The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-25 00:00:00

THE LORD MAYOR.

A meeting was held at the Swan-with-Two-Necks,
Lad-lane, of the friends of Mr. Alderman Thomas
Wood, to support his election for the office of Lord
Mayor on the ensuing day of nomination, which NA as
most numerously and respectably attended. Mr.
Coates in the chair.

Mr. CoaTEs, having taken the chair, stated that
they were assembled together as a few of the per-
sonal and private friends of Mr. Alderman Wood,
with a view of promoting his election to the office of
Lord Mayor of the City of London at the next an-
nual period of election. And they did this, first, be-
cause he was the senior Alderman, and, secondly,
because they believed he had never, in word or deed,
done one thing which should prevent that distinction
being awarded him by the Livery of London.—
(Loud cheers.) The question now to be tried was,
' whether a gentleman, supported by men of the highest
respectability, men of all opinions (whether in politics
or religion), was, through gross and false charges, to
be driven from those honours which were not only
due to him, but to those whom he represented ?
(Cheers.) It had been said that the worthy Alder-
man was not qualified to be Lord Mayor of London ;
for what then was he qualified ? What was his pre-
sent position ? He was an Alderman of the City of
London, with the approbation and support of one of
the most respectable and wealthy wards in the City.
Ile was chairman of some of the most important
Committees in the Corporation ; and he was
daily engaged in administering justice with
honour to himself and advantage to his fellow-
citizens.—(Cheers.) And yet he was told that, though
fitted for all these offices, he was not fit to be Lord
Mayor with its tinsel finery. Every attempt to prove
a charge against him had signally failed. He had
passed through a very trying ordeai, and yet he was
to be denied the privileges and honours to which his
seniority and position entitled him. He cou1:1 assure
them, that so far as the worthy Alderman himself '
was concerned, he had little ambition to serve the
office ; but there were ttvo considerations moving him.
So long as a charge was made a reason for an exclu-
sion, if he submitted to it he would acquiesce in the
justice of the accusation ; and, in the next place, be-
ing the Aldei man of a wealthy and respectable ward,
he could not be denied the privilege of rising to the
civic chair without some reproach upon that ward
itself.—(Hear, hear.). The friends of Alderman
Wood had gone into the whole of the case against
him as well as the answers he had made to it, and
they were one and all perfectly satisfied of the in jus-
tice of the charges ; and the whole he could collect
was, that in Mr. Wood's connexion with the Talacre
Company he had been an unfortunate man, but that
he had never, in a single instance, dishonoured him-
self.—(Cheers.) Alderman Wood had come out of
that trying business with no loss of character, honour,
or reputation whatsoever. In supporting Alderman
Wood they must understand that his friends opposed
no other candidate, nor would they coalesce with any
one ; they stood on their own ground. Should he be
elected, he would venture to assert that as Lord
Mayor, he would prove himself to be a man of educa-
tion in mind and manner, and in the duties he would
have to perform, a perfect gentleman.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Alderman WOOD then rose, and was re-
ceived with loud cheers. He said it would ill
become him to let this meeting pass without some
few observations from himself. It was true he had
been assailed in a transaction which, so far as regarded
himself, was as honest and fair as ever man entered
into. He. might have been the credulous dupe of
others, but he had been conscientiously acquitted of
intentional wrong. He was the last man to be in-
duced to retire from a position in which he had been
placed by the suffrages of his fellow-citizens. He did
not merely represent the ward, but of its honours and
character he was as jealous as of his own. Looking
at the show of hands at the time of the last election,
he felt that lie still possessed the confidence of the
Livery. With regard to the Talacre Company, the
matter had been investigated by his friends, who were
satisfied with his explanation, and he found that other
gentlemen, residing in Liverpool, were now in pos-
session of a part of the Talacre property; and though
it had been sworn that there were no coals there,
those gentlemen were finding them in great abun-
dance, and he hoped they would make a:rich and suc-
cessful harvest. The affairs of that Company spread
over a wide field, and it had been found impossible to
bring them fairly and fully before the public. There
were those who would read only a distorted account,
but would omit to read any answer or explanation.
His friends, however, had gone fully into the facts,
and minutely examined all the evidence; and they,
judging as honest men would judge, had come to the
conclusion that he had been grossly deceived.—(Loud
cheers.) Some persons had told him he ought to re-
tire and wait till called forward; but, with a clear
conscience, as long as he lived he was determined to
fight for his own character and honour. If they
could make a charge, he was ready to meet it, but be
was not to be silenced by sarcasm, or put down by
slanderous misstatements.—(Hear, hear.) Should he
be elected, they would find in him a person deter-
mined to support the rights and dignities of the City,
not regardless of those duties he owed his poorer
brethren, to administer justice with firmness and de
termination, but with mercy and kindness.
Mr. Under-Sheriff ANDERTON said he thought they
had heard enough. He had left the performance of
duties at another place, to come there to perform a
greater duty—that of doing justice to a persecuted
man.—(Hear, hear.) He had for some years narrowly
watched the worthy Alderman as a private indi-
vidual, as a magistrate, and as a professional man, and
he would defy any one to put a finger upon any one
act dishonourable to him, either as a magistrate, a soli-
citor, or a private individual. In all the relations of
life there was not a single act which his enemies h,ad
ever pointed against him. They had made charges,
and confined them to one unfortunate act in his life—
that of being connected with bad men ; but if it was
to be said that, because men chose to embark in un-
successful speculations, they were to be unfit for any
public office, what would become of three-fourths of
our public men ?—(Cheers.) There was not a single
advertisement for a bubble company in which they
would not find an alderman's name. He did not
oppose any other alderman, because they were all his
personal friends ; but he supported the gentleman who
by right was entitled to the honour. No man had
performed the several duties of the Corporation with
mere credit or honour than Mr. Wood, and he trusted
the Livery would support him. He begged to pro-
pose the first resolution.

Mr. llAuitisoN, in seconding the resolution, felt
assured that it would be unanimously adopted. He
had felt it his duty to come forward to support Mr.
Wood, because he considered he had been unjustly
persecuted. He had no doubt they would be suc-
cessful in their efforts, and that Mr. Wood would be
elected. He had everything to recommend him, and
was an honour to the City and Corporation.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was then put, and carried unani-
mously.
Mr. Deputy MUDDELL proposed the next resolu-
tion, which wat. seconded by Mr. HoLT.
Mr. HARitii would take the liberty of saying a
few words before this resolution was put. There
were many charges, as they were aware, which had
been made against Mr. Wood; some of them were
of great magnitude, others were but trivial ; he
would, therefore, only allude to the former. The
first charge was that Alderman Wood, with the
other Directors, had passed a resolution that a cer-
tain quantity of shares in the Talacre Mining Com-
pany were to be appropriated to him, as paid-up
shares, with the view of putting the produce into his
own pocket. Now, that was false.—(Cheers.) It
was done by the other Directors, but refused by Mr.
Wood. In his absence from London an opportunity
was taken to send for his son, and ask him to receive
those shares ; he, young as he was, hesitated—it was
insisted that he should take them ; he said, " I
know nothing about them," but, ultimately, he said
he would take them, and sealed them up and put them
into his strong box. On his father's return he de
sired them to be sent back, and back they went—
(Cheers)—stating that the Directors had no right to
treat the proprietory so unjustly. He (Mr. Harris)
thought that was a sufficient answer to that charge.
—(Cheers.) The next charge against Mr. Wood
was, that he held various offices under this Company
—he was a Proprietor, a Director, a Trustee, and
Chairman. Now, one thing he certainly was not,
and that was auditor of his own accounts, which the
man was who had made these charges.—(Cheers.)
But he believed there was nothing unusual in this.
Mr. Wood had taken his shares and paid his money.
At a meeting of the Proprietors he was elected a Di-
rector, and the Directors had selected him for their
Chairman, knowing him to be a man of
judgment.—
expe-
rience, deep knowledge, and sound
(Cheers.) If men were to be assailed with lies and
slander in this manner, who was safe ?—(lfear, hear.)
There was another charge—it was stated most
wickedly that Mr. Wood had lent himself to get coals
of a most excellent quality from some pit not belong-
ing to - the Talacre Company, and had sent
that coal over to Dublin, as Talacre coal,
with a view of inducing persons there to take shares
in the Company, now, a grosser falsehood never was
uttered; there were three pits belonging to this com-
pany known by the names of the Pictou, the Bryn,
and the Marsh, but there was no mine called by the
name of Talacre—that was merely the name of the
Company, and the coals in question came out of the
Bryn pit, and did belong to the Company, so that the
public were fairly dealt with in this matter,(Cheers.)
There was but one other charge. It must be under-
stood that Levason and Baker had assigned their in •
terest in this property to the Talacre Company, for
which they were to receive a considerable sum of
money, and the charge against Mr. Wood was that he,
as chairman of the Directors, had refused to sign pro-
missory notes for the payment of that money, alleging
that he could not do so on account of an arrangement
between himself and partner ; but it had been clearly
proved that Mr. Wood had previously entered into a

deed with Levason and Baker, in which he had cove-
nanted to pay this mopey- -so that he was liable with;.out signing these notes, Lui:i had actually Wen sued.
for the money, so that, therr was no bread-of faith
y
with any persons.—(Hear, hear.): persona would"
read this statement of;
facts ;without a jaundied ee,
and with a desire to understan., the truth:avit really
,an must come to the
was, he thought every honest n.
conclusion that Mr. Wood ix 1 in-Used 'man, and
fairly entitled to be placed in that .situation in I vhith
the Livery were anxious to place him. —(Cheers. )
The resolution was then put an tarried ut guli-
mou sly. ,
Mr. CURTIS proposed the next resolution.
Mr. MOWBRAY rose with great pleasuro to second
this resolution. There ought to be some principle by
which these elections should be guided, and be c on-
sidered that the principle of seniority had hithe Tito .
carried the day, and he thought that it should be ,For ne-
thing very extraordinary that should prevent ts/at
principle being carried out upon the present oceasiop.
He had gone carefully through all the papers relating
to this unfortunate transaction, and he felt that tile
friends of the Alderman had easily disproved the so,
and were ready to meet the calumnies. Every watin
felt himself pledged to prove their falsehood,---
(Cheers.) He begged them not to rest satisfied wih
placing the Alderman in the chair, but let them
prove all the calumnies and slanders which had help
issued against him.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was put and carried unanimousl:f.
Mr. SMITH then proposed the next resolution, which
was seconded by Mr. JOYCE, and carried un ant%

mously.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman was then pro-
roscd, and carried with acclamation.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS;

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.

CITY, TUESDAY EVENING.
TIMES.—The premium on gold at Paris is 9)k permille,
whjch, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 10hd. per
ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25
39 ; aid the exchange at Paris on London at short
being 2,5 47k, it follows that gold is 0.33 per cent.
dearef
in 1,o.; don than in Paris.

adviees tr,-sm Hamburgh the price of gold is 4344-
per mark, whict, at:r English Mint price of 31. 17s. 100.
per ounce for standara (Told, gives an ex•change of 13 9i ;
and the exchange at lia2nburgh on lioridon at short
being 13 102, it follows that sold is 0.34 pot. cent. dearer
in London than in Hamburgh.
SUN.—The public Securities citzse flatly, Consols at
994 sellers for Money, and 99i- sellers for Accou'ut• In
the other English Securities there was not the slightest
variation.

Spanish Bonds continued rather heavy, the Five* per
Cents. at 231 -11-, and the Three per Cents. at 34i t. Vie
Deferred were 13* to fi. Peruvian were supported as.t
251 to 26. Colombian realised rather fuller prices, and
Brazilian touched 904. Mexican were 37 for Money. •
The additional transactions in Railway Shares have
been these :—Birmingham and Gloucester were 4 to 3f;
Dublin and Belfast, 2+ to 1 ; Ditto and Cashel, 8 ;
Edinburgh and Glasgow, Quarter, 31 ; Great Western,
69 ; Lancaster and Carlisle, 1111 ; Birmingham, 116 ;
South-Western, 30-8- ; Croydon, 2)s ; London and York,
li to 7-, ; Newcastle and Darlington, 26 ; South Devon,
4 to 3i ; Whitehaven and Maryport, 1 ; Yarmouth and
Norwich, 8 ; York and North Midland, 54i to 53 ;
Ditto, Half, 25f to 261 ; Orleans, Tours, and Bordeaux,
: Paris and Lyons, i premium ; Midland, Birming-
ham,4 ;
and Derby were 24 discount ; British North Ame-
rican Bank Shares were 7 discount; and Union of Aus-
tralia, 1+ premium.
The exchange was firm for bills at three months in
the principal continental cities. Antwerp was scarcely
so high perhaps, but Amsterdam advanced.
The following is the official return of the exports of
bullion from the port of London fur the week ending
Thursday last :
Silver coin to Rotterdam
slleo coin to St. Petersburgh 87,000 oz.
Silver bars to St. Petersburgh 6,000 oz.
Silver bars to Ilotterdam
Gold coin to New York , 947 oz.
COURSE OF EXCHANGE:—(YESTERDAY.)
Amsterdam CF. 12 6 Gibraltar.
Ditto, at sight l2 31 Leghorn .,... 30 50
Rotterdam 2U.12 6 Genoa
Antwerp 25 85 Milan .
fiamburgh M.B. 13 14 Venice
Altona l3 14 Naples 39i
Paris, 3 days' sight... 25 60 Palermo, per oz llfc
Ditto, 3 months 25 85 Lisbon 55
Marseilles 25 90 Oporto 55
Bourdeaux 25 90 Rio Janeiro 23
Frankfort on Maine.. 121 Bahia 23
Petersburgh, S tit)... 37 Buenos Ayres —
Berlin 7 NewYork,2ldyssiglat
Vienna, effec. fl. 8 M ;1 52 Philadelphia ........
Trieste, ditto
Madrid 36i I Foreign Gold, bars—La 17 9
Cadiz
Bilbao 36 Nov Doubloons..... 1 0 0
Barcelona 36 New Dollars 0 4 10
Sevilla Silver in Bars 0 4 .111

•
THE GREAT ST. LEGE STAKES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
read in your valuable newsi,aper laseweek,
under the head of" Sporting Intelligence,' p, n ace°• int of
a discussion at Doncaster about the prizes for tLe fonvatrd
horses in the Great St. Leger Stakes. Tllf Corrixitese
who debated the point were anxious to obtain tt gre:tt4r.
number of starters for the northern race—eG,nld not
this be the best effected by making the en try for the
Leger 30 sovs. each, p.p. ? —I remain. Sir, your obe. iieP.t
servant, A * * * *;:s
Liverpool, Sept. 24, 1844.

DIE ROYAL MINT.—The workmen of this import—.
ant establishment are busily at work in striking off a
considerable quantity of new sovereigns and hall-sove-
reigns on account of the Bank of England preparatory to
the payment of the October dividends, which will be in
course of settlement in the Rotunda on the 14th of next
month, The amount of bullion at present in the Bank is
15,197,0001 sterling. A large quantity of geld coinage
has also been struck for Government during the last
fortnight for the payment of the Army and Navy, the
half-pay and pensions and pay of the officials of the
Treasury, Foreign, Colonial, and Home-offices, Stamps,
Customs, Excise, &c., which are now in course of pay-
ment. An immense number of the new half-farthing
coinage, which for the last ten days have been selling in
the different thoroughfares of the metropolis at four and
six a penny by the itinerant street venders, have been
struck at the Mint for the last month, and will be issued
as legal tenders of our copper circulation in currency on
Tuesday next, the Ist of October, according to the Royal
proclamation announcing their issue a year and a half
ago, but which had been delayed in the United King-
dom, although in our colonies they have been for some
time current. The various shopkeepers, grocers, and
tea-dealers, in the Borough and different parte of the
metropolis, have large bowls full of this new but useful,
coinage to the working or poorer classes in their win-
dows, as " half-farthings saved are penneysigained."
THE ARCHBISHOP or CANTERBURY'S VISITATION.
—Yesterday morning the Archbishop of Canterbury held
his triennial visitation at All Saints' Church, Maidstone.
Thera were present, A. B. Hope, Esq., M.P. ; Arch-
deacon Lyon, Dr. Burnaby, and upwards of 100 clergy -
men. The usual ecclesiastical preliminaries having beon
arranged, the Archbishop delivered a lengthened charge;,
in the course of which he directed attention to the state
of education in this county, and to the prospects of the
Church generally. He stated that, from what he could
hear and see, and from what he could gather from the
speeches of the Dissenters at their various meetings, that
there was a growing dislike on their part towards the
Church, and that some serious designs for its overthrow
were in contemplation. From external violenco or the
internal dissensions which at present agitate the Church?
the Archbishop anticipated no ill consequences, althmigh
he admitted that it was in the highest degree painful to
contemplate them. After discussing at some length ele
subject of Church extension, the Archbishop recom-,
mended the formation of auxiliary branches on behalf of
the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts, and concluded with sundry points of advice to the
younger clergy as to the manner of conducting their mi-
nistrations. A dinner was given to the Archbishop in
the evening at the Star Hotel.
FATAL FIGHT.—MR. WAKLEY AND THE POLICE
MAGISTRATES.--Last evening Mr. Wakley, M.P., com-
menced an inquiry at the Warwick Arms, Warwick-
road, Kensington, touching the death of George Benson,.
killed on Sunday morning last, in a pugilistic encounter
near the Kensington canal basin ; fourteen jurymen
having been sworn, the coroner asked whether then
were any persons in custody in this case. Inspector
Morgan replied that there were five persons in the New
Prison, Clerkenwell, remanded by Mr. Paynter, of Ham-
mersmith Police-court, until Thursday, when one of
them, named Jones, would be committed for murder as a
principal, and the others as accessories. The coroner-
-1 requested that the men should be brought before me,
if there was any charge against them. The inspector—
I mentioned the matter to Mr. Paynter, ae,d be desired
me to present his compliments to you, and to say that he
had no power in the case. The coroner—What are your
directions from the Commissioners of Police and the ma-
gistrates, with respect to coroner's courts, and the pro-
duction in them of remanded prisoners ? The inspector
—None with respect to the production of prisoners ; but
we are directed by the Commissioners, in cases of tbis
sort, and in cases of accident, to give every information
and assistance in our power. The coroner then said ho
would not enter into the inquiry in the absence of per-
sons charged with deceased's death. He did not itziow
what the feelings of the jury were, but his were most
repugnant to going into an inquiry of that kind when
the parties accused were not present to hear the evidence
against them, and could not suggest a single question
or observation in their defence. He would call a witness
to prove simply the death of deceased ; and he would
hear some of the medical evidence, and then adjourn
the inquiry. Samuel Robshaw proved the death of, de-
ceased, and identified the body. Mr. Waller, a surgeon,
who had opened the body, said deceased probably died
from external violence—apparently a blow. A
named Browning, who saw the whole of the fight, said
he did not know the parties engaged in it, but should
recognise them if he saw them again. The inquiry was
then adjourned to Tuesday next, the coroner saying
he should in the interim communicate with Sir James
Graham. _ _

It is understood that the Custom-house authorities
have it in contemplation to place officers on board the .
steamers from the Continent, as soon as the vessels ar-
rive off Gravesend, so that the inspection of luggage,
&c., may be completed during the passage up the river.
The object of this experiment is to prevent the detention
of passengers after their arrival, and if it is found to 41-ive
it •
adequate protection to the revenue, doubtless will be
continued, and be a most unportant improvement.

CL