tt 31ittru3nalio.

The Court of Common Council sat on Thursday, and among other business presented the freedom of the City and a sword to Sir William Williams of Kars. The General was introduced by Mr. Valiance and Alderman Kennedy. Sir John Key, as Chamberlain, gave a declama- tory history of the services of General Williams; who, having received the gifts of the City, expressed his gratitude in reply.

"Whether I shall ever use this sword in active warfare, is beyond the power of any man this day to decide. The nations of Europe take breath after the conclusion of a sanguinary struggle, but they do not disarm. On the contrary„they are ready to meet each in deadly combat at a week's notice. My Lord, this state of things cannot be regarded with indifference by the people of England. They will, I feel sure, insist upon the preservation of their present military establishments, and thus avoid the repetition of those dreadful losses and deep mortifications which the decay of those institutions and the depression of our military spirit anterior to the lath war brought upon the nation. As I do not and shall not hold a place under this or any future Administration, I shall be free to state my views in Parliament, both as to the extent of our armaments and of the military education of our of- ficers. I shall do so with the full conviction that the country will support any reasonable expense towards the formation of a permanent staff which can in peace conduct the affairs of the Army, and in war secure to the Gene- rals a prompt and scientific execution of their plans and conceptions. We have the bravest army in the world, and we have the most chivalrous band of officers throughout all ranks to sommand it ; but we are totally in want of books of the highest order, as well as of an institution for the formation of staff-officers, without which we must ever remain exposed to the chances of military catastrophes and deep national disgrace."

This 'brief address called forth much cheering.

On the same day, General Williams distributed the prizes to the suc- cessful medical students at University College, Gower Street.

The Prefect of the Seine has forwarded to the Lord Mayor, on behalf

of the Municipal Council of Paris, an extract from the minutes of the

sitting of that body on the 11th July, warmly thanking the Corporation of London for the part it has taken in raising subscriptions for the relief of the sufferers from the inundations. The sum already sent to France by the Lord Mayor is 24,0001.; and he stated in the Court of Common Council on Thursday that he hoped to raise it to 30,000/.

Robert Johnstone has been held to bail by the Marlborough Street Magis- trate on the charge of conspiring with some person unknown to illegally arrest and imprison Mr. William Kay. The singular circumstances of this case were mentioned last week.

Mr. Thomas George Gosling, a gentleman of fortune residing in Portland Place, has been committed for trial by the Marylebone Magistrate for in- ducing several girls to behave with gross impropriety in Regent's Park for the lewd gratification of his eyes. Two witnesses deposed that they caught the offender in the fact. Bail was admitted, Mr. Gosling in 4000/., and two sureties in 2000/. each. The accused shows no disposition to shrink from the fullest investigation of the charge against him.

The shipwrights who have struck against the rules of work proposed by Messrs. Young and Co., of Limehouse are backed by the Shipwright? Union, using great efforts to prevent new halide from the country from taking their places. In many instances, either by bribes or threats they have succeeded m making the workmen return to their former homes. On Saturday last, the turn-outs became so outrageous in their manifestations towards forty wrights who had come from the Channel Islands, that a large body of po- lice had to be assembled at Messrs. Young's to prevent a riot. Even their presence did not prevent some savage assaults by the turn-outs : Mr. Sid- ney Young was badly bruised while attempting to protect the new hands ; but he well pummelled a number of his antagonists.

On Wednesday, John Brown, one of the men on strike, was committed by the Thames Police Magistrate kr assaulting James Nicholson, a Southamp- ton shipwright, now employed by Messrs. Young. Mr. Yardley warned the turn-outs, who crowded the court, that all who were in the riotous assembly on Saturday were liable to be punished, even if they struck no blows. On

Wednesday quiet prevailed in the vicinity of Messrs. they yard.

The Worship Street Magistrate has cancelled the indentures of four girls who had been apprenticed by the parish to Grantham, a horse-hair weaver at Bethnal Green. He half-starved the girls ; and they all lived with him and his wife in one room' like so many pigs in a sty. His misconduct was dis- covered through his complaining to the Magistrate that two of the appren- tices would not work. The parish authorities seem to have taken up the matter in a proper spirit.

The body of a man has been found in the river at Thames Dillon, and murder is suspected. The corpse was much decomposed ; but there were large wounds apparently stabs, observable in the chest, any one of which would have Veen fatal. The deceased is Jewish-looking, and New South Wales notes amounting to 590/. were found in his pockets.

Two brothers were drowned in the Thames, near Blackfriars Bridge, on Thursday evening. The boys were bathing ; one sank, the other tried to save him, and both were swept away by the current.

Mr. Bennett, an oilman in Tames Street, Covent Garden, his wife and three children, are now in hospital suffering from terrible burns caused by an accidental fire in the shop. At night Mr. Bennett was pouring turpen- tine from a measure into a cistern ; the vapour lighted at the flame of a candle ; Mr. Bennett attempted to carry the blazing measure out of the shop, and was frightfully burnt. The turpentine in the cistern had taken fire, and the burning spirit ran into an adjacent parlour, where Mrs. Ben- nett was with her children, and they all suffered greatly before they could get out of the house. The fire was confined to the shop and parlour, engines having quickly arrived.