The Committee on the Wellington statue is to assemble on
the second Thursday in February, for the purpose of determining upon the
sort of statue which it would be advisable to raise, and the most eligible site. It is generally supposed that the statue will be equestrian, and report is quite busy in fixing it in different parts of the City. The sum already subscribed towards the object is between 7000/. and 8000/.
The Literal), Fund Club dined together on Wednesday, at the Free- mason's Tavern. About twenty members only sat down to dinner, the influenza having sadly diminished the number of those who usually attended. Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, M. P., was ballotted for and ad- witted a member. It was stated during the course of the evening, that a reversionary sum of 200/. had just fallen in to the parent society; - and it was suggested that this sum might form the nucleus of an ap- peal to public benevolence for the creation of " Literary Retreats" for sonic hall-dozen (to make a beginning) deserving literary characters, to whom a house rest-free arid a small garden might prove a happy retire- ment in their days of " sere and yellow leaf." In anticipation of this being carried into effect, two gentlemen present made contingent pro- mises of contributions to form an indispensable appendage—a library.
Wednesday, being the first day of Hilary Term, Dr. Southey deli- vered the commencement of his course of three lectures on physic at the Gresham Lecture-room, over the west gate of the Royal Exchange; only thirteen persons were present.
A meeting of the Committee of the City of London School was held on Wednesday, for the purpose of electing masters and teachers ; when great interest was excited in consequence of the expected oppo- sition to the election of the Reverend M. D. Davidson, as first master of the junior dries, on the ground that he favoured Unitarian doctrines. After considerable dismission, in which Mr. Alderman Wood and those who supported Mr. Davidson reprobated the intolerance and illiberality of making the religious opinions of a candidate the ground of objection, when the business of the master had no reference to theological matters, the question was put to the vote; and there ap- peared—for Mr. Davidson, 15 ; for Mr. M‘Dougall,the opposing candi- date, 20. Mr. Davidson consequently lost his election. [This bigotry is most contemptible, and worthy of the dark ages.'
There is a great deal of sickness in London, the consequence of the late severe weather and thaw. The prevalent complaint is the in- fitienzu, of which there are probably hundreds of thousands ill in the
Metropolis at time present time. Scarcely a family, it is said, is
free from it. About a thousand Policemen are laid up ; and about a hundred and ninety clerks in the Bank of England have been disabled from attending to their duties. In some of the breweries and other large establishments, a stop has been to work in consequence of the illness of great numbers of the men. In the Post-office, great incon- venience has been suffered from a similar cause.
Yesterday, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas gave judgment in the important cause of the Bank of England against the London and Westminster Bank. The Court decided that the privileges of the Bank of England were impugned by the London and Westminster Bank accepting bills of exchange at less than six months' date. The Bank of England has therefore succeeded.
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