Ste jilletropolis.

Sir James Duke was installed as Lord Mayor of London on Thursday, with the usual pageantry and feasting. The procession from Guildhall to Blackfriars Bridge, and the voyage in the City barge to Westminster, were accomplished under unusually favourable skies, and therefore attracted an enormous crowd of spectators; the personal popularity of the new Lord Mayor swelling the numbers who attended, and adding to the brilliancy of the spectdcle. The voyage made, and the invitation to the Judges duly given and accepted, amid the usual interchange of complimentary speeches, the Corporation returned to prepare for the grand banquet in Guildhall.

The distinguished guests began to arrive before six o'clock, and con- tinned till nearly seven. Of the Ministers, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Vis- count Palmerston, and Sir George Grey, received great applause as they entered. Lord John Russell was prevented from attending by indisposi- tion. At the feast, the late Lord Mayor was seated on the Lord Mayor's right; and next to him were placed the Marquis of Lansdowne, Earl Grey, Viscount Palmerston, Lord Campbell, Sir George Grey, Sir Charles Wood, the Duke and Dutchess of Northumberland, the Earl of Cardigan, the Foreign Ministers and their Secretaries: on the left were the Lady Mayor- ess, Lord Denman and the Judges, the Law-officers and members of the bar, Lord Dudley Stuart, Baron Rothschild, Alderman Farebrother, and Other gentlemen of note.

The routine toasts were duly honoured; the Prince of Wales's birthday not being forgotten.

Lord Hardinge, one of the most distinguished and popular of all the guests, acknowledged the toast of the Army, with hearty thanks for the manner in which the citizens of London had always appreciated its ser- vices. He took occasion, as is his wont, to claim for the Mussulman troops much of the glory due to the Indian Army,—praising especially their brave and faithful conduct at the late operations against Moultan ; and he put in a kind word on behalf of General Whish, and a caveat against condemna- tion of him too hastily for the late reverses he had suffered. General Whish's retreat was approved of by all the British officers on the spot, and it seemed to Lord Hardinge a judicious step.

Toasts were proposed, and suitably acknowledged, in honour of the late Lord Mayor,—with special compliments for his able conduct of affairs in the critical times of the past year; " her Majesty's Ministers,"—acknow- ledged by Lord Lansdowne; and " the Foreign Ministers,"—with a happy allusion to the late fraternal visit of the French National Guards. The last toast was drunk with enthusiastic demonstrations; and brought up M. Gustave de Beaumont, the French Minister in London; who spoke as follows, in the English language- " My Lord, Ladies, and Gentlemen—As the very unforeseen honour to answer this toast devolves upon me, as being the senior of the Diplomatic body, I hope I may be allowed to take this first opportunity of offering to you, and to all persons here present, the best thanks of my country for the cordial hospitality which has been of late so kindly bestowed upon a great many of my countrymen on their visit to this large metropolis. (General applause.) My Lord, England is the land of liberty and hospitality. for all foreigners; but it will be permitted to me to say that it has been a land of friendship for Frenchmen. England has opened her heart as well as her frontiers to Frenchmen. I dare say, [a Gallicism for " I venture to say," or "I say boldly,"] that she did right in doing so. She did right for her own interest. A noble country like England, in order to be admired and blessed, wants only to be known. The best answer she can make to still existing, though every day vanishing prejudice, is to show herself to every eye. Let us, my Lord, enjoy—let Europe, let all people of Europe enjoy the blessings and the benefits of that mutual good understanding which is, and will ever be, the best security of the maintenance of the peace of the world. (Universal cheers.) We no more entertain—neither in England nor in France—that false opinion that the pro- sperity of one country is founded on the misery of another. (Cheers.) We think, on the contrary, that the best guarantee of one's happiness is the happiness of all. (Cheers.) Allow me, in concluding, in apologizing for my bad English, to tell you, that it will be for my countrymen a most happy and delightful day when a visit—a very desired visit of Englishmen to Paris—will afford Parisians an op- portunity of expressing, better than I do by vain words, the feelings of gratitude and of sympathy which they entertain for all England, and particularly for the city of London." (Loud and long continued cheering.)

Among the other toasts were, " The Peerage,"—acknowledged by the Duke of Northumberland; " The Judges and Lord Denman, a name al- ways well received in the city of London,"—acknowledged, with warm protestations of respect for the citizens, by Lord Denman; " The City Members,"—acknowledged by Mr. Masterman.

The evening closed, as the day had opened, in the happiest manner: everything was admirably conducted, and every face in the thronged hall looked well-pleased.

The City Improvement Commissioners have obtained possession of nearly the whole of the houses on the North-east side of Dowgate Hill and on the East side of Cannon Street, extending to Turnwheel Lane; the whole of which are forthwith to be demolished, to widen the thoroughfare of Cannon Street, and form a new street from the end of Walbrook into Queen Street, Southwark Bridge.

A meeting of the Committee of the National Society was held on Thurs- day, at the Central School House in Westminster, to consider the state and conduct of the affairs in dispute between the Society and the Education Committee of the Privy Council. The Archbishop of Canterbury pre- sided. A letter was read from Mr. Kay Shuttlewortb, stating some con- cessions which the Education Committee was prepared to make in the management of schools under the Society aided by the State; but annonne- ing its final resolve not to vest an appellate jurisdiction in the Bishop of the diocese in matters not relating to religious instruction. After some earnest discussion, it was resolved to adjourn the debate until a fuller meet- ing of the Committee could be obtained. Letters from various parts of the country, asking for a general meeting of members of the Society, were laid before the Committee, and discussed: it was decided that, under pre- sent circumstances, it would be injudicious to call such a meeting.

In the Insolvent Debtors Court, on Wednesday, Mr. Dion de Bourcicault, the dramatist, applied to have a day fixed for granting his final order. He was ex-

amined by opposing creditors, and his answers are matter of theatrical gossip, He was interested in a piece called Esmeralda, which he wrote for M. Jalhen for a stipulated sum of 2001. Since he wrote it, 201. additional was given to him on account of its success. The manuscript is now in court for the benefit of the creditors. For Used Up Mr. Webster gave him 301., and 401. more afterwards. Since 1843, Mr. Webster had paid him more than 1,0001. He had two works now in the possession of money-lenders who had assisted him with loans: they were not fitted for the Haymarket, and as Mr. Webster was the only manager who advanced money on plays before their performance, he was forced to go to the usurers. Mr. Commissioner Law appointed the 7th December for considering the final order.

At Guildhall, on Saturday, the Recorder heard the appeal of Mr. William Willis, of the King's Head, Newgate Street, against a conviction by Sir Peter Laurie and Alderman Wilson, for having suffered "a certain nnlawfnl game or lottery called a Derby sweep " to be carried on in his house, contrary to the tenour of his publi- can's licence. Mr. Clarkson appeared for Mr. Willis, and Mr. Ryland and Mr. Laurie in support of the original information and conviction. The facts were agreed on. Early in the year, Mr. Willis had advertised a "sweep" of 2,000 sub- scribers of 5s. each. Each subscriber had a numbered ticket, and at the lot- drawing,. each ticket was to be drawn from a wheel with "a horse" or a blank; the prizes to be determined by the running of the horses at the Derby or: the 24th May. A Mr. George drew Springy Jack, or considered himself to have done so, and claimed the "second prize" of 801.; but a dispute arose, and Mr. George did not get the money. He thereupon informed against Mr. Willis for the illegality of the game; and on the 23d June Mr. Willis was convicted. Mr. Clarkson con- tended that the conviction should be formally quashed, in order that the matter might be argued before the superior Judges: but the Recorder could not accede to this suggestion, the case was so clear to him. He affirmed the conviction, with costs; and hoped that the decision would put the practice of sweeps down "every- where."

At Marylebone Police-office, on Tuesday, the Baroness St. Mart, who was ac- companied by her husband and her mother, the Countess Grabouski, was charged with stealing two diamond rings, the property of Sir John Hare. Sir John stated, that in April 1847, the Baroness, then Miss Todhunter, with her mother and her future husband, was on a visit to his house at Bath. One day he put a valuable ring on his finger: the lady desired to look at it, with another one; and she put both on her fingers, refusing to give them back when requested. Sir John had to go to the post-office; he afterwards forgot the rings, and the visitors left the house. He subsequently applied for a return of the rings, but in vain. Eliza Russell, a discharged servant, deposed that in May 1847 she pawned the rings for the Baroness, for 101. The pawnbroker confirmed this: the rings had since been sold. The accused, in defence, declared that Sir John Hare put the rings on her fingers; that she afterwards returned them; that Sir John had offered to marry her; and that it was not through her that the rings were pawned. The prose- cutor denied the offer of marriage. The accused was held to bail to appear again in a week.

In the Marlborough Street Police-office, on Saturday, Jonas Harris, a man for- merly in the Guards and since in the Police force, but discharged from both for misconduct, was charged with robbing a lady in Kensington Gardens. As Miss Catherine Bissett was walking near an alcove in the Gardens, on Friday week, she found that a woman dodged her steps. In alarm, she began to walk very quickly toward a keeper's lodge; but the prisoner ran out of the mount alcove and felled her with a violent blow. He seized her reticule, and, after a struggle of some length, during which she screamed in vain for help, wrenched it from her by breaking its strings. In the reticule were a check for 101., one for 501., and some silver: the first check fell on the ground and escaped the robber's eye; everything else he carried off Moses Benjamin, the shopman of Mr. Myers of Marylebone Lane, stated that he apprehended Harris on his presenting the check in payment for a snit of clothes: his manner in explaining how he came by the check was suspicious. A park-keeper produced two gloves, one found in Harris's pocket on his arrest, the other on the ground where he and Miss Bissett had struggled for the reticule. Miss Bissett identified the gloves as her own, and she swore to the man. He was committed for triaL

At Lambeth Police-office, on Saturday, Samuel Smith Mecklenburg, who was charged with arson and embezzlement, was reexamined. The charge of arson was for the present abandoned. With respect to the alleged embezzlement, Mr. Fleming stated that he had found transactions entered in the ledger which did not appear in the day-book or cash-book; the prisoner having thus appropriated money which he had received. The fire had wholly or partially destroyed ac- counts and account-books. Mecklenburg was again remanded; bail being still permitted. At Lambeth Police-office, on Tuesday, the Magistrate, Mr. Elliott, gave his de- cision with respect! to an alleged nuisance created by Mr. Hunt, a bone-boiler 111 Prince's Street. The summons had been taken out by the parish authorities, to the ground that Mr. Hunt's operations were hurtful to the health of the neighbour-

hood. Mr. Elliott observed that the question was one of importance, and there- fore he had given some attention to both the acts of Parliament which related to it. It was quite clear to his mind, that the Legislature could not have intended to invest a magistrate with the power of putting down places where offensive or nauseous businesses were carried on, by a summary jurisdiction, such as he was called on to exercise, or they would not have left unrepealed the 7th and 8th Vic- toria, cap. 84, or omitted to make a provision for compensation. He was clearly of opinion that the case did not come within the provisions of the act, and he must therefore dismiss it. If it had been shown that the defendant had anything more OR his premises than was necessary to carry on his business, he might have felt bound to express an opinion about it.

Durdon and Chappell, the men accused of the robbery of plate and jewels in the Brixton Road, surrendered to their bail, at the Lambeth Police-office, on Wed- nesday, and were reexamined on the charge. The evidence did not carry the matter a step further, and the Magistrate considered that it was insufficient to warrant the detention of the men: they were discharged.