3Ettrupulia.

. Lambeth follows Flushing and Southwark in joining the Administra- tive Reform movement. The leaders in this borough are Mr. Chame- revsow, Mr. F. Doulton, Mr. Slack, Mr. Jonathan Duncan,—names pretty prominent in every agitation, from Caffre philanthropy to paper currency ; while Mr. Francis Bennoch represented the City Association, and Mr. Murrough, M.P., himself. At a meeting held at the Horns Tavern onTuesday,—Mr. Ellington in the chair,—these gentlemen moved resolutions, made speeches, and established a branch association to forward the movement. The Metropolitan Boroughs go beyond the City in proposing remedies. Their resolutions not only demand "the most sweeping administrative reform," but declare that "a prompt and peaceful reformation" of abuses "can only be effected by a wide exten- sion of the suffrage, and the protection of the voter by ballot." Several of the speakers distinctly intimated their opinion that neither the House of Commons nor the aristocracy is to blame—" it is the tuft-hunting spirit of the constituencies that is at the root of the evil" ; "it is the people themselves who are to blame." In the course of his speech Mr. Bennoch made this characteristic estimate of "influence," and the meet- ing cheered him- " They who started this movement have been accused of being compara- tively unintluential. But I say, without fear of contradiction, that the men who sat on the platform at the tar eting at the London Tavern, at which the movement was inaugurated, had among themselves more property involved to the right or wrong administration of public affairs than all the Miniaters of the Crown put together." An attempt was made on Wednoday to orry Administrative Reform resolutions in Marylebone. Some gentbmen, whose leaders appear to be Mr. Ferrer, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Jaeob Bell, have founded an Adminis- trative Reform Association. On Wednesday they met in the St. Pancras Vestry Hall, and placed Mr. Ferrer in the chair. But Mr. Ernest Jones came with a host of Chartists; proposed as an amendment to the first re- stitution, that the movement was "a sham and a delusion " ; nearly car- ried it, and elected Jones chairman, so that two were sitting at one time. As in this anarchy no sort of business could be done, the meeting broke up in despair—the disturbers were victorious.

The Maine Liquor Law agitation has acquired a standing in Exeter Hall. There is a society: called the United Kingdom Alliance and its ob- ject is to procure "the immediate legialative suppression of :ill traffic in intoxicating beverages." The members of this body, some 5000 in num- ber, held a meeting in the large room in Exeter Hall on Wednesday,— Sir Walter Trevelyan in the chair. Among these who took part in the proceedings, were the Earl of Harrington, Sir Robert Carden, Alderman Harrison of Wakefield, and Mr. Samuel Bowly of Gloucester. Lord Harrington, in moving a resolution declaring that the traffic in intoxicat- ing drinks ought to be prohibited, remarked that the Maine Liquor Law "farmed an epoch in history." It is more important than Magna Charts, or slave emancipation, or freedom of the press. It does not prohibit the use of alcoholic drinks—it only prevents their sale • 'and it has been adopted by eleven States in the American Union. Two publicans, Mr. Forster, and Mr. Nicholson of the Coal-Hole, opposed the resolution, as an interference with the liberty of individuals. This tried the patience of the Teetotallers ; they negatived the amendment, and passed the resolu- tion. Other resolutions, repeating the same opinion in different forme, were also agreed to.

At the anniversary meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, on Mon- day,—the Earl of Ellesmere, President, n the chair,—the Queen's gold medal was presented for geographical discoveries. The fortunate ex- plorer, this year, is Dr. Livingstone, the account of whose travels in Africa, between Lake Ngami and the Portuguese -settlements on the West Coast, recently attracted some attention. Dr. Livingstone is the firat man of European blood who has crossed the continent of South Africa. Among other useful things, he reduced to writing the language of the na- tives, and was thus enabled to convey to them in writing the doctrines of Christianity. A testimonial, consisting of surveying-instruments, was presented to Mr. Charles John Anderson, for his travels in South-western Africa. Mr. Hoskins regretted that the gold medal had not been bestowed on Dr. Barth. Lord Ellesmere, Sir George Back, and Sir Roderick

this country, and the geographical points of his travels have been esta- blished, no doubt he too will receive the medal. The report showed that the Society is flourishing, although some ex- pense has been incurred in altering the premises. The Earl of Ellesmere delivered the usual address on retiring from his year of office as President : it was subsequently resolved that it should be printed, and in the mean time we can state that no address of the kind was ever listened to with greater interest and admiration. The following abstract, which has already been published in some of the morning papers, ' enumerates the principal topics.

Lord Ellesmere commenced by adverting to the members of the Society who had been removed by death during the past year. First in importance was their friend and associate Sir John Franklin, the here and victim of the Arctic regions ; for which service he had been trained almost from his youth. He suffered shipwreck in 1807; he honourably served under Nelson at Copen- hagen and Trafalgar, and was one of six out of sixty, who, standing on the poop of the Bellerophon, escaped unhurt. He served under Cornwallis and St. Vincent; and, although wounded, after his gallant services in war, the harvest of his fame had still to be won. He was employed in America from 1809 to 1820; and by his services 1200 miles of coast were added to the map of the British possessions. The sad details that had reached them left no mom for hope ; preceded as that intelligence was by the sacrifice of the gal- lant Bellot, which melancholy event inaugurated the alliance now happily existing between his own and this country, As long as the name of Frank- lin should be known, it would be venerated and admired. After passing some warm eulogiums on the excellence of the late General Sir Andrew Barnard, (Governor of Chelsea Hospital,) Mr. Joseph Hume, Rear-Admiral Price, Colonel Lloyd, Sir Henry de Is 'Beebe, Mr. G. B. Greenough, Lord Dudley Stuart, and Lard De Manley, Lord Ellesmere proceeded to eomment on the advances that had been made in the acquirement of geographical knowledge during the past year. Since their last annual meeting Captain Collinson had re- turned in the Enterprise, having left his country in 1849; but had not added much to their geographical knowledge of the Polar Seas. From Dr. Rae's intelligent discoveries of the relics of Franklin's expedition there could be no doubt as to his melancholy fate ; but still it is hoped that further light would be thrown upon the subject by means of the Hudson Bay expedition. In allusion to the Arctic question, Lord Ellesmere observed that plans for the monument to Lieutenant Bellot had been submitted to the Council, and it would shortly be erected near to Greenwich Hospital. He also alluded to the opening of the trade between the United States and Japan, after all in- tercourse with the latter oountry had been closed for nearly two centuries. In conclusion Lord Ellesmere thanked the members of the Society for the indulgence they had shown him while he occupied the Presidential chair ; and announced his successor—Admiral Beechey. In the evening, the members of the Society and their friends dined to- gether at . Rooms. It so happened that both Lord Ellesmere and Admiral Beechey were prevented from attending the dinner by the state of their health, and the post of chairman devolved upon Sir Roderick Murchison. The chief toasts of the evening were appropriate to the la- bours of the Society. The Chairman proposed the retiring President, and the President-elect; Lord Overstone, the Geographers who had been that day honoured with rewards ; to which Mr. Anderson responded ; and Lord Stanley, "the health of Sir Roderick Murchison, past Presi- dent and now Vice-President of the Society, and Director-General of the 1. Geological Survey and School of Mines." Sir Roderick's eventful life was passed in review, from his opening career under Wellington, and the record of the name of " Captain Murchison" in the annals of the Penin- sular war, to his recent appointment. Here at last, said Lord Stanley, we have "the right man in the right place." In his speech of acknow- ledgment, Sir Roderick spoke of the great merits of the late Sir Henry de la Beebe, and the efficient staff engaged in the geological survey. The ! most conspicuous of the other toasts was "The Arctic Voyagers" ; t4t tnurt. Murchison said, that the Society was not in a position to judge of the geographical value of Dr. Barth's discoveries; but when he returns to

'which Captain Kellett, Captain M'Clure, and Dr. Rae, gracefully at. knowledged.

Archdeacon Sinclair held a visitation of the London clergy on Wed- nesday, at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden; and delivered a remarkable charge on the errors by which preaching is rendered ineffective.

First, there is "want of faith in its efficacy," revealed by the ironical praise bestowed on "abort sermons." Next, good preaching requires com- mand of language, readiness of expression,—a command easily acquired in youth, but not at a later period in life. Then the preacher should be ac- quainted with the elements of modern science, especially mental science and the philosophy of morals. Here the Archdeacon,eulogized Butler, and said he could not recommend Paley, who made prudence the only motive of vir- tue. Sound views of economic science are quite compatible with sound Christianity, and it is not safe for the clergy to disparage economic science. Artificial and antiquated phraseology, the style of Hooker and Jeremy Tay- lor' he deprecated, and said its adoption would be like donning the garments of Elizabeth's day in the reign of Queen Victoria. Another fatal error in preaching was that of undervaluing the capacity of the people. The under- standings of the poor, though not so cultivated, were probably not inferior to that of the preacher himself. They had common sense, and were often quite as shrewd and intelligent as their betters. Though their command of words might be small, they were by no means equally wanting in ideas. Their vulgarities of expression were often rich in argument and imagination. To address grown persons, therefore, because they were uneducated, in terms adapted to childhood, was a grievous blunder. They saw through the con- descension, and were indignant they discovered the insipidity of the preacher, and despised it.

The Lchdeacon concluded with an earnest exhortation to the clergy to fulfil their duties with zeal in this heart and centre of the British em- pire.

Whit Monday is an old London festival, but sadly shorn of its honours in these degenerate days of steam locomotion. The denizens of the Me- tropolis who formerly sported in crowds among the trees of Greenwich Park, and played many pranks in the suburbs, now fly away on the wings of steam, or content themselves with the amusement to be found in the War Exhibitions, Albert Smith's Mont Blanc, the wonders of the Poly- technic and Panopticon, and the treasures the National Gallery and British Museum. Perhaps it was as well ; for the weather was ex- tremely unfavourable for out-door amusements.

The affairs of the late Mr. Dyce Sombre again come before the public, in the shape of a cause in the Prerogative Court, headed "Dyce Sombre versus Troup, Solaroli intervening, and Prinsep and the East India Company also interven- ing." The object was to prove "in solemn form of law, the last will and testament, with a codicil thereto, of David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre, Esq., formerly of Sirdhana, in the Upper Provinces of Bengal in the East Indies, and late of Paris, dated respectively the 25th of June 1849, and the 13th of August in the same year; and which was originally a business of granting letters of administration, on the suggestion that he had died intestate, pro- Meted by the Honourable Mary Ann Dyce Sombre, widow of the deceased, against Ann May Troup, the sister and next of kin of the deceased, and also against Henry Thoby Prinsep, Esq., one of the executors named in the will." The Court was occupied all Wednesday in hearing very lengthy allegations, reciting the facts of the case, respecting the alleged insanity of the testator at the time of making his will. The cause is still in progress.

Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque has given judgment in the ease of Griffiths, Newcombe, and Griffiths, the emigration-agents, who became bankrupts after they had received much money from poor emigrants whom they were unable to forward to Australia. It seems that the firm, consisting of young men, began without capital ; carried on, at a loss, a large trade in a "Temper- ance" line of Australian packets ; and, regardless of warnings, re- gardless of dishonoured bills, continued to buy ships for the emi- gration traffic, and enter into engagements they could not fulfil. After reviewing the features of the case, the Commissioner concluded—" I have had some doubt whether it would not have been my painful duty to have re- fused the certificate altogether ; but the bankrupts are very young men, and it is possible—and I hope it is probable—that the example they have made of themselves, the disaster which has resulted from their misconduct, will operate as a caution in future, though not debarring them from returning again into commercial society, and a prospect of retrieving their character, I think the justice of the case will be met by suspending their certificate for three years, to be of the third class, and when granted, the bankrupts to remain six months without protection."

At the reexamination of Davidson and Gordon, before Sir Peter Laurie, on Thursday, several witnesses were called to make out charges against them Of obtaining tarp: quantities of goods on fraudulent pretences within three months of their bankruptcy. But the chief interest of the proceedings cen- tered in the connexion of Overend and Co. with the bankrupts. Mr. Bat- 'saline referred to the statement of Mr. Chapman, partner in the firm of Overend, that his house had no dealings with the accused after October 1853, When it was discovered that the metal warrants were false; and called a witness, formerly clerk to Davidson and Gordon, who proved that Overend and Co. discounted bills for the bankrupts, between November 1853 and the 3d April 1854, amounting to about 8000/. Mr. Chapman had also stated that his firm, on moral grounds, would have nothing to do with the lease of the bankrupts' distillery : but. Mr. Ballantme produced an agreement by which the lease was conveyed to Mr. Chapman ; and Mr. Palings, solicitor to Overend and Co., stated that he altered and signed theagreement on their behalf. Mr. Edwin James, Queen's counsel, attended for Overend and Co., and requested that no imputations might be thrown out against them, and that the public would suspend their judgment till all the evidence had been heard. Mr. Chapman is ready to meet any proceedings that may be taken against him. As to the agreement, it was executed after the bankruptcy, and Mr. Chapman could explain the matter. With regard to the statement made by that gentleman, in fixing October 1853 as the date of his last connexion with the bankrupts, he meant that to apply only to the metal warrants. Immediately upon leaving the court on a former occasion, he wrote to Mr. Linklater, expressing a wish to correct Ids evidence with regard to the discounts. The prisoners *ere again re- manded.

It is believed that some of the gold stolen while in transit from London to Paris has been traced. On Saturday, Samuel Seal, a person of respectable appearance, was charged at the Mansionhouse with the unlawful possession ef a quantity of granulated gold. On the preceding day, Seal took a small quantity of gold to the shop of Messrs. Samuels and Montague, and said he had a larger amount to sell: suspicion was excited' he was desired to bring the mass; he did so ; it amounted to 106 ounces; some of it was put into the melting-pot as an excuse for detaining Seal, and a policeman was sent for. Seal had told the dealers that he had the gold direct from Melbourne ; but the gold was in a form never sent from Australia—granulated; its value

was much less than pure Australian gold, and its characteristids were dif- hrent ; BO that the experienced manager to Meagre. Samuels and Montague believed it was Californian gold. When Policeman Hayden appeared, Seal said he bought it from a man he sometimes "met at the Docks."—Re- mended.

Thomas Phillips and Charles Smith are in custody for obtaining oxen and sheep by means of forged checks. The system of fraud adopted was inge- nious. Smith pretended to be a banker in Three Tun Passage, Newgate Market; he had checks printed bearing the title of a firm—" Smith and Co." —and so engraved that country-folks might mistake them for the checks of Smith, Payne, and Smith. Among the three or four "customers" of Smith's bank was Phillips—really in collusion with him. Phillips advertised foe cattle, and went about the country buying sheep and oxen, paying for them with checks on "Smith and Co." When the checks arrived in London, there happened to be "no effects" of Phillips's in Smith's bank, and the checks were dishonoured. Meanwhile, the rogues had sold the animals thus easily obtained.

Glasspoole, a dealer in building-materials, New Street, Lambeth, has been arrested and committed for having stolen property in his possession. Stolen bank-notes were traced to him, and he offered large sums to the Police to keep silence. This led to an investigation of his premises ; and a vast quan- tity of property was discovered, which no doubt has been stolen.

Two more burglars have been arrested this week, just as they bad com- pleted the robbery of a house in Chelsea.

Three men, Howard, Stewart, and Pink, in a state of intoxication, drove a cart over Mrs. Ann Legg, in Tottenham Court Road, and killed her. They have been committed by the Marlborough Street Magistrates, on a charge of "Manslaughter."

Two Italians, Feloj and Ferrari, partners, quarrelled and separated. The other day, Ferrari received by post a queer-looking book, hung with ribande. Suspecting that the handwriting of the address was that of his old partner, he opened the present with caution. It contained explosive material. Ferrari caused Feloj to be arrested, and Alderman Finnia has committed him for_trial, but admitted him to hail.

In compliance with an act of Parliament, the South Lambeth Water Company have proceeded to cover in their large reservoirs near Brixton Hill. The vaults over one of these were finished externally early in the week, and gangs of men were employed to complete the work within. But as this is holiday week, fewer hands have been at work : on Wednesday, when some thirty were so employed, and twenty on the outside, fourteen arches gave way, burying the men engaged. Assiatance soon arrived ; and when the men were dug out, there were found four killed and seven wounded.

On Thursday an inquest was held, and the Jury returned this verdict- " That the deceased, persons were accidentally killed by the fall of certain arches at the Brixton reservoirs of the Lambeth Water-Works ; and the Jury are of opinion that the fall of the arches arose from the centres being re- moved before the wheeling and placing the earth had been completed; and they would suggest that a half-inch course more of brickwork should in fu- ture be used in the formation of the arches."