Star.
London, England, 1820-02-29 00:00:00

l' between the bar and the bench could be adopteil, for
1 the purpose of dispensing with this question. Both
the Sheriffs had waited upon his Majesty, and had
"Ye te.day. •A roint of Cononon Council was held communication with his Majesty : the Court ,would,
for the s ~.c..i:ii i -rc,.,..,:.• oi • receiving his Majesty's therefore, sec the necessity of their attendance.--
snswer to the apl lication of the Court, to know at There was a way by which this could be accom-
what tune his Aaje,ty would be pleased to receive plished without compelling the Court to agree to a
the Adthess of Condolence and Congratulation. proposal . which it might be necessary to consider
When the Court was made, Mr. Sheriff Parkins' with greater care. The Amendment already moved
was observe I standing in the body of the Court, prevented him from submitting that plan.
amoneht the Members. Mr. Alderman W*IThMAN said, he had been fre-
Mr. T. N. WILLIAMS immediately moved that quently in that Court when the other business of the
strangers should withdraw. All below -the Bar were day was gone through before Addresses to the
then moving out of the Court, but Mr. Williams Throne were discussed. The Court was not, there-
said, he did nut mean that those who stood where fore, acting without precedent. He did not know
strangers were usually allowed to remain during a Sheriff Parkins personally. That conduct which
dsbate should be included in the order. His *Object some Gentlemen of the Court seemed to object to
Was to have the body of the Court confined to the was, probably, in the Sheriff's opinion, perfectly cor-
Members who alone had a right to sit there. .rect. At all events, the Sheriff's conduct elsewhere
The space below the bar was soon filled after this was not a question in that Court. It was the situa-
notification , but the moment those who were thus tion as it regarded the City of London that they were
indulged were comfortably situated, bound to consider ; and as to the charge of objec-
Mr. T. N. NVILLIAMS again rose and said, he had tionable conduct, he had seen men in the Chair of
leasned that the Sheriff had a communication of it that Court, who, though unworthy to sit in it, were
very delicate nature to make to the Court, which treated with respect. This respect was merely paid
might render it necessary to dispense with the pre- to the situation. Mr. Sheriff Parkins had never in-
rence of strangers, until the Court-thould ascertain stilted the Court, and the question was, whether the
-whether they could with propriety be admitted. He Court were determined to treat hi:n as a Gentleman,
therefore felt justified in moving that strangers should or to deny him the privilege to which, as a high Of-
ho longer remain in Court. titer and a Gentleman, he was entitled ?
Mr. BROWN said, there existed no necessity Icir ex- Mr. JACKS was of opinion that the question should
chiding strangers. The business before the Court be set at rest, by calling the Sheriffs to the bar of the
could with great propriety be stated to the Public. Court, at which place the first merchants in the City
Mr. WILLIAMS insisted upon the propriety of car- had attended.
ryinhs his suggestion into effect; the question was Mr. liuncomne said, the refusal appeared to him
extremely delicate. very extraordinary. Mr. Sheriff Parkins had not been
Mr. JAMES observed upon the 'inconsistency of treated by his fellow-citizens as his brother Sheriff
telling the strangers to withdraw, then calling them had been received. He had been elected consider.;
back again, with the assurance that they were 'not bly before that worthy Officer, and consented with-
meant in the order, and then' issuing another order out hesitation to accept the office. Mr. Sheriff Roth-
for their exclusion. There was, he declared, no sort well had not evinced the same readiness to attend
of necessity for departing from the usual course. the duties of the situation to which he was invited,
Alderman WAITIIMAN said, it certainly was at the and still the latter was received into the Court with-
°paw, of the Court to admit or refuse admittance to out opposition, while the former was treated with
strangers, but the latter never was done except upon harshness and ungrateful severity. He had good
very substantial grounds. reasons for wishing to appear in Court, and would
Mr. Sheriff Parkins had, upon hearing the com. state them upon being introduced. The Bailiff of
mencement of this conversation, withdrawn. the Borough was admitted but the other day, and
The proposition to exclude strangers from the the motion for his admission was carried unani-
Court having failed, without a division, or even the mously. How then could the Court refuse to admit
form of putting the question, an Officer who brought a message from the King ?
Mr. PATTEN rose, and moved, that Mr. Sheriff Mr. Sheriff Rovnwafst. said, he felt himself in ra.
Parkins be permitted to have the privilege of sitting then a delicate situation. In the simplicity of his'
upon the Bench with the Ahlermen in that Court. heart, and without troubling the Court with any ob- i
Mr. Paten stated, that the worthy Sheriff had an servations, he would declare to them, that he was
important communication to make, in conjunction ready with pleasure to attend at the Bar of the Court,
with his worthy colleague, from his Majesty ; and and to request Mr. Sheriff Parkins to do the same.
that it was consistent with the dignity of the Court A great many Members shouted their applause
to extend the privilege to him.—(A murmur of dig- upon hearing this proposal, and there was a loud
satisfaction here very generally prevailed). clapping of hands.
Mr. HURCOMBE seconded the motion for the She- Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN said, he did not by
rill's admission—( There were loud cries of " No, no"). any means think the proposition of the Sheriff worthy
The LORD MAYOR stated, that the Court had been of being entertained. The 'question could not be
specially summoned for the purpcse of receiving the got rid of by such a proceeding as had been sug-
communication from the Throne. He trusted that Bested ; and he, if be was the Officer, would not
any other question would not, upon such an occa- consent to stand in the situation pointed out by the
sion, be agitated. Mr. Sheriff Rothwell had waited worthy Sheriff and Alderman, for the purpose of
upon his Majesty. presenting an important communication. The re-
Mr. Sayeee.—Was not Mr. Sheriff Parkins with fusel to grant the privilege would be wholly incon-
his brother Sheriff ?—( There was a loud cry ?f s, Yes" sistent with the practice of the Court, and have the
in the .Court ). appearance of being pressed by that class of men who
The LORD MAYOR continued.—Mr. Sheriff Roth- had included him in the list of prosecutions now
well had stated to him, that he waited upon his Ma- Pending.
jesty, who was graciously pleased to say, that he Mr. Dixoe called upon every man in the Court to,
would receive the Address of the Common Council take the conduct of Sheriff Parkins, since his elec-
at four o'clock that day. His Majesty was also gra. tion, into consideration, and to say whether- the
ciously pleased to say, that he much regretted his Court would be justified in admitting him ? But the
inability to receive it sooner, and requested that a question was made merely a party one, otherwise
deputation, consisting of a small number, should be there would not be one word of discussion, because
appointed to be the bearers of the Address. there would not have been a mover and seconder.
Mr. BROWN wished to know why the motion for Mi. CLARKE (the new Member) again rose to ac-
the introduction of Sheriff Parkins should be delayed cuse ire Lord Mayor of an oversight, in not having
so long ? He saw no reason why the communication prevented the discussion upon this question—( There
should not be made at the Bar. It was true the She- were loud cries of Order!)
riffs had in no case, for the last twenty years, been re- The Loan MAYOR said, he had not discovered the
fused the privilege of sitting on the Bench in that nature of the question until considerable progress
Court. The courtesy was in all cases granted ; but had been made in it, and it was too late to prevent
where could. be pointed out the precedent of a Sheriff the Court from entertaining it.
who had conducted himself as Sheriff Parkins had ? Mr. GRIFFITHS said, it was more dignified to have
—( Loud cries of " Hear" ).—And who had ever two Sheriffs than one in attendance.
heard of the admission of a man who had been corn- Mr. T. W. WILLIAMS said, it was manifest that
plained against by the Chief Magistrate, and whose Mr. Sheriff Parkins never expected to be permitted
case had not been decided upon. It was inconsistent to sit in that Court, for he had never presented hien-
with the dignity of the Court to support such a motion. self. He was now brought forward to be thrust
A number of Members rose, and the attempt of down their throats. There was more in the Resolu-
the LORD MAYOR to fix the attention of the Court tion proposed than was meant to meet the eye. He
th or the question on which they had expressly as- (Mr. Williams), for one, thought the office of Sheriff
sembled was wholly ineffectual. There was a cry most wofully degraded. All the business had been
or—" The 'first question must be disposed of," which left to the other Sheriff, and new a message was
overwhelmed all ether efforts.• brought in, that the Court must comply with Mt.
Mr. DIXON said, that a communication from the Parkins's wish to sit amongst them.
Throne always supersede' all other business. The Mr. Huireoems declared, that he had never heard
question was evidently agitated from party motives, of the resolution until he took his seat in the Courts
. which it was not very honourable to operate upon and that he had done his utmost to prevent the Wor-
such an occasion. Ile hoped the Gentlemen who had thy mover from bringing it forward. The question
introduced it would not press it. The discussion was by no means preconcerted.
must, necessarily, interfere with the important husi- Mr. OLDHAM suggested that the Sheriffs should
Less on which they were assembled, and was, indeed, make their communication at the table of the Court.
ur.worthy of being entertained by the Court. Several mombers cried out " Withdraw the ,
Mr. WILLIAMS (of Smithfield) said, that if the pre- motion."
sent question had been objected to when it was first A number of members rose, but the previous ques-
started, it might have been disposed of by the Lord tion was put in a loud distinct tone, and carried by a
Mayor without discussion ; but the proposition spew of hands with a considerable majority.
having been regularly moved and seconded, a deci- COMMUNICATION FROM THE THRONE.
sion, in the usual way, must be obtained. He sup- Mr. OLDHAM then moved, that the Sheriffs should
ported the mo:ion, but he was not induced to do so be requested to attend at the table of the Court, to
by any party feeling. The occasion on which they make the communication from his Majesty to the
were assembled was an extraordinary one, and the Court. Carried in the affirmative,with few dissentients.
presence of both tire Sheriffs in Court, particularly as Mr. Sheriff Rommel-L. then left the Court, and
both of them had received the communication from soon after returned, accompanied by his colleague.
the Throne, would be.more decorous than the atten- Mr. Sheriff Rorewese stated, that in compliance
dance of one only. with the directions of the Court, he had waited upon
A loud cry of—" Let the Sheriff appear- at the his Majesty respecting the Address of that Court,
bar," was here set up. and his Majesty was graciously pleased to appoint
Mr. JAMES observed, that it would be necessary to four o'clock as the hour at which he would receive
say a- great deal more for :qr. Sheriff Paz kius than the Address. His Majesty appeared much indisposed,
had yet been said for him, before he could be and expreSsed his regret at not having been able to
thought entitled to a seat in that Court. The special receive the Address before that time. His Majesty
matter should have been entered upon before any expressed his wish to receive the Address at the
other. The worthy Member then moved the pre- hands of a deputation consisting of a small number.
'lions qtlc.tiozz. This statement was read from a paper.
Mr. CLARKE (a new Member) said, that this un- . Mr. Sheriff Palmists said, that he, in his official
necessary discussion had taken place in consequence capacity, thought it necessary to state, that never,
of an oversight Iqm-hale part of the Lord Mayor, until he came into that Court, had he seen the paper
who should have stopped the discussion in timbre. just read. He had to declare; in opposition to it,
Mr. Oeollass wished that some intermediate way that his Majesty did not appear to him to be in a bad

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.