The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-18 00:00:00

THE NEW CORPORATION BILL.

In answer to an observation made by Mr.
Jcrs-y, to the effect that of all the inoperative and
unintelligible Bills ever sent into Parliament by the
Corporation of London, the New Corporation Bill
was the most peculiar and absurd,

Mr. Deputy HARRISON said the Bill, when origi-
nally introduced into Parliament, was calculated to
promote the public interest by considerably enlarg-
ing the franchise, but in the House of Lords it had
undergone an injurious change; that the period of
the session at which that change was effected had
been so late as to prevent the application of any re-
medy ; and that as the Bill, altered as it was by such
interposition, was better than no Bill at all, it had
been considered judicious to take the only alternative
which presented itself.--(Hear.) He supposed that,
after the experiment of the present measure should
have lasted 12 months, the Court would go to Par-
liament for additional powers. At all events, the
franchise would be enlarged by the new Act.
Mr. R. TAYLOR said, the injurious alteration which
had taken place in the 8111 was unjustly attributed to
the exertions of the representatives of the ward of
Farringdon Without. There was no ground whatever
for such a statement, whatever effect might have been
produced by the suggestions of individuals who were
not authorised or recognised by the ward.—(Hear.)
Mr. DE JERSEY said, the Act was certainly so full
of blunders that he had been obliged to ask the
meaning of each part of it as he read it through, and
without being able to obtain any intelligible answer.
—(A laugh, and cries of " Hear, hear.")
Mr. Deputy HABalsoia referred to the city officer
who attended Parliament to watch the proceedings to
state whether the Bill had not sustained the obnoxious
alteration in the House of Lords when it was too late
to protest against it, and whether if the Corporation
had not accepted the measure in its changed form
there would have_been any Bill at all passed upon the
subject.
The Court did not consider it necessary to press
the question asked by Mr. Harrison, the Remem-
brancer having upon a former occasion answered de-
cidedly, that the alteration had been made in the
Upper House of Parliament, and that if it had not
been accepted, there would have been no Act at all
passed by the Legislature on the occasion.

APPOINTMENT OP COMMITTEES.
The Court, which was by no means numerously
attended during the day, the paper business having
presented no extraordinary feature, then proceeded to
appoint committees fir the ensuing year.

IRISH ESTATES. -
Mr. R. L. JONES begged to be allowed to take the
opportunity of observing that, although a committee
had been appointed some time ago upon the subject
of the purchase of Irish estates, and the late Lord
Mayor and Mr. Wire and himself had been delegated
to hold a conf.rence with Lord John Russell upon
the subject, nothing at all bad been as yet done in
the matter.—(llear bear.) It was necessary that
some information should be communicated to the
public respecting the question, especially as every-
body was asking whether anything was done, or in-
tended to be done by the Corporation as to the Irish
estates, about which considerable anxiety some time
ago prevailed,
Several members intimated to Mr. Jones that he or
any other member of the deputation had it in his
power to call a meeting to carry into effect the object
for which the deputation was constituted.
It was also intimated that if the Remembrancer
had been called upon to act, the conference would in
all probability have been held long ago. No doubt
there will be no occasion to complain again of the
tardiness of the proceedings.

APPLICATIONS FOR TAKING WATER FROM THE THAMES.
Mr. Deputy OBBARD (the chairman of the Naviga-
tion Committee) brought up a report which stated as
follows

"In pursuance of the recommendation of a former
Court we gave the re quisite instructions to Mr. James
Walker, the civil engineer, and Mr. S. W. Leach, the
engineer and clerk of the works of the Thames naviga-
tion and port of London, to complete the survey of the
river Thames, which had been ctinreerced for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the probab'e (fleet on the ravigation
by the abstraction of water from the river, as proposed
by the scheme (the Henley Waterworks and Navigation
Bill in Parliament). That the engineers having com-
pitied such survey have presented a report iipen the
subject, embracing t. e'r opinion in respect of the scheme
above-mentioned; and also of another f,r taking water
from the Thames at Mapledurhatn, which was suggested
subsequent to our report of April last, and of stbieh
notice has also been given in Parliament. Your com •
mittee beg, therefore, to submit tee engineers' report
and plan to the Court."
Upon the motion of Mr. Deputy °BEARD, seconded
by Mr. Deputy IhautsoN, the reports of the com-
mittee and of the engineers upon the great public
question of the supply of water to the metropolis,
were ordered to be printed and circulated amongst the
members of the Court previously to the consideration
of their merits.

Mr. Deputy iimutzsorr expressed a hope that every
member would pay the most strict attention to a sub-
set of such vrtst iroporttino to the commlinity,

THE OPENING OF THE COAL-EXCHANGE.
Mr. Deputy OBBARD brought up a report of the
proceedings of the Navigation Committee on the oc-
casion of the opening of the Coal-Exchange. It con-
tained extracts from the report of 111 r Rowland, the
principal harbour-master, as to the arrangements made
in the Thames on the occasion of the Royal visit, and
complimentary acknowledgments from members of the
Government upon the magnificent preparations.
Ordered to be printed for circulation amongst the
members.

Mr. J. WOOD (the chairmen of the Coal, Corn, and
Finance Committee) subsequently brought up a
report of the proceedings of the committee over which
he presides, as to the preparations made in the Coal-
Exchange, and in the surrounding neighbourhood, for
the Royal visit, and the accommodation of the public
assembled to participate in welcoming the illustrious
guests.

The report was ordered to be printed and circu-
lated amongst the mernters, and the consideration of
it was ordered to take place on the next court day.
The following sums were voted :
100 guineas to the Royal Naval School.
52/. lOs to the Western City Dispensary.
2001. towards the building and endowment of
King's College Hospital.

INCREASE OF TINE FEANCIIISE.

Mr. Deputy BEDFORD presented a petition, founded
upon resolutions agreed to at a meeting held in Far-
ringdon Ward on the 9th of December for the adop-
tion of measures for increasing the franchise. The Hon.
Gentleman said the petition deserved the particu-
lar attention of the Court; but he regretted to say
that although he presented it as a representative of
the ward, he could not support it.
Sir J. Demi said that he had presided upon the
occasion of the meeting of the ward, and he enter-
tained the opinion, with the petitioners, that the mu-
nicipal affairs of the City of London could not be al-
lowed to be controlled by a constituency amounting
to no more than 6,000 individuals, while the number
of those who appeared to be constitutionally entitled
to vote fPr representatives was so enormous.—(Hear,
hear.) He hoped the Court would on an early day
proceed to the discussion of the vital question of
widening the franchise.

TAYLOR approved of the special appoint-
ment of a day for discussing the great question of
enlarging the franchise ; and
The LORD MAYOR assured the Court that he
should feel much satisfaction in complying with their
wish.— (Cheers.)
Upon the motion of Mr. IL TAYLOR, it was re-
ferred to the Improvement Committee to consider the
means cf providing suitable habitations for the poorer
classes of the citizens.