V;be fitttropolis.
A Court of Aldermen was held on Thursday, for the purpose of con- firming the Sheriffs' nomination of Mr. Burdon to be Keeper of Whitecross Street Prison. It having been proposed to vote a letter of condolence to the family of Mr. Barrett, the late Keeper, the matter was referred to a Committee. A long discussion took place on the next election to the Mayoralty. Alderman Thomas Wood had been accused of having passed off the coals of the Talacre Mining Company as the pro- duce of better mines; and in the cour.e of a proceeding in the Court of Queen's Bench, to compel Mr. Wood to give up papers, his conduct had been pronounced irregular. The Mining Journal had also anim- adverted on his conduct; but Mr. Wood said that his friends had ad- vised him not to proceed against the newspaper, but to meet the charges in the Court of Aldermen. Sir Peter Laurie moved that the Court should go into committee on the subject on Saturday ; but the motion was negatived, and the further discussion of the matter was deferred. A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday. Mr. King moved to rescind resolutions passed about six years back to prevent the letting of ground at the West end of Cheapside, it having been at that tune supposed that Government would join with the City in throwing open a considerable space between St. Paul's and the Post-office ; a measure, Mr. King thought, unlikely to produce any real advantage, or to be sanctioned by the present Government. Mr. Jones had good reasons for believing that Government would join with the City in effecting an improvement which every one must look forward to with hope, .whose taste was not entirely brutalized: it would probably be effected in two years. The motion was negatived by a large majority ; and the Court adjourned.
The Metropolitan Registration Courts have entered upon their yearly task, with far less bustle and manifestation of interest than used to cha- racterize their proceedings. There is, however, the same system of whoksale objections. In Westminster for instance, the Tories made 328 objections, the Liberals 785. In the same district there were 16 Tory claims and 100 Liberal claims. In the City, the objections of the Tories were 518, of the Liberals 155; about 50 persons being objected to by both parties. The claims were 108 by the Tories, 121 by the Liberals. The revision-list was very heavy in Marylebone ; the gross number of claims and objections alone amounting to 1,613.
In Westminster, on Monday, Mr. Arnold disallowed the claim of Mr. James Fernandez Clarke, who occupied premises jointly with others, on the ground that his name did not appear on the rate-books as rated to the poor. This decision affected several analogous claims. The name of Mr. Henry Grey Holmes was objected to, on the ground that it had been substituted in the poor-rate books for that of Elizabeth Down, who had left the premises for which he was rated after the rate was made. Mr. Arnold held that he was bound to take the book as he found it prepared by the proper authorities, and that be could not enter into the inquiry as to how the name got there. The objection, therefore, was disallowed.
In Marylebone, Mr. Austin decided the tender of light sovereigns in payment of rates to be a legal tender, so far as to sustain a claim to.vote upon the strength of it. Mr. Charles Dickens was objected to, because he had let his house during his tour in America. It was contended that his servants retained possession for him, and were hired, together with tbe house, by the tenant. The Revising Barrister decided that Mr. Dickens had lost his qualification.
The annual meeting of the Royal (West India) Mail Steam-packet • Company was held on Wednesday, at the London Tavern ; Mr. John Irving, M. P., in the chair. The report stated, that concessions had been obtained from Government, the Company finding themselves un- able with certainty to fulfil their contract for a steam service of 684,816 miles in the year, and the amount had been reduced to 392,976 miles : the Directors expressed confidence that the new system would work well. The accounts showed "receipts" to the amount of 1,206,933/., including capital paid up 725,645/., and loans 260,000!.; the "expendi- ture" was 1,206,9331., including "balance in hand" 21,308/., building cost and outfit of twelve large steamers 733,0521., purchase and outfit of two steamers 43,082/. The " disbursements " and " earnings " were also set forth under separate heads : the "disbursements," or current ex- penses, amounted to 209,489L; the " earnings " included payments from Government 160,000L, passage-money and freights 39,696/., the same (estimated to have been received in the Colonies) 12,0001., in all 214,296/. : excess of earnings over disbursements, 4,8071. A somewhat angry discussion arose, complaint being made of the management of the Company and of its by-laws ; and eventually the further consideration of the report was postponed for a week.
On Wednesday, St. Matthew's Day, the senior scholars of Christ's Hospital delivered their annual orations. The Lord Mayor presided ; and a number of clergymen and influential gentlemen were among the company that filled the hall. In the gallery near the organ were as- sembled the dense crowd of the boys ; in the centre of the hall was the Head Master, the Reverend Dr. Rice, surrounded by the twelve Grecians. A platform was erected opposite the Lord Mayor, whence the Grecians delivered their speeches ; the addresses of the four first, who are pro- ceeding to Cambridge, being laudatory of the Royal Hospitals, in Greek, Latin, English, and French. The list of the compositions recited was given in our last number. The exhibition was accounted creditable to the institution.
At the Surrey Sessions-house, on Thursday, seven actions against the Earl of Uxbridge on account of several annuities, of sums varying from SOL to 239/., were tried. Mr. Jones stated that the annuities were due to persons, many of them in humble life, who had advanced money to the Earl on the faith of the annuities being punctually paid- " The Earl was heir to the Marquisate of Anglesea, but had been called to the Upper House during the lifetime of his father; a somewhat unusual course, which might leave a doubt upon the minds of the Jury whether the defendant had been so raised to the Peerage in order that, as a legislator, he might benefit his country, or that he might himself enjoy the privilege of freedom from arrest. At all events, the plaintiffs would be prevented availing themselves of a remedy as against the person of the defendant ; and they feared that he had very little property." The Marquis of Anglesea was examined. He stated that he believed that he was the father of the Earl of Uxbridge. He could not say where the Earl was in 1838: he had a house in Bruton Street, and the Marquis was told that he had taken a house in Hertfordshire ; but as to what his establishment was he had not the slightest knowledge. Verdicts were given for the sums claimed, with interest.
A trial occupied the Central Criminal Court on Monday and Tues- day, in which Percival Hamilton Chamberlayne and his wife George Fuller and his wife, William Napier Reeve, and a person named Hood, who did not appear, were indicted for conspiring together to bring a false charge of felony against Mr. Thomas Alley Jones. Mr. Fuller, who carried on business as a linendraper, was about to become a bank- rupt in 1841 ; and Mr. Lawrence, a friend, introduced him to Mr. Jones, a lawyer's clerk, who undertook to arrange his affairs. Jones appears to have taken the opportunity of Fuller's position to buy some dresses and other things at reduced prices, before the goods were sold under execution. Among them were two mousseline de lathe dresses, which he afterwards gave to Miss Lawrence. When the sale took place, he also bought a trifling lot. Afterwards, when, at Mr. Chamberlayne's desire, he paid and dismissed Hood, who had possession of the bank- rupt's premises, Jones received a pair of snuffers and tray to deliver to Chamberlayne ; and he did so. He advanced to Chamberlayne during the proceedings the sum of 6001. Several months after the sale, Ful- ler, Chamberlayne, and Reeve, came with a warrant to search the houses of Mr. Jones and Mr. Lawrence for "stolen" goods ; and two charges were preferred against Jones, of stealing one of the dresses which he had purchased, and of obtaining goods on false pretences. He was held to bail, tried, and finally acquitted. Hence the present prosecution. A verdict of " Guilty " was returned against Fuller and Chamberlayne. The Recorder directed that the rest of the parties should be acquitted, :there being no evidence to convict them. Sentence was deferred.
, At the Central Criminal Court, on Wednesday, Robert alias Thomas Addy, aged twenty-nine, was accused of feloniously assaulting Mr. Henry Bellamy Webb with intent to rob him, and also of attempting to extort money by threats. On the 20th of August, Addy followed Mr. Webb on his way from Hemming's Row to Great Queen Street, and then accosted him, saying, "If you don't, r11 give you in charge," on a highly criminal accusation. He did give the prosecutor in charge : it was on a Saturday night, and Mr. Webb remained in custody till Mon- day morning, when he was taken before a Magistrate at Bow Street ; but Addy did not appear to support the charge. Mr. Webb was locked up at the Stationhouse in a cell with Fitzgerald, who was convicted at the last session of the Court of attempting in the same way to extort money from Mr. Churchill. When Addy gave Mr. Webb into custody, he charged him with having followed him from Kensington : it was, however, proved that Mr. Webb was at his friend's house in Heroming's Row from nine o'clock in the evening until nearly one o'clock in the morning. Mr. Payne, who appeared on behalf of Addy, pleaded that he was liable to fits of insanity, in one of which he must have made the charge ; for he bad since forgotten all about it. Mr. Payne raised some legal objections, which were disposed of; and then he said that he did not think it necessary to go into the questioq of insanity. Mr. Bodkin, one of the counsel for the prosecution, stated that the prisoner had previously been accused of similar offences. Mr. Justice Wightmau intimated an opinion that the charge of felony could not be sustained, as the words which Addy used were too vague to prove what he intended to extort. He was convicted of a common assault, and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, with hard labour, in the House of Correction.
James Samuel Brown, aged twenty-one, a clerk in the Money-order- office of the General Post-office, was indicted for forging money-orders, purporting to be drawn in Sittingbourne, upon the Camberwell office, to the amount of 39f. 5. 5d. The defence was insanity : Brown had been absurdly ostentatious ; he had waked his sister at night to ask her if he was not beautiful ; had dressed in uniform, and signed himself " Colonel James Samuel Brown "; had pestered a friend with consulta- tions about marrying a countess ; had plunged his hand into boiling lead, saying that it would not hurt him ; and had committed other ab- surdities. About twelve years ago he received an injury from an acci- dental blow with a brick, and he had been subject to fits. Medical evidence placed his insanity beyond a .doubt; so he was acquitted, but ordered to be detained in custody during the pleasure of the Crown.
Robert Brown, a letter-carrier, was convicted of stealing a letter con- taining 1/. 4s. 6d., and sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for one year.
Henry Passenger and Alfred Lewis were committed at Marlborough Street yesterday, for extorting money from the Reverend William Bugden, of Brompton, and robbing him. They Seized him as he was walking through Hyde Park, at half-past nine o'clock on Thursday evening, and made an infamous charge. A third man who was with them robbed him and ran away. With the assistance of a person who happened to be passing, he gave the two into custody. They declared that they were strangers to each other, and that they merely helped the third man, also a stranger, to detain Mr. Bugden on a charge made by the runaway.
Mr. John Webber, a person of gentlemanly appearance, was charged at Kensington Police-office, on Monday, with having committed an atrocious outrage on a bop the son of Patrick Dawley, a coke-dealer in Jennings Buildings. I he examination was continued on Tuesday. The prisoner's legal assistant contended that there was no case alleged beyond one of assault, and therefore bail might be taken ; but that question was left for the Judges to decide ; Mr. Webber being com- mitted to Newgate for trial.
A fire broke out at one o'clock on Wednesday morning at Whit- bread's brewery, in Chiswell Street. The accident is supposed to have arisen from the gasometer, used by the firm in the manufacture of their own gas, becoming overcharged. All danger was over by two o'clock, although the flames could not be extinguished for some time ; and the damage was confined to the gas-house.
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