22 FEBRUARY 1845, Page 8

be liftetropolis.

A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, and was entirely occupied with discussing and arranging the clauses of a new code of by-laws to regulate the navigation of the Thames, with special reference to steam-vessels.

The clergy of Tottenham parish have written a circular letter to their pa- rishioners, announcing an accommodation of differences. It will be remembered, that some time back innovations were attempted in the Established Churches of the parish, which were stoutly resisted by the parishioners; and that a year's suspension of the dispute was agreed to on both sides. The circular, wlue,h is signed by four clergymen, says.—" In consideration of the letter which the Arch- bishop of Canterbury has lately addressed to the clergy and laity of his province, and in the exercise of a discretion with which we have been intrusted by the Bishop of the diocese we beg leave to make known to you, that we do not intend

to introduce, as proposed, i

sed, certain changes in the order of divine service at the Parish Church and at Trinity Chapel, but the rather to await that adjustment of the questions at issue to which the Primate has alluded." This letter makes no mention of Wood Green Chapel, in which both the innovations and the resistance first began. The Times adds--" The letter has had a good effect in restoring harmonious feeling. The suburban Lauds of this and the neighbouring districts seem in fact, to have very generally given in. Walthamstow, Layton, Edmonton, Tottenham, and Islington, have all either retained or resumed the old forms. At Hackney, however, the changes are still persisted in. r They have since been re- linquished by the Reverend Mr. Goodchild.] A requisition is in a course of signa- ture to the Reverend Mr. Birch of West Hackney; and another to the Reverend Mr. Harvey of Stoke Newington. Where the abandonment of the changes has been so general, these parishes cannot be expected to be much longer visited with them."

In Marylebone Court-house, on Saturday, there was a meeting of delegates from the Vestries of several Metropolitan parishes' to promote repeal of the Win- dow-tax. Most of the Metropolitan Members of Parliament were invited to at- tend: but of them only Sir Charles Napier did so; and Lord Duncan, the Member for Bath, was also present by special invitation. He was the principal orator on the occasion, and spoke with great spirit. He declared himself most agreeably surprised by the Budget of Friday night: he would as little have expected the enlarged I ree-trade principles enunciated in the financial statement from the mouth of Sir Robert Peel, as he should have expected such doctrines to have ema- nated from the Hebdomadal Board at Oxford. However, he was not satisfied with it; and he exhorted his hearers to persevere in agitating for repeal of the Window-tax. He had read in the recent Royal Speech from the Throne some- thing about the sanatary condition of the people; and from that he was fully led to expect that this tax would• be abolished; which would be most productive of

health and cleanliness, and therefore of great advantage to the sanatary condition

of the people. It would not do to tell him that 1,700, produced to the revenue by the Window-tax was too large a sum to justify the banter in repealing that tax. The mind that had framed an act which would produce 5,000,0001. from the Property-tax could easily devise some more equitable mode of replenishing the re- venue, should a deficiency, caused by a repeal of the Window-duties, be the re- sult. He had fixed his motion for a repeal of the Window-duties for Thursday the 20th instant; but, after the statement of the Premier, it might be advisable to postpone it for a time and bring it on at a period when he would be more likely to carry the question. Sir Charles Napier also inveighed against the tax. He held in his hand a book which exposed the iniquity of this tax; and, as an in.. stance a case was stated where a poor fellow had his cellar infested with mice, and because he cut a small hole to allow the cat to get in to catch the mice, by God they surcharged him for it. (Loud laughter.) However, he did not speak very hopefully: Sir Robert Peel, he said, is as obstinate as a mule, and sooner than relinquish any preconceived opinion he would lose his post. A reso- lution which pledged the meeting to support Lord Duncan in his efforts to abo- lish the tax passed unanimously.

The Anti-Corn-law League held a monthly meeting at Covent Garden Theatre on Wednesday. In the absence of Mr. George Wilson, Mr. William Brown of Li- verpool, the candidate at the late election for South Lancashire, was called to the chair; and be delivered a short speech. The other speakers were Mr. James Wilson, Mr. George Thompson, and Mr. Bright. Mr. Bright dealt largely in attacks on the Duke of Richmond and sundry other opponents of Corn-law re- peal; and Mr. Thompson quarrelled with Sir Robert Peel for being trammelled by political connexions: but the main topic was the recent financial scheme, which. was hailed as a tribute to Free-trade principles, and a great encouragement to the- League to go on in its enterprise. Mr. Wilson said, that Sir Robert Peel ought not to have too much credit for what lie has done, remembering what he has left. undone; aud he took especial exception to the new arrangement of the Sugar- duties. He objected broadly to all differential duties. Enumerating the several sources whence the different kinds of sugar are supplied, he calculated that, add- ing the duty to the price of each it would just make one uniform price of 528. for all kinds; the importing mercant. pocketing the difference between the higher and the reduced duties. But the interest of the people is identified with the in- terest of the revenue: by the present arrangement, without lowering the pricer the Minister sacrifices a revenue of 2,000,000/.2 which he has to make up by an Income-tax; whereas, if the same duty were laid on all sugars, without making. the community pay a farthing more, he would obtain a revenue of 7,000,0001- The meeting broke up with three cheers for the repeal of the Corn-laws.

The new Conservative Club in St. James's Street was opened on Tuesday; and on Wednesday the event was celebrated by the members with an entertainment, at. which Viscount Castlereagh presided.

A new case, arising out of the Running Rein affair, was tried in the Court of Queen's Bench on Wednesday. The plaintiff Williams, had drawn, at a "Derby sweep," the card of Running Rein, and claimed the 2001. subscribed, on the ground that that horse came in first. The defendant, Wentworth, contended that, as Running Rein ran in the race for three-year-old horses by a fraud, the money could not _pass to the drawer of the Runninp; Rein card. That view was sup- ported by Lord Denman; and the Jury returned a verdict for the defendant.

The final examination of Miss Osborn, the daughter of Sir John Osborn, who, is charged with stealing a pot of meat, took place at Queen Square Police-office, on Saturday. Nothing of moment transpired, as Mr. Clarkson reserved the de- fence. Miss Osborn was committed for trial at the next Middlesex Sessions, and. was bailed as before.

A young man named Pentland has been cemmitted for trial, from Bow Street, for stealing books from the library of the London University College. He is saso- charged with robbing several hospital libraries.

It appears from the evidence given at the inquest, that Mr. Montague and his wife, who were poisoned at Camberwell last week, swallowed arsenic in their tea,. not oxalic acid. There seems to be little reason for supposing the occurrence to have originated in anything but a mistake.