'Or Vrtrunlio.
At a Court of Common Council, on Thursday, the Report of the Com- mission of Inquiry, officially communicated by Lord Palmerston, was re- ferred to the Consolidated Committee for consideration. The draught of a petition to Parliament, for the abolition or alteration of the oaths of al- legiance, supremacy, and abjuration, was adopted. On the motion of Mr. Deputy Bower, it was resolved, by a large majority, that the appoint- ment of any person not a member of the Court of Aldermen, however exalted, to the Presidentship of Christ's Hospital, is an infringement of the privileges of the Corporation ; and that the matter be referred to a Committee to consider what steps should be taken.
The Lord Mayor entertained the Judges and a distinguished company, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Oxford, and several Members of Parliament, chiefly from the Opposition, at the Mansion- house, on Tuesday. In returning thanks for the toast of the evening, Lord Campbell touched upon the report of the City Commissioners.
It would be, he said, a mournful day if this were the last time they were to be associated with the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen of the city of London. He Was strongly inclined to think that our national glory would be dimi- nished if the Corporation of London were to be abolished. Indeed, England would not be England without the Lord Mayor of London. He was glad to think that they were still to have a Lord Mayor to reign over them with undiminished splendour for he confessed he was a lover of these august entertainments, of the Lord Mayor's Day, the Lord Meyer's Show, and every- thing belonging to the Lord Mayor. He trusted the recommendation of the Commissioners that the judicial bench should be disassociated from the bench of Aldermen would not be carried into effect : he knew from expe- rience and history, that the connexion had operated with the greatest benefit to the ends of justice, and he trusted it would not be discontinued.
At a meeting of the City Court of Sewers, on Wednesday, a report from the Improvement Committee was read and adopted with unanimity, recommending the adoption of the plan of the Commissioners for a City cemetery near Wanstead, and close to the Eastern Counties Railway. It is proposed to enclose 90 acres for the purpose ; on the South front of which a siding from the Eastern Counties Railway will run direct into the cemetery. As there are 75 acres to spare, it is proposed that this land should be sold to one of the Metropolitan parishes for a cemetery ; a dwarf railing to divide the two, and prevent encroachments, while the pleasing effect of each would be heightened by the increase in their apparent extent.
At a Special Court of the Metropolitan Sewers Commission, on Tues- day, a report by Mr. Robert Stephenson was read, approving of the sys- tem of intercepting drains, proposed to the Court by Mr. Heywood and Mr. Bazalgette. The Chairman, Mr. Jebb, addressed the Court on its peculiar situation, having but 200,0001. for works that would cost 1,000,0001., and being without Parliamentary sanction for expending the money. After some conversation, it was agreed to vote 75,895/. for ur- gent works, pending the decision of the Government as to main drainage.
At the general meeting of the Society for the Amendment of the Law, on Monday,—Lord Brougham in the chair,—a report was read, and adopted, recommending the appointment of a Minister of Justice, separate from the Lord Chancellor, with a seat in the Upper or Lower House of Parliament, as the convenience of the public might require. A deputation from the Committee of the Institute of British Architects, headed by Mr. Masterman M.P., waited on the Improvement Committee of the City Corporation, on Monday, to represent the expediency of keep- ing open the ground now vacant near St. Paul's. Mr. T. H. Hall said, that as yet no steps have been taken either to let or build upon the ground ; and a consideration of the subject was promised.
The launch of the Royal Albert, on Saturday last, drew immense crowds to Woolwich, and created the greater interest as it was known that the Queen herself intended to name the noble ship. The beautiful morning was overshadowed by clouds towards noon, and there were tbreatenings of rain. But no threats kept back the crowds of spectators ; and by twelve o'clock all the elevations near the scene of the launch—the river craft lying in front, and the Essex shore beyond—were black with a livinr multitude. Round the slip where the ship had been built were ranged rows of seats ascending upwards from the basin ; and at the bows, under the gold and white figure-head, a platform covered with crimson cloth had been raised for the Queen. All the estates of the realm, and a very large proportion of ladies were standing or seated on these benches round the ship. Every now and then naval officers walked up on the platform ; and neatly dressed sailor-boys kept up a constant sweeping of the crimson floor. Conspicuous among the many craft on the river was the Comet, bearing the Corporation of London and their cooks,
"Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful."
At one o'clock arrived the Queen, escorted by a body of Carbineers, and a guard of honour. The sun burst forth, the guns fired ; the bands struck up the national anthem; and the multitude cheered, uncovered. On leaving her carriage, the Queen, accompanied by Prince Albert) the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Duchess of Sent, were re- ceived by Sir James Graham, Mr. Osborne, Commodore Superintendent John Shepherd, and Sir Baldwin Walker ; and were conducted along a pathway parallel to the starboard broadside of the ship up to the plat.. form. Here, after brief conversation with Sir Jamea Graham, her 'Ma- jesty christened the ship. A crystal bottle, filled with sherry, decked out in Honiton lace and flowers, hung suspended by a silver cord, from the bows. Twice her Majesty swung the bottle against the ship, but it did not break : the third effort was successful ; and as the wine trickled down the stem of the vessel, the Queen exclaimed, "God bless the Royal Al- bert !" Again the guns pealed and the multitude shouted. Her Majesty returned from the platform along the crimson pathway, and took up her station in a covered dais overlooking the river, on the starboard aide of the ship. Then succeeded a great hammering and knocking, and tramp- ing, and shouting. A slight hitch occurred, owing to the immense weight of the vessel ; but at length there went a cry of "She draws !" and shortly afterward the great ship slid into the water with an inde- scribably easy and stately motion, and floated safely on the Thames. As she swept out from under the shed, her deck was literally black with her living freight, and alive with the waving of hats, arms, and hand- kerchiefs. The launch was a complete success of its kind. As soon as it was over, the Queen and the Royal Family left the dockyard ; the vast multitude slowly following.
The Royal Albert was designed by Mr. Oliver Lang, the late master- shipwright of Woolwich Dockyard ; and her keel was laid down nearly twelve years ago. Originally intended for a sailing ship, she was subse- quently lengthened 30 feet, when it was resolved she should be a sinew- steamer. Her extreme length is 272 feet 2-3 inches ; length between the perpendiculars, 232 feet 9 inches ; length of keel, 193 feet 6 inches. Her extreme breadth is 61 feet 6 inches ; breadth for tonnage, 60 feet 2 inches ; moulded breadth, 59 feet 4 inches. Her extreme depth is 66 feet ; depth of hold 24 feet 2 inches. She is of 3726 tons burden, and her screw-pro- peller will be driven by trunk engines of 500-horse power. She is pierced for 121 guns : on the lower deck there will be 10 8-inch guns for firing shells or hollow shot, and 26 long 32-pounder guns ; on the middle deck, 6 8-inch guns, and 30 32-pounders ; on the main deck, 38 32-pounders ; on the upper deck, 20 32-pounders. On the forecastle there will be a 68- pounder gun, weighing 5 tone, and capable of throwing round shot a dis- tance of three miles.
The Bishop of London has finally adjudicated in the matter of the practices at St. Paul's, Knightsbridge. In a letter to Mr. Westerton, the Bishop states that he has found, on inquiry, that out of 1000 rented sittings in the church, only 109 are let to non-parishioners; that about 40 seats in the gallery are unlet ; and that all the remainder are held by parishioners and founders of the church who have the first claim. There are more applications for seats from parishioners than can be met. These facts prove to him that the mode of celebrating divine service cannot be as stated, "highly offensive to the majority of Church people in the dis- trict." So long as Mr. Liddell and his curates do nothing contrary to the rubric or canons, the Bishop does not feel at liberty to interfere in the way of prohibition. The charge of Popery brought against Mr. Liddell the Bishop declares to be wholly without foundation. "1 have entire confidence in the firmness of Mr. Liddell's attachment to the doctrines and order of our Reformed Church." A memorial, signed by more than five hundred members of the congregation, has been presented to the Bishop, expressing no opinion as to Mr. Liddell's mode of celebrating divine service, but declaring their attachment to him and their deep sense of his devotion to his ministerial duties, and deprecating any at- tempt to enforce alterations that might rekindle that party-spirit which Mr. Liddell's conciliatory conduct has allayed.
The little crossing-sweeper who was shot by the youth Richards, in the New North Road, is now out of danger, though the ball has not been ex- tracted. As he made no charge against Richards, but expressed his belief that the affair was accidental, Richards having always been kind to him, the Worship Street Magistrate has liberated the youth, with a censure on gun- smiths for selling arms to such young people.
A servant-girl at Knightsbridge has been nearly drowned -in the Semen- tine, into which she walked late at night in a state of somnambulism. She was observed struggling in the water, by some persona connected with the Park, who immediately roused the Royal Humane Society's men ; they put off in a boat, and rescued the somnambulist alive, though insensible.
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