gbe Ifletropolfz.
The Committee of Aldermen assembled again on Saturday to consider the proposed steam-boat regulations. Some more objections were of- ferred ; and the Committee proceeded to make such alterations and amendments as they thought necessary. The regulations are to be re- ported to the Court of Aldermen on the next Court-day. Some new regulations for barges may be expected.
A dinner was given on Monday by the Junior United Service Club, at their house in Charles Street, St. James's, to the hero of Jellalabad, Sir Robert Sale. Sir William Note was also invited, but was unable to attend, from indisposition.
A handsome building at New Cross, forming the Royal Naval School, was opened on Monday. The purpose of this school is to furnish, at a moderate expense, a first-rate education to the sons of naval officers. The building will accommodate 250 boys.
The trial of James Cockburn Belaney, surgeon, of North Sunder- land, for the murder of his wife by administering prussic acid, began, at the Central Criminal Court, on Wednesday, and closed on Thursday. The prisoner pleaded "Not guilty." The case for the prosecution was stated by the Solicitor-General, in a plain and even forbearing manner ; and a great number of witnesses were examined. From the nature of the case, the evidence was entirely circumstantial; as the fact that the poison had been taken was not denied, but only all motive and active participation in giving it. In November last, Mr. Belaney, then prac- tising in Sunderland, married Miss Rachel Skelley. Subsequently, that lady's mother died, and the bride inherited her property. They came to town on the 4th of June, and took lodgings at Stepney. Mrs. Belaney then expected in two or three months to become a mother. She was not very well on the 4th, but on the 5th she was better. On the 8th, Mrs. Heppenstall, their landlady, was suddenly summoned to Mrs. Belaney's bedroom : she was gasping for breath, her husband stand- ing over her with a lancet in his hand ; a surgeon was sent for; but before be came, aftenone shriek, (the last act, said the medical men, of volition,) she died. Prussic acid was at once recognized as the cause of her death, though the surgeon at first kept the suspicion to himself. Such were the admitted facts : the inculpatory evidence consisted of some collateral facts, and a tissue of falsehood which threw a strong shade of sus- picion on the husband. It appeared, that before leaving Sunderland, be and his wife had, made wills in each other's favour. On the 2th June, he went to MI. Donoghue, a surgeon, whom he caused to procure some drugs, among them prussic acid ; which he was in the habit of taking himself for some internal nervous or dyspeptic com- plaint. In a letter written on the 5th to a person in Sunderland, he said that his wife was unwelL Next day he wrote that she was very ill, and that she had been attended by two doctors, who expected that she would miscarry ; which was false. A third letter, posted if not written on the 8th, after she was dead, said that his wife was worse, and that her medical attendant and himself both thought that she had disease of the heart ; a fourth, on the 9th, announced that his beloved Rubel was no more. 'While his wife was lying in the agonies of death, he told Mrs. Heppenstall that Mrs. Belaney had had "fits" before, but that she would never get over that one ; and he al- lowed frictipp, cataphtepas, and such remedies, which could have no effect on the real cause of the lady's illaees, to be used. When Mr. Garrett, the surgeon, moo to on the 81b, Mr. Belaney told him that his wife had only been taking a little salts. On Monday began the in- quest, and a post mortem examination was ordered ; which disclosed the real cause of death beyond a doubt. Before that result was known to him, Mr. Belaney confessed the fact to Mr. Garrett ; but explained that lie had diluted some prussic acid to keep for his own use, and had left it carelessly in a tumbler, having broken a phial; and that his wife had accidentally drunk it in mistake for a dose of salts. Mr. Garrett asked why he had not made this statement before ? to which he replied, that he was too much ashamed and enraged with himself. This explanation he also made in private letters to Sunderland; adding, that he did not know what he was about. Such was the evidence for the prosecution. For the defence, Mr. Erle contended that his client had no motive to the imputed crime, and that his story was the true one ; and a great number of witnesses were called. One was Mr. Clarke, a master- mariner and an acquaintance of Mr. Belaney, who was sent for on the 8th, and was actually present at Mrs. Belavey's death. He heard the husband exclaim that she would not recover, and that it was entirely owing to his own gross neglect ; and on Monday he told Mr. Clarke the story of the mistake. Many witnesses, friends from Sunderland, described Mr. Belaney as a thoroughly humane man, and more kind and attentive to his wife than husbands usually are; while Mrs. Be- laney, a woman of attractive appearance and engaging manners, re- ciprocated his affection in the most unequivocal manner ; and after her death, the husband's aspect was marked by all the traits of a profound and sincere grief. Mr. Baron Gurney summed up, commenting at length on the bad but perhaps erroneous impression which the intricate falsehoods of the prisoner were calculated to make ; and the Jury, after retiring for half an hour, returned a verdict of "Not guilty." Hearing the acquittal without apparent emotion, Mr. Belaney bowed, and retired from the bar.
From a statement in the Times, it appears that the Home Secretary is not the only official who has opened post-letters to obtain information. Six letter carriers and a sub-sorter have been suspended for opening letters addressed to sporting gentlemen, and thereby obtaining hints on betting which they made use of themselves or sold to others. An inquiry respecting the matter is in progress.
Alfred Walker, a bug-destroyer, has been charged at Marlborough Street Office, with stealing some 5001. in money, and a quantity of jewellery, the property of the Earl of Harrowby's housekeeper. Walker got entrance at the Earl's to carry on a warfare against the vermin.
Two poor girls threw themselves into the Surrey Canal, on Wednes- day morning, and one was drowned; the other being rescued by a ship- wright. They were sisters ; and with two other sisters lived at Deptford, obtaining a miserable subsistence by making slop-shirts, for some of which they were paid only five farthings. The young woman who destroyed herself was harassed by what were to her serious involvements—the threat of imprisonment for three shillings of costs, inflicted by a Magis- trate for a quarrel which she had with a woman ; and the having pawned some shirts to obtain money to pay her rent.
A boy in Westminster has died of a hurt received while playing at a species of leap-frog called "Spanish flies," in which each leaper kicks down the boy he passes over. In this case the lower part of the boy's backbone was injured, causing an effusion of blood on the spinal cord.
An explosion of foul air occurred in a sewer at Southwark, on Mon- day morning ; some workmen employed to clean it out having carried a candle with them. One of the men was badly hurt.
A fire which broke out in Richmond learly on Tuesday morning, at the Cricketers public-house, consumed that building, a large dwelling- house on Richmond Green, &e. ; and a female servant at the public- house was dangerously hurt in jumping out of a second-floor window.
Mr. Dyee Sombre, the lunatic, has contrived to escape from the po- lice who were appointed to watch him.
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