Star.
London, England, 1818-07-30 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court of Common -Council was held
at Guildhall, which was numerously attended.
After the proceedings of the last Court had been
read, the Lord Mayor laid before the Court the an-
swer ofhis Royal Highness the Prince Regent to tne
address of congratulation presented on Monday last,
on the marriages of the Dukes of Clarence and
Kent, which was read, and ordered to be entered on
thr Journals.
His Lordship then presented a letter from Lord
Morton to the Remembrancer, by command of her
Majesty,. informing him that the state of her Ma-
jesty's health must deprive her of the satisfaction of
receiving in person the address of the Court, and re-
questing the same to be transmitted to Lord Mor-
ton for her.
His Lordship then presented the respective an-
swers of theirßoyal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess
of Clarence, and the Duke 'and Duchess of Kent,
which were read, and directed to be entered on the
Journals.
Upon the Report from the Committee for General
Purposes, the Court Voted the sum of 50/. to Jabey
Myddleton, the descendant of Sir Hugh Myddleton,
Bart. who brought the New River to London, the
same being in consideration of his distressed situation.

WATCII AND POLICE.

Mr. Alderman WooD moved, that it be an instruc-
tion to the Committee appointed to consider of the
petition of the inhabitants of the public streets, re-
lative to common prostitutes frequenting the same,
to take into consideration the state of the Watch and
Police of the City, and to report what alteration
might appear to them necessary therein.
Mr. S. DIXON did not objoct to the motion, but to
the wording of it. He saw no reason why the phrase
"common prostitutes," should be used by way of
diitinction. All prostitutes were common from the
highest to the lowest.
Aldcrman Woon said, the words were only
such as the worthy Gentleman himself hal frequently
used in the course of the discussions on the subject,
and he saw no reason for his present nicety.
The motion was then put and carried.
NON-ATTENDANCE: OP ALDERMEN.
_ .

Mr. OLDHAM. said he had a motion of considerable
importance on this subject to bring forward, and in
doing so he begged it to be understood that'he in.
tended no mark of disrespect whatever to the Bench
of Aldermen, but was wholly actuated by a sense
of public duty. At the same time it could not be
concealed, that Gentlemen when first elected Alder-
men were fond of their dignity, and of the duties
attached to it, and consequently most constant in
their attendance. After having served the office of
Sheriff, and passed through the arduous duties ot
the Ciiic Chair, the duties became irksome, and it
WAS seldom that they were seen amongst them. This
feeling had operated so as to cause considerable in-
convenience and delay, on more than one occasion
lately, to take place in the administration of justice,
both in the Sessions House and the Justice Room.—
Now it was well Irown, that nothing could oy cute
so forcibly to bring the Mightracy into disrepute,
asa.tl o appearance of a laxity orlardiness in the ad-
ministratien of jastice. He had heard complaints of
this sort from various quarters, and therefore it was
he had.brought this motion forwaid. He was aware
there was another course which might be adopted,
namely, an application to Parliament;, but be was
persuaded, that which he was about to propose
would prove less offensive to the feelings of indivi-
duals, and was one to which he trusted no opposi-
tion would be made. He concluded by moving that
it be rerei red to a Committee, to consider and report
to the Court the steps necessary to be adopted to pre-
vent the recurrence of a circumstance which occurred
at the last London Session, when an adjournment
took place in consequence of the nen-attendance of a
sufik lent number of Magistrates.
Mr. Alderman Woou had no objection to an in-
quiry in any shape, as he could always answer forhis
own conduct, though not for the conduct of others.
Iti an inquiry of this description, however, he thought
every step should be regular. The fact vras, that the
Court of Aldermen had done all in their power to
correct the evil complained of; they had directed
the Sheriffs to report such Aldermen as did nut at-
tend regularly, and such had been summoned to shew
cause for their nun-attendance, but there the power.
of the Court of Aldermen ceased ; they could not
enforce attendance. There was one way ut proceeding
which the Ilonourable Mover had not mentioned,
and that was to apply for a criminal information to
the Court of King's Beach, against such Magistrates
as negle,te I their duty.
/sir. Oleos thought the most delicate way of pro-
ceeding would be, to move for a conference with thg
Court of Aldermen, when it might be recommended
to the Court to adopt some measure on the subject
in future.
After a few words from Mr. OLDHAM in reply, the
motion, as originally put, was agreed to.

Saturday se'nnight, Mr. RICHARD BAKER, a tra-
veller for the house of SurroN and Co. Bow Church-
yard, London, arrived at Carmarthen, and soon al ter-
wards went to bathe in the Towy ; he swam across
the river, but on his return was seized, it is supposed,
with a fit of the cramp, about the midst of the stream,
and was drowned.
Monday se'nnight, as Wm. Brvden, servant to Mr.
Tod, at Rosewell, in the parish of Lasswade, was re-
moving dung from a stable, the ground stuldmly
gave way under him, and he sunk to the depth of 24,
feet : the poor man was not got out till the next morn-
ing, when he was quite lifeless. The place where the
ground gas e way, had formerly been a coal-pit.
A young man of St. Mawes, a few days since, pre-
vailed on a female servant, 22 years of age, to whom
he was about to be married, to accompany him in a
small boat on a pleasure excursion. The boat, car-
rfing too much sail, was upset by a sudden squall,
between St. Mawes and Falmouth, and the levers
precipitated into the sea. In this situation, the man,
being a good swimmer, supported his sweetheart for
a quarter of an hour, but his strength failing, the
affectionate girl besought him to abandon her, and
consult his own safety. When assistance arrived, he
was takbn out of the water apparently lifuless, but
after some time animation was restored. His compa-
nion perished, and her body wus not found till the
fourth evening.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, JULY e 9:

PALMER AND OTHERS V. BAILEY AND OTHERS.
Mr. lIART moved, on the part of the plaintiff, that
a Receiver might be appointed of the income and
profits of certain estates and offices payable to one
of the defendants, Thomas Wright Vaughan, Clerk
of the Peace for the City of Westminster, after de-
ducting the salary of the Deputy who now supplied
the place of Mr. Vaughan.
The facts of the case were these:—Mr. Vaughan
being, entitled to the estates in question, consisting of
the office of clerk of the peace, which was a freehold,
and to certain copyhold estates, became much in-
debted to the plaintiffs, and executed a deed, dated
January 26, 1806, wheretiy he covenanted that he
would within a given period make an assignment of
this property to pay th.e two sums of £l 87 and
L 779, with legal interest of five per cent. In default
of this agreement, the estates in question were to
vest in certain trustees appointed. Under this deed,
a receiver was appointed to receive the rents ant
profits, but Mr. Vaughan some time since had thought
fit to discharge this individual. A bill had accord-
ingly been filed to compel him to appoint another
receiver, in compliance with the agreement.
Mr. SHADWELL, on the part of the defendant, did
not oppose the appointment of a Receiver so far as
regarded the copyhold estates ; but he wished to put
the question to his Lordship, whether the profits and
emoluments of the office of Clerk of the Peace could
be assigned? His Lordship was aware, that by the
Statute of Edward VI. certain offices were declared
incapable of bein sold, and the words of the Act
were, that no offices could be sold which " anywise
touch or concern the administration and execution',
of justice." He humbly submitted that this was an
office which came under that description. It was
upon the same principle that the half-pay of an Offi-
cer in the Army was not assignable, and he consi-
dered that the office of Clerk of the Peace stood pre-
cisely in the same situation. Ile thought at least
that the Court ought to pause before it came to a
final determination. There was also another consi-
deration, that the profits of this office were so ex-
tremely small, not exceeding in the whole above £1 60
a year, and consisting of a vast variety of small sums
of money, of which one shilling was the smallest,
and twenty-five shillings the largest amount received
at one time. He apprehended that the appointment
of a Receiver under these circumstances would be
almo't nugatory, as the expense of the appointment
might be greater than the sum received.
Mr. HART did not think that the cast of a Half-
pay Officer applied in this instance, because -the
Clerk of the Peace was capable of filling the office
by deputy, and an Officer in the Army had no such
power. He was very ready to admit that it was a
ottesti(at for the consideration of the Court, whether
this office was assignable? but he conceived that his
Lordship would have no difficulty in ordering that
the fund be impounded until an opportunity was
given to discuss the questbn. In the case of Sir
given
Lewes and Smith, it would be recollected
the Court granted what he now required. With
respect to the observation, that the emoluments of
this office were of a very trifling amount, he was dis-
posed to give the defendant every possible accom-
modation, and he agreed that there would be no
occasion for any receiver if the amount of the profits
were paid to some responsible person.
Mr. SHADWELL said, that if i.i, Lordship thought
the profits of the office were assignable, 1:2 had no
objection to the proposition.
The LORD CHANCELLOR granted tl7e order for t'
appointment of a receiver, reserving that questioi:
for future consideration.

s, ESQ. r. num, WIDOW, AND RIDGE v. RIDGE.
It was this day ordered by the CHAscEttoit, that
Mr. Sims should have the conduct of the cause of
Ridge. against Ridge, and that Mr. Sims should be
p:tid his costs of the bill in Chancery, filed by him
against Mrs. Ridge (the widow of Mr. John Holman
Ridge); and the costs of this and the former appli-
cation, made to the Court on behalf of Mr. Sims,
out of the estate of John Holman Ridge.

RULES OF COLIRT.-,-WILLAN V. WILLAN.
Mr. Folvataslaus requested his Lordship would
allow this case to be heard if possible to day, as it
had ionstood over.
TheLORD CUANCELLOR wished to know if the
Counsel on the other side were prepared, or if they
were in Court? To go or, without this being the case,
would be a waste of time. _
_ _

Mr. FONELAKQUE said that he unJerstood Slr S.
Romilly had been instructed, but he was not now
in Court. _

Lordship's conduct, accuracy and precision as a Judge.
In making this motion he had but done his duty.
The LORD CHANCELLOR was sure no disrespect
was meant, for he did not believe Mr. Fonblanque
capable of offering that ; but his duty was imperious.
He had too much esteem for. the Gentlemen at the
Bar, to suppose, even for a moment, they were capa-
ble of entertaining any such idea. He would hear,
for once, this motion, when bbth the Counsel were in
Court ; and he hoped what he had that day said
would be borne in mind.