Star.
London, England, 1810-12-07 00:00:00

THANKS TO THE LATE LORD MAYOR.

Mr. Deputy PINDAR rose to move a vote of thanks
to the late Lord Mayor, for his excellent and patriotic
conduct during his mayoralty.
Mr. QUIN could not think of allowing a subject of
such importance to pass the Court in silence. The
late Lord Mayor had indeed fully satisfied the public
mind by a conduct exhibiting every public and pri.
vate virtue. His attention to the interests of the City
of London, his strict preservation of the peace of the
Metropolis, and his firmness upon all occasions, were
characteristics for which, upon all occasions, he was
regarded with applause ; but when he was called to
the exercise of those qualities, he supported himself
with dignity and faithfulness.
Mr. WAtrumeN said, that he was very far from
wishing to weaken the impressions made by his
worthy Friend. He was certainly in the habit of
opposing votes of thinks upon many sithilar occa-
sions, but could not help declaring, that he had never
in his life seconded a motion with so much fervour.
The vote was then put and carried unanimously. •
LONDON MILITIA.

Mr. WAITHxAN then rose to present a Report
from the Committee appointed to make inquiry into I
certain circumstances relating to the City Militia ;
and also, whether it would be advisable to make ap-
plication to Parliament for the repeal or abolition of
ill the Acts respecting the London Militia, and what
Acts it would be desirable to substitute for them.—
The Committee found that the expence of the two
regiments was Z 50,000 a•year, independent of the
charges for clothing, and for supplying men in the
place of those who may have deserted or obtained
promotion. The stock-purse in one of the City regi-
ments was kept wholly under the controul of the
Commander ; no account whatever had been render-
ed of its amount or application, and a considerable I,
aim must have accumulated, and was to be accounted
tor by that Commander. As to the mode of raising
men for the regiments, considerable abuses existed.
It appeared that seven guineas per man was allowed,
but this stint was never actually paid for the men,
Who, in most instances, were raised for half that sum,
and some were got even for a guinea eich. The con-
sequence was, that whilst the City wit 4r it to a heavy
expence, improper persons were taken into the mili-
tia, whom it was afterwards necest ary to discharge,
when the expence of supplying their places fell upon'
the parishes. The most important point, perhaps,
• was that respecting the Trophy Tax ; and upon this
subject the Committee had collected a number of
facts. Pursuant to the Act of Parliament, the account
of the receipt and disbursement of that tax should be
regularly presented at the bar of that Court ; and yet
it appeared that considet able balances remained un- '
accounted for. So far back as 1798, this account was
presented, to be passed at the quarter sessions, when
it had been disallowed. That account had never since
been presented, though the tax had been invariably
collected. By an account presented to the Common
Council in 1799, which was disallowed, it appeared
that on the 2d of October in that year there was a ba-
lance in hand of £254 19s. In the year 1800, from
the account presented, several of the items which had.
been objected to in the preceding year were omitted,
but t"e balance amoanted to ii'2,953 2s. No
duplicate of this account with so large a balance had
been, as by the Act directed, presented at jhe bar of
that Court ; and in that omission it appeared to him,
a most gross deception had been practised. In the
text year the balance was £398 Is. Bd. and the ac-
count was passed by the Magistrates at the Court of
Li,:otenancy ; yet no account whatever was given in
respecting the former balance. But who, he must
ask, were the Magistrates of the Com t that passed
this account ? Were they not interested persons ?
three out of the five who were present having been
Officers, who thus passed their own accounts ? Here,
too, he was happy to do justice to an honest man,
now no more, whose character bad suffered by ca-'
lumny, but would not fail to be considered in its true
light when justice should be done to it ; that the late
Recorder of Loudon had protested in fare of the Ma-
!citrates againt.t their passing the account, and ex.
pressly on the grouxd that the former balance still re-,
strained unaccounted for.' (itear, hear !) Yet, notwith-
standing this, they did actually pass the accounts. He
66: had only to add, then, that up so the period of 180 N no
714 lance hst4 been brought hanhard. About that tithe

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