tip Vtinquiiii.

In 1845, the " Westminster Improvement Commission" was created by act of Parliament, for the purpose of building a street, called Victoria Street, 'Connecting the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. The Commissioners had an unrestricted power of borrowing money, with the further aid of grants from the London Bridge Ap- proaches Fund. For some years little was heard of the -proceedings of the Commissioners - some houses were built, but the progress of the im- dertaking was extremely slow. In January 1855 the Commission became insolvent. The Commissioners had issued bonds to the amount of 1,030,570!.; a portion of those bonds amounting to something like 89,700/". had been cancelled • and 977,050/. remained in circulation at the close of 1854,—held chiefly by professional men, clergymen' widows, and other persons who keenly feel the loss. The bondholders held a meeting about a year ago and appointed a committee of inquiry ; which has re- sulted in a printed report containing some damaging allegations. It is stated that the freehold property held by the Commission is worth 167,200!.; it has been mortgaged for 271,5001. "Among the allegations of the complainants, it is stated that in 1854 alone the issue of bonds amounted to 5745,0001., of which 175,0001. were to Mr. William Mackenzie without any proper security ; that 58,900/. were put forth within a few days of the announcement of the Commissioners that they could no longer pay interest ; that, before suspending payment, they attempted to negotiate a further issue when the market-price of the bonds had fallen to 200/. per 10001. ;—that Mr. Nathaniel Mason, of the firm of Bridges and Mason, the solicitors to the Commission., has been allowed to exercise a control distinctly forbidden by the provisions of their act ; and that the law-costs and other charges have been set down at 100,082/. from 1845 to June 1852, and at 148,813/. from that time till December 1854; showing a total in the latter period at the rate of 60,0001. per annum, although the amount paid for property purchased in the interval was less than 12,000/., while almost the only business of the Commission consisted in issuing bonds. It is asserted likewise, that within the last two and a half years of their operations 44,0001. seems to have been charged for interest beyond the amounts really due, and that a variety of preferentia mortgages were executed almost at the very moment when the notification of insolvency was put forth."

It is estimated that the bondholders are likely to obtain only 8 per cent on their invested capital-12 per cent less than the dividend in the ()Me of Strahan, Paul, and Bates. Some of the bondholders have filed a bill of complaint in Chancery against the Commissioners, who seen' likely to escape any serious consequences. Of course it remains to be seen what answer they have to make to the allegations of the bond- holders' committee.

The deterioration of railway property and the recent scandals have caned railway shareholders into activity. Among the signs of ferment the body, was a meeting held at the London Tavern on Tuesday,— r. William Melina in the chair,—for the purpose of taking into con- sideration the seriously depreciated value of their property, and especially to consider a plan which it is believed will arrest further depreciation and speedily place railway property in a sound and healthy condition. The plan, as explained by the chairman, consists in the establishment or a society to be called the "Railway Proprietors' Association," having for object, as a resolution adopted informs us, the protection of railway property and its restoration to a fair and legitimate value,—by "restrict- ing, and in all practieable cases closing, capital accounts ; the suppression of umemunerative tariffs by territorial arrangements ; and entertaining all questions conducive to the benefit of railway property in the shape of economical working or otherwise." This association, it was further resolved, is to be governed by a President and twelve or more unpaid Councillors; and a committee was appointed to carry out the objects of the meeting. Among those who took a leading part in this movement were the Chairman, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. E. j. Herapath, Mr. Vance, Mr. Wright, Mr. F. Tnekett, Mr. Buller, and Mr. Gridley.

In the Court of Queen's Bench, on Saturday, Lord Campbell made an an- nouncement of some importance respecting the arrangements for despatching business. He said that in all cases in the special paper and Crown paper, if an application be made to the Court upon a day previous to the day on which the cases ought to be argued, and sufficient ground for the postpone- ment be laid before the Court, they will be postponed accordingly ; but otherwise -the cases in those papers will be taken in their order. If one side only is present, the Court will hear that side ; and if neither side is present the case will be struck out. The greatest inconvenience has arisen from ap- plications being made for the postponement of cases during the day on which they ought to be argued. That is inconvenient to the Court as well as to the counsel who are to argue them. The Court will be most happy to ac- commodate the gentlemen of the bar ; and if on a prior day an application be made for the postponement of any ease, the Court will be ready to listen to it ; but, unless such application be made, the Court will in future uni- formly and rigidly take the eases in their order.

A special case, suggested for opinion by the Judge of the Clerkenwell County Court, came before the Court of Queen's Bench on the same day, in- teresting to railway travellers and railway companies. Mr. Denton sued the Great Northern Railway Company to recover 51. 10s. either as damages for the breach of a contract into which the defendants, as he alleged, had entered with him to carry him direct from Peterborough to Hull at a given hour, or for a false representation that they were ready so to carry him. Mr. Denton desired to go from Hull to Peterborough, and, consulting the time-bills of the Company, he made arrangements for proceeding by a cer- tain train therein marked On application for a ticket, it turned out that, in consequence of an alteration not notified, the trams did not run the whale of the distance specified ; and Mr. Denton was detained several hours, to his detriment. lord Campbell held that "the plaintiff had a right to recover, both on the ground that there was a contract and also a false re- presentation. It seems to me to be just the same as if the company should publish a contract in express terms, that, in consideration that their cus- tomers would come to a particular station at a particular hour, a train would be passing at that hour, or near that hour, and any person who paid his fare should have a ticket from that station to any other station. Does not the time-table amount to such a contract as that? Any one who reads it under- stands that at the particular time there will be a train from Peterborough to Hull, and that any person who comes will be accommodated with a seat on paying his fare."—Judgment for the plaintiff.

William Palmer of Rugeley was brought up in custody from Stafford Gaol, on Monday, to give evidence in an action on a bill of exchange. The an- nouncement in the newspapers that Palmer would appear in the Court of Queen's Bench, caused the assembly of an excited crowd within and without the court. The action was brought by Mr. Padwick, on a bill for 2000/., drawn by William Palmer, and purporting to have been accepted by Sarah Palmer, his mother. The defence was that the signature was a foigrty,.. Mrs. Palmer, who, it was stated, had paid many bills having simi- lar signatures, was the first witness called for the defence; and she wore deep mourning. She denied that she signed, or ever gave any- body authority to sign, the bill. Asked if she knew who signed the bin, she did not answer. Then Mr. George Palmer, solicnot, the Reverend Thomas Palmer, Miss Sarah Palmer, the brothers and sister of William, successively appeared in the witness-box, and deposed that the signature was not the handwriting of their mother. Other wit- nesses, familiar with Mrs. Palmer's handwriting, gave similar testimony ; and then William Palmer came in. He is of middle height, stout, and of a florid complexion there is nothing remarkable in his appearance. His evi- dence was soon extracted by Mr. James, the counsel for the plaintiff. Mr. James—" Take that bill of exchange for 2000/. in your hand : is the signa- ture to the drawing and indorsement yours ? " Witness—" Yes." "You applied to Mr. Padwick to advance money on that bill ? "—"I did." "Who wrote the acceptance Sarah Palmer ? ' "—'b Ann Palmer." "Who is she ?"—" She 1.8 WV; dead." "Do you mean your wife ?"—" Yes." "Did you see her write it ?"—" Yes."

That closed the ease; Mr. Justice Erie observing, "Gentlemen of the Jury, your verdict must be for the defendant." Verdict accordingly.

The crowd outside anxious to see Palmer were outwitted. -Two cabs were used, one at the usual entrance, and one at the Judge's entrance to the Court of Exchequer : Palmer made his exit through the latter.

The Court of Queen's Bench, on the application of Sir Fitzroy Kelly, has directed that a mandamus should issue commanding the Archbishop of Can- terbury to require, by writing, under his hand, the Venerable George An- thony Denison, Archdeacon of Taunton and Vicar of East Brent, in the county of Somerset, in the diocese of Bath and Wells, to appear, either in Person or by his agent duly appointed, before him, at a time and place therein named, according to the provisions of the statute 3d and 4th Victoria, chap. 86 ; and further to proceed in the matter in the said affidavits men- tioned, of the charge or complaint of the said Reverend Joseph Ditcher eainst the said Archdeacon Denison, according to law. Lord Campbell rved, that no doubt the Archbishop had acted optima fide, and with a view to the good of the church over which he presided. He hoped, how- ever, he might be allow, with all respect for his Grace's sacred character, to express his regret that his Grace did not exercise his discretion in the first instance by refuel ,e the inquiry, and following the example of the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

At the opening of the Middlesex Sessions, on Monday, Mr. Pashky, Q.C., took the oaths as a Magistrate for Middlesex, and assumed the chair Jis Assistant-Judge. Mr. Payne, the senior member of the bar, pronounced an culogium on the late Mr. Sergeant Adams ; in which the new Assistant- Judge expressed his entire concurrence. On Wednesday, Thomas Powell, the approver against the Chartists in 1848, was tried for stealing a purse. A policeman, seeing him behave in a suspicious way at the pit-entrance of Drury Lane Theatre, arrested him ; and a purse belonging to a Mr. Byrne was found in his possession. Mr. Byrne said he had securely placed the purse in his pocket. Powell alleged that he had picked it up. He complained that he was a victim to a police conspiracy. He received a good character. Verdict—" Not guilty."

Mr. E. C. Chuicson, barrister, has furnished an example of an admirable mode of dealing with street robbers. Late on Wednesday, Mr. Clarkson, encumbered with a carpet bag and umbrella, Was walking along the Bays- water road: suddenly, some one seized his throat from behind, while another person came in front, and robbed him of watch, chain, and seals. Shaking off the man who held him, Mr. Clarkson fell upon him with doubled fists, put both to flight, drove one into a turning with no second outlet, and held him until a policeman came up. The cowards threatened to throw stones, but did not ; and talked of' firing a pistol, but refrained, if they had one. Two policemen arrived; one pursued the second robber, and found the car- pet bag and umbrella, the other secured the captured thief ; the watch and other property dropped on the ground. Brought before the 3darylebone Magistrate, the prisoner called himself Edward Baxley, but would give no address. He was remanded.

When Guignet and Javal, accused of conspiracy to defraud, were produced at Guildhall. on Monday for reiixamination, some extensive swindling schemes came to light. 13anubil, a Frenchman, was the prime mover in the frauds. Under fictitious names he figured as mercantile firms in Dublin, Liverpool, and London. One Scheeler went to Paris and engaged Mr. SleyTers to buy largely on commission for "Duncan and Co." of Dublin, and "Maurice and Co." of London ; Mr. Sleyffers bought goods to the value of 48,000 francs, and consigned them to London ; he received only 11,000 francs on account; by accident he opened a letter addressed to Scheeler, and found that he had got into the hands of a gang of swindlers. He had Scheeler arrested, and went to Dublin : he could not find "Duncan and Co." —Barrabe had absconded. Hastening to London, he caused Guignet, whom he found at "Maurice and Co.'s!' office, to be arrested. This man, who seems to have been clerk to Barrabit, but with a guilty knowledge, made useful disclosures ; and a large amount of Mr. Sleyffers's property has been recovered. As to Javal, it seems probable that he will turn out to be quite innocent; Sir William Magnay, though he would not set him at liberty, only held him to bail in his own recognizances.

A painful case came under the cognizance of the Lambeth Magistrate on Tuesday. Charlotte Claridge, an interesting young girl, has been repeatedly prosecuted by her mother for theft. The mother left her for days without food ; and the girl, in the extremity of hunger, took and sold articles of household furniture. The girl cried bitterly, in court. The mother gave her evidence with a hard-heartedness that drew rebukes from the bench : it was quite clear that she intended to drive her daughter to crime ; she had recommended her to go on the streets, in order to be rid of her. It ap- pears that the girl is illegitimate ; that the mother has married since her birth, and has other children. The Magistrate declined to conunit the girl,* and she has been sent to the workhouse.

The Coroner's Jury have found a verdict of "Wilful murder;jimaainst Westron, who shot Mr. Waugh in Bedford Row ; and the Clerke Ma- gistrate has committed him for trial.

A fatal carriage accident occurred on Tuesday. WAS Parnell was driving along Baker Street in her father's carriage : the box and foot-board gave way, and the coachman and footman, with the box, fell upon the haunches of the horses. The terrified animals darted off, and presently crashed through the window of a shoemaker's shop. The coachman and footman fell be- neath the horses, which now furiously trampled on them: when extricated, the coachman was dying, and he expired soon after, in the Royal Free Hose pital ; the footman survives. Miss Parnell had been thrown forward through the front windows of the carriage, and her face was very badly cut.

On Thursday morning, during the gale, a high wall of the ruins of Messrs. Hopkins's_ pianoforte-manufactory, near the New Road, fell down, erusbing three small houses built beneath : numbers of persons were buried in the ruins ; many were hurt, but not seriously ; one, Kitty Quin, a young woman, it is feared will not recover.