Common Council.
The Times, 1824-03-19T00:00:00

A Court of Common Council was yesterday held at Gumldlhall. It was agreed to petition Parliament a,gainst a bill now pending, fbr making a canal from the river Lea to the Regent's canal, on the ground that the measure would have the effect of depriving the city of London of certain ancient rights, dues, and tolls, to which it was entitled; and a petition to that effect was read and adopted. FLEET-31ARKET. The report of the improvement committee, recommending a loan to be effected to the amount of 1d0,0091., upon bonds under the city seal, for the purpose of carrying the inmprovements respecting Fleet- market into effect, was, after a short discussion, agreedl to. THIE LORD 5tAYOR. IUr. Drxox rose to call the attention of the Court to certain ex- pressionsattributedto the LordlMayor-(we understood that the worthy memberalluded to the report of a speech lately delivered bv his Lordship at ai wardmote, containing observutions uponI son.e of the present city members). The Lon DAlAYOR-1f the gentleman means, as I bave been given to unlderstand, to call the attention of the Court to what I am reported to have said in another place, I conceive that h:e is out of order. I have not read the report, and therefore do not know if it be correct or not; but if it be a correct report, it only contains ob- servations that I have frequently made before, but which cannot be brought under the cognizance of this Court. I exrnesseel no senti. ments upon that occasion but what I hlad frequently expressedl be- fore, and shall express again, whenever an occasion calls upon me to do so. Mr. Dixot.-I am only anxious that the Lord Mayor should be relieved from the imputation which the report in question casts upon him. The LonD MA'Yon.-Unless the gentleman means to complain of a breach of privilege, he is out of order. From any imputation at- tempted to be cast upon me, I will thank him to allow me to defend myself. if the gendemen think it worth their while to waste their time on the subject, I have no objection to enter into an explana- tion of wvhat I then stated, and to repeat here the rentiments I ex- pressed. Mr. FAVEL.-Our time is too precious to be wasted in tlLis way. AMr. DixoN..-I could have told my story in halftthe time- The LonD AlAYOR.-Sir, I do nor sit here to hear stories. You need not trouble yourself about my defence; you- may leave it to mvself. Mr. Dsxos-It is not the individual, but the lord Mayor of this city, I wish to defend. When I see expressions attributed tD him which I know he never could have uttered- Mlr. PtILLErX argued that the worthy memiber was out of order. Mr. -DsxoN justified the line of conduct he was pursuing, b) a reference to the complaint m&de of Alderman Bridiges, during his mayoralty. The LorD MAYOI.-I must set the gentleman right.- l1r. Dixow.-I sce I have touched upon a sore subject. The LOAD AIAYOR.-r must set the gentleman right: that was a complaint for a breach of privilege on the part of the Lord Mayor, in introducing armed men into the city. Withl respect to the report in question, I pledge my honour I have never seen it; having been shown only a few lines of an ex- tract from it by iNMr. Aldermai 'Wood, when I was officiaily engaged. if the report be correct, it only contains what I have saitl before, and shall repeat again; if it be incorrect, I wil only say that I have not taken the trouble to correct a report these 30 years. Fr. FAVELL moved the order of the day. 111r. Dixox was proceeding. Mr. FAVELL said he was out of order, in proceeding with a sub- ject after the Lord Aayor had expressed his opinion upon it. He again movel the order of the day. It then appeared that there was another question (of no import- ance) before the Court, which was put by the officer, and the present tnatter dropped. T11E SPASISH VOTE. AMr. JAUES rose to make a motion, of which he bad given notice some months ago, respcCting the usc to which the sum of 1,0001. voted in aid of the Spaniards, had been applied. Alr. ROWTHs aid, that he was a member of the committee, and could state that they had no objection to sadsfy the inquiry of the bon. gentleman. Alr. JAMES then took a review of the circumstances that had at- tended the Frencl istvasion of Spain, as contrasted with the results promised by the advocates of this loan when it was granted, and said that thvy ought to render the Court distrustful of such repre- sentations in future. He concluded by mnoving, that the committee be ordered to report to. the Court in what manner the grant had been applied bv them; and to whom, and by wlhat means, it had been remitted. AlMr. DIxoN seconded the motion. Mr. Alderman VENAULEs defended the prindple on wlich the grant had been made. Its success by no meansjustified the aggres. sion of the French upon the independence of Spain.. Mr. Dsxos said, the simple question was, not the policy or the impolicy of the vote- but what had been done with the money ? Mr. FAVELL alsojastified the principles on which the vote had been passed; and reprobated the insinuation conveyed by this mo. tion against the comunittee. 1Mr. ROwTH, on general principles, would bedisposed to oppose thiis motion, because it was not supported by a priva facie case- but hc ras on the present occa.ien anxious for the inquiry because he knew that the result weuld be most satisfactory both to the committee and the Coart. After a few observations from Mr. WErc;C1, Mr. TAYLOR, and Alr. JAMES, in reply. the motion wws agreed to unanimously. CUMMdfOwN COUiNCU.