gbt Attropolfs.
The surprise which was felt, says the Times, that a gentleman in the position in society of Mr. Hughes Hughes should offer himself as a candidate for the office of Town-Clerk of London, has given way to a much stronger feeling of astonishment at the announcement of Mr. Sergeant Merewether's willingness to accept the appointment. The Sergeant is Solicitor-General to the Queen Dowager, and Recorder of Reading ; and is one of those who were very recently named as likely to be raised to the judicial bench.
A meeting of postmasters was held at Freemason's Tavern, lately, to devise means of removing the assessed tax to which postmasters are liable, and to submit to Ministers a new project in place of the post-horse duty. Mr. H. Gray, of Earl Street, Blackfriars, was in the chair. Resolutions were carried, directing that a memorial be "presented to the Lords of the Treasury relative to the total abolition of the assessed taxes on carriages to be let on hire, where the post- horse duty is payable"; and " that a deputation should be appointed to wait on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to advocate the imposition of a uniform rate of post-horse duty instead of the present "sliding scale." Votes of thanks to Mr. Wallace, M.P., and to the chairman, for the exertions they had each made in the cause of the postmasters, were passed; and the meeting separated.
An inquest was held on Monday, on the bodies of George Lucas, aged thirty-seven, and of his three children, whom he had murdered, killing himself at the same time, at No. 4, Zion Gardens, Alderman- bury. About three months ago, Lucas lost a situation as warehouseman to Mr. Basset, in Wood Street, which he had filled for four years ; and he had since been unable to procure any employment suited to him; and that, with some bills coming due, appeared to prey upon his mind : he feared that his children of whom he was very fond, would come to want. His wife had watched him with suspicion ; and on Sunday, after he had done shaving, asked him if she should put away his razor? He pretended to do it himself, but he must have concealed it about his person. He then went to an upper room, on pretence of bringing the children down to breakfast. He staid a long time, and Mrs. Lucas sent a niece who was with her to look after him. The girl discovered the two younger children, a boy and girl seven and four years old, lying on a bed with their throats cut ; and in an adjoining room were the eldest child, a boy of ten, and the father, also with their throats cut. Al! were quite dead. The boy had struggled a little, and the neighbours next door heard him call out "0 father, don't," and "Oh I wicked„ wicked father !" but they thought that he was only undergoing too severe a correction. The cries of the girl and of Mrs. Lucas, who fol- lowed, drew assistance to the place ; and Mrs. Lucas was removed to a relative's house in a state of distraction. Lucia lived on the most af- fectionate terms with his wife. The Jury returned a verdict of "Tem- porary Insanity!'
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