Common Council.
The Times, 1824-12-04T00:00:00

Yesterday a Court of Common Comncil was held at Guildball for enaral purposes. The LORD 5 AyOiS, on taking thc chair for the first time, as- red thie'Cotrt of the-high sensc he entertained-of. the honour ther- ad done him, and expressed his confidence that in the full and ir- rnal dis.charge of his duty, he should always receive their support ad eEileist co.operation. Candour and nutual courtesy would, he ad no doubt, on all occasions characterize their deliberations. His rdsbip also pointed out the propriety of attendling to several essen- 'i but sub3rdinate regulations, in futtherance of the business of he Corporation, particularly respecting the tolls and arrangements f their cattle-makets The minutes of the last Gourt were then read, and some routine nress disposedof. t Tire te read arsoeotr VOTE OF, THANKS TO THE LATE LORD 3IAYOIt. Mlr. Deputy REEVEs rose to propose the thanks of that Court to heir late Lord Mayor. In discharging this duty, he was perfectly ware that the services of Lord Mayor lWIaithman were so univer- llv admitted, that it was unnecessary for him, in Proposing a vote fthanks to, such a man, to recapitulate claims which there were nC t0 aodbt. They were already recorded in toe votes of thanks f the other branches the ho Corporation; andi rore particularly in e eulo.ium pronounced upon them by the Lord Chief Baron, on late occsion, in the Court of Exchequer. The great ability of heir late worthy chief magistrate had been so universally attested, at it iv:is therefore unnecessary tor him to enlarge upon the-topic. hough an old member of the Common Council, he was still diffi- ent itt addressing that Court: he should therefore conclude with reporsng S vote of -thanks to their late worthy chief magistrate.- Sce advertisement.) Milr. Deputy VALE, in seconding this motion, expressed his confi- 4ence that - the same unanimity would eharacterize-their vote of thanks to the late Lord Mayor in that court which nmarked the re- teption: of a similar motion in the Court of Aldermen, as well Rs in the Common Hall. He-knew, irdeed, that upon it there could be but onte opinion, from the nature of the eminent services that had called it forth. (Eear, hcar.) AIr. FAVELL'concurred in the opinioon, that it was unnecessary to enumerate claims which all hac; allowed; but he had a personal feeling to indulge, when he touched upon the services of his worthiy friend; a-nd ke claimed their patience while he, for one moment, ex- pressed the gratification he felt at the manner in which his excellent friend bad discharged the duties of the high office he bad so lately Rlled. His wtorthy friend had well earned, by his past services, the first honours of their high corporation. At various periods it had been the custom of some of their wealthiest city merchants, who re. sided without their precincts, to affect to slight the possession of theit civic honours. They had now, however, the example of the digni. fied manner ir which all tic emiinent duties of the office of their mav- oralty could be pcrformed, so ais to acquire the praises of all men, X a gentleman, taken by his fellow-citizens from the class of then tradesmen (hear, hear)~a gentleman who ud long been deservedly dear to his fellow-citizens, and whlo had lOw retired from ther high. est civic ofice wish universal applause, and with the consciousness that he hal well earned and deserved it by his honourable and in. dcepndent principles. (Hear, liear.) Me-JAmrs begged to add his concurrence to that of the i nme- diatefriends of their late worthy chief magistrate, In the present vote. He was aware of the difficulty of passing tbrough high offlice without committing some error; but ihey onght not to look with toos scrutinizing and microscopic an eye at the errors inseparable from an active discharge of duty: they ought rather to concur in the general praise which was due to the performance of office in the manner in which it had been performed by their late chief magistrate. (Hear.) 3r. BUTTERWORTHI, jun., soncurred in the praise which had been so justly paid to their late worthy chief magistrate, for the dis- charge-of his magisterial duties. Mlr. SAMUEL DIxoN did not mean to disturb the unanimit which appeared to pervade the Court on the present occasion. fl c was one of those who certainly thought that when the late Lord Mayor had entered upon office, he rather showed a wish to mount upon the high horse: neverthelest, he wvas willing to admit that he lust discharged his magisterial duties with great zeal and attention, .sad hc was therefore ready to ofFer hihm a unanimous vote, which he knew would be much more valuable than if it was merely drawn up with the simple word "1 resolved." hlowever, there was one ex- pression in the address which he wished to hare softened down-it was that which said, that the conduct of the late Lord Mayor in thedis- chargc of his d utica, had " never been surpassed by any predecessor." iMr. Aldtrman and Sheriff BnowxE thought there could not be the slightest objection to the vote in the manner in wbich it was now drawn up. ( l7ear.) Pie must say, that that man woild have reason to congratulate himself who could pass through office in the manner their late wvorthy Chief Mlagistrate had done. He had not the least hesita- tion in eaying, that the magisterial conduct of the late Lord 1Jayor had never been surpassed on any former occasion ; and prou I he should himself be, it hecould discharge time same duties in any thing like the manner itt which they had been discharged by the late Lord Alfyor. (Applause.) Theresolutmon of thanks was then tmanimously carricd. d?at WE QUAYS. wilr. Alderhan oVooD presented a petition from Colonel Trench, wbicl} in behalf of the Colonel and several noblemen and gentlemen, prayed for thee ssistance of time Corporation in improving the nortlr bank of the river Thames, and erecting a magnificent quay thereon. The petition further recited thie steps which had been taken by the Committee to carry their projuet into effect, and pointed out the great local advantages which would result therefrom to the city of London. Colonel Trench appeared at the bar, and on being asked by the l,ord iMayor if cli had any thling further to state in behalf of the pc- t.tiorners, replied in the negative. Mr. Alderman WVooD then moved that the petition be referret to the Committe of Navigation, where all the interests of those con- cerned could be fully conaidered. In the committee all the proceed- ings could be watched, and they could report thiereupon. Mlr. FAV ELL seconded the rnotion. NIr. SAMUELDIxoN would not hesitate to sav that the peti- tioners were not at present likely nor were ever likely, to become fit judges of the local matters they bad in this business undertaken to manage. It was imposnible to believe these noblemen and gentle- men were ariequate judges of tle value of property in the commer- cial and trading world. What could the Duke of Rutland know of such matters ? Whlat could the Duke of Devonshire or Lord Lnw. rher,or the iMarquis of' Londondetry, know of the local value of city property? Then there were the military gentlemen of the committee, all very eminent in their profession, but not equally so in the value of property of this kind. *Vho could expect it from Sir U. Burgh, from Sir H. Hardinge, or Colonel Trench ? Then hiad nut Lord Bexley and theChancellor of the Exchequer enough to do elsewhere, weithount having this business imposed Upon tlhem ? The worthy gentleman then recited the other naniesupon the committee, and ob- jected to the competency of them all to sit in judgment upon inat- tcrs of this kind. They were all able and right honou-rable men he admitted, but still must from their nature anid habits be unfit for -such an investigation as this. He shouldi recommend- that the petition be referred to a preliminary cornmittee of inquiry, before it was sent t,o the Comzmittec of Navigation. Mfr. FAVELL was sorry to find that his woithy friend seemed to fall into radicalism (a laugh), wher he objected to the titles of no- bsility, as unfitting them for consilering this subject. He should re- collect that these personages had large property on the spot. (Hear.) The motion for referring the matter to a committee was then agreed to. THE sItGa BAILIFF OF 5OUTHIVARX. Mr. JAMES presented a petition from Alr. Prinsep, the .ligh Bailiff of Southwark, tendering hi3 resignation in consequence of the misunderstanding which had arisen between him and his deputy on a late occasion, and which had lect to certain proceedings in that Court. The worthy member, in presenting this petition, hoped that as Alr. Prinsep was about to retire from office, the Court wouild see the propriety of rescinding ithe vote of censure which had been passed on a former occasion. A long conversation took place upon the form of tlhis petition; many ncmbers being of opinion that the resignation ought not to be accepted ib the manner proposed, and others that it ought. It was at length resolved that the resignation should be accepted without any qnalification. A discussion then arose about appoirting a successor to Mlr. Prinsep, when it was resolved to invest the office pro tesaporc in the hands of the city solicitor, to prevent any inconvenience aris- ing by their having so important an office left unfilled between this tine and the 16th of the present month, the (lay appointed for filling up tiseplace. This being the day for the ballot to elect a Mlarshalmnart, in the room of.John Porter deceased, some conversation arose upon the necessity of instituting a preliminary inquiry into tbe qtuliticaeions of those wlto were to be received as candidates for the office, as it was one so closelv connected with the efficiestcy of the civic police. The motion for referring the suhbject to the Committee of General Pu roses to report thereupon, was negatived by a show of hands. The Court then procecuded to the elections ; when Henry Poster was elected without opposition. MIr. Alderman THo.MPsoN gave notice, that attheaext Court he would move that no future appointment be made in their police, without submmitting the previous consideration of the qualifications of the candidate to the Committee of General Purposes. The Court, after disposingof some rontine business,then adjourned. COMWIMON COUNCIL.