The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-03 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of
business.

EXTENSION OF THE PRACTICE OF ATTORNEYS.
The LORD MAYOR presented the following petition
the Court :

" The petition of David Williams Wire, solicitor,
showeth that your petitioner has been admitted and
sworn, and is now practising as a solicitor in the High
Court of Chancery, and in the Courts of Law at West-
minster, as appears by the certificate hereunto an-
nexed.

‘" Your petitioner, therefore, humbly prays that he
may be admitted an attorney of the Mayor's Court of
London."

Alderman BROWN presented a similar petition from
William Davis, of Coleman-street. He stated that he
felt himself bound to present the petition from the
respectable individual whose name was annexed, but
he believed there were many interests affected by it,
and he, therefOre, thought that the matter should be
referred to a Committee, and that the attorneys of the
Mayor's Court should be informed of the application,
and summoned to attend before a Committee upon the
subject._ - - - -

lair. Wean, on being called upon by the Lord
Mayor, stated that he made the application under the
authority of the 6th and 7th Victoria, cap. 73, which
enacted " that every person who should have -been
duly admitted an attorney of any one o f the superior
courts of law at Westminster, should be entitled to
be admitted an attorney in any other of the said
courts, or in any inferior court of law in England and
Wales." He (Mr. Wire) had been admitted in the
superior courts, and he now claimed to be admitted
an attorney of the inferior court of the Mayor and
Aldermen of the City of London, commonly called
the Mayor's Court. He was fully aware that the
practice of that court had been exclusively confined
to four gentlemen, and that they would claim a vested
interest in the monopoly, having either purchased or
obtained these places by the gift of the Corporation. But
notwithstanding such practice, and notwithstanding
its previous legality, he submitted that the Act of
last session completely destroyed any chartered or
vested rights, and threw open the Court to all prac-
titioners, admitted by the superior courts, and he was
borne out in the opinion by the Act itself, by the ex-
ceptions intrcduced, and by the interpretations already
put uponit by the Recorders in other towns andeities,
who, notwithstanding the previous exclusion, now,
under the authority of the Act, admitted all practi-
tioners duly qualified, He believed it would be un-
necessary further to argue the question as a matter
of law, but if it were necessary, he was fortified in
the view he had taken of the Act by authorities.
He would now, therefore, turn to the benefits likely
to result to the public from the throwing open of the
Court. It was a Court of large jurisdiction, and em-
braced both a legal ani an equitable side.
Alderman BROWN said that this was a question of
grave consideration, and deeply affecting the rights of
others, and it ought, therefore, be referred to a Com-
mittee, to examine and report upon.
Mr. WIRE said, with the concurrence of his
Learned Friend near him, he had no objection to a
reference, provided the Committee considered the
matter forthwith, as he was anxious to get the answer
of the Court, to enable him, if necessary, to go to the
Court of Queen's Bench fora mandamus. _

Alderman T. Noon and Alderman BROWN se-
conded a proposition to refer the matter to a Com-
mittee, and to advise with the law officers of the
Corporation thereon.—The motion was unanimously
agreed to.

Subsequently a similar petition was presented, flom
Mr. Hartley, of New Bridge-street, solicitor; and it
was stated that several more petitions upon the, sub-
ject would be likely to follow, it being the determina-
tion of the profession to open the Court.
MR. BARNARD GREGORY.
Sir PETER LAURIE called the attention of the
Court to a statement which had been referred to by
Mr. Wells, the late Common Councilman of the ward
of Farringdon. It appeared from the newspapers,
that Mr. Wells had waited upon the Lord Mayor, and
represented that he had seen a statement in some
newspaper of conduct adopted towards Mr. Barnard.
Gregory in the gaol of Newgate of the most unjusti-
fiable description. Mr. Well's complaint- threw a
vast deal of odium upon the ma?istrates of London
and the Sheriffs ; and it was evident that there ex-
isted not the least ground of complaint. The whole
of the information upon which Mr. Wells grounded
his charge was most grossly false—(Hear, hear)—
and the whole accusation consisted of a monstrous
series of exaggerations.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir C. S. HUNTER said that if the Court noticed
newspaper parographs they would soon have constant
ethployment chalked out for them.
Alderman FAREBROTIIER objected to' the mention
of the matter at all, and said that the notice of it in
that Court would answer the purpose of Mr. Wells,
by giving his name the respectability of having been
used in it.—(Laughter.) The accusation of cruelty
was beyond anything absurd.
The LORD MAYOR said he had told Mr. Wells that
he believed there was not the slighted foundation for
the statements to which he made reference, and that
the whole was a tissue of the most ridiculous exagge-
rations.

Sheri
all in t
bffeMstUatSenaGßOenVtE
fdoerelawreht thhatthetrhee
wonaslytthheinlgeaastt
foundation was the assertion that Mr. Gregory's
health was suffering; of that fact there was not the
slightest doubt. It was palpable that Mr. Gregory's
health was rapidly declining, and he re-
gretted to have it in his power to mention
that circumstance. He had spoken to Mr. Gregory
upon the subject of the treatment in the prison, and
was assured by him that he had every accommodation
and attention which any imprisoned person could ex-
.pect, and surely Mr. Gregory might be allowed to
judge for himself on such a subject.—(Hear, hear.)
He (Sheriff Musgrove) regretted to declare that Mr.
Gregory's health was rapidly declining.
Here the conversation ended.
After the transaction of a little local business, the
Court adjourned.

Conru, MARcu 9.—Prince George of Cambridge,
attended by the Hon. Captain James Macdonald, aide-de-
camp, has returned to Corfu from a tour in the Neapolitan
and Papal States; he passed three weeks at Naples, and his
Royal Highness is expected shortly to visit England. Lady
Seaton and Lady_ Pettrizzupola have given several balls.
Prince George of Cambridge gave a ball on the anniversary
of his father's birthday, the splendour of which, with the
beauty of the ladies, exceeds all description; it was very
numerously attended. The officers of the 97th Regiment
have also given two balls, and nothing was left undone by
Lieut.-Colonel Lockyer, and the officers of the regiment, for
the comfOrt and amusement of their guests. The Royal Ar-
tillery and the Royal Engineers have issued invitations for
next Tuesday. - Lady'Seaton intends commemorating Prince
George's birthday on the 26th instant by a similar entertain=
ment, at the Palace. The fourth session of the seventh Par-
liament opened on the Ist, and his Excellency the Lord High
Cemmiaieher gave 41 speech 9A the 4th instant.