EDE Ifletrop olis.

A Free-trade meeting was held on Tuesday evening, at the Horns Tavern, Kennington; Mr. Hawes and Mr. T. D'Eyncourt, the Members for Lambeth, being present. Mr. Robert Pope, the Chairman, declared him- self a convert to Mr. Cobden—

He had only recently become a Free-trader. He had been much struck by the arguments which he bad heard adduced at a recent Anti-Corn-law meeting in the borough of Lambeth; and a speech of that great man Mr. Cobden, which he bad had an opportunity of listening to lately at Wakefield, had decided him never at any future election to support any but a Free-trader.

Mr. Hawes made a Free-trade speech; giving an historical account of the rise and progress of the Corn-laws, and showing that the farmers had not reaped any benefit from their enactment. Every attempt both in ancient and modern times to restrict the supply of food- had failed to ac- complish what the projectors intended; but there was one law which sur- vived the longest of any—

In 1773, a law was passed which approached more nearly to free trade than any of the others; and it happened, singularly enough, that the statitte of 1773 remained longest upon the statute-book. That law allowed corn to conic into our markets at a nominal duty when the price in this country was over 48s.; and he could show from excellent authority, that twenty years after it passed the con- dition of the farmers was better than ft bad since been with a higher protection.

Mr. D'Eyncourt was next heard. He declared for free importation; but thought that the abolition of the Corn-laws should be accompanied with the removal of all other protective duties. This avowal was supposed by some persons to conceal a reservation; and Mr. D'Eyncourt was asked to be more explicit. He declined, on the ground that he had never given a pledge as to the course he was to pursue in Parliament, and never would. Rejoinders followed: but Mr. D'Eyncourt having stated towards the close of the meeting that he intended to vote for " the entire, unconditional, and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws," good humour was restored. The adoption of a petition to Parliament, and the tender of a vote of thanks to the leading members of the League, terminated the proceedings.

Meetings in support of free trade have also been held this week at Islington, Lambeth, and Bermondsey.

The annual dinner of the Farringdon-Without Conservative Association occurred opportunely enough to enable the members to pass an opinion on public matters. The dinner took place at the Sussex Hotel, Bonverie Street, on Tuesday; Mr. Henry Hoare, lbs banker, presiding. The party numbered about seventy. The speeches were high-flown, but indistinct: the meeting seemed equally unanimous and enthusiastic in supporting Sir Robert Peel and opposing free trade! Mr. Sergeant Warren, in proposing " Sir Robert Peel and her Majesty's Ministers," asserted that Sir Robert had forfeited no pledge which he. made in 1841; and that he had done no- thing to justify the meeting " in denying his pretensions as a sagacious, a consistent, a wise, and an honest politician "; a toast that was drunk with " three times three and much applause."

A soi-disant "railway prqjector" was charged at the Lambeth Police-office, on Saturday, with a gross fraud. Mr. Jacobs, recently a draper in the Isle of Wight,

advertized for a situation in a mercantile or railway office; offering a douceur of 501. He received an answer from the accused, Benjamin Brown; who offered for 1001. to induct him into an office in one of two railway companies which he had projected—the "Prince of Wales, (!) Oxford, and London,' and the "London and Windsor." The complainant came to London, and saw Mr. Brown; who declared that both lines were registered. Allured by his promises, Mr. Jacobs paid 501. in cash, and gave a bill for another 501. A horribly misspelled and un- grammatical " agreement," drawn up by the "pro ector,* did not open the eyes of his dupe; who was treated with a month's salary in advance out of his own cash, and received as a security a bill for 951. drawn by Brown and accepted by " William Mead." The new official could not discover the office of the company to which he belonged; and in vain he demanded Rermission to commence his duties. Then he lost sight altogether of the "projector." On inquiring at the Stamp-office, he found that the schemes were not registered. He sought out Brown at his residence; demanded his money back; and not getting it, he gave him into custody. The Magistrate was astonished that Mr. Jacobs had been "so soft as to part with his money." A solicitor's clerk, who had been making in- quiries, said that the prisoner was a "regular railway stag," and a trader in bills. In defence,-Mr. Brown stated that he was not a railway projector, but the mes- senger of one. He denied the assertion imputed to him, that he had registered the two lines—he merely stated that he was about to register them. The prisoner was remanded.

When he was brought up on Monday, the Magistrate announced that the bill of exchange given to Jacobs had been found to be worthless. Brown was again re- manded.

The prisoner was brought up for reexamination on Wednesday; and the prose- cutor was further examined. It turned out that he had been not a linendraper, but a linendraper's shopman. Several letters of a suspicious-looking kind from Brown to Jacobs were read; other circumstances were also detailed, showing what an easy victim the " projector" had got hold of. Mr. Taylor, Assistant-Registrar of Joint-Stock Companies, deposed that the schemes of Brown had not been registered; and eventually Mr. Henry, the Magistrate, decided on committing the prisoner for trial on a charge of receiving money under false pretences.

At Marlborough Street Police-office on Saturday, Bennett, a young man, was charged with forgery. He had presented a check at the London and Westminster Bank for 471.10s., purporting to be drawn by Dr. William Gairdner; the signa- ture was a forgery. A blank check had been purloined from Dr. Gairdner's book; but the Doctor knew nothing of the prisoner. The man said that he picked up a pocket-book in the street, and the check was in it. He was committed for Lira.

Mr. Coroner Wakley has had another contest with a Police Magistrate, respect- ing the presence of accused parties at inquests though they be already committed for trial by the Magistrate. Three persons—James Hogan' his wife Ann, and William Barry—were accused of causing the death of one Connell; they were taken before Mr. Paynter, the Magistrate of the Hammersmith Police-office, and he committed them for trial on a charge of manslaughter. When the Coroner's Jury assembled the accused people were not present; and an adjournment took place, that an application might be made to Mr. Paynter for their pro- duction. The Jury met again on Wednesday. A message was brought from the Magistrate, declaring that he had no power to send prisoners who had been com- mitted for trial before a Coroner's Jury; indeed, a prisoner once being committed, all the Magistrate's power over him ceased. He also denied the power of the Co- roner to order the apprehension of any one before a verdict had been returned; doubted the necessity for the presence of those accused of homicide at the in- quest; and even thought it unfair to them, as making the inquest too much re- semble a trial. Mr. Wakley impugned the Magistrate's law and logic; quoting from statutes to show that Mr. Paynter had quite misconceived the office and powers of a Coroner. The Jury sided with him; refused to examine witnesses; and re- turned this special verdict—" We find that Edmund Connell, from the mortal effects of fractures of the ribs on the left side of his chest, then and there died: but by whose violence such fractures were occasioned, there is not sufficient evi- dence before the jurors to show; because the persons suspected of having com- mitted the said violence have been wilfully withheld from the inquest by officers acting under the authority of the Magistrates and the Commissioners of Police."

A navigator has been killed on the Richmond Railway works at Battersea, by falling under a truck which was descending an " incline": two wheels passed over his chest, and crushed him to death.

The Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week end- ing on Saturday last shows the following general results.

Number of Autumnal Annual deaths. average. average.

Zymotic (or Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious) Diseases Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration Diseases of the Heart and Blood vessels Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion Diseases of the Kidneys, &c Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, Sc Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, 'Joints, 55 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, lac.

Old Age Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 46.9° in the sun to 28.3° in the shade; the mean temperature by day being warmer than the average mean temperature by 2.3°. The mean direction of the wind for the first four days was North-north-west, and for the remainder of the week West-south-west.

Total (including unspecified causes) 206 201 ... 184 81 109 106 130 155 159 298 323 292 29 27 24 70 68 71 16

8 6

10

7

12 6 10

6 1 1 1

47

74 70

12 27 26 910 ... 1,020 ... 063