be Metropolis.

The election of Lord Mayor takes place on Monday next. There are conflicting rumours, that no opposition will this year be offered to Alder- man Thomas Wood, and that he will be opposed by Alderman Sir Claudius Hunter.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday, for the despatch of business; and several reports were presented. The City of London Schools Committee were instructed to carry out their own recommenda- tion, that Mr. Henry Benjamin Hanbury Beaufoy, who has endowed two scholarships at Cambridge University for pupils proceeding from the City of London School, be requested to permit his portrait or bust to be executed at the expense of the Corporation, and placed in the school. The Town- Clerk announced, that he had received a letter from iMr. Lott, F.R.S., a member of the Court, stating that it was his intention to award a medal for proficiency in writing to the City of London School. The Royal Hospi- tals Committee presented a report on the refusal of the Governors of Christ's Hospital to acknowledge the Lord Mayor as the head of the insti- tution: it stated, that from the researches already made, the only conclu- sion to be arrived at was, that the Chief Magistrate was at the head of Christ's Hospital and of all the other Royal Hospitals. The Lord Mayor also mentioned, that on St. Matthew's Day, when he was present at the school-orations, the officers of the Hospital gave further proof of their de- termination to deny the superior authority of the Chief Magistrate. The report was referred back to the Committee, for additional investigation. The Coal, Corn, and Finance Committee, reported a recommendation that a sum of 20,0007. be applied annually out of the City's coal-duty during the next twenty years, (the same to include the loan of 50,000/. already charged on such duty,) towards effecting further public works and im- provements within the City, in such manner and for such purposes as the Court might from time to time direct. The report was affirmed, amid loud atadamations.

At the quarterly General Court of East India Proprietors, on Wednes- day, there was a renewal of the strange disturbance that occurred at the previous meeting. When the Directors entered the Court-room, Mr. Peter Gordon was found in possession of the chair. The Chairman of the Court of Directors ordered that he should be removed; and, with some resistance, the officers ejected him from the chair and placed him below the bar.

. Mr. Sergio's Gazalee then raised a question as to the right of excluding the public from the gallery; an order to that effect having that day been put in force. A long discussion arose. Mr. Gazelee contended, that as the interests of millions in India were depending upon proper government of India, the utmost publicity should be given to the proceedings in that Court, so that parties interested in the affairs of India might have full scope for the expression of their opinions. He dared the Court of Directors to ex- clude the public. He formally proposed that the Directors should recon- sider the decision hastily come to, and that the public should not be ex- cluded from the gallery. Mr. Marriott seconded the motion. The Chair- man referred to the by-laws for the requisite authority; and said, that as placards and circulars had been issued to invite the attendance of the pub- lic, he had felt it necessary to take steps for preserving order. The De- puty-Chairman (Mr. Hogg) said, that there was not the slightest disposition to shut out the public. Every accommodation was given to proprietors, and especially to the representatives of the public press. But still, a proper control should be maintained for the purpose of order. In the House of Commons, orders for admission of strangers to the gallery were required. It was never intended that parties of respectability or intelligence should be excluded from the gallery; and the executive body, acting under the by-laws, required only to maintain a reasonable control. The Committee of By-laws acted under powers given to it by the Court of Proprietors, and that Committee acted under legal advice. During the discussions upon the renewal of the Charter, and upon the affairs of Hyderabad, the Court was so full that it was particularly requested accommodation should be given to the press. Mr. George Thompson supported the motion. It was opposed by several other proprietors; and eventually it was withdrawn.

In reply to questions, the Chairman stated that the person appointed as Judge-Advocate-General of India had been selected solely on the recom- mendation of the highest legal authorities of the country: personally he knew nothing of him.

In a speech of great length, Mr. George Thompson moved for an inquiry into the conduct of Colonel Ovens towards the Rajah of Sedans; accusing that officer of suborning witnesses, intercepting letters, and suppressing documents, in order to make out his charges against the Rajah of treachery to the British. Mr. Thompson read a petition sent in by Govind Rao, late a servant of Rajah Chuttraputtee, stating that he had been induced, by confinement and the severe treatment which he experienced at the hands of the Bombay Government, to tell a false story against the Rajah of Set- ters. After a short discussion, the motion was negatived by an over- whelming majority; only three hands being held up for it. Mr. Thompson gave notice of several motions against Colonel Ovens, for the next Court- day; and the Court adjourned.

On Tuesday—St. Matthew's Day—the annual orations were delivered in Christ's Hospital. The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, several of the Aldermen and Com- mon Councilmen, with the Governors, officers, and masters of the Hospital, at- tended divine service in Christ Church, Newgate Street, and then proceeded to the Hall of the institution. A numerous and highly respectable audience having col- lected, the Hall was entered in procession by the dignitaries and officers already mentioned, with several of the clergy, and the twelve "Grecians," or head scholars. The proceedings commenced, as usual, with orations on the benefits of the Royal Hospitals; which were ably set forth in Latin, by Edward Tudor Scargill, second Grecian; in English, by Gowen Edward Evans, first Grecian and mathematical medalist 1844; in Greek, by William Frederick Greenfield, fourth Grecian and mathematical medalist 1843; and in French, by George Voight, third Grecian and classical medalist 1845. These orations were followed by others on miscel- laneous subjects: Thomas Johnson Potter, seventh Grecian and medalist 1846, de- livered some Latin alcaics on the Norman conquest; Malcolm Laing, a transla- tion of part of Beliefs speech in the Paradise Lost; Edward Hayman, tenth Grecian, delivered a translation in Latin hexameters from Pope's Windsor Forest; Edward Algernon Newton, the address of Regulus to the Senate, in Greek Iam- bics; Charles Edward Searle, eleventh Grecian, Latin elegiacs on the murder of the two Princes in the Tower; John Daniel Williams, ninth Grecian, Greek sap- phies on her Majesty's late visit to Christ's Hospital; and William Allan Russell, twelfth Grecian, an English poem on the Fall of Babylon. All these compositions were written as well as delivered by the scholars, and were highly creditable both in the authorship and in the delivery. The orations being concluded, the glove was sent round to receive contributions towards the outfit of those of the scholars who are proceeding to college; and the appeal appeared to be liberally responded to. Afterwards, all the boys, accompanied by the organ, sang the National Anthem; and finally they sainted the parting audience with an interminable cheer of the most piercing shrillness.

The Board of Guardians for St. Luke's, Chelsea, held their weekly meeting on Wednesday. A letter was read from the Poor-law Commissioners, stating that they saw no sufficient reason why the parish should not be included in the North- west Metropolitan Asylum District. The letter was considered to afford no direct reply to the request of the Board that the parish might be excluded; and a resolution to that effect was carried, with the addition, that the Board would therefore not proceed in the election of two members for the Board of Management.

In concluding their labours at the Middlesex Sessions, on Thursday, the Grand Jury intimated to the Court their opinion that the services of a Grand Jury were not at all required in any case sent there for trial.

At Lambeth Police-office, on Wednesday, the Reverend James West, a clergy- man of the Established Church, was examined on a charge of illegally pawning goods taken from furnished lodgings which he occupied. Various charges of trickery to obtain money or credit were also alleged against him; and he had her - rowed 28. from a poor man whom he employed as a messenger, and never repaid it. A gentleman stated that the prisoner was nephew of a nobleman high in the Royal Household; but, while at Oxford, he had been picked up by a set of sharpers, had squandered all he possessed, and had fallen into bad habits. The Magistrate, remarking that he could make no distinction in the case, committed the prisoner for trial; but he agreed to take the bail of two householders, under a penalty of 401. each, for Mr. West's appearance at the Sessions.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Tuesday, two well-dressed young men were charged before Mr. Twyford with stealing a lueocker. The case was clearly proved; and drunkenness waspleaded asenexcuse. The Magistrateinformed the drunkards that he could commit them for felony, or inflict imprisonment with hard labour; and then he imposed a fine,—which was, of course, immediately paid.

At the Clerkenwell Police-office, one day this week, two lads were charged with obstructing the pavement of a street at Somer's Town by offering fruit for sale: they said that they had but that means of getting a living. Mr. Combe, the Magistrate, fined them; and, in default of payment, they were sent to prison for five days. [It appears that the Commissioners of Pavements have ordered that

the streets at Somer's Town shall be kept clear: the Times hints that it would be as well if the Commissioners of Pavements did not themselves obstruct three or four of the leading thoroughfares at once, in their continual paving experiments.] At the Thames Police-office, on Thursday, a poor Irishwoman was charged with pawning slop-work given her to make up for Moses and Son. One pair of trousers was identified as the property of the tailors. The prisoner admitted the offence, but pleaded poverty: the rate of payment she received for her labour was so miserably low that she could not live. She was fined 20s.; and, in default of payment, sent to prison for twenty-one days.

From proceedings at the Southwark Police-office it appears, that some mis- creant or madman is busy writing threatening letters to divers inhabitants of St. George's parish. One was sent to the parish-clerk, declaring that if, on giving out the psalms, he did not denounce a lady who was named, as unfit to enter a church, because she had murdered a child, the church should be set on fire. To other people packets of oxalic acid were sent, with letters written in an affectionate strain, stating that the powders would make a delicious drink: one letter re- ceived by a young lady began "Dear Elizabeth." No trace of the offender has yet been obtained; but the Police have been instructed to seek him out.

At the lodgings of Garrett, the man who was arrested the other day for robbing railways, a great quantity of articles of every description, evidently stolen, was discovered. It is said that all the London railway termini have for a long time past been frequented by a gang of thieves; and the fact that eight large and dis- tinct robberies have been perpetrated has been established.

During the investigation, at Guildhall Police-office, of a claim for remuneration made by two men for assisting at the late fire at Blackfriars, Mr. Braidwood, the Superintendent of the Fire-Brigade, stated that he had paid no less a sum than 80/. for extra hands who worked at the fire and for refreshments. The number of strangers employed to assist the firemen was 391.

Colonel Francois Gavoisier, a French gentleman who had served in the wars of Napoleon, made two desperate attempts at suicide, on Tuesday evening, at the pier-head of St. Katharine's Dock. He plunged into the water; and when pulled out with great difficulty by some bystanders, it was found that he had stabbed himself with a dagger. On the dagger's being withdrawn from the wound, he made an attempt to snatch it back. Family quarrels are assigned as the cause of this suicidal madness.

A singular accident occurred on Sunday night at the railway terminus near London Bridge. A public-house in Bermondsey Street so closely adjoins the railway, that there is only a space of three feet between an attic-window and the viaduct: the people employed on the railway have been in the habit of entering the public-house by this window, to save trouble; though this was a dangerous exploit, as the window is twenty-five feet from the ground. On Sunday night, Garvey, an engine-table tuner, was found in the back-yard of the public-house lying on the pavement with his skull fractured: doubtless, while attempting to enter the attic from the railway in the dark, he had slipped and fallen. He died on Monday morning. At the inquest, the landlord of the public-house said he had objected to the practice of entering by the window; which had been formed for the convenience of serving the labourers with beer. The Jury desired the Coroner to write to the Railway Company, requesting that some means might be adopted to prevent such accidents for the future.

The night-ascent of a balloon, with a discharge of fireworks from the car, was badly managed at Cremorne Gardens on Tuesday. The fireworks were lighted by means of a match before the balloon left the earth; they were discharged full upon the spectators; and they set fire to the gas which was escaping from an adjacent pipe. No little alarm was felt by the two aeronauts who occupied the car: fortunately, no one was seriously hurt; but the spectators were terrified, and several ladies fainted.