4:54g Yilttruintlio.

The election contest for the City seats has been carried on with vigour, and has produced some curious "situations." It has boon conducted on behalf of Lord John Russell by a band of volunteers ; by the Liberal Registration Association, on behalf of their four candidates, in regular electioneering style, through paid agents. The four candidates have gone about together attending local meetings with indifferent success. Twice they assailed the Russellite ward of Cripplegate Without, and twice they were defeated. At a meeting in this ward, on Wednesday, Baron Rothschild placed himself in an equivocal position. Commenting on the painful division in the Liberal ranks, he said he regretted that Lord John Russell's name had been omitted from the Liberal ticket. Having received the support of Lord John in the House of Commons, it was not for him to say that the electors should vote against him. Mr. John Dillon, from the

He said that Lord John's apologue reminded him of the case of a friend of his who had an eldfashioned but faithful butler in his employ, to whom all his other servants would leave no peace from morning to night, for no other reason that he could divine but because he had the key of the cellar. The same individual also kept a little wiry coachman, who was never easy unless he was on the box. All of a sudden, this gentleman heard a tumult below-stairs as if all Bedlam had broken loose; and on going to see what was the matter, he found his honest butler fiercely set upon by all his fellow servants, except the little vicious coachman, who stood on the table, not, indeed, himself joining in the unmanly assault, but cheering on the rest. (Laughter.) His friend having rescued the butler from their clutches, kicked them all out neck and crop, and thus showed himself master of his own house. (Renewed laughter.) On the other hand, Lord Charles -Russell, Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons, has been canvassing for "my brother John." He found himself at a meeting in the American Coffeehouse, Threadneedle Street, late on Wednesday, still without a dinner; having, as be touchingly said, bad his pocket picked in one of the small alleys of the City. Ho addressed the meeting on behalf of Lord John, describing himself as "the husk and rind," and Lord John as "the fruit" of the Bedford family. When his brother brought in the last Reform Bill, Lord Palmerston " bolted " out of the Cabinet.' The Ballot Society had determined to support Lord John notwithstanding his opposition to the "But," said Lord Charles, "is my brother so deterrained an opponent of the ballot as some gentlemen seem to suppose I heard my brother say, that in the abatract he was favourable to open voting, but that he might be driven to the ballot." Then he narrates' an anecdote. "It was only last night that my brother, alluding to Lord Palmerston's address, said= He is a little hard upon us here, for he says that no one ventured to impugn the policy pursued by the Government at Naples. But I took exception to it on the first night of the session, and spoke to Lord Minto on the subject : but I did nbt do more, because if I had brought forward a motion the Tories would have voted with us, and we should have put the Government in a minority.' My brother is a good friend to Lord Palmerston. He is not for 'Palmerston at any price,' but he sits behind him, pats him on the back as it were, and encourages him to go on in what he believes to be the right course, and supports him in it."

Mr. Gassiot, one of the members of Mr. Roebuck's Administrative Reform Cabinet, has published a letter in the newspapers defending his conduct in opposing Lord John Russell. He denies that the resolution he proposed at the meeting of the Registration Association, restricting the choice of the Liberals to commercial men, was intended to exclude Lord John. He proposed it when it was understood that Lord John would retire and when the names of Lord Palmerston the Marquis of Blandford, and Lord Stanley were mentioned as candidates.

"That Lord John Russell intended to retire from the representation of the City, his Lordship will not venture to deny. It has been currently reported that he was induced to alter that intention at the urgent request of a noble relative, who prefers to divide the Liberal interest, which has

As hitherto been se faithful to him and his family a member of the

Administrative Reform Association, I have devoted much time and some money to what I believe to be a public duty ; and I am not to be deterred, by the fear of being called a mere-Palmerstonian, from urging on the Liberal electors of London to return commercial men as their representatives, and relieve the City of London from becoming au appendage to one or the other of the aristocratic sections which have hitherto governed the destinies of this great commercial country, and often sacrificed its best interests to their adherence to power."

Mr. Morley, another member of Mr. Roebuck's Cabinet, is a warm supporter of Lord John Russell.

Lord Charles Russell attended a meeting in Crosby Hall on Thursday. Here Mr. Bennoch stated that he had plainly asked Lord John Russell, whether it was true that before the first meeting of the Liberal Registration Association he had, directly or indirectly, intimated that on the present occasion he would not come forward. To this very plain question Lord John replied by stating, that at one time he had intended to retire from the representation of the City of London, but that no one was authorized to declare that intention, nor was any one entitled to presume that he meant to retire when the resolution of the Registration Association excluding him from the representation was propsed and passed.

The Horning Star publishes the following report of a dialogue between Lord John Russell and Mr. Whitehurst, the Vice-Chairman of the Ballot Society, that occurred in the Committee-mm.0f the London Tavern after the public meeting last week.

"Lord John Russell stated his belief that the ballot would come in time, but he thought he never should have anything to do with it. Mr. Whitehurst referred to the question he had asked his Lordship at the meeting; and the answer, Mr. Whitehurst supposed the noble Lard intended to say, . was that the voter was a trustee of his vote. Lord John assenting to this, Mr. Whitehurst said ho had never been able to discover for whom the voter was a trustee, and would be glad to hear Lord John's explanation of the difficulty. A gentleman standing by intruded his opinion that the voter was a trustee for the non-electors. Mr. Whitehurst asked if the elector wad bound to vote as the non-elector thought right ? Lord John said, the voter was a trustee for the whole people. Mr. Whitchurst—' How can this be ? If I am a trustee of my vote, and I give it in your Lordship's favour, I shall commit a breach of trust against those gentlemen who support the ticket put in nomination here the other day.' Lord John—' There is more in it than that : it would not do for men in high office to be acting in secret, and

no one knew what h i

e is doing.' Mr. Whitohurst—' A voter. s not in high office.' Lord John Russell= No, but it is an office with the ballot. You would have MOB taking a public part for candidates and voting another way.' Mr. Whitehurst—' That would be no worse than what takes place now, when you have men voting contney to their convictions.' Lord .Jolui —‘ Ah, they like to say so.' Mr. Whitehurst—' I can assure your Lordship from experience, having contested it borough, that inen are mnde to vote against their convictions.' Mr. Bennoch asked Mr. Whitehurst if he would vote for Lord John, Mr. Whitehurst said, as long as Lord John was opposed to the ballot, he could not be one of an unnatural combination,' and. vote against four ballot men. Lord John asked Mr. Whitehurst, if he thought he should do more good by sending four ballot men to Parliament,. than himself: those gentlemen would give their votes on the annual motion for the ballot, and there the matter would end. Mr. WhitehurstEvery vote on a division tells.' Lord John Russell= A majority of three or four would do no good.' Mr. Whitehurst—' No, but a majority of 20 or 26 would. Your Lordship is aware that 225 Members of the Liberal party voted for the ballot during the present Parliament; an accession to this number is expected front the general election ' : and Mr. Whitehurst wanted to know whether the leaders of the Liberal party joining their opponents to ' defeat the mein body of their supporters was not an unnatural combination?' Lord John Russell appeared at a loss how to answer this question. Mr. Whitehurst then expressed his desire that Lord John Russell would take up the ballot question ; which would not only secure his election, but MR being curried by the people into power at the 'head of a Reform Ministry ; and thanked his Lordship for the courtesy with which he had received his observations. It was the general impression of those who beard this conversation, that Lord John Russell was considerably impressed with it,

and showed more signs of coming round than he had done on any former occasion."

Four out of the six Metropolitan boroughs have been contested. Westminster and Marylebone are the happy exceptions ; they stand by their old Members. In Finsbury, Lambeth, Southwark, and the Tower' Hamlets, there has been a struggle between rival Liberal& In Finsbury there are four candidates. Mr. Thomas Duncembo retains the affections of his old supporters. Sergeant Parry, Mr. Cox, and Major Reed have sought the seat vacated by Alderman Challis. All these gentlemen are Liberals, and the issues are more or less personal,

In Lambeth the old Members met a powerful opponent in Mr. Roupell, a resident landed proprietor. Mr. "Williams gave offence by voting against Lord Palmerston; Mr. Wilkinson by refusing to vote against the Maynooth grant. But there is not really much difference between them. Mr. Williams has contributed an amusing anecdote to enliven the dull proceedings. At a meeting on Tuesday he said.— "When I first went into Parliament, the Whipper-in, a gentleman who had the dispensation of 20,000 places, and who was always scattering them over the House in order to get votes, came up to me and said, What a misfortune it is you are always RO crow; with us ! we don't care about the Tory party denouncing us, but it is moat unpleasant to see you, a Liberal, and u supporter of Government in a great number of instances, finding fault with and exposing us in all sorts of ways. You don't want a place or money, but I should like very much to make friends with you. What would be agreeable to you ? M cull you like honours—a title ? My answer was—' I see perfectly well what you want ; you want me to support the Government. Now, I'll tell you how you may secure my support. Bring forward nothing but measures beneficial to the country, and you will always find me backing you Imp. No other temptation you can offer me will buy me, or prevent me from discharging the duty which I owe to my constituents and to the country at large,'" (Cheers.)

Mr. Wilkinson has exposed the gyrations of his late colleague. Mr. Williams had voted for the taxing of incomes of 100/. a year; against Sir Edward Lyttcm's and Sir Fitzroy Kelly's motion to repeal that tax. But latterly he had changed his mind, and after the Budget was settled had brought in a resolution to nmeal the tax. Mr. Williams had supported the Maynooth grant in 1863-'420. But in 18.67, finding the grant unpopular with his constituents, he turned round and voted against it.

It once seemed probable that Southwark would go to Sir Choke Napier and a new Liberal candidate, Mr. J. Locke, City Pleader, by

default. Mr. PeLlatt withdrew, but at the end of last week came forward once more. Here again the contest is personal. Sir Charles Napier's defence of the Canton proceedings is very characteristic of the old sailor.

It was said that the loreha was Chinese, built of China—(A laugh)—he meant Chinese materials, and that her crew were Chinese. True, but Hongkong, to which she belonged, was a British colony, and the Chinese residents there wore as much subjects of Queen Victoria as the people of Southwark. If the Chinese had anything to gay to the contrary, they should have remonstrated through the proper quarters. That was the way with civilized nations ; and if the Chinese did not understand civilization, it was our duty to teach them. (Loud cheers and laughter.) What would they have done in similar circumstances? If a_person insulted them, they would knock him down; and that was all we had done to the Chinese. Admiral Seymour was a humane man and a good officer ; he thought it necessary, to knoek down the Bogue Forts, and he did it. (Cheers and laughter.) He then gave them some time to consider; but they would not take the hint, so he went a little further : he shoved a few shells every quarter of an hour into Canton to enlighten the Chinese and bring them to reason. (Cheers and laughter.) They might depend upon it, that Admiral Seymour, if properly reinforced, would bring the Chinese Government to reason. He would be supported by Lord Palmerston ; who, say what they might, was one of the pluckiest Ministers they had ever had in England. (Loud cheers.)

Until the beginning of this week the old Members of the Tower Hamlets wore unopposed. But on Monday, Mr. Ayrton, who polled a small minority in 1852, announced himself as a candidate ; his cry being " Ayrton and No Maynooth." This brought out Mr. Butler and Sir 'William Clay, and caused an electioneering ferment in the borough.

Mr. G. J. Holyualce, the publisher in Fleet Street, was requested to stand for the Tower Hamlets, by the Ultra Liberals : he had published an address, but he declined to stand, not being willing to divide the constituency.

The Westminister election took place on Thursday—the first in England. As there was no opposition, the proceedings in Covent Garden were quietly transacted in the presence of a few hundred persons. Dr. Bainbridge proposed and Mr. II. G. Robinson seconded Lieutenant-General Sir De Lacy, Evans ; Mr. Bidgood proposed and Mr. George seconded Sir John Shelley. No other candidates were brought forward ; the two present each made a speech ; then Mr. Smedley, the High Bailiff, took a show of hands, and declared them to be duly elected.

Some time ago the attention of the Court of Common Council was drawn to a statement in a morning journal that a member of the Court, Sir William Magnay, had been convicted in Belgium of appropriating certain sums belonging to the shareholders of the Great Luxembourg Railway Company. It was moved and carried that the matter should be referred to the Law-officers to say whether the report was correct, and if correct, how far the member had disqualified himself from holding a seat in the Court. At a meeting of the Court, on Tuesday, Sir William Magnay drew attention to the matter, and wished to know whether the Law-officers would go into the whole case and examine witnesses? The Recorder said that the Law-officers would have nothing to do but ascertain whether the report was correct, and give their opinion. Sir William then appealed to the Court to refer the matter to the General Purposes Committee, in order that there might be a searching investigation. On the motion of Alderman Challis, seconded by Alderman Musgrove, it was ordered that the Committee of Privileges should inquire into the whole case.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council delivered judgment on Saturday in the case of Liddell versus Westerton and Liddell versus Beal in the matter of the Pimlico churches. The Dean of Arches some time since confirmed the judgment of Dr. Lushington, ordering the removal of the cross, the credence-table, and certain coloured altar-cloths, from the church of St. Paul ; and of the stone altar, credence-table, coloured cloths, embroidered lace cloths, and crosses, from the church of St. Barnabas. Against this judgment Mr. Liddell appealed, and it was the judgment on appeal that was delivered on Saturday. In an elaborate and argumentative Judgment, Mr. Pemberton Leigh reviewed the whole question, with a minute reference to the authorities, acts of Parliament, and practices of the Chuich. He drew a distinction between crosses used air architectural ornaments and crosses or crucifixes used as images for superstitious purposes., and reversed the judgment in so far as it directed the crosses to be removed. He drew a distinction between a stone "altar," which involves an idea of sacrifice, and a table or God's-board, whereat the Lord's supper is eaten ; and he confirmed the judgment ordering the removal of the stone altar and wooden cross attached to it which stands in the church at St. Barnabas, and the substitution of a moveable table of wood. With regard to credence-tables the decision of the Court below is reversed, and credence-tables are permitted ; they are side-tables where the bread and wine stand before consecration, and are necessary adjuncts of a communion-table. There is no sufficient teasel" for interfering with coloured cloths. "Whether coloured cloths are suitable or not must be left to the ordinary." On this point the sentenee of the Court below is reversed. But the sentence of that Court is affirmed so far as regards embroidered linen cloths fringed with lace used at the time of the ministration of the holy communion. Embroidery and lace are not consistent with the meaning of the expression "a fair white linen cloth," which the rubric and canon prescribe. As the judgment of the Court below has been materially altered, each party will bear its own oasts.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has pronounced on appeals in several cases from the Court of Admiralty. In the case of the Arid, a Danish Consul at Libau was in some respects a Russian subject, and had sold his ships to his son, a Danish subject, after the proclamation of war in 1854. The rule laid down is, that an enemy can dispose of his property to neutrals provided the sale be bona fide, without reservation to the seller. In the ease of the Gemini°, a ship belonging to an Ionian firm at Galat ,z which broke the blockade by coming out of the Salim mouth of the Danube in July 1854, the right of seizure was disallowed by the Supreme Court, on two grounds,—that Galata was not an enemy's port, Russia having no real possession of Moldavia and Wallachia; and secondly, that the ship did not break the blockade to prevent the import of provisions, since she was exporting provisions, and had no notice of the external blockade. This last case governs a great mane cases of seizure in which the owners will come upon the British Admiralty for compensation..

The report of proceedings in the Court of Bankruptcy on Wednesday showed Mr. Eschule still under the hands of Mr. Linklater. The kind of facts elicited were quite on a par with those extracted at preceding examinations). Mr. Paddle was perhaps a little more fr,mk. A few

passages of dialogue will give an idea of the examination. Mr. Esdaile said that after February 1855 Mr. Cameron might have disoounted bills for himself, but "not to our knowledge." Mr.Linklater" Then, did you allow him to keep the accounts so that he could do as he pleased." Mr. Esdaile—" Well, he was the principal of the executive." Mr. Linlllater—" But you were the governor. Do you mean that you were for ornament only, and he for use ? " Mr. Esdaile--" I believe that was very much the ease." He said they put down known bad debts as well as good. Commissioner Holroyd—" Do you mean that you wrote down all the debts in one list, without any distinction as to whether they were good or bad > " Mr. Esdaile—" We were advised by Mr. Cameron that the practice of banks differed as to 'writing off bad debts : some did it annually, some quinquennially ; and in a young establishment we thought it better not to do it too early." In reply to questions respecting the origin of the bank, Mr. Esdaile said, the bank began business on the 19th of November 1849.

Mr. Linklater—" They had prayers in the morning ?-" Mr. Esdaile" I had nothing to do with that : I was not there." Mr. Linklater—" Were you at the revels at the London Tavern at night ? " Mr. Esdaile--" I was at the public dinner. A silver medal was struck off on the occasion : I got one, as did all concerned." It appeared from the evidence, that at the time the bank was formed, its projector and secretary, "John Menzies, Esq.," was in the Insolvent Debtors' Prison, Whitecross Street, "hard up" for 50/.

Mr. Apsley Pellatt will be examined next Wednesday.

Mary Beckett, a dissipated-looking old woman, has been sent to prison for three months, by the Bow Street Magistrate, for skinning two eats alive. She had long been suspected, and was at last caught in the fact ! Skins taken from a cat after death are valueless : if the miserable animal is skinned alive, each coat will fetch 2s. 24.

Sarah Price, a destitute young woman, was prevented from committing suicide in the ornamental water of the Regent's Park. An infant's corpse had been found in the same piece of water a day or two before. Price has admitted that it was her child, and says she intended to die with it, but she was frightened away by the approach of a policeman. She says she killed the child because it was a great sufferer from illness. The Maryleboue Magistrate has committed her on a charge of murder.

John Browning has been committed by the Worship Street Magistrate for robbing the ause of Mr. Wilkinson, a wharfinger of Lower Clapton. He had appealed to Mr. Wilkinson as an unfortunate ticket-of-leave man, and was relieved With money, and preparations made to employ him ; till one day he was found abstracting plate from the pantry.

An extensive fire occurred in the Strand, near Temple Bar, on Monday evening. It broke out in the warehouses of Messrs. Watkinson, upholsterers. Their premises were destroyed, and numbers of houses at the sides and in the rear suffered considerably.