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New-year's Day inaugurated the full power and authority of the Me- tropolitan Board of Works. The members, forty-four in number, met at two in the afternoon, in the banqueting-hall of Burlington House, for the first time under Mr. Thwaites, their President. The public showed its interest in the proceedings by filling the space allotted to it in the hall. The President began by reciting certain acts that he had done. Con- struing the act of Parliament, requiring two days' notice, to mean two days before the 1st of January, the day. the act came into operation, he had issued summonses to the members in December, as it was desirable that the Board should meet at the earliest moment. In order to continue the requisite supervision of the sewers, he had directed the sluice-keep- ers to continue performing their duties until the 15th January. Desirous of preserving the offices held by the Sewers Commission and their col- lections of papers, he had placed persons in possession of the various offices held by the Commission ; and for all these acts ho asked for an indemnity. Then, announcing that he should not take part in discus. sions before the Board, he made an appeal to the members, exhorting them to cast out party-spirit, abstain from all reference to political topics, remember that they are a metropolitan and not a provincial body, do all they can to facilitate business, and promote the common welfare of their 2,500,000 constituents.

The Board granted the indemnity required by the President. A noti- fication from Sir Benjamin Hall was read, stating that the Board can only be accommodated in Burlington House until the 21st of January. A Committee was appointed to report on the best means of providing ac- commodation, and to apply to the -City authorities for the use of the Council Chamber.

Three other subjects occupied the Board—the choice of a seal ; the appointment of a temporary engineer-in-Chief; and the permanent appointment of a secretary, treasurer, and engineer. Some pains had been taken to settle upon a seal : the royal arms were suggested, but it appeared that no authority for such use could be obtained. In the end, a Committee Was appointed to report on the subject. It was proposed that Mr. Bazalgette should be appointed temporary engineer-in-chief, with power to obtain assistants. To this many ob- jected; urging that such an appointment might be cousiden.ed.as a pledge that he would be permanently appointed; and that the district engineers would be quite competent to the duties required. The notion that the temporary nomination would constitute any pledge was disclaimed ; and the motion for the appointment of Mr. Bazalgette was carried. A Committee was named to consider and report on the salaries and duties of the eneneer-in-chief, secretary, treasurer, accountant, and superintending architect. Mr. Wilkinson, temporary honorary secretary, —denying some imputations cast on him by a Sunday journal, to the effect that he had volunteered to do that duty from interested motives, —threw up the office ; and Mr. Drew volunteered to supply his place.

Sir John Shelley's resignation of his office as representative of St. James's was read, and officially communicated to the parish authorities. It was also ordered that steps should be forthwith taken to elect two new representatives for Southwark and Greenwich, now vacant.

The Board adjourned until next Monday. The local Boards are now beginning to meet for the purpose of self- organization.

The powers of the old Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers expired on Monday ; and at a special court held on that day it was ordered that the funds and securities held by the Commission should be transferred to such persons as the Metropolitan Board of Works might appoint.

The Reverend Frederick Maurice, as Principal of the Working-Men's College, Red Lion Square has issued the first yearly report on the state and progress of the College. The return of the number of pupils during the terms of the first year shows a satisfactory advance on each-; rising gradually from 145 in the first term to 233 in the last. "Our pupils," Mr. Maurice writes, "have met us freely and cordially; their diligence has been greater than, we believe, we should have met with in any other class : they have not lounged at lectures, but taken part in lessons. Generally, they have pretbrred the subjects which demand most thought and most application." The following table shows the occupations of the students- " Operatives, building trades, (carpenters, &o.,) La.; cabinet-makers, upholsterers, pianoforte-makers, gliders, frame-maul., decorators, 14; jewellers, goldsmiths, watch and clock makers, opticians, instrument- makers, 12; draughtsmen, lithographers, map-engravers, 6; modellers, designers, wire-workers, 6; engineers, maPhinists, 8; wood-turneni, wood- engravers, 3 ; printers, compositors, bookbinders, 14 ; bootmakers, tailors, 10; miscellaneous, 10 ; clerics, 53; tradesmen, tradesmen's assistants, and warehousemen, 36; professional men, 17 ; schoolmasters, teachers, 8 ; sun- dry oecupationst 18 : total, 233." The College is far from self-supporting; though, by the help of friends, it is entirely out of debt. " The payments for students," says the report, "are only equal to little more than half of our current .zpenditure. It would be quite otherwise if our rooms: sai.s.a.c we use only during 'the evenings, could be turned. to for other educational purposes dur- ing the .Llay. Ire are not without hopes that both our usefulness and our income may be increased hereafter in this way."

A similar institution has been set on foot at Cambridge, and it is ex- pected that a third will be opened at Oxford next term.

The new "General Omnibus Company" has already become an ac- complished fact. The first omnibuses under the new regime will com- mence running on Monday next, from Stoke Newington and Kingsland to the Bank. The Chelsea line of omnibuses will next fall into cor- respondence." Fulham and Brompton, as well as Hackney, have been passed over, so far as regards their vehicular accommodation, to the " Compagnie Generale " ; while Pimlico contributes its well-known Royal Blues to the united stook. The well-known Pest-office contractor Mr. Macniunara has surrendered even the two remaining royal mails out of London.

Pomen.—Some noticeable cases are presented by the Polite Courts : rob- bery_of a prison, street and garotte robberies, embezzlement, and an assault on Mr. Commissioner Evans by his godson.

The other day, some burglars broke into a hospital, and carried off a wounded comrade : now we have an attempt to rob the Queen's Bench Pri- son. Two fellows trying to break into the room of a debtor who was dining out, were caught in the fact. They have been remanded by the Southwark Magistrate.

The audacity which leads to prison-robbing finds ample opportunity for display in the street. A resident in the Hampstead Road, Mr. Walker, go- ing home between three and four in the afternoon, was attacked by a gang of scoundrels in Little Charles Street. One jumped on his back, another seized him by the throat, while a third knocked his hat over his eyes ; he was then robbed of his gold watch and chain, and the robbers ran off. George Sanders is in custody on suspicion. Two young ruffians, Williams and Brown, have been committed by the Thames Police Magistrate for a share in two garotte robberies. In one case, Mr. Godfrey, of the Kingsland Road, was most savagely assaulted.

Coates, the watchmaker in Eccleston Street, who pawned a great number of watches left with him to be repaired, has been sent to prison by the Westminster Magistrate for twelvemonths, in default of paying four fines of 51. each and refunding the value of four of the watches pledged. Fifty-one watches have been restored to the owners by various pawnbrokers, on pay- ment of one-half of the sums advanced upon them ; and some poor persons have got back their property free of payment.

The Lambeth Magistrate has dismissed the charge of perjury made against Malby, a sexton, by the Reverend Dr. Vaughan. Dr. Vaughan was un- willing to proceed with the case while a charge was hanging over himself ; Malby claimed an immediate decision ; and as no evidence was offered, Mr. Elliott refused to call upon him even to enter into his own recognizan- ces to appear again.

John Ballad Lloyd has been committed, in default of sureties to keep the peace, by Alderman Copeland, for an assault on Mr. Commissioner Evans. He went mto the Bankruptcy Court while Mr. Evans was occupying the Bench, and threw two oranges at him, using violent language : the missiles did not strike the Commissioner. It seems that Lloyd has repeatedly annoyed Mr. Evans : that gentleman had stood sponsor for him as godfather, some forty years ago ; Lloyd appears to have a notion that Mr. Evans is bound to find him the means of livelihood, and he attempts to extort subsidies by annoyance : this was the second instance of his resort to actual violence.

The Southwark Magistrate has committed Charles Butler and his wife Sarah for the manslaughter of a little girl, daughter of Butler, by neglect- ing, starving, and ill-using her. Butler is an itinerant musician : be pleads that his poverty prevented him from properly providing for his family.

Two children, William and Harriet Harvey, died at Hackney, under cir- cumstances that led the Coroner to summon a Jury. Evidence was adduced to show that Harvey, their father, and Harriet Ray, who lived with him,

had wilfully starved children. Their bodies were subjected to a post- mortem examination by Dr. Letheby; who stated positively that the little things had been starved to death. The organs were healthy, but totally devoid of fat; the system must have fed upon itself. Not a particle of food could be traced. The Jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder " against Harvey and Ray.

Yesterday sennight, the murderer Corrigan wrote a letter to his sister-in- law, in which were these passages. " With a broken heart, I write to ask you to take all care you can of my poor dear children, till I can make some arrangement with my friends. Do not pay my rent out of that trifle I left you. Please God, they will be able to get up a benefit at the theatre or some place ,• and I expect there will be 61. for the funeral. You must get it done as sharp as possible, but do not slight the remains of my poor dear murdered wife. Oh ! Betsy, ifyou knew the anguish of my mind. I have no rest night or day, now that I have come to my senses. Oh! Betsy, save me a lock of my poor.Louisa's hair : now she is gone, I would give any- thing to undo what I have done. Be kind to my poor helpless children ; and the great God, that I trust to for mercy for my crime, will reward you."

Corrigan was reexamined at the Thames Police Office on Thursday. His behaviour was, quite changed from what it was last week—he now appeared quite unconcerned and callous. The evidence showed that the Corrigans lived very unhappily together : the husband was frequently drunk, and he suffered from delirium tremens. At the conclusion of the evidence Cord- g_an said—" I have no recollection how it happened, or how it was done." H' e was committed for trial.

Rowland Monty Withers, a youth of eighteen, has. been committed by the Lord Mayor for stealing 9801. from Messrs. Bassett, bankers at Leighton Buzzard. He was a clerk at the bank ; one night he abstracted a roll of bank-notes for 0801. ; the robbery was quickly detected; and when Withers arrived in London by rail he was arrested, with all the notes upon him. He told the police-officer that he had acted under the influence of drink, and that he had intended to return to Leighton Buzzard and replace the pro- perty ; which, he said, he could have done without any one knowing of the transaction.

A labourer walking through Hyde Parkt noon on Tuesday, found a

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young woman lying on the grass near the Magazine Barracks. She seemed in great agony, and he took off her hat and called some persons to her as- sistance. Among others a surgeon came up, but the sufferer died instantly. On the grass was found a bottle which had contained prussic acid. The girl had poisoned herself. The body was taken to St. George's Workhouse, and an inquest held. The chief witness was Mrs. Greenfield, an aged friend of the girl, whose name was Caroline Ann Redman. Mrs. Greenfield said that Miss Redman had always lived with her. Latterly the old lady's health had failed, and she had spoken of her own death, remarking— Flowers must die, Caroline ; and as I am old, you must expect I shall die." The deceased' said—" If you die, then, like the flowers, I must die." Verdict, " Temporary insanity!'

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, from a fund set apart for the alleviation of distress arising from the war, Lase bunt do- nations of bl. each to several of the Metropolitan Pollee Courts.

FOOD PRICES REM:WED.—On New-year's Day, in the Metropolis, a gene- ral reduction took place in the prices of every description of provisions, with the exception of bread, which continues to be sold at 91d. to 10d. per 4 pound in the Western Estricts, although the same quality of that very necessary article may be obtained at the East end and in Southwark at prices varying. from 81d. to 91d. per 4 pound. The prices of butcher's meat have declined considerably ; and mutton of excellent quality sells, by retail, at the follow- ing prices—Breasts, 51d. ; shoulders, 6d. to did. ; legs, lid. per pound : beef—roasting pieces, 8d. to 8id. ; boiling and salting ditto, 64d. to 74d; and steaks off the leg of mutton piece, at 8d. per pound : bacon and Berwick pork have declined fully ld. per pound in value ; and the price of dairy-fed pork is less by. ltd. per pound than it was before Christmas. The poultry left in hand m Leadenhall and Newgate markets was so abundant that turkey-poults of good size might be purchased at 4s. each, and turkeys from 7s. 6d. to 15s. each. Geese were so plentiful that the salesmen, to effect a market for them, were obliged to raffle them at 4d. to 6d. per member. The retail grocers have reduced the price of sugar another halfpenny : inferior Brazil sells at 5d., and West India at 51d. per pound ; good loaf can be had at 6jel. per pound.