itt4t At a meeting of the City Commission of Sewers,
on Wednesday, Mr. Haywood, the surveyor, reported that he had considered afresh whether it were possible so to alter the gradients of the new street from Queen Street to St. Paul's Churchyard, as to preserve the ancient "crypt," or "basement story of an old English dwelling-house," which now lies beneath one of the houses on the South side of Distaff Lane, called Ger- rard's Hall. He finds it impossible to preserve the crypt, unless by making two slopes in the street, one of which would be very much steeper than the upper end of Ludgate Hill. He also was of opinion that the masonry of the crypt would not endure for long the vibration of a large and rapid traffic on the street which would form its roof. The Court re- solved, with regret, that the crypt must be removed; and they ordered that "the stones of the interesting structure be removed to Guildhall," to be preserved.
A final demonstration on behalf of the Crystal Palace was made at Exeter Hall on Tuesday, by a meeting large and influential in its mass, and addressed by speakers of distinction and social weight. The Earl of Shaftesbury presided ; and the chief resolutions were moved and sup- ported by the Earl of Harrowby, the Duke of Argyll, Mr. Hume, Mr. Heywood, Mr. Wakley, and Colonel Sykes. The Duchess of Sutherland and other ladies of rank were present in a side gallery. Good speeches were made, by Lord Shaftesbury, Lord lIarrowby, the Duke of Argyll, and Mr. flume ; but as the adverse resolution in the House of Commons on Thursday has extinguished all the hopes and enthusiasm which their statements momentarily inspired, it would be untimely to reproduce them now. One point, however, was made by the popular veteran Joseph Hume, on a bearing of the subject not dependent for its interest on the fate of the Crystal Palace. Mr. Hume turned some of the marked favour -with which he was received, towards the aristocratic claws, which now furnishes some of the most earnest philanthropists of the day.
"He had formerly found himself in these matters opposed more from igno- rance than anything else, and from a mistaken dread on the part of the aris- tocracy, an unnatural and unfair dread of the people. He thought the more they trusted the people the better the people would behave ; and it was gratifying to say that, from the highest to the lowest of that which he would call the aristocratic class, their opinions on this point had undergone an en- tire change. (Continued cheering.) . . . . During his long life as a public man, in nothing had he observed a greater change than in what had taken place in the upper classes. They now had a kindly feeling towards the work- ing classes—they were desirous to promote their instruction, ready to give effect to what would improve their situation, and gave attention to the state of their dwellings and everything else that might advance their social wel- fare."
The Wagner case rests just where our lust week's Postscript left it. It was announced that Mademoiselle, or her father, or Mr. Gye, would apply on Saturday to have Vice-Chancellor Parker's injunction dissolved; but no such application was made. On Monday and Tuesday, however, the case was mentioned by Mr. Bethell, on behalf of the defendants, in order to state that it was impossible to be ready with replies to Mr. Lumley's affidavits be- fore the end of the week, but that counter-affidavits would be ready then. It was arranged that the caw should be brought on today, and that copies of the affidavits should be given to Mr. Lumley's counsel on Friday, to prepare them for the application on Saturday.
At the Middlesex Sessions, on Monday, Joseph Swan was convicted of stealing a lump of Californian gold from the mineral room of the British Museum. He was sent to prison for six months.
On Tuesday, the Grand Jury returned a true bill against Richard Sill, a solicitor, for obtaining four bills of exchange from John Broome by false pre- tences. Sill is said to have extorted the bills from John Broome and his brother Henry, by threatening that he would otherwise press an indictment at Lewes against John for the card-cheating case at Brighton.
Two respectable-looking young women, daughters of a shipwright at Pop-. Jar, were charged before the Thames Police Magistrate, on Wednesday, with shoplifting in the Commercial Road East. While looking at goods in the shop of Mr. Crane, a draper, they were seen to secrete goods. When taxed with the robbery they appeared distracted ; ant before the Magistrate they
seemed to feel most acutely their degraded position. They had a narrow escape: Mr. Crane was not on the premises at the time of the robbery, and he
subsequently sent word to the Magistrate that he was not disposed to prose- cute. The young women were dismissed with a caution.
A cabman summoned Mr. Charles Kemble, the veteran actor, for two- pence; Mr. Kemble having paid him only le. 61., whereas the fare was Is. 8d. It turned out, however, that the driver did not demand is. 861., but 2e. ; so the Marylebone Magistrate ordered that the 2d. should be paid to him, but that he should defray the costa himself.
Price, an officer who has only recently entered the City Police force, has been complimented by the Lord Mayor for his "spirit and judgment." While passing along Friday Street at night, he found the door of Messrs. Hohnes's warehouse unfastened ; two men came out, and attempted to rush past ; Price saw that he could not manage both, but be seized one, roughed him back into the passage, and shut both himself and the man in. A fierce struggle then ensued ; but Price stuck to his man, sprang his rattle, and at length obtained assistance. The burglar had a bundle of shawls which he was attempting to carry off. He was recognized as a returned convict.
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