Tirbt Aittitopolis.
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress gave the usual yearly dinner to her Majesty's Ministers on Wednesday, in the Egyptian Hall of the Man- sionhouse. Nearly all the members of the Cabinet were present, with their wives or daughters; and there was a full attendance of Foreign Mi- nisters, and of the English aristocracy—headed by the two Archbishops, the Duke and Dutchess of Norfolk, the Dutchess of Sutherland, and the Duke and Dutchess of Argyle. The speeches present little matter of in- terest In replying to the toast of the Army and Navy, General Wemyss spoke warmly in praise of Lord Gough. To the Lord Mayor's toast of the Foreign Ambassadors, the French Minister, Admiral Cecille, replied briefly in the French language. Lord John Russell recurred to the social excitement which prevailed at this time last year; disclaiming the sole merit of preserving order. The feeling of the country was that any change Would be a change for the worse and not for the better; "it was upon this feeling that we placed our reliance, and not upon any authority which we could exert, however necessary it might be to exert authority to meet particular exigencies." He also alluded with satisfaction to the auspicious circumstances of what might be called the termination of the hostilities lately earned on in India. Lord Palmerston took an opportunity to say, that in his endeavours to secure the blessings of peace for the civilized world beyond our shores, he had been mainly assisted by our great neighbour, so worthily represented at our court: throughout the administrational changes which during the last year have taken place in Franee, " we have met with an unvariable system of friendship, cordiality, frankness, and good faith."
At a special general Court of East India Proprietors, on Tuesday, thanks were voted to the Governor-General of India, and to the Commander-in- chief; officers, and men, of the Indian army, for their recent victorious achievements. Mr. Lewin caused uproar by proposing an amendment, that the circumstances of the battle of Chilleanwallah be inquired into. He found no seconder, but much angry objection to his "bad taste." In the Court of Chancery, Mr. Bailey, as Secretary of "the Alleged Lunatic's Friend Society," petitioned, last February, for the issue of a commission of the nature of a writ ale lunatic° inguirenclo, to ascertain the truth of allegations con- cerning the custody of Mr. Peter Sharp Anstie and Mr. Henry Anstie, two brothers, who have been confined for thirty or forty years in the Lunatic Asylum of Fishponds, kept by Mr. Bompas, near Bristol. The petition alleged that the two lunatics were placed in the Asylum, one forty and the other thirty years ago, by their father; who left to trustees annuities of 3501. each for their care and maintenance. Upon the death of the father, a brother of the lunatics looked after them till 1843; but on his death the trustees consented to cut down the allowance of 3501. each to 1101, and to divide the sur- plus, amounting to upwards of 9,0001., among the neat of kin. In con- sequence of this lessening of income, the two brothers had been put into rooms paved with stone, without furniture, and confined on all sides by houses or lofty walls. Their persons were so neglected as to be repulsive with filth; and their health was seriously impaired. Their relations had for some years never gone near them_ About a month after the presentation of Mr. Bailey's petition, two other petitions were presented to the Court on behalf of the brothers, contain- ing negative and exculpatory statements, and praying that if any commission were issued they might have the conduct of it. The Lord Chancellor gave judgment on all the petitions together. A commission must undoubtedly be issued; the only question was, to whom? Mr. Bailey, a stranger, had first stepped in and de- manded it: the fact that he was a stranger, or that he belonged to a society for the protection of alleged lunatics, did not diminish his claim to be intrusted with the commission; for the society had been instituted for the most bene- volent purpose, and the Chancellor was sorry to say that, notwithstanding the vigilance of the Court, such a society was required. The relatives who now came forward would never have applied but for Mr. Bailey, and their object was to defeat his petition. In the present case, the lunacy had been productive of certain habits in the unfortunate gentlemen, which could only be kept in check by extra attendance, constant change of linen, &c., or more restraint. He was of opinion that a considerable addition in the expenditure, for the purpose of in- creasing the comforts of the lunatics, would be not only justifiable, but really necessary. The conduct of the relations was altogether unjustifiable, and might, if not commented upon, afford an example for a hundred other cases. That rela- tions were at liberty to cut down the annual expenditure of a lunatic for the pur- pose of making a fund to be divided among themselves, was a doctrine of a most dangerous description, and would tend to every possible injustice. In fine, the Chancellor decided that a commission of lunacy must issue, and that the conduct of it should be intrusted to Mr. Bailey; and that the petitions of the brothers of the lunatics be dismissed with costs.
The case of Fitch versus Rotchfort, decided by the Lord Chancellor on Satur- day, involved the question whether pawnbrokers can take a larger interest upon loans of 101. and upwards than the Pawnbrokers Act (39 and 40 Geo. III. c. 99) allows them to take in cases of sums under 10/. In 1845, Mrs. Fitch, a married lady having a fortune under her separate control, pledged jewellery and plate with the defendant to secure a loan of 1,3801. at 151. per cent interest. The ar- ticles pledged were delivered to the defendant over his counter, and the usual tickets were received for them; but on the tickets was endorsed a special agree- ment giving defendant a right to sell the goods by auction in certain events. These events occurred, and notice of sale was given; but the plaintiff applied to the Vice-Chancellor of England fur an injunction to stop the sale, on the ground that the loan was a "pawnbroking transaction," and as such was usurious and illegal under the Pawnbrokers Act. The Vice-Chancellor granted the injunction, and his judgment was appealed against. The Lord Chancellor gave judgment to this effect.: Before the Usury Act, the Pawnbrokers Act allowed a large rate of interest on pledges under 101., and there ceased ; for advances beyond 101. were under the ordinary statutory restriction against taking more than five per cent interest. But the Usury Act abolished the latter restrictions, and now permits any interest that is agreed on. It is contended that this abolition does not extend to the restrictions on pawnbrokers ; but there is no exemption of that class from the extension of right. "The right to advance sums of money exceeding 10/. upon personal security, upon any rate of interest they pleased, was conferred by the Usury Act in question generally upon all her Majesty's subjects, whether pawnbrokers or not." The injunction to prevent the sale was therefore dis- charged.
A Mrs. Wetherelt, who has gone by many names, and has recently called her- self the "Countess of Carlisle," has been robbing and cheating numbers of persons to a large amount. When first brought before the Marlborough Street Magistrate, in consequence of a cabman's summoning her for a fare, it was thought that she was merely a bold swindler; successive examinations showed that she had successfully duped many persons: she had obtained 40/. by a forgery on the Earl of Carlisle when Secretary for Ireland; had carried off goods from a lodging; had obtained 7001. from a lady by fraudulent pretences, and goods from divers tradesmen; and she had misbehaved in a variety of ways. But on Monday, Mr. Bingham an- nounced that he had received information that clearly proved that the woman was mad. A few years back she forced her way into the Palace, while insane; and the result was confinement for two years in the County Lunatic Asylum. From communications made to him by Lord Ashley and two surgeons, the Magis- trate had no doubt that she was insane at the present moment: he regretted that the madness had taken so mischievous a form, but he could only treat the accused as a mad woman, and therefore he placed her in the custody of an officer of St. Mar- tin's parish. It is remarked that hardly one of the woman's victims had suspi- cions of her sanity.
At Marlborough Street Police-office, on Saturday, James Locke, a fashionably dressed youth, was charged with having obtained money on false pretences—to wit, as subscriptions for the "Royal Belgrave Lying-in Institution," alleged to be nonexistent. The prisoner is the son of a person living at 5 Chapel Street, Mayfair, who calls himself "surgeon" and "manager" of the charity, the busi- ness of which is transacted at his house. From a pocket-ledger found on the youth, he seems to have collected 400/. last year, and 40/. this. He applied to Sir John Lowther for a subscription; Sir John was suspicious, and the youth was directed to call again; he did so, was paid a guinea, and then given into the cus- tody of Inspector Lester. He told that officer that he was authorized to receive subscriptions by his brother the secretary and his father the surgeon of the In- stitution; women had been assisted within the last few months. Inspector Les- ter went to 5 Chapel Street: it was a dirty, mean- looking house, and there was no accommodation in it for a lying-in institution. The officer believed that the insti- tution had been given up for five years. Hereford, the constable of the Mendicity Society, stated that he had made inquiries, and he considered the whole affair was an imposition. He mentioned circumstances to show this. The sham institu- tion had been formerly carried on in Trevor Square. The prisoner's mother had been in custody on a charge of obtaining goods under false pretences. Young Locke told the Magistrate that he wished his father to be present to make expla- nations for him. The institution is still in activity. Women are attended, not in Chapel Street, but at their own houses. When asked why the printed papers of the charity which were found on him bore so old a date as 1832, he said that that was the period of the foundation of the institution. He was remanded till Wednesday. On Monday, James Locke the father and George Carter Locke the second son were produced in court, having been apprehended in Chapel Street by Inspector Lester. Locke declared to the officer that the institution still flourished; in the prospectus there were the names of many of -the nobility announced as forming a
committee ; they were invited to attend on business days and could do so if they thought proper. Inspector Lester seized a number of books and papers connected with the scheme. When brought up on Wednesday, numbers of gentlemen were in attendance to give evidence against the prisoners, to whom they had paid subscriptions for the fictitious society. The steward of the Datche.ss of Kent deposed to the barefaced way in which her Royal Highness's name had been continued in prospectuses as a patron after she had withdrawn all countenance from the institution. Other tes- timony was given showing the fraudulent character of the proceedings. Mr. Hardwick said, he should eventually commit the accused, but meanwhile he would remand them for a week, that they might have an opportunity of making a de- fence: they might be admitted to bail if they could procure it.
At Bow Street Police-office, on Tuesday, the Reverend Cornelius Griffin, Vicar of Haselar, near Stratford-on-Avon' appeared against Patrick Hay and John Alves, two men who had victimized him by a deep-laid scheme. An advertise- ment appeared last mouth, offering an appointment as chaplain to a clergyman of the Established Church. Mr. Griffin answered it; and a correspondence ensued between him and Hay, who had a" Crown Colonies Office" in Cannon Row. Hay said the appointment was that of Chaplain to her Majesty, commencing at 601. a year, but with fine prospects; Lord John Hay, one of the Lords of the Admi- ralty, had the patronage; and a douceur of 6001. was necessary. The upshot was, that the rogue got 1001 on account from the clergyman, and further sums for "fees"; but Mr. Griffin's appointment did not appear in the Gazette, and Hay absconded. Alves subsequently went to Stratford, and had an interview with Mr. Griffin, pretending that he was sent by another clergyman who had been swindled by Hay; and he tried to extract money to prosecute Hay L but Mr. Griffin was wary this time, and would have nothing to do with Alves. A few days after, the impostor appeared in his true character, by writing to the prose- cutor that the other clergyman had been content with losing his money on con- dition of getting his papers restored: Hay had got possession of documents be- longing to Mr. Griffin. Other evidence proved that the two men were con- nected. They were ordered to put in heavy bail to reappear in a week.
Miss Lydia Dixon was finally examined by the Richmond Magistrates on Sa- turday. Tradesmen gave evidence proving that goods found at her two lodgings had been stolen. Mrs. Jackson, the godmother of the accused, stated that she had suffered from brain-fever, and she used a shower-bath for a chronic affection of the head. She was not in pecuniary want, and could have no motive for theft. Miss Dixon made some rambling statements to the Bench. She was fully com- mitted for trial at the Central Criminal Court; but it was intimated that she would be admitted to bail.
Strudwick, a convict who was under sentence of transportation, has succeeded in escaping from Newgate. He had been placed in a room on the women's side of the prison to whitewash it; while alone, he managed by some means to mount to a skylight, got through it, and ascended the roof of the gaol. By desperate efforts he surmounted the chevaux de frize and other obstacles between the pri- son and the neighbouring houses, and scrambled over some dozen roofs in New- gate Street, eventually entering the Number Seven public-house by means of a trap-door. A waiter encountered him descending the stairs: he was covered with blood, and had marks of whitewash on him. He told the waiter that he had been employed in repairing a roof hard by, had had a dreadful fall, and in the agony caused by his wounds had entered the wrong house. The waiter sym- pathized with him, and advised him to make all haste to St. Bartholomew's Hos- pital: the convict lost no time in getting into the street; and he has not since been heard of.
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