gbt The Lord Mayor-gave a very splendid entertainment at the

Mansion- house on Wednesday to the Judges and the members of the bar. The whole of the Judicial Bench were invited, some Law Lords, the leading members of the bar, several of the Irish, bar ; and very many of the lawyers took their wives.

On Saturday, Alderman Musgrove and Mr Moon the print-pub- lisher were elected Sheriffs of London and Middlesex for the ensuing year. Sir William Heygate was unanimously reelected City Chamber- lain.

After the election, a Court of Aldermen was • held ; and the Com- mittee on the case of Alderman Thomas Wood presented their report— The report stated, that the Committee had with great care and attention examined the whole of the evidence produced, and been occupied a consider- able time in the laborious investigation ; that Alderman Thomas Wood had himself attended the meetings of the Committee, and been assisted by Mr. Laurie and Mr. Wire, as consulting counsel and solicitor ; and that the sub- ject was one of great delicacy, and scarcely less difficult than delicate. The report then stated, that the Committee found from the documentary matter,. that Alderman Thomas Wood was, as a principal, connected with the Team! Company, which appeared to have been got up as a speculation presenting no probabilities of profit, and calculated to benefit no person except those by whom It had been concocted; that coal which was the produce of another mine had been exhibited as the produce of the Talacre mine; and that the designation and station of Alderman Thomas Wood, as an Alderman of London, had been used in the printed papers relating to the concern as recommendatory of ex- periments on its available resources. The Committee abstained from expressing

any opinion upon the conduct of Alderman Thomas Wood. .

Alderman Brown moved that the report be entered on the journals of the Court. Alderman Thomas Wood complained that there were many omissions, which rendered it. a partial and incorrect representation of the facts. As to the coals sold, he said, the Bryn colliery, which pro- duced .them, was purchased by the Compauy in March 1839. Of a prospectus issued in Dublin and imputed to him, he was quite ignorant A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday, for the despatch of business. A report was presented from the Coal, Corn, and Finance Committee, recommending the Court to prosecute a bill for establishing an office for coalwhippers, which was expected to abolish the evil of the present system—the compulsion on the coalwhippers to spend a large part of their earnings in public-houses where they are paid. The bill has the sanction of the Board of Trade. The report was affirmed by a large majority. The discussion on the report from a Committee on the emoluments of the City Chamberlain was postponed till next Court-day. The report states that the emoluments have been calcu- lated on an average of twelve years ; and it says- " We are of opinion that the Chamberlain should be permitted to receive the fees from leases and the payments from the Corporation, deducting there- from 100/. in respect. of the Smithfield tolls, the payments from the several public funds as heretofore received by him together with the interest arising from the investment of balances; that he should pay thereout 2,102/. 10s. as a fixed charge to cover his clerks' salaries at their present amount, and all the other expenses of his office, and for messengers, stationery, &c.; leaving him a balance of not less than 2,500/. per annum for his own emolument ; and, in the event of such balance amounting to more than 2,5001., the surplus beyond that sum to be applied in relieving the charges of management of the public funds in the chamber in equal proportions."

The New Infant Orphan Asylum at Wanstead was opened on Tues- day, with much festivity. Prince Albert laid the foundation of the building two years ago. The charity supports one hundred and fifty children, bat the number will be increased to two hundred in October. A numerous company assembled on Tuesday : the Lord Mayor arrived in state, and there were present Earl Manvers, Lord Robert Grosvenor, the Dutchess of Northumberland, the Countess-Dowager of iewbroke, the Vim:lowness Sydney, the Viscountess Beresford, the Earl of Coven- try, and Lady Louisa Coventry, the Reverend Baptist Noel, and other clergymen. At two o'clock, Divine service was performed in the chapel, by the Reverend Edward Percy, chaplain of the institution ; and a sermon was preached by the Reverend Mr. Wigram. Prince Albert was expected to preside, and the King of the Belgians to accom- pany him ; but the King arrived alone, taking the place of the Prince, who was detained at home by indisposition. The King was dressed in lain clothes, with a star at his breast. He was attended by the Mar- quis of Exeter, Colonel Bonverie, and the Honourable George Edward Anson. He entered the hall escorted by a procession ; viewed the building ; and took the chair at a cold collation. After the meal, the children were introduced, and his Majesty held the youngest for some time in his arms. The list of subscriptions was headed by the King with a donation of 100 guineas, besides a yearly subscription of 10 guineas, other donations varied from 10 to 500 guineas ; and the total of the day's subscription was 5,000/.

The Peace Convention, sat for the third day at Freemason's Hall, on Saturday ; Mr. Lewis Tappan, of New York, in the chair. An address was adopted, to the Governments of the civilized world, be- ginning—

" For rational beings, possessing immortal souls, to be systematically trained to kill each other, is in itself so utterly opposed not only to the Christian re- ligion but to the dictates of humanity, that nothing but the natural depravity of the human heart, the form of education, and long familiarity with war, can account for the general prevalence of this monstrous system."

It declared- " The Convention is of opinion, that one of the greatest securities against the recurrence of international warfare would be the recognition of the principle of arbitration, and the introduction of a clause into treaties between nations binding themselves to refer all differences that may arise to the adjudication of one or more friendly powers; and it earnestly recommends the adoption of this practice." A resolution was also carried, with one dissentient, recommending- " That a congress of nations to settle and perfect the code of international law, and a high court of nations to interpret and apply that law for the settle- ment of all national disputes, should be constantly kept in view by the friends of peace, and urged upon the governments as one of the best practical modes of settling peacefully and satisfactorily such international disputes."

The following resolution, moved by Mr. Joseph Stnrge, and seconded by the Marquis de la Rochefoucauld Liancourt, delegate from the Societe de la Morale Chretienne, was carried unanimously- " That this Convention regard the mutual dependence of nations upon each other, arising out of an unrestricted interchange of their legitimate productions, as one of the best securities for peace."

Another resolution advocated Temperance as an aux iliary of Peace and in moving it, Mr. Webb, of Dublin, observed that the English were- much mistaken in supposing that the Irish were ready to start up with pikes in their hands—the people of Ireland were desirous of peace, which was in a great measure to be attributed to the Temperance move- ment. Among other resolutions passed, one authorized the Peace Society of London to call a second Convention, and appoint the place ; the Marquis putting in the claim of France, Mr. Cannings Fuller that of the United States. Thanks to the Peace Society of London and to the Chairman closed the proceedings.

The Convention had a general public meeting at Exeter Hall on Monday. It was but thinly attended ; the greater numbers present being members of the Society of Friends. Mr. Charles Hindley occu- pied the chair. He accounted for the thinness of the meeting by as- suming that the friends of universal peace were far before the public generally on the subject ; but congratulated the meeting on having present delegates from America, France, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe. Several resolutions were passed of a similar kind to those mentioned above. One disclaimed unconstitutional interference with the powers that be, and condemned the late wars in the East and the opium- trade. Another expressed "serious alarm at the preparations which were being made for the preservation of tranquillity in Ireland by the employment of a military force." Among the speakers was the Re- verend J. W. Pennington, a gentleman of Colour, from Hartford in Connecticut. The Marquis de be Rochefoucauld Liaucourt compared the two French Revolutions, to illustrate the progress of Peace prin- ciples in the total absence of bloodshed after the second was effected. He made an announcement—

The Societe de la Morale Chretienne proposed to give a gold medal to the author of the best work which should contain a collection of all the precepts and of all the thoughts concerning peace which were to be found in the reli- gious works belonging to every Christian denomination. It would be deter- mined in April next, and the manuscript should be sent to the Secretary of the Society before the end of March. The authors might be of any nation, and the work might be written in any language.

Mr. Haase dwelt on the expensiveness of war—

It was some evidence of the progress of peace principles that Parliament had last year for the first time passed a vote of thanks to the successful negotiator of peace; that honour having been hitherto reserved for those only who had effected their objects by force of arms. Thanks having been voted to the Chairman, the meeting separated.

A public meeting of friends of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland was held at Exeter Hall on Wednesday, to receive a deputa- tion that came in search of contributions. The Marquis of Breadalbane was called to the chair; Mr. Fox, Mr. Campbell, M.P., and Mr. Patrick Maxwell Stewart, took part in the proceedings. The Reverend Mr. Gray of Edinburgh, and the Reverend Dr. Cunningham, stated the case of the New Secession. The resolutions of aid and support passed with- out opposition. There was no novelty in the proceedings, except what lay in allusions to the most recent events ; and the novelty in the following samples of the oratory is in the manner rather than the spirit- . The Reverend H. Gray—" No act of Parliament could turn a wrong thing into right. Some men might have talents for taking care of everybody's busi- ness ; but, though Lord Lyndhurst might be ever so pious—(A laugh)—and Lord Brougham ever so holy—(Laughter)—Lord Cottenham ever so conscien- tious, and Lord Campbell ever so prayerful and devout—(Laughter)—yet even these qualities would not fit those noble lords to do the work of the Presbyteries of Scotland."

The Reverend Dr. Cunningham—" They [the Seceders] were led to take a step and to do a deed which proved their honesty, and which even had the effect of eliciting an eulogium upon their conduct from the Earl of Aberdeen and the Earl of Haddington, their bitterest enemies." (" Hear, hear ") The Reverend T. Archer—The new Secession Church "might be subjected to the scowl of a Peer ; but what signified that if its clergymen carried with them, as he was sure they did, their consciences free, the favour of their God. The Reverend T. Guthrie— He said there might he lands, manses, glebes, and churches, at the disposal of the Establishment in Scotland, and some hun- gry. lean, lank preachers—(Laughter)—to fatten upon them : but there was nothing else at their disposal. They had no congregations. Eighty out of every hundred of the people had followed the Seceding ministers. As an in- stance, he said that some time since a gentleman from London was on the Sabbath in a very populous village in Scotland ; he heard the bell ring, and proceeded to the church ; on his arrival there, he saw a man dressed in black in the pulpit, engaged speaking desperately loud, and most vehemently demon- strating; the stranger looked above and below, to the right and to the left, but not one was visible ; he looked again, and saw no one; he was convinced he heard the voice of the man in the pulpit, but, thinking he was an evil spirit, at last he ran away altogether out of the church." (Laughter.) A Committee of Privileges of the House of Peers sat on Tuesday, on a reference by the Crown of the claim of Washington Shirley Ferrers to the Earldom of Ferrers. Sir Harris Nicolas stated the case— The claimant was the grandson of the eighth and last Earl. This Earl married the daughter of the Reverend Mr. Ward ; and had a son, Robert William Shirley, Viscount Tamworth, who was born in 1783, and married, on the 12th December 1521, at Brailsford, in the county of Derby, Ann, daughter of Richard Weston. It appeared that he had had an illicit Intercourse with this person, and that a female child had been born before the marriage. This intercourse continued, and Ann Weston again became pregnant. He then determined to make the child legitimate. He accordingly married Ann Wes- ton, at the place already mentioned ; and the present claimant was born at Ednaston Lodge, in the parish of Brailsfurd, on the 3d January 1822. Viscount Tamworth died at Butt House, in the county of Leicester, on the 34 February 1830; his father being then alive. The Earl himself died on the 2d October 1842; and the present claimant applied in January 1843, having then attained his majority, by petition to the Crown for his writ of summons to Parliament.

Evidence was called to prove the facts ; and the Lord Chancellor and other Peers pronounced that the claimant had fully made out his title to sit as Earl Ferrers.