15 JUNE 1844, Page 8

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The Merchant Tailors Company gave their annual banquet at their Hall, on Tuesday ; Mr. C. M. Hullati, the Master, in the chair. Dr, Wynter, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, the Lord Mayor, se- veral Peers, dignitaries of the Law, of the Church, and of London. Corporation, were present; but Ministers were prevented by public bu- siness from attending as usual.

Instead of the Anti-Corn-law League meeting at Covent Garden Theatre on Wednesday, there was the annual festival of the City of London Conservative Association. Alderman Thompson was Chair- man ; and there were a number of Members of Parliament and leading City Conservatives, in all nearly 1,000 gentlemen, with a great assem- blage of ladies in the boxes. The meeting appears to have been very animated in its reception of toasts and speeches; but there is nothing, to strike one in the reported oratory.

The Polish ball took place at Willis's Rooms on Monday night, and) was more numerously and fashionably attended than it has been in any- previous year. The Emperor Nicholas is reported to have sent for ic ticket, and to have given 5001. for it ! Another account is, that he offered a " donation " of that amount, but that it was declined.

The annual meeting of the British and Foreign Temperance Society was held on Tuesday, at the Music Hall in Store Street ; the Bishop of Norwich presiding. There was an irruption of Teetotallers, whose total abstinence did not extend to verbal excitement : even the Chairman seems to have been betrayed into some intemperance of bearing ; and he dissolved the meeting in the midst of uproar.

The match of the Royal Thames Yacht Club for the Grand Challenge Cup took place on Monday ; when the prize was won by Lord Alfred. Paget's Mystery, sailed by Stokes. Five other vessels were in the race—the Gnome, Gazelle, Exquisite, Blue Bell, and Enigma ; the Ex- quisite being a small boat of fifteen tons; the others of twenty-five tons. They all started from Greenwich at a quarter past twelve o'clock ;. Enigma rounded the buoy off Coalhouse Point, Gravesend, at twenty- four minutes to three ; and the My stery rounded the buoy at Greenwich at five minutes to six—the Blue Bell was close astern, Enigma was third,. the Gnome fourth, the Gazelle (which had lost her topmast) and the Exquisite in the rear.

Hampton Races began on Wednesday ; much shorn of their attractiona by Sir James Graham's interdict against gaming. It was deemed.

prudent, in consequence, to reduce the three days to two. The at- tendance, however, was numerous, and, as it usually is, very miscel- laneous; including some of most keen patrons of the turf, titled and untitled. On the first day, Lord Edward Russell's Nat, (ridden by Sly,) won the Stewards' Plate of 50/. added to a sweepstakes; Lord Lonsdale's Blackdrop, (Rogers,) the Surrey and Middlesex Stakes ; Mr. Dockeray's Molly Mogg, (Bartholomew,) the Strawberry Hill Stakes.

Thursday the attendance was very numerous ; and the course was crowded and very ill kept. The Claremont Stakes were won by Sir S. Spry's Sir Hercules, (Matthews ;) the Queen's Plate of 10 guineas by Mr. Death's Misdeal, (Nat ;) the Hurst Cup of 40 sovereigns, with a sweepstakes, by Sir Gilbert Heatheote's Velocipede, (Crouch.)

A Committee for Privileges of the Lords sat on Thursday, and pro- ceeded with the claim of Sir Augustus d'Este to the Dukedom of Sussex. A great number of documents, more love-letters by the late Duke, and a couple of his wills, acknowledging his wife and sons, were produced. Some witnesses were also examined, chiefly to authenticate the docu- ments: but among them were Lord Northwick and the Earl of Maccles- field, who were at Rome about the time of the marriage ; and Lord Northwick deposed to the fact that he afterwards saw Prince Augustus in Grosvenor Square, and that he behaved to Lady Augusta Murray as his wife. The further examination into the ease was postponed to Tues- day the 25th instant.

In accordance with a determination expressed by the Court of Ex- chequer, on Saturday, an affidavit was produced on Monday, stating that Mr. Wood became the owner of Running Rein in November 1843, and that be had since that period paid all his stakes and borne all his expenses. The affidavit did not state whether Mr. Wood was part owner or not.

At the Central Criminal Court, on Thursday, Elizabeth Lindsay and Ellen Lindsay were charged with stealing, and James Lindsay with receiving, a quantity of blankets, linen, 8tc., from Buckingham Palace. The evidence for the prosecution was the same as that given at the Police-office. The defence was, that part of the things were given to Elizabeth, who had charge of the linen, by the late Sir T. B. Marsh ; and that the rest were used by her instead of a quantity of similar things, her own property, which she gave out for use in the Palace in common with the Royal property. Several witnesses proved that unmarked things were habitually used with those bearing the usual marks. For the male prisoner it was pleaded that he knew nothing of the matter. An irreproachable character was given to all the prisoners. After four lours' deliberation, the Jury acquitted them all. Yesterday, Augustus Dalmas was tried for the murder of Sarah Eleanor M'Farlane, at Battersea Bridge, on the 29th of April last. The evidence disclosed nothing in addition to the tale which was made familiar to the public by the long examinations before the Coroner. The defence by his counsel, Mr. Wilkins, consisted in pointing out the weak parts of the evidence ; contending that the declaration of the dying -woman, that Dalmas had killed her, was the effect of a confused mind ; and that the man who was seen to run up Church Street crying "Police!" (which would have shown Dalmas's knowledge of the murder) was not Dalmas, but a Mr. Mullins, dressed in a broad-brimmed hat like the Frenchman's. The Jury retired at twenty minutes past five, and at twenty minutes past eight they returned a verdict of " Guilty." Sentence to be pronounced today.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Wednesday, Oliver Walsh, a car- penter and builder of Dublin, was charged with sending a threatening letter to Sir Robert Peel. In the letter, dated on the 8th instant, he complained that a prayer of a petition had been refused, and said- " I will stand on my right as a citizen with my life ; and, if justice be not awarded me, I will leave some of your authorities in Ireland as sad a tale to brood over as ever the family of Mr. Drummond had. I will respectfully wait an answer, should it be the warrant of a Policeman : I am prepared for the worst."

He was seized at a lodging in Lambeth Marsh, on Monday morning. When called upon by Mr. Jardine, the Magistrate, for his defence, he said that his property had been seized in Dublin ; he had been refused -justice at the Dublin Police Courts ; the Magistrates bribed the news- paper-reporters to suppress his case ; and distress had brought on a brain fever. They had said he was insane ; but, he added, "lam not insane ; • but they might as well fasten a pan to my tail and cry me through the streets as a mad dog, as they absolutely have done." He said that he had no friends in London ; and bursting into tears, he wept bitterly. He was ordered to put in bail, himself under penalty of 2001., and two -sureties of 100/. each, for his good behaviour during the next four months; and in default he was committed to Tothill Fields prison.