Zbe Ifletropolts.

The Lord Mayor and his lady gave the customary Easter entertainment on Monday to a numerous party. Lord Clanricarde, the Bishop of Chiches- ter, Mr. Justice Coltman, and some Members of Parliament, were present. The Bishop spoke at considerable length, but on no topic of general interest.

The inhabitants of the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields met in Vestry on Saturday, to adopt a congratulatory address to the Queen on the events of Monday the 10th instant. The Vicar, the Reverend Sir Henry Dukin- field, presided. Mr. E. W. Gladstone, M.P., proposed an address which he had prepared at the request of the Vicar; prefacing it with a loyal speech. His composition, however, was not unanimously approved of, and Mr. Henry Pouncey proposed the omission of the concluding sentence,—namely,

"And we pray your Majesty's happy reign may be remembered to the latest posterity, as for other distinctions, so especially for the careful, impartial, and fru- gal expenditure of the public resources, and the further progressive improvement of the condition of the people."

He moved this amendment-

" While the meeting, dutifully and mast respectfully expressing toyour Majesty the strong attachment to your Majesty's throne and person' and their determina- tion to uphold and support them, they would be guilty of a fatal omissionif they did not at the same time express their conviction that the delusions which artful men have employed in their endeavours to raise an armed opposition to them have been fearfnlly aided by a feeling that the public expenditure of the country has been profuse, and the taxation and representation unequal. And your Majesty's faith- ful subjects in loyal sincerity would implore your Majesty to direct a severe in- vestigation into the expenditure and taxation; so that, whatever defects existing therein being removed, there shall remain to no class of your Majesty's subjects any just ground of complaint, and your Majesty's throne may be more firmly es- tablished in the affections of your Majesty's subjects.",

There was a prevailing feeling that the people weils not fairly represented in the House of Commons, that taxation was unequal, and that the na- tional expenditure was extravagant. It was a duty to tell the Queen that as long as these evils existed, the country would not be secure from the effects of popular discontent.

Mr. Brooks and Mr. Gladstone opposed the amendment. Mr. Gladstone did not shrink from admitting that a revision of public expenditure was desirable; but the words proposed to be omitted clearly implied that there was something to be done which had not yet been attempted. If the ques- tion of Parliamentary Reform were now taken up, all matters relating to expenditure and taxation would be thrown into abeyance, and the present burdens must continue to he borne for a long time to come. Other speakers supported the amendment. Mr. Wilson declared, that if the special constables of the parish could be polled on the question, the great majority of them would be found willing to grant most of the points of the Charter.

After much discussion Mr. Gladstone consented to adopt the kw Phrase of Mr. Pouncey's amendment; joining it to his address, thus—" And in order to this end, they implore you to direct a severe investigation," &c., to the end. The original amendment having been formally negatived, the amended address was adopted unanimously; and ordered to lie on the Vestry-table for signatures during ten days.

An aggregate meeeting of the trades of the Metropolis assembled on Wednesday at the National Hall in Holborn, to receive a report of a Committee on the destitution of the London trades, and to consider reme dies suggested. The report stated that the workmen of London are about 200,000 in number: of these, 66,000 are out of work, 66,000 have casual work; and only 68,000 have full work, on reduced wages. It suggested several causes of this bad state of things,.—such as the monopoly of land by individuals, whereas land ought to be held in trust for all by the State; the fixed price of gold; the competition of prison arid workhouse labour with free industry; and the competition of foreign produce, now admitted at lower duties. [An expression of dissent here escaped from one of the audience•' who was immediately silenced, and forcibly turned out of the room.] Eight resolutions, asserting principles or recommending remedial - measures, were proposed for adoption. The following are specimens— "That for the just protection of the rights of labour, a Labour-protecting Board be established; the members of which shall be elected by the working classes, and, in virtue of their appointment, be entitled each to a seat in the House of Coin mons—the President being a member of the Cabinet—aa the representatives of labour and the guardians of its rights.

"That a measure should be passed to protect the labouring classes from the

existing unequal system of comt from foreign manufactures and felon and workhouse labour; each trade • called upon to determine what amount of work would constitute a fair day's labour, and the law affixing upon that amount a fair remuneration. " That it is a primary duty of the Government to introduce measure; that will sinnediately secure employment and education for all who require them, with a guaranteed sufficiency of the necessaries and comforts of life to each." The resolutions also demanded the establishment of self-supporting home colonies; the substitution of a graduated property-tax for all other taxes; and the extension of the electoral suffrage to every sane man aged twenty-one years and unconvicted of crime. After lengthened speaking, an amendment was proposed, going for all the points of the Charter, and for repeal of the Union with Ireland. A stormy debate arose; and it ended 4, the adoption of the amendment by a majority of the meeting.

A numerous meeting of the broad silk hand-loom weavers was held at the Crown and Anchor, Bethnal Green, on Saturday, chiefly to hear the statements of two gentlemen from the Distressed Needlevromen's Society. Mr. Garnell presided. Mr. Roper stated the intention of the managers of the Needlewomen's Society to call a meeting at the West-end, in order prominently to set forward the claims of the British artisan. He desired the weavers to select one or two of their body to represent them at the proposed meeting, and tell their own tale to the ladies of England. They would show that goods even superior to foreign ones were made in this country, and show how much the native artisan suffers from the fashion of patronizing foreign manufactures. It was hoped that the attention of the Queen would be attracted. Mr. Noquet thought the time a happy one for such an effort,—referring to the events in France. The weavers had no farther faith in the Legislature; so they had better produce proofs of their skill, and appeal to the ladies of the land. After discussion, two delegates were appointed.

The demolition of the houses in the neighbourhood of the Borough Mint has been commenced, for the formation of a new street from St. George's Church to Southwark Bridge Road. Next Tuesday a beginning will be made in pulling down the whole of the houses on the North side of Hol- born Bridge from Victoria Street to Field Lane, and on the whole of the East side of Field Lane.

Despite the weather, Greenwich Fair attracted a large assemblage of visitants on Monday; the railway trains being immensely crowded. The means of entertainment were unusually abundant. No accident of any sort is reported.

Mr. Cochrane's intended " demonstration " against the Poor-laws, on Easter Monday, did not reach even the dignity of a "failure "—there was no demonstration at all, though considerable efforts were made to raise one. The day was rainy, the Police numerous and strenuously resolute; so that all attempts to gather a crowd or procession were nullified. Mr. Cochrane left the Poor Man's Guardian Office, in Leicester Square, in a phaeton and pair—himself and two other persons forming the deputation. They were acoompanied at starting by an illustrated car, bearing on its panels por- trayals in glaring tints of horrible scenes supposed to be drawn from work- house real life,—paupers sleeping on stone pavements, huddled together with indecent confusion, &c. As the phaeton and car left the square, ranks of the Police were thrown across the streets in its rear, so that strag- gling idlers were prevented from following it. In Cockspur Street the Pollee were "dodged "—the arranged route to Whitehall was forsaken, and the vehicles were taken the whole round of Trafalgar Square. Under the National Gallery an attempt was made at speechifying; but the Police charged upon the gathering crowd and cleared it away. A momentary confusion was caused by a horse in the phaeton getting entangled in his harness; and during the rearrangements an exchange of epithets took place between Mr. Cochrane and active members of the Police; the latter obtaining oratorical— advantages oVer him, and raising laughter at his expense. On setting forward towards the Home Office, it was found that the car had disappeared—accidentally or by furtive contrivance of the Police; and new ridicule was founded on the incident. At last the deputation was got out of the square and into Parliament Street; and the Police having again thrown themselves across the road and detained the crowd in the square, Mr. Cochrane accomplished the rest of his route in subdued solitude. At the Home Office, Sir George Grey was discovered to be " ont "; and the petition had to be left with the clerks. A momentary consultation was held on the official steps: the reception of the petition was proclaimed to such of the public as were in hearing; and, as Mr. Cochrane wisely thought it would be "best to go home now," the discomfited deputation returned to Leicester Square.

In the Arches Court, on Tuesday, sentence in the s ise of Galls versus Gel! Was given by Sir Herbert Jenner Fu.st. Mrs. Geils ha. replied to a suit for resti- tution of marital rights which her husband began in 1845, by praying a divorce on various greends. As to the charges of cruelty, the Court, held that some had not been proved, and that others did not amount to "legal cruelty." Other charges of a disgusting nature were not sustained by sufficient proof to warrant the con- sequences of a conviction to all parties, especially the husband and children. Repeated adultery had been fully proved, and on that ground the Court decreed a separation: the husband to pay all the costs. Sir Herbert occupied seven hours and a half in delivering the judgment.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Tuesday, poor Tom Steele was brought up, charged with attempting to commit suicide. Mr. Hoare a solicitor, expressed the defendant's contrition for his offence, and assured the Magistrate that it should not be repeated. Mr. Jardine said, he must hear the evidence in the case. Seve- ral witnesses then described how Mr. Steele leapt from Waterloo Bridge into the Thames, and how he was rescued. When taken to King's College Hospital, he remarked to Sergeant Carr, that he was impelled by severe mental affliction; and then he added, "How foolish I acted, that I did not put it off until dusk, when I could have accomplished it without- any person noticing me." After some consideration, Mr. Jardine refrained from committing him for trial, and consented to receive sureties for his good behaviour for twelve months. These were immediately forthcoming. Mr. Steele expressed his gratitude to the Waterman who saved him, to the Police, and to the Hospital authorities. A sub- scription is to be raised for the unfortunate gentleman; who has gradually fallen from large estate to pecuniary destitution. An audacious robbery was committed on the London and Leith wharf, near St Katherine's Docks, in the middle of last Sunday night. Three men suddenly stacked an old watchman, threw him down some cellar-stairs, and locked the door upon him. Having taken the keys from him, they entered the counting-house, broke open a safe, and carried away about 1001. in cash. Bassett, the watchman, is not expected to recover.

Mr. James, a publican in the Edgware Road, has suffered some loss by the vin- dictive malignancy of some petty robbers. One morning, a policeman discovered that the shop-door was open, and on entering he found no fewer than twenty- ei ht taps turned on,. the various liquors running on the floor and thence into the OtiIs.r. It appeared that a robbery of a trifling kind had been committed; but

upwards of 1501. worth of spirits, &c. had run to waste. Two men have been arrested; they had a spite against Mr. James, and had uttered threats.