311rtropulio.

Some time ago, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of London, forwarded through the British Ambassador at Paris an address to the Municipality of that city, thanking the latter for the courteous reception of the City authorities_ in the year 1851. This ad- dress was recently acknowledged by thpstaitheaities of Paris. The reply, tastefully and splendidly, emblazoned, expresso, on the part of the Muni- cipal authorities and the Prefect of the Bela' e,Aiie satisfaction felt at this new proof of the close mice which exists between England and France, conveys the assurance that the Munpality of Paris, like that of London, appreciates the benefits of the happy'brotherhood which peaceful compe- titions tend to establish between civilized nations. This document is dated " August 13, 1852," and is accompanied by a note, dated the "17± of December 1853," from the present Prefect of the Seine. The receipt of the note was acknowledged on the 22d of December last by the Lord Mayor ; who expresses an earnest hope "that the reciprocation of kindly feelings, which were cemented by the Great Exhibition of 1851, may long be cherished by two such powerful and distinguished communi- ties_as the cities of Paris and London. '

-The Bishon of London has approved of -a plan submitted to him by the Reverend Charles Hume, Rector of St. Michaere, Wood Street, for re- moving thirty of the City churches, and appropriating the income derived from them to new churches to be built in the suburbs. Altogether there are fifty churches to be dealt with, having an aggregate income of 20,5601.: twenty of them would be retained, with an aggregate income of 11,3531.; this would leave 92074. for suburban churches. As the pre- sentations are in different hands, it is proposed that each patron shall have as many turns of presentation as he has at present. The advantages of the scheme are stated to be the following.

"1. The anomalous position of the Church in the City would bediminished. 2. The want of spiritual instruction, from which many districts are suffering, would, to a considerable extent, be supplied. 2. The clergy in the City, who have nominal cures and small congregations, would have real charges and large congregations. 4. The City clergy remaining would have larger in- comes than they had before. 5. The City clergy removed would obtain comfortable houses, larger incomes, larger congregations, and real pastoral charges. 6. The new parishes or districts would get _good churches, without the expense of building them, and ministers, to whom they would only pay part of a sufficient income."

At a public meeting, held on Saturday, in Shaftesbury Hall, Alders- gate Street,—Mr. Alderman Challis in the chair,—resolutions-were passed establishing a society to be called "The United Associatioa of School- masters of Great Britain!' It was agreed that a comprehensive union of teachers is desirable, with a view to the diffusion of professional know- ledge and experience among the whole body. Mr. Alderman Challis was appointed President.

At a recent meeting of the Islington Vestry, a report was presented by the Burial Board, recommending that thirty acres of land at Finchley be purchased from the parish of St. Pancras, in order to form an extramural cemetery. The report was opposed, and a poll was demanded. The re- sult is, that at the close of the poll on Tuesday evening, there were 097- for the report and 390 against it ; Unmake report iaadeptadly a majority of 607.

At a meeting of the Marylebone Vestry, on Saturday, a motion for the establishment of reformatory schools for destitute, and criminal children was adopted, and a committee was appointed to take steps accordingly.

The Reverend W. W. Ellis, Rector of St. Clements Dane, gave a sub- stantial dinner on Sunday to one hundred and forty-children, attending the Ragged Schools in Yeats Court, Clare Market.

A Gothic church, situated in Gordon Square, was solemnly opened on Sunday, and intended to be the cathedral of the body of religionists founded by the late Reverend Edward Irving. The service eommenced with the entry of the chief officer—" the Angel"—wearing a purple cape, denoting authority, and otherwise magnificently clad. Then followed "the Prophets" in blue stoles ; the Evangelists in red; the Pastors, Elders, and others. The service is said to deviate little froth-that of the Church of England. Among the office-bearers of "the ...11oly .eathelic Apostolic Church," are Admiral Gambier, Mr. Henry Drummond M.P., the Honourable Henry Parnell, Mr. -J. P. Knight R.A.-; and among the members of the church are Lady .Bateman, Lady, Dawson, andLady- Anderson. All who join the church offer a tenth of their income tow

its support and extension. .

The Council of the Society of Arts have resolved to carer a nentkit

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ground upon which both parties to the strikes and lock-outs -may tem- perately discuss the matter. To this end, they. have issued an Waal:ion to the general aseociations of masters and operatives atliffinehester,-sad the local associations of masters and operatives at Preston, to- send seek a representative ; an equal _number of those who toekthexaost.promiztent part on either side of the late dispute among the mechanical engineers ; and they will bring to the conference, without bias on one side or other,- as many as possible of those who, without being involved in the labour question as partisans, have studied and mastered its Various bearings. In order that the proceedings should be businesslike, speakers wIll-be Rmited to minutes; and the whole subject will be defined and -ffivuled into distinct propositions, such as the foliating= "1. Combinations. Are they objectionable, whether set on foot by em- ployers or employed, as a means of influencing the value of labour? Would a law of limited liability in partnerships tend to render such combinations unnecessary ? Do they remove the questions with which they deal from the privacy of ordinary trade management and place them under public e.eal- zance ; and if so, how may that publicity be most simply and es...alally se- cured ? Ought any legislative provision, or other arranges...at, to be made by which the right of association, if obviously exeraisea to the detriment of the community, might be controlled or-neutralized ? "2. Strikes and Lock-outs. Should partial strikes, intended to take the masters of a locality in detail, be met by lock-outs? What other means are likely to be effectual in terminating them ? "3. Wages. Does payment by piece-work alter substantially the nature of the relations which would exist between employer and employed, were the latter day or weekly labourers ? Can lists of prices for piece-work be equi- tably drawn up so as to meet the varied circumstances of different ma- chinery, different management, different localities, and the constant progress of improvement ? Ought manufacturers to bind together their associations within the limits of a minimum scale of prices for piece-work? Ought the operative to share beyond the market value of his labour in the increased productiveness of improved machinery ?" The Council proposes that "no resolution shell be adopted except where entire unanimity prevails. While they_ venture, for convenience' sake, to prescribe the _proceedings, they intend to observe a strict neu-

trality." The conference is convened for ten a. m. on Tuesday the 24th January, at the Society's House, John Street, Adelphi.

The Post-office authorities have intimated to the Governors of the Whitecross Street and Queen's prisons, that the " post-box " will be discontinued after the 6th instant. Efforts are made to continue the privilege to the prisons ; the highest utility of which, it is said, consists in its affording a certain channel for the communication of debtors with their friends and advisers, and for the arrangement of affairs.

At the Central Criminal Court, on Monday, Frederick Rosenthal Crutch- ley, a young man, was convicted of conspiring with William:Morton to de- fraud Mrs. Burton of some thousands of pounds. The particulars were stated recently when Morton Was tried. The Jury recommended Crutehley to mercy, on account of his youth.

On Tuesday, Hume .and Howe, formerly Policemen, were convioted of perjury. They were drinking at a beer-shop at Merton ; one Whitley drank with them ; there was larking ; Whitley was thrown downs and he threatened to complain to the Inspector. On this the Policemen took him into custody ; and swore falsely against him at the Wandsworth Police Court, among other thingedeolarinr, that they had not drunk with Whitley in the beer-shop. Sentence; six-months' imprisonment.

On Wednesday, Morton and-Crutehley were sentenced each to two years' imprisonment.

Henry Amor, formerly is Sergeant of Police, was convicted of perjury. The case was most abominable. In May last, Mr. and 'Mrs. Booker entered Hyde Park in the evening; as the passed through a little gate, Amor spoke impudently to Mrs. Seeker; Mr. ker resented this; when the Sergeant had the couple taken into custody, on a charge of improper behaviour in the Park. He swore to this before the Magistrate, but was not believed. Son- term, eighteen months' imprisonment William Simmons, who has been a shopman to Messrs. Lambert and Co., goldsmiths in Coventry Street, for twenty years, and whose salary was 2001., has been sentto prison for robbing his employer of some 40001. worth of pro- perty; WO/. of which has been recovered from pawnbrokers with whom it had been pledged. John Henry Jones, formerly a publican, has been com- mitted for feloniously reoeiving.

The Police continue to arrest batches of gentlemen in reputed gaming- houses at the West-end; but iron-plated doers, locks, and bars, cause so much delay in effecting an entry, that ample time is obtained to destroy any gaming-implements. The persons captured are taken before the Marlborough Street Magistrate ; and he liberates them. Twelve gentlemen underwent this process last Saturday. • , Robert Barker is in custody on two charges of stealing postage-stamps and uttering counterfeit sovereigns. His plan was to enter a shop in a seemingly desperate hurry, ask for a pound's worth of stamps, get possession of them, throw down a base coin, and run off.

'Government reward of 100/. is offered for the detection of the murderers of the boy 'Medi:gust; whose body was found at Acton.

A third great are alarmed _the City, last Saturday night. It broke out about half-past tepsin the premises oesupied by Messrs. Townend, hatsma- nufacturers,scrol Messrs'. Hutchinson and Spiller, carpet-warehousemen, No. 5 Bread Street. This very largeand lofty building was entirely destroyed, swith No. -4, °envied by- Messrs. Broughton and Son and several t b o°tteetr-erfireissand_Nosal, occupied_ by Messrs. Kerrow and Son ; while many contiguous buildings were much damaged. The origin of the disaster is not known : the last person who left No. 5 had hardly got into Old Change be- fore the alarm cf-fire was raised ; all had appeared safe when he left the

house. The loss is estimated at 80,0001. , Mr, Payne, the City Cormier, has held an inquest to inquire into the cause of the fire, ,- but, after bearing many witnesses, the Jury were unable to prabounee hew it originated.

A fourth fire but if lees magnitude, occurred between eight and nine o'clock on Thirnalay morning; atIenet's Hill, near St. Paul's. The premises occopied by 'Mr. Hodgkinson, envelope-manufacturer, and Mr. Coombes, a carpenter, were destroyed. The doors and Windows of St -Benet's Church were damaged. The locality consists of very narrow streets and lanes; but a strong force of-firembir bhecked the spread of the lames.

A guard has been killed onthe Croydon Railway,-near New Cross ; his head having come in 'centred withi.bridgets he Was looking out of his van to see if his break was secure.

Mr. Charles Giamelli,-a young man, has been drowned in the Pool ; the swell catied bytheesnbnrg steamer swamping the boat in which he and seven-othere were rowing : the rest of the people were picked up alive. It appeared probable from the eyidence at the inquest, that though the swell was very greatsthIssteamer was not going-faster than the legal five miles an hour : so the Jury' pronounced the death "Accidental."

Mary Handel, an old woman' has been found dead in her room at Chel- sea. She was a-misers. It was not clear whether she perished from starva- tion coldser disease; but-the body was very emaciated, and there was no

food in the stomach.- Hidden in 'her clothes was 1161. in notes and gold ; batik receipts for 250/. were found in the room, with some plate and jewel- lery. Several "heirs" have sprung up.