• 'Ube jftetropolis.

The City Committee of Health was specially called together at the Mansionhonse, on Thursday; the Lord Mayor having received a verbal complaint from the Board of Health that the sanatory arrangements of the City Unions are inadequate to the present emergency. He expected that a formal communication would arrive from the Board during the sitting of the Committee; and had called it to the Mansionhouse immediately, that it might lose no time on account of his personal indisposition. Mr. Grain- ger was present, and made a statement of the precautionary measures which were absolutely necessary,—more efficient medical visitation, to dis- cover premonitory ailments; and the formation of temporary dispensaries. In reply to questions, the City Solicitor said that he doubted the power of the Committee to appoint Inspectors, after the Common Council had ex- pressly negatived the report recommending the measure. Mr. Wire de- clared that it would be idle to hesitate a moment: the City Solicitor was Tight in his law, but they must reject petty considerations, carry out the objects committed to their care by the Common Council in the spirit of humanity intended by the Council, and look to that body for an indemnity if they exceeded the strict letter of their commission. The Lord Mayor stated himself ready to take all the responsibility of this course. On the motion of Mr. Wire, the Officer of Health was directed to appoint a proper staff of medical officers to conduct the house-visitation.

At the meeting of the City Sewers Commission, on Monday, Mr. Daw read a report from the Chief Surveyor, which supplies some interesting extracts- " Up to the present time your officers have inquired into the condition of up- wards of 4,000 dwellings: 1,019 nuisances have also been presented by them, the reajority of which have, under their superintendence, been suppressed ; a large number also of the poorest inhabitants of the courts within the City have ex- perienced the benefit of draining and a water supply they had not known before. . . . . The slaughterhouses within the City are now paved, drained, lime-whited, and have a proper supply of water Steps for the prevention of interments [in certain churchyards] were taken ; but most unfortunately the powers of your act upon that bead proved inadequate, and the great benefits which were contem- platW by you, and which you essayed to carry out, were frustrated almost in the onset In addition to the daily cleansing of the surface of the whole of the krablic ways, the poorest localities have been from time to time washed with water.

it gangs of men have been for the last two months engaged the whole night in perforrning this ablution of the parings. It was deemed advisable to dis- continue as much as possible the further excavating of sewers during the hot weather; but where excavation has been unavoidable, deodorizers have been from time to time used when the nature of the ground rendered it necessary The house-visitation, both by the Police and by your Inspectors, is still in opera- tion as actively as ever In many cases the poorer classes appear to be perfectly apathetical as to the effect of their want of individual care and cleanli- ness, and they abuse or neglect the simple or convenient necessaries provided for their use."

In reply to numerous complaints of the delay in carrying away the con- tents of cesspools, the Chairman stated that the Commission has been ad- vised not to continue this process during the warm weather. He had the satisfaction to state, that sewers in the various localities had been contracted for, and that in less than a twelvemonth every part of London would be supplied with the most effectual means of drainage.

The Board of Health have issued to Churchwardens, Overseers, and other persons, a notification in reference to burial-grounds. They describe the injurious influence of intramural interments on the atmosphere, water- springs, and wells; and announce that they will adopt measures-fro the dia. Icontinuance. of intramural intermentarysliewee, " upon the-report of an Inspector, founded on the preliminary examinationrequired by the 10th sec- tion of the Nuiaanees Removal and Diseaaes Prevention Act, it shall appear that 'any burial-ground is in such a seats as to be dangerous to the health of the persons living in the ueighbourhood.'" However, they " urge upon Churchwardens, Overseers, and all other persons having charge of grave- yards, particularly in the Metropolis, the great importance of their volun- tarily making immediate preparation for the suspension of intramural in- torments: such authorities being now, by the 10th section of the Nui- sances Removal and Diseases Prevention Amendment Act,' empowered to discontinue the practice as set forth in, the words of the statute." In con- clusion, they " recommend that the arrangements made should in general be strictly of a temporary nature, in order that all danger may be avoided of their clashing with those general and permanent measures which it will be the duty, of the Board to prepare, at the earliest practicable period, for the sanction of the Legislature."

On Monday, on the report of Dr. Gavin Milroy, the General Board of Health ordered the Spafields burial-grounds, and also the burial-grounds at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, and the St. Thomas's burial-ground, Golden Lane, St. Luke's, to be closed.

The parish-officers of St. Saviour's Southwark have declined the re- sponsibility of obeying an order issued by the Board of Health, on the report of Mr. Grainger, for the closing of the Cross-bones burial-ground. At a meeting in the Vestry on Monday, Mr. Bailey, "the Warden of the great account," announced this course, and justified it by a statement of facts' founded on a perusal of the parish-records. In the ten years from 1826 to 1835, the deaths in the parish were 5,076; in the ten from 1836 to 1845, the deaths were but 2,967,—a decrease of 2,109: the burial in private vaults had similarly decreased. During the prevalence of the cholera in 1832, the burials of persons who died of the disease were 163; in the corresponding months this year, they have been but 56. During the last two months, there had been 90 deaths in the parish ; only 4 of these were in the localities round the churchyard; round the College graveyard only one case of cholera had occurred, and only 27 deaths in twelve years, of whom 11, persons were above eighty years old. The burial-ground had been rented for two hundred years: the fees in it are 138.; whereas those of the churchyard are 26s' so that the Board would force the poor to pay double what they now pay. He had lived near the place during the mortality of 1832, and not only did he not find any un- pleasant smell or vapour, but he never heard any complaint of any. Mr. Thwaites deprecated the meddling of a Whig Government, and in- deed of any Government, in their local affairs. He opposed the system of burials in populous places altogether; and he thought that if any other system could be fairly carried out, he should at once support it. Had a general order been issued for the cessation of interment in all churchyards in the Metropolis, or even in all burial-places on the South side of the Thames, he would have supported the Churchwardens in their compliance with the order; but he should certainly not support the carrying out of the present impertinent order of the Board of Health.

He moved a resolution, asserting that compliance with the order would be inconvenient and expensive to the poor; and proposing that a Commit- tee wait on the Board on the subject, as they had acted on false and exag- gerated statements. An amendment was moved and seconded, without success; and Mr. Thwaites's resolution was carried by a large majority.

The Vestry of the parish of Allhallows the Great, at the commencement of this year, unanimously resolved to discontinue burying in the vault and churchyard; which were immediately, the one planted, the other bricked up; and arrangements were made with a suburban cemetery company for the interment of the poorer parishioners.

A meeting of the inhabitants of Lambeth was held on Monday evening, at the Ship Tavern, Lower Fore Street, "to consider the continued and. frightful destruction of life by cholera among the parishioners of Lambeth, and the pressing necessity of improving the dwellings of the poor, as the only means of arresting the dreadful pestilence." A resolution was pro- posed, that the Archbishop be requested to receive a deputation" for the purpose of considering our present tribulation," and concerting means of improvement; but several speakers thought this course inadequate to the evil, and attacked with much animation the pest-engendering establish- ments for bone-boiling and catgut-making which abound on the river- bank parallel to Fore Street. Amendments were threatened, but at last the resolution was passed. As soon as it was passed, Mr. Jared T. Hunt moved, "That a copy of the resolution just adopted be transmitted to the Board of Health, Gwydir House, Whitehall, with an urgent request that a sufficient num- ber of medical men be appointed without delay for the purpose of effecting a house-to-house visitation throughout the poorer districts of Lambeth; that the churchyard in High Street, wherein from 200 to 300 persons are buried weekly, to the imminent risk of the lives of all the parishioners, be immediately closed against all future interments." (Cheers, and cries of" The bons.yards too!" and" That's not fair !") Mr. Higgins said, he had passed the burial-ground that day, and it looked more like a ploughed field than anything else. Mr. Wyatt moved, as an amendment, that the bone-yards and other nuisances ought to be removed at the same time. Mr. Hunt—" Won't you remove the starch-5,ards and potteries too?" Mr. Wyatt—" Yes, the whole of them." (Cheers.) The amendment was adopted nearly.unanimously.

Mr. Roland moved,

"That a copy of the first resolution be transmitted to the Board of Guardians, with an earnest request that instructions be immediately given to the parochial medical officers and other medical men in the parish, to attend all the sick poor at the expense of the parish; and to order them bread and meat, as well ao medicines, whenever needed, during the prevalence of this awful epidemic; that the Board be urged to enforce most rigorously the acts of Parliament relative to the better drainage and cleansing of the localities and dwellings of the poor, and to the prevention of nuisances injurious to the public health; and that a copy of the first resolution be also sent to the Vestry of the parish of Lambeth, begging them to furnish the labouring classes with these public baths and washhouses which by the act of Parliament of 9 and 10 Victoria they are legally and justi9 entitled to." The resolution was unanimously agreed to; and it was also resolved to request the use of Mandalay's- large fkctory to hold another" great meet- ing on the subject."

The case of Lola Mentes, alias Countess de Mansfeldt, alias Mrs. Heald, was to have been heard at Marlborough Police-court on Monday; but no legal reyv• sentative appeared for the lady. Mr. Clarkson demanded the estreating of tlif recognizances; but, after some explanation from a gentleman who represented Mr. Heald, it was agreed that a further adjournment should take place till Wed- nesday. On Wednesday, the Countess again failed to appear, and the recsg- were entreated. The amount thus forfeited is 2,0001. Mr. Clarkson took occasion to contradict a rumour of intention to compromisethe matter. Miss Heald, guided by the purest motives, would persist in her endeavour to "remove the 5on of a beloved brother from a marriage equally illegal and diegraessfuL" As soon as the evidence from India is completerproceedings will be taken "to remove this deluded young man from tbe fangs of this woman."

At the Marlborough Street Police Court, on Saturday, an elderly man and his supposed daughter, of respectable exterior, were charged with endeavouring- to ob- tain 3001, from Mr. Hook, of the banking firm of Hurries, Farquhar, and Co., by menacing letters. Mr. Hook lately- received a letter, stating that the writer had been pitched from the pinnacle of fortune to the lowest sink of infamy by-an un- fortunate connexion with some members of a desperate and cruel gang: terrible machinations were in progress against Mr. Hook's firm, which woald end in its degradation through an immense loss of capital, if not worse: the writer was at the mercy of the gang, and if one, syllable were known his life would be forfeit: yet he would strive to be honest; a few pounds would !sorry him out of the rear& of thergank, and enable him to safely reveal their designs. .An advertisement in the Times in these terms was requested—

"B: 0: N.—Your terms are accepted. - The money, as required, will be sent and de- posiuxlimthe place named. Lase not a moment.—Sept. 4."

The Police authorities were consulted, and they advised's' simulated falling into the trap. The advertisement was answered in the required terms. A second letter was received, stating that 20,000k would not cover the "horrid catastrophe con- templated, which would not only. stop the bank for a time but for ever, as the books would be destroyed by slow matches." The writer wished to set up in honest business: he wished 250/. to be put in a bag, and taken, "unseen by mortal eye," to the Ha-ha ditch in Kensington Gardens, and deposited in a hole in the wall under a water-spout which would there be fettled: 2501. more would be ex- pected after the "revelation." Mr. Hook ordered a bag to be filled with farthings, and with a few marked coins of other descriptions' and sent the bank messenger to deposit the bag, directing him to be secret and prompt; and he eel two police-constables to watch the person, and discover what became of the bag. The messenger went his errand on Saturday morning at ten o'clock; found the hole in the wall; and put the bag into it, pushing it in so that it could not be seen unless by an explorer for it. The concealed con- stables had watched for an hour before. They observed the prisoners on the alert. They saw the messenger deposit the bag and go away; and as soon as he was quite gone, they saw the male prisoner go into the ditch, bring out the bag, and give it to the female: as soon as this was done, the prisoners separated, and were going off by different ways, but each was stopped by a constable, and they were asked for the bag. The man said; "What bag ? I haven't got a bag." On being told that it would be taken by force, the female said, "Am I- to give the bag?" and the man said, " Yes." It was given up. The man made a pretext for going to the spot, and said that he had found the bag accidentally ; but the pretext was false, and the prisoners were taken to the Police Court. They refused to give any name or address. Mr. Woolf appeared for them, and urged that there was not a fact to show more than a casual discovery of the bag. As to the letters, they were not anyhow traced to the prisoners; but if they were assumed to be written by one of the prisoners, no cognizable offence could be founded on them, for they spoke rather of protecting from menace than in the words of menace. Mr. Broughton thought there was quite enough evidence to support the charge, both as to the proceedings in the ditch and as to the letters- He would remand the prisoners for a week, but would accept bail for the daughter.

The Police have found out a young woman who washed some rooms in Man- ning's house, on the Saturday after the murder of Mr- O'Connor. She states that she was about to clean the back-kitchen when Mrs. Manning checked her sharply, with the observation that she had done it herself. Mrs. Page, the occupier of the next house to Manning's, has informed the Police, that he was smoking his pipe On the wall till near half-past five o'clock on the afternoon of the 9th August. He talked to her about some railway shares that he was possessed of, and alluded to his disposing of them and going into the country. While he was talking a loud knock was heard at the door; when he jumped off the wall, and exclaimed, "Oh, I-forgot that I have an appointment with a gentleman this evening." She saw nothing more of him that day; but during the night she heard a deal of scuffling in the kitchen; and a little after midnight the noise attracted her to the back window, when she perceived a light in Manning's hack-kitchen, and distinctly saw shadows of a man and a woman in a stooping position. On Thursday morning, Inspector Yates received a letter from Bolton in Lanca- shire, with some communications on the authority of a clairvoyante. According to the writer, "The clairvoyants says that there are three cellars underneath the house, and she could not see the end of the one in which the pistol is hid. Search, and you will find it." The Police-reporter of the Times observes, "What makes this letter rather extraordinary is, that there are three cellars, and one of them had not been minutely searched. In consequence, Barton was directed to search the cellars minutely." During the search, ` he perceived some spots and streaks of blood on the wall opposite the back-kitchen door It is very strange that these marks were not discovered before by the constables who searched the house, as they are very prominent near the back-kitchen door." Mr. Seeker has complied with the application of Manning to have a further portion of the 731. in gold found on his wife at Edinburgh: 201. has been given tem.

The cholera has attacked some of the witnesses. Mr. Bassett, one of the two stockbroker's clerks who identified Manning as the personator of Mr. O'Connor, at their office, was attacked on Friday last week, after his examination, and died on Sunday. Mr. Hammond, the other clerk, was attacked on Sunday, and in the middle of the week he was not expected to live.

An inquest was held in the Westminster House of Correction' last Saturday, on the body of Joseph Williams the Chartist leader, who had died of cholera. He had been sentenced, on the '12th July 1848, to two years' imprisonment for seditious conspiracy. One of the warders deposed that Williams frequently dis- obeyed the prison-regulations, and was plad in solitary confinement, on bread and water diet, near the end of August. This punishment ceased on the lot

in- stant; and he appeared well till Tuesday week, when he complained of pains in the bead. On the 7th he was attacked with cramps, and died in a few hours.

The inquest was adjourned to Monday, at the request of Mr. Tindal Atkinson, who appeared on behalf of Williams's friends, and hinted that the death was not a ample case of cholera. On Monday, Mr. Crea, the Deputy-Governor of the pri- son, stated that it is a prison-regulation to impose some labour on convicts not sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour: that regulation is founded on the 38th section of the 4th George IV. and it is not enforced if the prisoner pays five Shillings a week. The prisoner's friends paid five shillings a week up to the 11th August, but the payment then failed. On the 20th August, a pound of oakum !in given to Williams for picking; but he refused the work, and was allowed four clays to communicate with his friends and obtain a renewal of the payment. The payment was not renewed; and as the prisoner still refused the work, saying he 'mild not do ii," be was put in confinement on the bread and water diet. Wil- liams was not a weak man, and had gained flesh whilst in the prison. Mr. Levies, the prison surgeon, said he attended Williams. On the 28th of August, during th,e.bread and water diet, he-complained of constipation, and was ordered gruel, which relieved hinr. Williams habitually went contrary to the medical directions Men bun; and Mr. Levies attributed his death to his disregard of directions on this amnion. He died of syncope, from the effects of Asiatic cholera. The Jury found a verdict of "Natural death "; but recommended that the change of diet te bread and water, as a punishment, be discontinued.