The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-27 00:00:00

COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held for general purpo..et. The
minutes of the last Court were read.
A petition was presented from the coal-merchants in the
river, complaining of the obstructions and inconveniences
• which they suffer in transacting their business, in eonse-
queuee of the state of the new works at London-bridge.
Mr. FAME. moved that the petition should be refer-
red to the London-bridge Committee, who would, no
doubt, without troubling the Court with any report upon
the subject, obviate any difficulty now suffered by the coal
trade. It must, however, be borne in mind that the com-
mittee had a great work in ,hand, and their efforts to ac-
commodate the traffic upon the river must be limited by
the necessity of using the utmost despatch in completing
the bridge.

Alderman LUCAS commended the zeal of the committee,
and thought that it would be advisable to open a water-
way on the north side of the bridge, as wide as that which
had been opened on the south, by the removal of a pert
of the old bridge.—The petition was referred to the com-
mittee.

wAttn or CRIPPLIKHATE WITHOUT.
The report of the committee for general purposes hey-
tig been brought up, .on the petitions, of the committee
and inhabitants of the ward of Cripplegate-without, for
and against an increased number of Common Qiunci!men
for that ward, it was moved, th4the report (which was
opposed to the increase so prayed by, one set of petitioners)
should be received by the Court.
Mr. STeeneNs rose to present another petition for the
increase of the representative body, from the committee ap-
pointed in full wardmote, after calling and holding it
all the necessary formalities, to carry that purpose into
effect. The body of the Common Council had done them-
selves honour by the petitions which they bad presented
in favour of Parliamentary reform. As advocates of the
principle of equal representation, they ought to do away
with every opportunity which could be used by their ad-
versaries,_ of referring them to reforms which were wanted
in their hOnie department. The ward of Cripplegate was
now the worst represented ward in the city—not in re-
spect of the talents of its representatives, but of their
comparatively small number compared with their very
mettle:root ronztitnentr- Those constituents, however,
were remarkable for containing among them a number of
active and intelligent men of good Judgment, who were
not likely ever to relax in the pursuit of that which they
took to be their just right. For sixteen years they had
beetilvtitioning the Common Council to obtain that for
Which the Common Council had been all along petitioning
Parliament—an equal representation. The decision of
this day would prove how far they were siticere. They
had been frequently told, when they complained of rotten
boroughs in the national representation, that they bad:rotten
wards in their own. In the Ward of Cripplegate-within
there were S representatives to 300 electors; in Cripple-
gate-without there were 500 electors, and only 4 repre-
sentatives. In a former Petition from the sew zealous,
active, and intelligent body' to, which he had alluded, it
bad been prayed that The same election should do for both
wards, and that they should together elect the l 2 member".
On referring the petition, the committee of general pur-
poses reported that the .Common ,Couwil, according to
the opinion of the:present Recorder and Common Sergeant,
had no power to take away or qualify the elective rights
of any ward, hut tnat they had the power of increasing
within certain limits the number of the representatives.—
The Alderman who presided at the election on bast St.
Thomas's day, candidly declared that upon: this subject
there could be no doubt as to the feeling. of the ward in
general. The report of the committee, ltowever, advised
the Court not to interfere. Upon what grounds he id
so hecould not conjecture. Not only tiqui the feeling of
the ward in favour of the increase, but that of the Niliole
city went with them. The corporation was laughed at
for its abuses, corrupt end
,exttavagant expences,tip sine-
cures and useless places; and deservedly was it ridiculed,
while, without attempting.any char et Await better, pe-
titions were presented fretthe \ Ole Corporation, praying for
that correction of, abuses elsewhere. Ile hoped
thox, would give some mark of the sincerity of theiv
ygal for reform, by the 4eciailm Of to-day. The abuse
which they hat, to correct was striking--the means en-
tirely within their power. Mr. Wilkes, upon a motion
which he contemplated, bad been told that he would have
the sense of the city opposed to.bim. His answer was,
"No matter, I Shall have the nonsense of the city in my
favour.". He might say the reverse in this cave. The
sense of the city Ives certainly in favour of the.petitioners,
and it was no matter, being so strong, if they had trot the
reipSonse in
their favoer. Ile concluded by moving as
an amendment, that the suggestion of the petitioners for
•
incresaiug the number of the'representetien from four to
tigia should be adopted by the Court.

Alderman WAITIIA lAN briefly seconded, the woeien, and
called upon till those, who, being hien* ex enemies of re-
form in general, professed tbrAselves to be in favour of
specific reform, to giya, Own, support to it, otherwise deity
would deserve the contempt and ridicule of cy..4y'man of
tumour, independence, and consistency is the country,
The argument had been so well urged by the gentleman
who moved the einendnicritA that he had no hid of being
able to add to itt weight hp any thing which, he could say,

Afon. ionic discussion, the Tuition being put, the ime-4-
trient was carried II a eoasiderable majority.
Mr. &swim s rnoyed that the Lord Mayor should is.
sue his, precepts for the election of eight instead of four
members, on next St. Thenjah's-day.

The LoRD MkYou. WaS apprehensivo tbai it MIS Mot
within the limits of his autborkty to 4 so upon the vote of
the Common Council. It t4tkst be moved in the Court of
Aldermen.
T RgoonnEtt thought that the number could . only be
increased after the adoption of the amendment now carried
by an act of Common Couneil.
It wass, finally referred to the Committee of Genera
Purposes to
,take such steps as should be necessary for
oar "in tohieurd
itinhit eutreceotr,iiaintigdiTif, need ,houid be,