At a meeting of the Court of Aldermen, on Tuesday,
complaints were made of the statements of the Inspectors of the Metropolitan Prisons, who, it was alleged, had exhibited in their reports to the.Goveno mem a strong inclination to misrepresent things to the disadvantage em the City authorities. Alderman Copeland said, nobody ought to be as- tonished by any thing the Inspectors said or did— Ile had seen quite enough of them when he was Lord 3fayor to remove any thing like surprise. The course he would rolvis,' the Corporation to take was to instruct the Itepre4cutative: of the City in Parliament to Iming time subjict under discussion in the House of Commons. It would then he seen whether there was any foundation for the statements made to the discredit attic autho- rities. The Court would consider, on looking at the question, that time Inspec- tors had, arising from their genia, in lindim, limult and bringing charges, 5,000/, or E 10/, a yelr; and those profits would be annihilated the moment they ceased to censure.
Sir Peter Laurie read some extracts from the Inspectors' Report, fir the amusement of the Aldermen- " We found a Jew's harp lying quite exposed in a cupboard, and n piece of old iron formed into a knitih" It must have been very alarming to foul such aum instrtunent as a Jew's harp in such tm place undur any circumstances; but to find it quite exposed in a cupboard was not to be forgiven. * * ' They :INV a prisoner regaling iii uself with in pinch or seta: rind they made the following solemn note of the outragc, and endlodied it in their Iteport—" It was also stated at the time above referred to, that no tobacco in any shape should he allowed. The prisoners are now permitted to have ..nitr, an indulgence quite uncalled for in a prison," And for that sort of nonsense the country was pay- ing enormous salaries!
The Lord Mayor considered it necessary to offer cm few observations— Ile did not stand there as the advocate of the Inspectors of Prisons; but, having vi,ited Newgate and all the other gaols of the Metropolis, mai also several prh.ons at a short distance from London, he could not help saying the be Mo.-hint fir the state of the Gaol of New!eate, and for the state of the Ciltspur Street Compter. When, therefore, his brother Magistrates reprehended the con- duct of the Inspectors, they must not let it be supposed that the Gaol of Nov- gate was to be set up as a model for imitation, If the Inspectors visited New gate and the Compter, after having visited others which he had lately ex- amined, he must say he was only surprised that they had not said much more in condenmation. No Magistrate with his senses about hint would attempt to justify the existing condition of Newgitte or the Compter ; and the Court ought to take care lest, in animadverting upon thc conduct of the Inspectors, they exposed themselves to more merited. ea.:Isms.. Alderman Venables said, no allowance was made for the vast number of prisoners confined in Newgate. A Committee was appointed to take the subject into further con- sideration.
Yesterday, the Court, moved by Alderman Copeland, agreed by a vote of 7 to 3, to take the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown and Sir William Follett on the question, whether John Bose. who claims the freedom of the City of London, is a natural-horn subject of the Queen, be being a native of lkinover. It was also decided that the City Solicitor should proceed against persons acting as sworn brokers without being duly licensed by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen.
The Common Council met on Thursday. A report was read from
the Committee appointed to consider the nature, ditties, and emolu- ments of the offices of City Solicitor and Cleric Controller of the Bridge-house." It recommended that the two offices should be held by different persons, not as at present by the same—Mr. Robert 1. inch that the salary of the Clerk Controller of the Bridge-house be 30e/. a_
ith Newman ; that the future salary of the City Solicitor be 1,2001., the same incidental receipts as are allowed to the present Solicitor; year, with the usual incidental receipts ; that the retiring salary 01 Newman be BOO/. per annum-400/. to be taken from the City cash, and 100/. from the funds of the Bridge-house estates.
The report -was adopted by a large majority, and next Thursday ap- pointed for the election of City Solicitor. The following resolution was then proposed by Mr. Wheeler, and seconded by Mr. Taylor— i4 That it is expedient that the number of Common Councilmen returned from Bridge Ward should be reduced to such a number as will be more in proportion to that which the relative number of houses and, amount of rateable property therein bears to the number of houses and amount of rateable pro- perty in the City at large, and that leave be given to bring in a bill to effect the same."
Carried, by a vote of 60 to 46.
The Court rose immediately after the division, leaving much unfi- nished business on the paper.
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