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The Lord Mayor entertained the leaders and notables of the Derby party at the Mansionhouse on Wednesday. The Parliamentary guests were all of one colour. It may be remarked, that although the Tories stand embattled against the emancipation of the Jews, the City entertains a lively expectation of Tory. help in defeating the bill for the reform of the Corporation. Regard being had to the part taken by Lord Derby in the House of Lords on Monday last, it was not wonderful he should descant on the proposition that " the widest differences of political opinion are not incompatible with the most cordial sentiments of personal respect and regard" ; and that he should inculcate the aphorism that "the man has failed to benefit by his experience of public life who has not learned to esteem and respect those who from conscientious motives may dissent from him upon political questions." Nor was it more wonderful, con- sidering that the City is now Mr. Disraeli's client, that he should read a homily to Parliament through the Mansionhouse, to the effect that om- nipotent as it is to destroy, yet it is not omnipotent to create ; that it cannot' create the prestige of prescription, call into existence hereditary influence, or "invest new establishments with the sympathy, the re- spect, the reverence, that those institutions command which have for a long series of years contributed to the welfare, and, above all, to the his- tory of a nation." The changes that "the wisdom of the age" may think necessary in the great municipality should be conceived in the spirit of its first constitution. The "position and attributes of that imme- morial community " " will have due effect with all those Members of the House of Commons in whose names, as well as my own, I now offer you our heartfelt thanks for the distinction you have conferred upon :us."

At a meeting of the Court of Common Council, on Thursday, the sum of 5001. was unanimously voted in aid of the sufferers from the inunda- tions in France. On the motion of Mr. Vallance, seconded by Alderman Kennedy, it was resolved that the freedom of the City, and a sword worth one hundred guineas, should be presented to Sir William Williams of Kars, as a testimony of sympathy and admiration.

The two new Sheriffs were elected at a Common Hall held in the Guildhall on Tuesday. The gentlemen chosen were Mr. Mechi and Mr. Frederick Keats.

The Administrative Reform Association held a meeting, under its new Chairman, on Saturday last, at the London Tavern. The meeting was not very numerous, nor very enthusiastic. Mr. Roebuck was accompa- nied to the chair by his Ministers—Mr. Morley, Mr. Gassiot, Mr. Travers, and Mr. Revans. Several City notables were present, but no Members of Parliament, except the Chairman, Mr. Tite, and Dr. Michell.

-Mr. Roebuck opened the proceedings in a speech descriptive of the new objects and methods adopted by the Association. He said that he had seen the apathy of the people—he was going to say with shame, but certainly with sorrow ; that they had allowed the Government to fall into a few hands, who pursue party interests; and that what with the apathy of the public, following its pleasures without the courage to inter- fere, and the "imbecility and corruption" of the Government, we are - in a state of constant danger. lie gave two instances—the war with Russia, and the transactions with America. The war with Russia was brought about by Ministerial imbecility, and conducted with imbecility and corruption. The army showed great powers of fighting—he would say nothing of generalship—and then it was allowed to melt away like a wreath of snow. That occurred because the people were apathetic, and the Ministers imbecile and corrupt.

" It is idle to talk of administrative reform unless you are ready to have Parliamentary reform. The evil is there. Just for a moment consider the state of things in this country. You have a House of Commons which is in effect the sovereign power. on may call the state a monarchy if you will ; we may talk of Her Most Gracious Majesty—and nobody speaks of her with greater reverence than myself—but the real power of this country is in the House of Commons, which is said to represent the people. In that House von have by your apathy allowed the whole government of the country to be in the hands of some half-a-dozen families of the land. I see them - night by night, one-half ranged on one side of a green table and the other half upon the other side. I find among them party fights and individual hates, but I do not see the interests of England predominant. I am not now speaking of the gentlemen who have now possession of the Government of this country as daemons in human shape ,• they are men, and they will set as men always will do in their position. Then, I ask, who is to blame for this ? I unhesitatingly reply—you ; for upon this occasion you are to me the representatives of the people of England " We are now on the brink of a war with America, which is our chief customer—whose people art blood of our blood and bone of our bone—who are but Englishmen transplanted to the other side of the Atlantic, connected in every way with us, upon whom we depend, and who are dependent.upon us. We are upon the very brink of outraging humanity in going to- war with our brethren on the other side of the Atlantic. The cause of this is a want of knowledge, or a want of something else worse than a want of know- ledge, on the part of your rulers. They have gone on step by step, and you have looked quietly on, while there was not a rational man among you who did not foresee the consequences of this conduct, and saw that each step which was taken would lead to great mischief and to great misfortune.: . . .

" What is it that I deduce from the homily which I have read to you ? It is that you should take part in the business of the Government. How can you do so ? I think we can show you a mode of doing it. I have said to you that the House of Commons is the governing power of the country. Now, the great aspiration of my heart has been from the first time that I took a part in politics to see the House of Commons thoroughly reformed. But upon that question I have seen the people of England hot and cold—st one time ardent reformers and at others shivering at the very mention of the name of reform. ("Shame ! ") Well, it may be a shame but I am not answerable for the shame. Well, then, what are you to do ? You are to try to affect the House of Commons. You cannot now, in the present state of the-public mind, organically reform it. If you were now to -pro- pose Parliamentary reform to the people of England, they would turn a deaf car to you. (Cries of "No no !") Wait a moment. I. believe you can obtain the same end by different means. The public at this time are so fully alive to the evils of the existing system of administration, that by that means you can affect the House of Commons; but I believe ithat if at the present moment en angel from heaven were to come down. with a perfect measure of Parliamentary reform in his hand, the people of England would turn aside from it. I certainly am not that angel, but I know this, that if I were I should be unable to obtain anything like a hearing on that matter. (./1 voice—" Try them ! ") I have tried them. Now, in that House which is called a representation of the people, what occurs when a measure of Par- liamentary reform is proposed ? They say, ' Ugh ; there is so and so, he has got his crotchet. Well, poor man, let him have his crotchet.' The thing passes over, they put him in a minority, and there is an end of it. But if you pursue the course which I point out, you can bring thesegentlemen to their senses. Though they are not alive to-Parliamentary reform, they are very keenly alive to their own seats; and if you can sifted them through that part, you will affect them very vitally ; and you will create all that enthu- siasm which you now see has so utterly departed from them." In every constituency there is a third party, who if they cannot return a Member can turn one out. If they could gather these men together and make them act together, they would create a. feeling of responsibility in the constituencies, and through them influence the-House of Commons.

Mr. Morley moved the following resolution-

" The exigencies of the present time, and the singular incapacity lately shown by the various departments of the Government, render it the impera- tive duty of the people to take an active part in the management of the na- tional afthirs, in the hope of introducing therein the energy, honesty, and intelligence that ought to distinguish the administration of a great and civi- lized people."

Mr.. Morley took up a large space in denouncing " nepotism," " take- eare-of-Dowbism," the evil influence of " aristocratical connexions," and the like ; and explained the new mode of action.

The mode of action adopted by the Association would be this. They would keep a ledger account of the doings of every Member of the House of Com- mons ; and, going back to the commencement of the present Parliament, they would "post up" every vote and every incident that would betoken the motive of each vote. An abstract of a Member's account would be sent to any one who might require it for the purposeof information. They would enter into correspondence with constituents, and furnish them with facts that would enable them to decide whether their representative had done his duty. They would endeavour to get a very accurate record of that kind prepared before the end of the present year. He supposed it probable —and he regretted it very much—that Parliament would not be dissolved this year; but they should take care to be ready long before a dissolution took place, in order thatthere should be no mistake in the minds of consti- tuencies as to how their representatives had acted.

The other speakers were Mr. Gassiot, who seconded the motion, Mr. Travers, Mr. Jacob Bell, Mr. Mechi, and Mr. Wall, a working man. The resolution was carried by acclamation.

The Society of Arts celebrated their hundred-and-second anniversary on Tuesday, by a dinner at the Crystal Palace. Lord Ashburton pre- sided, and a great number of conspicuous members of the Society sup- ported him. In proposing "Prosperity to the Society of Arts," the chairman made an appropriate and effective speech on the position of the question of adult education. No man, he said, doubts the advantage of the public examinations and prizes- instituted by the Society of Arts. They had said to the adult mechanics, " Here is the- whole range of knowledge spread out and classified ; choose what you please, and we will test and reward proficiency." But is that enough ? Is the me- chanic capable of distinguishing useful from useless knowledge ? This is the question of questions. In 1825 a cry went forth for better culti- vation. It was answered by the creation of mechanics' institutes. They have failed, but the craving felt by the mechanics which those institu- tions sought to satisfy- remains unabated. " Whence, then, this failure of support—whence this lack on their parts of all operative faith-in our promises, of all remunerative demand for that which we propose to supply ? It is because, from a want of funds, from a want of competent teachers, of proper school-book; of necessary models and diagrams, recourse was had to a desultory mode of teaching through casual or amateur lecturers. The character of such teaching could scarcely be fa- vourable. Men learned to talk and write, rather than to reflect and act ; few only could derive that solid instruction, the fruit of systematic study, which strengthens and elevates the character : so it became possible that among the most noted students there might be one who was at times less thrifty in his household, less steady in his conduct, than the jealous scru- tiny of his plodding comrades would sanction ; and it may therefore have happened that over-anxious wives and fathers have come almost to consider the institute as a kind of intellectual gin-shop, disqualifying its frequenters for the plain duties of life. Knowledge came thus to lose its due consider- ation, and the mass fell off one by one, to relapse into the more congenhd condition of repose. It was because no means had been taken to call forth the spirit of competition to assist with its inspiring influence the love of know- ledge for its own sake. It was because we attempted to inducemento toil for that for which there was no demand, of which there was no recognition on the part of their employers or customers. Lastly, it was because we did then what we have done now ; we introduced an ardent mind into a wilderness of knowledge without a guide, without even a due." Much has been done since 1&25, -but be

ut one deficiency is still uncared for. "What is the pack of knowledge with which a man should set forth on the campaign of life ? The soldier does not carry with him in his kit the clubs and-foils by which his limbs have been trained—he leaves them behind him at the depot. The man soon forgets the dead languages and pure science by which his facul-

ties were sharpened—he leaves them behind him at school Is it not our duty to do something more than present the whole range of knowledge mapped out to their view and bid them choose ? Is it not our duty to de- vote at once our utmost efforts to the solution of the question, What is the pack of knowledge which' each man should carry with him into the world ? His wrmts are boundless - his means- of carriage are amid' i life is short ; school-time is shorter, knowledge is infinite—what shall his pack of know- ledge be ? I stop here, because the answer to this question involves mat- ters too deep, too serious, for such an occasion as this. I stop here, because I have not the qualifications which befit an instructor of mankind My part is rather to take post beside the beacon,'in the faith that my eager care may so sharpen my perceptions, as to-descry betimes the rising evil, and call out to the rescue, the good, the energetic, and• tlio wise."

Dr. Booth stated, in replying to the toast, that the Society had never been more prosperous in numbers, in usefulness, in pecuniary means. Mr. Ewart.put in a. caveat against carrying the system of examination so far as to make it lead to ".cramming.

An action further illustrating the liability of insurance-companies was tried in the Court of Exchequer on Saturday. The plaintiff was Mr. Prid- more' the defendants the-Briton Life Association ; the amount in question 501. The policy was " indisputible " except in cases of fraud. Pridmore had insured.the life of the Reverend. Theodore Buckley in August 1855 for 50/. ; stating in theproposal that Buckley was a man of regular habits. In fact„however, Buckley was a man of very irregular habits. His excessive drinking had rendered him liable to delirium tremens ; -and of that disease he died five months after the insurance was effected. But there was no evidence treshow that Pridmore knew anything of the bad habits of Buckley : and the Jurrfound a verdict for the plaintiff. Mr. Baron- Martin said, be hoped that this would be a warning to all insurance-offices to be more care- ful in their inquiries. If an inquiry had been made of the gentleman whose name was given as Mr. Buckley'sreferee, all this trouble and expense would have been-saved.. He also condemned the "indisputable clause," as a gross deception on the public ; for, it. seems to offer superior advantages when in reality it means nothing.

In the Court of Bankruptcy, on Thursday, Mr. Commissioner Fane gave judgment in, the case of W.. Mark Boyd. The case has been frequently be- fore the Court, and has excited much ..interest from its connexion with the Royal Bank of Australia,- a'scheme which failed. The chief creditor of Mr. Mark Boyd was -the Bank, on calls made under the Winding-up Act. -It has been attempted to be shown that Mr. Boyd was largely responsible for the failure of the Bank—that he " concocted " it—that his personal expen- diture was excessive—that his accounts were unsatisfactory, and so on. These accusations seem to have been made at the instance of the official manager who-has the winding-up of the bank under his centre' Commis- sioner Fane declared that they were all baseless. The real " conceeter ", of the bank was the late Mr. Benjamin Boyd, elder brother of the bankrupt ; the bank was not a fraudulent scheme, but was really expected to succeed; unfortunately, when Mr. Benjamin. Bovd, as ohief in Australia, arrived out, - there was a commercial crisis—he could not use the funds he was intrusted with in the manner intended ; he borrowed them himself—bought lands, ,sheep, cattle, ships, oil—paying 10 per cent interest, and giving a lien on the property as security ; lifn Benjamin Boyd's proceedings were approved by the Directors in England ; had things gone well for a few years there -is little doubt that the property-bought by him would have turned out very valuable. But a large portion of the funds of the bank had been raised an London on debentures having five years only to run : when they fell due there was a monetary pressure in London—interest was at 8 per cent—a crash of the Royal Bank of Australia followed. Mr. Fare ascribed the failure of the bank to those two circumstances—the commercial crisis in Australia, and the monetary pressure in London. Mr. Mark Boyd had little to do with the bank ; other parties were much more active in its manage- .ment. Mr. Boyd's personal expenditure was not excessive ; his accounts were fairly kept. For thirty years, as a stock and share broker, he had borne a character such as to win the respect of every one connected with the Stock Exchange. Mr. Fane said, while he is. as eager as any one to expose and punish frauds, he is at least as eager to rescue the unfortunate from imputations which they do not deserve. " I sincerely believe Mr. Boyd to be an honourable man. I shall grant him a first-class certificate with pleasure ; and I hope that when he returns to the scene of his former labours he will be received by- his former friends and clients with as much cordiality as he would have-been had he never had to pass the ordeal of.this Court."

Henri Michele was charged before Sir Robert Carden with picking a gen- tleman's pocket. Michele intimated that " he was formerly a Greek, but that he had been brought up in Rome.from his childhood." An interpreter was employed to explain the-evidence to him. The case was clear. After the evidence had been heard, -the prisoner said to the interpreter—" Tell his lordship that I'll go to Rome at once." The interpreter (having com- municated:with Sir Robert Carden)—" His lordship will be very glad to hear that you are going to Rome ; but- he says that you cannot go till you have -been _hard worked iu Holloway for Six weeks upon-bread and water." The prisoner—" Tell him rd rather go to Italy at once, and I won't go to Holloway." The interpreter—" His lordship says he is determined that you shall not pick any more pockets in the streets of. London, for six weeks at any rate." The prisoner—" Tell him there is no ,justice in this rascally place at all, and that I'll say so everywhere I go." 'fhe prisoner was then committed as a rogue and vagabond.

A fatal fire occurred in Lemon Street, Whitechapel, very early on Satur- day morning. A- Mrs. Sadler, who was passing through the street, dis- covered that the shop and house of Mrs. Solomons were in flames ; she im- mediately raised an alarm, and when a girl appeared at the first-floor win- dow with her hair on fire, induced her to -leap out—Mrs. Sadler safely caught her in her arms ; she also attempted to. save Mrs. Solomons in the same way, but Mrs. Solomons fell and was badly hurt. The fire-escape was -quickly on the spot, but the flames were too fierce to allow of its use. While the firemen -were at work, the head, of a woman appeared through the kitchen-window—Charlotte Trustie„ the servant,. bad only been roused by the scalding water pouring. upon her in the kitchen : an iron grating was torn up, and she was saved. Two girls and a boy, children of Mrs. Solomons, ware found dead when the firemen got into the ruins : they ap- peared to have .died in bed, suffocated by the smoke.