311ttrninitit.

The Corporation of the City of London have sent in to the Royal Com- mission a report agreed to in Common Council, setting forth such altera- tions as they recommend in the constitution of the body. They propose that any occupier rated to the police-rate at 101., or any number of occu- piers of the same premises rated to an amount which divided gives a sum of 101. to each occupier, shall have a vote,—provided that they are not subject to any legal incapacity; that any person, not bankrupt, insolVelt, or not having compounded with his creditors, shall be eligible for the office of Common Councilman, Alderman, or Sheriff, but the disqualifica- tion to cease when debts have been paid in full ; that the Livery be in- cluded in the constituency ; that nominations take place in one day, and the poll on the next' that the Lord Mayor shall be selected from those Aldermen who have been Sheriffs, and that his election at Common Hall shall be absolute ; that Aldermen shall be elected for life, Common Coun- cilmen annually, the numbers remaining as at present ; that Aldermen or Common Councilmen who become insolvent or bankrupt vacate their offices becoming reisligible when they have paid their debts in full; that the Lord Mayor's Court be continued; that payments shall only be made under the authority of the Common Council; that the Chamberism be

elected by the Common Council; that the bye-laws restraining persons not free of the City from carrying on trade be repealed, and the street- tolls abolished ; and that there be only two Courts in the City, the Lord Mayor's Court and the Sheriff's Court.

The Metropolitan Commistion of Sewers is now virtually at an end. At a meeting held on Monday, the report of Mr. Basalgette and Mr. Hay- wood, recommending a scheme for the main drainage of London on the plan of the late Mr. Foster, was presented; and also a report from Sir William Cubitt, approving Of the scheme. But before it could be put to the Board, the Secretary read a. letter from Mr. Henry Fitzroy, stating that he had been directed by Lord Palmerston to enclose a letter from Mr. F. O. Ward "relative to the comparative value of the systems of drainage advocated by the Commissioners of Sewers and the Board of Health respectively : and I am to state, that, in his Lordship's opinion, the system of drainage recommended by the Board of Health is that which ought to be adopted, as combining the greatest degree of efficiency with the greatest degree of economy."

Upon this, Colonel Dawson moved, and Mr. Hawkshaw seconded the motion, that the Court adjourn sine die., After the expression of that deliberate judgment by Lord Palmerston, said Colonel Dawson, "in opposition to the principles and practice of this Commission, sanctioned by the highest engineering authorities of the day, it is not consistent with our reputation, or with the best interests of the public, that we should continue longer in office than until this board is reconstructed, or our successors are appointed."

The motion was carried nem, con.

Experience leads to the conclusion that the cholera will appear again next summer. A number of gentlemen, actuated by that belief, waited upon Lord Palmerston at the Home Office, on Monday, to inquire what precautionary measures Government intend to adopt. The deputation was headed by Lord Harrowby ; and consisted of Lord Ebriugton, Lord Goderich, Mr. T. S. Cocks M.P., Mr: Granville Harcourt M.P. Sir James Clark, Admiral Smyth, Captain Galton, Dr. Watson, Mr. Simon, Mr. James Bullar, Mr. Reginald Cocks, Mr. Aubrey de Vere, Mr. Arthur Helps, Mr. gullah, the Reverend Charles Kingsley, Mr. W. G. Prescott, Mr. Rintoul, Mr. John Ruskin, the Reverend T. Rowssell, Mr. C. Walsh, Mr. F. 0. Ward, and Mr. J. Melville White. One of the objects of the deputation was to urge upon Government the necessity of amending the Health Act. The Home Secretary said that Sir William Molesworth, in his official character, intended to propose an amended act; but Lord Pal- merston had not seen it; and he had not had any opportunity of ascertain- ing precisely what additional powers it would be necessary to ask for : he would be glad if the deputation would furnish him, in writing, with the heads of the required imprcrvements. Several suggestions were made. Lord Ebrington pointed out the difficulty of raising money ; Mr. Helps, the want of a controlling body for dealing with a subject so important as that of health ; Mr. Buller, the want of power to the water companies to supply all houses at present without a supply, charging the first expense to the landlord in ease the tenant refused; Mr. F. O. Ward enforced this view, and urged the importance of enabling Commissioners to raise money so that they might dietribute the cost of works over periods say of thirty years.

A deputation from the City, headed by Mr. Masternian M.P., waited on Lord Abercleen. on Saturday, to urge the necessity of collecting accurate returns of the agricultural produce of the country. In reply to the statements of the deputation, Lord Aberdeen said that the importance of the object is fully admitted, and its practicability proved ; "the time and the mode of the inquiry, therefore, are now the only points to be deter- mined on." It is desirable to avoid measures that might appear com- pulsory.

A deputation from the Anti-Centralization -Union waited on Mr. Baines, and set forth that the Law of Settlement and Removal Bill would do away with the interests that lead to local and self-government. Mr. Toulmin Smith said, that if the law of removal were abolished, the law of settlement must be done away with. Mr. Baines repeated what he had said to a previous deputation, that the object of the bill was to abolish compulsory removal. The bill would not affect the law of settlement. He thanked the deputation for waiting on him, and said if Mr. Smith would frame his views in writing they should receive prompt attention.

The first school of design, as a branch of a parochial school, was opened with some ceremony on Monday, in connexion with the National School of St. Martin's in the Fields. The inaugural address was delivered from the chair by the Duke of Argyll. Lord Haddo Mr. Cardwell, and Lord Goderich, also addressed the meeting. The Children, 600 in number, were present.

The annual meeting of the Association for the Repeal of the Taxes on Knowledge was held on Wednesday, in Exeter Hall; Mr. J. L. Ricardo in the chair. Mr. John Cassell, Mr. Ingram, Mr. Collett, Mr. H. J. Crawford, and Mr. Cobden, were the speakers. Resolutions against the Paper-duty and the stamp-tax were agreed to. In the course of his speech, Mr. Cobden admitted that the abolition of the paper-duty cannot be effected while we are at war or preparing for war • hut the stamp-tax, he insisted, was of such an amount that it might be dispensed with either in time of peace or war.

At the general meeting of the Crystal Palace Company, on Tuesday, it was resolved unanimously to increase the capital by 250,0001.—making it 1,000,000/. The addition is wanted to make good losses by accidents, extra, labour, the reconstruction of the water-towers, and some other ne- cessary but unforeseen expenses.

The contemplated change in the hour of commencing business at the Bank Of England—from, nine o'clock to ten—was not carried out on Wednesday. The mercantile body having declared it would be inconvenient, the private bankers were deterred from adopting the alteration, and consequently the Directors of the Bank of England have abandoned the scheme; but they will be ready to reconsider it if any opportunity should arias.

Inthe Bankruptcy Court, on Saturday, Mr. Commissioner Goulbum de- livered judgment on a question of certificate for a Mr. Tredinnick, described as a mining broker and dealer in shares. The creditors had applied for a first-class certificate for Tredinnick, on the ground that it would materially help the bankrupt in disposing of his shares for their benefit. The Commis- sioner declined to accept that as a reason for granting a first-class certifi- cate; and to justify himself, looked closely into the conduct of Tredinnick as a trader. He described him as one who, freed from one difficulty, rushed into another, and speculated without consideration; as having no regard to his expenditure, no mode of verifying his accounts; as one who gambled in the shares of companies :of every sort, some with titles almost ludicrous ; and surely to such a trader he was not to award a fit-at-class certificate. As the failure of Tredinnick had not wholly or in part arisen from unavoidable loss and misfortune, he should award him a third-class certificate.

At the opening of the session of the Central Criminal Court on Monday, the Recorder stated that the offences of coining and uttering base money are on the increase ; out of one hundred and fifteen prisoners for trial, no fewer than thirty-five were charged with crimes of that kind.

James Boyd, the young groom who allowed himself to be persuaded into complicity in stealing jewellery the property of his master, Mr. Alexander, was brought up for judgment. He had pleaded guilty, and had given evi- dence against the two cabmen who led him astray ; their sentence had been two years' imprisonment, but the Recorder pronounced on Boyd the more lenient judgment of six months' imprisonment.

Thomas Speight, a boy of fourteen, has been committed by the Marylebone Magistrate for a singularly wanton offence. He got on to the North-West- ern Railway between, Camden station and Primrose Hill tunnel, and laid five bricks on one line of rails and three on another ; this was done just be- fore some trains were due. A constable, who had seen the act, immediately removed the bricks, and seized the boy.

Richard Calvert, a ruffianly-looking fellow, has been checked in a brutal course of business—that of stealing cats to skin them alive. It seems that skins thus torn from the body form very warm linings to clothing, from the pores of the skin closing instantaneously as the ruthless operator flays the poor animal ; the dressers give lbs. a dozen for the raw skins. Calvert was seen to empty four dozen of freshly-skinned cats from a sack ; one was not skinned, the skin being diseased; its back was broken, but it was alive. It was the finding of this particular animal that enabled the Clerkenwell Ma- gistrate to punish the prisoner : merely killing a cat cannot be visited cri- minally, but doing it with " unnecessary torture " can. The skinned eats hail been disabled by breaking their backs, but they were dead when found; but as the unskinned one was alive, there was proof of the torture. Mr. Yardley sent the monster to prison for three mouths.

John Wren, a lad under eighteen years of age, has been committed by the Lord Mayor for uttering a forged bill of exchange for 10001. Originally another lad, named Green, was also accused, as he had been connected with Wren, but eventually he was admitted as a witness. The bill purported to be drawn by Colonel Colt, the inventor of the " revolver," upon Messrs. Baring, Brothers ; Wren took it, enclosed in a letter, to that firm ; the sig- natures to the bill and letter seem to have been well imitated ; but a clerk perceived that the bill was dated " 1849" instead of " 1854," and this bungling error roused suspicion. Both Wren and Green had been employed at Colonel Colt's manufactory _at Thames Bank, but had teeently been dis- missed; ; Wren proposed to raise money to carry them to,' perks. To get this money he fabricated the bill and letter. Ile told the rd Mayor it was Ilia first offence, and if he were discharged he would be " for ten years." . On Wednesday, James Brooks pleaded guilty of stealing watches. Brooks is the man who cleverly got possession of three gold watches and chains is the assumed character of Inspector of Police. It appears that he wailer- merly a Police-constable.

Villiers Pearce was tried for being at large in this country before the expiry of his term of transportation. From a written statement put in by him it seems that he has suffered great hardships and dangers in the Aus- tralasian colonies. For the defence, Mr. Metcalfe discovered a failure of proof : the certificate of conviction and sentence stated that "Villiers" Pearce was charged with forgery, and that 'William" Pearce was convicted and sentenced to transportation. The Recorder pronounced this objection to be fatal to the indictment. There was a difficulty what to do with Pearce after his acquittal: if he were set at liberty, the Police would pounce upon him for the sake of the reward given for the arrest of escaped convicts; but the Recorder could not order his detention in Newgato till an application could be made on his behalf to the Home Secretary. However, the transport found a way out of the dilemma by consenting of his own free will to remain

in prison for the present. .

William Anderson was tried for forging and uttering an acceptance to a bill of exchange for 2480/. The particulars of this case have already been noted. Anderson had large mercantile transactions with the Messrs. Pole, trading as "Van Notten and Co." ; he got several bills discounted which purported to be accepted by them ; suspicion arose, and the last bill,for 24801., after it had been discounted, was discovered to be forged. The case was fully made out, and a verdict of" guilty" returned.

On Thursday, Mr. Jeremiah Smith, the present Mayor of Rye was tried for wilful and corrupt perjury before a Committee of the House oiCommons. Smith has been for a long time the manager of election matters at Rye. In 1852 Mr. Alexander Mackinnon was returned for the borough; he was petio tioned against; Smith was a witness ; he was examined about a certain dinner to the electors ; he said he had paid for the dinner, not Mr. Mackin. non, and that he looked to Mr. Curteis, the retiring Member, to reimburse him ; the dinner cost 226/. The counsel for the Bitting Member admitted that the election was void. Subsequently the House of Commons ordered an inquiry into the state of the borough. Smith was again examined' when-his former evidetice was read to him he admitted that what he had said about the dinner was false; he was sorry for it ; he really had received the money from Mr. Mackinnon to pay for the dinner. The first statement was the perjury now prosecuted. Officers of the House of Commons and a short-hand writer were called to prove the evidence given by the prisoner. It came out that the cause of the sitting Member had been abandoned before Smith gave his false testimony ; and Sir Frederick Thesiger objected that this put an end to the case—the purpose for which the Committee had been formed was at an end, and the defendant was not under examination by any particular tribunal. The Recorder overruled the objection. Mr. Mackin- non was called to prove the payment of 230/. by him for the dinner: he stated, that he put a bundle of notes behind a cushion on a sofa at the Red Lion inn ; he did not know who took it away ; he did not see any one take it; it was taken; - he did not know what it was wanted for, but he had beee. told to put it on the sofa. Mr. Reeves, a farmer' deposed that he took up the bundle of notes and handed them to Smith : "Smith was not surprised at all" Mr. Curteis stated that he had a running account with Smith ; he meant to pay for the dinner. "The prosecutor in this ease is some sneak- ing coward afraid to show his face : the Government don't prosecute." It was proved that defendant ordered the dinner and paid for it : he said it WM for Mr. Curteis.

Sir Frederick Thesiger urged for the defence, that it was not at all clear that Smith knew where the money calue,from •' Mr. Cartels gave authority for the dinner ; Smith might yet be unpaid. Vigra was no corrupt motive for the first Statement by Smith as the inquisy was over. In summits, tal• the Recorder pointed out the importance of the in9iiir7, and observed that persons elected to high office should be without taint. The :Jury soon pro-

nounced a verdict of "guilty." Sir Frederick Thesiger moved in arrest of judgment, and wished the defendant to be admitted to bail. The Recorder said he should pursue the usual course; he had not reserved any point for another court. Smith was ordered into custody ; sentence twelve months' imprisonment.

The man Adolphus Harrison alias Adolphe Feichtel, a Dutch Jew, was examined before Mr. Arnold again this week. Harrison, it will be remem- bered, is charged with the abduction of the Belgian girl Alice Leroy, for cri- minal purposes. Asked by Mr. Arnold how she guessed the purpose for which she was first brought to the house, she repeated, that she guessed it from the talk of Madame Denis and Harrison. She had not dared to remon- strate, and was too closely watched to escape. The girl continued her story during this examination ; narrating how Madame Denis, the keeper of the

i house n Denbigh Street, took her to Paris, and there sold her to a gentle- man herself assisting in the criminal assault ; that Leroy was brought back to Denbigh Street ; that during the absence of Madame Denis Harrison had charge of the house ; and that on the return of Leroy, she was kept a close prisoner. However, bitterly lamenting her hard fate, crying daily, she re- solved to escape, and conspired with a work-girl for that object. Elvire Cerekel, the work-girl, deposed that she had worked at the house of Madame Denis; had been employed to open the door sometimes, to get change for five-pound and ten-pound notes for gentlemen who came, and occasionally to fetch them cabs. Harrison kept the house while Madame Denis was away. When Alice Leroy came back, she looked sad, and cried very much, and C,erckel determined to help her to escape. They waited eight days be- fore that could be done. Madame Denis watched in the parlour, and gave strict orders that Leroy should be kept shut up. Leroy escaped partially dressed ; Antonio Verbeck, another Belgian, was by appointment waiting outside, and he took her to the house of a policeman. When Leroy escaped, Cerckel instantly told Madame Denis, and put the "establishment" which went in pursuit on a false track. She was confined in the kitchen •' but on breaking the window and calling "Police!" she was liberated. Mi. 'Aroold refused bail for Harrison, and he was again remanded.

The Commissioners of Police have sent out officers in private clothes to take short rides in cabs and test the correctness of the drivers' behaviour as to tickets, book of fares, and charge : the test has been too severe';' the caboien broke the law ; and a number of them have been brought before the Bow Street Magistrate and fined in small sums.

Mr. Pellatt's glass-manufactory, in Holland Street, Blackfriare Road, was partkdestroyed by a fire which broke out at an early -hour on Tueiday morn- ing. The disaster is supposed to have originated in the overheating of a flue.