'Ubt ariturtropotts. Court of Aidefthen twas held on Tuesday, for

the despatch of Alderman Copeland presented a petition from a Mr. Burgess, Imo had been tried at the last London Sessions on a charge preferred by the City Police; when it not only came out that the Police bad beaten him in a cruel and cowardly manner, but the Police constables grossly prevaricated and contradicted each other in evidence. He was acquit- ted, and now he complained generally of the ill-treatment. The pe- tition was referred to a committee. The Chamberlain made a report on some recusants who refused to take up their freedom ; and he was in- structed to adopt legal proceedings in such cases as he should deem ex- pedient. The Court then proceeded, with closed doors, to discuss the propriety of relieving Giltspur Street Prison, by sending the prisoners charged with assaults and misdemeanours to the Borough Compter which, in consequence of the new Debtors Act, is now empty.

At a Court of Common Council, on Thursday, the report of the Finance Committee concerning baths and wash-houses for the poor was presented. It recommended that 500/. be granted out of the City funds to aid the establishment of baths. On the motion that the report be affirmed, Mr. Lawrence moved that it lie on the table. On a division after discus- sion, the original motion was carried by 49 to 41. A motion to reduce the proposed grant to 2001. was, however, subsequently agreed to, by a large majority. On the motion of Mr. Richard Taylor, it was referred to the City Lands Committee to open a communication with the Com- missioners of Woods and Forests, in order to ascertain on what terms Fleet Prison could be purchased. The Court then adjourned.

On Wednesday, the new Royal Exchange was opened to the public, not for business, but to satisfy the general curiosity, so that it may not interrupt the merchants when the Exchange is devoted to their use, as it will be on the 1st of January.

A Quarterly General Court of East India Proprietors was held on Wednesday. The Chairman announced that the Board of Control ap- proved of the 1,000/. annuity granted to Major-General Sir William Nott. Referring to a motion that was to have been brought forward by Mr. Poynder, who was absent on account of indisposition, the Chair- man stated, that the necessary documents, to which he could not then further refer, had been forwarded to India, to complete the severance of the Government of India from the idolatrous worship of the natives in the temple of Juggernaut. Mr. George Thompson called the attention of the Court to the treatment of the King of Delhi by the Government of India. He contended that it had been agreed to assign certain lands to the King, and to make him an allowance of not less than thirty-five lacs of rupees, or as much more as the exigencies of the royal household might require. Mr. Thompson moved for the production of papers on the subject. The Chairman opposed the motion. The King of Delhi had thrown himself into the arms of the French and the Mahrattas, and had sought his own safety in submission to the English. There was no specific agreement ; and Mr. Sheppard contended that all that was de- sirable had been done. The motion was only supported by four votes, and was negatived by a large majority.

The cattle-show of the Smithfield Club closed on Saturday with eclat, having on that day been honoured by a visit from the Queen and

party from Windsor Castle. The doors were closed to the public until eleven o'clock, to keep the rooms sacred to Royalty. Tbs. 9- canine arrived at the entrance of the Horse Bo tae - ..rst

quarter past

ten o'clock ; containing Prince Albert, the Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, Duke Ernest of Wurtemburg, and the Prince's Equerry. Earl Spencer, President of the Club, the Duke of Richmond, Vice-Pre- sident, Mr. B. T. Brandreth Gibbs, Honorary Secretary, and other officers of the Club, stood ready to receive the visiters. Prince Albert very cordially shook hands with the Earl and Duke, introducing them to his relatives. Next came a carriage containing the Queen, the Dutchess of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, and two Ladies in Waiting ; and finally a third carriage, with more of the suite. On alighting, the Queen took the Duke of Saxe Coburg's arm, and Prince Albert gave his to the Dutchess. The Queen and her companions remained in the Bazaar for about an hour, and then reentering their carriages repaired to Buck- ingham Polace. After their departure, there was a great rush of spec- tators to enter the place ; which was thronged until nine at night, when the doors were finally shut. It is computed that 60,000 persons have visited the show this year.

The annual meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of England was held on Saturday, at their house in Hanover Square ; the Duke of Richmond, the President, in the chair. Among those present were the Marquis of Downshire, Earl Spencer, Sir Harry Verney, and several other leading agriculturists. The report gave a flourishing account of the Society's affairs. Since the last half-yearly meeting, upwards of 3Q0 new members had been elected ; making a total of 6,827 members. Complimentary notice was made of lectures delivered to the Society by Dr. Lyon Playfair, at the rooms of the Royal Institution. The report was adopted. Mr. Barker, Chairman of the Accounts Committee, made a financial statement: the total receipts were 7,3001., leaving a net total, after deducting expenses, of 3,471/. ; the capital stock of the So- ciety is 7,7001., making, with furniture, books, &c. a total of property worth 9,3001. Thanks having been voted as usual, the meeting broke up.

The first annual meeting of the subscribers to the " Association fpr Promoting the Relief of Destitution in the Metropolis, and for Improv- ing the Condition of the Poor by means otTarochial and District Visit- ing under the Superintendence of the Bishop and Clergy," was held at the Hanover Square Rooms on Thursday. The Bishop of London took the chair ; and the meeting, although not numerous, comprised many influential persons. The Chairman disclaimed the honour ascribed to him, of having originated the society ; and he dwelt strongly on the fact that it was not founded solely to relieve temporary distress, but also to ameliorate the moral and physical condition of the poor, and to encourage the rich, instead of indulging a merely vicarious charity in subscribing money, actually to visit the scenes of want. A report was read by the Secretary, Mr. Haly. It alluded to an immense variety of applications for grants ; and stated, that on the representations o...f

men, the Committee had not to make second, third, fourth, and

even hills grants to the same district. As many as fifty societies, employ- ing nearly 1,000 visiters, and extending their operations over an aggrb- gate population of 530,000, are now wholly dependent upon the Asso- ciation ; whilst twenty other most valuable societies are partially sup- plied from its funds. Probably from 12,0001. to 15,0001. will be annually required, according to the severity of the season. The annual subscriptions at present amount to scarcely 5001. The in- come of the society had been 20,4081., and the expenditure 9,0991.; the rest having been laid out on Exchequer Bills, now being sold in weekly portions, as occasion requires. Viscount Sandon de- fended the society from attacks that had been made against it on the score of sectarianism and a niggard distribution of its fends; echoing the Bishop's description of the objects originally contemplated, and appealing to the multitude of visiters for denial of sectarianism. Sir Robert Inglis, the Reverend W. W. Champneys, the Honourable and Reve- rend Baptist Noel, the Honourable William Cowper, and the Reverend W. Dale, also addressed the meeting, and bore testimony to the utility of the society. Several resolutions, urging the necessity of aiding and visit- ing the poor, passed unanimously ; a Committee and Auditors for the ensuing year were appointed ; thanks were voted to the Chairman and the meeting broke up.

A numerous and highly respectable meeting was held at Exeter Hall, on Thursday, to set on foot a public subscription for the relief of Father

Mathew in his difficulties. The most prominent speakers were Lord John Russell, who presided, and Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, who imputed many evils endured by sailors in the Navy to intemperance. A subscription was opened on the spot.

A meeting of paper-manufacturers was held at the London Coffee- house, on Thursday, to promote the repeal of the excise-duty on paper;

which was represented as checking the diffusion of knowledge and the increase of employment which would flow from extension of the pub- lishing-trade. Mr. Dickinson presided ; and the meeting was ad- dressed by Sir William Maguey and other leading papermakera. A memorial to the Treasury was unanimously adopted.

In the Court of Queen's Bench, on Monday, was tried an action for damages, brought by Mr. Low against Mr. Penn of Greenwich, to as- certain the plaintiff's right to a patent for constructing a kind of screw- propeller for steam-ships. The plaintiff is by trade a jack-maker, and in humble circumstances, but of known ingenuity. The peculiarity of the patent consisted in not using an entire screw, but segments of a screw with a peculiar curve in them. The evidence was conflicting, some witnesses representing that there was nothing new in the patent Objections also were made to the specification, of which the Judge took a note. It appears that Mr. Penn has built two ships for the Pacha of Egypt with the litigated form of screw ; and the Government steamer Rattler is also fitted with it ; nobody recognizing the plaintiff's claim to exclusive property in it. The Jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, establishing his right to the patent

In the Court of Common Pleas, on Thursday

Counsel were heard in an action of trover brought by Aldernm

Gibbs Mayor) as perpetual Churchward. (the present Lord

brook, nominally to ree,- ...en of the parish of St. Stephen's Wal- the possession ..,,ver possession of certain parish books, now in - or Messrs. Flight and Rock, but actually to try the /e- ..y of the Select Vestry existing in the parish. The arguments turned On very dry points of law and documentary evidence as to the past I usage m the Vestry. At the suggestion of the Judge, a verdict was re- turned for the plaintiff ; counsel on both sides to agree to a special case to be submitted to a jury.

Burgess, the Bank forger, was tried at the Central Criminal Court on Thursday. The evidence added nothing to the tale ; but it brought the crime home to him conclusively, and he was sentenced to transport- ation for life.

The performance of The Revolt of the Harem, at Drury Lane Theatre, on Saturday, was interrupted by a frightful accident which befel Miss Clara Webster, and which, we regret to say, has ended fatally. In one of the scenes there is a mimic sheet of water, represented in gauze and illumined with oil-lamps; and in this water several dancers appear to bathe. While Miss Webster was thus engaged, the flame of a lamp caught the full and light skirt of her muslin dress, and in an instant she was enveloped in flames. In her terror she ran round the stage, shrieking for help, and approached Mademoiselle Plunkett ; who, however, kept her off, and thus escaped a similar fate, though her dress also was for a moment on fire. Unhappily, there was no male performer on the stage at the time ; but a carpenter at the wing had the presence of mind to throw Miss Webster on the ground, and to fling himself upon her, thus extinguishing the flames ; though not without being himself severely burnt. The audience were, of course, horrified at the sight ; but their apprehensions were somewhat allayed by assurances from the stage that the unfortunate young lady was under medical care ; and the ballet was suffered to proceed. Dr. Marsden, who happened to be in the theatre, attended Miss Clara Webster home; and the symptoms appeared so favourable that she was thought to be out of danger on Monday morning. The same day, however, alarming symptoms super- vened—fainting and vomiting, attended with delirium ; and at half-past three on Tuesday morning she expired. Miss Clara Webster was in the twenty-first year of her age, and was half-sister to Mr. Webster, the lessee of the Haymarket ; being the daughter of the same father by a later marriage.

An inquest was held before Mr. Wakley on Thursday. The evidence disclosed nothing further, except perhaps the fact that nobody actually saw how Miss Webster's dress took fire. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." Mr. Wakley suggested two methods of pre- venting such disasters,—by shielding lights on the stage with wire guards ; and by saturating dresses with a starch containing some salt of alumina, which would render the stuff incapable of burning with a flame. He exhibited a piece of muslin saturated with such 8tarch,;which, held over a candle, smouldered away without igniting.

A collision, attended with a loss of life, occurred on the Thames at Greenwich, during the fog on Tuesday. The Sylph, a small Woolwich steamer, was making from Greenwich pier for the South shore ; the fog at the time, between two and three in the afternoon, being so dense that the captain could hardly see a boat's-length ahead ; when the Orwell, an Ipswich steam-boat three times the size of the Sylph, closed upon the Woolwich boat. The engines of both vessels were backed instantly ; but it was too late : the Orwell struck the Sylph on her bow, and cut her nearly in two, so that the fore-part of the vessel sank in a few moments, while the after-portion remained above water ; the steamer being built in three water-tight compartments. At the time of the col- lision there were several passengers in the fore-cabin, and a few on the deck with the crew. At first it was stated that seventeen persons perished in the cabin ; but it now appears that only two men were killed. A. number of people were immersed; but they were quickly rescued, and none had received very serious injury. Those on deck ran to the after-part of the steamer, and were soon taken off by the crew of the Orwell and the Greenwich watermen, who immediately came to their assistance. The two men who have been killed were de- stroyed by the concussion ; their bodies were taken out of the water dreadfully mutilated. The Sylph has been dragged on shore. An in- quest on the bodies began on Thursday, and was adjourned to Monday next.

An inquest was held on Saturday on the body of Wilkinson, the stoker, who was killed by the explosion on the South-eastern Railway, last week. Several practical men expressed an opinion that the catas- trophe was caused by the fastening down of the safety-valves ; and the Jury returned a verdict that the man's death was caused by the acci- dental explosion of the engine, "owing to an excessive pressure of steam on the boiler."