Star.
London, England, 1811-02-07 00:00:00

COMMON COUNCIL.

A Common Council was held yesterday at Guild-
hall, pursuant to an adjournment of the debate on
the report of the Committee relative to the London
Militia. Some routine business being gone through,—
Alderman WOOD rose to call the attention of the
Court to the subject of the adjourned discussion,
which was to be resumed in that Court. He felt that
he could add but little to what had already been said
in recommending to the notice of the Court the im-
portant report of its Committee relative to the two
regiments of London Militia. The adjournment of
the discussion on a former day had been agreed to,'
ke believed, in order to give the persons interested in
the statements contained in the report, time to come
forward there, er elsewhere, with some answer to
those parts of the report which they represented or
considered incorrect. A letter had even been writ-
ten by the Committee to Mr. Grose Smith, inviting
him, if he had any thing to urge is answer to the
matters contained in the report, to come forward and
produce it : bat this Gentleman replied, that he had
nothing to state, and the Colonel most particularly
interested had neglected to attend the Committee, or
give any explanation whatever upon the subject. The
Committee was therefore now prepared to prove all
the allegations contained in the report. What, how-
ever, had been the conduct of the persons interested,
in the charges contained in the report? He had
heard of, nay, he had seen, canvassing going on
amongst the Members of that Court—he had heard
of invitations to dinner, in another part of the town,
being given to Members of that Court, whose talents
he in common with every Member of the Court could
not fail to admire. He did not mean to disparage
the Corporation of London, which he was persuaded
was not now as corrupt as in former instances. He
was convinced there was much more integrity in that
Court, than at the time when a Member for Berks
demanded of the Minister 200 Lottery tickets of RIO
each, which were all, except 25, distributed amongst
'the Members of the Common Council of London.—
He trusted, therefore, that they should all come to
the decision of this question without bias or partiality.
'another expedient had also been resorted to in order
to influence the opinions of the Members of that Court.
,A pamphlet had been published oo the subject by one
Captain Kirkman, who had also attended in certain
debating societies, where this question had been dis-
cussed, and who had also on a former occasion ac-
cused Sir John Earner of a perversion of justice. This
%pouting pamphleteer had in his pamphlet, which
was circulated amongst the Members of that Court,
presumed to call the Committee who framed the re-
port a cabal. (Alderman Wood was here proceed-
ing to read a passage from the report, when called to
order by Mr. S. Dixon, upon which rather a tumul-
tuous and desultory altercation took place, marked
with some strong expressions of personal feeling and
peremptory assertion, which was at length put a stop
to by the Lord Mayor's interposition, who declared
his intention to maintain the order of the Court, and
recommended to the Members to abstain from all per-
sonalities in the discussion.)

Mr. Alderman WOOD then proceeded and said that
he despised such insinuations as this pamphlet con-
tained, and defied all the world to produce any thing
to affect his character. But what could that Court
think of a production, that imputed to its Committee
tkat it was a cabal, an intriguing set, actuated by
low cunning, vulgar prejudices, factious principles,
and by paltry interested motives ? Could any man
justly impute such motives to the Committee ? He
had himself served as a Field Officer of Militia
without pay, and if ever he should serve again it
should be without pay. It had been asked, whether,
if the two regiments should be given up, the City
would offer to his • Majesty 4000 men with Gomel
Waithinan at their head ? But there had been tiass
when the City of _London had raised 10,000 men foi
the support of the Government. The pamphleteei
had stated, that the City regiments were raised for the
,protection of the rights of the City, and had been oal
a late occasion called out for that purpose. This hi
denied, because they had been locked up in the Ar•
tillery•Ground when Sir F. Burdett was carried to
the Tower, and had not been called upon until the
evening, when he thought a party of them had been
injudiciously ordered to blewgate—a measure which,
if consulted, he should have resisted. The civil
power was amply sufficient for the protection of
the City ; as was proved by what had happened
in the reign of George the Second, when Sheriff'
Jackson, in conducting 16 mutineers to execution, on
his arrival at Holborn Bars, dismissed the military,
declaring the civil power sufficient; and thoughaeate
seamen, who wished to obtain the bodies of their
comrades after execution, shewed some symptoms of
murmuring, preserved the peace of the City effectu-
ally, by the civil power. The worthy Alderman then
disclaiming any idea of throwing blame upon the two
regiments as military bodies, concluded by moving,
that the report be read.
Mr. S. DixoN asked, whether the Committee had
taken any proceedings since the adjournment of this
discussion ?

Mr. WAITHMAN replied, that the Committee had
met for the purpose of receiving any explanation that
the parties interested in their report might think it ne-
cessaiy to offer.
Mr. Box, objecting to several parts of the report,
would never consent to agree to it in gross.
Mr. DORNFOILD proposed, that the persons below
the bar should be prohibited from taking notes of the
proceedings, but was instantaneously overruled.
Mr. WAITHMAN then moved, that the report be
now read.

The report was in part read by the officer ; but,.
upon Mr. MARItYATT'S observing, that as it had been
in the possession of every Member of the Court, it
WAS unnecessary to read it at length, the officer di:-
continued the reading—after which a struggle for
precedence in addressing the Committee, upon which
several Members spoke, took place between Mr. Al-
derman Birch and Mr. Waithman : but the Lord
Mayor declaring, that as the discussion was an ;d.
journed one, the Member (Alderman Birch) who was
in possession of the Court when the adjournment was
proposed had the right of precedence.
Mr. Alderman BIRCH entered into an ezamin4-
tion of the subject, professing his determination tti
give an unbiassed vote. The question was one which
not only involved the honour and dignity of the CoupN
poration, but also the character and interests of a
body of mea entitled to every respect. With this

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