Star.
London, England, 1815-10-12 00:00:00

CITT BUSINESS.

Ycsterd iy a Court of Council was held
at Guildhall, which was numerously attended.
Tnam a EosTEtt, Esq. citizsm and ironmonger, pe-
titioned to be discharged from his nomination for
ShorP.F, on paying a fine of .C. 10.) and twenty marks,
uith the esuAl fees, into the Chamber, which was
cotoplied with.
Jon GLADSTONE, Esq. lately elected Sheriff, rre-
senteil a petition to be discharged from that election,
payment of a fine of :E4.00 and twenty marks,
with the usual fees, into the Chamber, which was
also compiled with.
CO MILES Comm, Esq. who had paid a fine of
t WO to he excused from his election tnr :Acri', had
+nee returned to him en application, on account
0; his state of health not permitting him to serve the
said utiice.

THE KING'S STATUE.
Sir Wii.u.ast CURTIS rose to address the Court,
tutu question of privilege. He observed, that he
was int' irmed, on his return frain a foreign excursion,
inat during his absence from this country, a Gftntle-
man if that Court (Mr. Waithman) had thought
proper to make an observation respecting his con-
duct, as Chairman of the Committee appointed to
surerintend the erection of the Statue of the King,
v.thich reflected in the strongest manner on his cha-
racter, and which he felt it his duty, at the earliest
opportunity, to answer. The observation to which
his was made at a Court of Common
Council, held on the 4th of September lag, and
was publi,lied on the subsrqufmt day in the Public
Payers. In substance, it imputed to hirn the fact
of having invited his Majesty's Ministers, and •cer•
tail' other illustrious persons, to a dinner, given on
tlte opening of the King's Statue, in his own personal
character, kat at the expense of the Corporation.
;Mr. WArrintax submitted, that, as there W4l a
rnnion comiag before the Court upon this subject, it
rould be more regular it the Worthy Baronet would
rostpone his remarks till the question wgs properly
b.Tore the Coui t.
The Limo Mayon said, that he viewed the course
taken by the Worthy B millet as arising on a ques-
tion of privilege, and in that light he considered his
prilceeding perfectly correct.
Sir 'Wm. CURTJS dec;artd, that justice to his own
feelings demanded f him, in the most peremptory
2-n.try:,:r, to contradict the assertion which ha:l been
and publicly announced.
DixoN said. he h ut frequently read the Public
it:t.., but he could nor say he had seen any speech,
rep:rt.; t !live .Delivered in that Court, in the
re! jos the Hon. Baronet had quoted.
W.i LTI:M N WaS quite cot.tiJent he had never
sc.i!:,•lt :Ile words iasintiated to bare been used by
I nn,• ctiu.aiiy confident such words bad
suit .I:tribiltvd to I.'rn in IL! Public Prints.

Ct.:u Is held the P-11),:r in his hand to
mh:di dc:v..ited.
M:- to,,:,ested the propriety of the Report
r..ad, in 01..itr the. Mr. Waithrnan might either
avow it or disavow it, as u nth might &mind.
Tne Paper was then reduced, and the piircicular
Itt.;:ott an,led L., read. T!,roughout the whole of
this, however, there w.is nn direct insinuation -As tbat
d. szi ihzo. by the Worthy Baronet.
Mr. WArm:as said he was ready to avow the
'hole of the Itervirt in question as correct.
Sir Wm. CuuTts repeated, that he had been infor.
rn.d tlin the lion. Geutleman who had just spoken
bad accused him of inficing persons, in his own pri-
vate clin.icier, to a dinner at the City expense; and
this asseition he begged to characterize as wholly
wilout lotindAtion. _ _ _

...
'nil Lorin Mayor,. now declared, that he conside-
red the explanation made by the Worthy Baronet had
gone as far as the question of privilege required ; he
thought, therefore, that the regular business of the
Court slearld proceed.
IVAITI1111:01 then rose, in pursuance of his no.
f,7e, to move that the Report of the Committee ap.
ru•ated to superintend the erection of the King's
&ante, and which had been agreed to by the
Court. eon;riry to the standing order, which re-
qu'red notice to be given of the production of all
Reports respecting the ehsbursernent of the public
rnore,y should be again referred back to the said
Committee, in order that they might state the par-
ticular items of the charges contained in the said
Report. He desired to repeat what he had urged
on a iormer occasion when this question was before
the Court, namely, that the first idea of the erec-
ti:i if the Statue of the King arose Out of the
introduction of a person who proposed to execute
a bust of his Majesty for one hundred guineas.—
lc Vas afterwards proposed that this bust should be
a complete statue, and an understanding went forth
that t!,e cxpense would be very little more. A
Committee was then appointed to superintend the
business, the statue was erected and opened, and
tk! Committee made the, report of their expenses.
To his astonishment, however, instead of those ex-
rnses It•tug hut little more than one hundred gui-
reas, they actually exceeded four thousand itouads.—
er.oi:notis an Lxpenditure, after the feeling which
had zentaally entertained, naturally demanded'
invesogat.on ; and with the view of obtaining infer-
snati-al upon the subject, he had made a'motion fur
the troducteai of the accounts of the Committee.—
motion was unanimously approved, • and the
Reirre was produced. This document, however,
in to .d ot being lolly explanatory,
,left him still in
kiJik as to the items of which a very considerable
cs.arge was composed—he alluded to a charge ot
.43j0 for the expenses of the Committee during their
soperintendaece, and hence it was that he had flow
again to move for referring back this account to the
Committee, in order that they might fully explain
the component pArts of this item. He had heard
that no less earn del;TO of this sum was extended in
a stogie dinner eiveo to certain illustrious persons, at
the opining wf the statue. What he wished to ascer-
t s n was, • whether tltjs was a Corporation dinner or
it %%as a Cuiporation dinner, be thought the 1
Luiporation ought to have been cotirlted.—(!iene.)
But n it was a dinner given by the Committee, or,
wnat wait worse, by thtir Chairman, without their.
ire,oference, it S :is matter which demanded the
vrieus consideration of the Cons It might, to be
fare, be Seidl Thar the worthy C..a man was an ex-
tellent judge of hulk soup, and was therefore tit,
rts.t.st proper porsan to-whom to intrust with uhf bug-1

••• -

•
gees. Be this as it might, he considered it but proper
that the saddle should be put upon the right horse,
lin order that the question might be fairly argued..
For his own part, he knew of no right or privilege
which could attach.to one individual of the Corpora-
tion more than another ; and why one man, or one
set of men, should assume such a right, he was at a
loss to imagine. lie did hope that the Hong Baronet
would have profited by past experience, and when he
recellecte.d the difficulties he had to encounter in
ob-
tabling the payment of the expenses of his own May-
oralty, and in particular the erection of a dancing
room, which cost X5OO, that he would rather have
advised the Committee to abstain from unnecessary
expense, than to rush blindly into it. Mr.Waitliman
concluded by moving—That the Report should be
ilferred back to the Committee.
Sir WIL:LIANI CURTIS had no objection whatever to
the Report being referred back to the Committee ;
on the contrary, he. was most willing, and he was
satisfiNi every Member of die Court felt with hint,
to give every information which the Court could
require. Before he proceeded further, he would take
the liberty of reading one of the cards of invitation
which was issued to the guests who were present
at the dinner alluded to. The card was to the effect
following :
a. William Cnril4, and the .rest of the Gentlemen of a
Committee of the Utaporation of London, retitled the honour of
Lord Liverpool's conti.:my :tr the ormitt.., Statue of his
Maietty, In the Common i'coitieil Ch:inther, and aftererauls to
:tont his Royal ituke u: York, and other illusttious
cluracters, at tke Lordoq Tavern, at dinner.
" The favour of your Lintlahip'i answer to the City Reiman-
brancer is requested"
—After this he wonld ask, if he had taken upon
himself the duties of the Corpor ttion improperly ?
Upon such au occasion as the opening of the King's
statue, he thought the reputation of the City of Lon-
don demanded the course wlkli the Committee col-
lectively had taken ; and in suppoititig the dignity
of the City, he was sure there was not a Member of
that Court who wo:ild say that they had acted with
impiopriety. He did not expect, upon this occasion,
that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Waitirman) would
have ripped up an old story, which had its founda-
tion so far back as 17:15; but lest this might be mis-
understood, he would state how the fact really stood.
When he was chosen to the office of Mayor, on en-
tering the Mansion-house he found it more uncom-
fortable and more unelioleseme than one 01 his own
pig stset.—(Laughter.)—ln consequence, lrc found it
necessary to make certain improvements, which were
absolutely essential to did comfort of the Lord
Mayor, and the benefits of which had since been ex-
perienced by the Corporation. He admi(tecl that he
was fond of good living, and of suppoiting a charac-
ter for hospitality ; and • there were Gentlemen not
far distant who hail partaken of his munificence. It
was ton bad, he thou3lit, that those who had shared
in his munificence, and drank his wine, should after-
wards abuse him.—(Laesktir.)
Mr. liana, as cull! 01 the Committee, elipre•ncel
his readiuess to give every infurniation avhich the
Court m•,(-'it requ.re. lie distinctly cleni.:d, tiowever,
that thud-Worth) C!i,irrnan had :lewd in any resveet
Isepar4te from the Cmiiiiittee. They had ail acted
together, and were all equally culpable, fault
had been comrnitte.l. There had been dinixts given
at the opening of 4:4e status of Lord Ne',son and
Mr. Pitt, and be thought that at the open asis of the
statue of his Mxjesty, a similar course was Institi.tble.
After some farther remarks from Mt. HEARN,
Mr. WHITE, and Alderman HETGATE, .the motion
was agreed to.