Chl atttrninlio.

Sir Benjamin Hall attended at the Office of Woods and Forests on Monday, for the purpose of meeting several eminent architects, who were invited to offer suggestions respecting the new buildings for Go- vernment Offices at Westminster. Sir Benjamin stated, that Government had determined to erect two new public offices on the vacant site near Downing Street, and also to lay out the new route to those offices from the Palace at Westminster. One of the offices proposed to be erected was for the use of the Secretary of State for War' and the other for the Se- cretary of State' for Foreign Affairs. The Government proposed that these buildings should be erected between Charles Street and Downing Street; and that the site between Whitehall on the North, Great George Street and New Palace Yard on the South, the river Thames on the East, and St. James's Park on the West, should be laid out as artisti- cally as possible, at the same time giving as great an amount of public convenience as is necessary, with the view of making a direct communi- cation between the Offices and the Houses of Parliament. It was the in- tention of the Government, after having heard the opinions of the gentle- men present, to invite architects of all countries to prepare designs and to compete for the erection of the buildings.

Several gentlemen offered various suggestions ; which Sir Benjamin Hall promised should be carefully considered, in order that the works might be proceeded with.

The First Commissioner of Works has issued a prohibition against preachers and orators using Victoria Park for addressing their particular circles on Sundays. Some of the doctrines enunciated there are said to have been of a shocking character.

It was stated at the meeting of the Charing Cross Bridge Company, on Wednesday, that the Directors are in treaty with the South-Western Railway Company and the Hungerfard Market Company for an enlarge- ment of the bridge for horse and carriage traffic. • The Registrar-General reports a decrease in the mortality which oc- curred in the Metropolis in the last compared with the previous week. Then, the number of deaths was 1250; the number entered up to last Saturday was 1122. As the temperature is now lower, the Registrar- General conceives that "there is ground to hope that the mortality reached its maximum for this season in the week ending August 16. While the mortality was rising, the mean weekly temperature was about 67 degrees ; it decreased last week to 57.8 degrees." Deaths from diarrhoea have declined from 253 to 214. The deaths from cholera, 22, equal those of the previous week.

In June last, the "Metropolitan Association of Medical Officers of Health" appointed a Committee to inquire into the alleged sale of diseased and unwholesome meat, the ill effects arising therefrom, and the best mode of prevention. At a general meeting of the Association lately held at the Board of Health, the report of the Committee was read. It establishes the fact that large quantities of unwhole- some meat are constantly exposed for sale to the lower classes, and are bought by them. In the City of London alone—a privileged place where there is constant inspection-26 live animals, 612 entire car- cases, 696 quarters, 8 sides, and 227 joints of beef, mutton, veal, and lamb, besides an immense quantity of poultry, game, and fish, were seized and condemned. This unwholesome food is chiefly brought from the country as meat, few diseased animals being killed in London. There is reason to believe that a regular trade in dis- eased meat goes on secretly, although much finds its way into the open markets, especially Newgate Market : it is bought by the retail dealers who supply "low neighbourhoods," and a large proportion is sold by gas-light that would not find purchasers in open day. The Com- mittee have no doubt that this diseased food, besides robbing all who eat it of their fair share of nutriment, is one cause of debility and illness among the poor. In treating of preventive measures, the Committee, with all due caution, express an opinion that the sale of unwholesome meat is an offence at common law, and is an evil guarded against in se- veral statutes; among others, by the Nuisances Removal Act of 1865. They recommend,

"That the several Inspectors of Nuisances appointed under the Me- tropolis Local Management Act be empowered to act as sanitary inspectors under the Nuisances Removal Act for England 1855; and, if necessary, that they also receive authority from two Justices, under the tot 19 and 20 Viet. c. 131. They further recommend, that the Inspectors be furnished with a statement of the appearances of unsound meat, such as the Committee have drawn up for the purpose; and that they be instructed to visit the shops and markets frequented by the poor, especially on Saturday evenings. That they should proceed cautiously., and take the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health in case of doubt ; but yet that they should peremptorily seize any meat which shall answer to the described signs of unwholesomeness."

The three battalions of Guards, forming the :garrison of London, and last from the Crimea, were entertained at the Surrey Gardens on Mon- day, by public subscription. It was intended that the entertainment should consist of a dinner and a concert ; but the public outmerched the Guards in respect to the latter. The music-hall was fitted up as a diningroom, and as it would only hold 1200 men, one-third from each battalion, a great tent was erected outside, communicating with the in- terior by the open windows. The galleries and balconies were festooned with flowers and laurel, and hung with shields, each inscribed with a name—such as "Raglan," " Codtington," "Lyons," " Pelissier," " Bruat," " Bosquet," "Florence Nightingale," &c. Considerable crowds had collected in the approaches to the Gardens early in the forenoon ; and they went on increasing until it became extremely diffi- cult to make a path for the soldiers. The Grenadiers, under Colonel Foley, marched in from the Birdcage Walk Barracks over Westminster Bridge ; the Fusiliers, under Colonel Seymour, moved from St. George's Bar- racks, by Waterloo Bridge ; the Colds&ains, under Colonel Upton, ad- vanced from the Tower, by London Bridge ; each headed by its band. The men wore their red tunics and foraging-caps, and the officers undress uniform. When they reached the dining-hall, the officers— among whom were Lord Rokeby, Sir William Codrington, Lord Sefton, Sir Henry Barnard, Sir Richard Airey—occupied a gallery facing the chair ; while the men disposed themselves at table, and Sergeant-Major Edwards of the Fusiliers, who claims to be the oldest soldier in the army, took the chair. The good things spread out by 'Messrs. Potel and Chabot,. and especially the drinks, rapidlIadniesesappearec while the bands played a selection of operatic airs and . When the cloth NM removed, Mr. Harker appeared 214 volunteer toastmaster ; and he seems to have greatly amused the soldiers by the emphatic way in which he ordered them to "charge "—their ;glasses, and to "make ready-present- fire," when they had done so. But from a premature consumption of the stout and champagne few were able to comply, and those who could not made the fact very Manifest by holding their bottles and glasses up- side down. The first toast was, of course, "The Queen" ; referred to by the gallant Sergeant-Major—himself a Yeoman of the Guard, and calisthenic teacher of the Prince of Wales—as "an individual whose image was so thoroughly impressed on their hearts that her very name would make their hearts jump to their mouths." The next toast was characteristically introduced-

" I don't mean to say that it will please you altogether as much—that is not to be expected—but I am confident that it will please you very nearly as much. I want you to drink to the health of Prince Albert and thereat of the Royal Family.' Now, mind I say the rest of the Royal which, of course, includes my pupil the Prince of Wales. May he follow in the steps of his royal parents, and may the day be distant when he will wear the British crown ! "

The third and fourth toasts equally called out the peculiarities of a soldier's rhetoric; and it must be understood that it was interlarded with Tattling volleys of cheers.

"I beg to propose His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in- chief, our Soldiers and Sailors, the Chaplains of the Army, and our brave Allies in the late war.' I wish to saya few words to you as comrades. Now, mark me, I wish to talk to you as comrades. Hear me, old hands of Alma and Inkerman ! I need not say anything to you in praise of the Duke of Cambridge : he must live in your hearts and in the hearts of all British soldiers, as he will in mine eternally, Our greatest pride must be to say that we were Guardsmen at Inkerman. The Duke of Cambridge was there, and that is saying enough about him. As for our brethren of the Line, I am sorry—if I can be sorry for anything on such an occasion—that the table was not big enough for them as well as for us. But, as the table was too small, I am sure that they will not envy us our happiness, but, on the con- trary, that they will be rejoiced to learn that we have been so well received. As for our sailors, the good feeling that subsists between you and the blue jackets is known to the world. We are indebted to them, and they are in- debted to us, for many a kindness. You know it as well as I do. There never was anything like the good feeling which subsisted during the war be- tween you—the 'red soldiers,' as they called you—and the blue-jackets themselves. With respect to our brave allies, if I were the greatest speaker that ever lived I could not do justice to their noble conduct. Oh, my com- rades, you saw the day when you could have knelt down and worshiped them as you would your God. Don't you remember when you saw them coming over the bill? (Tremendous cheering.) As for the chaplains in the army, they did their duty hie men ; and so little notice has been taken of them in military assemblies' that I am sure you will be glad to have an op- portunity to return them thanks for all their kindness. Therefore I include them in the toast, comrades ; and I hope you will make it a bumper."

"Another toast, comrades another toast !" broke out the Sergeant- Major, and he proposed "The Chairman, Committee, and Subscribers of the Dinner Fund" ; explaining, that by chairman he did not mean luau- self—" quite another person altogether.' Then he went on-

" Your coming here is an honour to you because it shows that your coun- trymen, the people of England, are satisfied with the manner in which you did your duty. You did your duty, or you wouldn't be here; so I'll say no more about it. But it is clear that we ought to return to the chairman, the committee, and the subscribers, our most grateful thanks. Ah ! we have seen the day that we never could have dreamt that such a day as this would occur in the history of the best of us. Think of what you have gone through, think of what into have seen, and then look around you! Why, man dear, I could jump into another campaign to get another such welcome as this. (Loud cheers.) There's not a man of us that would not volunteer tomorrow for another war after what we have seen today." (Renewed ap- plause.) The Lord Mayor, as the chairman referred to, spoke from his private box, eulogizing the past conduct of the soldiers, and hinting the pro- priety of their showing themselves "as useful in peace as they had un- doubtedly been in war." He proposed the health of Sergeant-Major Edwards. The Sergeant-Major, in reply, contributed a fact to history-

" Brave comrades, this is a proud day for all of us. Now, I sin firmly convinced, and I tell it to you in confidence this is the first time that a Sergeant-Major in the British Army has had hie health proposed by the Lord Mayor of London." (Laughter and cheers.)

The soldiers "filed off" in the best way they could from the dinner- table to the gardens, in obedience to a signal from the chairman, and passed the afternoon in the gardens. The greater part of them were shut out from the evening concert by the usurping public. After seeing the fireworks, they got together about nine o'clock, and were marched home in platy good order. Among others present was the famous Mrs. Seacole, from Kadikoi : the soldiers chaired her round the grounds.

James Orpin, a private in the Coldstream Guards, has met with a hard fate. He is one of the "old Guards," a four-clasp man, and served through- out the Crimea. While there he sent home a great deal of money to his Wife, and when he returned he gave her- all his savings. During his ab- sence, however, Orpin's wife seems to have been faithless to her gallant spouse, and the other day she ran off with all his little hoard. On Sunday morning, Orpin, driven to despair threw himself from the deck of a steamer into the Thames. Happily, a Tames Police Inspector was at hand with a boat, and by prompt exertion the crew caught the betrayed soldier and drew hirn into the boat. " Let me drown, pray let me drown !" was his exclama- tion; and he made several attempts to fling himself overboard again. "My Wife, my dear wife, whom I loved so truly, has left me," he said. Brought Up at Bow Street on Monday, the colour-sergeant of the regiment spoke to the excellent character of Orpin. The mother and sister of the faithless Wife were in court ; and, weeping bitterly, the mother testified how good a husbandthe Guardsman had been. The poor fellow, in explaining his eon- duct, said that for fourteen years he had lived happily with his wife, and the shock of her sudden desertion was greater than he could bear. Mr. Hall inquired if there was any one to look to him until his mind became calmer and more settled. Orpin— " Take my word, your worship, I will not at- tempt it again. I had better go to the barracks ; that will be the place for me. I had leave, as a married man, to live out of barracks ; but now I must go back. Let me go with the sergeant." And with the sergeant he was permitted to go.

Mr. George Fossey was reexamined by the Lord Mayor on Saturday, on a charge of conspiracy and fraud ; and 'William Neary, his alleged accom- plice, formerly clerk to Mr. Walker, the prosecutor, was placed at the bar with him. It was ascertained that the assignees of Fossey, who is a bank- rupt, are suing Mr. Walker for 7000/. said to be due to Fossey'a estate : Mr. Walker answers, that he is not indebted, as he has been defrauded of' large sums by Fossey, through the collusion of Neary; and one object of the prosecution is to clear Mr. Walker of responsibility with regard to the amount claimed of him. Mr. Steel, formerly clerk to Fossey, the chief witness in the case, as he undertakes to prove that false accounts were sent in—with his knowledge—to Mr. Walker, was severely cross-examined to cast suspicion on his character ; but the result was not deemed sufficient by the Lord Mayor to warrant him in dismissing the charge. The counsel for the prisoners urged that Steel was not worthy of belief; and if so, there was an end of the case. The Lord Mayor said he must send the case for trial. He permitted bail ; and Mr. Fossey, who was ready with sureties, was at once liberated.

An extensive robbery of plate has been effected in the apartments of the Duchess of Cambridge at St. James's Palace : articles worth seine hundreds of pounds were carried off from a chest in the butler's pantry ; they were all marked with the crest of a royal ducal coronet. No trace has been found of the thieves. Latterly the apartments had been under repair, and many workmen were employed.

The remains of Lewis Solomons, whose body was found in the Thames at Hampton Court with a large wound in the left breast, have been exhumed for a second surgical examination. The result is singular. The surgeon who examined the corpse before its burial stated that the wound was pro- duced by stabs : it now appears to have been a gunshot wound, for 'Mr. Heskett has detected several large swan-shot in the left lung. 'Who in- flicted the wound still baffles conjecture : if Solomons shot himself he must have inserted the pistol or gun under the whole of his clothing, for none of it bore traces of a shot ; and it is improbable that the deceased should so have shot himself.

The ten Walpole Island Indians whose ease was recently brought before the Lord Mayor are now on their way home to Canada, passages having been obtained for them in the Great Britain.

Mr. R. 13. Cane, Poor-law Inspector, has been engaged this week investi- gating sonic serious charges made against the Master and two officers of the Irlarylebone Workhouse. It appears that sevend extremely riotous girls have been among the recent inmates ; they behaved disgustingly and shamefully in chapel, in the yard, on all occasions. The charge is that three of these girls—Howard, Edmonds, and Sullivan—were severely beaten with a cane by Brown and Green, the night and day porters, Mr. Ryan the master being present ; and that Brown lifted up and carried along one of the girls by the hair of the head. It appears to have been clearly shown that the girls were lashed with great severity—the marks on their backs left no doubt of that. Brown, in defence, admits that he beat Edmonds, but says that the blows were given during the time she was assaulting him. Green neither admitted nor denied anything, but described in strong terms the provocation received. Mr. Ryan admitted that the girls had been caned, "under circumstances of great provocation" ; but he added, "I gave no orders to the parties to use a cane, and I never attempted to use a cane or whip myself. That is all I have to say." The inquiry is now closed.