The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-11-16 00:00:00

SPECIAL JURI IS.

;mfr. Alderman U AlrllataN tame forward and begged
1.-ave to mention to the Court a fact of a very important
ulture, on which, however, he did not then intend to
ford any motion. The Court would recollect that
one lime ago an lion. Member had brought forward
a motion with a view of correcting the abuses which
had gradnaliy crept into the formation of special ju-
ries ; and that, upon the inquiry which 1. as then in-
stituted, it was found that the parties who served on
•pr-ciai juries had generally had their names placed
tio.re by the intervention, of the secondaries, solicitors.
or under sheriffs. It was also found, upon consider.
ing of the manner in which these abuses were to be,
remedied, that thotourt of.Comtnon Council was en-
titled, ant!, indeed, could be obliged to make nut the
returns from whirls those names ought to be selected.
lie had in consequence moved some months ago that
mach Ward should be instructt.d to 'nuke out a list of
the persons competent to serve on special juries who
lived within i.s precincts. Important as this subject
was, be was recently struck with great surprise on find-
ing !hat some of the Wards bad not yet made any re-
turn, though Michaelniss•day bad been the specified
time by which they ought to have been made, Pad
though the Wards were liable to be fined for not bar-
itqr wide them. In spite of the reforms which had
b?en at mitred on this poitnt, special juries were now
in n much worse practical-situation than they had been
before an alteration was attempted. 'the master would
now allow none to serve as special jurymen to whose
name the title of merchant was not atfized in the re-
turns. Now he conceived that independence in point
of property and intelligeoce upon matters of general
business were time best qualifications for a special jury-
no .n. It became the duty of the Court to see that per-
sons so quallied were placed upon the special jury list;
and such persons it was not in the power of the secon-
dary or the under-sheriff to select, but of the Common
Council only. As the citizens of London were accus-
tomed to meet in %%'ards fur various purposes, so it be-
came incumbent upon them to make in Wards their re-
turns of persons tilted to serve on special juries. He
trusted that after what he had said, there would be no
Ward which would hesitate to make its return imam-
(Lately ; if there was any that did hesitate, he should
feel himself obliged to bring forward a specific mo-
tion on the subject.
Mr. S. Dixon considered the subject to be one of
such great importance, that the Wards ought to pay
immediate attention to it. He complained of the arbi-
trary manner in which certain name.* were placed on
the special jury list, and others excluded from it. The
brokers of London were a Imo saliglitesed set of men,
and in general greatly skilled in mercantile affairs :
yet not one of them had ever been allowed to sit on
special. juries.
After a few desultory remarks on the subject from
Mr.Oriffitits. Mr. R. Taylor, and Mr. Alderman Waith-
. man, the subject was dropped.—The Court then ad-
journed.

The paper from which we yesterday copied the
paragraph relating to Amacreon Moons, says, this
morning, that the article is Dot entirely correct. In
what respect, it is erroneous, it does not, however, con-
descend to state.
ST. JAMES'S PaLacn.—Great imprOvements are
making in St. James's Palace : the new grand stone
stair-case leading to the drawing-room, is nearly
• completed. It is we understand, intended to pull
down the whole of the buildings in front of the
Court-yard, between the tower at the bottom of St.
James's and Marlborough-house wall ; the space is to
• he inclosed with iron railing, and agate will be opened
to communicate with St. James's Park. instead of pass-
ing through the Stable-yard. Mrs. ligertoun and
Lady Murray have quitted their residences in conse-
quence. 'lf Marlborough-wall was;also taken down the
improvement would be complete.

S►T,

"THE THREE cuARANTrEs.".