Election Of Common Counci...
The Times, 1824-12-23T00:00:00

Here much interest was excited, as the contest vlhich arose 3n- volved a question as to the right of appropriating the ward rates to the payment of the expenses of the djnners of the Common Council and others. The. candidates proposed from the preeinet returns Wcre,-1r. Deptuty Price, IMSr. Dyster, and Alr. Shearman, the old members, and Air. If itchell. Mtfr. John Prince was now put in nomination. APPROPRIATION OF T-PiZ WARTD RATES TO THE PAYMEIIT OF DINNEIR EXPENSES. Mlr. Pnixcr; said, he had beenthree years their representative in the Court, and those who now opposed him wvoRld find some diffi. culty in openly avowing and justifying the grounds of their opposi. tion. From what had occurred in this ward, (a thing pretty exten. sively lsnown In the city), he was determined not to allow any mis. apjplication of the ward rates for other purposes than those for which tney were specifically raised. He had refused to sanction the pay- mentof theexoense of the dinners eaten byhis brethren out of the ward rates, which were raised for other purposes. He hgd excited their opposition by the refusal to sanction the applicatidn, but as his refusal was well founded in lavw and justice, he could not re- cede from 3t, even though hc incurred the displeasure of his col- leagucs. Le wished to excite no disturbance, and w.3s desirous of living int good-will writh all arournd himn, hutt he must acthonestly, and maintain independently the course whisicongsciuce-tod Jh-l twee JUst. He did not wish to remnain their representative exeept-on these, terms. BMr. Deputy PnrcE said, it should not go forth that there had been any misapplication of the public money. The fact wan, the dinners, and the expenses of their meetings, had always been paid in the same mode; and if they were not to be Paid out of the rate%, in what way were a hundred other expenses to be paid ? This appli- cation of the rates was common even in other places. The Ward it- self had sanctioned it; for, at the last wardmote, only two hatida were held up against the niotion. He would readily pay his share of the dinner exsense, but then it would give Ir. Prince an oppoilu- tuniby of saving that he had produced a reform. He was not angry with Alr. Prince for having objected to the matter, as he had done so in a gentlemanly manner, and Mlr. Mitchell,in opposing, was only actuated by a fair ambitiou. A2r. PRiNcE was desirous of having it understood, that he was by no means an enemy to civic dinners; huat a large portion of these ratea was paid by widows, bv the poor and infirm;' and he could not consent that a farthing of their money should be taken for his enter. tainment. He wiRhed to defray his share of the expenses, and that others should do the like. An Inhabitant sai-l the present Lord IMayor had discontinued the practice In Bridle ward. Aldlenran BRIDGES eaid, that when acts of Parliament were framned all the provisions for matters which were afterwards found useful were not made. It did not appear te him that rates could not be legally applied to any other purpose than those for which they were specially raised by act of Parliarnt.n Mlr. Deputy PRIcE said, that during such a discus.sion, none but inhlabitants of the Ward ought to be present. Hesaw several stran- gers. and lie desired they would witlhdraw. IThe first day's voll was nublished vasterdov.1 BLECTION OP COMWfON COUNCILMAE. LIAlF.STR1RT WA RD.