The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-08-11 00:00:00

NORW ICH.

&Ir. Booth.--I have been alderman of Norwich for fifteen
years. The, governing body of the corporation consists of a '
maynr, alderman, and common council. The rccorder is not a
member of the governing body. The witness then pioeeeded
to describe the 'organization and administration of the corpora-
tion. There are 2,600 freemen. The population of Norwich is
about 61,000. Since I have been a magistrate I have had no
reason to belie4e thit.the affairs of the town could be managed
with greater irepartiality. The aldermen are elected for de,
the council only hold their office annually. Those who have
-nerved the office of mayor are magistrates for life. The mayor
and one or two magistrates sit every day in the Town-hail. 'No
informations have ever been brought against any mugist rate on
account of malversations in his office as far as I recollect, and I
have lived in Ole town all my life. Their conduct has always
given general sp.tisfaction. Except dining the warns period of
a political election, Norwich is e very quiet place, and the po-
lice perfectly adequate to the maintenance of the peace ef the
town. I do not concur in the correctness of the. opinion eh-
pressed in the report of the commissioners that Sir J. Scarlett's
scoters burnt their own booths. The proceedings in the Conti
of Conscience and the Guildhall Court have always given per-
fect satisfaction. There is no desire among the people of l•lor-
wich that the appointment of the steward of the Guildhall Court
should be taken nut of the hands of those who now exercise it.
The property intrusted to the keeping of the corporation is well
managed. 'I tie incense is about £2.200. It has a few hundreds
of surplus after paying all expenses. The mayor is allowed
CU) per annum; but, owing to contingent expenses of the post,
the mayor generally is not of pocket £6OO during the time he
.is in office. The sheriff is also on the average £250 out of
. pocket in the year. A statement of the, receipts and expenditure
or the corporation is annually printed. ( Here a printed state.
ment,was exhibited.) One hundred Copies are printed, and one
copy, furnished to each member of the council, and copses may
' be prochred by any person curious to obtain the information.
contained in the statement. This statement contains an ac-
count of all the charitable funds, as well as others belonging to
the eorporation.
Wetherili said that he wished to put this statement in
as evidence of the manner in which the corporation adminis-
tered their funds.
The witness continued.—Before the printing of these accounts
they are inestigeted by a committee of auditors appointed ge-
nerally hy the different bodies in the corporation. I never knew
a shilling spent by the 'corporation out of their funds during a
contested election. The inhabitants are perfectly satisfietl with
the administration of their affairs by the corporation. Ido not
think the _present mode of auditing the accounts could be ins-
. proved. lam net aware of any abuse by the corporation of the
powers granted it-by charter. I 'think' that,an iint:rovement
might be suggestedoriz.. having the mined elected for three
years inetenoi! of.. one; -The council
.are elected nearly in the
same manner: as the .common conned of..totidon. No change
of 'circumstances has niteied the-usefultrees and efficienci of our
earporatinn tie en'instru)neni of local e'uernment. I can nig.
stest nu improvement in einy of itOleP,irtments, witbihe former
exception. I never recnllect any "default on the part of the
treasurer, who receives no salary. Offeitiqiave been inside to
the bankers of Norwich to keep the accounts of' the colniation.
on the Lurie terms on which they are kept, and refused. The
report states that there is a balance in the hands of the trea-
sorer, the interest of which is applied to his own use; but it
does not state that nut of this balanee the treasurer has to main-
tala a clef:. The statenient ie a very unfair one.