`one latiropolis.
A Privy Council was held on Wednesday, at the office of the Comp- troller-General of the Exchequer, for the purpose of empanelling a Jury of twenty-four members of the Goldsmiths' Company to assay the gold and silver coins of the realm. The Lords present were, the Lord Chan- cellor, Lord Monteagle, the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Wharncliffe, Lord Fitzgerald and Vesey, Lord Bexley, Mr. Gladstone, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Sir Henry Hardinge. Several ladies witnessed the proceedings. The Lord Chancellor made an address to the Jury to the effect usual on such occasions ; and their Lordships were invited to dine with the Goldsmiths Company after the trial.
At a Court of Common Council, on Thursday, a grant was voted of 500/. in aid of the fund raised under the Queen's letter for the relief of the poor in the manufacturing districts. An amendment by Mr. P. Taylor, to expend the money in bonded core, which Government should be petitioned to admit duty-free, was rejected. It was resolved to petition Parliament for investigation of bribery at the late Parlia- mentary elections and its prevention in future. The Court then pro- ceeded to the election of a Town-Clerk, in the room of Mr. Wood- thorpe, deceased. The candidates were Mr. Sergeant Merewether and Mr. Pritchard : Mr. Merewether was chosen, by .106 votes to 80; and he was handed to his seat by Alderman Thompson.
A Common Hall was held yesterday, for the annual election of Cor- poration-officers. Alderman Hooper, citizen and vintner, and Jeremiah Filcher, citizen and haberdasher, were elected Sheriffs for the ensuing year, without opposition. The other officers subject to annual election, were all reelected.
A Court of Aldermen was held yesterday, for despatch of business. The admission of strangers to hear the "condemned sermon" at New-
gate was discussed at much length ; resolutions in reprobation of the practice, and for giving power to the Sheriffs to refuse admission, were unanimously agreed to ; and a third motion respecting the presence of strangers within the gaol during the execution of capital convicts was referred to the Gaol Committee.
A a Court of East India Proprietors, on Wednesday, a resolution, moved by Mr. Weeding, against migration of Hill Coolies from India to Mauritius, was rejected, by 54 to 22. Mr. D. Salomons moved a. resolution declaring, that, upon consideration of all the circumstances, the expense of the Afghan war ought to be borne by the exchequer of the United Kingdom. The debate was adjourned till Monday ; the Chairman stating that the Directors were not hostile to the motion.
The annual meeting of the African Civilization Society took place on Tuesday, in the great room at Exeter Hall ; Lord Ashley in the chair. The platform was occupied by a large number of the Members of both Houses of Parliament, of the clergy, and other friends of the Society. The body of the Hall was occupied almost exclusively by ladies. A letter was read from Sir Fowell Buxton, who was kept away by illness, but who exhorted the Society to be "faithful to their cause," and sent 501. A letter from Thomas Clarkson stated the opinion that another expedition might be undertaken on a smaller scale than the last : they only required the Bible and the plough ; and very few persons would be needed to attend those instruments of good. The report, read by Dr. Dealtry and Sir Robert Inglis, gave an account as little unfavour- able as possible of the "partially unsuccessful" Niger Expedition ; boasted of its having increased our knowledge of the river navigation, and of Anti-Slave-trade conventions with influential chiefs on the coast of Africa ; and concluded by recommending increased exertions in pursuing the objects of the Society, to promote the cultivation of the soil, commercial intercourse, and the establishment of the Christian faith on the continent of Africa. Lord John Russell moved the adoption of the report. He denied that the expedition was a com- plete failure ; contended that foreign nations would credit our humane motives when they " saw us ready to sacrifice our lives for the propa- gation of the light of the gospel "; and complained of exaggeration as to the loss of life in the river ! The other speakers were, Arch- deacon S. Wilberforce, Lord Sandon, Earl Fortescue, the Bishop of Gloucester, Lord Mahon, the Bishop of Norwich, M. 1'Instant, Mr. Buxton, and Lord Teignmouth. Mr. Gore, the treasurer, made a finan- cial statement ; from which it appeared that the Society had a balance of 1,2381. in hand, but that it was only enough to meet existing liabi- lities. Thanks having been voted to Prince Albert, President of the Society, to the Vice-Presidents, and the Chairman of the day, the meeting separated.
In the Court of Common Pleas, on Thursday, Mr. Macready, the lessee of Drury Lane Theatre, obtained a verdict against Harmer and another, proprietors of the TVeehly Dispatch, for a libel, in which Mr. Macready's regulations to exclude women of the town from the body of the theatre were spoken of as insincere, ineffectual, and dictated by im- proper motives, with much coarse abuse of Mr. Macready as an actor His counsel attributed the attack to the Weekly Dispatch having bees struck out of the " free list." The Jury gave 51. damages.
At the Central Criminal Court, on Saturday, Thomas Cooper was tried for the murder of Timothy Daly, a Policeman ; and he was charged in two other indictments with firing at and wounding Moss, a Police- man, and Mott, a baker. Several witnesses narrated the circumstances under which the murder was committed. Moss had been stationed in the neighbourhood of Hornsey Wood to watch for a footpad who had robbed several people ; and on the 5th May, he saw Cooper, armed with pistols, following a gentleman towards the wood. He attempted to take him into custody ; when Cooper fired a pistol and wounded him, and made offi Moss pursued him, till he fell exhausted from loss of blood. The pursuit was taken up by a great number of persons ; among them. by Mott and the Policeman Daly, who were very active in their attempts to seize the fugitive. He ran into a blind lane at Highbury ; where he kept them at bay for a long time, placing his back against some palings, and holding a pistol in each hand. Daly remarked that the pistols were not loaded, and Cooper told him he had better try. Mott stooped dowr and attempted to run under the pistol ; upon which Cooper fired, and severely wounded him. Daly then made a vigorous effort to secure hire ; and was shot dead with the other pistol. Two witnesses deposed that they had been robbed by Cooper—Mrs. Roach, from whom he took a gold chain and locket, and some money ; and Mr. Smeers, whom he robbed of his watch. Cooper is described by several witnesses as having been often in custody for assaults and robberies. In the defence, an at- tempt was made to prove that Cooper was of unsound mind and no responsible for his actions. His mother and several other witnesses gave evidence of peculiarities, physical and moral, in support of this plda. On the other hand, several medical gentlemen gave it as their opinion that there was nothing in his past or present conduct to indicate insanity. The Jury returned a verdict of " Guilty," and sentence of death was pronounced. As Cooper was led from the bar, he threatened. the witnesses and shook his fist at them.
Monday the 4th of July is fixed by the Sheriff as the day for the ex- ecution of Francis and Cooper. Francis persists that he had no in- tention of injuring the Queen ; that his pistol had no loading but gun- powder and a bit of paper ; and that the purpose of his " feint" was to obtain such a provision as Oxford obtained. Cooper, who has be- come much quieter, acknowledges the justice of his sentence.
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