The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-18 00:00:00

COUR2 OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a meeting of the Court of Common
Council was held at Guildhall for the despatch of
business, the Lord Mayor presiding. On the mo-
tion of Mr. Lintott the replies of their Royal High-
nesses the Prince and Princess of Wales to the ad-
dress of congratulation of the Corporation on the
birth of a Princess were ordered to be entered on
the journals of the court. It was reported by the
Town Clerk (Mr. Woodthorpe) that the American
Government had presented to the Corporation a
handsome volume by Mr. Frederick Seward, en-
titled " Tributes of the Nations to Abraham Lin-
coln." The Court unanimously accepted the gift,
and the Town Clerk was directed to express, in a
suitable reply, their sincere thanks for the
same. The book will be deposited in the Guild-
hall Library. A letter was read from Mr. It.
W. G. Herbert, of the Board of Trade, in-
forming the Court that, under the provisions of
the new City of London Gas Act, the Board
had appointed Dr. Letheby chief gas examiner ;
Messrs. J. F. Evans, J. H. Paterson, and S. Pearce
gas referees ; and Mr. C. Parker, auditor of ac-
counts. On the motion of Mr. De Jersey the letter
was referred to the Special Gas Committee for con-
sideration and report, Mr. Dresser-Rogers com-
menting on the appointment of Mr. Evans, the
engineer of the Chartered Gas Company, who, he
said, could hardly be called in the words of the Act
an " impartial person." The City Solicitor (Mr.
T. J.. Nelson) reported that Mr. Kerr, the Judge of
the City of London Court, had, without previously
applying to the Common Council, and in violation
of the 39th Standing Order, appointed a Deputy
Registrar of the court. The person appointed
was a solicitor, and he had been once a bankrupt,
twice an insolvent debtor, and had once exe-
cuted an arrangement under the Act. He had
also been excluded, by a special resolution, from
the Incorporated Law Society in February,
1864. The Judge had been twice absent from his
duties, and the right of appointment of his deputy
was in the hands of the Common Council. He,
however, took the matter into his own hands, and
appointed Mr. Gibbons and Mr. Gilmore to act as
his deputies. On the motion of Mr. Ridley the re-
port of the city solicitor was referred to the Officers
and Clerks Committee. On the proposition of Mr.
M'George it was referred to the General Purposes
Committee to inquire into and consider the position
of the Corporation in reference to the Royal Hos-
pitals, the present mode of appointing Corporation
Governors, and whether in future it would not be
expedient that the nomination should be made by
the Court, and the election be only for a limited
period. Mr. Lowman Taylor moved, and Mr. R. P.
Taylor seconded, a motion to the effect that as it
was desirable that the street on the northern side
of the Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market
should be continued through Charterhouse-square
to Aldersgate-street, it be referred to the Markets
Improvement Committee to take the necessary
steps to effect that object, with power to ne-
gotiate with the authorities of the Charterhouse
and the railway companies. Mr. Lowman Taylor
said if the motion were carried it would effect a
great public improvement, and there was reason to
believe that, by an arrangement with the Charter-
house, it would be carried out at very little cost.
The motion was adopted unanimously. Mr. Deputy
Fry brought up a report from the Special Reception
Committee, detailing their proceedings in connec-
tion with the visit of his Imperial Majesty the Sul-
tan, to the City, and recommending that a suitable
medal be provided to commemorate the event. He
said he had reason to believe that the arrangements
made to receive his Majesty met with universal ap-
proval, and the event would always be a most in-
teresting one to the corporation. Such a distin-
guished company had never before been assembled
in the Guildhall, and the committee had thought
that the members of that Court should have some
memorial of the occasion. The cost of the medals
commemorating the visit of the Emperor and Em-
press of the French was £613, that of the King
of Sardinia £570, and that of the entry of the
Princess of Wales £526. The report was ad Jpted,
and referred back for execution, as was also that of
the Improvement Committee, recommending the
Corporation to apply next session for an Act in re-
ference to the usage of subways. The Court de-
clined to entertain a petition of the Board of Works
for the Limehouse district, praying that in the
event of the removal of Billingsgate Market the
Corporation would apply for an Act of Parliament
to establish a fish market at Shadwell. Mr. R. N.
Philipps brought up a report of the Law and Par-
liamentary Committee, of which he is chairman, re-
lating to felons' goods and the jewel robberies in
Cornhill and Threadneedle-street. It stated that
on the 24th of October, 1867, a petition of Mr.
John Walker, of 68, Cornhill, was referred to the
committee, praying that the Court would supple-
ment the grant of £5O by the further sum of £lB9
15s. 6d., making a total of £239 15s. 6d., being
the proceed of the sale of the goods belonging to
him, and taken from the prisoners convicted of
the burglary at his shop. The committee heard
Mr. Walker and also Mr. Superintendent Durkin
andluspectorßrennan as to the circumstances of the
robbery. On the 28th of November they had re-
ferred to them a petition of Mr. William Johnson,
of 54, Threadneedle-street, praying the court to
supplement the grant of £5O by an order for the
delivery to him of such further sums, being the
proceeds of the sale of property forfeited by certain
prisoners convicted of burglary, as might appear
just and reasonable, and then retained by the she-
riffs as felons' goods. On Dec. 16 the committee
received a letter from Messrs. Mullens, solicitors to
Messrs. Baum and Son, bullion dealers, requesting
that an opportunity might be given to them of being
heard before them, and alleging that the whole of
the money taken from the felons referred to was
the proceeds of the robbery at Messrs. Baum's pre-
mises. On the 7th of June last a report was
brought up from the committee in relation to those
applications, and agreed to by the Common Council.
The committee further proceeded to the discussion
of felons' goods, and instructed the City Solicitor to
prepare a case and take the opinion of the Recorder
and the Common Sergeant upon the question. The
question on which they gave their decision was
whether, under the present circumstances, the Court
of Common Council had now the power to deal
with the proceeds of the forfeited goods in ques-
tion, and in what way. The decision was as fol-
lows :—" Felons' goods are clearly vested by char-
ter in the corporation of London, and the usage
which has prevailed for a long course of years
to allow the sheriffs to appropriate them not
having been unbroken and uniform, but subject
from time to time to orders of the Common
Council, we ate of opinion that the Sheriffs have
never acquired an absolute right to such goods.
The report of the committee, however, in respect
to the funds now in question, confirmed by the
court and afterwards acted upon, might raise a
serious doubt as to whether the Corporation has
not in this case, by orders already made, exhausted
its authority over these moneys ; but, on the whole,
we are inclined to think that in strict law it is still
competent for them to make a further order, if
they deem it expedient, under the circumstances."
After that decision the committee thought it unde-
sirable to proceed with further inquiries, except on
fresh instructions from the Court. In the result
the Court yesterday declined to give those instruc-
tions, and the reference to the committee was there-
fore discharged. The Court, after granting £lO5
to St. Mark's Hospital, adjourned.

IMPORTANT TO Junons.—At the Sheriffs' Court,
yesterday, one of the jurymen, when about to be sworn,
objected on the ground that he was above age. Mr. Un-
der-Sheriff Burcholl explained to him, and the public at
the same time, that during the month of September all
persons could inspect the lists, and if they had any ground
of exemption could be removed by the overseers, and if
they neglected then they could appeal to the sessions.
Whilst the names were on the list they were bound to
serve. He would, however, excuse his attendance. The
juror said his second objection was to the word "next,"
instead of "instant," in the summons, and the Under-
Sheriff 'laid it was a trappareiat error.