4 DECEMBER 1847, Page 7

Abe Aliletropolts.

A:Court of Aldermen met on Tuesday, mainlrfor the purpose of re- ceiving Alderman Thomas Wood's resignation of the gown for Cordwainers

Ward. The resignation was conveyed in a letter to the Lord Mayor, which was read by the Town-Clerk. In requesting permission to retire altogether from the office of Alderman, Mr. Wood founded as much on the inadequacy of his pecuniary circumstances to maintain the rank of an Alderman, and in course of time that of Lord Mayor, as on the great bereavement and severe personal afflictions he has encountered within the last two years. The letter was ordered to be entered upon the journals; and a general ex- pression of sympathy found vent in the following unanimous resolution---•

"That this Court cannot receive the resignation of Thomas Wood, Esq., of the office of Alderman, without expressing its deep sympathy in his late melancholy bereavement; nor without expressing its sense of the exemplary manner in which he has discharged the important duties of his magisterial office, and the valuable aid and assistance he has at all times afforded to the members of this Court col- lectively and individually." Some nuisances in Whitechapel were presented by the Portsoken In- quest; and there was some conversation on sanatory matters, but nothing came of it.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday. The chief sub- ject of discussion was the purchase of a piece of ground belonging to Messrs. Morley in Wood Street, as affording the means for widening that street tO ease the traffic in Cheapside. The propriety of doing so was sharply con- tested; but ultimately it was resolved to proceed with the negotiation.

The Commissioners of Sewers for all the Metropolitan districts, 671 in number, were superseded by writs from the Crown Office on Tuesday,-and new Commissioners have been appointed for the whole Metropolis. To obviate some technical doubts, the several local commissions have been renewed ; but the effect of consolidation is gained by appointing the 81113111 persons in each case. The following are the new Commissioners—

At the Central Criminal Court, on Monday, Anne Simons was tried for robbing her employers, Messrs. Marshall and Stinton; and Mr. Philip Deverenx Hickman was tried for receiving the property knowing it to have been stolen. This rather extraordinary case has been frequently before the public already; but we briefly recapitulate the facts. Anne Simons was employed by Messrs. Marshall and Santo; who are silk-mercers in Vere Street. On taking stock, they found a large deficiency; suspicion fell upon Simons; and it was discovered that she had been stealing from time to time large quantities of valuable goods. It was also discovered that she had a liaison with Mr. Hickman, a junior partner in the firm of Price, Gifford, and Hickman, colonial merchants. At this gentleman's cham- bers, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, stolen property to the value of 2601. was found. It was proved at the trial, that Mr. Hickman gave every facility for the recovery of

these goods; that he admitted that the prisoner had given him a number of arti- cles, especially waistcoat-pieces' which she said she had purchased from her em-

ployers; she had also presented him with a gold chain, an easy chair, and other things: Mr. Hickman asserted that he had believed the young woman to have so lucrative a situation that she could purchase these articles. He also said that he had not given her much money; but he had assisted her father to the extent of 6001. Anne Simons had free access to his chambers; and he utterly disclaimed all knowledge of her criminality in robbing her employers. The evidence favoured

this view of Mr. Hickman'e innocence. For the female prisoner, it was attempted to be shown that Mr. Stinton had been so familiar with her that it might be con- ceived that he had given her the goods. But Kr. Stinton steadily denied this in-

timacy. Elizabeth Simons, Anne's sister, swore in her cross-examination that

Anne and Mr. Stinton were acquainted before 1845 (which Mr. Stinton had de- nied); that she had seen them walking together at night. Reexamination threw an unfavourable light on this woman's character. In his address for Anne Sim- ons, Mr. Sergeant Wilkins still relied on the alleged intimacy of his client with Mr. Stinton. The Jury, however, found the woman guilty, and acquitted Mr. Hickman. Mr. Justice Coltsnau, in ordering the discharge of Mr. Hickman, aaid he quite concurred in the verdict of the Jury: he believed that Mr. Hickman had only acted with indiscretion, and that there was not the least ground for suppo- sing him connected with the felony.

On Tuesday, Anne Simons was charged with stealing the property found ether father's house in Leicestershire, valued at 5001.; and the father was tried for re- ceiving it. Both were found guilty, but the father was recommended to mercy. The Recorder passed sentence. As Anne Simons had not persisted in the se- cond case in chargiug Mr. Stinton with misconduct, he only inflicted that punish-

ment which attached to the offence of which she was convicted on Monday— transportation for fourteen years; Benjamin Simons, the father, to be imprisoned, with hard labour, for eighteen months.

William Farmery was charged with an act of forgery. He pleadedguilty. This is the man who was implicated with West in passing a number of forged shares of the South-western Railway: West was convicted; but the Judges had decided against the legality of the conviction, on the ground that railway scrip did not come within the scope of the Forgery Act; so the charge against Farwery

was made one of forgery at common law. It was stated in his favour, that the prisoner had made some restitution to the persons who had been wronged; he had paid them 12s. in the pound. Sentence, fifteen months' imprisonment.

On Wednesday, Gardner, Holliday, Seeger, Loup, and Cuissel, were indicted for conspiring to defraud divers tradesmen; Caiesel, however, was not in custody.

It will be recollected that certain shopkeepers and manufacturers were cleverly tricked out of goods by Gardner and Holliday, on pretence that the goods were to be exported. After two cases had been proved against these men, their coun- sel said they must acknowledge their guilt generally. Evidence was then given to implicate the other prisoners. Loup received an excellent character, and he was acquitted; the others were found guilty. Gardner and Holliday were sen- tenced to imprisonment for eighteen months, and Seeger for nine. Mr. Garbet, a Shropshire attorney, was convicted in May last, at the Central Criminal Court, on a charge of forgery. But the conviction was obtained ender

extraordinary circumstances: during a trial at Kingston, Garbet was called to prove that a defendant had not accepted a bill of exchange; he swore it was not the man's writing, but declined to say whose it was; under a threat of commit-

meet, Lord Denman extracted from him that he was the writer, and that he had no authority for what he had done. When tried for the forgery, his own depo- sitions were brought against him; his counsel objected, but the evidence was re- ceived, and Garbet was found guilty. The question as to the admissibility of the man's own evidence, thus extorted, was for the decision of the Judges. Theyhave decided against its legality, and Garbet has been set at liberty.

The iron chest stolen from the Great Western Railway terminus has been found in the river Coins near Hounslow. The thieves had taken it to pieces, placed the parts, with the cash-boxes, in a sack, and thrown the whole into a branch of the Colne.

Right Hon. the Viscount Morpeth, M.P.; Right lion. Lord Ashley, M.P. ; Right Hon. the Viscount Ebrington, M.P.; Hon. Frederick Byng ;

Dean of Westminster; Sir James Clark, Bart.; Sir Edward North Buxton, Bart.. M.P.; Sir Henry Thomas de la Beebe, Knight; Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P. ; John Walter, Esq., M.P. ; Robert Agllonby Raney, Esq.. M.P. ; Edwin Chadwick, Esq., barrister-at-law ; W. John Broderip, Esq., ImurrIster.at.laW John Buller, Esq., barrister-at-law; Professor Richard Owen; Nell Arnett, Esq., M.D. ; Thomas Southwood Smith, Esq., ILD.g The Rev. William Stone, M.A., Rector Or Spitaltields ; John Bidwell, Esq.; Robert Hutton, Esq.. F.R.S. ; Thomas Puckle, Esq.;

Richard Lambert Jones, Esq.;

John Leslie, Esq. After more inculpatory evidence had been taken, William Stuart Sheridan has been committed by the Worship Street Magistrate, for the murder of his mother.

Temple Bar had a narrow escape from burning early on Sunday morning. A fire had broken out in an tipper room of the hairdresser's premises which form part of the building; but the speedy arrival of the firemen prevented the flames from spreading.

The City Arms Tavern, a large house at Hammersmith, was burnt down early on Thursday morning. Some of the people within escaped unhurt, but two had to leap from a second-floor window: one was merely cut on the ankle, but the other, a man "in possession," fell with such violence on his bead that his life is in danger.

The last remaining portion of St. Giles's "Rookery " will speedily disappear; the tenants of the houses in Church Lane having received notices to quit, prepa- ratory to pulling down the tenements. The whole space is to be covered with tolerably handsome shops and houses.