Complex sentence: The defendants were comprised of Mayor Alderman and the Commonalty of the City of New York: the Commonalty included George Clark, Robert J. Haws, Moses W. J. Jackson, and others.
Split into simpler sentences: The defendants were Mayor Alderman and the Commonalty of the City of New York. The Commonalty included George Clark, Robert J. Haws, Moses W. J. Jackson, and others.