The Sun.
London, England, 1819-11-08 00:00:00

tie parties named, by itiformation, indictment, or
otherwise.
Sir C. S. HUNTER, in a short speech, seconded
the motion.
Mr. Alderman WOOD deprecated the hastiness
of such a proceeding, and called upon the Court,
by every consideration of justice and fairness, not
to determine upon the prosecution of a Member
of that Court without any previous notice or in-
timation to him of such a business being to be
brought forward, especially as the Honourable
INlember had appealed to their candour not to pro-
ceed against him in his absence, and at a time
when illness alone prevented his appearance in
Iris place to defend himself. No Member was
more regular in his attendance than that Worthy
Alderman, nor mote ready on all occasions to
justify his conduct nor could he perceive any
reason whatever for precipitation in a business of
so serious and important a nature. He confessed
he was himself taken somewhat by surprise, and
had no expectation till within the last hour that
this business would come under the consideration
of the Court that clay ; no notice whatever of that
fact was inserted in the sommons, nor did he
know, though he was one of the Committee of
Privileges, that the Committee were prepared to
make their Report. He had received no sum-
mons to attend the Committee for that purpose,
but happening to be at the Guildhall that intim-
ing, he learnt ,by accident that the Committee
were sitting ; he went instantly to the Committee
Room, and found there not indeed all the Gentle-
men whose names we,re to the Report, though lie
took it for granted they had been in attendance,
but only the Lord Mayor, Sir William Curtis, and
Mr. Alderman Cox, from whom he learnt that
the business was, already concluded, that a Re-
pot t hall been agreed to, and would be presented
to the Court that day.
It was here explained to the Worthy Alderman
that a summons to attend the Committee that
had been sent to him, and the shortness
of the notice was accounted for from the circum-
stance that the opinions of the Learned Comisel
had not been procured till late on the evening
previous, and that the instrue:ious of the Lord
N for stmanooing tie Cotm»ittee were not
delivered to the proper Officer till eleven o'clock
on [Friday night.
Mr. Alderman Wolin said, he moth! not under-
take to deny that a summons had been sent to
him ; he must, however, declare, that he had-been
at his counting-house, and had neither seen or heard
of any such summons. lie contended, neverthe-
less, that the COMMittee were not in a
sUua-
tiou to make their Report, and that he had a
right to conclude that such Report wools/ not
he made, and could not with propriety be made,
triltil certain Papers, for which lie had moved, and
which he considered of great importance, as to the
proper decision on the case, were baffle them—
[The Wort by Aldermau, w e understood, had moved
in the Committee for the production of Prece-
dents, to move the right of the Court of Aldermen
to interfere with the privileges of the Livery, and
toFo, to spew the right of that Court to direct pro.
secotions to lie iostitnted at the expense of the
City j.—These l'apets, the IVorthy Alderman said,
for reasons unknown to him, had not been laid
before the Committee; and he insisted, that, with-
out a doe consideration on those particular points,
they ought not to have adopted the recommenda-
tion for instituting criminal prosecutions.
Oue of the officers said, the papers moved for
and ordered by the Committee were in preparation,
bat there bad not been sufficient time to make the
necessary search, and get the documents completed.
Mr. Alderman WOOD urged that this Was a good
and sufficient reason why the Court ought not to
proceed further on the business at present, it
might turn out that they were inter feting where
they lead no right, and incurring an expense which
they were not authorised to defray out of the
funds of the City. At all events, in his jodgment,
the Report had been prematurely agreed to with-
out the proper documents before them, and as
there could he no occasion whatever for precipi-
tation, even if the I ecommendation of the Cont.
mirtee was ultimately adopted, as there had been
no notice of this business on (he summons, and
above all, as the Hon. Member accused had thrown

himself on !heir justice not to be condemned un-
heird, and in his absence, he should move as an

amendment, that the consideration of the report
be arfjon►rted to the next Court.
Mr. Alderma►► 'lunar seconded the motion for
the adjournment of the proceedings, and dwelt
with much force upon the want of candour and

feeling in thus directing a prosecution against one
of their own Members, who AVOS absent through
unavoidable and nntoresecn illness, and who ap-
p ar ed to rely that they would not resume pro-
ceedings against him, intieb less come to art olti-
inate decision in his absence, and without bear-

jug %chat he might have to urge in his defence.
There was one point respecting Ibis business,
hid) did not appear to have occupied the atten-
tion of the Committee, but which lie considered as
of much importance in the curse. It was well

known, and had been publicly intimated previously
to Michadmai Day, that an attempt would he
made at the Common Hall to go into the consi-

rl,•ritini of other business previonoly to proceeel•
in:: to the Election of 14 Lord Mayor. if, there-
tto e Illy Lordship knew of such an intention—if

Ise thought ottci► a proceeding riotous, and an Ole-
gll obstruction of the Election—if, as had been

a,serted, the mover ou that occasion had informed

his Lordship what he was about to do, and tett.
tiered to him the motion he was about to propose,
hetore be quitted the liestings, it was his duty, if
be apprehended riot, to have stopped to prevent
it, and not, by retiring from the Hall, to leave it
in doubt, at least, whether he considered such pro-

ceetting improper or otherwise. Lie coneeiyed,
therefore, that it was of importance that the fact
st,,,nid be ascertained, to the satisfaction of the

Comtnittee and the Court, whether Lis Lordship
..vas aware of the proceedings about to be adopt-
ed, as should it appear that his Lordship was hilly
intornied upon that subject, his quitting the Hill

without interfering to prevent it, might have: been

construed by many to sanction the opinion, that
lueb oceediugs were neither irregular, anuual,
ur iliegAl.

smut, of the Law Offwers here intimated to Mr.
Altiei,lll3ll 11011,, that CYCIt if that fact were