3 OCTOBER 1846, Page 2

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On Monday, after the ceremony of swearing in the Sheriffs, a special Court of Aldermen was held, for the purpose of receiving from Mr. Alder- man Thomas Wood certain papers and resolutions relative to his connexion with the Talacre Coal Company, intended to show his innocence in that affair. The documents were submitted; but they were not considered by members of the Court as conclusive, and Alderman Wood was urged to refrain-from coming forward as a candidate for the Mayoralty until he had cleared away. the.krujous imputations at present attaching to him. Alder- man Vfood,replied t length to the several observations: he had been grossly eltindered; d he expressed his determination to come forward on

the hustings, "to ascertain whether the public would not sympathize with a man who had been most grossly wronged." Ii. annual meeting of the City Livery took place in Gtulcreall on Michaelmas Day, to clot a Lord idliyor of London for the ensuing year. As it was well known tint it was theiniention of Alderman Thomas Wood td present himself On the hustings, an unusual amount of interest was taken in the proceedings by a crowded hall; but however animated in sound and aspect, the formalities read dully in the report. Alderman Wood made a short speech of generalities; and Mr M. William- son touched on the gross injustice which had been done to the Alderman in rejecting him on previous occasions. The names of Alderman Thomas Wood and Alderman Sir George Carroll were put and carried; but Mr. Wire unexpectedly demanded a poll on behalf of Alderman Hooper, the next in rotation to Sir George. This provoked a sharp discussion; Alder- man Hooper himself disclaiming all concurrence in the motion. The motion having been made, however, there was no power of retracting; and the poll proceeded.

The proceedings in Guildhall have been going on daily, with polling anti speaking. Attempts have been made to prejudice the Livery against Al- derman Wood, chiefly on the score of his inability or neglect to make cer- tain payments. The result of yesterday's polling leaves him with a ma- jority of 407; the numbers being—For Wood, 1,116; Carroll, 709; Hooper, 216; Farnoombe, 1; Moon, 1.

The inauguration banquet of the new Sheriffs, Mr. Alderman Challis and Mr. Robert W. Keimard, took place on Wednesday, at the London Tavern. The entertainment was very magnificent, and the company numerous. Among the guests were, Lord John Russell, M.P., Mr. Master- man, M.P., Mr. Lyall, M.P., Mr. Hudson, M.P., Mr. Bankes, M.P., (Cur- sitor Baron,) the Lord Chief Baron, most of the Aldermen, and many of the City magnates. After the usual toasts, Mr. Alderman Challis proposed the health of the Premier; dwelling especially upon Poor-law and prison reform; which elicited the speech of the evening. After returning thanks,. Lord John Russell referred to the state of the country— "it is part of the duty of her Majesty's Ministers, in considering this vast ens- pire, to convey from those parts which are strong, succour to those parts which, however distant, are weak; and again, to carry relief from those parts which are in a state of prosperity, to those which are unfortunately in a state of suffering and privation. Of thisI am convinced, that if you in this city of London, par- taking and sharing in the feeling of the whole country,—and, indeed, speaking the feeling of the whole country—have a sympathy with all parts of this great empire; then all our fellow subjects who live in the Queen's dominions may rely upon our assistance in the hoar of need—may rely that we consider them as brethren, living under the same Crown and as having the hap- piness to live under the same constitution. And I trust we may see extend- ed to other parts of the world those blessings of freedom which we have had se long established amongst us, and which, with the light of the Gospel, I trust, will pervade all parts of the globe." In proposing the healths of the Sheriffs, Lord John Russell adverted to their official duties and responsibilities—

"Let us hope that those great problems, many of which have hitherto been hid in obscurity, but which, nevertheless, are matters well worthy of the attention of statesmen—matters relating to the social condition of the community—will re- ceive such attention, that both here and elsewhere the condition of the great mass of mankind may be improved; that not only may our gaols be made places of less suffering, and greater hope of reformation, but that by more attention to the means of instruction many may be preserved from the guilty coarse on which they now enter, in utter ignorance of thew duty both to God and man. That ignorance you

must see does not, ought not, to belong to this enlightened, free, and Christian country; but it is quite true as year worthy sheriff has observed, that in times of the greatest civilization, and, in a metropolis like this, where the greatest civiliza- tion is supposed to prevail,—yet while that very civilization is progressing, it does, somehow or other, leave behind it in its progress persons among the poorer classes of society, who, as I believe, receive less instruction, have less information, and

i oftentimes live n a more miserable and degraded state of existence than was the- ease with any portion of the community centuries ago, when civilization was not so forward. This is now known to us all"

The Sheri fib having duly acknowledged the toast, the healths of the Lord Mayor and of the Chief Baron and Judges, was drunk. Sir Frede- rick Pollock responded; after some remarks in praise of the institution of trial by jury as securing a pure administration of justice— They might rely upon it that the question of the suppression of crime did not depend upon the manner in which they were to deal with criminals in gaol. It depended upon the mode in which they treated the oppressed, the poor, and the ignorant who were not in gaol. By taking care of those classes, and instructing them, they would repress crime, and would prevent the gaols from being filled. Various other toasts were given, and the company separated at a late hour.