-
rence to a man who had been appointed to one of
the most important ;positions to which any man
ceuld be elected, who was so able and so well
calculated to carry out everything which was
entrusted to his care, and who had raised himself
by his own ability to the office which he now occu-
pied. (Hear, hear.) The Corporation of London
could refer to many of its chief magistrates who
had risen in the same manner from very humble
means to the very high and dignified position of
Lord Mayor of London. (Cheers.) lie had heard
some remarks made against the Board of Works
with considerable pain. That board was originally
established to carry out the main drainage
scheme, and he might say that there had been
no additional duties east upon it which he had
not always opposed, believing that with the main
drainage and the 'Thames Embankment they had
enough to do. The honourable -memlier then en-
tered into a lengthened defence of the Beard of
Works, and affirmed that the corporation had
received from 1857 up to the present time £63,827
19s. 11d. for City improvements, as against £59,025
which they had contributed as their share of the
Finsbury-park, Middle-row, Holborn, Southwark-
park, and ether metropolitan improvements. He
would be quite willing to see the Corporation dis-
connected from the Board of Works, but he did not
see how it could be done. The proper course to