The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-14 00:00:00

COURT OF COAIMON COUNCIL.

-...•■•11.--

Yesterday a Court of Common Council nisa bold,
the Lotto MAYott in the Chair.
Mr. WAItItYAx stated, that be should feel it hit
duty neat Court day to submit something in the
form of a Petition to Parliament no the conduct of the
Administration 'during the Suspension of the Remits
Corpus Act. Seeing so many Aldermen in Court, his
'thought it his duty to give notice of his motion at
that time.
Mr. DAVIS said, that • Member of the Homo of
Commons had given notice of his intention to mown
for an sccoont of the Eap►aces of the Corporation
of the City of Loudon. Ile bad a Repost in hie
hand, which be should reed, on thst subject.
[M r. Davis then read the Report of the Cotenant,*
of Improvements, which had beets appointed to prow
',cote ,the application to Parliament for powers to
raise a sum of money for the cempletioo of a Prison
in White-cross.street. The Report stated, that she
Remembrancer had given information of a motion to
be brought forward in the House of Commons, on
Toesday, the 171 h instant, for en account of the
amount of the City's income • and Expenditure,
which information they had thought it their ditty to
communicate to the Court.]
The Worthy Member then moved, that the Report
should be sent back to the Committee, that they
might determine on what measures they might be ad.
eased to adopt.-
Mr. G memos seened*d the motion.

Sir CURTIS was convinced that there was
hardly suchis thing to be found in the Journals of di.
Ilnuse if Cosmic*. as the 'fiction which was men.
'toned in the •report. Mane reflections were Ire-
qwently marlaupon the Hose. Corporation of London,
in a manner which was very disagreeable to the feel•
ing.r. The worthy Alderman made several other
objection*, particularly respecting the prisons, the
defects of which he boped would be repaired as soon
as possible.

Mr. Watenstax wished that some other Member
of that Court, possessing more information, bad risers
to give them the benefit of it; he was surprised, in-
deed, that the Representatives of the City strould have
been willing to allow the matter to pass over, with.
out entering into any kind of discussion. indeed,
he would not have come forward that days. had he
seen the least inclination in any Member toes, any
thing on the subject ; but their silence *bested opt
deter him from stating such observations ea.:offered
themselves to hins•at that moment. It apprered that
some persons its the House of Commons were deter.
mitred to interfere with the business of that Corpo.
ration, and that its a manner most unjust. Now what
a thing it was, when it was stated that a line of
proceeding most unjust was pursuing, that this
four Members who had such induence could not
counteract this proceeding; that those who had each
influence with the Ministers of the Crown could not
do that service for the Corporation. Ile was auto.
Dished, that whenever a Member made a show of
opposition, It struck such ars alarm into their breasts,
that they' were obliged to ruts to the Corporation to
tell them their grievances. It was not wonderful
that the !louse of Commons should know something
about the prison on which so much had been said ;
he had seen some prisons, and he knew little about
them; bat he knew that the one is qeestiaNs was a
miserable place. That there had "been a scaudalous
waste 4.f•rnoitey there needed no doubt to osier, end
it seemed to him that a Committee of the Corpora.
'ion, when they had had the management of the
(lurid, should have endeavoured to counteract the et.
fens of their own folly and of their own mistakes.—
They had run the Corporation into an espence of
30,0001.: the whole was one of the most estraordi.
nary transactions that he had ever known to have
happened. In connection with the question, he
wished to know whether the lion. Baronet did not
say that the account would be fortbcotaing?—(Sie
W. Curtis, " No.")—The Newspapers had said
•' Yes," but, however, he Moser! himself &read to
believe the Hon. Baronet.
Mr. Alderman WOOD said the question in, AVOW
war, whether they should give the accounts or refuel
them. The Hou. Baronet had wished to say geese.
thing in explanation, and be was sorry that it bed net
been heard. The Worthy Member had been too se.
vire upon the Members. Indeed, be did Sotltnew
one masers they had been concerned in, in 'which
they had not succeeded. Jet the Worthy Member
look at the Post-Office. The Corporation had ser.
tied their intention of removing the Poot-Otfice to a
situation which they thought the most convenient for
the l'ablic—(llcar, hear!)--aud who would say,
that the Bill now in progress would not be carried in
the same manlier? But we were drawing near to art
Election, and•; therefore, it was, perhaps, that Gen.
ilemsee were like to curt themselves. A division
had been about to take place on the subject of the
Petition which had been lately presented, arel be
would venture to say, that be had prevented the House
from dividing upon it. Bet this Bill was in a fair
way of passing, from the st►p, that be had taken. The
greater number of the persons confined in that prison
were not from London, but the Corporation were
asked to pay their mite towards its expenses. But
it did appear to him highly improper that any such
demand for aecoents should be complied with. lie
would rather make almost make any sacrifice be-
fore he would comply with such en Inquisition. It
was indeed true, that they were aot bound to pay any
thing at all; the Jail waespesially for the Cottony of
Middling:, end the number of prisoners from Lou..
don was comparatively small. So small, indeed,
weretbey, that limy might have always remained in
Gilts per.street Compter. The whole would snake,
nese 30001. of anneal additional ezpencs to the Cor-,
proration of London. Neither they nor the citizens
of London, in his opinion, oeght to be subject to be
taxed by the espeuces of any such measure. He •
thought, on the whole, that it ought not to bile the
power of any Committee whatever to great any ac-
count. If such were the cage, they voted come to
every Company in Londoolaml demand their account,

, •
to be given up:
Mr. WlLLiasie was very sorty that toy holt bad
been found with the prison; for primes were what
be wished above all things to be properly condeeted.
He hoped that in the prisons in haste strictettearlsa
would be paid to the providing of seek food es wrtold
be condecive to the health of the prisoners/. and
especially that they would !mimosa a degree at ono-