Court Of Common Council.
The Times, 1824-04-09T00:00:00

V'esterdav a Coulteote Coimunon: Council was held at 'Guildhail- for the delarch of-busines~s,-&c.c' The Cterk,read the minutes of proceedinFs at the last Court.- DMr.`Alderr~an-LucAs presented a -petitiou from certain,owners and occupiers of lands, wharfs; -warchouses, -and 'other Vrembses; in. the borough aff Southwark;, againt -som'e new docks which it-was proposed. co buildi in the parish of St. Catherine, upon the opiiositc (Middlesex) shore. The petitioners stated that the propert -inthe whlarfs, &e.,wvhich the-rso neld, under lease ard otherwis,fo thle corporation of the city of London, would be mat6rially nue by the new -docks that it. was proposed to, builld itt St.-Ctri'a They th-erefore called upon thc-Ljord ilayor and Common Council to inteifer-e-Aor the prevention, if p-'s9ible, of th'e'-bii now pending in Parliament, for authorizinfrIhe eonstrutction of tbe`%worksi in q'ues. lion, which ;iiould nocasion infinitrddetitne-nt to theedtittinners-',wlo beld their premises froin the city, at a-zqntislofd,0001. and upwards.~ Mr. A' lerman ljucms s3spported the prayer of the petition. The aavocatis *b'r thet Vuflding~ of thease docks haid hot been able to'sbow amy case-at All as to thi-neccthsityWo suich anieass,i (huVit -it was smerctlynotor.ions, that at ptesent,,at Rast one-third-of-thec exisfing okwee unoccupied. (Hear -hear.) As tbis was a matter which particularly relatea- to the BriAgiTbouze estates' pioperbi, ,he shiould 3move thite the pedtitin bd r,ifeeI-161he Bridge-libuse L-Stat'es' Comn. inittee.. .- Mlr. Hrcx secoonded the motion. .- Air. JoxES3 reminded the Coart- that oni a formeraccssion,-wheni tbe building-these dbck,s was flr-stprojected, the matter had- been re- ferred to -the navig'ation" ltommittee; and, undler all the circum.- stances-of the cases th. ehughtilt wo6ld b'e -better for thie Court in no way to interfn.e ~vtsit. *--The'eomrnittee- had -been advised, thst'fo itle last 9.venr the existing docks had, in a great measure, taken. amy- tb,-- ;usZ'mcs otf tbhe ci ty o f L o n do6n whi1ch was s aida ne ve r to haveactotP- mordianwiscly'than-iti the suipport and encouragement she ha givcn the-s;m. Hc:sutpported the mOtion for referring this Pcti&t5~ to- the Bridge-house Committee S. IM-daraen (wheoe name we did notlearn) siif'tliat he thought 'the projected docks Would lie Tvery useful; and tind ta aavance' the public good. He should be extremely-sorry tosho)w any want of re- apect for theletitioners, ortofailiin cpnsideration for private pro. perty, which riuight to some extent be injured by.the new docks. If, hiowever, they were for the public good, private interests must yield to tbe a.- - - ----- Alr. Alderm'an IIEr'GATr, was by, no means satisfied- 'with what Ibelast member hadi said. Tie fact seemed to be, thtat ini ofder to mnake these new doczks, theyv - eisnt pAll. dlown* homese, remove chburches, dernolish- wholi ittreets, ~:dd exceavate somye 40 acre's 'of- land. And this litoiosition, it nmst be, remembered, came before the public just a". theve--,,tIinwhedi a1l the exrlusivelmonopolies of the city of tibindon.'evreon.thepeint of falliiugin, particularl those of her dur-co-' cs 1t lecanic . question, tberefore,fwhether, - -'neperixlatwhich their exclusive pritileges would cease, cit:. wouldl desire to have new docks, end-old and new competing "tone another. But under their respective acts of Parlianirint; -111 the e-xisting- dock comnpanies h'ad powver to make'- great Enlargemenets, if ne'cessary. They had not made them, howeier; and whyv not ?- Could any maa doubt that had thete been aunv wanit -of additionat roone, those enlargements woutald ave been efiecteal? The f'act w&as, that at thie present moment, so far from'thiere being ttny necessity for-this new project, London was-ovrdce.O six dockt companies in tondon, two paid no intestal-oepi about 3L10 ls. per cent. the London Docis from 4.t-1;O. Ver cent.; and the - tWo others; alone,' SI e cn,at -upwards. These two possessed exclusive priftite,whc ol determine about two yerrs henc6; but witho'utwhrstenvr could have paid any thngastall. If nocosteof ncsiycub mnade out for nevw docks, then it must be admitted hy-wr ra uiacs;for what did the rtwhproadobudhmgot Palaetfor ? Vihat was it that he had the m dsyt s?Fr rowers to turn out a number of inbuabitiints and - iiesfroi the oases in whichi thecy had ived for vers, and their ancestors before them. However hara upon thiem miight be the operation of such an aet for the construction of suich (locks, if' it 's'iiould- -be- oh. 'tained, there was'no-remedy fdrthemn. Quit they must; and- then came the question of rompensation. Perhstps that question mighit o to ajuy who woulcl probably give them too little or too much. Rlcbelie,gd tha~t the rag for new docks arose, not from any want of Ithen,, batt frcons the extraordinary plenty of mioney in the mnarket, amsithe pre-vailing fondness Ior speculation. It had been intimated tbmthttwo other new decks were really in contemplation; one citr'lhmichbw-otuld require an exdavation of 30 acres, and the other one Df 40. But these dock-gentldsren didanot rome forward in -right tsme: the act of Parliament requiired parties wishing to build new dockst, and to pulUdown people's hosiues for that purpose, to give notice of their intention to zthie tenants and occupiers in thAe mnonth of September. 'lnthiepresent case,.the notice was.in MnIrvh. only. WVhy ? Because, 'most' likely, in S&pternber the price of CJonsols. was hot high enough for thicpur ese of some - individuals. 'The Court ought niot to forget that it hadodetermnined-or rath er Par- liament hadl detenmined for it (a Idugh)- eo build a new Lnndoni Bridge-, a large portion-ot' the publicmoneiny had been voted for this purpope,-, alid no inconsiderzable auma was to be supplied -out of the city funds.. - -.4Now, it turned out,that a.large patrt of thec premisesthat- it woftldl be necessary to lpuli down for- the new docks,. - bel.onged- to the B3ridge.h6luse estates; and if they-went,atwihhe ter rentl, terwoul be necisity for a furth'er application for public mo1ne oDa accouant of the new bridg~. - The'worthy aldermnan con- cluded by cxpressin~his convietibn,',thal the r'oject was utterly at vaince -ith -II soundl principles of-public,'xpedency. The-petitton was.referred to the l6Bridge.bouse Comuiittee. -- The petitioners appearea by tXepntatioin at the bar. Air. BLEAMEir, theo cbair~,an of the Coal and Corni Coninlittee, ',roaight up tlieLirrej4rt ou-the Hortfrd Union Canal Bill..-- Mlr. FA4VELLa cd'tt,oing justice to the labours of the conmmittee, took occimoti e'rk upon the indetquate stipportvmhikh lbeir rt. commndat0.'~hadreceived in Parliament fromn the city-mcdsbers.' The omx~n.e~imci, ineed notithsandig tht te organo on- d Ton -W.rbelfs met o,mbrs. erEADlNosthas iaequatel respreseantd me be-e4 t: 6 bestept tr ldermt asnWood,i uptnton whoimitatoe thad Iov.olved, as:taperd, lathsoeni Hercuelealakfbing sofroth ofrgan ofes Xtbir- e o wmu oseation wtbith to h le H ous , s heof om ons.getha ,-oUeon 'the boiongigu of- r LAEr the report'taa jast read aond firmJA, _Vr. Jproeste that itt wsnt-hi inentuenton toe imitat the hon0. menee on thad lasti poken iune latravelinghs farsout-ofnce ueshe Sionwich.h natow ros toei submitouo theCourt, &,as d theho. ent.uha onon h-presrint oion,u of thec repotta had jusnn tic ben con.1s of-iarmed (Mr. Jamely - 1thensate it he re aeuredbc tof the granittof z1p0001.e madeitCoy on the 10th of June la tfo thierasintancdo the ai plication of such grant, to inquire and report whether such sum h'as been remitted to Spain, and to whomn and by-what mesans?"). - Theuld have thought'it impossible that any niotion couldI be woidea -in a mnanner more clearly expressive of what it-proposged to asGerraigf. lewas not now going into the question of the expe'diencyo6rinex.. p'ediency of thiat original vote; but into this question-only...had the toltimittee conformedl to the terms of the vote? And it-was evi.- d'endly propel that 'tbe Court should know hhw they hand employed Ithe money. On the 25th of Allaic lathey .resentedareotn 'te subjecttot1.iCourt;-and lhe did notbhappein tobe inbisplateat 'the ticie. . Now a-report of- this description, according. to the stan-d- ing orders af: the Court, ought to have been put onl tliepaper before it was di.anmpoed of: unlesslie wasextremely-mi;stakenis hiarcading oftbat ordLerwhiclfrelated todiaughts or grants out of the city cash, thils repoirt ought to have Semis so'enicred. He wa,i clearly. of d' pi- nioen, therefore, tfhat the Court ought not to hiviecoins,upon lthe same mday, to the resolution whichf they~ paitted_that the report 'be read, and'.entered~on-the journals. Thait proceeding, how.. ,ever, .rcndered:-it -necessary- that.he should, by his'Peresent- pro. 'position, - Move-"~ that the 'rep"o rt. - be- remnitted to ;tbe com.:, mnittee."'- The repodrt eontaiiied a gooml deal that- Was nor6 cafld fo,and omitted rmuch of' what wa esnllet eloe for. All the Court learned Wis,'that- this sust Of'l,0001. had been -paid into the h ands of JohnSmith E%~ Aud her he begged that gentlemes opposite would nbt resort- to, their. commnon expetlient:of saying that motives wvere imfputed when nione in fact were intended to be-so; fo1t was-quite"impoesibie that-anyb6dyJ`c0uId'- .in for a moment the misaPPlication Of any monirsadeposited its hatids so regpect4lle,, 'so honoutable; as those of Mlr. -Sm th.-- -A imember Ot the committee had, intiautt& 'On a: formaer-reoccasion4. that.sonije arms whiih, h;A: been'~urcbasae for the Spaniards were'still f htre, and mnighf,-uponx fele,"-feiehi,iihout t'Wo-tfiirda~ife6-heir cbhst.-I' -so. wvhy was- hiot the fact SWaed iii this re~tort ? - 'The miloeY r"tisst 'be accoutited fQr;' anid a t6'whalt had been 'remifetein bill, h 'whatliad bbemeinvested, -mteliethr in; arms- ot - mieiclsanis,ury there could be no difficgity.in.specipying Itemis in eithercs.(h ho0n neilem'aun concluded by- submitting- the 'motionw lAfr. S Aaxs, having beeta-alluded nb h o Istea,bg ged in expls4natiori'to observe; thiAt'-hn'pn -c rday Ile ,jd arms had been bought to. itcnieal xet il ehaps Iad niot yet arreved ouat, and mpight be reundfr esl 0h-was speak' I in gas amem ber of -the Spzui$hhOmite,an otspmember of the c5'mflulttee aPpointid by thai Cnt o tbspitn eneeof its grant. Ile did not know iheterthiiscm teehatdund 'visedly- or not ,- but they had proe'ddwtotdly n-ihutad dinners, to the dischargeiof their fucin.-I a mosible that- -the Courtcould require - air. Smith,; to whom the h,01 ad been paid, to statd the miifnamrer of its disposal; bhut any information 'which the honourabole member miglit wat, he douted not., that gentlemnan, utpoh- his -rs lapIcatioji, - Woulm give 'as, fer as ~I&Is his -p0Wet'. -Whenche (tr. Slsdeak9 hlis Lshlgspge oti 'rcn qustonre Awebthe alieni- ic, he was really affaid thereiwssmtig ?bu h -m6titn now ,submitted 'bybins.- ( ar:tsmeasith W'ulemany,ishea that somnething sbdulE ofrltoti iblm-ta mightlndu]ce~ theni-to auppote-th~ (Commo Coni.~ne dhi~oeoh,nd Thea bon. gent. real,i -i e1 tis hesd paitits, %ad agasst- w3ipular feeling,; appeared to bela; eet i-r!of Braydeterainiti whoeve- and hateve mightbe theKingstbhat'reigo-ed, htobe qtiee aitifiewiththe an wit thiracion. (eir, bear.) le seeenm aoaWcenthin tht di nocornto inVborioe, forsooth, lipon the westrn gles.(Lazghm~.) Ac tatend of fie me'tropolsthr suit his -tasee~ hut if_9Cpiblic freq4om...,to 5s~uemn 'itSto o o,: 5 tstisl iraching up his doctrines peivoe tene-to and on,:asiusualc, be ad bet~ter remiove fron thteettp the {u,st end of the city eitoce; forthere, peih4pss, he would breatije anr conenalai..-le (r Slide) should'decidedlyoppbj tht noioteidn. enia a-.let% Sir. epnsltoesE, f~r nimavertiaw on the r,ep6hl of the bhon. mover,- leclwied thatbhe-should not onl Ppoe i Otin -ove by waY of anlendmelnt, two idsolutfons to thi effeclt:..."lThat this dort bad already approved of te'potfteoMmitte.ap-- -pointedl-to su-perintend -its vote to ihe~ Spanish nation-. 2. Timatre. Rretdio%SAsthseCourttdid, -theijuufortunate issue, of tAe contest in- S5pain, stkeePlY'ysmPathized wiith thl sufFeriuggOf ih'oe individua~ls 'who had been-comnpeled~ by, the tinited tyrannY of the Beiurbons of Frace ndSpan.to ai rfug i ths ODUntrY; and recomhmended. to imeeomitee,eht i threhouflremain in thei'rbAidiank avalabe fnd ou ofthegrnt f 1000.,thesholdbe applied to the elie of heneessiies f th indviduls i quetiol.". - (hecar.) Mr.FAVLLwarly uportd teamenmet- - - iUr. Ornr~t tought, that whatever dfflrence of o inion niiat have- iwvailed as to the propribty of the original vcte, tgere ,aulYb 2Wou As to the absolute impogsibiJity of the Courtes going to a com-. maittee of noblemen andi genulemen to call for an account of: its dig-. Mr. zr~irsaa.q tht th montai wickh had beeni in ljk6u~ for ioroha bad ow boughtfortha m*se. - Mr. tous expai~c, ~id Mr JAMS bortly replied." by aarxaajoity (butloo,wewere informecd.)] the necessity of allotting sbrpe chamber'in dhalI ~1 of p?ovi&in acco;inmodation eUbewherrainjtbe rhate 'f alibrry1 for the&tiliaiii ments and-records and for such books connected 'withthe historyv privi1eges, &e. of London, Soutjihwar*, iatd thi6dll ndwii ge~nerat departments eofliterature As mnightappear.fitting tog.comtfi mnirteEt for the appointtlent oi'fi ich hewould-noyl move t feally thf CorporAtion Df the dty-should possess no hibraryatall (heq)-;anad heI thought he could,uhdertake touy, thtat t e demand to:be -'made on the city funds for the purposes in question woIId in no6 ear excee2QOL.. It might be confidently- expected that suc1ia library would be rapidly increased'by private bequests. qThe hon. gentleman eoncluded by moving for "A'conimiv- tee, im ord.r to report upon the steps necessary to be taken for the- establishment of a library in thc-o jidhati of the-cityof London-" Mllr. OLDeci]r; Mr. 1PAVEL1, and Mr. -TAXLoet, sapported the notion,whjch was carried unanlnnocly._.The Court then adjourned. TOi' 01tor cOMM.xOYN CUoNxC.