3 NOVEMBER 1860, Page 4

141 Yartrapplis.

Excited debates in the Marylebone vestry have terminated in a reso- lution to adjourn the consideration of the street tramways for three months. Mr. Train was before the City Commission of Sewers on Tues- day, explaining his plans for the city— He showed that there was no groove in his lines, in which the wheels of ordinary carriages could stick ; but, on the contrary, a flat surface of metal, six or eight inches wide, which all might use free of charge, his patent rights being confined to the peculiar construction of the carriage which he uses. At the outer edges of his lines there is a guiding flange, but it is only five-eighths of an inch high, and offers, as he submits, no ob- struction to a carriage crossing the road or one leaving his beaten track to set down a passenger on the kerb or for any other purpose. The outside width of his carriages is 6 feet 8 inches, and the gauge of the rails 4 feet 8i inches. On the level metal plates many ordinary carriages of various kinds may travel with two and always with one wheel. The paved part of the road between the rails, as well as the rails themselves, will be main- tained by him at his own expense. The leading idea which he seeks to

i inculcate s that the introduction of his system does not diminish by one inch the ordinary roadway available for the general traffic, and that while the road remains open to all, his plan affords facilities for conveying great numbers of people from point to point in great cities and towns, in a regu- lar, noiseless, and expeditious manner, greatly Calculated to promote the public conveniences and to relieve the thoroughfares. The very narrow- ness of the streets of London, and the consequent stoppage of the traffic, he contends, is one main reason why railways to relieve them should be in- troduced; and he points to rails laid down in the streets of New York, the Broadway, of course, excepted, where they are no wider than that of Cheap- side, and also in Philadelphia with a population of 600,000 inhabitants. As to the freedom of bis scheme from danger, he stated that out of 70,000,000 of people who bad travelled along the street railways of New York, Phila- delphia, and Boston only 16 had met with accidents. - The City Commissioners have adjourned the consideration of the ques- tion for a month.

King's College evening classes have been reopened for their fifth ses- sion; 460 students have entered. Seven new classes have been formed this year' so that now the curriculum is very extensive, and every stu- dent can be gratified.

The Royal National Life-boat Institution held a special general meet- ing on Thursday. The cost of formation of life-boat stations now in progress is 3000/. To meet this outlay the Institution appeals to the public ; it is simply necessary to remember how many lives the Institu- tion saves, to entitle its appeal to a favourable response.

The Bell Alley Ragged School, in Cross Key Court, London Wall, held its third annual meeting on Thursday. The report expressed a wish for the establishment of public playgrounds. Many independent Oise-blacks at- tended the school, many of whom had been induced to abstain from Sunday trading. During the winter, soup and other relief had been distributefl, and a mothers' meeting had been established. In September' 1859, 126 scholars and twenty of the adult relatives were taken for a treat to Rich- mond, and in July last 151 to Epping Forest for the like purpose. The weekly average attendance in winter was 111 boys and girls, and in summer 82. On Sunday evening in the winter 110, and in summer 60 children attended. The total receipts had been 187/. 9s. 3d., while the expenditure had exceeded it by 11/. 18s. 9d., which amount was due to the treasurer.

The appeal made at the Mansion-house by Mr. Slater, Secretary of the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, has already produced additional funds to the extent of 172/. More is yet wanted in order to pre- serve this valuable society, which tends the very poorest of the poor.

The Divorce Court will open with an arrear of 156 causes ; but Sir Cress- well Creswell has now vested in him; by an Act passed last session, the powers of "the full court," and if any Judge can overtake arrears, that Judge is the Judge Ordinary.

Mr. Commissioner Fane grunted, on Friday week, a second-class certifi- cate to William Goodall' Gibson, of Godalming, tanner, whose connexions with Streatfeild and Co. formed a subject of complaint. But, as the assig- nees did not oppose, the Commissionergranted the certificate forthwith.

The conviction of Mr. Robert Rosier for brawling in St. George's-in-the- East, before Mr. Elliott, has been quashed by the Middlesex Sessions. Mr. Elliott had made an order of imprisonment as the alternative of non-pay- ment of a pecuniary penalty ; he should only have made an adjudication of fine or of imprisonment; if a fine, a warrant should have been issued upon the defendant's goods.

Are Volunteers proceeding on duty exempt from bridge toll ? The ques- tion was discussed on Wednesday before Mr. Arnold at Westminster, on the complaint of Mr. Henry Francis Smith, of the Victoria Rifle Corm against George Nelson, toll-collector at Vauxhall Bridge. But the Vauxhall Bridge Act being referred to, it was discovered that the penalties could only be re- covered by civil actions, and so the matter goes to the County Court.

Ellen Ann Bumpstead was brought up at Bow Street, on Thursday, charged with causing the death of her child, aged seven weeks, by neglect in suckling it. Jane Crook, a poor neighbour, but a Samaritan, offered the prisoner to suckle the child, but her offer was rudely refused with a threat, "If you touch my child I will blacken both your eyes!" On Wed- nesday, Mrs. Crook returned home from work at six o'elock, and went with the landlady to see the state of the prisoner ; she was lying with her face to the wall, still drunk and screaming, but behind her Thy the baby dead. Medical evidence proved the child died from starvation. Mr. Hall rebuked the witness, Mrs. Crook, for saying that the prisoner refused to feed the child, when it was clear from drunkenness she was unable to do so ; besides it should be shown that her husband provided her with means. The prisoner was remanded., [But whence came the means for intoxication ? Why was the good woman rebuked from the bench ofjuatice ? Less logically reason- ing than the magistrate, but humanely acting, she had offered to feed the child ; and, even in the absence of such an offer, it was the mother's duty to apply for relief if her husband had left her destitute.] Mahomed All Khan, the Indian who attempted to take his own life in the House of Lords, was byou,ght before Mr. Yardley on Thursday for threaten- ing to cut his throat. The Magistrate consulted authorities, but found he had no power to entertain the charge.

Inspector Hamilton, the City detective, has brought publicity to bear at the Mansion-house upon a system of fraud carried on by advertisements addressed to ladies, promising "Italian brooches" and Garibaldi scarf pins" for forty-eight and thirty-six postage stamps. A bundle of letters were produced from fair correspondents who had enclosed the stamps. Hamilton also produced samples of the brooches and pins, which he says can be bought for half-a-crown a gross.

The self-styled "Honourable and Reverend William Howard," who at- tempted to defraud the Duke of Beaufort, was brought face to face with Horsford, the Mendicity Society's officer, at the Worship Street police office before Mr. Knox, when the letter-writer was found to be no other than Isaac Oxley, who has been so often convicted of writing begging letters that he has spent twenty-six month's and twenty-one days in prison. Mr. Knox added three months more to this total, promising a committal for trial next ime.

The new Sheriffs had their appointments officially recorded by the Queen's Remembrancer on Wednesday. The City Solicitor performed the . ancient suit and service by cutting faggots with a hatchet and billhook, as suit and sbrvice for a pieee'of land called the Moor, in Shropshire, and also counted six horseshoes and sixty-one hobnails, as still and service for land and pre- mises called the Forge, in the parish of St. Clement Dane. [If a South Sea Islander saw such a meaningless ceremony on his travels ataong us, he would record it as an instance of the ignorance of barbarism.] An explosion took place at King's Cross on Thursday morning, in con- nexion with the engine and tender employed by Mf. Jay in the construction of the Metropolitan Railway. 'The fire-box exploded, causing the engine to pitch,. and the funnel was blewn over the- stone wall in York Road. Two men were blown away to considerable distances and taken up dead, a passing cabman was seriously injured, and three other persons more or less mutilated ; one of them is net expeeted to recover.