Vttruf nlis .

A deputation from the Protestant Alliance, consisting of the Earl of Cavan, the Honourable A. Kinnaird M.P., the Reverend C. Kemble, the Reverend Dr. -Steane, Colonel Alexander, 'Mr. Josiah Conder, 'Mr. J. Cook Evans, Mr. R. B. Seeley, Captain Giberne, and 'Mr. John M'Gregor, waited on Lord John Russell at the Foreign Office on Monday, to call his attention to the religious persecution now carried on in Tuscany. Mr. Kinnaird stated the circumstances attending the arrest of the Medial, -and the efforts which had been vainly made to procure their release. He was glad to find that the report of the death of Francesco Medial was un- founded; but the prolonged confinement of these persons, and of some thirty others known to be imprisoned only for their religious acts, seemed to be a ease in which Britain was called upon to interfere authoritatively in the cause of outraged humanity. He understood that Sir Henry Bulwer had been actively, though quietly engaged in endeavours toprocure a remission of the sentences of these prisoners ; and that the Prussian Government were dis- posed to press the demands already made by a special envoy deputed for that

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purpose. From individuals also n our own country, of the most exalted rank, representations had been made to the Grand Duke, but without effect ; and although hopes of a liberation of the two prisoners were distinctly held forth to the deputation from the various European Churches which lately visited Florence, yet their illegal confinement was still prolonged ; new vic- tims were daily added to the number of those in gaol ; and the Tuscan Go- vernment (urged, no doubt, by other Powers) now appeared determined to see how far intolerance could be carried against religious truth. The Roman Catholics in this country were, he believed, quite divided in opinion 'uponthe rights of this case, many of them being indignant that such persecution should be resorted to as a means of advancing their religion. Mr. Kinnaird having stated the leading features of the Madiai case, and alluded to others of which it is but a sample, expressed the earnest desire of the depu- tation that some distinct application should be made by the British Minister at Florence for the immediate liberation of all these prisoners ; and that this should be supported, if necessary, by an intimation to the Grand Duke, that if by his command the rights of conscience and of humanity were thus out- raged in his dominions, it would become the duty of other civilized states to withdraw from diplomatic relations with Tuscany. Lord John Russell said, that with respect to the particular case of the Madiai, his sentiments were very much in accordance with those of the depu- tation. The prosecution had been instituted under the law passed in 1786, which was an enlightened time. He approved of the course pursued by the late Government upon the subject ; and from despatches received by the present Government it appeared that -Sir Henry Bulwer was still anxiously employed in the case: but with respect to any further steps which it might be considered proper to take in communicating with an independent sove- reign, Lord John begged to be allowed to reserve his opinion.

11'.0.•10 01, At a Court of Common Council, on Tuesday, Mr. H. L. Taylor moved that the Fleet Valley Improvement Contmitteebe ordered to make a final report of proceedings, with a detailed 'statement Of costs incurred, and an exineaation how the Citylaads may be reimbursed. The ground of op. position was, -that:the scheme-as it had come before Parliament did not fulfil bhe promiseson which the Committee had been obtained, particularly in'notroposing any means to -raise the valley at nolborn Bridge. The motion was seconded by Mr. Deputy Lott. Mr. Anderton moved the omission of the words forthwith dissolving the Committee ; and that amendment was unanimously carried. A motion was then made to strike out the words desiring the Committee to report as to the best mode of re- imbursing the City funds ; but on a division this amendm cut was rejected by a large majority. The Committee was ordered to report, and in the

mean time to take no further steps in the matter. _

The Lord -Mayor presided over the anniversary meeting of the City Hospice and Soup Kitchen Society at the London Tavern, on Saturday. According to the report, the number of beggars in the City has been re- duced from 169 to 8 or 10; 66 poor destitute women have been sheltered and protected, and several placed in situations ; -casual poor amounting to 22,714 have been fed at the Hospice, and 14,719 at their homes 1360 casual poor and 4300 residents in the City were regaled on homes; Day ; and on the free registry there have been entered the names of 705 applicants for situations, 94 of whom have been placed. "During the last ten weeks, 7727 poor destitute persons have been conducted to the house of God on the Sabbath, by members of the committee and officers of the institution." Sir Fitzroy Kelly was the principal speaker : ho moved a resolution asking for assistance from the public to meet the lia- bilities incurred by the society. This resolution was carried ; as well as another appointing a deputation to wait on the Poor-law'Board, to obtain their sanction and cooperation.

The Bishop of London intends to take advantage of the vacancy of the rectory of St. Andrew Undershaft, in the City, to alienate a portion of the revenues for the use of some more populous and destitute district in his diocese, as he 'did some five years since with the rectory of 'St. Catherine Coleman; Fenchurch Street, when he devoted about hallthe revenue of 1200/. a year to the endowment-of--a -district -in Bethnal Green. The income of St. Andrew Undershaft is nearly 2000/. a year, while the occu- piers in the parish are only 1100, most of whom are non-resident except during business-hours.

The parish of "St. Mary Islington has decided against adopting the Baths and Washhouses Act. At the close of the poll, on Tuesday, 566 vOted for the motion, and 452 against it : but the act requires a majority of not less than two to one.

According to the Times, it is reported that a project which has been some time in preparation is likely soon to be brought forward for a rail- way from the City to Bayswater, by means of a tunnel, following the line of the New Road.

The Directors of the York and North Midland Railway have sued Mr. Hudson in the Rolls Court, for the restitution of the value of certain shares in the Hull and Selby and East and West Riding Railways. The case oc- cupied the first three days of the week. It appears that when the York and North Midland Company resolved to make branch-lines from York to Be- verley and from York to Leeds, there remained after the general allotment of shares 12,050 unappropriated ; and these were placed at the disposal of the directors. Subsequently it was determined that the Hull and Selby Railway should be purchased. When that operation was completed by the creation and allotment of new shares, a surplus remained undisposed of. It is now alleged that Mr. Hudson improperly used the 12,050 East and West Riding Extension shares, and 1900 of the Hull and Selby-shares ; and that he sold them at a large premium, ohielly in the names of other persons, for his own behoof. Out of the 12,050 he accounts for the disposal of 154 shares to Sir John Voyageur; the Company do not complain of the appropriation of 1800 others; 4991 still remain on the books of the Company; and 5105 re- main to be accounted. for by Mr. Hudson. This he does in the following manner. On 2300 he paid the inemium, amounting to 16,0001., to the Com- pany; 1105 he disposed of to landowners and others for the purpose of ad- vancing the interest of the Company, but the names of those who received them he refuses to disclose ; and 1700 he admits havinrretained to his own use, which, he contended, he had a right to do in consideration of his ser- vices to the Company. With respect to the Hull and Selby shares, it was argued on the part of the defendant, that if he were entitled to the shares he claimed in the East and West Riding line, he was in right of such shares, entitled to more shares in the Hull and Selby than 'he was charged to ac- count for.

It was also alleged by the Solicitor-General, who appeared for the Com- pany, that Mr. Hudson had taken advantage of his position to benefit him- self at the expense of the Company ; that as such chairman, possessing the seal of the Company, and having a casting-vote and ether powers, he had from time to time altered the accounts so as to make the dividends of tho Company appear considerably larger than they really-Isere ; that he had pro- cured his own brother-in-law and his own solicitor to be appointed auditors of the Company, and by collusion with them had been able to deceive the shareholders ; and that he managed to " make all things pleasant" to his brother directors by going shares with them in the booty he from time to time secured. Voluminous evidence was entered into to prove the several issues of the shares either to Mr. Hudson or his Mends, and to- show the im- mense premiums received by Hudson upon them. On the other hand, the allegations of misappropriation and collusion were strenuously denied by Sir Fitzroy Kelly. The shares had been given to Mr. Hudson, to dispose of for the use of himself and other directors who had benefited the Company ; and its representatives had no right to claim what belonged solely to him. He had bought the Londesborough estate, at a cost of-500,000/., to benefit the Company, and had sold it at a loss to himself of 21,000/.

After three days' hearing, Sir John Remaly took time to consider his decision.

In another action brought before the Master of the Rolls by the same Company, Mr. Hudson was ordered to account for certain shares which were intrusted to him in 1844, and subsequently sold at large premiums. The allegation is, that Mr. Hudson sold the shares and placed the proceeds in his own name at the bank ; and that he did not account for them, or pay over the balance due to the Company, until 1849, when disputes between him and the Company commenced. Then lie paid 60,2511. to their account. The Company also prayed for a lien on his estates. The Master of the Rolls or- dered that an account should be taken; but he dismissed, with costs, the prayer for a lien on the estates.

At the Warwick Assizes, last summer, the Court was occupied with an ac- tion brought by Constant Berm de Moroda against Mr. George Dawson and

other -gentlemen of.Birmingham, for having maliciously and falsely charged him ,with obtaining- money under false pretences. Constant Derra was the acting secretary of the soi-disant Baroness von Beck, and was arrested . with her at Birmingham. The Baroness died in the Police Court ; and there, as far as she was concerned, the matter ended : Dorm was discharged from custody, on the ground that there was no evidence to inculpate him in the alleged fraud. Henoe the action for damages. . At the,Warwick Assizes, Baron Alderson decided that there was no ease foe the Jury, as the warrant con- necting the arrest with the defendants was not produced ; and the trial ended in the nonsuit of Derra ; a :result ..unsatisfactory to both parties. In the Michaelmas term, a rule was granted by the Court of Queen's Bench to show cause why the nonsuit should not be set aside and a new trial granted. The case was heard this week, on Wednesday, before Lord Campbell. He sledded that the rule for ,a new trial should be made absolute, on the ground that there was some evidence to go- to a jury against the defendiuits. There was evidence that the charge of obtaitung money under false -pretences had been made ; and as it had been made by somebody, the question was, whe- ther or not it had been made by -the defendants. Mr. Justice Wightman and Mr. Justice Crompton concurred.

Souse time ago a rule for a new trial was obtained in- the cause of Achilli versus Newman, on the ground that the verdiet,was -contrary to the weight of the evidence. In the. Coetrt of Queen's Bench, on 'Thursday, Lord CampbellheardSir -Frederick Thesiger and Sir _Fitzroy Kelly against the rule. Their speeches consisted of minute criticisms of the evidence produced at the trial, with the view of -showing-that it was unworthy of credence as against-Dr. Achilli. Nothing, new was adduced. The same proceeding was continued on Friday. Mr. Ellis contended that the witnesses against Dr. Achilli had been suborned to commit perjury. The Attorney-General said that chargelonly -made the case still more important; and -he repudiated it with all his might. His lino of argument was, that the ,balance of evidence was against Dr. AchiRi. He contended that Elena Valente was more -worthy of belief than Dr. Achilli ; and that in the ease of Principe, the Neapolitan, the accusation of criminal intercourse was clearly made out. In this manner he went through the evidence in, favour of his client.

Robert Ferdinand Pries was reexamined at the Mansionhouae on Tuesday. The ease of Messrs. Colima= and Stolterfoht was gone into. They advanced 51,900f. in cash and bills to the prisoner on the faith.of certain bills of lading referring to 28,000 quarters of wheat alleged to be in the keeping of Messrs. Young and Brown. Mr.-Young stated that the signatures to the documents were forged. He has had no dealings directly with the prisoner. Mr. Turck, a partner in the house of Colima= and S.tolterfoht, deposed to the sum of 51,0001. having been advanced on these forged bills. Notice had _beeu served on Pries.and his wife to produce ,a letter written by him to her : it was not produced. So Sir Robert Carden allowed secondary evidence to be received of the contents of the letter. Mr. Ingelow, a clerk, deposed that Mrs. Pries read the letter to him. In it Pries called himself "an impostor, a swindler, and a forger," and threatened to destroy himself. Some more evidence was received respecting the advance of 9000/. by Monteaux and Co., foreign bankers, upon bills of lading : it would seem that this will turn out a case of fraud, as Pries appears to have got the money on duplicate bills of lading, having already disposed of other bills relating to the cargoes. It may, however, result in a charge of forgery, if Pries indorsed the duplicate bills. He was remanded for a week on both charges.

At the Police Office, on Monday, Ridley 'Wilson, master of the

collier-brig Fifteen, was eharged with felaniously.sinking the schooner Essex Lass, about Christmas 1850. It is said that the last prosecution in London of any importance for the sinking of a ship occurred forty years ago, when a Captain Codlin was hanged for that crime. The present law is highly penal, extending in its rigour to transportation for life. The prosecution was at the instance of Messrs. Barnes and Neek, of Colchester, the underwriters of the Essex Lass, which sailed from Colchester. The only witness examined was William Cudmore, who was a seaman on board the Essex Lass. He stated, that the ship being on her may home from the Mores with a cargo of fruit, when off the Portuguese coast, he saw through the skylight of the cabin the master engaged in boring with an auger three holes through the side of the schooner, below the water-line. The vessel in consequence began to fill, and eventually the seven hands were obliged to take to a boat. Be- fore leaving the schooner, the master had cut out the larboard and starboard ports. The vessel went down ten minutes after the boat quitted her. The crew landed at Faro. When asked why he had not accused the prisoner before, the witness replied, that he was "never asked about it," or he should have told. On Saturday fortnight he was questioned, and he then disclosed the facts. He denied that he signed any "protest" before the British Consul at Faro declaring that the ship was accidentally lest : he knew it was not, and he said so when he refused to sign the paper. The prisoner was remanded.

" Captain " Johnson was rreaxamined by the Lambeth Magistrate on Tuesday. Mr. Ralph William Grey,• private secretary to Lord Palmerston, stated that the prisoner was .not a, nephew of the Home Secretary ; but the letter he showed to'3Irs. Stewart was really Lord Palmerston's writing,—no doubt he had mistaken the prisoner for the son of Mr. Johnson, the Consul at Antwerp, a. distant relation. Mr. Parry, the prisoner's counsel, stated Positively that he is the son of that Mr. Johnson. Eventually, Johnson was committed for the fraud on Mrs. Stewart. ,A new charge :was entered upon while at Bedford, Johnson borrowed a valuable mare, and forgot to return it. He is remanded for stealing the mare. Several witnesses deposed to the way in which the Captain had got credit at Bedford, and then decamped. Demise got wine in London of the value of 109/. ; but as credit was given on the faith of an introduction by a gentleman.who believed Johnson to be - re- epectable, the Magistrate could not treat this matter as a criminal charge. It was stated theta "Captain Douglas" assisted the prisoner in cheating the Bedford folks. Mr. Parry replied to the Bedford charges, that Johnson had said he was the-son of a Mr. Johnson who had lived many years at Bed- ford—which was the truth ; and the tradesmen were recklessly eager to give him goods on credit. The Magistrate does not seem to have entertained any express charge as yet respecting these debts.

George D. Moffatt, formerly clerk to Mr. Barlow, engineer, has been com- mitted for trial by the Lord Mayor for uttering several forged checks. The checks purported to be signed by Mr. Barlow. Moffatt intended to emigrate to Australia, and had paid 251. for a passage -out of the proceeds -of one of the checks.

The Reverend Dr.Bice, Head Master of Christ's Hospital, has destroyed himself under a visitation of morbid despondency. On Thursday morning he was found suspended to his bedstead by,a handkerchief, quite dead. He had taken advantage of a brief interval, during which he had been left alone ; Mrs. Bice having gone down stairs while he still slept. Dr. Rice was in his fifty-seventh year. He had a severe fever two years since, ands nervous fever in May or lime last : after the latter he was no long. -r the same man, and during the last three months his mind was evidently affected. The sur- geon of Christ's Hospital directed that the family should watch him closely ; and this was ordinarily done. In accordance with the advice of the medical men, Dr. Rice resigned-the -Head Mastership last week. It was the fever alone that had overturned his reason : his pecuniary affairs were in a very satisfactory state. Last Monday he ,asked his wife if she thought he was "out of his mind "; to which she replied, "Oh, certainly not." He had latterly been very low-spirited. Mrs. Rice was the first to discover the shocking fact of her husband's suicide. The Jury of course returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity." The deceased was connected with many of the public institutions of the Metropolis.

During the last year 923 fires occurred in London; but of these 660 were of a slight nature, attended by little damage ; 22 were fatal to human life.