Star.
London, England, 1815-12-08 00:00:00

I. it, COMWON.cauNc4.

Yesterday theist meeting of the Common Conn-
ell, 'since the neeetsinft Rtf the presett Lord Mayor,
tort place at Guildhalls and on his Lordship's talc,
ing the Chair. he addressed the Assem4y, assuring
it of his intention to pre.vrve tt,e silkiest impart; ility
in discharging the duties which appertained to his
station as President of that respectable body. his
Lordship 'farther observed, that w.th a view to es;a-
bG►h a more distinct understanding and regular
course of proceedin;, he proposed, Asia. the leave of
the Court. to order that it should meet at certain
stated periods within the year (ten times. as we un-
derstood him) for the dispatch of its ordinary hos;-
nes% the Court being still liable to be summoned,
with due notice, on extraordinary occasions, as cir-
cumstances might appear to require.
Mr. Kenny moved the thanks of the Court to the
late Lord Mayor.
Mr. A. Baoanve objected to a passige in the pro-
posed vote, with regard to the Corn Bill. He did not
dis. pprove of the conduct of the late Lord M iyor in
seconding the wishes of his fellow-citizens upon the
occasion alluded to; but he thought the passage ex-
ceptionable, because it sanctioced a sentiment which
experience hits! proved erroneous, namely. that the
C bin Bill was cilculated to injure the intetest of our
manutktuters.
Mi. DIXON vindicated the word.: of the motion.
Mr. WAITIIMAN followed on the same site, con-
tending that the'Corn Law was pecaliarly .objcction-
able, because it imposed an impolitic and unjust re-
striction upon trade; and time had shew•n, as it was
argued at the period of its enactment, that it was use-
less to the agriculturists, whim it was propos.•d to
serve, while it was founded upon a most pet nicious
principle, which must ultimately prove injurious to
the manufacturers.
The moti.m was agreed to unanimously.—(See
eldve►tistareat in the first page.)
A piv,e eit S I guineas was unanimentsly voted t,,
the Rev. Samuel Birch, Chaplain to the lattt Lord
Mayor, in testimony of the appinhati It of the Court.
A letter from the Duke of Wellington, dated N..
vember 8, was read to the Clint; in Which his
Grace stated, that, in co.llhh.nue.K•ith the reqii-si
of the Court, be had had the words delivered filch
were voted to Prince Blucher and General B irvla)
de Tony, and that those voted to Prince Schwart-
zenberg and Hetman Platotf were about to he for-
warded.—The letter was ordered to be entered on
the Journals. _ _ _

A Petition was presented from a Marshalman,
stating, that in the year 1814, he had arrested .t Mr.
Thomas Smith, on a warrant from Alderman S. ho-
ley, in consequence of the prosecution ot a hackney-
coachman ; but on the prisoner's being broul!it up,
the hackney-coachman deposed that lie civid hot
swear to his identity ; thetefore the prisoner was dis-
charged, and be 'fraught an action against the peti-
tioner, upon which action a verdict of £2oi) da-
mages w.:s • found in the Court of King's Bench ;
irons which damages, however, the plaintiff agreeii
relieve the petitioner, provided the costs ot the act, ti
were paid ; but petitioner being unable to psy !host
costs, prayed the consideration of the. Court, for a
misfortune into which he had been betrayed. ire the
palm-mance of his duty.
. Referred to the Committee for general Purposes.
FEASTS UPON THE ERECTION OF THE KING'S
STATUE.

The Report of the Committee appointed to super-
intend the execution of the order of the Cour: tor the
erection of a Statue to his Majesty being read, the
tollowing items appeared:— 1-he expzns..: of droners,
£5O; ditto, 450; ditto, se49o.
Upon readi,ig the last item, a general cry of Hear,
hear! and a laugh.
The last item was stated to refer to a dinner given
to certain distinguished Members of the Admotistra.
Cum, titc. on the Ist of August last.
Mr. Alderman Coleus moved, that this Report
should lie on the table for the reading of the men.b,.rs.
Mr. MARNYATT proposed rather, that the Report
should, be agreed to, in order to get lid of the subject
at once. As a member of the Committee, and AS a
friend to the Corporation, he was anxious to prefer
this course.—. 4 We," said he, 4, have had several
pleasant Convivial meetinp,s upon this subject, and I
am desirous that our harmony shall not be disturbed
by angry discussions, upon a point in which we
have none our duty, by maintaining the dignity of
the City of London, in giving a suitable entertain-
ment to some of the most distinguished individuals
ia the country, who did us the honour of a visit, to
witness a testimony of our respect to our most gra-
cious Sovereign."
Mr. Warrastan expressed his regret to see any
Member of mat Court willing to laugh at the expen-
diture of £9OO of the City Funds. Considering the
state of those funds, he was surprised that any gentle-
man should treat such expenditure as a matter of le.
-vity. The -Comniittee under whose direction this
expenditure had been incurred had, he maintained,
grossly violated a standing order of the Court. It
rented. according to an H Alderman's (Curtis)
judgment, that that Court should not object to any
expense, however inconsistent with the financial
re-
Sources of the City, provided that expense was in-
curred for the accommodation of certain Individuals.
(Hear, hear.)--3ut the question was, whether
any individuals whatever should be entertained at the
expense of the City, contrary to a standing order of
that Court t The Committee, at which the Hon.
Alderman presided, was appointed for a specific par.
pose, without authority or allowance :o spend any
na4t.,:y whatever but for that purpose. Yrt this
Committee undertook to order the expenditure of tio
less a sum than £9OO for mere entertainments. lie
Appealed then to the Court, whether such' an expot
future could be tolerated, while its regular Commit-
ters were distinctly restrained to a certain* allowaii‘e.
When the erection of his Majesty's Statue was first '1
pioposed, it was stated Mat the evens,: was not likely
to exceed two or three hundred guineas; and yet had
it amounted to nearly three thousand pounds.
was not, however, disposed to find fault with this ex.
e.ess., but he could not reconcile it with his sense of
duty to overlook the addition of £9OO for purisoseb
trailly unconnected with the erection of the Statue.
:?or what had feasts for the members of the Commit
tee, or for Melt friends in the Administration, to do
. with the beauty: or splendour ts( the Statue? It might
suit the policy of the worthy Alderman (Curtis) WI
,inteetaiitentaiiiindividualSo big why should the City