'be liattropolis.

A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, at which the recent City elections were discussed. A petition was presented by Mr. Marriott against the election of Mr. Wells, as Common Councilman of the ward of Farringdon, on the ground that he was not a freeman of the city, nor a rated inhabitant. The petition was ordered to be taken into con- sideration at next Court. A petition against Mr. Cousins for Coleman Street Ward, on the ground of insufficient residence and rating in the ward, was considered, and the election declared void. A petition from Mr. Ledger, complaining of wholesale perjury at the late election of Bridgemaster, was referred to a Committee of the whole Court. Mr. Ledger stated that hundreds of instances had occurred. One man ad- mitted that he had voted four times in one day : he was apprehended, and attempted to commit suicide in the Stationhouse, but was after- wards liberated for want of proper identification.

At a Court of Common Council, held on Thursday, the Lord Mayor announced the presentation of the addresses of the Court to the Queen. Mr. Lawrence noticed the " child's play " of the members of the Corpo- ration going up with two addresses nearly in the same words—one from the Lord Mayor and Aldermen—the other from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council : first they went up with the one, then with the other : he thought the two Courts should have united in one address.

Mr. Wire gave notice of a vote of thanks to Admiral Stopford, and to the officers and men under his command, for their zeal and bravery during the operations on the coast of Syria.

The anniversary of the Queen's marriage, and the christening of the Princess Royal, were celebrated in the Metropolis on Wednesday, by the ringing of bells in the day, and partial illuminations at night. There seems to have been some doubt which of the two events was the pro- perest object of commemoration ; and the illuminated initials—" P. IL" and " V. A."—varied according as the marriage or the christening predominated in the minds of the illuminators. The initials " P. R. were at first startling, to those whose memories carry them back to the time when they were used to designate " Prince Regent." The Princess Royal, however, had the balance in her favour ; the " V. A."s being less numerous. The external rejoicings in London were not, indeed, so great as might have been expected.

The bankruptcy of Messrs. Keasley, tanners, of Long Lane, Ber- mondsey, has occasioned nearly as great an interest in that part of the Metropolis as the failure of Messrs. Wright's bank at the West end. They were supposed to be the largest tanners in the world ; their pre- mises extend over more than seven acres, and the stock now in their tanpits alone is of the value of 25,0001. Their liabilities and debts cannot be accurately ascertained, in consequence of very extensive trans- actions in accommodation-bills for several years past, but they are gene- rally estimated at about 100,0001. to 150,000/. Mr. T. Keasley is said to be the proprietor of the Tablet weekly newspaper, which was a few months ago established in support of the Roman Catholic interest. A meeting to appoint assignees was held at the Court of Bankruptcy on Wednesday, when great excitement prevailed. It was stated that Mr. Warren, the blacking-maker, is a creditor to the amount of 20,0001., for discounts. The private residence of the bankrupts was in the Regent's Park, and their equipages were of the most splendid kind.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat on Thursday ; composed of jmrd Brougham, Mr. Justice Bosanquet, Mr. Justice Erskine, and the Judge of the Admiralty Court. The appeal of Wood versus Helps was postponed till after Lord Cardigan's trial.

Mr. Justice Littledale took leave of the bar in the Court of Queen's Bench on Saturday. His great popularity with the barristers practising in his court induced them to pay him the highest compliment in their power. The court was nearly filled by counsel. Lady Denman and a party of ladies took their seats on the bench, shortly before four o'clock, to witness the Judge's farewell. The Attorney-General, in the name of the bar, expressed their sorrow at the separation ; and complimented the Judge on the profound learning, distinguished acuteness, and spot- less integrity, which had distinguished him on the bench. Mr. Justice Littledale thanked the bar, and bade them farewell. He said it was upwards of fifty-three years since he began his legal stedies, and he had held his appointment as Judge upwards of sixteen years. The infirmity of age told him it was time to retire.

Judgment in the Braintree Church-rate case was delivered in the Court of Exchequer Chamber on Monday, by the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. His Lordship said there were two questions for deci- sion in the case—first, whether, after a rate for the necessary repairs of the church had been proposed and refused at a Vektry meeting con- vened for the purpose of making the rate, the Churchwardens, of their sole authority, could, at a subsequent period, and by themselves, make a valid rate as a substitution for that which had been previously re- jected for the necessary repairs of the church ; and secondly, whether in the case of a rate so made by the Churchwardens alone, the Courts of Common Law could issue a writ of prohibition to prevent the Eccle- siastical Courts from proceeding in a suit which had been instituted for the recovery of the rate so made. Upon these two questions the Judges were unanimously of opinion—first, that the rate so made was illegal and void ; and secondly, that a writ of prohibition may properly issue in such circumstances, to prevent the Ecclesiastical Courts from pro- ceeding to enforce the payment of it. Notwithstanding the decision in this case was against the Churchwardens, his Lordship said the Parishioners of every parish were bound to repair the church ; and it was in consequence only of the irregular manner in which the Church- wardens had proceeded to make the rate that the decision was pro- nounced against them. He did not state the mode they ought to have adopted, but he left it to be inferred, that at the time of the Vestry meeting a proper rate for the repairs of the church, made by the Churchwardens and the minority of the meeting, if the majority were against it, would be valid.

In the Court of Queen's Bench, yesterday, an action was tried in which Mr. Egan, a barrister, claimed from the Guardians of the Ken- sington Union a balance of account due for attending to the business of Returning-officer at the election for Guardians. It appeared that the Guardians had advertised for a barrister, and it was agreed the plaintiff should be employed at five guineas a day. The defendants had tendered 2601., and the plaintiff's demand was 3781. A barrister's right to bring an action for fees was questioned ; and the circumstance of striking a bargain for services was strongly animadverted on by the Attorney- General as degrading to the profession. The verdict was for the de- fendants, on the ground that the sum paid into court covered the plain- tiff's legal demand.

In the same Court, yesterday, an action for criminal conversation was tried, in which Mr. Bruinmell, the son of Mr. Brummell of the Treasury, was the plaintiff, and Lieutenant Jackson of the First Dra- goon Guards was the defendant. The Jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff, with 500/. damages.

An action for criminal conversation was tried in the Sheriff's Court, on Tuesday, in which Captain Nathaniel Boyle Shaw was the plaintiff, and Mr. William Prescott the defendant. The plaintiff, who was formerly in the Seventeenth Lancers, married in 1828: his wife accom- panied him with his regiment, and he had no reason to doubt her fidelity. In 1838 they agreed to separate, owing to variance of temper; and Captain Shaw, who had previously left the Army, settled an annuity on his wife of 300/. She took a cottage at Bexley Heath, where she conducted herself with great respectability. The defendant, who lived near, occasionally visited her ; but there was no reason to suppose any criminal intimacy took place, until they were proved to have gone to the Greyhound Inn at Greenwich, where they passed as man and wife. There was no defence to the action. The Jury assessed the damages at 100/.

In the Sheriff's Court, on Thursday, proclamation of outlawry, for non-payment of debts, was made against the following titled person- ages—Sir Andrew Leith Hay, the Honourable Charles Manners Sutton, the Right Honourable Charlotte Maria Bury, and the Honourable George Lionel Massey.

At the Central Criminal Court, on Saturday, Richard Moore, a per- son of genteel appearance, was found guilty, on two indictments, of passing a number of forged country bank-notes at gaining-houses, to pay for his losses. He was sentenced to be transported for fifteen years. At the Mansionhouse, on Saturday, Thomas Bradstoek was com- mitted for trial, charged with perjury at the late election of Bridge- master, in representing himself to be a Liveryman of tie Draper's Company. At Greenwich Police Court, on Monday, William M'Carthy and Henry Hatfield, two servants of the Croydon Railway Company, were Thpv hail to turn some switches, and a train was consequently driven off the line on Friday night, and run against some coal-trucks. The offenders were fined 101. each.

There has been a complete change in the weather since last week. The frost, which continued till Wednesday night, has been succeeded by a rapid thaw ; but the quantity of snow on the ground not being great, there is no apprehension of floods. The thermometer is now nearly thirty degrees higher than at the end of last week.

Several deaths occurred during the late frost, from the want of proper food and clothing. One of the cases was that of Vaughan, a tailor, aged seventy-two, who lodged in Blackmore Street, Drury Lane. On Friday evening he was seen sitting, exhausted, on the stairs, and was led into his own room ; which was without a fire : the bedstead was without bed or bedding, and he had only an old rug to cover him : on this he was placed in his clothes ; and a penny roll was seat for, which he ate eagerly. His story was that he had only earned eightpence all the week ; and he was going out in quest of work, when he became too ex- hausted to stir. He died in the course of the night. A Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of " Natural death, accelerated by want and the state of the weather."

An inquest was held in Whitecross Street Prison, on Saturday, on the body of Mr. William Ram, who lately carried on the business of milliner in Regent Street. He had been imprisoned for the balance of a large doctor's b;11, which had caused anxiety of mind that hastened his death. A verdict to that effect was returned.

Camberwell Old Church was destroyed by fire on Sunday night. About twelve o'clock, a Policeman on duty saw a light in the church; and supposing that thieves had broken in, he called the clerk, who procured the keys, and they both entered the building. The gallery was found to be on fire; and the opening of the door caused the fire to spread with sudden rapidity. No water could be procured. A fine peal of bells, the organ, a splendid stained glass window, and a number of ancient tombs, chiefly in memory of ancestors of Sir Edward Smythe the lord of the manor, the square tower and roof, were all destroyed—all, in short, but the bare walls. A new aisle had recently been added to the church : some portions of the old building were nearly 1,100 years old. The vaults underneath have escaped injury, and the coffins are perfectly safe. The building is said to be insured for 4,000/. ; but the damage was of a much greater amount. It has been. ascertained that the fire was caused by the flue communicating with one of the principal beams of the organ-loft.