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The Lord Mayor gave a feast on Wednesday night in honour of the great dignitaries of the Church of England. Eesides the Archbishop of Can- terbiny and ten Bishops, there were present a goodly number of the Me- tropolitan clergy ; and among notable laymen, Mr. Gladstone, Lord John Russell, Mr. Henley, and the Earl of Harrowby. The Lord Mayor highly eulogized the boundless zeal of the Archbishop in pro Mating the spiritual welfare of those committed to his care - and the Archbishop, in acknowledging the kindness of his host, expressed a hope that the connexion between Church and State would continue, and that it would be as much respected by future chief magistrates as it had uni- formly been by the present.
The National Society for the Education of the Poor held its annual meeting on Wednesday, in the Central School of the Society at West- minster; the Archbishop of Canterbury in the chair. The proceedings were quite of an ordinary description and far different from those when Archdeacon Denison vainly attempted to carry out his views. In open- ing the business, the Archbishop expressed his opinion that the plan of the Society, begun many years ago and adopted by the Government— that of giving public assistance to voluntary exertions—had proved to be the best by which the great objects:of education could be promoted. Edu- cation has been successfully pursued throughout the country ; schools have increased; and the quality of education has improved in a- remarkable degree. If the population of large towns has out- stripped the means of education, there are few places in the rural districts where. a school is beyond reach. On the whole, he regarded the affairs of the Society and of education in ge- neral as in a satisfactory state. The report showed, that du- ring the year 212 schools have been united to the Society, making a total of 10,648; and generally that the Executive has been actively employed. The only discussion of public interest was raised by the Reverend Downes Willis • who incidentally referred to a statement of the Bishop of Manchester, that one-half of the schools con- nected with the Society violate the conditions on which they receive its aid, by failing to teach the Church Catechism. The opinion seemed to be that the statement is incorrect ; but it was pointed out by Lord Redes- dale and the Bishop of Oxford, that the Society has no power to enforce the teaching of the Catechism. It is purely a matter of good faith on the part of the school authorities. The Reverend Mr. Mayow said, that the battle of the Church of England, which is coming on against con- stantly recurring schemes of latitudinarian education, would have to be fought with direct reference to the doctrines taught in the Church Cate- chism. and unless the National Society was prepared to support its Catechism, it would be worsted in the fight.
Prince Albert, on Saturday., laid the foundation-stone of a new and much-wanted institution in London—a "home" for Oriental strangers. The object of this benevolent scheme is to provide cheap accommodation for the natives of Asia, who, brought to our shores by commerce' are now without protection from the many temptations and dangers of Lon- don. To remedy this evil, Sir Edward Buxton and other gentlemen have set on foot a subscription ; and having already raised 4000/., they have bought a site at Limehouse, and have begun to build a lodging- house. The sum required to carry out the design of the promoters is 8000/. Among those present at the ceremony of Saturday, were the Ma- harajah Dhnleep Singh, several Indian notables, Colonel Sykes, and the Earl of Chichester. On each side of the covered avenue leading to the marquee were arranged fifty Hindoos, an equal number of Chinese and Laseara, and several Arabs, Afticans, islanders from the South Pacific, from the Malaceas, the Mozambique, and other countries, all in native costume. At the close of the ceremony, bouquets of flowers were pre- sented to Prince Albert and the gentlemen of his suite by some of the more distinguished natives of India, China, and Africa, with handkere.hiefs having the elevation of the Strangers' Home imprinted on them. The anniversary gathering of the charity children from the various free schools of the Metropolis, fifty-six in number, took place on Thurs- day, in the nave of St. Paul's Cathedral, and attracted, as usual, many thousands of persons. The old music was sung, and every feature of the ceremony remained unchanged. The sermon was prwlhed by the Bishop of Lincoln; who selected his text from the 4th.chapter of Deuteronomy, verse 2—" Ye shall not add to the words that I command you, neither shall ye diminish therefrom."
At a special meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works, on Wednesday; Mr. flows submitted a motion pledging the Board to interest itself in the purchase of Hampstead Heath for the pillar A majority of 20 to 10, however, resolved that, although Hampstead Heath would be desirable aa a place of public recreation, yet that the Board had no jurisdiction in the matter. On the motion of Mr. flows, it was resolved that the Finance Committee should report on the most practicable method of throwing Waterloo and Southwark Bridges open to the public, for the purpose of relieving London Bridge of its excessive traffic.
A private band played in the Regent's Park on Sunday to a large but orderly crowd. There were crowds also in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, but no band. In future a band is to play in Victoria Park on Wednesday, and an other in Regent's Park on Friday afternoons.
The Recorder has been engaged at the Central Criminal Court in trying a number of cases which were postponed in consequence of Palmer's triaL Some are worthy of note.
Peter Francis Mogan, who had been employed for twenty years as a letter-sorter in the General Post-office, was convicted of stealing a letter containing a sovereign. There is no doubt that for some time past he has been carrying on such depredations extensively. Sentence, six years' penal servitude.
John Markham, a young man, known as an associate of bad characters, was tried for forging a cheek for 911. The premises of Mr. Ash, an oven, merchant in Thames Street, were entered by burglars : among the plunder they carried off were bills of exchange and two blank checks of Smith, Payne, and Smith. One of these cheeks was filled up for 911., and Mr. Ash's signature forged to it—no doubt imitated from the bills. It was pre- sented to the bank, but not paid. The young man who presented it had been sent by a "Mr. Hammond," who pretended to hire barn: Mrs Hammond was shown to be Markham. It was also proved that he sent a forged cheek for 871. 14s. to Ransom and Co. : it purported to be drawn by Bramah and Co. ; and it was paid. How the blank check was obtained, and how the signature of Bramah and Co. was got for the purpose of imitation, are not known. The prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to penal servitude for four years. William Attwell was tried for complicity with Markham, he having changed the bank-notes obtained from Ransom's ; but his guilty knowledge was not made out, and the Recorder directed an acquittal. The five butlers accused of stealing plate worth 500E, the property of Mr. Fisher, the employer of one of them Henry Charnel, -were put on their trial. Charnel asserted that he was ;milts, only of neglect of duty—he went out for the night with the other butlers, and during his absence the plate was stolen. There was no direct proof against the prisoners, and-they were acquitted.
The Thames Police Magistrates have always to deal with numerous cases of cutting and stabbing, perpetrated principally by sailors, and more gene- rally by foreigners. It is noted that of late these serious charges have be- come more numerous than ever.
William May, accused of aiding a woman to drown herself at London Bridge, was reexamined by the Lord Mayor on Tuesday. It was urged for him that the deceased—one of the " unfortunate " class—had been playing one of the mad pranks common with such women' i and that May had really been trying to save her : he was wholly unacquainted with her. The Lord Mayor committed him. A Coroner's jury has decided that the deceased committed " felo de se " and that May aided and abetted her. Alexander Somerville, the literary soldier who formerly. "whistled at the lough," has got into trouble from drinking. He was in Covent Garden, drunk at five o'clock in the morning; a cabbage-stalk wasthrown at him; he strlick out with his stick, hitting an unoffending porter. Somerville assured the Bow Street Magistrate that he was the injured party. He was taking borne a small literary gentleman, hardly three feet high, but ex- ceedingly intellectual, when he was all at once surrounded by a gang of ruffians, thieves, and boys, who pelted him and his little friend with sew table missiles—the offals of the market. Whatever he did he did in sell defence ; but he felt certain that although the point of his walking-stick might have touched the peak of complainant's cap, no such violence was used as had been represented to the Court. Ultimately, Somerville settled the matter by making the porter a present.
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