(Or 3littrapolis.

The Administrative Reform meeting, held in the City on Saturday afternoon, (a brief notice of which appeared in a part of our impression on that day,) was certainly successful in obtaining a considerable amount of notice from the public. Long before one o'clock, the hour appointed for the commencement of business, the large room at the London Tavern was quite filled; the doors were shut ; and some hundreds of persons were partly blocking up Bishopsgate Street, or turning back when they found admission impossible. In the great room some 1500 persons were

; nearly the whole of whom, judging by their outward man, be- roa4k:dd to the classes styled "respectable" in the City sense. On the platform there were nine or ten Members of Parliament ; the sister island furnishing Mr. French, Mr. Duffy, Mr. Swift, Mr. Brady, Mr. Maguire ; and England supplying Mr. Lindsay, Major Reed, Captain Scobell, and Mr. Humphrey Brown. Among the other gentlemen present, who did not speak, were Mr. R. W. Crawford, Mr. W. J. Hall, Mr. Macgregor Laird, Mr. Norman Wilkinson, and Mr. Torrens M'Cullagh. The chair- man, selected by acclamation, was Mr. Samuel Morley ; and he opened the proceedings with a speech of impressive earnestness. Mr. Morley began by adducing as a striking evidence of the feeling pre- vailing with respect to the matter in hand, the fact that they were about to commence business five minutes before the time appointed in consequence of the crowded state of the room. He regretted that he had been chosen to fill the chair, because it imposed some kind of restraint upon the expression of his opinions. He regretted also that, in the circular convening the meeting, the namesof some were absent, held in high honour and esteem among them and accustomed to lead. But he was not very sorry there had been this departure from routine, and he hoped it would do good in future.

"If you refer to the list of the names of persons convening this meeting,

you will find that they include, to some extent, names strange to the public in connexion with public and political matters; but they are the names of. persons who are engaged earnestly, thoughtfully, and, to a large extent suc- cessfully, in the performance of social and public duties in the various de- partments of business in which they are engaged. They are the names of persons who are not generally drawn away from engagements sufficiently onerous and responsible to mix in matters connected with public affairs. They are men, however, who are deeply moved by the existing state of things—who believe earnestly that the heart of the people is sick of it; and they are men who are ready to call upon you, as with the voice of one man, to declare that this state of things shall no longer exist.. I call upon you to give the lie to the statement which is going about, that this meeting is to end in nothing. I earnestly declare for myself, that if it were merely to result in the passing of the resolutions which are to be submitted to you, and which are tame enough in all conscience, I would not be here on the present occasion. But I am here because I feel we are drifting to a state of things which can end in nothing but revolution ; because I feel I have some interests at stake—and here I refer merely to selfish motives ; because I have no faith in peace and order which are not founded on contentment ; and be- cause I am not prepared to say 'Peace, peace,' when. I believe that there should be no peace.' Another prominent rumour was, that the meeting-was a " mere trade affair." He was proud to identify himself with the trade and commerce of England ; because the honour, the efficiency, the industry, and above all " the great public principles which characterize the commercial dealings of this country, tend not only to the security of England, but also to the exten- sion of those liberties both civil and religious which it is our happiness at present to enjoy. It is because I want to see those principles of efficiency and honesty introduced in some degree into the several departments of the state that I am here as a tradesman to raise my protest against the existing state of things." Again, it was said that they are attacking the aristocracy. Speaking only his own opinions, he would say that the reputation of the aristocracy ought to be safe in their own, hands; " it is only when they deceive and plunder the people that they are deservedly called to account " ; "a state of things may

i

arise which would involve a greater national loss than even that of the aris- tocracy " ; and-he warned them not " to force the people to look into these questions, or to inquire how it was that in days past the nation was plundered' and bamboozled." There is a class that thinks Whits a divine right to go- vern ; men who think that common people ought to be thankful that indivi- duals bearing the names-of Cavendish or Russell are willing to take on them- selves the responsibilities of government for the paltry consideration of-a few thousands. " The aristocracy have as much right to a share in the govern- ment as any class in the country, but it is only so far as they exhibit honesty and efficiency."

He was not there to call in question the righter wrong, of the war, or the bona fides of those who are carrying it on ; but his distinct question was-

" how are we to be governed, when the war is-over ? " say that, be- cause, although the weight oftensure has fallen upon the Filders, the Chris- ties, and the Boxers, -still there are Filders, Christies, and Beams in every department of the st'ate. I would be contentto walk from this meeting to any of the public departments—not to the heads ofthe departments, but to the subordinates, and I use the term without any offensive mean- ing—and you would find, if. you. met. one who had not at band an in.- telligent underling- to cram him for the occasion,. everywhere that in- sufficiency and incompetency, and. I may almost say superciliousness, which is eating into the very heart of the country, undermining her greatness, and which will eventually be her ruin if not arrested. . . . . This is not to be a thing of today only. I have alluded-to intelligent'under- . lingo in public offices, and great' credit is due to them. We complain that they never reach the head.. I should like to take you through the list of_the Commissioners of Excise, of the Customs, of everything. I will prove-to you, that in nineteen out of twenty cases they are the sons, cousins, and brothers of Members of Parliament, or of some .persons who have interest enough to demand an appointment. I would ask whether it would not be grateful, for instance, to see Rowland Hill made Postmaster-General? would ask you why it should be a fact, that never in the memory of any man has any other than a Peer occupied that position—a position which re- quires a knowledge of business, and something like a sympathy with com- mercial industry, general qualifications which, I am bound to say, are not found in the cases of one out of ten Peers ? I believe the remedy for this state of things is in the hands of the people. Depend upon it, it is because we will it to be that it is so. It is because, owing to influences of all possible kinds,_that I believe at this moment there are not fifty men in the House of Commons who are really and thoroughly proof against those forms of influence which surround the path of Members of Parliament. It appears that there are in the House of Commons 120 sons of Peers, and 100 Members who are sons-in-law, or grandsons, or nephews, or other rela- tives of Peers; forming altogether a body of 220 Members, or more than one-third of the whole House, who are immediately connected with the Peerage. Now, I believe that these gentlemen have as good a right to be in the House as any other men in England, but then I may doubt very much the wisdom of the constituencies which have returned them. But as long as men reverence gold chains and purple and fine linen, and as long as the constituencies are prepared to send such men to represent them in the great council of the nation, we shall find that system of government per petuated of which we now complain ; and it is only by our individually feel- ing, and faithfully fulfilling our duties in dealing, with candidates for our suffrages, that we shall get any real redress in this matter. As the first step towards the attainment of that object, I submit to you that there must tie such a thorough change in public opinion as to create a relationship between the Member of Parliament and his constituents. I'am convinced that we shall never obtain a real administrative reform so long as a man is obliged to go cap in hand to the voter, and say to him, ' Will you do me the great kind- ness to record your vote in my favour ? ' When I myself have applied to parties for the purpose of ascertaining why they didnot vote, I have on many occasions been told by them, to my astonishment, that 'they considered it' was not worth while to give that which was not worth asking for.' That is a proof of an amount of immorality on the part of the people which would justify, or at least account for, the state of things which we now seek to reform. Let us, as citizens of London, take care that at the next election there shall be no mistake upon this matter. I am quite aware that I am treading on tender and delicate ground; I amquite aware that I am speak- ing indirectly in reference to men for many of whom, personally, I entertain the highest respect ; but this I say, that upon subjects of the highest national interest—upon questions involving that great principle for which that noble veteran Joseph Hume so long and so zealously contended—the only principle upon which all legialationehould be founded; the greatest possible happiness of the greatest possible number ; there is not on the part of the citizens of London that earnest and distinct utterance which we have a right to expect. I entreat you to keep those things in mind, and to take care that at the next election we do our duty in that particular matter." (Much cheering;)At the close of his speech Mr. Morley pointedly commented on the

levity of Lord Palmerston ; a theme subsequently much referred to, and always in the same way.

"I wish to express my amazement and indignation at the flippancy of the Prime Minister of England. (Cheering, waving of hats, and clapping of hands, again and again renewed.) Lord Palmerston may be, and unques- tionably is, a man of consummate ability ; he may possess manners that would grace a dancing-master—I have no wish to descend • to personalities ; but I say that it is utterly atrocious that the deep and earnest feelings of England upon this subject should be met by a perpetual joke. If you select twenty columns in any newspaper of the speeches he has delivered since he became the Prime Minister of England, under circumstances which have broken the hearts of thousands—which have carried desolation into every village in the land—you will find that out of those twenty columns nineteen at least have led to roars of laughter. (Indignant cries of " Hear !") Now, I say, that we want something more serious, something. more appro- priate than this. The crisis is too solemn to admit of any joking of this sort ; and therefore I trust that an utterance will go forth from this meet- ing which will check this tendency to moat ill-timed levity, and will insure for us a more fitting course of conduct for the future."

The resolutions, previously printed and circulated, were put seriatim— a course which found opportunities for many speakers,—Mr. Ingram Travers leading the way, followed by Mr. Gassiot, Mr. J. D. Fowles, Mr. Lindsay M.P., Mr. Samuel Baker, Mr. Francis Bennoch, Mr. Johnstone Neale, Mr. William Tite, and Mr. J. Hutchinson.

It was emphatically declared by more than one speaker, and ratified by the cheers of-the meeting, that the agitation then begun was not intended to subvert the present Government—was not aimed at any particular Go- vernment or individual; that "they attacked no body- of men, and no particular Government, but an imperfect and almost rotten system." It was denied with equal emphasis that the promoters of the meeting were making an attempt at revolution. Their object was to place "a definite plan of reform before the public," to apply "a constitutional, peaceable, but effective remedy to the present state of things." The speakers en- tirely agreed in applying the teat of the principles they themselves follow in trade to the management of public affairs. The manning of the public de- partments was a fertile topic—the wrong man in the wrong place ; lustrated by personal references to Sir William Molesworth, Sir Charles! Wood, Mr. Frederick_ Peel, Mr. Osborne,, and other cases out of the limits of the Government. The people, it was said, do not quarrel with the aristocracy for filling high places, but quarrel with them be- cause many fill places for which they not competent. Again, "capa- city and small.pay, incapacity and large pay, seems to be the rule of the public offices." Several speakers touched- upon Mr. Layard's Liverpool escapade, and. condemned the House of Commons for setting upon him and baiting" him.

Mr. Gassiot read documents to show the fate of one proposal to the War Office in connexion.with the proposed Foreign Legion, to illustrate the lax mode of doing business in that department. In December last, Mr. Manby, a gentleman residing in Paris, offered on behalf of Colonel. Gandard, to furnish. the Government with 10,000.Spanish guerillas in six weeks. He made the proposal to Mr. Roberts, the 17nder-Secretery to the War Department. Mr.- Roberta said, " we are flooded with similar. letters." Up to February 26 nothing had been done. On the 4th March Mr. Manby wrote that Gandard was impatient at the delay ;, and Mr. Manby's brother enclosed the letter, stating as, much to Mr. Roberts. This gentleman replied on the 6th,.to the effect that if the offer ofm Span- ish guerilla had'come to him.as aprivate letter, it waano doubt referred to the Duke of,Newcastle. If it had been a public letter, it would have been on the register of the office. " My. own recollection. does not serve me with respect to it ' • indeed,' with some hundreds Of letters coming in_ every day, I may well be pardoned for not carrying. all in my memory. You will readily perceive how, in an office like this, only public letters can be dealt with satisfactorily."' Mr. Lindsay spoke " as a merchant of the city of London," and con- tributed two anecdotes illustrative of the present-system.

He repeatedim assertion that be made in the. House of Commons, to the effect, that out of 8,000,0001. expended on the transport service, 2,000,0001. were wasted;, and stated the nature of an offer he made to Sir dames Graham six months ago. He offered to go fora week to the Admiralty, and in that week to give them, what they appeared to be without, "a thorough set- of books to start.with." •' he oared to go to Deptford and do the same ; and he told Sir James thatlle.might bring out in Parliament any suggestions then given as his own; Mr. Lindsay. not desiring to be known in connexion with them ! Sir James thanked him for the offer, but Mr. Lindsay never heard anything more about the matter. Without " any great egotism" he might say, that, on his system, one out of the two wasted millions would have been saved;

The other anecdote was this. When Members of the House of Commons made complaints that matters were out of order; the. Ministers appeared indeed.to pay great attention to their remarks, but nothing satisfactory re- sulted. And this reminded him of an incident that happened to him re- cently, at Marseilles; on a matter connected with the transport service of France. He had occasion- to call 'on a very eminent- mercantile firm at Marseilles, wishing to obtain the opinion of one of its partners on the plan he intended to submit to the French Government. He accordingly saw one of the heads of the establishment—a man with a pleasant John- Bull-like countenance, who he naturally supposed could speak English ; but, to make sure, he asked him, in the usual way, whether he could , do so or not. The answer that he made was "All right " ; and Mr. 'Lindsay therefore concluded that it really was "all right.' He then at down at one side of a desk, and began reading the details of his plan from a paper to this gentleman, who. sat opposite him.. The gentle- man seemed to pay great attention to him, and at the close of every suc- cessive sentence made the laconic comment of "All right." The reading of the document occupied about a quarter of an hour, and when it was finished the gentleman again repeated the words " All right." When, however, Mr. Lindsay was walking swan he happened to meet the junior partner, the nephew of the gentleman he had first seen, and who spoke English very well; and, on his telling him that he had been explaining his plans to his uncle, the young man remarked, "Indeed ! and did he understand you ?" "Well," Mr. Lindsay replied, "he certainly thought it rather strange that his uncle. had said All right' to everything." " Oh " rejoined the young man, "my uncle has not been in England for a quarter of a century, nor since the old coaching days; and what he remembers of his visit is, that he heard the guard saying; to the coachman at starting, All right?" (Laughter.) Thus, "All right" is the stereotyped reply to complaints and criticisms ; but Mr. Lindsay for one, would declare that it is "Alt wrong." The course which the Association would pursue was described by. Mr. Lindsay. The Committee named at that meeting could transmit the re- solutions to every borough in the kingdom returning a Member to Parlia- ment. Each member of the Committee has some correspondent in those boroughs—a man with a stake in the country ; and these correspondents would be invited to call meetings and appoint committees to act in gen, eert-with the central body. Then, when a job is in contemplation, a mo- tion will be made in the House of Commons condemning the transaction, and the committees throughout the country will be invited to petition against-it, and urge their Members to oppose it When such a machinery as that is completely organized and ready for action throughout the country, it will be seen whether Lord Palmerston would try his hand again at any more of these jobs.

The resolutions adopted by the meeting were these- " That the disasters to which the country has been subjected in the con- duct of the present war are attributable to the inefficient and practically irresponsible management of the various departments of the State, and urgently demand a thorough change in the administrative system. " That the true remedy for the system of maladministration which has caused so lamentable a sacrifice of labour, money, and human life, is to be sought in the introduction of enlarged experience and practical ability into the service of the State ; that the exclusion from office of those who possess in a high degree the practical qualities necessary for the direction of affairs in a great commercial country is a reflection upon its intelligence and a be- trayal of its interests; that while we disclaim every desire of excluding the aristocratic classes from participation in the councils of the Crown, we feel it our duty to protest against the pretensions of any section of the community to monopolize the functions of administration.

"That an association be now formed to promote, by all constitutional means, the attainment of administrative reform. That the association be called the Administrative Reform Association, and that the following gen- tlemen, with power to add to their number, be appointed the committee, to collect funds, to prepare an address to the constituencies of the United Kiiig- dom, and generally to carry out the objects of the association—Messrs. F. Bennoch, G. Bishop junior, It. Crawfurd, J. B. Gaasiot, J. Hutchinson, W. J. Hall, M'Gregor Laird, S. Laing, W. S. Lindsay, W. T. M'Cullagh, S. Morley, R. B. Moore, H. L. Morgan, W. L. Ogilvy, J. D. Powlea, X. I. Tra- vers, N. Wilkinson, J. G. Frith, S. Amory, W. Lister, W. The, D. Nicoll,. J. Collett, S. Baker, B. Smith junior, and B. Oliveira." At one moment the proceedings were threatened with interruption. A' Mr. Walker, thinking the resolutions were not "strong enough," rose to. move. an amendment ; but the meeting declined to hear him, and hooted' him down.

There was a brief contemporary and noisy meeting at the Guildhall3. where a few hundreds assembled who could not obtain admission to the London Tavern, and, under the chairmanship of Mr. Oliveira M.P.,. passed resolutions similar to those adopted by the parent meeting.

The Court of Aldermen sat on Wednesday ; and received the report of, a Committee appointed to inquire into a bill before Parliament transfer7.. ring the undertaking of the trustees of the River Lea to the New River Company. The Committee reported against the proposed transfer, on the ground that it would deprive the Lord Mayor of some of his power as. Conservator of the Thames. A petition to Parliament against the bill was unanimously adopted.

At length the day for opening the new Cattle-Market at Islington has been fixed. At a meeting of the Court of Common Council; on Thursday, a report was adopted empowering the Market Committee to obtain the Home Secretary's sanction to the by-laws; and also a second report, fix- ing the day of opening for the 1st June. This report recommended that the opening should be celebrated by a Corporation banquet; the cost- not to exceed 10001.

At a meeting of the Court of' Lieutenancy, on Monday, a resolution was adopted congratulating the Emperor of the French on his mime from assassination.

The May meetings, begun last week, have continued.

The annual meeting of the British and Foreign School Society was held' on Tuesday, at the. Schoolroom in the Borough Road. The Duke of Argyll' occupied the chair, and made a speech on the aspect of the education ques- tion. He looked upon the Society as the monument and standard of cer- tain. great principles ; and be thought that public opinion is every day tending more and more to sonic such practical solution of the question as that offered by the Society's rules. The more the differences in the schemes before Parliament are discussed, the smaller they will become; as they are differences in theory rather than practice, and such as may be overcome by the exercise of a little toleration and good sense on the part of the English people. Though objecting to their plan, he defended the advocates of secular instruction from the charge of indifference to religion. He also found the "Denominational or sectarian system" ob- jectionable, because it would leave a great part of the people uneducated: but at the same time be must say that the Denominational system is quite compatible with larger and more liberal views, and that the plan of throwing schools open to all, with the option of religious in addition, to secular instruction for the scholars, is very generally adopted. There however, a third mode—that adopted by the British and Foreign The_ Society— the only one that can possibly be made the groundwork of a great and general system of conjoined secular and religious education, having for its basis the Scriptures and the Scriptures alone. These views were much applauded.

According to the report, 41 new schools, affording education to 4000 children, have been opened; 892 visits of inspection have been made to schools in 443 towns and villages; and 977 pupils have attended the mo-. del schools. The total receipts of the year have been 17,3581., of which 54251. consisted of legacies; the expenditure, including the repayment'

epayment of loan, 16,691/. The meeting was also addressed by the Dean of Hereford, Mr. B, Blaney, Mr. Samuel Gurney, and other gentlemen.

Some time since the Queen and Prince Albert jointly contributed 300f: towards the enlargement of the Plymouth Royal Sailors' Home, and pro- mised 2001. in addition provided a sufficient sum be subscribed by the public. The Home has been found of the greatest moral and material benefit not only to our seamen, but to shipwrecked mariners and sailors in want of shelter. On Monday last a successful meeting was held at Willis's Rooms to promote the object. Rear-Admiral Earl Spencer pre- sided ; and Captain Gambier R.N., Admiral Bowles, Lord Radstock, Atfirt mind Seymour, and Mr. Montague Gore, made speeches.

On the same day, the Duke of Wellington presided over the first annual meeting of the Soldiers' Infant Home—intended to provide shelter and training for the orphan daughters of soldiers. Colonel Wynn, the Rever- end Henry Mackenzie, the Chaplain-General, and Colonel Crawford, spoke on behalf of the objects of the meeting. The forty-seventh anniversary of the Society of Friends of Foreigners in Distress was held on Wednesday, at the London Tavern ; Mr. John Labouchere in the chair. Since its foundation, the Society has granted relief in 87,028 cases: whether friend or foe, it relieves all alike. The subscriptions of the evening-amounted to 14901.

The nineteenth annual meeting of the Protestant Association was held on Wednesday, at Exeter Hall ; Mr. Robert Baxter of Doncaster pre- siding. The report treated chiefly of the Maynooth question, and the efforts of Mr. Spooner and Mr. Disraeli on the subject ; it showed a re- venue of 7081., an expenditure of 697/., and liabilities to the tune of 7001.

The eleventh annual meeting of the Ragged School Union was held on Monday, at Exeter Hall; the Earl of Shaftesbury in the chair. It sp-

ars that 300 schools connected with the society are now at work in the Metropolis. In connexion with the institutions now on the society's list there are 113 Sunday schools, with 14,248 scholars ; 79 day schools, with 10,449 scholars ; 108 evening schools, with 7184 scholars. The increase of scholars during the past year was—in Sunday schools, 1148 ; in day schools, 1449; in industrial classes, 294. The average of shoe-blacks engaged was 95, 54 of whom had been sent out during the last six or seven months. The total earnings were 1443/. 78., and the number of pairs of boots and shoes cleaned 346,404 ; 837 scholars had been sent from 64 of the schools to situations, the remaining 80 schools not having forwarded their returns. The income of the Union was 5085/. ; the ba- lance at the banker's, 4331.

The usual dinner that precedes the publio opening of the Royal Aca- demy Exhibition was held on Saturday. It was attended, according to custom, by several Ministers,—Lord Palmerston, Sir Charles Wood, and

the Duke of Argyll among the number ; also by several of the late Min- isters, and by many men distinguished either in war, politics, literature, or science ; but the speaking on the occasion was deficient in interest, and k to a great extent of a courtly exchange of compliments between it Charles Eastlake and his guests.

The members of the "Milton Club" breakfasted together on Monday, to celebrate the temporary opening of that institution. Sir Samuel Peto presided over the gathering ; and Mr. Samuel Morley, Mr. Ball M.P., Mr. Apsley Pellatt M.P., and the chairman, made speeches. Mr. Bate- man, one of the principal promoters of the club, described its objects, with amusing succinctness. The club was for the benefit of the great interests of Evangelical Noncon- formity, and they intended that it should be the most comfortable place of resort in London. Everything in the way of food and drink would be pro-

vided in plentiful simplicity. There was to be none of that grandeur and profusion of ornamentation which characterized the clubs of the West-end

idlers—he meant no disrespect—the gentlemen at the West-end who had nothing in particular to occupy their time. They would be simple and com- fortable.

Certain officers of the British Legion employed in the Spanish war under Sir De Lacy Evans, deputed Colonel Kinloch, Colonel Freestun, Colonel Hogg, Lieutenant-Colonel Kent Murray, and others, to present an address to their late commander. This address, read on Monday by Colonel Kinloch in the unavoidable absence of Sir Duncan M'Dougall, Congratulated Sir De Lacy, on the termination of his last services in the field. The gallant officer made a suitable reply, which had reference chiefly to the services of the Legion in Spain.

Three actions have been brought against Lord Clifden, upon acceptances for 30001. each, given by him to drafts of Mr. Francis Villiers, M.P. for Ro- chester. The names of the plaintiffs are Wisden, Ford, and Clark. Applica- tion was made on Thursday to the Court of Queen's Bench, that the actions should be tried by a common, instead of a special jury. Lord Campbell said, there might be some difficulty in trying them by a common jury ; and sug- gested that they had better be tried at the first sittings next term. Mr. Ed- win James on behalf of the plaintiffs assented to the suggestion.

A not singular instance of bigamy formed the subject of a trial at the Central Criminal Court on Monday. Annabelle Euphemia Preston Robertson, a middle- aged woman, was charged with this offence, and pleaded guilty. Deserted by her husband, an intemperate brutal man, she became governess in the family of a Mr. Radermacher. This gentleman's son fell in love with the governess, and proposed marriage. Her mother told her that Robertson, the good-for- nothing husband, was dead : and, in spite of the opposition of Mr. Raderma- cher senior, the governess became Mrs. Radermacher junior. Discovering that her husband was alive, the father brought a charge of bigamy, simply with a view of obtaining a separation from his son. The Court ordered that she should give bail, and appear if ordered up for judgment.

Some time ago, Harrington, a City Militiaman, killed a potman named Towers. On Wednesday the homicide was tried and convicted ' • but the Jury recommended him to mercy, on the ground that Towers had provoked the assault by calling Harrington a "hated Irishman." Sentence, four months' imprisonment.

John Williams, formerly a publisher of architectural works, lately in the employ of Mr. Spriggs, a bookseller in Great Russell Street, has been com- mitted at Bow Street, for obtaining 20001. worth of property under false pretences. He gave out that he had sold books intrusted to him to distin- guished persons; but in reality he had pawned them.

That thieves drive a profitable trade at places of worship is a fact better known perhaps to the pious frequenters of these places than to the public. An illustration of the fact, however, was disclosed on Monday at Guildhall On the person of a thief committed by Alderman Kennedy, was a list of fashionable chapels. Alderman Kennedy took the novel step of warning the congrega- tions to be on their guard. The " appointments" noted down were—the Weigh House Chapel, St. John's Chapel, Bedford Row, Surrey Chapel, and College Street, St. John's Wood. A boy only ten years old has been com- mitted by the Marylebone Magistrate for robbing ladies at the new Baptist Chapel, Regent's Park.

Grace, a Militiaman, decoyed a poor servant-girl into a house on the pre- text of introducing her to his mother. There he criminally assailed her, with the most brutal violence. Happily her screams brought assistance, and she escaped. The ruffian was committed by the Worship Street Magistrate.

Two Belgians, a father and daughter, have been sent to prison by the Thames Police Magistrate, in default of paying a fine of 109/. each for smug- gling Brussels and pillow lace worth 1451. They were surprised by the re- sult, and wept much.

Two refiners, Thomas Grove and William Martin, stand remanded by the Clerkenwell Magistrate on a charge of conspiring to defraud Messrs. Abud and Co. They seem to be concerned in passing off silvered copper bars, for genuine silver. Misfortune besets some men. Mr. Masters is or was the owner of the Crystal Palace Hotel at Sydenham, which has proved unsuccessful. A short time ago he became a bankrupt. Before he could make up his accounts, he was thrown from a gig, and fractured his thigh ; recently, while the frac- ture was healing, he fell down in attempting to get out of bed, and the bone again separated. The Bankruptcy Court, commiserating his misfortunes, has granted extensions of time for filing the accounts.

A lamentable case of temporary insanity is recorded. Mrs. Gooch, the wife of a tailor in Perry Street, St. Pancras, drowned both herself and her- child in a water-butt. The bodies were found by the husband when he re- turned home from work.

The Etna gun-battery seems to have been wilfully fired. Layton Edward. Hopper, a young shipwright, was charged before the Thames Police Magis- trate, on Wednesday as the incendiary. Evidence was first given to show the extreme improbability that the fire was accidental : every one had left the ship, there were no signs of fire a short time before the outbreak, and when the flames did appear they ran along and leapt from place to place as if some inflammable liquid had been daubed about. The direct testimony against Hopper was that of John Coolie, a shipwright employed at Russell's, who was the first to discover the fire; as he ran towards the battery he saw a man leave the bows, hasten to a kiln, mount a shed, and thus escape from the- yard into a garden : he saw the man's face twice, and he firmly believes the- fugitive was Hopper. Hopper had been in Mr. Russell's service, but was discharged three weeks ago on account of a dispute about wages. He was remanded.

There was an extensive fire on Sunday at Bermondsey, by which a large part of the premises of Messrs. Young, glue and size manufacturers in the Spa Road, was destroyed.