Win sinetropolis.
A. Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, for despatch of business; but it was counted out without having despatched any business.
At a Court of Common Council, on Thursday, Mr. W. H. Hall moved the adoption of a report from the Consolidated Committee for authority to take measures to circulate Mr. Toulmin Smith's book on Royal Commis- sions and Local Self-government, at an expense not exceeding 3001. Mr. Lott and Mr. J. Hoole strenuously objected to such an extraordinary pro- posal; and Mr. Blake declared that only gross Liberal partisanship could suggest their oppositiou. The motion was carried by a large majority.
A crowded meeting of the Central Protection Society was held at Willis's Rooms on Tuesday; the Duke of Richmond in the chair. The Earl of March, the Earl of blalmesbury, Mr. William Miles, Mr. Stafford, and most of the chief Protectionist Members of Parliament, were present; but the speakers were exclusively practical agriculturists. In moving a resolution calling for a total repeal of the Malt-tax, as a "miti- gation" of the evils of free trade, Mr. Bennett attacked the Bishop of Oxford, as an advocate of competition. The Bishop's speech, he said, was full of sophistry. If competition were so good, "a little more competition in lawn sleeves might no harm. (Great cheering.) The morality of the farmers of this country is even higher than that of the Bishops."
Mr. John Ellman contemned cringing application to Government for a post- ponement of the Hop-duty collection: he would go to them and say, "Collect it if you dare!" If they did attempt to collect it, one half the growings would be sold up. He seconded a resolution which pledged the meeting "to use its utmost exertions for total repeal." Mr. Ball moved a resolution deploring "a seeming indifference in both Houses of Parliament to the interests of the tenantry, by those who were considered as natural guardians of their rights and privileges." He exhorted his hearers to fol- low "Lord Stanley, the ablest Mentor a country could have," and Mr. Disraeli, "who made Sir Robert quail, and was the admiration of all the agriculturists."
Mr. lligham counselled the farmers to resort to exclusive dealing in the borough towns; three out of every four of which returned Free-trade Members. "Shake cff the Ministry like young rooks: there will be a good deal of cawing, but they'll soon drop." (Great cheering.)
The Duke of Richmond wound up the proceedings with exhortations not to be fainthearted: the shipowners were lukewarm in 1846, but belied every reason to believe that they were now prepared to join with the agriculturists. All the resolutions were passed with acclamation.
A meeting of tenant-farmers from various parts of the country was held at the York Hotel in New Bridge Street, on Wednesday, to consider the best means of obtaining a total repeal of the Malt and Hop duties.
Mr. Locke, of Norfolk, in a speech of much statistical force, supported the first resolution, pledging the meeting to "renewed efforts and redoubled exertions to effect an entire removal of this most obnoxious tax." The question did not, in his opinion, hinge on the repeal of the Corn-laws: the Malt-tax was injurious, and restricted the growth of barley, before that repeal, and ills equally so still. Mr. Smith, of Sussex, thought the attention of the farmers bad been too much directed to the subject of protection. Mr. Lattimore, of Hertfordshire, urged the farmers to take the advice of Mr. Bennett at the Protection Society meeting, and narrowly watch if their Members " walked straight" on this question in the coming Parliamentary debate. Mr. Houghton, of Berkshire the largest farmer in Great Britain, reiterated this advice. "According to the Ayes or Noes on the coming occasion, so let the next election be." (Great cheering.) Mr. Houghton made light of the objections to national retrenchment. It was said the additional Income-tax could not be done without; but when the pressure came it was done without: so now, Lord John would soon find some plan rather than give up his place. Mr. George Smyth, of Hampshire, said that at the last election he asked his Members, Mr. Lefevre and Sir William Heatbcote, whether they would vote for repeal, and they said they would: but the other day he wrote to them again, and "no two men ever Blinked a question so much? Mr. Frewen, M.P., who was that ked by the meeting for his politeness in at- tending, declared that he "coincided with much" of what Mr. Cobden said on retrenchment. He had no doubt protection would be restored. Mr. Bacon said he had a letter from Mr. Cobden, stating that ha would second any agricultural Member moving for the repeal. Other resolutions, in furtherance of that moved by Mr. Locke, were car- ried unanimously.
At the Lambeth Police-court, on Saturday, Miss Harriet Martin, the Gover- ness of the Infant National School in Dorset Street, South Lambeth, was charged by a Mrs. Hughes with inflicting dangerous injuries on her infant-child, by seat- ing it on a scorching stove in the National School-room. Three little scholars intelligently described the occurrence: they saw the governess take up little Hughes, who is bet three years old, and seat him on the hot stove; on his scream- ing, she removed him to a form and wrapped him round with a cloak. Mr. Evans, a surgeon, stated that the child was so burnt as to be in danger of losing his life: the burns exactly corresponded with the stove mentioned. But Elizabeth Preston swore that she saw Mrs. Hughes whip her child since the occurrence, and that at that time the child bore none of the present evidences of burning ; and Mrs. Hughes was cross-examined to show that she had offered to compound the charge for a consideration. Miss Martin readily acceded to a remand, and she was liberated on giving her own bail in 1001. and that of two friends in 501. each, to appear again on a future day. On Tuesday, the Reverend Mr. Kemble and several ladies and gentlemen con- nected with the Infant School appeared at the Police-court, and informed Mr. Norton that Miss Martin had made a confession and had authorized this state- ment of what really occurred. "The child entered the school wet and crying, and Miss Martin thoughtlessly took him up and placed him on the top of the stove, regardless at the moment whether it was a stove or a seat. The child did not cry at the moment; bat when he did, Miss Martin took up his clothes; and, seeing the nature and extent of the injuries, feared that the circumstance might affect the interests of the school, or that she might lose her situation ; so she foolishly denied the charge." It was stated by Mr. Games that the child is not yet out Of danger.
At Clerkenwell Police-office, on Wednesday an application was made to the Magistrate for his assistance to remove a strange nuisance to which the inhabi- tants of Tunbridge Street, St. Pancras, have been subjected. About a month ago, a female companion of Mrs. Parry, who resides in the street, died suddenly. Mrs. Parry is rich and eccentric. Her house is very filthy. She would not believe that her friend was dead; insisting that she would revive after a time. So she dressed the corpse, seated it in an easy chair by the fire, and has since been in the habit of talking to it. The effluvium from the body began to annoy the neighbours; but Mrs. Parry refused to have it interred. Mr. Combo said he could not interfere, and directed the complainant to apply to the parish-officers.
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