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A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday. Sir Chapman Marshall presented a petition from the baker serving the contract, to supply the City Prisons with bread, praying for an increased allowance in order to protect him from the loss to which he is exposed in consequence of present high prices. Alderman Farebrother expressed his belief that the grossest exag- gerations bad been put forward by interested parties. It was creel to ex- cite alarm. The corn would prove an average crop; and the growth of potatoes would turn out to be more abundant than was expected. Im- mense quantities of potatoes were kept back last year by monopolists until they were spoiled. Alderman Lucas thought it was reasonable, when peo- ple found the price of grain and other necessaries rising all over Europe, that they should feel alarm. It was rather hard to expect people to wait 'until they should have nothing to eat. Sir Peter Laurie stated, that on the Corporation estates in Yorkshire the potato crop was very large. Al-

derman Challis observed, that the present question was not famine to the community, but famine to the contractor and his family. Sir Chapman Marshall did not, apprehend a famine, but he thought that the unexpected dearness of- food gave a claim to the petitioner. The petition was referred to the Gaol Committee.

A Court of Common Commit was held on Thursday. The subject of the dispute between the Court of 'Aldermen and the Common Council re- specting expenses incurred in the Lord Mayor's survey of the upper Thames was referred to a committee. A letter was presented from Mr. Payne, the City Coroner, stating that he had revived the ancient practice of holding inquests in cases of fire, and thathe had incurred expenses for which there wasno provision. Mr.Prendergast angrily objected to the practice, as an ex- pense; but eventually the letter was referred to a committee. A report re- commending the payment of 21,0001. balance of the London Bridge Ap- proaches debt was affirmed. Lord Dudley Stuart and a deputation from the Literary Association of the Friends of the Poles presented a petition for the use of the Guildhall after the 9th of November; which was granted. Mr. R. L. Jones presented a report from the Improvement Committee, recom- mending a new line of street from the corner of Cannon Street in King William Street to the South side of St. Paul's Churchyard. It would not take in Watling Street, but would cut through many narrow lanes, and would greatly relieve the sole great thronghfare at present existing in a parallel direction. The cost, deducting the estimated value of frontages, would be S30,000/.; but the work would be spread over several years. The report was adopted, and orders were given to make the requisite Par- liamentary notices.

The Bishop of London held a visitation of the clergy of the Metropolis, at St. Paul's Cathedral, on Monday. After prayers, and a sermon preached by the Reverend Dr. M`Caul, the Bishop pronounced the benediction. Proceeding then to a seat within the Communion-rails, he delivered. his charge. He commenced by referring to recent differences, now happily subsiding, in connexion with the observance of the rubric. He defended the position he had taken at the last synodal meeting. He advised now, as then, and as he had done twenty years ago, a more strict observance of the rubric. To maintain harmony, however, he would content himself with advising, and abstain from enforcing strict obedience to the law._ He exhorted the clergy against the introduction of unauthorized forms and gestures in the celebration of Divine service; warned them against books of devotion or confession compiled on the principles of the Church of Rome, by which "weak-minded persons" were seduced into error. He cautioned them against joining "an association or confraternity for the pur- pose of mutual intercession." The Bishop alluded to the subject of Papal infallibility and supremacy, anclurged his hearers to master the arguments against this doctrine as the keystone of Romish error. Passing onwards, he combated the theory by which the Christian Scriptures were degraded from their proper eminence as a final and conclusive revelation of the Divine will, to a mere vague, obscure, imperfect announcement of God's counsels; and he quoted Muller to show the opinions held by Rationalist professors of this theory in Germany. He advocated the opening of churches for daily prayers. On the subject of spiritual destitution in the Metropolis, he had stated ten years ago, that there was a population of not less than 1,380,000 to be provided for, while there was church- room for only 140,000. Owing to the exertions since made, there is now accommodation for 410,000; leaving still 970;000 unprovided for. Much therefore remained to be erected. The Bishop expressed a hope that the bill for facilitating the punishment of clerical offenders, introduced into Parliament last session, would soon become law. He adverted to the sub- ject of State education. He adhered to his previously expressled opinion, that religious and secular instruction ought to be blended. But if the State attempts to provide education for all, the difficulties arising from the spread of Dissent would certainly render it inevitably necessary -to-sepa- rate religions and secular instruction. Altogether, therefore, he thought it best "that the State should continue to assist, with an increased measure of aid, the voluntary-efforts of individuals and societies," and not enter upon a "new system. In conclusion, he referred to the increased activity and hostility of the Dissenters, and to a -certain number of" perversions" which were blazoned forth by the Roman Catholic Church. These being the re- sult of manifest efforts- by the Great Enemy of Mankind, he looked upon as evidence of increased energy on the part of-theEstablished, Church; and he finished with an exhortation to pious diligence.

Since the Accession of Lord- Morpeth to office as Chief 'Commissioner of Woods and Forests, some important changes have been made in the plans for the completion of the Victoria Park. Among others, two portions, or about twelve acres at either end, are to be appropriated as cricket-grounds, with which it is proposed to -connect a gymnasium-. A plan for the erection of a museum is also under the consideration of the Commissioners. The utmost vigour is now shown in the- preparations for planting; which will, it is expected, be completed in the ensuing spring.— Morning Chronicle.

Pedestrians across Hyde Park owe the Board of Works gratitude for the formation of several well-gravelled footpaths, which have just been com- pleted. One new path connects the entrance in Piccadilly with the Vic- toria Gate; another, the Victoria with the Grosvenor Gate; a third, the Hyde Park Terrace Gate -with the bridge over the Serpentine. All these were much wanted, as was proved by the footways which the public made for themselves; and it is only giving the authorities due praise for their considerateness thus to record their good deeds.—Globs. [Formerly, it used to be observed that if &pathway were spontaneously formed by the public, the authorities would block it up: they now seem -to be turning to a new course, acting with the public instead of against it—either carrying out the path indicated or making abetter. This, though in a small matter, is a real practical advance in the progress of ,good.government.) It is annouced that the Electric Telegraph Company intend-forthwith to establish a central telegraph station at the company's depOt in the Strand, by means of which communication will be Obtained from one point to all parts of the country, of course through the several railway stations in London. The extension of the South-western telegraph will be the first undertaken; and it is estimated that it will be finished in three months. A much longer period, however, will elapse before the wires on the other lines are extended. The Government have lately directed the com- pany's officers to report the practicability of extending the " main " tele- graph to the principal Government desalts; but the result has not as yet been ascertained. A number of omnibuses for the conveyance of passengers between the Bank and Paddington' and intermediate stations, at the low rate of one penny per mile, began to run on Wednesday. Several were also started from the Strand to Paddington, at the charge of twopence for the entire distance.

A new medical association, called the Pathological Society, held its first meeting on Tuesday evening, at the rooms of the Horticultural Society, in Regent Street. The chair was taken by Professor Williams, of University College Hospital, the President; and the meeting was attended by upwards of two hundred persons, including the most eminent physiologists, natu- ralists, and medical practitioners, of the Metropolis.

The usual quarterly indigo sale, which closed on Tuesday, was the most extensive ever declared. The quantity which passed the sale was 8,478 chests.' and notwithstanding the accounts from India, which to the full corroborated the previous accounts of the destruction of the crop, the prices were barely maintained at the rates which the article had commanded im- mediately prior to the sale. Daring the last two days of the sale, when very heavy withdrawals had greatly reduced the quantity for the execu- tion of the remaining orders, prices were somewhat better, say from 2d. to 3d.' above those of last year. Of the quantity which passe the sale, 7,000 chests were actually sold, and the remainder bought in. Of the quantity actually sold, about 3,000 chests were for export, 2,500 for home consump- tion, and 1,500 on speculation.

At a meeting of Middlesex Magistrates, on Thursday, Mr. Walesby made emotion to abolish the use of the tread-wheel for female prisoners. The subject had been referred to officers of the prison—the Governor, Chaplain, Surgeon, and Matron; and they all reported against the change. It was admitted in these reports, that employments in prisons might be improved; • but, until better occupations are devised, the judicious use of the tread- wheel is advantageous, as furnishing a convenient aggravation in the scale of punishment, and even as an:exercise conducive to health in confinement. After a discussion, the motion was negatived, by 23 to 15.

• At the General Quarter-Sessions for Surrey, held on Tuesday at King- ston, Mr. Sibley, the Governor of the Brixton House of Correction, was called to account for having punished a female prisoner, named Maria Roast, by confining her for twenty-four hours with her hands handcuffed behind her back. Mr. Sibley gave an explanation of the circumstances, corresponding with what appeared when the case was heard at the Lam- beth Police Court. The woman was shown to be brutal and unmanage- able. The explanation was satisfactory to the majority of the Court; Mr. Briscoe alone dissenting. The propriety of continuing the practice of flogging boys under fourteen with the cat-o'-nine-tails was then discussed. Mr. Briscoe strongly urged the discontinuance of this mode of punish- ment; but having only one supporter, his motion to that effect was lost. The chief speaker in favour of flogging was Colonel Challoner ; who quoted the precedent of Eton,—overlooking the distinction between the classic birth and the prison eat-o'-nine-tails.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Wednesday, Bridget Sullivan was charged with forging and uttering a check for 157 on Messrs. Coutts and Company, purporting to be drawn by the Dowager Marchioness .of Queensbury. Vilhers Pearce, who cohabited with Sulliven, and declares that he recently married her, was also charged as an accessory. The evidence against the woman was sufficiently strong • to warrant her committal; Pearce was remanded for a week.

At the Worship Street Police-office, on Monday, Alfred Wilton, a sullen-looking youth of nineteen, was charged with having been concerned in drowning his wife, a girl rather younger than himself; to whom he had been married but three week& Allen, a stone-mason, stated, that on Sunday morning, soon after-mid- night, he observed Wilton and a woman on -the-towing-path of the Regent's Canal, near the Cat and Mutton bridge; they were quarrelling; the female cried out, "Sooner than put up with the words you have been calling me, I would drown myself !" and she ran to the water and jumped in. Instead of attempting to save the woman the prisoner was coolly walking away; but he was stopped by Allen. The body was eventually taken out by means of drags. A medical man thought life might have been restored if the corpse were taken into a neighbour- ing public-house; but when the Police carried it to a house, no answer was given to their shouts and knocking, and the body was eventually conveyed to the Hackney station: life was then found to be extinct. Allen declared that Wilton could have saved his wife had he tried: when the corpse was taken from the water he would not assist in the attempts to restore animation. A Policeman stated, that he had heard a very bad account of the prisoner: though only just marriesi to the-de- ceased, he had been courting another woman, pretending that he was a single man. Wilton said he had attempted to prevent his wife's jumping into the canal, but she had made a sudden spring from him: he did not follow her into the water because he could not swim. The wretch was remanded.

An inquest has been held on the body of the woman. The same witnesses were examined as at the Police-office. The Jury returned a verdiot of "Temporary insanity " • but added, "there was great heartlessness on the part of the husband of deceased, in not making an attempt to save her life' he being present at the time; and they express their regret that the law is not strong enough to punish

The excavation of human remains continues at the burial-ground attached to Glles's Workhouse. Vast quantities of bodies appear to have been packed into a small space. Some of the coffins were found in an extraordinary state of preservation; and from the manner in which many are covered with cloth and ornamented, it appears that others than paupers have been interred in this ground.

Deal, a shoemaker at Blackwell, has lost his life through a firework explosion. Some fireworks had been wetted, and Deal placed them before a fire to dry; pre- ,sently, a portion ignited, and in attempting to save some part of the heap by snatching them away, he was frightfully burnt, and died of the consequences.

A fire broke out in a workshop at Messrs. Erard's pianoforte manufactory, in Great Marlborough Street, on Tuesday night, a few minutes after the workmen had gone away. As it was early discovered, and engines were soon set to work, the flames were confined to the room in which they originated.