The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-16 00:00:00

COMNION LAW COMMISSION.

Earl CAWDOR rose to ask the Noble and
Learned Lord on the Woolsack, if it were the inten-
tion of his Majesty's Government to carry into ex-
ecution any or all of the recommendations of the
Commissioners for inquis lug into the State of the
Common UM' ? He thought those recommendations
were of great importance.
The LORI) CHANCELLOR, in answer to his
Noble Friend, begged to state that he had, some
time ago, given instructions to the Commissioners
of that Inquiry to prepare Bills to carry their recom-
mendations into effect. He had seen the Gentleman
who presided over that Commission a few days ago,
and he understood from him that some difficulty had
arisen, from a difference of opinion among the
Gentlemen connected with Wales, on account of
the districts ; not, however, on account of the
principle, to which they all assented. The Com-
missioners were at present engaged in examining
some Gentlemen from Wales on the subject, and he
had rea•on to believe that the Bills would soon be
ready. Whether the House would be sitting or
not at the time the Bills would be ready he could
not say ; but if the House were not sitting, he
should take care that the Bills should be printed
and circulated, so that a full information might be
given of what they were to contain, so as to enable
their Lordships to be ready for the discussion in
their next Session. No delay should take place on
his part.
THORNDIKE'S DIVORCE.

Lord BERESFOEtD moved the committal o,
Thorndike's Divorce Bill.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE opposed the
motion. He thought the husband had not acted to-
wards the lady with that care and attention he
ought, and their Lordships would depart from all
the principles they had ever acted on if they con-
sented to the Bill. He moved, that the Bill be
committed this day six months.
Lord BERESFORD supported his motion, con-
tending that Lieutenant Thorndike had showed his
wife as much attention as possible, and had taken
all the precaution in his power.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE and Lord BERESFORD
each said a few words in explanation.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the Original Mot ion ....... 8
Against it.
_ Majority

Their Lordships then went into a Committee,
and the report was ordered to be received to-
morrow.

CITY ACCOUNTS.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY stated that
the accounts supplied by the City of London,
agreeable to their Lordships' order, woe not as com-
plete as they ought to be. The City of London
came to that House to ask for favours, and, there-
fore, had itself to thank for the interference. It ap-
peared on one return that 3,0001. more a year on a
sum of 30,0001. might be obtained. He, therefore,

concluded that if the whole accounts were examine:

it would be shown that a great additional sum might
be obtained of the city from its own sources suffi-
cient for the purposes for which they asked assist-
ance. If the whole of the accounts ordered by their
Lord on the 18th May were not presented be-

fore :Monday next, he should make a motion to
summon the Lord Mayor to appear at their Lord-
ships' bar. It was not till twelve o'clock that day
that the accounts required by the Committee had
been submitted to it for examination.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE, as Chairman of
the Committee, felt it his duty to state that he had
seen nothing in the conduct of the City of London
to warrant an inference that the city was unwilling
to comply with their Lordships' order. It was mo-
rally impossible for the Corporation to bring before
their Lordships the information desired by the Noble
Lord by Monday next.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY thought,
that as the consent of the city of London had not
been given to produce these accounts till he had
given his notice of an additional motion, it was not
a proof of the willingness of the city to-Eubtnit- -these
accounts to Parliament : he should not therefore be
diverted from his course by the observations of the
Noble Ear!, and should bring forward his motion on
Monday next.
The Duke of WELLINGTON thought that the
Noble Marquis, who only wished to give notice of a
motion, ought not, in fairness and candour, to have
discussed the merits of the conduct of the city of
London. The Noble Lord bad not only made some
observations on the merits of the case, but he had
stated what he must wish to have an opportunity to
correct. He said that there had been no opportu-
nity of exathiiing the accounts required of the Com-
mittee till twelve o'clock that day. His Noble
Friend alluded to the accounts of the Finsbury
Estate, but he must positively deny his Noble
Friend's statements—there had been an opportunity
of examining these accounts. But there were other
proprietors of these estates besides the city, and
without their consent the city had not thought
proper, and jus:ly in his opinion, to lay those ac-
counts on the table, where they might be examined
by the Counsel against the Bill. At twelve o'clock
they had consented to submit these accounts even

to the opposing Counsel. He must also deny that
the accounts referred to by the Noble Marquis
were concluded in the order moved for by the
Noble Baron. Those accounts had never been
called for by the House, which the city of
London had produced before the Committee. He
called on his Noble Friend to make his motion then,
and let the city of London know that it must
produce these accounts. As to the unwilling-
ness of the city to produce these accounts, he knew
that the moment their Lordships' order had been sent
to the Lord Mayor copies of the accounts were made.
They were made, and were submitted to that House
the day after the consent of the Common Council

had been obtained. There was no intention, there-
fore, to object to the production of these accounts on
the part of the City. His Noble Friend knew all
these circumstances as well as he did. If his Noble
Friend meant that the City of London had treated
that House with any disrespect, and desired to con-
ceal from it some circumstances that the House
ought to know, he hoped he would make his motion
then, and not make a statement that was something
like a threat that if the City did not comply with
their Lordships' order, he would summon the Lord
Mayor to their Lordships' Bar.
The Earl of MALMESBURY thought it was
only justice in him, who had attended the Commit-
tee regularly, to declare that he bad seen no Us..
willingness on the part of the City of London to
produce the accounts. As he understood the
matter, the Finsbury Estates were held conjointly
with the Prebend of Finsbury, and the Corporation
of the City thought it would not be proper to pro-
duce these accounts without the consent of the Pre-
bend and Pishop of London, It would have been

wiser if the Common Council had given a more
speedy consent io the production of the documents.
It appeared to him that the City Accounts were
correctly kept ; and he must say that they were in
the bands of One of the ablest ofricets he bad ever
met with.

The Bishop of CHESTER had been called on,
as Prebend of Finsbury* on the subject, and had
given his consent immediately to the production of
the accounts. He had understood from the City
officers when the application was made to him that
the City was anxious to produce all its accounts.
Lord DURHAM was of opinion that the Noble
Marquis was not fairly dealt with, and had some
doubts that the Noble Duke did not fully understand
the subject. He thought that the details of the
Market Tolls, of the Finsbury Estate, of the Coal
and Corn Meters, did properly calve within the
wording of the Order their Lordships' had made on
May 15, on his motion. These were the details
which the Noble Marquis wanted to have produced.
He admitted that the Corporation had shewn a
great willingness to produce its accounts in the
Committee; but there was a great difference be-
tween producing accounts in the Committee and
laying them on the table of the House. From the
Committee they were afterwards withdrawn; but
when they were laid on the table of the House, they
were printed, and remained as a record. The City
had not shewn any readiness to submit its accounts
to the House, whatever it might have done as to
the Committee. He hoped his Noble Friend would
keep his eye on the due performance of their Lord-
ships' Order of May 18, and that he would not
swerve from his purpose of giving notice of a motion
for Monday next. If the City did not produce the
accounts, he might then renew his notice, and keep
it hanging ever the City till the accounts were pro.
duced.

Lord MELVILLE defended the city of London
from any accusation of delay in complying with their
Lordships' Order of May 18. It was not possible
to produce the details asked for by the Noble Mar-
quis. It was physically impossible that those ac-
counts should be produced. By bringing the books
to the Committee, instead of having copies made
and then printed, a great deal of time had been saved.

Lord CALTHORPE—If he had seen any thing
like unwillingness on the part of the City to pro-
duce its accounts, he could assure the Noble Mar-
quis he would not support the City in any such
conduct.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY was sorry
to expose himself to any charge of want of candour
on the part of his Noble Friend. He was of opinion
that the details which had been referred to did fall
within their Lordships' Order; and with all the re-
spect he had for his Noble Friend, he would not
then follow his recommendation and press his mo-
tion. If the papers were not p►oduced he should
make his motion on Monday.
Lord MELVILLE suggested, that as the Noble
Lord's notice stood, his motion would be in fact to
summon a Member of the House of Commons to
their Lordships' bar.

After some conversation as to the form of the
notice,

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY substituted
" some members of the Corporation of the City of
London" for the " Lord Mayor."

ORPHANS' FUND.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, after ob-
serving that the message sent by their Lordships to
the House of Commons, to request a Copy of the
Report of the Committee of the House of Com-
mons which had inquired into the Orphans' Fund,
had not been complied with, gave notice of his in-
tention to call their Lordships' attention to this sub-
ject on Monday next, if no answer were returned to
their Lordships' request before that time.
Lord DURHAM knew that it was the intention
of the Chairman of that Committee to move that
the Report be sent to their Lordships.—Adjourned.