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Finsbury has been beforehand among the Metropolitan boroughs in gathering to support the City movement for Administrative Reform. Mr. Thomas Duncombe filled the chair at a meeting held for that purpose on Tuesday evening, in the Mechanics' Institution, Southampton Buildings. He confessed, however, that the address of the Association, recently pub- lished, did not throw much light on its aims ; and it certainly did not.go to the root of the evil, and ask for Parliamentary Reform.

With respect to Mr. Layard's motion, there were two editions of it, with. out any reform ; and he understood that a third edition had ease out that evening. There was a strong report in the House of Comtonfithst evening that Mr. Layard and some friends were closeted together with Mat Disraeli, and that they were cooking up some new motion. (Cheers and laughter.) That meeting was about to call on the Members for Finsbury to support Mr. Layard, and he would. tell them what he understood bad taken place. Mr. Layard had withdrawn the notice of his motion which stood for Thursday next in the House of Commons, in order to enable Mr. Disraeli to bring forward some motion of his own. There was an end, then, of Mr. Layard's motion ; Administrative Reform was disposed of, and they came back to their old friend Parliamentary Reform. Mr. Washington Wilke, Mr. Jacob Bell, Dr. Epps, and others, fol- lowed Mr. Duncombe, and took their cue from him. They resolved, that the disasters in the Crimea are due to the incapacity of her Majesty's Ministers, and the corrupt state of the House of Commons—the results of the undue influence of the aristocracy in the councils of the Sovereign ; and, while sympathizing with every genuine movement, in opposition to oligarchical misgovernment, they believed "manhood suffrage and vote by ballot" are the only'efficient remedies for the evil. Cheers and thanks were given for Mr. Duncombe.

An Administrative Reform meeting was held in Bridge House Hotel, .Southwark, on Thursday ; Mr. Apsley Pellatt in the chair. Mr. Lind- say M.P., Mr. John Vickers, Mr. John Thwaitcs, and others, addressed the gathering. The business done consisted- in a resolve to establish a Southwark Administrative Reform Society, in connexion with that in the City of London. A letter from Sir William Molesworth was read at the beginning of the meeting : Sir William regretted that Mr. Disraeli's mo- tion would oblige him to attend in his place; and he added—" I have little doubt, that if that motion be carried, the necessity of administra- tive reform will become more apparent."

The Administrative Reform Association has issued its first circular ad- dress to the country. It commences " Fellow Countrymen "; it is signed

4' Samuel Morley, Chairman, William Tite, Deputy Chairman, J. I. "Travers, Treasurer " ; and is dated from the offices of the Association, at 86 King William Street, City.

The address begins by disclaiming, on behalf of the signataries, any personal interest or personal ambition in the agitation. They would not have been induced to move except from a positive sense of danger in the quiet, of the unsafeness of silence, and a belief that unless some means are devised of giving utterance to the pent-up indignation of the people, there will be a movement the results of which it is impossible to fore- see. To them—seeing " that actual battle has swept down 6000 men, mismanagement 15,000; and that of 6,000,0001. spent upon transport- ships, full 2,000,0001. were as utterly wasted as if the money had been thrown into the Black Sea "—it is matter of wonder that "there has been no protest against those in command, against the Ministry, against the Parliament." They state that the recent additions to taxation have been "rendered necessary by the grossest blundering and mismanage- ment." They declare generally that the war has served to show that se- veral Government departments, not those connected with the war alone, are in an inefficient condition ; and then they proceed to particulars. People do not know what Government offices there are ; their responsi- bilities, duties, modes of conducting business ; and they hold that " al- most as a first step to administrative reform, there is needed, for the inform- ation of the public and their representatives in Parliament, a succinct ac- count of the Government offices as they are, with as accurate a digest as is obtainable, of their several duties, their manner of conducting business, the expenses of conducting it, and the time it takes." In addition to this, it will be necessary to obtain information as to the duties, privileges, and official patronage of the Ministers of the Crown, specifying particularly the Treasury, the Foreign Office, the Home Office, and the Colonial Office, as gifted with unknown powers, undefined responsibility, and a hetero- geneous mass of duties. One of the first things the Association intend to do—" cost what it may "—will be to "put an end to the mystery of office "—to place before the public in the plainest words "a complete analysis of our official system " ; and they are resolved to have a thorough clearing up of the question of personal responsibility. "A. knowledge of the actual state of the official system once attained, the next step will be to bring every department into a thoroughly business condition. The nation can afford to pension, even upon full pay, any amount of incapa- city, but it cannot afford to retain incapacity." Beyond this, they appeal to the constituencies to shake off the clubs, their agents and candidates; and to choose their representatives honestly, setting their faces against electoral corruption—" the nation cannot af- ford to have its reputation jobbed away, and its best men deterred from Parliament."

" With these objects before them, the Association invite every consti- tuency in the kingdom to make themselves acquainted with the opinions of their representatives upon administrative reform ; to call upon them to sup- port every question in Parliament bearing upon the subject ; to hold meet- ings; to organize local committees, to enrol members, to collect funds ; to put themselves in immediate communication with the Committee in Lon- don; to be ready for an election—ready with worthy candidates, an honest committee, and a thorough determination to have done with the abuses of elections.

"Fellow countrymen, we have reached a turning point in our national history ; we know now that we can go on no longer as we have done—that, following the beaten track, we are no longer sure of our position. We must either work out a thorough change or take a lower grade in the world. But there is no ground for despondency : the nation is not worn out; the people were never more strong of purpose, more sound at heart, more united in opin- ion ; it is the rulers and the system, ' the torpid hands of Government' • that have failed us, not the people. Let the nation, therefore, ' bend its whole force to the reduction oft hat corrupt influence which is itself the pe- rennial spring of all prodigality and of all disorder, which loads us with debt, which takes sway vigour from our arms, wisdom from our councils, and every

shadow of authority and credit from the most venerable parts of our consti- tution.' Let the nation resolve that there shall be a searching and complete administrative reform—that the right men shall be in the right places, and there is nothing to apprehend for the position of England."

• Sir Robert Peel.

The two-hundred-and-first anniversary of the Sons of the Clergy was celebrated on Wednesday, after the ancient fashion, by a service at St. Paul's Cathedral in the morning, and a dinner in the Merchant Tailors' Hall in the evening. This corporation grants pensions to 700 poor ladies, relieves 225 clergymen annually, and educates 200 children. The Lord Mayor presided over the dinner. There were present five Prelates, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, several Members of Parliament, and many clergymen. In the course of the evening 30001. was sub- scribed.

The dinner of the Royal Literary Fund, which took place on Tuesday, at the Freemasons Tavern, wore a very ecclesiastical appearance this year. The Bishop of Oxford presided, and the most conspicuous speaker was the Archbishop of Dublin. The Bishop of St. David's also spoke on the occasion. Among the other speakers were Sir Archibald Alison, the American Minister, and Mr. Beresford Hope. The subscriptions amount- ed to $001., including the annual subscription of 100 guineas from the Queen, The thirty-ninth anniversary of the Peace Society was held on Tues- day, in Finsbury Chapel, Moorfields. Mr. Charles Hindley M.P., the chairman-, the Reverend Dr. Burnes, the Reverend Dr. Davidson, the Reverend William Brock, and Mr. Bewley of Gloucester, enlightened the meeting on the evils of war ; regretted that a warlike spirit prevails ; and accused the religious press as the prime promoter of a war which is contrary to the letter and spirit of the gospel of Christ. A bellicose gentleman from the body of the meeting caused great uproar, by declaring that Prince Albert ought to take the field, and that England ought to fight the battle out.

The Whittington Club survives, although twice burnt out. At a meet- ing at the Freemasons' Tavern, on Monday, at which Mr. Mechi pre- sided, it was resolved to continue the Club, and to join the Duke of Nor- folk in rebuilding a house on the site of the Crown and Anchor. The Duke contributes 10,0001., and it is proposed that the Whittington shall raise 30001. in 11. shares.

Sir George Grey declined to interfere to shorten the imprisonment of the three "respectable" inhabitants of Lambeth who were convicted of mal- practices at the election of Guardians.

Davidson and Gordon, the bankrupts who absconded after committing gigantic frauds, were reexamined at the Guildhall Police Office on Thursday. Three new cases were brought against them, in which they had obtained large advances by fraudulent means. Mr. Ballantine, who appeared for the prosecution, made a serious imputation against Messrs. Overend and Co.— that they had allowed the bankrupts to continue trading after they knew of the frauds upon themselves, by which Davidson and Gordon had an oppor- tunity to cheat another firm. Mr. Chapman, of the firm of Overend, denied this—Overend and Co. had " given their opinion freely " of the accused after the discovery of the fraud. No doubt, this matter will be more fully en- tered upon on future occasions. The prisoners were again remanded.

Three burglars have been very cleverly captured at Holloway by the Police. Constable Hull saw a light during the night of the 18th in Mr. Parker's house, St. Sohn's Villas ; he communicated with Sergeant Holmes ; the Sergeant sent Hull and Policeman Ross to the rear of the house. They got into the garden, found the backdoor of the house open, and entered. Three burglars were in the diniugroom, busy packing up plunder : the officers seized them,_ Then_ Mr. Parker's family were aroused. One of the thieves said to his captors, i

he was " very Police sorry ; he thought the Poli would

be asleep after their hard day's work in the Park." The prisoners, three young fellows, were taken before the Clerkenwell Magistrate, who remanded them. Mr. Corrie eulogized the excellent conduct of the Police.

Two more burglars were brought before the same Magistrate on a subse- quent day. They were caught in a trap. Mr. l'innock, a bootmaker at Ring's Cross, received an intimation that his premises were to be robbed. Two Policemen were concealed in the shop for several nights ; very early on Monday morning, two young fellows entered by opening the front-door, which was very slightly fastened : the officers immediately seized them.

The case against Hopper, the young shipwright charged with firing the Etna floating battery, has signally broken down. At the last examination before the Thames Police Magistrate, on Wednesday, it appeared that no further evidence had been obtained by the prosecution. Mr. Ballantine complained that Hopper had been remanded for new evidence, when there really was none to be got. He then called many witnesses, who clearly made out an alibi. In opposition to the testimony of these witnesses, there was only the belief of John Coullie, who said he saw a man run away from the battery on the night of the fire, and that that man was Hopper. Mr. Yardley considered that he was not warranted in sending the case for trial on such evidence ; and be liberated the accused.

A man who has palmed himself off several times as Count Scheer Those, and who has been punished before for frauds, was convicted at the Mid- dlesex Sessions, on Monday, for obtaining fraudulent possession of a picture. He represented that he was connected with the Prussian Embassy ; and it seems he actually bore a passport issued from that Embassy, describing him as a "Count." However, Count or no Count, he is at all events a swindler; and as such he was sentenced to four years' penal servitude.

A glaring instance of the niggard pay which the contractors for soldiers' clothing allow their workpeople occurred this week. Elizabeth Gibbs was charged before the Worship Street Magistrate with pawning materials in- trusted to her. In extenuation, she pleaded her low pay-21d. for making a pair of trousers ! Only three pair per day can be made. The pawnbroker, moved by compassion, gave up the goods without payment, and Mr. Rain- mill set free the poor needlewoman. She burst into tears.

A Coroner's Jury have censured Mr. Birchmore, a relieving-officer, for his treatment of an old man named Dewdney, who lately lived near the Hamp- stead Road. Dewdnev was in great poverty ; Birchmore told him he was an idle fellow, and said he had better " put his head under a cart-wheel" : soon after, his mind having been impaired by his miseries, the old man hanged himself.

John Beasley, a painter, was on a ladder painting a house in Piccadilly ; he slipped, fell seventy feet, and was impaled ou the spikes of the railings in front of the house.