gbe „Metropolis.
The annual civic pageant and festival took place on Monday. As the day was very fine for November, a large assemblage collected to assist at the spectacle. The proceedings commenced with a breakfast in the Council Chamber of the Guildhall; to partake of which, the Lord Mayor elect, the late Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, the Recorder, and all the principal civic officers, assembled at eleven. The procession left Guildhall soon after half-past twelve; and, to the disappointment of many loyal citizens, in- stead of proceeding through the Poultry, it passed along Gresham Street and Prince's Street in its way to London Bridge. The route taken is said to have been chosen in order that the Lord Mayor might exhibit his state to some friends in the London Joint Stock Bank, of which he is a director. The embarkation was accomplished at London Bridge; and, by the aid of sundry tug-steamers, the City squadron reached Westminster in safety, about half-past two. Here the ceremony of swearing in took place, in the Court of Exchequer; the oaths being administered by the City Remem- brance; before Mr. Baron Parke: the Chief Baron was absent., on account of a domestic affliction. At three o'clock the Lord Mayor relimbarked, and returned by water to Blackfriars Bridge. The land procession was again formed, and wound its way slowly by Ludgate Hill and St. Paul's Church- yard to Guildhall; where it arrived about half-past four o'clock.
The banquet was honoured by the presence of Lord John Russell and Several other Ministers, the Lord Chancellor and most of the Judges, and a number of other distinguished persons. The feast presented the usual filatures of profuse " turtle-soup" hospitality, and was highly appretiated. A great many toasts were given and responded to; but the speeches were rather below par.
.4.,Wprdmote for the Ward of Farringdon Without was held on Wed- afflify,Nit the Court-house in the Old Bailey, to consider the proposition of We Common Council for widening Cannon Street. Sir James Duke pre- ;laded. Mr. Carpenter objected to so large an outlay for an inadequate ob- was true that a street sixty feet wide would be made from King Wilthim-Strest to Queen Street, Cheapside; but it would be .a great road leading nowhere. After some remarks on the sanatory state of the Metropolis, resolutions were agreed to embodying the objections raised by Mr. Carpenter, and affirming that there were other and stronger claims upon the City funds for sanatory improvements. The Wardmote adjourned for a week, with a view to the more complete consideration of the sanatory side of the question.
A special Vestry meeting was held in the perish of Marylebone an Sa- turday, to take into consideration the establishment of baths and wash- houses under the provisions of the recent act. A deputation from a large meeting of the parishioners waited on the Board, to express the general 'feeling of the parish in favour of the measure; which, on their departure, the Board unanimously agreed to adopt,—the necessary funds to be raised by the imposition of a penny rate.
It was announced on Wednesday, that application is intended to be made to Parliament, in the next session, for leave to bring in a bill for makings bridge over the Thames near Essex Street, Strand, to the opposite shore, at or near to Dowsen's Wharf, in the Marsh and Wall Liberty. It is also proposed to form a market at the South side of the bridge.
So successful has the system of cheap fares for omnibuses running from Hungerford Market to Paddington hitherto proved, that it has been adopted on the line of road from the Eastern Counties Railway to the Elephant and Castle, the fare being threepence.
In the Court of Bankruptcy, Mr. Commissioner Evans has decided upon a question of privilege. Judgment for a debt had been recovered in the Court of Exchequer, against Gover, a groom in the Royal Household, and he had been• summoned to appear in the Bankruptcy Court: he pleaded the privilege of his employment as an exemption. The Commissioner admitted that the defendant could not be arrested for debt; but by not appearing to the summons of the Court, he had rendered himself liable to arrest for contempt. A warrant was issued accordingly.
At the Southwark Police-office, on Tuesday, Mr. John Sinnott, a dust-con- tractor, was summoned at the instance of the parochial officers of Christchurch, for creating a nuisance in Upper Ground Street, near the foot of Blackfriars Bridge. It appeared from the evidence, that some little time back Mr. Sinnott bad taken Jamaica Wharf, formerly a timber-yard and was in the habit of ac- cumulating there not only dust and the sweepings of the streets, but all kinds of rotten and putrescent matters, the refuse of the markets; so that the atmosphere around was poisoned, and a great deal of sickness and disease ensued. Mr. Seeker, the Magistrate, made an order on the defendant to remove the nuisance within forty-eight hours, under pain of more stringent proceedings.
Hester Elizabeth White, the young woman who committed the burglary at Mr. Jones's in Paling, was examined before the Brentford Magistrates on Saturday. The evidence adduced fully corroborated the extraordinary tale told by the pri- soner herself, as detailed in our columns last week. The woman declined saying anything; and she was committed for trial.
A fire destroyed a large amount of property in Little Queen Street, Holborn, between five and six o clock on Sunday morning. It originated in the exten- sive manufactory of Messrs. Witham and Company, wholesale carriers: and be- fore it could be extinguished it consumed nearly the whole building and contents, besides injuring more or less the surrounding houses. The fire burned with great fury. A loss of several thousands is estimated.
Three new houses, part of a rangejust erected at Brompton, fell down on Thursday afternoon. All the workmen had none away, except one who was de- scending a ladder: he was buried in the rums, and perished; and no attempt could be made to dig out the body immediately, from a fear that some more of the houses would fall.
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