Ebe itictropolift. The Cou:t of Common Council met on Saturday

; and, on the mo- tion of Mr. Richard Taylor, an 4dress 11115 voted to Earl Grey on his retirement from office. It was couched in terms of high admira- tion for his Lordship's private and public character, and glatitude for the services of his long political life in the cause of Reform. On Monday, the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and principal City officers, accompanied by Mr. Taylor and other gentlemen, waited on LarlGrey,, iii Downing Street. The Recorder read the address, and his Lordship made a suitable reply. Lord John Russell, Mr. Ellice, and Mr. Charles Wood, were witb isis Lordship during the ceremony.

The proprietors of East India Stock met on Wednesday, to con- eider the amount of compensation to be awarded to the maritime offi- cers of the Company. The Chairman, Mr. Henry St. George Tucker, stated several reasons why the compensation should be less than that allowed to the civil and military officers— The persons in the direct service of the Company were alreadv, by law or usage, entitled to superannuation allowances ; but no such prineiile existed in the maritime service. It WilS1 differently constituted. the exception of the commanders and officers of the Company's own ships, the members of thatser- vice were appointed by private owners, and not by the Company. The re- muneration of maritime servants consisted for the most patt of commercial pri- vileges, affording an oppottunity for the profitable employment of capital. rho Directors considered no comparison could be made between the elanns to con- sideration of commanders and officers, whose oppottunity of tautening benefit was derived chiefly from trade, and other contingent sources, to those of clerks and office's, who received a subsistence from the time they enter the service to the time of their death, without being atTotiled any opportunity of acquiring a fortune. Commanders and officers were never considered entitled to pensions without they came within the provisions of the " Poplar Fund " (a fund established by the officers themselves) ; while, on the other hand, clerks were always pensioned off. Nor could the Court of Directors admit the claim of offi- cers of the fieighted service, dependent as they were on employment front private connexion turd influence with owners, whose business did not necessarily tease %yid' the discontinuance of the Company's tiaile, and not eutitled to be put on a footing with the commanders' and officers' own service. Ile explained, that the original intentions ofiithe Directors had been in some measure modified— The plan of the Company was, to give 1,500/. to commanders in the freighted service ; such grant to be restricted to those who had an interest in ships built originally for the Company, and whose contracts have expired. Strong objec- tions having been made to that restriction, the Court of Directors are willing to extend the grant of compensation to all commanders and officers who have been in actual employ of the Company within the period of five years antece- dent to the 22(1 of April 18:14, upon their declaring it was their intention to follow their profession in the inaritiine service of the Company. The Court proceeded to state, that the eompensation of 1S14, on the opening of the India trade, was relied on hi)' the maritime service as a ground for inet ease of compen- sation, but that was restricted to einninanders who might fall into decay. The Court of Directors did not think their profession would cease altogether by the cessation of the Courettly's trade. The Court, however, consider that to such commanders as may tall Into distress a provision should be made, hy the adoption of a graduated scale from 130/. downwari:s. The plan of the Company did not include any in the freighted service below foetal) unites. l'Ite Court of Directors, however, proposed that sta-gcial-nritcs should be paid the same as fourth mates; IOW. to fifth and sixth mates ; :old :,0/. to molt boatswains and gunners who shall have made two voyages at Last in the Cempany's service.

:Ur. Weeding proposed an increased scale of compensation

Instead of' the scale of eompensation laid down IT the Court of Directors, he

should propose " that such commanders and officers as had been ten years in the Company's service, reckoning from the tinie they first cultuTed to the tenni-- m:6in of their last voyage, should V. per year ; clii 1 mate, Ifit V. per y,tir ; second mate, 4;(1/. ram year ; sioyeon, 1 ad. per year ; iii inat,•, year; 'miser, 100/. per year ; 4tu mate, per year ; as-istant surgeon, 7(1/. la .r year ; tli and (hit imites, dl 1. lier year ; ;:t /f. per )sear ; boat- swain and gunner trii. per year. Widows to have half their husbands' pensioas diuring widowltuod ; ellath en the usual provision." The wants to the officers, it should be observed, nil:tied to those who liml serv,i1 for ten years. Then cattle gratuities. Ile proposed that those who had not been ten years lot the Company's service should have their reward camputed ;wounding to Omit rank and time of service, in proportion to the pensions granted to those who had served ten years. Ile also proposed, that a colopeteution shetill be given to all conitilailders and eflicers who had not served for five years up to the of August 16:14, when the bill which deprived them of employment haul passed ; and further, that a reasonable compensation should be given, in addition to the

foregoing settle, to the commanders and officers of ships whose term of contract had not expired ; and that on these latter points the Directors should submit their decision to the Court of Proprietors.

Sir Charles Forbes, Mr. Fielder, Sir Pulteney Malcolm, and Mr. Twining, spoke in fiwour of the amendinent. The Chairman opposed. it he said the proposed settle of compensation would require 43”,000/. principal nioney, to supply the annuities. The amendment, however, was carried, by a vote of ;./2 to U ; and a ballot was demanded, and fixed. fur Wednesday next.

The elakie in the Batik charter which provides that after the let instant Bank of England notes shall be a legal tender, is beginning to produce the effect which wits anticipated by men who had considered the subject. The country bankers being no longer obliged to pay in gold, have in num), instances allowed the branches of the Bank of England to get possession of the whole, or nearly the whole, of their stock ; and this gold the branch banks send up to the parent Bank, int order that the latter may be enabled to make a grand display of bullion in its official returns. But while all this is going on, and the country is gradually robbed of its gold for the purpose of sending it up to London, if any one tenders a WI. Bank of England note to a branch bank and asks for gold, he cannot get it, and is told that if he will bring one of their own branch notes they will give him gold, but that they cannot give gold for a Bank of England note but on payment of a premium of ;it per cent.— Times.

The Bank has published the following account of its liabilities and assets, on the average of the quartet front the 6th of May to the i29t1t of July, both inclusive.

Xa7 00 °

Securities

LIAO ILITIES.

Circulation ASSETS.

42 ,:55:925„.0":10000

Deposits X19.110.000 I 15.1375,000 I Bullion 4,785.000

[This return is faulty: it should have been made up to the tii of August. As it only extends to the '29th of July why WaS it IRA pub- lished in the Gazette of the 1st of August ? The Tinu:s accounts for this, by supposing that it was originally made up to the regular period but that I,ord Althorp, nut liking the appearance of the return'

. directed it to be altered, with a view to conceal the recent diminution of the stock of bullion.] Several large seizures of inaainery, about to be illegally exported to France and Holland, have been recently made by the revenue-officers; and it is believed that the j rae:ice has been carried on to a very large ex- tent. On the 1st instant, Mr. George Swainson, a tide surveyor of cus- toms, on going on board the Columbine steamer, Captain Corbin, master, bound to Hamburg, had his suspicions excited by a package which had been shipped as a mill-shaft, and the external appearance of which bore that description. Upon a very minute examination, it sounded hollow ; when Swainson ordered a bole to be cut in the middle, by which he found that the external part was an entire deception, and made into the form of a mill-shaft. It proved to be a case fifteen feet long, containing 0340 spindles for bobbin-net machinery, which he seized and delivered at the King's warehouse, where it was valued at 140/. The officers have declared it to be one of the neatest deceptions they ever witnessed. A similar seizure of bobbin-net machinery was made on a steamer bound to France a few weeks ago. Of course no owner has appeared to claim the contraband property. [To prohibit the ex- portation of machinery, is a miserable method of keeping up our manu- facturing superiority. It is impossible to prevent machine-makers from emigrating, though that has been attempted. Why then, should not a fair and open trade in machinery be etwourrged ? The Americans ridi- cule our prohibitory regulations. They find no difficulty whatever in procuring drawings of our latest inventions, and men who can copy them well. The great Waltham Company, near Boston, have carried on a successful business in this way for many years.] The ceremony of laying the first stone of a large new school-house, for the Sunday and Infant School of the united parishes of St. Margaret and St. John, Westminster, took place on Tuesday. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend Lord John Thynne, Prebendary of Westminster. This structure, which will be on a very large scale, is com- menced in consequence of the efforts of a few individuals in the united parishes. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster, the National Society, and the Lord Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, offered to those gentlemen 650/. conditionally, on their guaranteeing to raise not less than 200/. That condition the Committee readily undertook ; and among their neighbours they soon realized the sum. The Education Commissioners also guaranteed 600/. on the completion of the building. Many subscriptions have since been received. Sir F. Burdett has sub-

scribed ! and the Duchess of Kent (with a subscription ) has con- sented to become the patroness. There were 911 children present belonging to the different charitable schools.

Sir John Hobhouse has given instructions for two new lodges to be erected in St. James's Park ; one at Storey's Gate, and one at the en- trance from the Stable-yard. Sir John has also given orders for new lodges to be erected in the inside of the enclosure, similar to those in Kensington Gardens, for the gate-keepers and constables. More benches arc also directed to be placed in the mils as well as in the inside of the enclosures, for the better accommodation of the public.

A pair of those beautiful and diminutive animals, the guevi, or pigmy antelopes, has just been added to the collection at the Surry Zoological Gardens. They are the smallest and least known of the whole genus, and have been called the royal antelopes. The only specimen previ- ously brought to England was one in the collection of his late Majesty, at Windsor. They scarcely exceed a foot in height ; are of a uniform reddish-brown colour, with legs not much thicker than a goose-quill ; and will bound with ease over a wall twelve feet high. They were brought from Senegal, and are remarkably mild and gentle in disposition.

Mr. Glossop has returned to his old quarters and taken the Vic- toria Theatre of Mr. Abbott. The new management commences the 1st of next month ; and it is intended to give operas on an ex- tended scale, and with an efficiency hitherto unprecedented at a minor theatre. Mrs. Wood, Sapio, and a host of first-rate vocalists, are en- gaged or in treaty with.—Morning Herald.

Between four and five o'clock on Sunday afternoon, an eagle, having burst the trammels of its prison-house, was observed in the New Kent Road, soaring with majestic flight, and bending its course towards the Thames. Such an unusual occurrence attracted the notice of a great number of persons ; but whence the winged fugitive made its escape, or where it has taken up its abode, is nooknown.

Messrs. Cubitt, the builders, of Belgrave Square, Pimlico (brothers to the firm of that name in Gray's Inn Road), sununoned the whole of their workmen before them yesterday week, and told them that unless they signed the declaration agreed to at the London Tavern, that they were not members of any Trades Union, they should be no longer con- tinued in their employment. The whole of the men, with but one ex- ception, put on their hats and left the premises. The next morning, upwards of sixty returned to their employment, amid signed the decla- ration.

On the 4th instant, five lunatic paupers belonging to the parish of Greenwich, were removed from that place to the asylum near Maid- stone, in one of Wheatley's stage-coaches, drawn by four horses, accom- panied by five overseers of the poor, a churchwarden, one of his sides- men, and a keeper.— Greenwich Gazette. [We recommend the parish of Greenwich to the special and early attention of Mr. Frankland Lewis and his brother Commissioners under the new Poor-Law Bill.] At the Middlesex Sessions, on Thursday, Major-General Ouseley was tried for assaulting a lodging.housekeeper, who lives in York Street, Bryanstone Square, and from whom the General had hired some apartments. It was stated in the evidence, that the General had made "improper overtures" to a female member of the prosecutor's family : the family held a consultation together, and in the course of it the General was called an "old villain." ( He is a fine-looking man of sixty.) This expression was mentioned to the defendant by a servant, and he immediately went down to the parlour and struck the prosecutor. Three working men and two Policemen swore, that hearing cries of " Murder !" and " Police !" they entered the house, and found General Ouseley on the floor, and the family standing round as if they had been beating him : his face was scratched, amid lie called for assistance. The Jury found the defendant "guilty ;" and he was sentenced to pay a fine

• of WU, and to fiad sureties to keep the peace. [This account is abridged

from the report in the Herald. If the particulars are correctly given, General Ouseley richly deserved both his beating and fine : he will take care another time how be makes " improper overtures " to the daughters of lodging-housekeepers, or others in a sank of life below his own.] At the Queen Square Office, on Saturday, two drivers of Shillibeer's omnibuses were charged with stopping at a place in Charing Cross. A few days before, Mr. Gregorie the Magistrate, had fined other drivers for the same offence, without permitting Mr. Shillibeer to prove that he had legal authority for his omnibuses stopping at the place in question. But on Saturday, Mr. Humfrey, a barrister, attended, amid proved that

Mr. Shillibc yr bad the permission of the Woods and Forests, and of the party before whose door his vehicle stopped, for the liberty he had taken. The drivers were therefore blameless, and were discharged; but Mr. Gregorie acted in a very hasty and prejudiced manner in fining Shillibeer's men on the previous occasion.

Several oinnibus.drivers and conductors have been fined at the diffe. rent Police-offices during the week, for overcharges, assaults, and inso- lent conduct to their passengers.

Henry Allen was committed from the Hatton Garden Office on Saturday, for concealing himself in the British Museum, with the intent to carry off some of the coins.

Captain Stoneham, lute of the Guards, and his servant, were thrown out of the Captain's cab in the Birdcage Walk, St. James's Park, yes- terday week, close by Mr. O'Connell's residence, amid were seriously hurt. Mr. O'Connell saw the accident from his windows, and imme- diately had the sufferers taken into his house and attended by his own surgeon. They were afterwards removed to Captain Stoneham's house.

On Tuesday afternoon, a wherry containing ten persons, while crossing time River off Wapping, was run down by the Harlequin Margate steamer. The boat sunk, and the ten persons were immersed in the stream ; but by the activity of the watermen, who put out their boats, the lives of the whole party were saved. The Captain of the steam-boat was held to bail at the Thames Office, to answer any charge that might be brought against him for negligence in steering his boat.

Mr. Boswell Gregory, son of Dr. Olinthus Gregory, of Woolwich, was drowned on the 6th instant, by the upsetting of a boat in the Thames, near Woolwich. He and two other gentlemen had just left a steam-boat which was already at some distance, when a heavy swell, caused by the action of the paddles, gave a sudden heave to the boat,. destroyed the balance of one of the gentlemen who was standing up- right, so that he fell over the boatman, and upset the boat. Mr. Bos. well Gregory and his companions were of course immediately thrown into the water. The latter, being good swimmers, were enabled to keep themselves above water, and were at length with difficulty saved : but Mr. Gregory did not rise once.

On Monday evening, an apple was thrown with great force at the window of a house in Wilmington Square, Pentonville, where a young lady was standing ; a piece of glass struck her near the eye, P 1 it is feared she will lose her sight.

On Saturday morning, a boy of thirteen, the son of a respectable person named Sexley, attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself into the Regent's Canal, near to the foot of Primrose Hill. He was got out after being under water four minutes, and was recovered. Last Saturday night, while James Hobery, a servant of Mr. Charles Hart, of Duke Street, Westminster, was riding a horse from town towards Dorking, to meet his master, he was stopped by two men, near Southborough Hill ; one of them seized the horse's bridle, the other presenting a pistol, demanded his money, and attempted to pull him from his horse. They took 4s. 6d. from his waistcoat-pocket; and on his refusing to give more money, one of them snapped a percussion pistol in his face ; which did not take effect ; the cap flew off, and struck him. The robber then put a fresh cap on the pistol, mind put it to Hobery's bead ; he caught it with his left hand ; the rob- ber snapped the pistol, and the contents shattered the poor fellow's hand and arm. The robbers are not yet apprehended.

A black man, well known as the sweeper of the crossing from the end of Sidney's Alley to Coventry Street, was on Tuesday carried ma a state of intoxication to time Station-house in Bow Street; but died on the way. his wife stated, that he had a hundred pounds in the Funds, the produce of the " savings " of his calling ; and that on the Monday preceding, she had taken more money to a stock-broker to be invested.