The Sun.
London, England, 1811-10-18 00:00:00

co.,l:moA' COUNCIL,

Yesterday., a Court Of Common Council. waslidi
at Guildhall for various purposes. • ,
After some proceedings, upon ordinary b6siress, a
report was read from the Committee tor General
Purposes, respeeting the present state of -the. Ma-
nsion HouSe, and the necessity of -some alteration
therein, for the accommodation of company resort-
ing thither on public 'festivals.
This Report purported to be founded on the state-
ment of a Sub-Committee, to whom it was referred
to view the Mansion-house, and to- report their
opinion, &c. It stited, that the mode of ascent
from the street to the suites of apartments appro-
priated for the reception of company by the present
stair-case was inconvenient, and an some occasions
dangerous ; and it. suggested, that those incon-
veniences rpight be removed by changing the
apartment_ hailed Wilkes's parlour, and i:s anti-
room, into an apartment for the reception of com-
pany before dinner;. and also by appropriating. the
present pining-room,- set apart for the Sword-bearer's
table, to the like purpose ; and fitting up fo• the
Sword-bearer the,room on the parlour-story, at pre-
sent occupied. for the recePtion of felons and va-
grants, at the rear of the Justice-room. It stated,
that the whole expense those alterations was esti-
mated by the City-Surveyor at ;3501.; az it reborn,
mended the plan for the adoption of the Court..
Mr.' DIXON asked a (potion, itatirktatis)g some
doubt whether this plan had been recommernied
by the City-Surveyor; be having understood from
that Officer that it had not met Ins private appro-
.

bation.
Mr. Alderman IltiNTErt (the Lord Mayor elect)
proposed, the" the City-Surveyor should be sent for,
in order to declare his opinion on the subie6l.Mr
' DIXON declined to press the attendance of
that officer but stated, that, mtwithstanding his
'own wish to give .every accommodation and Ile,
cessary conveniences that, might be desirable to the
Lord Mayor Elect, in whose W ish this project seent.'•
ed to originate, yet he could not give hi 3 consent to
a plan, which was to deprive the Sword-bearer, and
the other Gentlemen of the. Lord Mayor's House-
hold, of the room which had' been for so marl
years approptiatc.d to their aeccimmodation, and
sena them to dinner in the iiparttnent, which, every
morning was to be approprioted to the reception of
telons,,vagrants, and paupers and tus render them
lime to an' inconvenietfce, not on thus render theni
lianle to an' inconvelfletlc' not only nauseous and
dirgusting, hut dangerous to then health, end even
lives. He remetoered that one of the most rts-
pectable publioottkers. ever empl, yed by Lie Cor-
po!atton, merely passing hrongh that room while
crowded will:, the description of persons that listial-
ly filled it, had
.eanglii the 'iniec.ron of a fever,
which shortly occasioned his death. For his- oAn
patt,•liaving some tunes occasionaity passed through
that room, heretofo e, neon bosznes,, lie would
rather walk a mile round to avoid it, that) ever less

through it again.
Alderaan HUNTER said, there was not the
slighteNt' ground for 'the apptehensious at the last
speaker. The room in question nai, met, ben
heretofore approprtated rot th- Marti Veal'er; and
his removal to, another was till the result tit A tem-
porary . arrangement. By the alteration now
posed, it was intended to tit up tnat apartment in a
suitable style, for toe excluitbe accommodation tit
the Sword-.bearer, and the Gentiemen of the house-.
hold who usually dined at his table : and, in •lieu
thereof, to.tp up for the reception of prkoners the
room imntetltately'othoCr t he Justice-room, now use-
less;.and called the porter's 'Age; this to]cominu-
nicate, by a winding stair-case, :direedy with the
Juitiee4i?oin which' 'would effectually exclude
fe:Cins and paUpers from all connection. wit h the body
of the Mansion-house.
Mr. QVIN Objected to the Alteration altogether,
as leading to an unnecessary expenditure of the
City
.revenues, It was understood that the new
plan originated with tate,b he
the Lord Mayor elec
much as he rospecied that woithy Magisti
could not beinduced to sanction an useless expeo-
diitire of the public money, to vilify the taste or
the fancy of that Gentleman in a way that none'ol
big predecessors had ever thought necessary.
On the question being put, that t the Report be
agreed, to, it was hegatuved without a division.
LORD MAYOR'S COACH.
Another report was now read from the Commit-
tee
.for. Genereil Purposes, respeCting the .present
situation of the Lord Mayor's slate-coach: This se-
port was.tounded en the statement Of the"eitycoaCh.-
maker, which represented, than on examining the
vehicle, it was fdlltld that the ornamental repairs of
it would cost $91.; and that, even after such repairs,
it would be inadequate to the sAfeconveyauce of the
C.hiet Magistitate•tor' the year ensuing; and it sug-
gested the necessity, of a new coach. '.1.1e Coin
tnittee stated, that they therefore declined giving di-
rettions for repairs so useless and expensive ; but
that they had ordered certain repairs to be made in
the traces and harness, which, would ,ansount
to
451. ; . and they therefore submitted 'those circtirn.
stances for the consideration and 4iredion ut • the

Court.
This produeed some Iminteresting discnssion
which terminated in. the adoption at a reiolution,
sending back thi4 report f 0 the Committee, with
direelions to order .such reFairl in the state-coach As
they should think necesSaty for the.prebent.
LoRO MAYOR'S FEAST.

Mr. MON stated, 'bat a most alarming rumour
was currentihrough the pity, `whicirilad excited
very considerable degree of solicitude and-cansterna •
Lion; he meant Smong the-ladies. Upon. %%hat au-
thority this rumour was founded he knew 'not ; but
he psennoned it now in--order to give the' worthy,
`Lord Mayor clett, to whom it clitefly applied, an
opportunity either, of confirming the, report,
.or of -
dissipating the apprehensions it had excited. The
rernour to which he alluded wits, that there Was to
bra nn,public' festival at' Guildhall ,npon -the ensuing
. Lord Maydeis day. The worthy Magistrate had,
now an opportunity of setting the public opinion
right upowthe Subject.
' Mr: Aiddtalill HUNTUR. he was happy in
the opportunity of explaining this subject. to the
Lord Mlorand to the assembly; and of asking for
their seniiinents artedireCtion., by which be ,bould
most cheerfully abide. He was ready to aCknoW
ledge that he had ,submitted his opinion to some
Gentlemen of the Court, that, at, in consideration
I of the melancholy state of 1114 Majesty's- health; it

It.id been deetnea'righ-Oo.suspend the Lore Meyor's
feast last year, the same motimought to produce a
similar sugiensien on the approaehing.oceasion ; the
more espeCiall) as it wag. understood, that if the usual •
festivities should take place, the preSence Of no branch
of the Royal Family, or of the .Members of Govern-
tnent and great Officers of State who usually attend
ed., was to be expected, He had therefore suggested
this idea to some friends in the Corporation, including
the new Sherds; and he.had'prepartid acircular
which be Meant' to have printed, and 'Addressed Ind:-
vidnally to the sevetal-Members oldie Corporatiotr,
in order to obtain their advice.. So far from wishing
to spare his own pocket, he had concerted a plan,
which he hoped would have been,equally grati.6ing
to the Members of the Corporation and their fa- '•
Indies, though .More expensive• to himself. The
Alderman then read beth
.papers, the purport of
which was (after stating the considerations above-
mentioned for suspending the feast at ,
that, in lieu thereof, he, at. his own ekpenv, would
give site dinnerS at the Mansion-house to the. Mem-
bers of the Corporation, and such others as were
usually' invited to the feasts at Guildhall, taking cer;
tain numbers In rotation; and that on the nights of
such dinner days; the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayor-
ess would give a ball and sopper, at the Mansion-
house, to the Wives • and daughters of the
Mem-
ba:; in such proportion ,e's to insure each lady
tickets for not- less than two of such , balls and
suppers. • •
This plan was opposed. by Mr. DIXON, as trite,
contrary to the 'old and established usage oldie City
of London. He opposed it, not frern, any view to
the gratification of the members of that assembly,
but iron) a consideration that it would tend' to the
disappoittment of many illustrious strangers, who
were in hopes of witnessing the splendour and hos-
pitality of the City of London upon that ancient
festival, which it was propoSed to Convert into a
private entertainment of the Chief Magistrete, to
whose succ'es'sors a ptecedent would thereby be esta-
blished, subversive to the ancient usage of the Cor-
poration, the observance of which they had a right•
to claim. In the present deplorable state of his Ma-
jesty's malady, there was no reasonable hope 'afford-
ed of his recovery xithin any short period.; and, if
the two Houses of Parliament should, on that ap-
count, think fit to invest the Vrince of. Wales with
.the full powers Of royalty, his Majesty's .illness
would no longer be considered as a bar to that pub-
lic festivity, for the abolition of which, by the Car-.
poration of London, the plan now proposed would
go to establish a precedent.
Mr. DonNyOlii) thought the Lord Ilayor's feast,
ae9uildhall, was always produCtive of great trregto-
Laity aiad, confusion, as well as inconvenience and
injury.tO public business. The apartments and fur- '
niture were generally damaged, and the Courts of
L-tw pulled to pieces; he therefore approved the •
commutation proposed.
Mr. WHEBLE thought it 'would be rather 'absurd,
if not highly indecorous, to alter the established
usage of the. CorpOtation of London, and suspend
public festival on account of his 'Majesty's indispo-
sition when it must be rerollci-tom, that the Peened
R4.%t:111, bia &;ajesty's chest son, and whose private
es well as public feelings must be deeply interested
by the smile cause, did•not feel it a sufficient reason
tot suspending the pablle festival. he had recently
given, and' ono unparalleled- 'for splendouC and
magnificence in the annals of this country. ldo
knew of no injury or ineotivetlience arising
.on :the
occasion, at Guildhall, unless that of a few misera-
ble waiters pocketing, the fragments of 8 to
to,Als, or an odd bottle of wine. Rut he always
witnessed much greater irregularity at the kinsion
House: •. •

.
Mr. 'Quit; 'decidedly, opposed the commutation
suggested. It was an 'alteration originating in no
legitimate authority ; and no Lord Mayor. had any,
right, without the authority of that assembly, to de-
froni.the establithed usage. 'Tire instance first
meotioned olt he splendid lace given by the 'Prince
Regent, was in. dines oppOSitiOn to the change: pro-
posed, and the motives upon Which it Was founded.
The Lord 'Mayor's feast, at Guildhall, 'was'. what
the Corpdration had a right to expeti. The worthy
Magistrate, inileed, ay .the alteration he. suggested,
would make it a private entertainment for his 'seleal
friends at the Mansion House. The company might,,
indeed, be more relined, perhaps i there might be
more 'of vertu and cognoscenti present-7-0w: floe
figure and lashion--fmore grace trod elegance io the
merry dance; but these were not the rcfitierhents
sought in the good hospitalities of a Lord Mayor's
:feast in the ancient City of 'Loudon. Besides,when,
it was recolleded that the assembly WO so recently
awarded an addition of [.SON). a-year to
.the Chief
Magistlatit, and revived the liceose.duties of Jew-
brokers, nut for his own private etnolument, but
,the better to enable him to support the hospitalities
of his station, the assembly little expeCted to hear
of innovations and alterations to-defeat this object
and if an attempt was sUccessful to carry them into..
adoption., the assetnbty must think of economy too,
and of treading back the steps of its liberality. The•
worthy
,Magistrate„ however, had not only disclairn-
ed all idea of private economy; but•said, he .w.ould
rather even greatly increase than his ex.
peNios tor. the ,entertainment of his Itllo% -citizens.
The idea was liberjl—and he would suggest a plan
for the woitby. Magisnate's gratification..' It was
nut only to give the usual feast at his oiatignration,
otr. the 9th of November, with all the 'customary
bplendour,but to .add another of the saroo kind in
the course of.his Mayoralty.--(Hecirl hear !)- And
he saw no reason • why the Sherds, for the present'
year,
„should te exempted from the usual contribu-
tions of their predecessors on this occasion
Mr. Alderman Moen did not wish to be exempt
from his tiali quota of the contribution usual with his
predecessois on sach occasions. At the sifine time,
be did not see the jristi::a of exaaing stieh. contri-
hutiens from thosei on whom the duties orthe
shrievalty were impdsed :by' their fellow-cirlzens,
against %their .wishes; and, who had no such 411(4..
ante as the Loril -Mayor. , .
Mr. Sheriff IIitiGATF: stated, that' It vita. only
wheo he was informed, of the improbability of the
attendance of the usual illustrious company, and
whew he retested union the Ain's hummed indis-.
position., that lie thought the soggestion proper for
the consideration orbit fellow-citizens. An 'Elon.
Member was Mistaken in stating,:that. the Sherds
had signed the letter ; they, had nut done so, nor
had been asked to doisor For his own parr, he did
DOI VllOl tO deviate twin rho usual custoti; or, by

tlu proposad avoid the,cuqtranry eNpe3ci-
ture, although he 'booed the
Mayor, who had an adequalefallowatlce, .41iti that
of Sheriff, were very
-

Mr. Alderman HUNTIik,, -rte«e of the
assembly against his propi..sitoit, said, ti At pending
the consideration .of it, the Comtninee fur Geneial
Pu:poseshad given orders torus; epcl t 'MOM .pre-
parations in Guildhall ; . he iherefoie to It it necessoT
now to mOve, that diretS'tions be, g.ven to proceed
with the. preparstions as. usual. .
.Mr. 'Qum thought the motion unnecosFclry„ls no
person was authorised to give nrders for suspending
ihose.preparatiOni; anti at comae they inusi_ tie ccai-
sidered as proceeding in the ti 711,11 inanner. •
.The.motion was, ;lot aod tell corTse‘v
Atter some farther routine business, the Conti ad-
jpurned. , '

111 E PLE/IME.

COVENT-GAADEN.

.TheneWdratha of Kamtchatka,. or The Slaves'
TriVute, was much better leceitied on its second rer
presentation,last night, and it,must be admitted that
though it bas,not any very powerful recommenda,'
tions to public, favour, yet it is much Superior to
otany..sithilar produCtions, and in punt strongly in-
terests the feelings.
We perceived last, night, that in our report of
yesterday 'we ',spoke too unfavourably of the part of
,Benjou):.,ki., it does not .appear that he had used
any art to captivate Athanasza, but that.,the Lady,
with a forwardness which generally marks the fe-
male charatlers ,of KOTZgauu, hat suddenly con-
ceived a passion for Betijourski, and with the. same
toywardness. had, without any ceremony, made him
acquainted. with her
~feelings.-4t is sOtnewhitt
strange, too, that the. governor,' with similar rapidi-
ty, decidt:t that.thc Count and his daughter should
be tharried, without knowing whether the , attach-
mem was mutual, or whether the father had not a
wife already.
From the little disturbance which .took place on

the first rePresentatioo of this piece,. we tind we
were Mistaken to the motives of Ben:l4/44G
in so hastily quilting the Lidy. 'He could not do
otherwise without danger to.himself, and his friendsr
and he ,had seen ,the father and daughter recon.
ciled., W.erflust, therefOre, again enter our protest
against, the opinion of tlu diurnal Critics, who cell.
sored this gait of the piece.' ' . .
We cannot but di approve of the moi-aproMs
ttodu4ion of I'lr. SINCLAIR'S Ira vuiv. W 11.1 all
was ripe for a6tino; and there was danger lest the
conspiracy sboUld be frustr3ted, one of the party
stays to warble his sentiments alone ! It, would be
easy to transfer this song to an, earlier past of the
play, when the hope of e.scalai might have dictated
and justified a 'presaging soliloquy, musical, or other-
wise.

The play i 4, as wehefore said, very well perform-
ed, yyt we think that it Cu/taunt and
YOUNG hail changed' akarativr4, they 'would IMO
been better suited to their respet-tive powers. This
we say, However, r6adily admitting that they both
act. ,httli, great ability. Upon the whole, the play
"pi by no means deserving of the critical hostility
that assailed it, and it is altogether very well cacti,
lated to produce, interest and amusement. . •

It was the intention of, Mr. KIMBLE to revive
SH A KSPNAltiffi aillillrable play of Anthony and C/eo-
pqtra ; but as this is Mrs St nboNs's.hist season, it
is hardly probable that she will study a new character.
As She appears, however,. so great in all SHAK•
6PItAlt'S characters, and. as they only, with few tax-
ceptiOns, are worthy of her elevated powers, we
might indulge a rk•asonable hope that she would
kave as strong and varied an iniptession.as possible
of her pre-eminent talent's upon :the public mind. -
At the late Quarter. Sessions at Wakefield, in
Yorkshire,, Thomas Bateman was indicted for
,tin is.
sauli upon his wife. His Counsel objected to the
case being gone into on the ground that husbands
had, by law, a right to beat their wives ; that they
could not be.tried for an.assault in such cases, but
that the proper courae was to exhibit Wicks al the
peace against them. The Bench recommended,
and the prisoner agreed to enter into at tides to keep
the peace, and he vas discharged. • •

A !TATA oxr MvsTnay.—A singular adventure
took .place in the neighbourhood of Leeds on Men-
day last. Between ten, an elet en,of the-morning of
that day, as the daughter of Mr. Luke Royston was
passing through a field adjoining Mr. James
Brown's; Tentergarth, near the bottom of St.
James's-street, she found a young woman in the
field, apparently in great distress, with an infant in
her arms ; she begged• that she would take the
.child while she went to fetch a do6tor to her mo-
ther, who, she said, was extremely ill. Unsuspeet.
int; any artifice, Miss. Royston took,the.chfld, and,
after tying up a bundle, the young woman ran aft
with.so much haste as to excite apprehensions that
all was not right ; nod Miss Royston called after
her to say, that if She did pot immediately return
she would , leave the child on the grass. This
threat for a moment arrested tie course of the
runaway ; but, after casting a glance towards the
child, she redoubled her speed. • Hoping that she
might be indiaced to return by the child being Be.
tudlly left in the field, it I,V3S placed upon the g,raSs,
and Miss Royston went about her business to Little
Woodhouse, a distance of about a quarter of a
mile. On her teturn she found the child in the
arms of.an oldelly woman, 'who had picked it up ;
but the supp-osed mother had decamped, and has
not since been heard of. The young woman who
abandoned this unfOrtunato child, appeared to he
about eithteen or twenty years of age, rather
small figure, spoke. with much propriety, and was
very genteel in her manners, though her dress ap-
peared mean ; she wore a grey, cluak, a m, bite shawl,
an old-fashioned printed cotton gown, and, a drab
bonnet, with a red artificial flower. The,,i-oundling„
which is a lovely gid,- apparently about month
old, was elegantly_ dressed ; it had on a icing
vvhite
cambric frock, arid a ihoeepeemb teat, and, it. is at
present, we believe, under the care of the, person
who, fulled it laid, in the 'field. We have thougll
it 'OO duty to state these circumstances rather roi.•
nutely, in hopes that the child, ilstolen, ss its
dress might seem to indicate, may be recovered by
its parents ; ,.or if not, that the mother, may be'dis.-
covered, and made sensible of her unnatural von-
duct.---(Leeds Mercury.)