31ittrufu1io.
THE Chief Commissioner of Works has given notice, that it is the in- tention of her Majesty's Government to erect a monument in St. Paul's Cathedral to the memory of the late Duke of Wellington ; and he has invited designs from artists of all countries.
Victoria Park has for some time been a theatre for Sunday preaching, not always of a religious kind. Socialist, Infidel, and other propa- gandists, have been wont to meet therein and harangue groups of vary- ing numbers. In order that these persons might not have the field all to themselves, pious and adventurous missionaries of divers denominations stood forth to preach. Recently the anti-religious practices carried on in the Park have been brought under the notice of the First Commissioner of Works ; and Sir Benjamin Hall has incurred some discredit by issuing an order prohibiting preaching of every kind, instead of limiting the prohibition to the original offenders.
At the fifteenth autumnal meeting of the Early Closing Association, held at Exeter Hall on Wednesday, Mr. Lilwall, the Secretary, gave a favourable report of progress. The novelty in the organization of the " effective " of the Association is a promised Ladies' Committee. The meeting passed a resolution regretting that, where improvement has been most needed, in retail shops, it has been less marked. The Crystal Palace Company have consented to admit the public for one shilling each on Saturday the 20th, and to give the Association a portion of the profit.
At a meeting of the City Sewers Commission, on Tuesday, it was resolved that the General Purposes Committee should "inquire into the cause of the falling of the houses in Little Swan A]ley, and into the working of the present system of house-inspection, with especial refer- ence to dangerous structures ; and also whether it is necessary to make any and what alteration of system ; and to report thereon to this com- mission."
The proprietors of the Unity General Assurance Association held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, at the London Tavern. Mr. Baylis, the manager, had resigned ; the directors had accepted his resignation ; and the shareholders assembled to hear the reason why. Dr. Davies, a shareholder, filled the chair. The facts which do not appear to be dis- puted on either side are these. In February last, a Mr. Aitken, a gen- tleman with an income of 80/. a year, living at Glasgow, insured the life of Mrs. Aitken, his wife, who had independent property estimated at NO/. a year, for 20001.; and in July Mrs. Aitken died. The policies of the Unity purport to be "indisputable." Immediately after the death,
Mr. Wieland, the local agent, sent up a telegraphic messagei which had the effect of bringing to Glasgow Dr. Lloyd, one of the directors and consulting-physician to the company. He telegraphed to the manager that he found "suspicious" circumstances, and asked if he might close the transaction at once by a compromise for 7601. Mr. Baylis replied by the telegraph, "Yes, if you think it desirable." This arrangement was carried out and sanctioned in due form by the directors. After this conclusion of the affair, Mr. Aitken was still discontented. Some circumstances reached the ear of Mr. Baylis, to the effect that, in a correspondence with Mr. Aitken, Dr. Lloyd had admitted the death to have resulted from natural causes, and had confessed Mr. Aitken's conduct to be candid and open. Mr. Baylis therefore advised the directors spon- taneously to offer a payment in full ; they declined to reopen the tines. lion after Dr. Lloyd's settlement; both parties made the question an affair of personal honour and character ; Mr. Baylis tendered his resignation ; the directors accepted it; and the special meeting of shareholders was called to pronounce judgment on the dispute between the founder-ma- nager and the directors of the company. The further reasons that ac- tuated both sides were not stated : from the remarks on the side of Mr. Baylis we are induced to infer that he was misled by what he afterwards found to be too keen a practice on the part of the local agent, and that he held the office bound to maintain the indisputability of its policies. On the other side, Dr. Lloyd said that his early suspicions were in part caused by the nervousness of Mr. Alt- ken's manner and that there was something which he would not state, or it would subject him to an action for libel. Mr. Jackson, one of the directors, avowed his agreement with Mr. Baylis in principle, but inti- mated that the conduct of that gentleman was too cavalier ; and we gather that the directors shrunk from any course which appeared to im- ply censure on Dr. Lloyd. After much animated debate, the meeting passed two resolutions,—one sanctioning the payment in full ; the second, on the motion of Mr. Mechi, reinstating Mr. Baylis pro tempore ; but on the latter resolution it was agreed that a poll should be taken. A committee fully representing the shareholders was appointed to inves- tigate the position of the company, and ascertain what steps are neces- sary for its future government and prosperity. Mr. Tayloe, the com- pany's solicitor, protested against the whole proceedings as irregular, the meeting having been called for a special purpose ; and yesterday a no- tice was posted at the company's chief place of business, stating that no poll would be taken, as all the proceedings were illegal. Mr. Aitken has commenced legal proceedings to recover the balance.
An application on petition was made to Mr. Commissioner Holroyd., on Monday, for an adjudication in bankruptcy in the case of the Royal British Bank. The Commissioner dismissed the petition ; saying that it was as clear as the sun that an incorporated company cannot be made bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Consolidation Act.
Two of the City committee of depositors of the Royal British Bank state, that the directors have repudiated the proposal of last week that the credit- ors should be paid by four instalmen,ta. The affairs of the bank have got into Chancery. Two petitions have been presented to the Lord Chancellor for its dissolution and winding-up : they are expected to be heard by Vice-Chancellor Sir Richard Sindersley, the one at Southampton on the nth, the other at Bury St. Edmunds on the 24th. Nothing new has transpired as to the position of the bank.
At the Middlesex Sessions, on Monday, George Adams, a cabman was in- dicted for stealing fifty doubloons of the Republic of New Granada, and other coins, the property of Ramon Borda. Adams had driven the South American gentleman to Finsbury Square. When Borda reached his rooms, he recollected the coin he had left in the cab ; but on returning to the street he found that the cab was out of sight. Adams seems to have found the money, and to have been overpowered by the temptation. He kept it, bought a watch, ordered a gold. chain, and concealed several of the coins. Mr. Creasy held, that if the Jury were satisfied that Adams did not make "proper exertions" to restore the gold, he was guilty of larceny. The ver- dict was " Guilty " ; but the Jury and the prosecutor concurred in a re- commendation to mercy, because a large portion of the coin had been re- covered. Sentence, one month's imprisonment with hard labour.
George Everett, a young man but an old offender, was charged before Alderman Challis with stealing a clock from the offices of the New Zealand Company. Having been remanded, he attempted to hang himself in his cell. He was again brought before the Alderman and lectured. He pro- fessed to have been influenced by a fear lest his friends would hear of his new disgrace. "Why not get a living by honest means ? " asked the Alderman. The prisoner said, he found it was impossible : as soon as he got employ- ment, the Police went to his master and denounced him as a thief, and he was sent adrift. Two officers of the court declared that the Police did act thus ; and one knew that Everett had striven to live by honest labour. Though the prisoner promised not to repeat his suicidal attempt, he was no sooner remanded to a cell than he again appeared to be making preparations to strangle himself : he was sent off to Newgate, professing a determination to destroy himself in some way.
M. F. Michel, a professor of foreign literature, held in much esteem by many literary gentlemen, has been committed by the Bow Street Magistrate on a charge of rape upon Elizabeth Lyons, a young servant-girl at the house where M. Michel lodges. There were discrepancies in the evidence; the direct testimony was the girl's alone. It was urged for M. Michel, that he —a married gentleman of hitherto irreproachable character—had been se- lected as a victim by the girl, to screen her conduct with some other person. Mr. Jardine said, the case must go before a jury; but it was one in which he should take bail. The bail was immediately forthcoming.
Garrett and Murphy, the latter a ticket-of-leave man, have been com- mitted by the Marlborough Street Magistrate for garotting and robbing Mr. Sapseid. They assailed him at night, in an entry in Bruton Street, treat- ing him with the utmost ferocity. The reporter of the case appends this statement—" From information derived from the police it appears that garotting offences are on the increase ; that there is a gang of the worst characters, upwards of forty in number, most of whom are believed to be ticket-of-leave men, whose location is in the neighbourhood of Duck Lane and Pye Street, Westminster, who may be seen nightly arranging them- selves into bands of four or six, and then spreading themselves over different parts of the metropolis. It is from this gang that the majority of the gar- rotting offences onginate." An expert " cracksman," known as George Richards, was caught by a constable, at five o'clock on Sunday morning, breaking into an office in, Fenchurch Street. He was brought to the liansionhouse on Monday, and. held a dialogue with the Lord Mayor very characteristic of his profession. Lord Mayor—" What have you to say ? ' Prisoner—" Nothing, my Lord." Partridge, the Gaoler—" The prisoner has been in Newgate twice, but I cannot recollect what he was sent there for : I can ascertain by tomorrow morning." Prisoner—" Why, I can save you the trouble. I had six months for smashing, and three months for cracking a crib—that's all. I took nothing on this occasion." Lord Mayor—" Well., you seem very care- less ; but you meant to have committed a felony. You are committed for three months as a rogue and vagabond." Prisoner—" Well, after that, I might as well have robbed the place; I should not have had much more imprisonment." The prisoner was removed by the *facer of the court, grumbling at his own stupidity in not " finishing the job“properly." Another prisoner, a pie ket, denying that he had ever been there before," was remanded at • own request, that he might vindicate his cha- racter. Shortly, afterwards, however, he returned to the court. The Lord Mayor said to lion—" What do you want now ? " Prisoner—" I would rather have my 'ticket at once." The Lord Mayor—" So I should think. I always hire to accommodate a prisoner when I can : you will go to prison for three months, with hard labour."
In consequence of the disclosures made at the Mansionhouse last week, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have dismissed two officers guilty of extorting money from carriers and others.
The Coroner's inquiry into the cause of the death of Lewis Solomona, whose body was found some time since in the Thames at Hampton Court, with a shot-wound in the breast, has resulted in an open verdict. The Jury were unanimously of opinion "that Lewis Solomons had died in con- sequence of wounds caused by a pistol-shot ; but whether such wounds had been inflicted by himself or some other person, there was not sufficient evidence to show."
There were three considerable fires early on Sunday morning,—on the premises of Mr. Stoneham, a carriage-maker in Bedford Street, Euston Square; at Rutland Wharf, Upper Thames Street, where much grain was destroyed ; and at Mr. Beatch's leather-cloth manufactory, in the New Kent Road, near the Elephant and Castle.
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