The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-22 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

On Tuesday a Court was held for the dispatch of
business.

Sheriff MUSGROVE reported.to the Court that there were
at present sapersons in Newgate undergoing sentence of
imprisonment, varying from three months to two years,
and that there were now in the prison some cases of in-
sanity. The subject of sentencing convicts to confine-
ment in Newgate—a system wholly at variance with the
discipline so necessary to be observed in a gaol set apart
'for untried persons alone—had been more than once
before introduced to the Court, but as the evil was a
growing one, he considered it to be his duty to repeat
the fact.—(Hear, hear.)
The REMEMBRANCER stated that the subject was in
-the progress of inquiry by the proper authorities.
• The Report of the Police Committee upon the petition
of W. L. Brake, late one of the inspectors of the City
police, praying that the petitioner should be allowed the
expenses incurred by him in an action, of trover brought
against him, as such inspector, for the recovery of pro-
perty detained by him, was brought forward. It stated
that the •Committee were of opinion that the prayer of
the petition ought not to be compliedwith.
It appeared from what was stated in the Court, that
the late inspector had acted in the NI hole bn:,iness under
the direction ofthe-Commissioner of the City.l'olice, and
had by that officer's advice employed an attorney to de-
fend the action, instead of applying tb the Court of Al-
dermen to authorise the City Solicitor to Undertake the
matter, and that the result of the action was a verdict
against. Brake, by which that individual was put to the
expense of 1401. or 1501.
Alderman BROWN said it was really very hard upon
the poor man, that he should be compelled to pay such
a penalty for doing what he considered. to he an act of
duty, under the sanction of the City Commissioner.. He
wished the Report to be sent back to the Committee, in
order that it might be ascertained whether some means
of relieving the petitioner from such unjust expense
could not Le adopted.
Alderman WILSON said, the Committee felt the case to
be a hard one, but they considered that,. upon principle,
they could not recommend the Court to pay the expense
incurred 'in an action defended by a strange solicitor.
Brake had, it appeared, acted under a rule which had
not been made legal, and the City Solicitor, who, if any
one ought to have been employed was the person, was
not consulted upon the propriety of the course of the
proceedings adopted.
Alderman FAREBROTHER said there was no excuse
for sending back the Report. The petitioner had im-
properly detained the goods of the plaintiff in the action,
and the Commissioner had sent his inspector to his own
solicitor to defend the action, and, .now' that the verdict
was against the inspector, off the Commissioner sent his
inspector for the money to pay his solicitor's bill.—
(Laughter.) The Court could never think of sanction-
ing such a mode of disposing of the City funds.
.Sir PETER' LAURIE—The subject has been• already
twice before, in other shapes, before the Committee, and
it was quite clear that the petitioner had no claim at all,
Alderman Wool) said the Committee Could•not help
-the conclusion they had come to. At the same time,
Brake had no alternative, except an exceedingly dis-.
agreeable one. The Man was obliged to obey the Com-
missioner, in peril of losing his place, and the conse-
quence of his obedience was the action at law. The de-
fendant was but an half.pay officer, and had a family
to support, and it was a great severity upon him that he
should be obliged to pay 1401., or 1501., for having acted
in strict conformity with the direction of his superior.
The amendment, to send back the Report for reconsi-
deration was then lost, 7 hands having- been held up for
and '8 against it.

THE MAGISTATES OF TILE CITY.AND TUE CITY. POLICE

COMMISSIONER.

Alderman WiLsom presented a petition from the in-
habitants of the ward of Castle Baynard, complaining
that :the neighbourhood of St. Paul's Churchyard was
greatly disturbed and disgusted by the conduct of women
of the town at night, and praying that the Court would
take sonic means of abating so serious a nuisance. Ile
had, upon the representation of the circumstances to
advised the petitioners to apply to the Commissionceof
the City Police, who, however, had informed them that
the magistrates would not assist his efforts to remove,
'the women bf the town from. the place described as being
subject to the nuisance. The Alderman moved that the
petition be -referred to•the Police Committee.
Mr. KEATING (of St. Paul's Church-yard), one of the
petitioners, said, in answer to questions put by members