Star.
London, England, 1809-06-22 00:00:00

CITY BUSINESS.

Yesterday, a Court of Common Council was held
at Guildhall, when, after some preliminary business,
Alderman Domvieez moved, that the two Reports
of the Finance Committee should be read. They were
read accordingly, after which,
Alderman DometteLe rose to make some observa-
tions on the Reports. Ht particularly warned the
Court against the delusion of Committees refOrming
themselves, and commented on the enormous expen-
diture which had of late attended their sittings. He
.also alluded to the expences of their law proceedings,
and thought the best way to prevent such a recur-
rence in future would be to appcint specific sums for
the expenditure of the ensuing year. He then pro-
posed.a string of Resolutions of retrenchment, the first
of which limiting the Committee on City Buildings
to 7001. and the Bridges-house Committee to 5001.
being read and seconded by Alderman Wood,
• Mr. DIXON said there could be no doubt but that
all the Members of that Court were as desirous as
possible of every reasonable retrenchment, and he
among the rest. He did not think, however, that it
would be very delicate, in the first instance, specifi-
cally to limit the Committees. He was rather of
opinion, that some eeneral hint or recommendation
on the subject of rational economy ought to be given
them. It was ludicrous enough to hear some of
those old Committeemen, who took care to enjoy all
the delicacies of the Committee-dinners in their day,
now become so very vociferous in recommending fru-
gality to others. He stated generally his views •f
the different branches in which economy was neces-
sary, and concluded by moving as an amendment,
44 'That several of the Comndttees bad exceeded the bounds of
F prudence, and that the Court recommeaded to them a more strict
regard to economy in future."
Mr. JACKS thought it was, by all means, expedient
to attend as strictly as possible to the expenditure of
the Committees. That expenditure particularly in the
management of Estates, and in the Law proceedings,
was enormous. He did not think a recammenda-
tion merely to the Committees would be efficacious ;
such a recommendation had been made before, and
lied failed. On this account, he felt impelled to vote
for the original Resolution.
Mr. WAITHDIAN would not allow this question to
pass, without delivering his opinion on it. He was
not one of those who wished that any unreasonably
harsh retrenchment should take place; but all seemed
to agree that some retrenchment was necessary. He
was upon many Committees ; and he must say, he
thought many of the Members seemed to consider the
eating of the dinners, by which the sitting was follow.
ed, as the principal occupation of the day. On one
Committee six did the business, and thirty attended
-at the dinner, In the Committee for City Lands, for
instance, there was one Member who never did busi-
ness, except in the eating way. He never missed a
'dinner, and never attended a meeting! (A/aush.)—
He expressed his complete concurrence in the reports,
and hoped the Court would attend to them. He
hoped they would shew themselves above selfish views,
and shew that the best title which they possessed to-
wards the reforinstion of others was the purity of
thetnielvet. The funds, it was said, were now small;
but for his part; he did not wish to see them larger,
unless they were better employed. He declared his
intention of supporting all the Resolutions.
Mr. MAWMAN was glad a retrenchment of expences
was about to take place. He remarked the shameful
negligence of theCityofLondon towards the ornament
Of their City, when compared with the Cerporations
Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Liverpool.
Mr. VANOKIICOM did not intend to vote for either
the Resolutions or the Amendment. I-1e thought
Gentlemen who devoted their time and talents to
Committees, ought to have at least the satisfaction of
a dinner. to great loss accrued to the City, fr< m the
method in which their Law Proceedings were ma-
naged. He was -on a Committee lately, on which, a,
vote of 200 guineas was proposed to 4 Lavr4l,4.
He asked for what ? " Why indeed,, slr " i.
Officer, ,4 I was engaged in a law-sift
though not engaged•fut dporti intdsttill bidsn eye

tb the fats Of the My." (A 7.itik.F4hearzeiti
the pretence on which the money. emsuctuallygranted,
He thought a great deal of this waste migh: he done
away, by giving Law Officers salaries, iustead of
fees.
Mr. DAVIS expressed himself favourasle to. the Re.
port ; and after a few observations from lieurs:
KE111131.11, HARDY, and BMA, the Amendment wee
negatived, and the original Resolutions cart-i:di
It was referred to the Committee fur Geremi Pur-
poses to.carry into execution the Act of P ttliament
lately passed, for laying a tun on alt horses And cars
riages passing on a Sunday along Blaekfriars-bridge ;
and also to consider of raising a fund for its future
support.
Mr.WLLLIAM Row was discharged from the nomi-
nation for Sheriff. _ _

The CHAMBERLAIN was ordered to pay over to the
Treasurer of the Marine Society, for the purposes of
that Society, •the City's subscription to the late in-
tendc.l Naval Pillar.

It was referred to, the Committee for General Pm--
poses, to examine the allegations contained in a 05-
lication by Sir RICHARD PHILLIPS, Knight, late one of
the Sheriffs of London, so far as relates to the 'Gaols
of the City, and the Fees taken by the respective
Keepers, and to report their opinion thereon to the
Court.