27 MARCH 1858, Page 5

.61E Rittrupulis.

A general Court of the East India Company was held on Wednesday ; Mr. Mangles in the chair. The Court unanimously agreed to a vote of thanks to Sir James Cosmo Melvill, the late Secretary of the East India Company ; a motion supported by the leaders of the extreme parties— Mr. Lewin, Mr. Crawshay, and Mr. Jones—as readily as by any.

In reply to Mr. Lewin, Mr. Mangles said that the present Government, like the late Government, had not communicated any information to the Court of Directors respecting the forthcoming India Bill. The Govern- ment evidently desired that its provisions should be first made known by Mr. Disraeli in the House of Commons on Friday. In reply to Mr. Helps, Mr. Mangles explained that the Governor- General had granted to the troops who captured Delhi all that he was competent to grant. All prize-money is in the gift of the Crown. It has, however, been determined that all the captured property belonging to the mutineers and rebels, including of course the personalty of the King of Delhi, shall be prize, but that the property of the Governmen and of loyal subjects shall not be prize. In lieu of the latter, another six months' batts will be granted. One medal will be struck for Delhi, Cawnpore, and Luclmow. A conversation took place respecting the atrocities alleged to have been committed by the Sepoys. Mr. Mangles said that he had one case under investigation which bore a greater semblance to truth than any he had heard of. Lord Shaftesbury said there were ten eases of mutilation in England ; but Mr. Mangles only knew of the one under investigation.

The Court was "counted out" while Mr. Jones was moving that Oude should be restored to the King or some member of his family.

A deputation of Spitalfields weavers, introduced by Mr. Butler, one of the Members for the Tower Hamlets, waited on Mr. Henley at the Board of Trade on Saturday, to represent to him their distressed condition, and ask pecuniary assistance from the Government, and a change in the policy of the country. The case of the weavers was stated in a memo- rial read by Mr. Butler. The great distress is imputed to competition of two kinds ; one foreign, the other domestic. The foreigner sends his comparatively untaxed silks and velvets to this country, reducing the prices of goods and the wages of the men. There is a fierce competition between home employers which leads to further reductions. Wages have declined more than 200 per cent since 1824—in one kind of work, for instance, from 2s. 6d. to 84. ; and others in proportion. No "big loaf" has followed the repeal of the Corn-laws. Men can only earn 78. or at most 88. a week by making velvets. Two weavers supported the me- morial by special statements.

Mr. Henley said he readily believed the statements that had been made without the documents banded to him in support. He knew that theee was a great amount of privation and distress existing amongst the handloom-weavers in Spitaltields, but he could not hold out to the depu- tation any hope that the Government could make any alterations in the law. All Governments had tried to induce the foreigner to reduce his tariff. Of his own private opinions of course it would be out of place for him to speak, although he might say that he sympathized deeply with the weavers in their distressed condition, and he should like them to have what they wanted ; but it was of no good to hold out any false hopes to them that could not be realized. The country had demanded cheap goods, and, now they had got them, they would not allow any change in the law to be made. It would be absurd on the part of any Government 'to undertake such a thing at the present time, considering the state of the public feeling. He promised to give a written answer to the memorial, explaining his opinions. Government has no fund in hand wherefrom to draw a grant in aid.

A deputation of Metropolitan Members, and other persons interested in the matter, waited on the Earl of Derby to ask his aid in repealing part of an act of Parliament imposing a toll on foot-passengers crossing Chelsea new bridge. Sir John Shelley stated the .case of the Chelsea folks. There is a park at Battersea. To enable the inhabitants of Chel- sea to reach it a bridge was thrown over the Thames; but the act under which it was built provided for the levying of toll not only on carriages and horses but on foot-passengers. A part of the money spent in making the park and bridge is to be repaid, and the tolls are intended to supply a portion of the fund for that purpose. It is contended that to abolish the foot-tolls will only delay the period of repayment, while it will have the effect of raising the value of the land near the park, the sale of which is one source of revenue to most the debt, now reduced to 230,000/. Lord Derby gave a favourable reply, but suggested that if the tolls were abolished, a local rate or some other means should be adopted to indem-- nify the public and keep faith with Parliament. If they could show that no loss would accrue, he hinted, the Government would bring in a bill to abolish the foot-passenger tolls.

At the anniversary dinner of the British Orphan Asylum on Saturday, the Duke of Cambridge from the chair again made a speech respecting the state of the Army. It was his conviction that the more the services and merits of the army were appreciated and felt by the general public the better it m ould be both for the army and for the country itself. Though a vast deal had already been done for the army, still much more remained to be done; and he was persuaded it was only necessary that the people of Etgland should thoroughly understand what the wants and -requirements of that army were, to insure their being promptly and efficiently supplied. Much, he repeated, had already been done for it. His own services had not extended over many years, but when his more veteran companions came to him they were wont to say—" These are most extraordinary things that we now witness : when we were young, things were never thought of that are thought of now." The fact was, that everything was advancing both in civil and in military matters ; therefore, even in regard to points that might now be considered by the public as shortcomings, they were such only in the estimation of that public by reason of things in general and society in general having of late years sensibly progressed. This matter should be rightly understood, for at would be hard and unjust to say that their ancestors did not take the same interest, relatively, in the welfare of the army as was taken by the public now. He was fully persuaded that they did. But in the present day every man walking the street had different views and different feelings from those their ancestors experienced and entertained. As this progress and advancement had taken place in every other sphere of life, so also had it happened in the military profession. He believed it would be found on in- quiry that this progress had been going on in the army and in the navy-to a greater extent than in any other profession or class in society. That per- fection had been or even could be attained he did not for a moment conceive, but that both services would continue to improve he was morally assured. (Cheers.)

The suns subscribed to the funds of the charity was nearly 10001.

The Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society held its first anniversary meet- ing in Willis's Rooms on Saturday, Lord Shaftesbury in the chair. The report of the Committee shows the scope of the Society's operations. "Prom June 1857 to the 15th March 1858, 141 cases have engaged their attention, and the applications of many more have been rejected as un- worthy the consideration, or not coming properly within the scope of the society's usefulness ; 46 have been employed, or offered employment, in this country ; 19 have been aided in other ways, 26 have been assisted to emigrate, 19 are still under the active operation of the Society, and 31 who are still in prison are looking forward to its help ; 26 men and 4 women have retained their situations, and are going on, as far as can be ascertained, satisfactorily. 3 men have been discharged, owing to a reduction in the staff of their employers ; 9 men and 3 women declined the employment offered to them, or left their work ; 2 men absconded from their employers charged with dishonest practices." The meeting was addressed by the Chairman, Lord Chichester, and the Bishop of London. The resolutions adopted expressed satisfaction at the progress made and a determination to persevere.

At the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, on Monday, the latest information from the Australian exploring expedition was com- municated in a paper by Captain Freeing, Surveyor-General, and Mr. Hack. The substance of it was, that Lake Torrens, which appears large in winter, is in summer a salt marsh, much magnified by the mirage. Colonel Gawler seemed to think that the explorers had not taken the proper line of country. That line is to the Northward of the Port Lin- coln peninsula. A practicable route into the heart of the country might also be found between Lake Gairdner and Lake Torrens. Sir Roderick Murchison did not concur in these views.

It appears from an advertisement that Mr. Mechi will succeed the late Alderman Farebrother as representative of the Ward of Lime Street : 102 electors out of 115 have signed a requisition asking him to take the post, and he has cemented.

The Government have instituted another prosecution for the publication of a pamphlet inciting to the assassination of the Emperor of the French. &musks Tchorzewski, a Polish refugee, keeping a bookseller's shop in Ru- pert Street, was brought before the Bow Street Magistrate on Tuesday, charged with publishin; a seditious and defamatory libel, bearing the sig- natures of "Le Comite de is Commune Revolutionnaire, Felix Pyat, Bea- son, et A. Talandier," in which the recent attempt to assassinate the Em- peror was justified, and its repetition urged. Passages were translated to show the character of the brochure. In one place it is stated that the pro- scribed in England refrained from attacking the Emperor when he came here because they "respected the neutral and free country—they would not stain the hospitable soil with such blood." The recent attempt was not murderous—it was an act of war ; the Italians engaged in it were combat- ants, not assassins they rendered "grenade for grenade." Their fall shall be avenged—" If our means differ, our cause is the same." On behalf of the prisoner, Mr. Leverson asked for a remand, to prepare a defence. Mr. Jardine said he would take bail. Mr. Leverson said he had one of the bail present. A singular-looking person, with long hair over his shoulders and braided coat, evidently a foreigner, then stepped into the witness-box. Mr. Bodkin—" Are you the printer of the pamphlet which forms the subject of this prosecution ? " Witness—" Yes, lam." Mr. Bodkin—" Then I ob- ject to this person's bail." Mr. Leverson—" Then, you will drive me to send for the greatest philosopher of the age, John Stuart Mill. He will be bell, and I will send to the Indiahouse for him. His name will live when Derby's and Palmerston's are forgotten." Mr. Bodkin—" Will you oblige rae with the private address of the greatest philosopher of the age ?" Mr. Leverson did not know it, but he would undertake to fetch Mr. Mill within twenty-four hours. In default of bail at the time, the accused was sent to prison.

On Thursday, Mr. Leverson made an address to the Magistrate in favour of his client, urging that there was no real case against him : he cited many decisions from the law-books on the legal bearing of the matter, and endea- voured by reference to the writings of " Junium" of "An Englishman" in the Times, of Lord Denman, the speeches of Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Glad- stone, to show that many had uttered their thoughts as freely as was done in this pamphlet, and yet no legal penalties had followed. Then he held out the threat of 'disturbances to arise from such prosecutions. Mr. Jardine said that course of argument could not be allowed. His duty as a magis- trate was clear : many points might be urged before a judge and jury. Mr. Leverson admitted that he had used Mr. Mill's name on Tuesday without authority. The accused was committed, but liberated on bail.

A frightful tragedy has been enacted in Upper Pembroke Street, Cale- donian Road. A couple named Osborne lived there ; recently, the husband, a well-conducted man, had been working in some gas-works at Bow, and he returned home but once a week. Rumours reached him that his wife was unfaithful ; his reception on his weekly return home was not cordial. Laat Saturday evening he seems to have thought that he had greater grounds for believing the stories about his wife. On Sunday afternoon he went to a public-hense, had some drink, and returned home. He drove a woman from the kitchen where his wife was making tea seized a chopper,, and struck her a fearful blow on the head ; she put up her hands to save her head, and

a second blow split one hand in two ; the woman fell as if lifeless. The wretched husband then seized a table-knife, inflicted a large wound in his throat, and fell dead across the body of his wife. Mrs. Osborne was found to be alive, though her brain protruded through a wound in the skull. At the inquest on Osborne, on Wednesday, it appeared that his wife had avowed to him her preference for East, the lodger; and that Osborne's mind had been affected on former occasions. The verdict was "Temporary insanity." Mrs. Osborne will probably recover.

Two burglars, Williams and Broad, young fellows well known to the Po- lice, have been cleverly entrapped at Brixton. They had a hankering after the portable valuables of Mr. Sangster, an old gentleman living in the Cranmer Road. They knew that Mr. Sangster's servant went to church on Sunday evening, leaving her master alone in the house. On Sunday week they tried to get into the place, but failed. The Police had information that a second attempt would be made on Sunday last. An inspector, a ser- geant, and a constable, were in the house ready to receive them. After the servant had gone out, the thieves knocked at the door ; getting no answer, they presently forced an entrance by the back-kitchen window, and pro- ceeded up-stairs to a bedroom : one said to the other, "All the places are open, that's a good job"; and in the next moment they were received by Inspector Emmerson. They offered some resistance, but they were secured. The Lambeth Magistrate has committed them for trial.