Star.
London, England, 1822-04-18 00:00:00

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*shed, whether, If Mope:few Sad ht such a
'on the. Inquest a seddlar.usthst.wcatil
Atd ' do had acted opal- the Impost in questisot,
!
A Court of Common Council was held yesterday, *Ay *language would he.#f been thought strung
at which a Report was read from the New Post Of enough to mark their censure of tt ?
thHeat concluded
face Committee. with some observations to ect,
. althOugh
Mr. WINTER wished to know whether any, and if the conduct of the worthy Alderman might be, and
what engagement had been entered into with Go- doubtless was honourable to him as an individual,
wernment on this subject? yet as Sheriff it was reprehensible and unconstitu-
Mr. Alderman Woon said, the project was not yet tional in the highest degree. H. e therefore moved,
abandoned, and he conceived something would be that it be referred to the Committee of General Pur-
done in the matter. poses to inquire into the conduct of Alderman Waith-
The Common SERJEANT then said, a few words man on the occasion of the Inquest held on the bodies
were necessary from him, in consequence of his hay- of Francis and Honey.
ing received the unanimous election of the Court of The motion, after a considerable pause, being se-
Aldermen to the highest office in the gift of the Cor- conded by Mr. CROCKER,
poration—that of their Recorder. He had now, Mr. DORNFORD said, that notwithstanding he dis-
therefore, to resign into the hands of the Court, the approved of the conduct of the worthy Alderman in
situation of Common Seijeant, which he had held attending the Inquest held on the body of the late
for between eighteen and nineteen years. He wished Richard Honey, and had so expressed himself by
he had power or language adequate to express his letter to the Alderman at the time, yet he could not
feelings on the occasion. He should never forget the consider it necessary that the Court should, at this
treatment which he had received at their hands, nor period, after all that had passed upon the subject, ,
the numerous marks of kindness which they had con- and at this distance of time, enter upon the inquiry.
ferred upon him, so strongly manifested in the un- He should, therefore, move the previous question ;
solicited honour which they had bestowed upon him, which was seconded by Mr. SAMUEL DIXON.
by gratuitously increasing his salary. But what he Alderman WAITHMAN could not forbear availing
regarded more than all pecuniary honours, was the himself of this opportunity of observing upon the
kindly and constant regard with which he had been motion. With the motives of the worthy glover they
supported during the last six years; when, in conse- had nothing to do, as it was to be presumed that
quence of the increasing infirmities of the late Sir every public man was actuated in his proceedings by
John Sylvester, he (Mr. Knowlys) had, in a great motives of the utmost ptuity. It was, however, rather
measure, to sustain the duties of the office of Re- singular that he should 'have reserved himself, and
corder, and during the last year he had been tailed suffered the matter to sleep for more than four
upon to sustain the whole of them. During that time, months; and the speaker contended, that if the
he had endeavoured to call into greater activity the Mover had always been actuated with the same sen-
exercise of one of their most valuable privileges, by timents, as to the importance of the proposed inquiry,
devoting himself to an active discharge of the duties he was bound to have come before the Court much
of the Lord Mayor's Court—a Court in which he took sooner, and expressed his feelings. The worthy Al-
every opportunity of proving the excellence of its derman, in his defence, then entered into the details
practice, and the advantages which the Citizens had, of the proceedings in question. He denied that he
by the shortness and cheapness of its processes, in had attended the funeral of the late Queen in his
bringing their suits at common law there. These ad- public capacity, and said, that the Member, Who was
vantages he never failed to impress upon the Jury not now in his place (the El-Sheriff Williams), neither
and the auditors, although, by so doing, he might be had, nor dare come forward and support the accusa-
greatly promoting his own labour. But after the tion, that he did attend there in his public capacity.
support which he had received at the hands of the Mr. OLDHAM rose to order, ,and objected to Mr.
Corporation, there was no labour, either corporeal or Williams being so spoken of in his absence.
intellectual, within his power, that he would not go Alderman WAITIIMAN resumed, and contended
through for their service. He should now take leave that his language was perfectly fair and warranted.
of them as Common Serjeant, wishing them all the The worthy Alderman then entered into the details
happiness which human nature could enjoy, and in- of the transaction on the day of the funeral, and said,
creasing prosperity to their City, which so justly held tll .-A he received some names of witnesses who had
the highest rank in the world. He should devote all seen Honey shot, which rendered it his duty to attend
his labours in future to the arduous and im2ortant the Inquest and give them in. Ile then alluded to
office which he now held. the inquiries which had been entered into, he said, at
OFFICE OF COMMON SERJEANT. the instance of Government, before some stipendiary
Mr. SLADE rose to address the Court, and stated Police Magistrates, and asked did the Court think that
that he intended, at a future time, to propose a per- Government was so full of tender mercies towards
son to fill the office of Common Ser jeant, whose pub- him, that they would conceal anything to his disad-
lic and private character, as well as his legal know- vantage, if anything of the kind could have been ex-
ledge, entitles him to the highest consideration. The torted from the witnesses ? and no endeavours to that
office to which he alluded was the step-ladder to the end were wanting. He animadverted upon the
highest legal dignities; it became them, therefore, to manner in which his case, and application for in.
be very particular in making a proper choice. lie quiry had been met in the House of Commons. The
wished the trammels that lay in the way of Gentle- same Government, however, who had refused an in-
men at the Bar, who might aspire to the office, might quiry into an outrage which had been committed on
be done away with, viz. that a person must be a free- the highest Executive Officer in the County, had in-
man two years before he was eligible to fill any civic stituted a prosecution against a poor man for an as-
office. He implored _Gentlemen to do away with sault upon a Life Guardsman, who, according to his
personal feeling, and re:: ember only the duty they Own shewing, had been cutting right and left among
owe to their country, by electing a person duly qua- I the crowd ; and the fellow having, under these ag-
lified to exercise the duties of the important office; gravated circumstances, been hit a slap in the face, a
and concluded by moving that the Requisition rela- prosecution was instituted against a poor man, who
tive to the Election be read, which was done. was supposed to be the offender. That man, how-
ls ...as resolved that the Election should be on the ever, though he had no witnesses, was instantly ac-
25th inst. the ballot to last two hours, from one to three. I quitted. The worthy Alderman contended, at con-
-It was then moved that the 5 tth Standing Order j siderable length, upon the authority of Blackstone and
of the Court be and that the Common Dalton, that he was bound to be present at the In-
Serjeant be in future elected during pleasure, and ' quest, as by his office of principal Conservator of the
good behaviour. Peace for the County, he was bound to pursue and
Alderman BROWN would enter his protest against bring to justice all felons, murderers, &c. &c. He
this proposition ; he considered that the office ought concluded by saying for himself, he was perfectly in-
not to be held by so precarious a tenure as the whim different to the motion, as he courted the closest in-
and caprice of any body of individuals. quiry into every part of his conduct.
Mr. DORNFORD said, he considered twenty years Mr. OLDHAM, in an able manner, supported the
experience ought to have taught Gentlemen that the motion, as he conceived the conduct of the Ex-Sheriff,
office should only be held during pleasure. from the public statements, to have been such as called
A long desultory conversation followed, when the for inquiry. There was a clear and broad distinction
Minute was lead from the Record, which stated the between attending as the advocate of the friends or
condition on which Mr. Knowlys was elected. After relatives of the deceased, and attending in an official
which Mr. Alderman 'Row's; contenc:d that the per- capacity, to promote the full and rigid execution of
son appointed to fill the office should be freed from justice. He asked why the worthy Alderman had
every shackle. only attended on the third and part of the fourth day?
Mr. Sheriff VEWABLES concurred in the sentiments for, if it were a duty to commence it, it was a duty
expressed by the worthy Alderman. to go through with it.
A Resolution was then moved, seconded by Mr. Mr. Jura, though he admired the conduct of the
DixoN, and unanimously passed, to suspend the 51th worthy Alderman, admitted that every part of it
Standing Order, above alluded to. could not be strictly justified. Ile thought, however,
The thanks of the Common Hall to the Court for that no case had been made out to call for inquiry.
investigating the subject relative to the outrages corn- Mr. Dixota thought the worthy Alderman should
milted upon the rights and privileges of the citizens, have confined himself strictly to the question of his
by the attack and cowardly assault upon the person conduct before the Inquest. His own opinion was,
of Alderman Waithman, their late Sheriff, was read, that a great part of the riot at Knightsbridge had
CONDUCT OF ALDERMAN WAITIIMAN BEFORE TILE arisen from the curiosity of the people to see how the
INQUEST ON THE BODY OF HONEY. worthy Alderman would behave himself on that oc-
Alderman BROWN then rose and said, he never felt casion. He supported the motion.
more than on the present occasion, in bringing for- Mr. JAMES objected to the interference of Sheriffs
ward a motion of the greatest delicacy and utmost at Inquests, inasmuch as they had an interest in the
importance to the character of the Corporation, deodands which might be given on such occasions.
as well as that of the individual who was the subject Mr. GALLOWAY said, an Inquest was a Court of
of the motion—Alderman Waithman. He (Alder- Inquiry, and it was the duty of every man, whether
man Brown) disclaimed all personal motives in bring- Sheriff or not, to do everything in his power to ren-'!
ing forward this motion; but said, it was one which der it effective. The conduct of the worthy Alder-
it was due to the honour and character of the Court man must be approved by every friend of humanity
should be proceeded in ; for, if they were to allow and truth, and he should support the present motion,
themselves to dwindle into the mere indiscriminate because he was convinced that inquiry would only
eulogists of particular persons; their votes of thanks tend to redound to his credit.
would not be worth a straw. He proceeded to deli- Mr. 'nitwit thought the conduct of the worthy
ver it as his opinion, that although he believed the Alderman, in facilitating the inquiry into the circum-
conduct of the Alderman on the Inquest of Honey I stances of Honey's death, so far from being the sub-
and Francis would have been honourable to hint as a ject of blame, entitled him to the gratitude of his
man, yet, in his official capacity, it was most uncon- fellow-citizens.
stitutional, and reprehensible in the highest degree. Mr. FAVELL said, he had never felt greater pride
—lt would have been the province of the worthy in calling the worthy Alderman his friend, than on
Alderman (Waithman) to have summoned the Jury ; , the present occasion. The worthy Alderman who
and, in tire event of conviction, to have executed the I bad brought forward this motion, had disclaimed all
criminal—(Hear).—Now the administration of jus-; party feeling ; but he would ask whether, if he (Mr.
tice should be free from the thousandth part of Favell) were to make a similar motion for inquiry
the shade, or even shadow of suspicion of partiality. I into the conduct of the present Sheriff for subscribing
Ile would ask whether, if instead of one of the po- to the Constitutional Association, he should not be
pulace, one of the Life Guards had fallen by a stone,' justly suspected of party motives? He was sure his
or otherwise, the worthy Alderman would have at- Hon. Friend was the last man who would shrink
tended to pursue the investigation in the same man- from any inquiry ; but he should oppose the present
tier that he had done when one of those who were on ' motion, because, if it were acceded to, it would fur-
what, was called the popular side had fallen. lie nisli a precedent for inquisitorial scrutiny raw the

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