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Lord Palmerston received a deputation, on Monday, consisting of dele- gates from nearly all the Metropolitan parishes, who called his attention to the mismanagement of the Sewers Commission and the uncleanness of the Metropolis. They also made some allegations against the Police. The same deputation waited on Sir William Moleswortb, to complain of the Buildings Act. In each case they were promised due attention ; but no pledges were given.
A deputation from certain Boards of Guardians in Lancashire, York- shire, and Nottingham, representing nineteen union; accompanied by twenty-nine Members of Parliament, waited on the President of the Poor- law Board on Wednesday, to ask that the (amended) prohibitory order of the 14th December 1852 might be rescinded. Mr. Baines promised to give the subject his most serious consideration. As an improvement in the practice of the Poor-law Office, he stated, that in future, three weeks before any order for regulating relief is issued to Unions, a copy of it shall be sent to all Boards of Guardians.
Lord Robert Grosvenor, the Lord Mayor, Mr. Thomas Duncombe, the Members for the City of London, and some other gentlemen interested in the borough of Finsbury, waited on Lord Aberdeen, at the Foreign Office, on Wednesday, to lay before him certain plans for making a park in Finsbury. Lord Robert stated that the last two Governments had both favourably considered the subject, and he trusted the present Government would do the same. Lord Aberdeen promised to look at the matter from the most favourable point of view. Expense is the great obstacle, and he could form no notion of that until he consulted the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer. Lord Palmerston was present at the interview.
The return of Members of Parliament belonging to the Nonconformist body was celebrated at the London Tavern on Wednesday, at a banquet given by the Milton Club, and styled the Milton Dinner. Nearly four hundred gentlemen were at table; among them fifteen Members of Par- liament, Dr. Vaughan, the Reverend Baptist Noel, and Mr. Edward Baines. Mr. Samuel Morley, who presided, gave the toast "Our Repre- sentatives in Parliament " ; stating that there are thirty-six Members in the House of Commons who hold in the main to Nonconformist prin- ciples, and represent an aggregate population of 3,921,078, of whom 192,942 are electors. Among the speakers were, Mr. Cheetham M.P., Mr. Pete M.P., Mr. Edward Mien M.P., Mr. Hadfield M P., Dr. Vaughan, and Mr. Baines. As a specimen of the toasts may be mentioned, "Our Di- vines and Colleges," "Our Literature," "The union and prosperity of our Churches," "Our Press." It was suggested that it would be un- desirable to attempt an aggressive policy in Parliament; and that the best mode of action would be a vigilant exposure of intolerance, opposition to church-extension at the expense of the people, and the inculcation of sound ecclesiastical views.
A meeting of the subscribers to the London Homceopathic Hospital was held on Tuesday evening, at Willis's Rooms ; Mr. Sampson in the chair. The business of the meeting consisted in the election of additional medi- cal officers, in consequence of the opening of a branch for out-door patients at the premises lately known as the Medical School in Aldersgate Street, and in the adoption of resolutions to raise subscriptions to enable the parent institution to be developed on an extended scale. Subscrip- tions of about 7001. towards a building-fund were read ; and it was then announced by Dr. Quin that he had been requested by a friend to present an anonymous contribution of 1000/. towards the object in view, the only condition of the gift being that the Hospital should maintain the regula- tions under which it had been founded, and which had thus far insured its prosperity. The meeting was subsequently addressed by Mr. Pritch- ard the High Bailiff of Southwark, Mr. Yeldham, the Reverend James Skinner, and the Reverend John Burnet.
Application was made by the Queen's Advocate to the Prerogative Court, on Thursday for the delivery out of the registry of "the will and codicils of the late 4apoleon Bonaparte." He prayed that the documents might be delivered to the Foreign Secretary% in order that he might hand them to the French Government, upon a notarial copy being left in the registry. There was an affidavit made by Lord John Russell, justifying the application "on grounds of publio policy." The Judge, Sir John Dodson, decided upon com- plying with the application, but not on the grounds alleged. He could not decree the will and codicils to be delivered to the French Government; but he might order them to be delivered out for the purpose of being sent to and put into custody of the legal authorities in France, or to be recorded in the proper place there. He could not make the decree "on grounds of public ; but Napoleon Bonaparte was a domiciled Frenchman at the time of his death, and perhaps France is the proper place for his will and codicils. He directed that they should be delivered out to the Foreign Secretary, for the purpose of being delivered by him to the legal authorities in France. The Queen's Advocate would not undertake to say that when the papers were in the hands of the Secretary of State he would not do with them as he might be advised.
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