27 FEBRUARY 1847, Page 6

Ste liftetropolfs.

At a Court of East India Directors, on Saturday, Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby Cotton was sworn in as Commander-in-chief and Second Mem- ber of Council on the Madras establishment.

The Directors of the East India Company gave a grand entertainment on Saturday, at the London Tavern, to Sir Willoughby Cotton, on his ap- pointment to the chief military command at Bombay. The most notable point in any of the after-dinner speeches was Sir John Hobhouse's decla- ration, that, "honoured as Lord Llardinge had been by the approbation of her Majesty and the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, he had the entire confidence of her Majesty's Ministers."

-A Court of -Aldermen was held on Tuesday, but the-business-was tmim- pOrtsuit.

A crowded-meeting of the Common Council was held on Thursday; and the sitting was devoted to the election of officers, in order not to continue iitepablic inconvenience. Gaining experience by the late delay, the Court uppointed Mr. 13allock Judge of the Sheriff's Court, not upon the custom- ary annual tenure but "quamdiu bene se gesserit." The Mayor and a Aepatation from Londonderry attended to present a petition alleging esprinst the Irish Society mismanagement of the City estates in Derry; aid it was agreed that counsel -should be heard at the bar on a future day.

rArCommittee of the whole Court was -held previously, on the privilege question. The proceedings were so stormy that the result was not clearly silderstood; but it is supposed that the Court adopted the report of a Sub- Cammittee, recommending that if the Court of Aldermen would not sup- pert-the Common Council, the Council should appeal to Parliament.

- A special meeting, convened by the Congregational Board of Educe- Con, a Dissenting body, was held on Thursday, at the Congregational Library, to consider the steps which should be taken in reference to the Government scheme of education. The meeting was attended by the (Reverend Dr. 'Vaughan and a number of Dissenting ministers, by Mr. Ed- ward Baines junior, Mr. Henry Dunn, Secretary to the British and-Foreign SishooL Society, and by other gentlemen of Dissenting connexions: Mr. Charles -Hindley, ALP., presided. The Reverend Mr. Ainslie presented a statement from the Congregational Board, recommending a string of reso- -Isitions to be passed, a petition to the Mouse of Commons, and depute- dons to Ministers. The resolutions were read by Mr.-Ainslie, and after- wards moved seriatim ;hut the result is not manifestin every case, because the proceedings had not quite closed when the reporter of the Dissenting paper aihose account we follow, the Patriot, was obliged to come away. The resolutions declared.that the meeting felt a strong interest in education, but strongly objected to Government interference; alarm -was expressed at the patronage involved in the scheme, as "unconstitutional," and at -the use of the Church Catechism in the National Schools; the scheme was -denounced as an advance towards the payment of all religious ministers; great regret was declared at the introduction of such a measure by the present Government; it was asserted 'that this plan would have a prejudi- vial effect on all voluntary efforts; and the resoluticeas finished with re- commendingthe promptest and strongest opposition to the measure. Se- veral gentlemen addressed the meeting; but by far the most prominent 'speaker was Dr. Vaughan, who abandoned all former differences on-the subject and thoroughly joined in the opposition. The meeting seems to .have been very unanimous in affirming the course indicated by the Board.

A meeting of the ratepayers of Marylebone was .held on Monday, in the yard of the Workhouse, on the subject of a poor-law for Ireland. Sir Benjamin Hall and Mr. Mackinnon attended; and Dr. Spry, the 'Rector, rpreekled. Very decided resolutions, acid -a petition fouuded on them, in cofavenr of an efficient poor-law, were voted. In the course of his /speech, irfr. Mackinnon said, that as-he heard that Irish landlords did not mean to pay a poor-law if passed, he had given notice of a clause, to the- effect ithat where landlords refuse -to ,pay the poor-rates, a receiver shall be-ap- pointed to collect their rents and out of them deduct the-poor-rate.

An inquiry into the merits of the proposed bridge across the Thames, from Lambeth Church to Westminster, has taken place at the instance df the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. It, eppears that Sir Samuel Brown, of Netherbyres House, Berwickshire, proposed to erect the struc- ture, as a toll-bridge: it is to be on the suspension principle, and is esti- mated to cost 90,0001. The width of water at high-tide is 858 feet.

The Thames Junction Railway—a branch of the Eastern Counties line, extending from Stratford to the Thames at Blackwell—which -had been worked as a single line for the conveyance of merchandise and coal, -was opened as a double one on Tuesday. Large iron steam-vessels are under construction to ferry passengers from the Blackwell terminus to Woolwich and other places on the opposite shore.

The annual general meeting of the members of University College was held on Wednesday, in the theatre of the College; Mr. Warburton pre- siding. The report which was read gave a satisfactory account of the progress of the histitation. The number of students both in the Faculty of Arts and in the Junior Sehobl-has considerably increased since last year: The Hindoo students bad pursued their medical studies with diligence, and had successfully competed for honours both in the College and in the University. The financial statement exhibited a very flourishing exche- quer, and evidences of active progress towards the completion of the various departments of the building.

The annual meeting of the Health of Towns Association took place-on Wednesday, in the rooms of the Statistical Society; Lord Ashleyria the chair. A report detailed the proceedings of the Association since, its foundation in 1844, and exhibited very satisfactory results. An allusion was made to the forthcoming sanatory measure of Government -as the crowning work of the Association.

In the Prerogative Court, on Tuesday, Dr. Addams moved the Court to decree probate of certain testamentary papers left by the late Baron de Bode on his demise. The Baron had struck out the signature to his will, with the view of making anew will, but he had not done so: the object was to restore the will. The application was consented to by the widow and children; and, Dr. Addams cited cases to show that the mere fact of striking out the name did-not constitute a full revoca- tion. Under the circumstances, the Court decreed the *bate.

At the Mansionhouse, on Saturday, the diamond robbery by Robert Kerr, the master of the Levenside, was very fully investigated. It appeared from the evi- dence, that the diamonds in a rough state were intrusted to -Kerr at Bahia, -to bring to London; on arriving in the Downs, the prisoner expected that some of the owners of the vessel would board it, as they seemed to have had sonic suspicion of his intentions; -and he landed in a Deal boat, with the jewels in his possession. He hastened to London and put up at a puddle-house in Lower East Smithfield. He told the landlord that he was a trader in diamonds; and through the medium of this man and a tailor slot of the precious stones was sold to a dealer for 1,750/. Kerr gave the publican a thirty-pound note to "settle the bill "; and also gave diamonds -to him and the tailor, which they afterwards-sold-for 2801. Kerr then went to France; where a little time afterwards he was arrested, having lost or squandered nearly all his ill-gotten wealth: he said he had been robbed": he had but 841. in gold, 2001- in notes, and three diamonds. The prisoner was re- manded, that the depositi.ons might he made out; and on Wednesday he was committed for trial.

On Tuesday, a case was investigated arising from an information under the Merchant Seamen's Act. William Watts, master of the City of Rotterdam, -was charged with neglecting to take on board the number of apprentices required-by the law. The defendant pleaded "guar On the -part of the Admiralty, it was explained that the present proceedings were taken to warn the masters of vessels generally; that the important provision of the act which insured a supply of able seamen by compelling every ship to carry a certain number of ap- prentices, would be strictly enforced. The Admiralty lawyer did not press fur the full penalty; and Mr. Watts was fined only one third.

Dr. Cronin, an English apothecary holding a diploma of medicine from the University of Giessen in Germany, has been committed for trial by Mr. Coroner Walrley, on a verdict of" Manslaughter." A patient of Dr. Cronin a, Miss Sarah Ellen Collier, who resided at Camden Town, had died instantaneously after taking a dose of medicine containing bitter almond water—a drug of equivocal recognition by the medical profession, and of varying strength. At the Inquest, Mr. Wakley stated that the diplomas of GiessenAre to be purchased for money.