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The election of Lord Mayor for the ensuing year took place on Wednes- day, Michaelmas-day, with the usual formalities. The Common Sergeant, having proposed the names of the Aldermen in rotation, announced the nomination of the Livery to have fallen upon John Kinnersley Hooper, Alderman and Vintner, and Sir James Duke, Knight, Alderman and Spec- taelemaker. These names having been submitted to the Court of Alder- men, the Recorder announced that they had chosen Mr. Alderman Hooper. The Elect then made the customary address. The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the late Sheriffs, Mr. Thomas Challis and Mr. R. W. Kennard.

After this election, the Court of Aldermen proceeded to general business. A report from the Commissioner of the City Police denied that there was any foundation for complaints made by certain merchants residing near the West London Union Workhouse as to the noise and disturbance which the Police permitted to be made by the poor applicants for admission. On the motion of Alderman Copeland, who strongly condemned the Police, the report was referred to the General Purposes Committee, with a view to an inquiry. Mr. Alderman Copeland then moved that the Court should take in consideration the conduct of the Police Commissioner in connexion with the Marylebone and Colchester elections, and the evidence given be- fore the Select Committee of the Court of Common Council in relation to the City Police. In the course of his speech, he adverted to the old charges against Mr. Harvey for employing the men in his private affairs. Some discussion ensued; Mr. Alderman Sidney defending the Police Com- missioner. The motion was ultimately withdrawn, and a question as to the powers of the Court under the Police Act was ordered to be referred to the law-officers.

A Court of Common Council was held on Tuesday. A report on the establishment of officers under the City of London Small Debts Act was agreed to; Mr. H. F. Wood was appointed to be Chief Bailiff, and two of the Clerks of the Court of Requests were appointed Assistant Clerks of the new Court. A report brought up by Mr. R. Lambert Jones, containing re- commendations for the improvement of Holborn Hill by reducing the ac- clivity, was unanimously agreed to. The same gentleman brought up an- other report, which also met with the unanimous approval of the Court, on sanatory improvements in the City of London. It detailed the measures adopted in Farringdon Ward for insuring a large supply of water, for sewerage, and for the cleansing of cesspools; also for abating nuisances in Warwick Lane and Great Bell Alley.

The Sheriffs' inauguration-dinner took place in the hall of the Fish- mongers' Company, on Thursday, with the usual splendour and profusion.

At the City Registration Court, on Monday, Mr. M'Christie fined several of the overseers for improperly expunging voters' names from the lists, and for carelessness in neglecting to return proper lists of ratepayers, through which parties had lost their votes: the fines varied from 1/. to 41. in each ease.

A special General Court of Proprietors of Bank Stock was held on Wed- nesday, to elect three Directors for the remainder of the year, in the room of Mr. Prescott, who had been appointed Deputy Governor, and of Sir John Rae Reid and Mr. Abel Lewis Gower, who had disqualified. The gentlemen recommended by the Directors were Mr. Alderman Thomp- son, Mr. Christopher Pearse, and Mr. John G. Hubbard. A ballot was taken, and the three candidates were elected.

A meeting was held at Anderton's Hotel, in Fleet Street, on Wednesday evening, to form an Anti-Gold Law League. Among the gentlemen pre- sent were Mr. John Taylor, Mr. Jonathan Duncan, Mr. Spottiswoode, Mr. John Bell, and Mr. Robert Owen; Mr. Bennoch was called to the Chair, and Mr. Capps acted as secretary. The room was crowded. All the gen- tlemen whom we have named, except Mr. Owen, made speeches; their views being set forth in the subjoined resolutions-

" 1. That the legal-tender currency, or money of the realm, ought to consist of Exchequer money-notes of the value of 11. and upwards; such notes to be issued, with the consent of Parliament, in discharge of the current obligations of the State, to an amount not exceeding in the course of the year the annual taxation of the country; the fractional parts of the pound being represented, as at present, by silver and copper .coins.

"2. That as gold is a commodity, and is so considered in our present monetary system, the sovereign being deprived of its character of a legal tender if it lose any portion of its legal weight, it is proper that it should be treated as a com- modity, and be allowed to rise or fall in price as the law of supply and demand may require, in the legal-tender currency or money of the realm. " 3. That, for the convenience of the public, a bullion office be established at the Mint or the Bank, for the deposit of gold and silver bullion; in return for which, the parties shall receive bullion notes, representing the value of such de- posits at the rate of 31. 178. per ounce for gold, and 5s. per ounce for silver; which notes will sell at a higher or lower price as the bullion which they represent rises or falls in the markets.

" 4. That this system of money would enable us to sell our goods in foreign

countries at their lowest metallic value, while at the same time it would afford to our productive classes at home prices so much higher in'the legal-tender currency of the country as would return them that peculiar taxation which enhances the cost of their productions; thereby giving increased facilities to the extension of our foreign trade, without subjecting our agricultural, manufacturing, or trading population, to a ruinous competition with others of their own class in com- paratively untaxed countries.

" 5. That in order to carry these measures into effect, a society be formed, to be called the Anti-Gold Law League; whose province it shall be to take such steps as may be necessary to bring the same before Parliament, and to diffuse use- ful information on the subject by means of lectures, &c., throughout the country; and that an annual subscription of 10s. shall constitute the payer thereof a mem- ber of this League, and shall entitle him to a copy of each of its publications." At the close of the expository speeches, the advocates of the measure were subjected to a process of questioning. For instance, Mr. Rogers in- quired if the proposed scheme, involving a depretiation of the currenoy, was to extend to all obligations already accrued, such as mortgages, long leases, annuities, and the payment of the Army and Navy and other classes holding fixed appointments under the Crown? This was answered by Mr. O'Brien; who said that there would be no injustice in providing for the classes in question by means of a schedule. In reply to another question, it was contended by Mr. Duncan that the fundholder would not be damni- fied by a depreciated currency. After a long and desultory discussion, an adjournment was proposed; which those who called the meeting strenu- ously resisted, upon the ground that the resolutions merely affirmed a prin- ciple without pledging the League to any specific course. It was at length agreed that the consideration of the first four resolutions should be post- poned, and that the last, declaring the necessity for the formation of an Anti-Gold Law League, be put to the meeting. This resolution was carried, with only two dissentients. A provisional committee was appointed, to consist of Messrs. Bennoch, Duncan, Taylor, Bell, and Capps, with power to add to their number. The meeting did not break up till midnight.

On Saturday last, the journeymen masons of the Metropolis obtained from their employers a boon for which they have been vigorously striving —the cessation of their labour at four o'clock on Saturdays.

The championship of the Thames and the more substantial wager of 1001. were contested on Wednesday, between two watermen, Coombes and NewelL The race was from Putney to the Ship at Mortlake, a distance of four miles and a half. At ten minutes before five—surrounded by a vast concourse on shore,iti steamers, and in boats—the competitors started from Putney Bridge. For some distance the rowers were abreast of each other; then Coombes got about a foot ahead; Newell presently obtaining the same advantage. But eventually Coombes got the lead, kept it, notwithstanding extraordinary efforts on the part of his antagonist, and won by seven or eight lengths. The distance was accomplished in the un- precedented time of twenty-three minutes and thirty seconds. There have been some very high tides in the Thames this week. On Sunday, the water rose higher than it has done for two or three years; and much damage was done in all low-lying places on the banks. The steamers could not pass through Putney Bridge, but landed their passengers on the structure itself. The wind blew steadily from the North-east.

At the Westminster County Court, on Tuesday, the Honourable Grantley Berkeley, M.P., was sued on behalf of Mrs. Latham, the housekeeper at Berkeley Houset in Spring Gardens, the town residence of Earl Fitzhardinge, for 191. 138. 10d., a balance owing for money paid, goods sold and delivered, washing done, breakfasts and lunch- eons supplied, between April 1842 and September 1814. The counsel for the plain- tiff, Mr. Dod, disclaimed any connexion with Earl Fitzhardinge or Mrs. Barker in the present action. The present bill was incurred during the lifetime of the Countess of Berkeley. She paid her servants board-wages ; and during her absence from London she allowed her sons and daughters to occupy sleeping-rooms in Berkeley House; they paying for everything they bad, even to the washing of the bed- linen and beating the carpets of their rooms. In .proof of this, a letter was pro- duced in the handwriting of the Countess containing the following threat to Mrs. Latham—" If you ever send carpets to be beat, or put me to any expense for my sons, I will discharge you." Mr. Grantley Berkeley had paid several bills of the same nature; and in October 1846 he wrote to Mrs. Latham, saying, "I have ap- plied to Lord Fitzhardinge for money; and until he pays me, I can't pay your bill." The Judge thought the case proved, and decreed payment of the debt and costs.

At the Central Criminal Court, on Saturday, Mary Anne Hunt, the young woman who was convicted of murdering Mrs. Stowell, was placed at the bar. Mr. Baron Platt asked her if she had anything to urge to stay her execution. She said she believed that she was pregnant. A jury of matrons were then sworn to decide whether such was the case; and they were unanimously of opinion that it was not. The Judge then said the law must take its course.

G.eHayward, a youth of nineteen, was tried for forging and uttering a check for 891. 4s. on Messrs. Jones Loyd and Co. The evidence proved, that the accused obtained a check-book from the bankers by a letter purporting to come from Mr. Peel; and then drew a check for 891. 4s.,—forging the signature of Mr. Murray, a customer of the bank. This was so skilfully done that the clerk cashed the pretended order3 and the proceeds of the fiend were traced to the prisoner. He was found guilty. The same youth was also charged with forging a check on Messrs. Glyn and Co., for 1401.; and William Alexander, a young man, was indicted as an accessory after the fact. The signature to this check purported to be that of Mr. John Fenton; and it was so exactly imitated that the bankers at once cashed the order. Hayward obtained Mr. Fenton's signature by a fabricated inquiry about a ship; the check-book was got by a forged letter. Alexander was the companion of the other prisoner; and he had changed a fifty-pound note, part of the proceeds of the fraud: but that was all the evidence against him. He was acquitted; but Hayward was found guilty. The artful convict was sentenced to be transported for life.

A similar case was tried on Monday. Francis Thomas Griffiths, aged twenty, was charged with forging a check for 1151. 10s. The check purported to be drawn by Mr. West, a jeweller of Ludgate Street, on the London Joint Stock Bank; and it was paid by the bank. The prisoner had been in Mr. West's em- ploy as shopraan; at the time of the forgery he was flush of money; the prose- cuter believed the writing in the check was by Griffiths. This was all the incul- patory evidence. For the defence, witnesses expressed their conviction that the writing was not the prisoner's. He was acquitted.

Griffiths was then tried on another charge. When arrested for forgery, a gold watch some diamond studs, and other jewellery, were found in his posse-non; Mr. West recognized them as his property; and Griffiths was now tried for steal- ing them. The defence set up was of a daring character: the prisoner's counsel was instructed to allege that Mrs. West, now dead, had given the articles to the accused, with whom she had been on terms of great intimacy. A fellow shop- man was called to make out this case; and he stated that Mrs. West had been very kind to Griffiths when her husband was out of town. The counsel for the prosecution denounced this as an infamous attempt to escape punishment bj calumniating the dead. The Jury immediately found a verdict of " guilty' ; and the prisoner was sentenced to be imprisoned for eighteen months, with bard labour.

Robert Anty, a boy eight years old, and four men, have been tried for the man- slaughter of John May Harris, the boy who died at Poplar after be had been in- duced by the men to fight and race with Anty; the men also giving him beer and rum. There was an absence of proof to show that the accused had been actuated by an evil intention in setting the boys to fight and race; the affair appearing to have been a frolic, and the fatal termination having been entirely un- expected. The verdict was acquittaL

An artful and novel system of fraud has been exposed by recent investigations at the Mansionhouse. Four men are implicated—Gardner, Holliday, Cusell, and Loup. Gardner and Holliday had offices in Pancras Lane, under the name of " Gardner and Co."; they obtained goods from tradesmen or manufac- turers for "shipping orders"; the goods were directed to be sent to the water- side to be ship ; but then, by some trickery, "Gardner and Co." got them back from the ware oases, and sold them under the market-rate. Of course the tradesmen were not paid for their property. The "shipping order" pretence, and the sending the articles to the wharves, were well calculated to throw people off their guard. A large quantity of rope was thus obtained: the maker sent it to a wharf; after a time he discovered that his rope was sold under trade price. A tool-maker was favoured with a "shipping order" for 151.; then he was induced to supply a chest of tools worth 1M1., to go to Sydney; after he had been told that the chest was on its way to the Antipodes, he recovered it from the hands of Cusell and Loup. It was this case which first linked these people with "Gardner and Co.";for until this came to light, they had been allowed to appear as witnesses to detadtransactions which they had had with the Pancras Lane firm.

At the final examination of the accused, on Monday, a new case was brought forward. In August last, Holliday obtained a parcel of gloves from Messrs. Rontledge and Felix, of Addle Street: he said they were to be shipped; the

amount was 321. 88.; a discount of per cent was to be allowed, and pay- ment in eighteen days. A further order was given for some fifty pounds worth of gloves•' but as the merchants had heard that the first lot they had supplied were for sale, they declined another dealing. The gloves were offered.for sale to a wholesale house at a considerable discount, by Cusell. Some more evidence was given respecting a case investigated before, and then all the accused were com- mitted for trial; bail being accepted from Cusell and Loup—the other prisoners were not able to procure it.

On Wednesday, Joseph Seeger, the reputed clerk to Gardiner and Holliday, was charged with criminal participation in the frauds of his soi-disant employers. It was proved that the accused had taken away a quantity of rope that a manu- facturer had been induced to send to a wharf for shipment, which rope he after- wards pledged for 211. The Lord Mayor remanded him for a few days.

Heasman, the engineer of the Cricket, against whom the Coroner's Jury re- turned a verdict of "manslaughter," has absconded. It seems that after he had been examined he was allowed to leave the inquest-room; and the address he had given was a false one.