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THE approaching election of Lord Mayor begins to be a subject of active interest in the City. The senior Alderman who has not passed the chair is Alderman Thomas Wood; who was so roughly called to oconnt for the Talacre coal-mine affair, and who has twice failed: in 1842, he was elected by the Livery, but rejected by the Aldermen ; in 1893, be resigned in the midst of the m&st, after demanding a poll. His friends have organised themselves to promote his return this year. The next in rotation is Alderman Gibbs, involved in a damaging dis- pute with the parishioners of St. Stephen's Walbrook. The third in order is Alderman Sohn Johnson, of Dowgate Ward. The Times was made the subject of a successful hoax on Thursday. It reported that a meeting was held at St. Stephen's Walbrook, to re- ceive a letter from Alderman Gibbs ; in which he stated that the Court of Chancery had adjudged him to be a debtor to the parish for 3,583/. 14s., and he tendered his resignation. His colleague also was made to resign. This report turns out to be a total fabrication ; no meeting of the kind was even held ; and the " squib " is supposed to be connected with the approaching election of Lord Mayor.
A Common Hall was held on Saturday, for the purpose of an official declaration of the poll in the election of City Chamberlain. Mr. Sheriff Musgrove declared the numbers to be--for Brown, 2,319 ; Heppe', 67. A communication to that effect having been made to the Court of Aldermen, the Court, headed by the Lord Mayor, entered the Hall, to bear Alderman Brown state his readiness to undertake the duties of the office. He did so accordingly ; with a few words as to the nature of the duties— His excellent friend Sir Peter Laurie bad, in the badinage which was so pe- culiar to him, talked of the power of the City Chamberlain, exercised in com- mitting three hundred masters and apprentices. (Laughter.) Be passed by that. He was the son of parents and the pupil of tutors who bad acted with uniform kindness of heart and of life to him. He had received kindness throughout his life, and the last act of the Livery was the consummation of the benevolence at all times visited upon him. The burden which he bore in life had become so light by means of the kindness which he had so invariably met with, that be was convinced he could not be guided by a better or more useful principle than that from which he had received such advantages. He had adopted that principle in the education of his own children ; and if ever man had reason to be thankful to Providence for excellent children, he was that man. He should endeavour to extend exactly similar treatment to the youths who should in his new occupation be brought before him. Subordination must be maintained, but punishment should be only used in extremities. He en- treated the Livery to add their prayers to his that he might not disgrace the choice they had made. In conclusion, be remarked that he had adopted a cer- tain line of politics, and had acted conscientiously in that course : henceforward he abandoned all politics, and he would work the important work which the Livery bad carved out for him.
Mr. Shoobridge, a Liveryman, came forward and produced a small book containing a list of contributions to some charity, hoping that the new Chamberlain would begin the business of his office by putting down his name among the contributors. The Livery gave very unequivocal evidence of the sense they entertained of such bad taste ; and Mr. Shoobridge withdrew, discomfited. The Hall was then dissolved.
The candidates for the Ward of Portsoken are Mr. Sheriff Moon, Mr. D. Salomans, and Mr. M. Scales. The election is fixed for Wed- nesday the 25th instant. There is also a vacancy for Billingsgate Ward ; for which the candidates are Mr. Sidney, Sheriff-elect, and Mr. Metcalfe.
It is currently reported in the City, that Alderman Sir John Pirie has received an intimation that he will be appointed a Commissioner of Excise ; which would vacate the gown for Cornhill.
A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, for the despatch of bu- siness. Mr. Ashurst, the solicitor, applied for admission to practise in the Lord Mayor's Court, in pursuance of a writ granted by the Court of Queen's Bench. The Lord Mayor said that a return would be made to the writ in due course. Alderman Brown was sworn in as Chamberlain of the City of London ; and, tendering the resignation of his gown for Billingsgate Ward, he took leave of the Court, after having been a mem- ber of it for twenty-three years. The Alderman having retired, his letter of resignation was read, and accepted. Mr. Sheriff Musgrove called attention to the state of the City prisons at the close of his shrievalty- He congratulated the Court upon the fact, that in the Borough Compter there were no prisoners at all; that in Whitecross Street Prison there were but 134 prisoners, although the last report contained a list of 340; and that in the gaol of Newgate there was not a single prisoner who was under the sentence of transportation. For much of the improvement which had taken place the Court were indebted to Sir James Graham.
Alderman Humphery gave notice of a motion to refer it to the Ge- neral Purposes Committee whether the Borough Compter should not be sold, or its expenses (1,0001. a year) diminished. On the recommenda- tion of a committee, 1001. each was granted to John and Daniel For- rester, in terms for their services as Police-officers generally, but in fact with special reference to their detection of the will-forgers. Alderman Copeland noticed an attack made by Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey, at the nomination of candidates for the office of City Chamberlain, on the Court of Aldermen; who were declared to have little or no duties to Perform, and to be amply repaid by their presentations to Christ's Hos- pital : Mr. Copeland observed, that the Aldermen have very important duties to perform, and that they have constant demands on their pockets from various charitable institutions connected with the City. He was indignant that a person like Mr. Harvey, who was indebted to the Al- dermen for his appointment, should thus express himself in a manner totally at variance with truth. Aldermen Farebrother and Sir Peter Laurie treated the attack with contempt. Alderman Humphery ex- tenuated Mr. Harvey's conduct, in consideration of the disappointment which he, holding a situation worth only 8001. a year, must feel at not obtaining the post of Chamberlain, worth 2,5001. a year. The Court adjourned.
A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday, to consult on steps to be taken for entertaining the Queen and Prince Albert on the opening of the Royal Exchange. The Lord Mayor read a letter from Sir James Graham, informing him of the honour intended to be paid to the City. On the motion of Mr. King, a Committee of Entertainment was appointed, consisting of the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, the She- riffs, and a Commoner from each ward. Mr. Sheriff Anderton asked for information respecting a deputation from the Gresham Committee, which was said to have gone privately to Windsor, without sanction or authority, to invite the Queen ; and there was some warm conversation on the matter ; but nothing very distinct came out, except the statement of the Lord Mayor, that the Queen wished the entertainment to be in Ike Royal Exchange. Allusion was also made to the report of the Meeting in St. Stephen's Walbrook ; which Alderman Gibbs declared to be unfounded, and the letter imputed to him a forgery. The Court then adjourned.
The Parliamentary registration of the Metropolis has been going on in the Revising Barristers' Courts this week ; with no interest in the proceedings. In several cases of frivolous and unfounded objection the objector has been saddled with costs.
A Special Court of East India Proprietors was held on Wednesday, to consider a resolution adopted by the Court of Directors, granting an annuity of 1,0001. to Major-General Sir William Nott, G.C.B. The chair was taken by Captain Sheppard ; who made a statement of Sir William Nott's services in India ; recounting the share which he had in the Afghan war ; and noticing the remarkable fact in the history of Sir William, that there was not one instance of a reverse—not one in- stance of a contre-temps—in the whole course of his operations : great as 'were the difficulties which he had to encounter, and they were great in- deed, he nobly encountered and nobly overcame them all. He con- cluded by moving a resolution similar to that of the Directors. The Motion was seconded by Sir Henry Willock, Deputy-Chairman of the Company , and carried unanimously. The meeting was then adjourned.
A General Quarterly and Half-yearly Court of Bank of England Proprietors was held on Thursday, in order to the declaration of a dividend. The Directors recommended a dividend of 31 per cent on :he half-year. The Governor explained a new arrangement— Hitherto it had been the practice, from time immemorial, to make the Bank account of profits and interests up to the 10th October. As a matter of course, 'that was partly estimate; but the calculations of the accountants had generally proved very near the truth. But it now appeared to the Directors, that it would be desirable that this account should be made up to the days on which the ordinary accounts of the Bank were made up,—namely, the 31st August and the 28th February ; and that it should not be made up by estimate at all. Therefore, in stating the result of the present half-year's dividend, the Court !Mild bear in mind, that in consequence of this arrangement there was a defi- ciency of about six weeks' interests and profits as compared with former half- years, amounting to about 115,0001.; but had their account been made up to the usual time, the 10th October, the result would have been, that after paying the dividend now proposed, there would have been an increase to the " rest " of 8,8001. The " rest " on the 31st August, after paying the half-yearly dividend, amounted to 3,069,2991. Some allusion was made to late frauds on the Bank. The Governor stated that Burgess did not act as a broker, but only identified a party claiming stock, as the clerks had been in the habit of doing. The forgeries of Barber and Fletcher were forgeries on the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, and occasioned no loss to the Bank. The proposed dividend was declared ; the warrants to be payable on the 11th October.
At the Central Criminal Court, on Wednesday, the trial of the Honourable Mr. Touchet, for shooting at Mr. Smith, was postponed until next session ; on the ground that Dr. Warburton, one of two medical gentlemen who had examined the prisoner, could not at present attend to give evidence as to his state of mind.
At the same Court, on Thursday, Thomas Jennings was brought up for trial on a charge of slave-trading. He was the master of the Augusta, a vessel belonging to Mr. Pedro De &duets, who was tried for felony in fitting it out for trading in slaves at the Gallium, but fully acquitted ; and Mr. Jennings was now charged with participation in the same offence. When the ship was seized by Captain Hill, it was taken to Sierra Leone ; where Mr. Jennings was accused of felony, tried, and acquitted ; and therefore on Thursday he entered the plea of autrefois acquit. For the prosecution, Mr. Payne demurred to the plea ; because, at Sierra Leone, the prisoner was charged with having COM- mantled and navigated a vessel intended to be employed in the slave- trade ; while the present charge was, that he manned and equipped the vessel, and put goods on board her, with the same object,—two different offences. The Judges deferred their decision on the validity of the plea till next day ; and then, stating that they required further time to consider some points, they postponed the case till the next session of the Court.
It has been ascertained that Burgess and his accomplice in the fraud on the Bank of England have fled to the United States ; and the two Foresters are to proceed thither to endeavour to capture them.
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