25 DECEMBER 1841, Page 2

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The question of the Corn-laws was introduced into the City Munici- pal Elections on Tuesday, St. Thomas's Day. Mr. Richard Taylor and Mr. P. A. Taylor led the way with sturdy Free-trade addresses, before the election, to the wards of Farringdon Without and Farringdon Within. In four wards the question was brought into active play. In Farringdon Within, there were fourteen vacancies and eighteen candi- dates: ten declared for a greater or less alteration of the Corn-laws. All but one of those were elected on the show of hands ; but the poll returned only eight of them, including Mr. P. A. Taylor. In Farring- don Without, there were sixteen vacancies and twenty-one candidates : fifteen declared against the present Corn-laws ; and they were all elected on the show of hands, with Mr. Anderton, the great opponent of Corpo- ration abuses, for the sixteenth ; nine supporters of change, including Mr. Richard Taylor, were returned at the poll ; and so was Mr. Ander- ton. In Bishopsgate there were fourteen vacancies and seventeen can- didates : two only opposed alteration of the Corn-laws, and the opinions of one candidate are not stated ; two Tory supporters of the Corn-laws, and one Tory opponent were rejected on the show of hands : the Tory and one Liberal opponent of the Corn-laws were thrown out at the poll, with a Tory supporter. All the others were elected. In Langbourn, Mr. John Nicholson was brought forward as the Anti-Corn-law candi- date for one of the eight vacancies ; but the show of hands was against him, and so was the poll.

It is understood that it is the intention of the Aldermen and Common Council to divide the duties of the Judge of the Sheriff's Court between Mr. Ryland and Mr. Bullock. Two vacancies will thus occur among the City Pleaders. Mr. Laurie, a son of Sir Peter, Mr. Locke, Sir Walter Riddell, Mr. Webster, and Mr. Forsyth, are understood to be candidates.

A meeting of the Spitalfields weavers was held on Saturday, at Beth- nal Green, for the purpose of receiving the report of the committee as to the steps taken towards the relief of the distressed workpeople in that district. It was stated, that though the committee had been en- gaged for the last four weeks in trying to procure relief for their fellow- workmen, none had yet been obtained. Relief had been afforded in several other manufacturing towns, where the distress was not greater than among the weavers of Spitalfields. A resolution was moved and carried, that a general meeting of the unemployed weavers should be called forthwith.

In the Court of Common Pleas, on Tuesday, an action of libel was tried by M. Frederic Pisani, the Chief Dragoman to the English Embassy at Constantinople, against Mr. Lawson, the publisher of the Times newspaper. The libellous articles had appeared in the Times in the months of February and March 1837, and consisted in a general attack on the Dragomans employed by the English Embassy at Con- stantinople ; who were spoken of as belonging " to a degraded race," the Perotes, and as an immoral and ignorant set. It was made ground of objection that the communications between the British Embassy and the Turkish Government should pass exclusively through a channel so unfit. On one occasion, it was said, in some negotiations respecting the navigation of the Euphrates, M. Pisani reported difficulties in procuring the assent of the Porte, ascribing them to Russian gold and intrigue : at that very time, a Mr. Millingen had procured the ready concurrence of the Turkish Government to the required arrangement. In the de- fence it was contended, that the articles were written with a view of calling the attention of the public to the system, and not with any intention of attacking individuals. The Lord Chief Justice left it to the Jury to decide whether the articles had been published for the purpose of fair discussion, or whether they had been written with a malicious ob- ject. A verdict was found for the defendant.

Mr. John Edward Carew came before the Insolvent Debtor's Court to pass his examination, on Friday; and his case was successively ad-

journed to Monday Wednesday. Mr. Carew ascribed his insolvency to his having given up professional practice as a sculptor, which was worth 2,0001. a year, in order that he might devote all his services to Lord Egremont ; for which Lord Egremont was to settle 1,700/. a year upon him for life. On the death of the Earl, no such provision appeared to have been made, though a short time before Lord Egremont had pro- duced papers by which he had made the promised provision. Mr. Carew claimed the sum of 19,2861. 88. 8d. from the estate of Lord Egremont, for services rendered, with 600/. for costs in an action against the executors, in which he was nonsuited. On the part of the executors, it was stated that Mr. Carew had received upwards of 21,0001. from the Earl beyond what the works he had done would cost ; that so far from his having any claim upon them, he was, in fact, in their debt. On Wednesday, the case was adjourned to the 8th of January, and Mr. Carew's discharge on bail was enlarged till that time.

Mr. J. A. Hoffstadt, a foreign Catholic, who came before the Court of Bankruptcy, on Thursday, expressed a conscientious objection to taking an oath. As the custom of the Court could not prevail over his scruple, and he did not belong to either of the "privileged sects," Quakers or Moravians, and as the Court had no discretion, he was re- manded back to prison.

Ward, who murdered Timothy Easted, the infant of a woman with whom he lived, and whom he was about to marry, was executed at Newgate on Monday. He was much affected by the " condemned sermon " on Sunday. Afterwards, he confessed that he did kill the child; that he struck it, not with a hammer, but with his clenched fists—with no premeditated attempt to murder it, being very drank at the time. He exclaimed on Monday, that he wished that liquor had been a guinea a quart that day." The people, says a report of the scene, "behaved in the usual way, laughing, shoutine. and hooting by turns."

The incursion of the frost at the latter part of last week, caused the waters in the several public grounds round the Metropolis, to be skinned over with ice ; and the usual crowds were seen to venture upon it, even before it was sufficiently firm to bear them with safety. The company and skaters were numerous on Sunday and Tuesday mornings in Ken- sington gardens, at the Serpentine, and in the Regent's Park. Of course many accidents occurred ; though, excepting in two cases, which were

fittal, the immersions were more laughable than serious. The milder weather in the middle of the week has spoiled the precarious sport of the skaters.