The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-19 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.
Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of public busi-
ness. It was the first Court since the election upon St.
Thomas's Day, and there was a large attendance of members.
A great part of the day was occupied in the appointment of
the various Committees for the ensuing year.
THE FARRINGDON-WITHOUT WARD ELECTION.
A petition was presented from Mr. Samuel %veils. It stated
that he had petitioned the Ci,urt of Aldermen against the return
of Mr. R. Taylor, Mr. Obbard, Mr. Hodgson, and Mr. Gre-
sham, as representatives of the Ward of Farringdon- Without,
upon the ground that they were not resident inhabitant house-
holders, and the petitioner prayed the Court that he might be
permitted to examine the records of the Corporation, for the
purpose of supporting his opposition to the return, as he had
been informed that an ordinance passed in the reign of Richard
11., and other ordinances passed since that time, defined and
specifically described the nature of the qualifications required of
a candidate for the office of Common Councilman.
The petition was then ordered to be laid upon the table.
CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
Mr. R. L. JONES (the Chairman of the London-bridge Ap-
proaches Committee) brought up a Report from that Com-
mittee, " On the state of the funds connected with the ap-
proaches to London-bridge, and for authorising the raising
of the sum of 50,0001. for completing the same ; and for the
completion of the improvement by the removal of the west
block of Bank-buildings, in the vicinity of the Royal Ex-
change ;" and said his object at present was to point out the
necessity of immediately empowering the Committee to direct
the Controller to serve certain parties with notices with respect
to premises which were required for the further improvement
of the city of London, as the Act which gave the Committee
power would expire in August, and if immediate measures
were not adopted, it would be necessary to apply again to Par-
liament.—( Hear, hear.) He thought it was due to the Com-
mittee to state, that, after a period of twenty years, during
which it had existed, and expended upwards of two millions of
money in the erection of the bridge and the formation of its
approaches, the present was the first time it had come to the
Court to state any deficiency in its estimates.—(Cheers.)
He felt pride in asserting such a fact, the more so as he
was able to show, he trusted to the satisfaction of the Court,
that ne blame was imputable to the Committee. What were
the facts of the case? After the Committee had finished
the various streets which it had been intrusted with the
power to form, and which constituted so noble a mass of im-
provements, it considered that a surplus would remain suffi-
cient to carry out the great object of making a street from
the Bank to the Post-office. The conduct of the Bank of Ent.
gland was, he regretted to say, in direct contrast to the libe-
rality which there had been reason to expect from such a body,
and which the Governor and Deputy-Governer several years
ago had given the Committee every ground for supposing would
have been exercised.—( Hear.) It was natural to rely
upon the promise then held out that improvements which in se
many respects benefited that building would, to a certain ex-
tent, receive its patronage and assistance ; but instead of help-
ing the Corporation in promoting the grand design which the
Committee was labouring to carry out, everything had been
done by the establishment to which he alluded to show their in-
difference to the exertions which had been made.—( Hear.)
The Committee hsd been called upon from all quarters of the
city, to extend to them the vast advantages which had been al-
ready completed. The law expenses in investments became
greater than had been calculated upon, and the interest upon
the sums required to complete the purchases which were indis-
pensable in effecting the improvements was what the Cora-
mittee had never been subjected to upon former occasions.---
( Hear, hear.) The necessity for improvement became every
day more and more apparent. The largest item in the report
related to the block of Bank-buildings, the freeholders of
which were the Governors and Company of the Bank of
England, who had repudiated by their illiberality the
evidence of the former Governor and Deputy-Go-
vernor, Mr. Curt is and Sir J. Reid, before the
House of Commons' Committee. That Committee pressed
upon these gentlemen the necessity which existed for
giving up that block of buildings, as no buildings were to
be erected on the site, and the Bank would be itself thrown
open to public view by so splendid an improvement. Their
answer was, that they could not think of recommending such
gift, as the Bank would be put to a very large expense ie
throwing open Bartholomew-lane and 'Threadneedle-street, but
they would be liberal in their views with the Corporation on
the subject. Now, the Bank had made no improvements ie
Bartholomew-lane or Threadneedle-street, and their liberal
views amounted to an evasion of everything like liberality. He
felt that the Court were determined to do justice to the labours,
and instructions, and integrity of the Committee.—(Cheers
from all parts of the Court.) A general cry was then raised
of " Move that the Report be received.")
Mr. JONES moved that the Report be agreed to and printed.
Mr. HEPPELL said he rose, as one who did not belong to
the Committee, to second the motion. He fully approved of
the Report, and of everything which had been stated by the
Chairman.—(Hear.)
Sir J. DUKE called the attention of the Chairman to the
state of the eastern end of the Royal Exchange, and asked
whether it was likely that the improvement which the public
had 'frequently called for, in the throwing back of the house.
in Freeman's-court, would be effected ?—( Hear.)
Mr. Josses said he regretted that the ground in the spot
described was unfortunately out of the hands of the Corpora.
tion. In fact the ground was never in their hands. IVlordee
College had a clause giving that institution a right of pre
emption, and it had been appropriated accordingly. It would
be, indeed, a most important addition to the splendid improve'
ment of the Royal Exchange • but the Committee congraty
lated itself upon what it had already accomplished, and would
not relax its exertion to gain every possible advantage.--( Hear,
hear.) He would venture to say that the ground at the eastern
end of the building would be made a fine pathway 47 feet in
width.—( Hear, hear. )
Alderman fiUMPHERY said, that every one in the City
would be delighted to see the block of houses at the eastern
end of the building removed, and he thought the Committee
might beneficially make the experiment of applying to the
Commissioners for the Improvement of the Metropolis, who
were about to wait upon her Majesty, and were to meet on
Wednesday next to sign their Report, to represent the fact
alluded to in the proper quarter.—( Hear, hear.) A sum of
money was about to be raised by a tax of 6d. per ton upon coals,
and, as the City would be very large contributors, they had a
right to expect a share of the advantages.—(Hear.)
The Report was then received and unanimously agreed to,
and ordered to be printed.—Adjourned.