26 MARCH 1831, Page 15

AmorotaraN SCAT.ES.—The new Alderman claimed to be sworn in on

Tuesday ; when a petition was presented against his admissibility, which alleged a number of pleas in bar of the honour to which he as. Aired. Some of tile objections were formal, but most of them were moral ; and the whole are denounced, in a letter from the Alderman to the Morning Chronicle, as an emanation of malice. The Court deferred. hearing evidence on the one side or the other, because of the lateness of the hour.

EasT INDIA Housg.—At the general court of proprietors, held on Wednesday, Mr. Rigby moved for a list of the names of all parties to whom grants of money, exceeding 2001. in any one sum, have been made by the East India Company subsequent to the last charter, with a statement of the amount, and the circumstances under which each grant was made ; and a like list of all parties receiving pensions exceeding 1001. per annum ; and of all superannuations or retiring allowances from the said Company, together with the amount of each, the date when, and the circumstances under which such pension had been granted. Mr. Astell, the Chairman, seconded the motion ; which was agreed to unani-• mously,—as was a motion for printing the return when presented. DISTRESS IN laEr.asm.—A meeting was held in the Egyptian Hall on Thursday, the Lord Mayor in the chair, to take into consideration the best method of relieving if possible the present deplorable distress in the West of Ireland. Mr. John Smith, a gentleman who is never absent when the welfare of the community calls for his voice and his assist- ance, proposed the first resolution. Adverting to the more remote causes of these repeated and afflicting visitations of the sister kingdom, Mr. Smith said, though he was not inclined to enter on political matters, he must say that the Government of Ireland had hitherto been any thing but a government of wisdom. He trusted better days were dawning, and that the present would lie the last appeal which Ireland would be com- pelled to make to the charity of Englishmen. Lord Clarendon seconded the resolution. The second was moved by Mr. Byng, and seconded by Mr. Leader. The latter gentleman recommended that some inquiry should be made into the funds collected in 1822, of which a balance still remained. Mr. John Smith said, there had remained after the distri- bution of that year the sum of 40,000L, of which 35,995/. had been dis. posed of with the greatest possible benefit in the way of small loans to the industrious poor of ten counties.' The meeting was likewise ad- dressed by Sir John Burke, Mr. Brown, M.P., Lord Caledon, Alder- man Venables, Mr. Wyse, Mr. M. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Sheil. A Mr. Wells spoke of the poor of England, and their superior_ claims; but he

was boated down. A large subscription. was made in the moth; and it has been since very-considerably angthented. • The excellent condiict of the Marquis4f -Sligo was dwelt on, by-almost every speaker, in terms of Merited approbation. .• THE SPANISH . AND PORTUGUESE HOSPITAL._–The anniversary dinner of the friends of this institution took place on Wednesday, at the City of London Tavern ; Mr. Montefiore in the chair. The institution is intended for sick and lying-in women`; and by its means,. medical assistance has been-given during the past yeOr in .6,152 cases, aad.943 individuals•have been relieved as in and out patients. COVENT GARDEN THEATRICAL FoNn.—The anniversary took place on Wednesday. The Duke of Sussex was in the chair ; and the com- pany was very nearly the samgas at the anniversary of the Drury Lane fund, :which took place on Friday. The entertainments, also, at both were nearly of the same kind—there was the "Bay of Biscay 0," and the laughing chorus, and all the rest of the things. On Wednesday, however, there was the addition of-Mathews, who sung one old and one view comic song, as he always sings songs never old, to the delight of his listeners. As the nature of these funds. is apt to be and has been misunderstood, we think Mr. Fawcett did well to offer some explana- tionOn that head. We quote his words— "Mach .misupprehension is afloat as to the limits of the two Theatrical Funds—

It therefore becomes necessary to correct one or two errors which have been pro. pagated concerning them. In the first place,• it is an error to suppose that that

,which caned Covent Garden Theatrical Fund only applies to those performers who are actcally engaged at Covent Garden Theatre, or the same at Drury -Lane ; for otthis.momentaa ninny members of this fund are not belonging to the theatre, as there are who-do. It'is true, they must have commenced their career in one of the old theatres ; but let them Wander where 'they may afterwards, so that they have done their duty by it, they are still eligible to all the immunities of the fund. It is equally erroneous and unjust to suppose that every actor who subscribes to it must of necessity. benefit by it ; or that Wise gentlemen who appear in this room with wands 'in their hands, who wait behind your chairs, and who solicit your benevo- lence, are asking it in their awn behalf. I assure you nothing can be more contrary to, fact ; for most of them, to my knowledge, are precluded from all possibility of profiting one iota from it ; apd this you will perfectly understand, when I acquaint you that -a very trifling sum of private property bars all claim to this truly disin- terested charity." • •• The subscriptions after dinner amounted to 11851 8s.; which being short of the sum Collected for the Drury -Lane fund, Mr. Soane the artist, with. that generosity which-is his noblest characteristic, imme- diately. banded to. Mathews a check for the difference ; he had previ. ously made his usual donation of 50/.!