The Sun.
London, England, 1820-08-12 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

The NEW REGULATIONS at BILLINGSGATE MARKET.,
MANSION-HOUS E.—Yesterday several of the
oyster boat proprietors and others interested in
the trade, appeared before the LORD MAYOR to
answer the complaint of Mr. Mitchelson, the
Under Water Bailiff, and several other officers of
Billingsgate Market, who charged them with dis-
obedience to the Lord Mayor's orders, which di-
rected that an existing cause of great public in-
convenience should be removed.
Mr. Mitchelson said, that his Lordship's order to prevent
the sharing of oysters at several parts of the market had been
stuck up, but the proprietors totally neglected it and con-
tinued to land their oysters at other places besides the head
of the dock, to which place the landing was directed to be
confined, to the great inconecoience of the puitlic. Two offi-
cers of police had been stationed in the market to see that
the order was put into execution, but the owners infringed
it, and desired to Slll3/311t the case to the Lord Mayor, convinc-
ed that his Lordship would decide in their favour, to the pre-
judice of the public,. who suffered from the obstinacy of the
owners. The injury was two fold, the greatest possible in-
convenience arising from the crowded state of the maikeg
and the difficulty of procurim; good oysters at a reasonable
price, individuals who wanted to purchase, not having it its
their power to go front boat to' boat to choose, ip consequence
of the very great irregularity of the system for a length of
time followed by the proprietors, ‘‘ho .derived a benefit from
the difficulty.
- LORD MAYOR, who had the assistance of Alderman
Atkins upon this occasion, said the City Lands Committee
had, after a great deal of deliberation, resolved upon pre-
scribing a more limited jurisdiction to the oyster proprietors,
as to the landing. That Committee had, he was convinced,
the public interest in view in recommending the regulations,
and the defendants must find their own advantages eventually
in the arrangement.
• The proprietors one and all declared, that the alteration
alluded to was not sought for by the public, itlthough it might
be attended with some advantage to those who were the most
anxious to have it effected. They thought it an extreme seve-
rity, that alter having laboured for many years at the trade,
,all at once such a check upon I profits should be put. In
fact if his Lordship persisted, the business could not be done,
and the public would suffer a very serious inconvenience ;
besides that, the proprietors would sustain itteparable injury
front the stoppage of the trade, the boats at a distance n A
being able to corns at a proper time for sale, and the COU11110•
dity bei«g very perishable.
Alderman ATK INS said, the boats should be arranged in re-
gular order in the dock, and as one boat was discharged ano-
ther-should take its. place. By this plan the buyer•could
vhsily go from boat to boat to choose oysters, instead of be-
ing obliged to take them at the discretion of the bobbers or
agents.
*the Proprietors said, it.was impassible that such a plan
could succeed, the dock being very small, and the arrival
of oyster boats very great every morning. They. were wil-
ling to prevent all inconvenience to the market by sending
the oysters round Darkhouse lane. One of them deelar,ed that
he paid 1001. a week for the mere metage ; another, that
.he had laid out in the two seasons in oysters 35,0001..; and an-
other, that since lie commenced trade he had laid out 130,0001,
in that commodity. :They begged that instead of putt'ng the
order into execution, two ladders would be allowed to them
from the side of the market to the boats, by which the dis-
advantages they laboured under for some time would be re-
moved, and the public benefited.
The Loan MAYOR said, he was determined that the experi-
ment should be tried, and was of opinion, that it would be
successful. The proprietors at the same time should have all
possible facilities of landing. •
The proprietors withdrew, declaring that the greatest pos-
sible contusion would take place, and expressing their dis-
satisfaction strongly butt respectfully.
WAUOINGTON, THE RADICAL.-This important little crew-
lure again applied to the Lord Mayor for his board. Mr.
• Wuntner said, the board was in pound, in the green-yard.—
' The Lord Mayor represetated to the little man what he had
' said before, and desired him to rest satisfied. Waddington
said, " Then I shall indict the officers( and marched out of
the roots.