Star.
London, England, 1821-01-12 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court of Common Council was held
at Guild'etll, for the dispatch of public business.
Mr. OLDHAM referred to a Report of the Court of
Aldermen, in which the privileges of the Court were
ii,volved, relative to the late proceedings in the Court
of Ki Leach. It appeared from that Report that
the payment of the costs of prosecution was charged
upon the Cite purse, and the deleadants were desig-
mated as having been guilty of a misdemeanour.—
With respect to the question which it was the object
of that prosecution to try, namely, whether on the
day of electing a Lord Mayor, the Livery had a
right to enter upon the discue.ion of any other busi-
ness except the election:' the Couit of Kings Bench
had, in fact, come to no decision; and as each party
had to pay their own costs, the same punishment !ran
been inflicted upon the prosecutors as upon the de-
fendants. He moved, that the Report be referred to
a Committee of Peivileges.
Mr. T. N. WILLIAMS seconded the motion. Ile
had been himself one of the Committee, and be had
certainly made every &Fart in his power to conciliate
matters, and set the question at rest. With that view
he had advised the Corporation to pay the costs on
both sides, though he did not concur in opinion with
the defer dents.
Mr. Alderman WAITIINIAN said, that though lie
was a Member of the Court of Aldermen, he had
not been able to obtain a sight of the evidence upon
which the Report of the Committee of Privileges 1
was founded. When that extraordinary Report was
first presented to the Court, he had declared that the
statements contained in it were unfoUnded, and ex-
pressed a wish to have a sight of the evidence. It 1
was consequently postponed at that time, and at the
next Court he (Mr. Waithman) was unable to attend,
in consequence of severe indisposition. A prosecution,
however, was considered so indispensable, that the
Court of Aldermen proceeded to act upon that Re-
port. How many Aldermen were present upon that
occasion, he could not say ; perhaps the Court might
not be more numerously attended than on a late oc-
casion, when the Lord Mayor and himself were
obliged to transact some indispensable business, no
other Member of the Court of Aldermen being pre-
sent! One singular feature in this transaction was,
that Sir William Curtis, for the first time in his life,
discovered a feeling for the City purse, though he
had no scruples in putting the Corporation to an ex-
pense of 1.3,900 to keep his own birth-day!--He
trusted, that when this Report came to be discussed,
due notice would be given to that Hon. Baronet.
Mr. BROWNE and Mr. Alderman WOOD supported
the motion, which was then put and agreed to.
Mr. Sheriff WILLIAMS presented a Petition from
the City of London Bible Society, praying for pecu-
niary aid,' which, after a short conversation was or-
dered to be referred to the Committee of General
Purposes.
THE QUEEN.
Mr. FAVELL, in rising to submit to the Court a
Resolution, of which the object was a Petition to the
House of Commons for the restoration of her Ma-
jesty's name to the Liturgy, and the restitution of all
her rights and dignities as Queen Consort, felt the
difficulty of saying anything new upon topics which
had been so amply and ably discussed. He deeply
lamented the necessity of recurring so often to the
subject of her Majesty's grievances; but who were to
be blamed fin- this but the Ministers of the Crown,
who, after abandoning the unjust and impolitic pro-
ceedings against her Majesty, had not the honour to
do her justice, but kept everything suspended, with
a view of throwing the apple of discord among the
People, and screening themselves from that inquiry
ileto their conduct which, he trusted, would still be
instituted' He could net but reflect with satisfac-
tion on the part which the Corporation of London
bad taken throughout the whole of these proceed-
ings. In the course of the last year, they had at once
shown their respect to the Family on the Throne,
and then' attachment to the principles of the Censti-
union. Within that short space of time they had
had occasion to express their sorrow for the death of
their late venerable Sovereign, and of another Mem-
ber of his Family, who was at once a Prince among
Philosophers, and a Philosopher among Princes.
They bad shewn their zeal for Royalty, and they
had shewn likewise their regard for the Constitution,
in expressing their abhorrence of that unjust and un-
constitutional measure, the Bill of Pains and Penal-
ties, by which her Majesty's enemies had sought to
ruin her honour, and deprive her of her just rights
and privileges. Though that Illustrious Person had
been completely acquitted, yet everything was kept
suspended, and Parliament had been prorogued, in
order to bolster up a tottering Administration, by
aising a spirit of Royal, or rather Ministerial Radi-
i. alism, and screen them from that inquiry which the
'peace of the country demanded. An attempt had
been made to identify Administration with the King,
as if attachment to the Ministers and to the person
of the Sovereign were one and the same thing.—
lie should be glad to know who of his Majesty's sub-
j.:ets had sworn allegiance to his Ministers? The short
way would be to pass an Act of Parliament at once,
making it high treason to speak disrespectfully of his
Majesty*. Ministers. The object of the Resolution
which he was about to move; was to restore her
Majesty's name to the solemn service of the Church,
that the People of Fengland might pray publicly for
that Illustrious Person, whom they already prayed
for in their hearts. It was extremely doubtful whe-
ther there was any legal authority for omitting her
Majesty's name; and it appeared, from a learned and
elaborate investigation of the subject which he had
lately seen, that every Clergyman who omitted it
was liable to a civil prosecution. He could not pre-
tend to decide upon that question, but he trusted, at
ail events, that the House of Commons would enter-
tain the subject of their Petition, and tharthey would
take such measures as would, not only restore her
Majesty tb her rights and dignities; but lead to the
punishment of his Majesty's Ministers. He concluded
by =noting the Resolutions, (for which see the Adver-
tisement in theirs! page).
Mr. SOUTIIGATE seconded. the motion. There
could be no doubt that her Majesty, whom Mr. Can-
ning had declared to be the grace and ornament of.
society, would maintain her high station with dignity
and propriety. The restoration of her Majesty's
name to the Liturgy was a measure which the reli-
git Ala as well as Cie moral and political interests of