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The Lord Mayor gave a grand Mansionhouse dinner on Wednesday, to the Members of Parliament, the Nagle teites, and the principal gentry of the County of Surrey, and their ladies.

It is announced that the Lord Mayor will give a grand banquet next month, in celebration of Prince Albert's Exposition project. Prince Al- bert and other members of the Royal Family are expected to honour the banquet ; and the " officers of state, foreign ministers, and the chief ma- gistrates of the corporate towns of the United Kingdom," are invited.

A public meeting of the inhabitants of Westminster, in local further- ance of Prince Albert's Exposition, was held at Willis's Rooms on Thurs- day: the High Bailiff presided, and a very distinguished attendance of Peers, Foreign Ambassadors, and others, assisted. The Earl of Carlisle was duly genial and classical ; the Bishop of London lent a tone of warm international Christian feeling ; the Bishop of Oxford enlarged upon the nobility of labour and the dignity of work. The Foreign Ambassadors, all on behalf of their countries, took up in friendly and honest rivalry the gage which this country has thrown down to " all nations ": in very good English, M. Drouyn de Lhuys contrasted the fortunes of that Prince of Coburg who, half a century ago, headed a warlike coalition of princes, with the higher and happier fortune of the Prince of that house now heading a muster of the industrial forces of the world. The Chevalier Bunsen invoked God's blessing on us for our generous example, and fore- told high political and humtinitary effects from the vast undertaking. Mr. Abbott Lawrence welcomed this great world's practical peace convention, as a means whereby the people of all nations shall see each other face to face. Lord Brougham broke through his rule of twenty years' evasion of public meetings, to come and recant fears dispelled by manufacturing friends that peradventure we should be beaten in some departments. Swerving into political allusions, he recovered himself on the monition of " cheers and hisses," and sat down with compliments to the superiority of foreign artistic invention and taste. Subscriptions amounting to nearly 2,000/. were announced.

At a meeting of the City Commission ef • Sewers, held on Tuesday, the amount of the salary of the City Medical Officer, Mr. Simon, was debated. Deputy Harrison and Deputy Eagleton proposed 8001 a year' Sir Peter Laurie and Alderman Lawrence 5001. After debate, in which the larger sum was supported by Mr. Blake, Mr. Taylor, and Alderman Copeland, and the smaller sum by Alderman Sidney, the amendment was carried, by 27 to 20, and the salary fixed at 5004 a year.

A deputation from the Metropolitan Sanatory Association, headed by the Bishop of London, Lord Moreton, Sir William Clay, and Mr. Slaney M.P., had an interview with Lord John Russell on Saturday, to impress on him the necessity of presently taking further measures to ;improve the health of the Metropolis. The Bishop of London urged the Government to bring forward some legislative measure securing to the Metropolis the benefits which less important parts of the kingdom already enjoy. He expressed the deep regret with which the Association had learned that the Excise has ordered the imposition of' a duty of 10s. per 1,000 on hollow bricks, a measure that will possibly bring to a close the operations of the Society for Improving the Dwellings of the Poor. If Government should not bring forward a measure, would it lend assistance to any independent Member devoting himself to the attempt? The Reverend R. Burgess stated some facts showing the need for giving further powers to some sanatory authority. He had applied to his parish Board of Guardians to ventilate twenty-eight houses, which were so constructed that no fresh air passed through them. The back was a dead wall ; and all the conveniences, such as the cesspool and ash-pits, were at the front. The air, therefore, had to pass through this medium before it could enter the front rooms of the houses ; whilst it could Acarcelypenetrate into the bedrooms, as they were in recesses in which there was no light. But the Board of duardians had no power to interfere to obtain ventilation. Certainly they cleansed the cesspool and ash-pits at the front, which for a time gained the object ; but for want of proper ventilation, the place was continually the seat of typhus fever.

Other speakers gave facts equally showing the necessity of enlarging the sanatory powers of the local authorities, or else bringing the district withint the operation of some general enactment.

Lord John Russell assured the Bishop of London that Lord Carlisle is unceasingly occupied with the subject. The plan of legislating by a general measure presents very great difficulties, and the Government deems it more feasible to proceed by separate measures in mitigating the various evils.

The death of Mr. John Mirehouse, Common Sergeant of the City, places a municiped office at the disposal of the Common Council The action of libel tried in the Court of Exchequer last week between Mr. Feargus O'Connor, M.P., and Mr. Bradshaw, the proprietor of the Notting- ham" Journal, lasted from Thursday till Saturday evening. Mr. Sergeant Wilkins led for the plaintiff, and Mr. Roebuck, M.P., for the defendant The libel was a self-advertisement in the Nottingham Journal, thus worded- " The subscribers to the ' National Land Company' and the admirers of Feargus O'Connor, Esq., M.P. for Nottingham, who has wheedled the people of England out of 100,0001., with which he has bought estates and conveyed them to his own use and benefit, and all who are desirous to witness the final overthrow of this great political impostor, should order the Nottingham Journal, in which his excessive honesty, in connexion with the Land Plan, has been, and will continue to be, fearlessly exposed." The defendant justified his libel by calling witnesses who exposed the ille- gality and commercial failure of the National Land Company. The plaintiff answered with witnesses from the management of the company, who laid bare its affairs, with the object of showing. that at the worst Mr. O'Connor had been an honest though erring philanthropist. Chief Baron Pollock, in summing up, recounted a multitude of illegalities in the prosecution of the scheme, wbi required explanation, and yet had not been explained by Mr. O'Connor,— such as the false registration of Mr. Roberts instead of Mr. O'Connor as treasurer, because it would "not look so well" for Mr. O'Connor to be both director and treasurer •, the irresponsible purchase of 60,0001. worth of land before the company had been registered ; the receiving of 100,0001. of de- posits. at a time when it was known that the company had no legal right to

call for more than about 6201.; the non-registration of the banking division of the scheme ; the publication of Mr. James Knight's name as director there- of after he had significantly declined to be connected with it. The effect of these illegalities was to shut out the shareholders from legal remedy—they could call for no restitution against Mr. O'Connor in any court of law ca equity ; his heir might hold the land, and his personal representatives the money, freed of all accountability ; or he himself might squander it, or lose it by speculation. Every man is responsible fbr the obvious consequences of his acts : Mr. O'Connor himself would, no doubt, have been honourable, but be could not answer for others. If the Jury thought the libel untrue and ma- below, some damages must be given; the imputations were thrown out in a political sense without malice, a verict for the defendant; if the comments were not unfounded, a verdict for the plaintiff with nominal damages.

After twenty minutes' deliberation, the Foreman of the Jury read this finding- " We find for the defendant ; but we beg to accompany our verdict by the exprei- sion of our unanimous opinion that the plaintiff's character stands unimpeached as re- gards his personal honesty."

A system • of fraud upon the Admiralty has just been discovered. Dis- tressed seamen are often sent home from the Colonies by the local authorities ; shipmasters who bring them to England are allowed a shilling a day for their maintenance; they are paid at the Admiralty on presenting a document signed by the secretary of the colony whence they were shipped : three men have been examined at Bow Street Police Office on a charge of forging and uttering documents of this description, thereby obtaining money. The ac- owed were William J. R. Smith, a "clerk," Mr. Bouchier, an officer in the Army, and Charles Neblett. a "servant." Mr. Bouchier was arrested because he was found in Smith's company; but he has been liberated on his

own recognizances. Smith was formerly. a clerk in the Admiralty, but was discharged for misconduct. In the case investigated, 631. 128. was obtained

on a document which represented that Walter Beviehad brought eight sea-

men from Ceylon ; this purported to be signed by the secretary of the colony, and the signature wasA capital imitation ; but as that gentleman is now in England, the fraud was discovered; the whole was a fiction. A clerk in the

Admiralty expressed his belief that the paper was in the writing of Smith. Neblett presented the papers and got the money : he pretends that he acted merely as Smith's servant. Master and man have been remanded. Other cases will probably be brought against them.

The Reverend. Richard Child Willis, Perpetual Curate of Minster in Kent, has. been twice examined at Marlborough Street Police Office, on charges of

fraud. In last April, he obtained money from divers persons in exchange for receipts upon Queen Anne's Bounty Fund ; 141. 13s. ld. was due to him from that fund, but he palmed off six receipts for that amount ; eventually,

his' claim was altogether barred, as his curacy was sequestrated. Three cases were-made out against the prisoner: he passed one of the receipts at Hatch- ett's Hotel, in payment of his bill, receiving 11/. change; he defrauded the

proprietors of the Sabloniere Hotel• and he got 2/. from Mr. Smith, a corn- merchant :for a worthless check. dr. Willis made no defence, and was com- mitted fontrial on each case. , At Guildhall Police Office, on Monday, Mr. Edward. Kenealy, barrister of Gray's Inn, was charged with cruelly beating his natural child, Edward Hyde, The case had been twice before the Aldermen last week, but this was

the first time that Mr. Kenealy appeared. There was originally some mystery about the affair ; but on Monday .the main point became clear

enough. The child, a very intelligent boy of six, had been found with evi- dences on its body of 'a cruel beating : he said he had been caned ; also, that his hands had been tied together and he had been hung up by them. Mr. Kenealy admitted that he had beaten the bov—" not severely, only as a

went "; and he put many questions to the child, to elicit that he had been kind to him ' • had reproved him for bad conduct, instructed, washed, and

dressed him, taught him fine songs, &c. : the child admitted that his father had done all this. But there-was no getting over the fact that the- beating had been cruel. Elizabeth Summers, the defendant's housekeeper, had been in custody in connexion with this matter, and she had given evidence last

week ; this she now admitted was all false. Mr. Kenealy` I was not aware she was sworn on the last oebinion." Sir Peter Laurie—" That is nothine.:

if a person cannot speak the truth isitheut being sworn, I would notleBeve

them on their oath.' Summers""You would have done the same under the circumstances." Sir Peter Laurie—"No, I should not : what were the cir-

• cumstances Sunimers--" Because I did not wish to get either myself or any one else into trouble?' Sir Peter Laurie—" A fair reason." The Alder- men eventually held Mr. Kenealy to bail to appear again on Thursday ;

Signmers was discharged. Several persons applied to be allowed to take .charge. of Edward Hyde.; but Sir Peter Laurie said he had no power to die- peeke. of the child in such a way.

On Thursday, Mr. Burt, one.of the surgeons of the West London Union, 'stated the results of an examination of the child's body. There was a lion- zontal mark round the, throat, which might have been caused some days

previously—it seemed as if a cord had been fastened round the throat, and the marks in the fore part appeared to have resulted from , the struggles of the child to free -himself; the back was completely discoloured by bruises ; suppuration had taken place from the rupture of a number of mall vessels; the arms and legs were in a similar state. Sir Peter Laurie decided that the ease must go to• a jury ; and he held the defendant to bail.

• At Marylebone Police Office, on Wednesday, Elizabeth Higgins, wife of a Wheelwright, was charged with attempting to murder her three children, re- spectively of the ages of seven years, five years, and seven months. Anne West, in passing along the Bloomfield Road, saw the accused on the towing- path of the Regent's Canal ; she had the three children with her ; she lowered the baby into the water, put another child in, and then walked in herself

with the third child. West saw this through a paling : she raised an alarm, and two men came up. One of these, John Sullins, a.painter, plunged into the cans', and in succession rescued all foin : the mother and two of the chil-

dren had Buffeted greatly from the immersion. Before the Magistrate, she re- peated what she had said before, that her husband's neglect and ill-treat-

ment had driien her to desperation, and she thought that she and the chil- dren might as well die at once. Mr. Ilroughtea said ho must commit the wo- man ; but remanded her for a week, that the depositions might be made out. The Magistrate highly commended the gallant conduct of Rollins,; and hoped he would be rewarded by the Humane SoCiety.

Anne Merritt has been committed for trial, by the Worship Street Magis- trate, on a charge of murdering her husband by administering arsenic to him. She has admitted that she bought the poison, in a pet, and meant to have taken it herself on sec:mint of her husband's bad conduct ; but burnt it on his amending his behaviour. She was entitled to 71. 10s. from a hurial society on the death of her husband. •