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On Saturday a deputation from the Peace Conference waited upon Lord Aberdeen and presented to him a memorial agreed to at the meeting re- cently held at Manchester. Mr. Milner Gibson, Mr. Cobden, Mr. Hume, and Mr. Samuel Gurney, addressed the Premier in support of the me- morial; which, citing former speeches by Lord Aberdeen and Sir Robert Peel against the rivalry of states in augmenting their forces, recommended the intervention of diplomacy to effect a pro rata reduction of armaments on the part of England and France. According to a report which ap- peared to have been furnished to several journals at once, Lord Aberdeen said he had never met any deputation with whose objects he more completely agreed— "No one could more earnestly, he might say more passionately, desire the at- tainment of these objects as a security for the peace of Europe, than he did ; and he believed that by no other means could any Government more effectually promote the happiness of mankind and bring real glory to this nation. These opinions he had not adopted recently. They had often formed the subject of discussion ten years ago with his late eminent friend Sir Robert Peel: but at that period the state of Europe was perhaps more favourable that it now is for carrying out the plans proposed. Admitting, as he had done, the duty of the Government, they must consider the subject in a practical point of view. Strongly desiring the attainment of this most important object, they must look at the measures of a practical na- ture by which it must be carried out First, there was the influence of their own example ; and he might say on this point, that the military measures into which the Government had entered (whether those mea- sures were right or wrong) were entirely on the principle of defence ; and he thought they were not inconsistent with his views formerly expressed in Parliament What he meant to say was, that if a country kept an army of 300,000 or 400,000 men, there was great danger lest they might be disposed to indulge the taste in which such forces originated. But the arrangements here were not at all of an aggressive character. There had existed in the country, as had been remarked, a strong feeling of alarm, and had the Government desired it they might easily have availed themselves of this feeling and have greatly increased the armaments. But, whatever difference of opinion might exist as to the wisdom of the measures adopted—and they were fairly open to criticism—their sincere desire had been to do nothing more than was necessary, according to the opinion of compe- tent judges in such matters. He admitted that the danger of aggression had been enormously exaggerated; yet he thought that a great country like ours ought not to be -left at the mercy of even the most pacific nation. With re- spect to the definite measure proposed by the deputation, he doubted whether, in the present state of Europe, such proposals would be listened to as fa- vourably as they might have been ten years ago ; but he again assured the deputation, that, whether their object was attained or not, it would not be for the want of an inclination on his part to promote it. He would keep the subject constantly in view, and no one could more earnestly desire so happy a result than himself."

At a meeting of the Court of Common Council, held on Thursday, it was resolved unanimously to present the freedom of the City of London to Dr. Layard M.P., the famous explorer of Nineveh, in a box worth one hundred guineas.

At the last meeting of the Middlesex Magistrates, Mr. Freshfield car- ried a motion for the appointment of a Committee, to prepare a basis or standard for assessing a fair and equal county-rate for Middlesex. This course has been resolved on because the present assessment affects different parts of the county so unequally.

There was a great meeting at Exeter Hall on Tuesday, in support of the Early Closing Movement; the Lord Mayor in the chair. The report of the association, read by the Secretary, gave a gratifying account of the spread of the movement, and the beneficial effects of the curtailment of the hours of labour, especially in London. The Lord Mayor strongly expressed his opinion that the hours of labour were too many both for masters and men. Mr. Hitchcock, a large employer, stated that he had. closed early, provided better apartments, given longer holydays, and otherwise increased the comforts of his young men, for the last ten years ; and he found that doing so "paid." The Reverend John Jackson hoped that the Crystal Palace question would be solved by increasing week-day holydays. The Bishop of Chichester and Lord John Manners urged the imperative necessity of giving more time to the working classes for their own improvement, in order that those who form the strength of the na- tion may not degenerate ; and to secure that nice adjustment of toil and leisure which appears to be the true realization in this world of Christian equality. Resolutions regretting and condemning the custom of late closing, still very general, and appealing for help to the ladies, passed unanimously.

Henry Goodsell Johnson, otherwise "Captain" Johnson, who defrauded Mrs. Stewart of a large amount of property, succeeded, after more than 0118 attempt, in producing satisfactory bail, upon which a Judge liberated him. He was to have surrendered at the Central Criminal Court on Monday ; but he did not appear. His recognizances were estreated, and a warrant was issued for his apprehension.

On Wednesday, William Hobson Palmer was indicted for the manslaughter of Charlotte Cardwell. Palmer is a "herb doctor " ; he administered "Dr. Coffin's medicines" to the deceased. After her death a large quantity of husks of lobelia was found in her stomach : lobelia is largely employed in Coffin's medicines; Dr. Letheby pronounced the quantity taken by the woman as sufficient to cause death. But Mrs. Cardwell had suffered from asthma, and after death the lungs were found much inflamed ; medical wit- nesses admitted that lobelia may be employed in asthmatic cases ; it is a modern medicine ; persons who have taken it for a length of time can swal- low large doses with impunity. Mr. Justice Maule pronounced the evidence insufficient to warrant a conviction ; and a verdict of "Not guilty" was re- turned. The Judge then remarked, that lobelia was a dangerous medicine, and persons should be very cautious how they administer it.

Mary Anne Oldham, the pauper nurse of Greenwich who compelled a child to hold a hot coal in its hand, was charged, on the Coroner's inquisi- tion, with the manslaughter of the boy. The Grand Jury had ignored a bill presented against her ; and the Lord Chief Justice now stopped the ease at the very outset, observing that the depositions which he had perused showe4 by the testimony of medical men, that the boy's death could not be traced to the cruel act of the prisoner. The counsel for the prosecution withdrew the charge, and a verdict of acquittal was recorded.

On Thursday, Charles Saunders was tried for the murder of Mr. Toiler, near Ilford. The public are already in possession of the facts. Saunders met Toiler on the highway, in broad daylight, knocked him down, and out his throat. It further appeared that Toiler had once interfered with the calling of the ruffian, who was a professional beggar, and told him to "toddle off." That occurred in December : Saunders then lay in wait for Toiler and killed him. The plea of insanity was setup: his mother had been mad. The Jury, however, found him guilty, and sentence of death was passed.

Joseph Farrell, a clerk in the Bank of England, is alleged to have perpe- trated a forgery on the Bank to the amount of 3000/. ; and Edwin Henry Powell, lately a clerk on the Blackwell Railway, was accused as an accom- plice. On Monday morning, Powell surrendered himself to Daniel For- rester the officer. He was produced before the Lord Mayor, on a charge of "feloniously harbouring" Farrell. Powell made no objection to a remand, and said he would give all the information in his power to Forrester.

Some evidence was received on Tuesday. Dr. Thomas Davidson, of Ken- sington, stated that he had 20,000/. in the Three per Cent Reduced Annui- ties; he had not received the dividends since October 1847. Ten dividend- warrants, dated 25th January 1853, and purporting to be signed by him, were forged : the warrants were signed "T. Davidson "; he always signs his name "Thomas Davidson." Philcox, a railway-guard, deposed that he was sent by Powell, on the 21st February, to the Bank of England to get a 600/. note changed : the note was stopped. This note was one of those given in payment of the forged warrants. Powell was again remanded.

Several London bankers have been defrauded of more than 2000/. in bank- notes by means of forged checks. The forgers are at present unknown ; a re- ward of 600/. is offered for their conviction, and the recovery of the notes.

Mr. Duncan Stewart, of Great Marlborough Street, has had the courage to offer a cabman the regular fare of eightpence for driving him less than a mile : the cabman declined to take it, and told the gentleman to put it back into his pocket, as he might want it—he was "no gentleman," and so on. Mr. Stewart summoned the fellow for his insolence. Mr. Bingham, the Marlborough Street Magistrate, thanked Mr. Stewart, on behalf of the pub- lic, for bringing the case forward ; and said he should in all cases like this, where the evidence is complete, put on the highest fine. Fined forty shil- lings and costs, or twenty-one days' imprisonment.

The inquest on the gentleman killed on the Great Western Railway near Ealing was held on Saturday. Mr. James Gibbs was a vitriol-manufacturer at Bristol; he was sixty-one years of age. It is said that recently he had a presentiment that he should meet with some mishap on the railway ; and he wished to resign his seat as a Director for the Bristol interest, but was in- duced by his colleagues and friends to remain in office. A few weeks since, he insured his life in the Railway Passengers Insurance Company for 1000/. Mr. Gibbs was a tall fine-looking man. On the right temple there was a small incised wound, and the surrounding parts were suffused with blood ; the right fore-arm was fractured ; and there was a dislocation of the verte- hue of the neck—the latter alone.sufficient to cause instant death. From an examination of the road, it appears that the carriages had been running on

the ballast for a quarter of a mile before the coupling broke and the car- riages mounted the bank : the rails were not at all damaged, and the tran- soms on which the longitudinal sleepers rested were not much cut until just before the carriages ran off the road. Mr. Coroner Wakley repeatedly pronounced the evidence " unsatisfactory." Mr. Simonds, a Director who was travelling in the train, stated that he noticed nothing peculiar or irregular in the train. The Board had inquired into the accident; they were 'perfectly at a loss to what to refer it." Every precaution is adopted on the line to prevent disasters ; servants proved to have committed faults are at once dismissed. Mr. Brotherhood, a con- tractor for maintaining the permanent way in the Bristol district, a passen- ger, "could not in any way account for the accident." Turner, the travel- ling porter, described the accident as he witnessed it : he suggested as a cause, the breaking of the "scroll iron," which goes through the end of the carriage to maintain the spring. Coroner—" Can you recommend nothing for the prevention of a similar accident in future ?" Witness—" I don't see that anything more can be done than is done. We have the means of instant communication with the driver, and every possible precaution is taken to prevent accident." "Can you state whether the couplings were broken when you first saw a carriage off the rails?" "I believe they were not then broken." The rails were in a good state at Ealing. This witness and the driver estimated the speed of the train at from forty-five to forty- eight miles an hour. The train had kept proper time. The driver could snake no suggestion ; and could not tell whether the scroll iron or the coup- ling broke first.

Mr. Brotherhood was recalled. He said he was acquainted with the quali- ties of iron, and considered that of which the "scroll" and couplings were formed to be very good. The weather on Wednesday and Thursday was, however, very bad for metal. He had seen a bar of the same thickness as the "scroll iron," and five feet long, broken on a frosty morning by falling on a stone out of a navigator's hand. Coroner—"That does not say much for the safety of iron bridges. It is, however, doubtless quite true. Even human bones are more liable to fracture in frosty weather than any other. How do you account for the end of the link of the coupling-chain being torn away ?" Mr. Brotherhood—"I believe this was done by a sudden shock when the wheels of the first-chess carriage bounced against the transom. The coupling itself was strong enough for a train five times the weight of the express. It is not possible to screw up the carriages too tightly, as there is a spring draw-bar in the bed of the carriage, against which the coupling nets. Had not the coupling broken, it is very possible no accident might have occurred. I have known a four-wheeled truck go off the rails, and run for miles without causing any injury." Mr. Gooch, locomotive superintendent, agreed with Mr. Brotherhood as to the probable cause of the accident. He believed the scroll iron broke first. A person having suggested that the carriages might have been thrown off the rails by oscillation arising from the axle-bearings having become short from wear, Mr. Gibson, the carriage-engineer on the line, stated that the bearings were never allowed to get so much worn as to produce oscillation. The carriage in question was thoroughly repaired only so recently as the 4th of December.

In summine.* up, the Coroner remarked that the Jury might naturally as- sume that the greatest care would have been exhibited in working a tram in which so many officers of the Company were known to be travelling. Al- though unsatisfactory as to the cause of the accident, yet the investigation would not, he thought, be without some advantage to the public. It is a remarkable fact, that when persona travelling in a railway carriage become alarmed, the first thing they do is to look out of window : nothing could be more dangerous, for if an accident happened, they receive injuries from their head knocking from one side of the window to the other. From the appear- ance of the right temple, he had no doubt that such was the case with the unfortunate deceased gentleman. The Jury gave a verdict of "Accidental death."

• The Foreman stated, on behalf of his brother jurors and other inhabitants of the neighbourhood, that it was considered that the down-line of rails near where the accident occurred were in a very imperfect state : the Foreman would not have felt at all surprised had the accident occurred on the down- line. Mr. Tyrrell, the traffic superintendent, promised that every attention 4hou1d be paid to the matter.