18 SEPTEMBER 1847, Page 2

?Et/ Itletropolts.

The revision of the list of Parliamentary, voters for the City of London commenced on Thursday, before Mr. T. Y. M`Christie, the Revising Bar- rister; who took his seat in the Court of Common Pleas at Guildhall.

At a meeting of the Court of Aldermen, on Tuesday, held for the de- spatch of routine business, the Reverend Mr. Cowan was appointed Chap- lain to the Giltspur Street Compter.

In the course of the proceedings, Mr. Alderman Sidney, seeing Mr. Alderman Wood in his place, begged to ask whether it was his intention en Michaelmas Day to contest the return of Mr. Alderman Hooper as the next in rotation to serve the office of Lord Mayor? Mr. Alderman Wood said, the support he had received last year, and expected on the present occasion, would have encouraged him to do so; but the very precarious state of his wife's health forbade it. She was in a state that rendered it impossible that she could take her part in the honours and hospitalities of the Mansionhouse during the coming year, and he should therefore decline serving.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday, for the despatch of business. Mr. Taylor brought up the report of the Secondaries and City Courts Committee on the allegation that some years ago the last ap- pointment of the Clerkship to the County of Middlesex was sold by one of the Under Sheriffs. The report stated, that " upon further investigation, and upon the solemn assurance of the suspected official that the situation bad not been sold, and additional testimony in proof of the incorrectness of the charge, the gentleman supposed to have been a party to the sale of the coin lately exonerated from reproach or insinuation." Subse- allIttdificbtPpZtook place on a motion brought forward by Mr. T. subscribe a sum of money in aid of the fund for 'a house. The opposition was headed by Mr. Ander- johnsi ran amendment " That the question be not put." On a division, there appeared—for the amendment, 62 Commoners, 5 Al- dermen, 2 tellers; for the motion, 36 Commoners, 2 tellers; majority against the motion, 31. -Sir Peter Laurie gave notice of a motion that a sum of money be subscribed by the Court towards the erection of a suitable monument in the Metropolis in honour of William Shakspere: Sir Peter had just been in Scotland, and his Sbaksperian enthusiasm had been fired by the sight of the Scott monument at Edinburgh.

The Commissioners of City Sewers met on Tuesday, in the Guildhall, for the purpose of receiving the report of their Sub-Committee on the pro- secution of various sanatory improvements in the City. The report stated, that the Sub-Committee had effected an arrangement with the New River Company for giving a larger supply of water to the courts and alleys in the different City wards. Measures had also been taken to survey and cause to be cleansed the houses, cellars, &c., in about eighty courts and alleys. The report suggested the expediency of an application to Parliament next session for procuring an extension of the powers at present exercised by the Commissioners. The report was unanimously adopted.

At a full meeting of the St. Pancras Directors and Guardians of the Poor, on Tuesday, it was decided that the charges made against the Master of the Workhouse, of harshly treating George Whitfield, a pauper, had not been proved on any one point, and were unfounded.

A Court of Proprietors was held at the Bank of England on Thursday, to consider the dividend. The Governor announced that the Court of Di- rectors had agreed to a dividend of 4i per cent for the half-year ending the 10th October next, without deduction an account of Income-tax. After making this dividend, the Directors would be able to add 26,4161. to the " rest." In answer to a question, the Governor stated the amount of the " rest " to be 3,270,7541.; and the amount divided among the proprietors at 4i per cent would be 654,8781. The motion for paying a dividend of per cent having been agreed to, a General Court was fixed to be holden on. Wednesday next, to obtain the confirmation of a general ballot of proprie- tors. A long discussion arose on a proposition by Mr. Parry de Winton, that the Court of Directors should convene a special meeting of the pro- prietors to consider the existing by-laws and regulations concerning the- election of Governor and Deputy-Governor, with a view to prevent the re- currence of such events as a bankruptcy. The Governor objected to the proposal, as informal and ill-timed; and it was subsequently withdrawn. Mr. Jones Loyd, however, though himself objecting, observed that the dis- cussion would be beneficial, and that in six months time it might lead to. practical results.

A public meeting was held on Wednesday evening, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, to consider the question of intramural interment. The chair was occupied by Mr. Bond Cabbell. Mr. G. A. Walker, the author of Gatherings from Graveyards, enlarged on the enormities of the practice,. and furnished some curious statistics— An acre of ground would, according to Mr. Chadwick, give decent burial to only 136 adult bodies per annum. What, then, must be the result, when in some- of the graveyards of the Metropolis upwards of three thousand bodies per acre- were interred annually ? The following were the numbers interred annually in some of the principal burying-places connected with the Established Church. In. St. Andrew's Undershaft, the average per acre was 1,278; in Portugal Street burying-ground, 1,021; in St. Dunstan's Fleet Street, 1,182; in St. Dunstan's-in- the-East, 1,210; in St. John's Clerkenwell, 3,073; in St. Mary's-at-Hill, 1,159; in St. Olave, Tooley Street, 1,257; in St. Swithin's, 1,760. At the Dissenting burial-places the numbers were equally striking. In Wieiffe Chapel, Stepney,

i

the average per acre was 1.210; in Enon Chapel, Woolwich, 1,080; Parker Row, Dockhead, 1,613; Moorfields, 1,210; Cannon Street, 1,109. He would state the- amount which had been paid for interment at Enon Chapel, Clement's Lane, Strand, daring a number of years: the first funeral took place under that chapel on the 6th of October 1822, and the total within the first year was 1441. 15s. 6d.; the grand total which had been received for burial up to 1838, in a cellar mea- suring 59 feet by 29 feet, was 951/ 5s.

Resolutions were passed unanimously, denouncing the practice of bury- ing the dead in the midst of the living, as disgraceful, and dishonourable to the national character; authorizing petitions to Parliament; and suggest- ing the formation of a fund to promote the objects of the meeting.

The inquest on the sufferers by the explosion of the boiler of the Cricket steamer was resumed on Tuesday. Important evidence was given. John Edwards deposed, that he had twice been employed as stoker on board the Cricket; for the second time about a month in April last. Before that period, one Kent was the engineer; but in April he was succeeded by Clark. The engine went well under Kent's management. "After Clark had joined a few days, the vessel began to fall off in her speed, and about the same time the steam began to escape from the trannions of the engine. The captain and superintendent complained of the vessel falling off in her speed. About the middle of April, Clark began to tie down the safety-valves of the engines. I saw him tie them repeatedly. He did it by taking two pieces of spun yarn, and, attaching them to the end of the lever, brought them down in front of the boiler and tied them to two spike-nails which were driven into a beam that ran athwart the vessel. When the safety-valves were so tied it was impossible for them to act. They continued to be so tied al- most continually for a fortnight. Occasionally, when the steamer was alongside the pier, they were cast lone; but they were immediately made fast again when the vessel was under way. I frequently myself let them go as we came alongside the pier, when Clark's back was turned ; but he soon secured them again, and re- buked me for interfering." One Sunday, Clark had been drinking, and he tied down the valves when the vessel reached the pier; witness loosed them, but the engineer again made them fast. When the valves were tied the mercury soon in- dicated a pressure of some forty-four pounds, and then the water rising with the mercury prevented a higher pressure being denoted. Edwards had complained to the " captain" of the valves being tied. When the valves were loose they rose at a forty-pound pressure. Clark had put a bar of iron over the levers of the valves to keep them down. He was on good terms with Clark, except with respect to the tying of the valves. After the Sunday, witness left the Cricket and went on board the Bee. A week after, he was dismissed, because he had made such an " oration " about the tying of the valves on the Sunday. He had since been em- ployed in the Magnet, and had been discharged for having words with the master. There were four valves, two of which were tied; the others were screw valves, and Clark could not fasten these. Mr. Meacham, the foreman to the maker of the boiler, had ordered the valves not to be tied; but Clark paid no attention to this. Mr. William Williams, an engineer of Ashford, volunteered evidence. About two months ago, he was a passenger in the Cricket. "Looking from the deck upon the dome of the boiler and the valves, I saw a spun yarn attached to the end of the lever of one of the safety-valves. The spun yam was passed below into the engine-room, and felt tight, as if something was attached to it. I ob- served to my brother that the safety-valve was tied down. The boat was then running. I noticed the circumstance about three minutes." Llewellyn Wil- liams, brother of the last witness, corroboratedj his evidence. Herman Wrede, a passenger on the Sunday before the explosion, saw two valves fastened down by ropes: resolved not to have another " lia'porth." Mr. Croce, a surveyor, was in the Cricket at the time of the explosion; and while the boat was at the pier there was no sound of steam escaping. William Warren gave this evidence—"I am engineer in the K'ing's College workshop. I have been several times on board the Cricket steam-boat. About the middle of April last, I took, on board the Cricket, a trip to London Bridge; and when I got there I found there was no steam blow- ing off I looked into the steam-box, and discovered a piece of spun yarn tied to the end of the lever of the safety-valve; the string was tied near the end of the fulcrum, so as to prevent the steam from blowing off. I went down into the engine-room, and saw a man stoking. I then observed two ropes, the one I men- tioned and another, each attached to a valve. These valves belonged to two boilers. The ropes were fastened to a beam. I shook them, and found them very tight indeed. The safety-valves were of no use while in this state. I made an observation of that kind to the stoker; and he said, ' Oh ! that is nothing.' Oh! a'nt it?' said I; and I immediately got on deck and went to the farthest end of the boat. About the latter end of the same month, I was on board again, and found the valves at liberty. I was also on board the Cricket the Wednesday be- fore she blew up. I then found that both the valves were fastened down as before. I got off the boat as soon as I could. I saw the ropes while on deck. I made no report of the circumstance to anybody. I came here to give evidence at the in- stance of Professor Cowper, who said it was my duty to do so." If the screw valves had been in proper order, the steam should have escaped by them when the others were fastened. Mr. Smith, a distiller, of Bedford Square, said he was one of the proprietors of the boat; the others were Mr. Foreman, Alderman Thompson, and Mr. William Corry. The Cricket was entirely contracted for by Mr. Joyce. He had never heard of the tying of the valves, though he was constantly on board to look after the men, till Edwards complained; Clark then denied that he had done anything of the kind. Clark was considered a skilful man, and was paid good wages—sat. a week. [Mr. Herne, a juror, here remarked, that he was on board one of the company's boats on Saturday last, and he then saw the valves were tied down.] The machinery of the Cricket was expensive; no outlay was spared; the total cost of the steamer was 2,550/ Joseph Butters, an engineering fitter, stated that he had occasionally driven the Cricket; about the last week in April he drove the steamer during Clark's absence. When be had gone one journey he discovered that the valves had been tied; and he immediately cut the ropes, in some excitement at the danger he had been is The examination of this witness closed Tuesday's proceedings.

Many witnesses were examined on Wednesday; and not a little contradictory and confused evidence was given. Pater, stoker of the boat, stated that he had never seen Clark do anything to the valves. Henry Haisman was the engineer on the day of the disaster: witness and Haisman had quitted the engine-room a few minutes before the explosion, though he admitted that it was the duty of both to have remained below. Clark appointed him, and could discharge him. He had sometimes driven the engine, though before he entered the company's service he had been porter at a seed-warehouse. He had seen strings hanging down from the levers of the valves of the Ant, Bee, and Cricket; he had never seen such things in other steamers. Mr. Nash, secretary to the company, said that Edwards had reported to him that Clark had tied down the safety-valves, and he entered the report in a book; but he bad never looked at the boilers him- self to see whether the statement was true. Edwards was discharged after he had run about the deck and proclaimed to the passengers that the valves were tied; but the witness denied that the man was dismissed for this—the engineers did not like him, and instead of addressing the passengers on the business of the valves he should have reported to the " proper authorities." Some witnesses said they heard the steam blowing off just before the explosion; while others contra- dicted this point-blank. Martin, the captain of the Cricket, deposed that he had never seen the valves tied: he had seen pieces of rope attached to the levers, but it had been explained to him that these were merely to shake the valves if they stuck. He couldn't say that he had seen Clark drunk; but he knew that he "usually took a great deal of beer." The investigation was again adjourned, to Saturday.

At the Mansionhouse, on Wednesday, John Overton, the man who shot Mr. Crawley the wine-merchant, was brought up again for examination, and was committed for trial. Mr. Crawley, who had quite recovered, mentioned that the prisoner had often made anxious inquiries about his health, and had expressed astonishment at his own conduct.

Haywood and Alexander, the men charged with forging and uttering checks, were finally examined, and committed.

A number of your men have complained to the Magistrate at Worship Street Police-office, of very hard treatment from one who was to have made their for- tunes. A person residing at Islington had advertised for a number of men of en- terprising disposition, to whom he proposed to give instructions in surveying, and then to find employment for them on a line of railway " then in hand " in Middle- sex. Young men arrived from all parts: the advertiser represented himself as the surveyor of a railway from Willesden to Finchley ; the applicants were to pay Sim three guineas for a fortnight's instruction, and then he was to give them employment on the railway. The fee was paid; some pretended instruction was given; but no employment and salary were forthcoming, excuses taking their place. Eventually it was discovered that the railway "then in hand" had no ex- istence. The Magistrate said he could not assist the young men: they had bet- ter consult a solicitor as to proceeding against the "surveyor" for obtaining money under false pretences.

Mr. Charles Ellerman, an " agent," of Pelham Place, Brompton, has been taken into custody on a charge of having been concerned in the recent manufac- ture of counterfeit Turkish piastres. It is alleged that he got the false coin ship- pa. to Turkey as " iron nails." The accused was taken to Marlborough Street Police-office, on Thursday; and the Magistrate authorized his removal to Birming- ham.

Some of the noncommissioned officers of the Scots Fusiliers and a party of those of the Grenadier Guards had agreed, lately, to row a match on the Thames; and on Saturday evening the Scots Fusilier crew practised on the river. In returning home, between Pimlico and Nine Elms, a steamer was met crossing the stream; some confusion arose; the steamer struck the boat, and it was upset: three of the soldiers were saved; bat the fourth, Drill-Sergeant Paton, and Emery the Queen's swan-keeper, who was steering, perished. One of the cheap omnibuses running from Hungerford Market to the Hamp- stead Road met with a serious accident on Sunday afternoon. While laden with twelve passengers inside and nine out, in passing up Tottenham Cant Road, the hind axle broke, and the vehicle pitched over on its side. The inside passengers escaped with a fright and a number of cuts from the broken windows, but those on the roof were less fortunate: one gentleman's leg was broken; another suf- fered dislocation of the shoulder; while others were hurt less severely. The axletree was found to have been made of very bad material.