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A meeting of Liberal Peers took place on Saturday, at Lansdowne House. The result of their deliberation was in every respect what the country would most wish. About seventy Peers attended, and they came to the determination to give the Corn Bill their most hearty support, and to unite in opposing any amendment whatsoever.—Morning Chronicle. [Other accounts reduce the number to sixty. Several Commoners were presentj The annual meeting of the National School Society was held on Wed- nesday, in the Central School-rooms, Sanctuary, Westminster. The Arch- bishop of Canterbury -'resided. Many of the Bishops and other dignitaries of the Church were present, as well as a considerable number of influential laymen. The report was satisfactory— At Battersea,. 72 young men were under traillillg for schoolmasters; and during the last year 33 had completed their term of trawl:4, and had been placed itt

charge of schools. The receipts on account of the special fund were 132,0001.; of which the Committee had expended and promised 111,6391. At St. .Mark's College, Chelsea, 59 young men are now under instruction. The Westminster Training Institutions for adult male and female teachers, the Model Schools, the Infant School, and the Training Institutions for females at Whitelands, Chelsea, were also stated to be in active operation. The subscriptions and donations to the general fund amounted to 4,4081., a sum exceeding that of the previous year by 3421.

The Bishop of Oxford made a useful speech—

He had been much struck by a remark in an intelligent French newspaper. The writer said, "It seems at the present time to be the fatality of England, that she is forced to model her institutions and mode of life so as to suit the great manufacturing interests which have grown up in the land." There was, he thought, a great deal of truth in that opinion. It was at one time considered that a low standard of education would be sufficient, if accompanied with sound principles, to "keep things quiet." The dame schools, under the direction of the clergyman of the parish, though they did not develop the intellect of the children of the peasantry as they had a right to expect, would at all events, it was anticipated, "keep things quiet." But that time was past, and, if that society rose up to its proper position, it was a good thing the people would not now be quiet by such a kind of education. He held it to be as capable of demonstration as any truths in geometry, that unless the poor received a sound, moral, and religious training, revolutionary changes and misery would come upon the nation. With this belief itwas their duty to speak unflinch- ingly to the owners of property, and to tell them that for their own safety they must labour more heartily and earnestly to provide machinery for the education of the people. Already the owners of property in many parts of the country had responded with great liberality to the appeals that had been made to them. In Hampshire the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, the Duke of Wellington, had set a glorious example by providing schools, at which the children of all his peasantry could have a good English Church education.

He made an appeal on behalf of the schoolmaster—

The schoolmaster could not give up his heart to his work if it were the seat of lurking care about the means of subsistence. But the money-payment was not the only thing—the good opinion of society was much more important. He wanted to get back to the old state of things when every schoolmaster had his Bishop's licence—that is, the acknowledgment that he was one of the clericy of the land. He did not wish to effect this by legislative enactments, but by ac- knowledging the schoolmaster as occupying a place and position in the society of a country parish. It depended upon the parochial clergyman to do this. If he contented himself with solemnly shaking the schoolmaster by the hand upon gala-days, the children and their parents would soon see through that, and no good would be done. But if the clergyman bona fide looked upon the school- master as his natural assistant—if he took counsel with him respecting the moral discipline of his scholars, and through them of the moral discipline of the parish—if the clergyman would feel that the schoolmaster was also a member of the clerical order, he would become respected in the parish, and his hold upon the minds of the children would be much increased. He would strongly im- press it upon his clerical brethren, that by treating the schoolmaster as one worthy of his high calling, they would do much to raise him in his proper po- sition in society.

Epsom races commenced on Tuesday, under auspicious circumstances both as regards weather and sport; but there was a deficiency in the at- tendance. Various improvements in the grand stand, and a new regulation by which the horses were all paraded and saddled in front of it, contributed to the enjoyment of the visitors. The Craven Stakes, of 10 sovereigns each, were won by Mr. E. Peel's Spithead, ridden by Kitchener. The Woodcote Stakes, of 10 sovereigns with 100 added, were gained by Mr. E. R. Clarke's Miles's Boy, ridden by E. Edwards; and the Manor Stakes, of 5 sovereigns each with 40 added, were won by Sir George Heath- cote's Campanile, ridden by Chapple. Mr. Shelley's Tit-bit won the Horton Stakes of 3 sovereigns each with 30 added; Sharpe was the rider. Wednesday was the " Derby " day. The attendance equalled if it did not exceed that of previous years. The hill, the corner, both sides of the straight rim in, and every spot of the ground that afforded even a glimpse of the course, were covered. The splendour and animation of the scene were heightened by the beauty of the weather. The Derby Stakes, of 50 sovereigns each, 193 subscribers, were won by Mr. Gully's Pyrrhus the First, ridden by S. Day. Mr. W. Scott's Sir Tatton Sykes, ridden by W. Scott, was second; and General Shubrick's Brocardo, third. Twenty- four others started, but were not placed.

Tim Brrrnm.—The heavy losses sustained by speculators in another kind of sport, at Capel Court, operated against the making up of "books" for the race. At starting, the betting stood thus-5 to 1 against Fancy Boy, 8 to 1 against Pyrrhus the First, 10 to I against Toni Tullock, 10 to 1 against Sting, 10 to 1 against Sir Tatton Sykes, 10 to I against Conjuror, II to 1 against Humdrum, 15 to 1 against Pert colt, 25 to 1 against Brocardo, 25 to 1 against Iago, 40 to I against Nanette colt, 50 to 1 against Joinville, 50 to 1 against Sotades, 50 to 1 against The Traverser, and 1,000 to 10 against Grimston.

THE Rsex.—After one failure the horses started. "Sir Edmund jumped off with the lead ; Humdrum, Blackle, and a ruck of horses following him for about two hundred yards. Istactiethen took up the running, attended by the Conjuror, Sir Edmund, the Traverser, Joinvilla Tragical, Grimston; and Spithead, Tom Tullock, Sting, Iago, Bro- cardo, and Fancy Boy, lying in advance of the second ruck, and in the rear, last but one, Sir Tatton Sykes. They ran in this order at a good but far from a superior pace, to the commencement of the turn, Sir Tattoo there being last but four. The Conjuror here went up to Blackle, and went on with a slight lead until half-way between the turn HMI the road, when, both having had enough of it, the running was taken up by Gricaston ; Brocardo, who had reached the front rank at the turn, taking the second place, Joinvine third, Tom Tullock, Iago, Sting, Pyrrhus the First, and Fancy Boy next well up, and Sir Tattoo Sykes also getting into the first flight in coming round the bend. This order was kept until within a distance and a half of home ; Grimston then gave way, and sir Tatton Sykes went in advance, followed by Pyrrhus the First, Bro- cardo third, and Joinville fourth, In which relation they neared the stand. 91r Tattoo's lead then began to diminish ; and at the centre of the enclosure Sam Day calling upon his horse, reached him in the last two or three strides, and won by a neck ; beating not the horse, but his rider, who was too much exhausted to finish. Brocardo third, about a length from the winner, beating JoInville not more than a head. Tom Tullock, Sting, logo, and Fancy Boy, were well up, but so close together that we cannot say decisively which was fifth ; our opinion leans towards Tom Tullock. There seems to be no doubt that Sir Talton Sykes would have won had he not laid so much out of his ground in the early part et theme, or had Scott been in & condition to make the most of him at the end. Sting, too, lost his chance, In consequence of Spithead having crossed him, and obliged Bell to pull him back and go round his horses ; a circumstance that led to a complaint of foul riding against Francis. Fancy Boy was still more unfortunate ; he was badly kicked twice before the race, and in coming round the turn was run against and almost knocked down ; he was looking well at the time, and, notwithstanding the loss of ground consequent on the accident, finished respectably. The race was run in 2 minutes 55 seconds."

The succeeding races attracted little notice; but the following were the win- ners. The Carew Stakes, of 5 sovereigns each with 30 added, Mr. Mostyn's c. by Hetman Plated'; the Polesdon Stakes' of 5 sovereigns each with 30 added, Mr. Drewett's Prudence; the Burgh Stakes, of 5 sovei eigus each with 30 added, Mr. Cooper's Caen.

On Thursday there was a small attendance of visiters. The winners were these—

Epsom Four-year-old Stakes, Mr. Ford's Fuabon; the Hardens Stakes, of 10 sovereigns each, Mr. T. Dawson's Grimston ; the Grand Stand Plate, of 200 sove- reigns, Mr. Merry's hr. c. by Don John; the Cobham Stakes, of 5 sovereigns each, Mr. Booth's Tit-bit; the Walton Stakes, of 3 sovereigns each, Mr. Parr's Slipshod.

A good attendance yesterday, for the Oaks—

There were 140 subscribers; and twenty-four horses ran. The winner wee Mr. Gully's Mendicant. Mr. Watt's Laundrymaid was second, and Lord Glas- gow's f. by Retriever, third.

Birrrnto.— 9 to 4 against Mendicant, 9102 against Vanish, 8 to I against Mowerina, 12 to 1 against Princess Alice, 12 to I against Laundrymaid, 20 to I against Osprey, 25 to 1 against Hopeful, 30 to 1 against Pru,sic Acid, 30 to 1 against any other.

THE Itscs.—Chamois went off in front, hut after two hundred yards gave up her lead to Ohio; who was followed by Prussic Acid, Camelia, Cuckoo, and Laundrymaid ; the favourite, Osprey, the Emilia filly, and Mowerina, lying together in the centre. Prineesa Alice, who started in the rear, joined the first ruck haliosey up the hill, but this was the only change of any moment till they came to the turn. Laundryinald then took the lead from Ohio, the Emilia filly lying behind the latter with the favourite, Osprey and Mowerins waiting. Ohio was beaten about two distances from home ; and Immo- dieely after Mendicant went intront, had it all her own way, and passed the poet a winner by two lengths.

At length preparations are actually in progress for the completion of the Nel- son column: a number of workmen have been engaged on the basement prepar- ing the brick-work for the reception of the granite steps and bronze lions which are to complete the monument.

The great clock at the General Post-office, which regulates Post-office tima throughout the country, has just been cleaned and renovated. It has not varied one minute in eleven years.

On Thursday morning between seven and eight o'clock, as the men were re- pairing the Twilight steam. boat, near the Adelphipier, they perceived the water by the boats was greatly disturbed; they ascertained that it was caused by a large sturgeon, about seven feet in length, which, from the receding of the tide, had been left in that place. After some time, they secured the fish; and having apprized the Lord Mayor of the fact, his Lordship purchased it for 51., and after- wards forwarded it to Buckingham Palace as a present to her Majesty.

It is necessary that the learned gentlemen and others of the public who fre- quent the Law Courts of Westminster Hall should have a vigilant eye to that speeies of their property known as "moveable chattels," inasmuch as pocket- picking professors of first-rate proficiency, and transferees of books, hats, um- brellas, and other trifles, are going through their term practice, in the presence of the Judges, with success.—Times.

The Council of the Athenmum Club have offered a reward of 1001. for the de- tection of the thief who has been at work for some time past purloining books and the plates of valuable illustrated works.

Convicts for the new penal settlement of North Australia are embarking 011 board the Maitland, lying at Woolwich. The convicts are mostly from the Model Prison, where they have been taught useful trades.

In the Sheriffs' Court, on Thursday, a person who was sued by a tailor for the-. price of a suit of chitties, defended the action on the plea that the clothes wen illegal, because they had covered buttons instead of metal buttons, as required by the Birmingham Act, still unrepealed. The question, after much argument and many learned opinions, went to the Jury; who decided for the legality of the buttons, by giving a verdict for the plaintiff.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Wednesday, John Graham, the youth who shot Blewitt, was brought up for final examination. The only additional evidence was that of a surgeon, who described the nature of the wound of which he died. Being asked if he wished to say anything in his defence, the prisoner merely 1*. pasted, that the unfortunate occurrence was an accident, and he heartily re■ gretted it. He was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter.

At the Thames Police-office, on Thursday, Joseph Ady was brought up for IS. examination on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences. He was com- mitted for trial on the case of Mr. Hill, from whom he had obtained sixty postage- stamps. Another charge was then investigated: it was proved that Joseph had obtained twenty shillings from Captain Hornsby, of Woolwich, promising "in- formation to his advantage ": the Captain never derived any "advantage" from his outlay. The prisoner was also committed on this charge; but he was ad- mitted to bail in both cases.

Carter, a shoemaker living in Moorfields, has murdered John Oddy, a fellow workman, and been committed for trial. The two men had some words at a public-house; Carter exclaimed, "I will fetch something that will do for him!" he ran home, got a shoemaker's knife, returned to the public-house, and calling Oddy into the passage, stabbed him in the abdomen: the man died two or three days after.

Considerable inconvenience has been caused at the Surrey Sessions by a trick performed by Davis, a carman who was summoned as a juror, and his servant, one Smith. Davis sent Smith to the Court; and the latter answered to his master's name, took the oath, and acted as a juryman in several trials, all of which will have to be reentered on with a competent Jury. Davis has been fined 101.; and Smith is in custody until the Magistrates shall decide what punishment to inflict upon him.

Several dangerous collisions, one of which was attended with fatal conse- quences, occurred on Wednesday evening, during the return from the Derby. A four-wheel chaise, which was driven by Mr. John Winter, mune in contact with a carriage in descending a bill about a mile from Epsom; and Mr. Winter was thrown off the box, and so seriously injured that he died two hours after having been taken to St. Thomas's Hospital.

Mr. Francis Hildyard, a barrister, was killed in St. James's Park, last week, by. a fall from his horse. The fall caused a concussion of the brain; no surgical aid was of any avail, and Mr. Hildyard died the day after the accident. It WM stated at the inquest that the deceased had fallen twice before from the Mt= horse.

William Hoyle, the stoker whose leg was cut off by a collision on the Croydon Railway on the 3d instant, died in Guy's Hospital on Saturday morning.