The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-23 00:00:00

Channt," which the author of the

oalzh! to hive learned before he s-t
wont coinpaition in %chic"' the magic of music was to
be expressed—and even that sweet air of Lover's, " The
Fonr leaved Shamrock"—were received with a rapture
which was not more creditable to the Professor and his
fair ivsistants, than to the company that could so
deeply appreciate their merits.

bt.r.

COURT OF SEWERS.

A special Court of Sewers for the city and Liberty of
estminster, and part of the county of Middlesex zas held at
the Sewers-office, in Greek-street, Soho-s ,uare, on Thursday,
in pursuance of the follawing !equisition to the Clerk:—
`' de, the undersigned, six of her Majesty's Justices of
Sewers for WeAminster aid part of the county of Middlesex,
hereby require you, in pursuance of No. 2 of • The Laws, Or-
dinances. and Constitutions,' to convene a Special Court of
Sewers on Thursday next, the loth of January, 1844, to in-
quire into the accuracy of the documents upon which the
Court paid to the contractors in the year 1843 the sum of
21,7671. 10s. 4d. Ala to ascertain the authority of the Court
to pass any laws, ordinances, or constitutions, in opposition
to the general laws of sewers, as laid down in the Statutes and
the judicial decisions thereon."
The requisition was signed by John Leslie, Frederick Hyng,
H. Tuffuell, John Gunter, Joseph Fuller. and Hugh Stark.
Mr. LESLIE, in bringing before the Court the business for
which it had met, namely, to consider the accuracy of the
account of the contractors, to whom the Court paid no less
than 75 per cent. of its income, alluded to the resolution he
had proposed at a former Court, for adding a money price
by the contractors to their daily vouchers of the work done,
by which he would venture to say the irregularities and in-
accuracies he was about to bring under the consideration of
the Court would be done away with ; but he had been told
on that occasion that it was impracticable for measured
works. This - had set him to work to discover the lin-
practicable part of the thing, and upon his attend-
ing the office the next morning he had discovered that
which he was now about to bring before the Court, namely,
that the contractors' bills, purporting to be for work done up
to a given period, were extremely inaccurate; that they were
made out in a manner calculated to deceive the Court ; that
they contained items purporting to be for work done; that the
charges were made for work as if finished, whereas in fact they
were not so ; and, added to this, vouchers were given by the
officers of that Court, vouching for the accuracy of these inac-
curate accounts. Now he bought if he proved this, and which
he should do, not only from the documents themselves, but out
of the mouths of the officers iif the Court, he thought he should
have made out a strong case for some immediate alteration in
the pernicious system under which they were and had been act-
in r for years. Now the first bill to wnich he would
advert was tnat of one of their contractors, Mr. Bird, from
Lady-day to Mi•-ssummer, 1843. Now, that bill amounted to
829/. 6s. 4d., and he v ould show that of 6211., or three.
four hs of the bill, the works were not done till the 15th of
July, and yet vouchers had been given that this hill was cor.
rect. The worthy Commissioner then put several questions to
Mr. Doull, the Assistant Surveyor, who stated that the works
were not completed on the 44th of June, although vouchers
had been given of the accuracy of the bill. Was not this to
say the least of it, a most improper mode of proceeding, and
calculated to in ince the officers of the Court to mislead it ? He
therefore thought, that he had made out his case in the first
instance.
Mr. D. Buns: thought there could be no imputation of fraud,
but that great carelessness had been shown with respect Ira the
contractors' accounts.
Mr. CHAMBERS considered that Mr. Leslie had made nut
his ca,e, and he clerk ought to be instructed to take a minute
of the proceeding, that a'future occurrence of the same irre-
gularity might be avoided.
Mr. LESLIE then proceeded to call for the vouch- rs.
Mr. Doom. said he could not lay his hand on the voucher
for the 6211.: they bad been a good deal pulled about. He
count nor find them.
Several of the Commissioners expressed great dissatisfaction
at this announcement.
Alr 1 EsLIE then asked to be handed such vouchers as the
officer had, and on their being handed him he showed that the
first be took up was without date.
An Hon. COMMIS,IONER objected that Mr. Leslie had no
motion before the Court..
Mr. LESLIE said 1-e could mot frame a motion upon a dot u.
ment which he could no; obtain. Ultimately the Hon. Com-
missioner moved a re-olution to the effect, " That the account
of Mr. Bird's bill for the quarter ending the 24th of Junsr was
B°9l. 6s. 4d., for work stated to he done, while, in fact, work
to the anniunt of 621/. was not dine till the 15th of July."
Mr. TOFNELL seconded the resolution..
Mr. t ,ONALinso s defended the course that had been pursued
in making our the contractors' amount, but at the same tune
admitted th.a is would have been an Improvement, if the ac-
count bad stated that the work was not completed or messured.
The worthy Commissioner, he was sort, did not intend to im-
pute fraud by his resolution.
Mr. LESLIE said that the course that had been pursued was
a breach of the contract entered into between that Court and
the contractor.
Mr DONALDSON moved an amendment, to the effect that
an explanation should be added to the bills.
The CHAIRMAN could not look upon Mr. Donaldson's
amendment as such, it was, in fact, an original motion. Per-
haps Mr. Leslie could modify his resolution.
Mr. i.ESLlE—Certainly not.
The Hon. F. lirsro thought it would be unfair to call upon
Mr. Leslie to qualify his resolution, unless they were pre-
pared to contradict the truth of his statements. No such
thing bad been attempted. He would support the resolution
as it stood

Mr. TLITNELL said it was immaterial whether the irregu-
larity arose from carelessness, or sonic worse design, on the
part of the officers of the Court. It was the duty of the Court,
seeing that they were expending the public money, to insist
upon seeing that the accounts were perfectly accurate. He
would not have them, for the sake of the officers, get rid of the
question by a side w,nd.
The CHAIRMAN thought the resolution conveyed an imputa-
tion upon the officers which they did not merit.
Sir. HAWKES contended that Mr. Leslie had made out his
statement, although it amounted only to a charge of irregu-
larity; but, nevertheless, the officers were to blame for that
irregularity, and, consequently, the Court must affirm his
reselution.
Mr. FULLER said the money had been paid on the authority
of their audithrs , and from the irregularity of the accounts
that had been produced, the auditors could not. be trusted, for
the vouchers upon which they had paid were valueless.
Mr. LESLIE replied. In doing so the worthy Commissioner
referred to the statement. he had made, and read extracts to
show the vouchers were valuel, ss, nd consequently he had
made nut his charge. He wa: pleased with the discovery, and
he was not less pleased at seeing the irregularity palliated by
the late chairman and other legal members of the Court.
Having done thi- much, he was now in a position to show that
the public had suffered peculation to a vast extent, from the
loss of interest of money by means of those false documents
furnished by the officers, passed by the auditors, and sanctioned
by the chairman.
Mr. Leslie's resolution was then put from the chair, and
upon a show of hands was declared to be carried, there being
11 for it and 4 against it.
Sir. LESLIE thought that the Court hail done themselves
great honour in the course they had adopted. He would now
advert. to the bill of their other contractors, the Messrs. Ben-
netts, for the same quarter as the one he had averted to with
respect to Mr. Itird, namely, from the 25,h of March to the
24th of June, 1843 That account amounted to 2 2881., and
the t,ourt could eoubtless be surprised to find that the amount
for the last five days was 1,529/. 25. 7d. Not. he was irepared
to prove that of the former amount works to the extent of
1,160/ were not finished. Now the daily vouchers with re-
spect to that bill, and the bill itsea, represented that all the
cork was completed and measured. The account was
signed by the contractor, and countersigned by the
officers of the Court. It was perfect :n every particu-
lar, only—that it was not true. l'he worthy Commissioner
then proceeded to show that tt e work was neither done, nor
was it measured at the time the money was p ;id. The con-
traeter w,s plaided to his money within six months a ter
his work beingcompleted, or. by his contract., he was entitled to
receive five per cent. interest at tertl ards for ,Il that the Board
of Commissioners were indebted to him. Such being the cos'',
the terms of the contract were quite clear, that for ad moneys
advanced beftre tile to the contractors the public were entitled
to receive five per c nt. discount. The worthy Commissioner
elicited from the offi sera, answers-to questions that Proved his
atiegatom. de showed that these had been an organised sys.
tea: of use returns of vouchers carried oti, and whether or not
it Iv tgist he the c,,e, the t.fficsrs lad themselves open to suspi..
eion that they (*rived souse emolument by lending themselves to
this description of fraud. After going through a number of
bills, he proposefi a similar reso.ntom to the first he had. moved,
to place these facts on the minutes of the Court as having been
proved
Mr. DONALDSON moved an amendment to the effect,—that
as e---rtain works paid fur in 11 43 had not been completed on
the Quarter-dg-, c hick the bill purported, the Surveyms should
attach to the items of the bill paid the time when such works
were measured.
After some discussion,
The CHAIRMAN decided that this amendment could be put.
Mr. TurarELL, M.P., could not agree to the amendment
of Mr. Donaldson. •
After some further discussion,
The CHAIRMAN put the amendment, and, upon a show of
hands, there appeared—
For the amendment .. . 11
Against it
Mr. DONALDSON having called for a division, and that im-
portant event having taken place by one party going to one side
of the Court, and the other to the opposite side, there ape
peered—
For the amendment l2
Against it
Majority for the amendment —l
The CHAL.MAN then put the original resolution of Mr.
Leslie, and upon a show of hands and a division, there ape
peered—
For the original resolution
Against it
The CHAIRMAN gave his casting vote against the original
resolution which was consequently lust.
Mr. Lesus said that he would now bring under the atten-
tion of the Court the account of the Messrs. Bermetts for the
qii,,rier commencing on the 24th of June, and ending on the
29th of September, 1643. The Han. Commissioner showed
:miter re-ults with respect to this as to the la-t two accounts,
and mastid a similar resolution, which, strange to say upon a
division, he carried by a maj-rity of 11 to 1.
After some further discussion, the Court adjourned, upon the
understanding that Sir. Leslie is to renew the subject on Fri-
day, the 26th inst.

Another Court was held on Friday for the general purposes
of the Court, the balioting for a Chairman, and other business.
Mr. ‘'‘'ILLOUGHbY took the char at twelve o'clock, and the
routine business of the Court was proceeded with up to two
o'clock, when the ballot for Chairman took place, and conti.
tilted up io three o'vloek.
During the time the ballot was taking place,
Mr. LESLIE stated that those who had proposed and seconded
Mr. Tot: elt, con.idered the proceedings of the Court to be
illegal in electing a Chairman annually; that they were deter-
mined to take no part it. it. The Court had perhaps better,
therefore, not trouble itself turiber, in the mattcr.—( Cries of
• Nu, no," and •• Go on w th the ballot ")
Mr. ALLA zisost was surprised at the_statements of the Hon.
Cummisiiiiner opposite. He was the originator of this pro-
ceeding, and now he was frightened at the Frankenstein he had
raised.

The CHAlamaN said he had just received a paper, signed
by more than six Corunaissioners, protesting against the elec-
tion of a chairman for a sear., Aoi, he must beg leave to
saV that a protest wa, unknown to that Court. and it would,,
at: refire, be irregular to receive it. l'h? majority constituted
the procee, iris anti ,eteinitn4tion of that Court.
r. t.OPEKICH cons.n!ered th ,t the proceedings of the mi-
nority were entitled to be regarded as touch as the majority.
In his opinion tlw chairman had no power to refuse to receive
the protest, unless it contained so iiething illegal.
M. r' ROUGHTON eonctu red with chat had been laid down by
the t.i.::;rti:an. ls;,b,irty but the House of Lords, in this
count y, lir,tl the power of entering
,a protest,
31r. LESLIE submit t,-(1 that 111.1 .eau the powt r to adopt the
course they had done.
The CHAIRMAN wirs of Opinion ti at the clerk wag not war-
ranted in putting such a rotest on the, proceOtngs of the,
Cow; tier. to those Who
12J41 preserved it d,c,itie receiving the protest The Chairman
then opened the ballet-glass, and declared the numbers for Air.
Donaldson were 41. .• • •-