The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-08 00:00:00

PROCEEDINGS in Me COURT of .11.11gR.VEN.
(Omitted iu the usual Circular.)
PROPOSZ P CESSERA OS ALDERMAN WAITIIMAN.
After the letter of Sir Matthew Bloshrom, tendering
his resignation, bad been read in the Court of Alder-
men on Tuesday, Sir W. Curtis rose for the purpose
Of calling the attention of the Court to a comuplaimmt.
which be felt it his duty to prefer against one of the
Sheriffs, a Member of that Court, for what be (Sir
William Curtis) considered to be not merely a breach
of duty in that Worthy Alderman, but a flagrant vio-
lation of the privileges of that Court. The Worthy
Alderman observed that he was not present daring time
discussions in a recent Court of Common Council :
but from the reports he had read of the proceedings
in the newspapers, it appeared, that time Member al-
luded to had iu the course of his speech, disclosed the
proceedings, and attacked the conduct of the Court of
Aldermen. The proceedings of that Court were secret,
and he contended, therefore, it was a breach of duty
and a violation of their privilege, in any Member to
make those proceedings public, or the subject of his
animadversion elsewhere ; nor could he do so without
a manifest violation of the oath taheu by every Alder-
man on entering his office. In support of this
assertion, the Worthy Baronet read the following es-
tract from the Alderman's oath :—" The secrets of
this Court ye shall keep and not disclose any thing
here spoken for the commonwealth of this city, or that
might hurt any penult or brother of this l'ustrte, lin-
ks:to it be spoken to a brother, or any other, which in
your conscience and discretion ye shall thiuk to be for
the commonwealth of this city." 'I he Worthy Member
bad on various occasions attacked the conduct of
that eourt, and thereby divulged the proceedings
thereof, all which he conceived to be highly improper
and to call for the censure of the Court. lie should
therefore 'propose WHIR Resolutions upon the subject.
Sir Wtimlaw then read a string of resolutions, time
purport of which was to censure Mr. Alderman Waith
wan, more particularly fur the disclosures made in Isis
speech, at the Last Court of Common Count il, on the
Report relative to the Receivership of the Orphans'
dues on coals.
After the reading of these proposed resolutions the
Court remained some minutes in awful silence, the
Worthy Baronet not having provided himself with a
seconder, and no Member volunteerim.g himself for his
office.
At leugth Sir Jsstes SHAW anal other Members set
up time call, " to business," " to hnsimmess," and the
Lori Mayor was about to proceed upon the routine of
business of the day. when—
Mr. Alderman ATKINS rose and said," I second the
motion."
Sir James SIIAW observed, that there was other and
im:m.rtaitt business for the consideration of the Court,
an.lofor which they had been sumumiled. lle was much
surprised that such a motion should be brought for-
ward at all, and, mote particularly,- without any fact
or circumstance being stated, upon which they earthd
forum a judgment. If the Worthy Baronet had any
complaint to wake, he should at least 'have produced
some document or evidence in snimport of his eltargr,
or moved fur a rommitice of ittquily on the subject.--
Ile not aware of the grounds of the Worthy Baru-
net's complaint, and conceived the Court could nut lis-
ten to a general chat ke of improper conduct, not con-
tined to any specific. fact or time whoever.
Mr. Ablerinon Wouu fullGwed to time same effect.
Sir Joao PERRINO said, there was no ease or cir-
cumstance of charge whatever made out before them.
and thought it quite impossible that the Court could
entert..in so novel a proceeding against one of its own
Mens hers.
Mr. Sheriff WAt rum AN and Sir R. C. °LYNN rose
at the same time; the Sheriff immediately gave way,

and—
Sir It. C. GLYNN said, that seeing the Worthy
Sheriff about to rise, he was induced to ray a few words.
He was quit* ignorant of the tirctonstances to which
she lion. Hart. alluded, and upon which he appeared
to found his charge. Ile ought surely to have followed
up his complaint will something like evidence. The
Court certainly could not enter 'you the consideration
of sorb a question as this, in absence of all informa-
tion. He therefore busted they would proceed im-
mediately to the business of the day, and that the
Worthy Sheritiwould not feel it necessary to enter into
any discussion upon the subject.
Mr. Sheriff WAITUMAN assured the Hou. Hart. who
had just spoken, that he had no wish or intertion to
waste the time of the Court. The complaint of the
Hon. Mover was so general, that he was at igno-
rant as every other Member of the Court, of the
particular circumstances to which the motion
alluded. The public conduct of that Court as well
as of every other public body, he considered, was
open to the free inquiry and observation of the pub-
lic. If his conduct or character were attacked in that
Court, he should always feel himself entitled to de-
fend them. He was as anxious as any Member to
support the character and dignity of that Court.l
although be had sometimes thought that their times-1
sures and proceedings were not always calculated to
produce that effect. lie would not reply to the mo-
tion of the Worthy Hart. nor the observations with
which he accompanied it. Indeed, they appeared to
him so palpably absurd and ridiculous, that he (Al-
derman W.) was scarcely able to suppress his mirth,
while the Worthy Baronet was delivering them.
Alderman ATlil:44 here observed, that as there ap-
peared nu disposition on the part of the Court to en-
tertstin the resolutions proposed by his Worthy Friend,
he would recommend him to withdraw them. To
which Sir William Curtis readily assented. and the
Court proceeded to the other orders of the day.

Yesterday morning Mr. Mash of the Lord Chan'.
berlain's Olice, kft town for Windsor, to make ar-
rangements at St. George's Chapel for the opening of
the Royal Mausoleum, for the reception of the remains of
the late Princess Klinbeth, the daughter of the Duke
and trochees of Clarence. The interment is expected to
take place on Saturday, in the most private manner.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
Rut India Houee, when the following skips were
thus tinted. viz :—Albion. Capt. C. Weller. for Madras
and Bengal, to be afloat the 17th of April, and to sal'
en its voyage on the 17th May; Kingston. Car_
W. A. Bowels ; Barrosee. Captain IL Hotehinson ; and
Ploreatia, a S. Remington. for Bengal ; to be
afloat 17th o` mad to sail *a their voyage 16th
of hum.

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