gbe liftettopoits.
A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, but no business of interest was done.
At a Court of Common Council, on Thursday, a report was received of the successful opposition offered in Parliament to the bill lately introduced to abolish Smithfield and set up abattoirs in Camden Town.
A deputation from the Corporation, headed by Mr. Masterman, waited upon Lord Morpeth on Thursday, to ask what were the intentions of Go- vernment in relation to the second reading of the bill to enlarge the pow- ers of the City Commissioners of Sewers. Lord Morpeth, deprecating any difference with the Corporation, said the second reading would be opposed. The City Commission and the Regent Street Commission were founded on local acts, which had prevented their absorption into the Central Com- mission in which the rest of the Metropolitan bodies had been merged: it was intended to repeal those acts. The Corporation interests would be donsidered in the constitution of the consolidated Commission. Some con- versation arose: Lord Morpeth appeared to yield a little, but would only promise not to oppose the postponement of the Corporation Bill.
Meetings to oppose the Ministerial proposal to increase the Income-tax have been held by the parishioners of St. Bride's, and those of St. Dunstan's- in-the-West. At Stoke Newington a preliminary meeting has been held; and in Marylebone it has been determined to call a great public meeting on the subject for next Monday.
A meeting to oppose the Diplomatic Relations with Rome Bill was held in Willis's Rooms on Thursday; Mr. Plamptre, M.P., in the chair. The speakers were Mr. G. R. Clarke, the Reverend Hugh Stowell, and the Re- verend C. Prest. Resolutions were adopted, in spite of one dissentient au- ditor.
A meeting of some 2,000 persons was held on Wednesday, at the East- ern Institution, Commercial Road, to organize an effectual resistance to the repeal or relaxation of the Navigation-laws. Mr. George Frederick Young was the chief speaker.
The action brought by Mr. Alfred Bann against Mademoiselle Jenny Lind, for breach of her engagement to sing at Drury Lane Theatre, was tried in the Court of Queen's Bench, sitting at Guildhall, on Tuesday. The plaintiffs case was stated by Mr. Cockburn; who read a correspondence between the manager and the songstress. His story was substantially as follows. Mademoiselle Lind had become celebrated throughout Europe; in 1844, in the middle of a London season, Mr. Bann started to Berlin, procured an introduction to her from Lord Westmoreland the English Ambassador and M. Meyerbeer the composer, and effected an agreement. Mademoiselle Lind was to sing twenty times at Drury Lane in the year 1845, at her choice of the seasons between the 15th of June and 81st of July or the 30th of September and the 15th of November. The terms were to be fifty louis-d'or for each singing and half the net proceeds of a benefit, the payment to be made within twenty-four hours after each represent- ation. Mademoiselle Lind was to appear first as Vielka in Meyerbeer's Camp of Silesia; afterwards, if Mr. Bunn insisted, as Amine, in the Sonnambula. Leave was reserved to Mademoiselle Lind to alter any of the terms except those relating to period and payment. This reserved power she never in any way exercised. On the 22d February, Mademoiselle Lind wrote to Mr. Bunn, that her efforts to learn English were fruitless; and that as she could not fulfil this, the principal condition, she considered the agreement null. She besought Mr. Bunn not to credit that she was going to sing at the Italian Opera in the Haymarket; and gave her word of honour no more to do that, in 1845, than she would appear at Drury Lane. It was stated that she could then already sing in fonr lan- guages, and had a singular facility of acquiring foreign pronunciation. On the 20th March, Mr. Bunn wrote back, that he believed she was de- terred from fulfilling her contract by the falsest representations: he was willing to deposit her Wary with a banker before she left Berlin: the English would be as glad to hear her sing in German as in English: she must keep her faith. Receiving no answer to this letter, in October Mr. Bunn busied himself in preparations for the appearance of Mademoiselle Lind. On the 18th of October a letter arrived, in which she definitively declared she could not come to England. She said that she neither possessed the personal advantages, the assurance, nor the charlatanism of the other prima dolmas, and feared the ordeal of an English stage: the language too remained an insuperable obstacle. She said she had been surprised into the agreement; and she concluded by asking Mr. Bonn, in the name of humanity and generosity, to give her back her agreement. Mr. Bunn replied in a letter angrily accusing the lady of evasion and violation of con- tracts; and complaining of expenses already incurred; but offering, that if she would not appear at the Italian Operahouse in London next August, and would pay such a sum as would cover heavy expenses and in some measure compensate him, he would annul the contract. " If you fail so to do," he said, " I shall can the whole matter to be laid before his Majesty the King of Prussia; who is too good to suffer an English subject to be defrauded by any one paid by the Prus- sian Government.. I shall also commence an action at law in Berlin, (where the contract was made,) and another in England whenever you land here Mr. Bunn's counsel presumed that Mademoiselle Lind threw herself free in ex- pectation of coming to the Italian Opera in 1846. When she did come in 1847, the present action was brought for 10,0001. damages. The defendant was represented by the Attorney-General and Sir Frederiele Thesiger; Sir John Jervis stating the else Among other pleas, it was alleged that Mademoiselle was to appear first as Vielka in Meyerbeer's German opera: it was the plaintiff's duty to procure the opera-music and pat it before her to be learnt; the opera, however, has never been printed, published, or sold; and plain- tiff did not give her the music for learning. Evidence was given by Mr. Fitzball, that he had been paid by Mr. Bunn 1501. for translating and adapting The Camp of Silesia; and by Mr. Dunn, of the pro- fits of Drury Lane when "full" during the engagement of a " great attraction." The house holds 6501. per night at present prices when full. The expenses, in- cluding Mademoiselle Lind's salary, would have been 200/. per night. The net profits during Malibran's engagement were from 4,0001. to 5,0001. for thirty-five nights.
Mr. Justice Erle left it to the Jary to say whether the plaintiff could have performed all that it was his duty to perform if the defendant had come over and offered to sing. Verdict for the plaintiff—damages 2,500/.
Lieutenant Peregrine Bowen, who was charged with forging a will in his bro- ther's name and attempting to utter it, has committed suicide, in the Giltspur Street Compter, whither he had been sent on a remand by the Lord Mayor. -He was to have appeared at the Mausionhouse on Wednesday ; but on that morning he was found hanging in his cell, quite dead. He had made a rope with a piece of his shirt, and had fastened this to a loophole in the door by means of two spoons. The Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of" Temporary insanity."
A resolute attempt to commit a double murder was made in Dudley Street, St. Giles's, on Sunday morning. James Parker, a young man, an idle tailor who earned money by dancing at concert-rooms, had been living for some time with a girl named Burgess; but they had recently parted, and Burgess was staying with her mother. Parker called on them during Sunday morning; a quarrel arose, and he left the house. He asked a shoemaker living next door to lend him a knife, as he wanted to cut off the sole of a dancing-pump which was loose; he complained that the knife was rather blunt in the point, and the shoemaker sharpened it for him. Armed with this, he returned to Burgess's, and ferociously assailed both mother and daughter, inflicting many wounds. Persons went to the assistance of the women, and Parker hurried from the house; but he was captured by a neighbour. The women were taken to Charing Cross Hospital. The daughter was far advanced in pregnancy, but she is reported to be doing well. Parker was examined at Marlborough Street Police-office on Monday, and re• mended till the 6th of March.
The inquest on Miss Rhodes terminated on Tuesday. Evidence was given which proved that she had died from disease, not from any ill-treatment or neglect in the lunatic asylum; and a verdict was returned accordingly.
Harriet Parker, the murderess of the two children of Blake, was hanged in front of Newgate on Monday morning. She had latterly exhibited great contri- tion; several ladies were assiduous in attending her; and the culprit remarked to &friend, that she had received more kindness since she had been a prisoner in Newgate than ever since she had left her mother's house. On Saturday she wrote another letter to Blake, exhorting him to amend his ways. The crowd round the scaffold was greater than usual; and there was much hooting and yelling before the woman appeared: she heard the cries as she quitted the prison, and her strength greatly failed her. When the executioner performed his office, she appeared to suffer considerably.
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