gbe j1fletropolis.

In a Court of Aldermen, on Tuesday, the plans of Mr. Bunning for a new house of correction, which had been approved of by Sir George Grey, were adopted. The estimate is 80,000/.

At a meeting of the Common Council, on Thursday, a report was brought up recommending the Corporation to borrow 300,0001. to carry out the im- provements contemplated in the City.

On Thursday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer received a deputation from the Metropolitan parishes, accompanied by Lord Duncan and other Members; who urged on him the necessity of including the repeal of the Window-tax in the financial scheme of the year. The Chancellor several times asked different members of the deputation what substitute did they propose for the tax on its removal? Sir Benjamin Hall alone ventured a .suggestion: he proposed a Property-tax on Ireland. The Chancellor said, he would be thankful indeed to obtain such an assistance, and would care- fully consider the representations made to him.

At a meeting of the delegates held afterwards, Lord Duncan signified his resolution to press his motion in the House on the subject, and to op- pose the Government Sanatory measure unless the repeal of the Window- tax were part of the bill.

An Anti-Defence meeting has been held at Kennington, in the Horns Tavern Assembly Room; at which Quakers were numerous.

A "demonstration" in favour of protection to the shipping interest took place on Wednesday. Some two or three thousand persons, masters, mates, and seamen of the mercantile marine, ascended the river Thames in a pro- cession of boats from various stations below London Bridge, landed at Whitehall, and presented to Sir George Grey a petition for the Queen, against the repeal of the Navigation-laws. The Lord Mayor's permission had been asked to allow a procession of twenty thousand seamen to pass through the City to Whitehall with this object; and had been refused, on

account of the inevitable interruption to traffic. The procession was collected in three divisions, at North Fleet Hope, Long Reach, and Lime- house. The first was prevented by unfavourable wind from ascending be- yond Woolwich: those that proceeded made a good show; altogether, there were 192 boats, each with its union flag, manned by about 1,150 men, and drawn by three steamers, containing from 1,000 to 1,200 masters, mates, and petty officers. As the procession moved up the Thames, guns were fired on the shore and aboard many ships; the ships gene- rally had their colours flying, and the crews were loud in their cheers. The spectacle of nearly two hundred boats gliding in mid-stream in a stately line, and with colours flying, was picturesque and imposing: an immense crowd of spectators thronged the shores and the bridges. The procession reached Westminster Bridge at two o'clock; and, disembarking, marched in ranks of four abreast to Trafalgar Square, the whole body headed by a band of music. As they passed the Admiralty, Admiral Dundas, M.P., the First Naval Lord, the Honourable W. F. Cowper, M.P., and Mr. Ward, M.P., Secretary to the Admiralty, appeared at the balcony. The procession turned in Trafalgar Square, and marched back to the water, halting at certain official points to cheer for the Duke of Wellington, the Navy, and the Queen. A deputation filed off to present the memorial at the Home Office. Sir George Grey promised to lay the document before the Queen.

The decision of the Vice-Chancellor in favour of the Great Western Railway Company, in the suit brought by them against certain members of the London and Birmingham Company who are shareholders of the Birmingham and Oxford Junction Railway Company, has been affirmed this week by the Lord Chancellor. The object of the suit was to enforce an agreement for the purchase of the Birmingham and Oxford line; and in the contest was involved the question, which "gauge," the broad or the narrow, shall triumph on that line. The Vice- Chancellor overruled a demurrer to the bill of the Great Western. On Wednes- day, his decision, brought under review by appeal, was affirmed.

In the Court of Chancery, on Tuesday, the Lard Chancellor confirmed an order by Vice-Chancellor Knight Brace on Sir George Stephen and others, to submit to taxation a bill of costs amounting to 28,0001., which had been paid to them by the London and Manchester Direct Independent Railway Company. The defendants were solicitors to the Company till its amalgamation with a rival company; and it was complained that they had obtained the payment of their bill of costs by refusing to deliver up indispensable documents at the trine of consummating the amalgamation. The Lord Chancellor consioerod that Sir George Stephen had used undue pressure and undue influence in obtaining the payment of the 28,0001. The Court would not allow the terms in which a solicitor had drawn up a settle- ment of account to prevent the taxing of his bill of costs even after paymeet.

On Wednesday, the Duke of Brunswick, pleading his own cease in the Court of Queen's Bench, obtained a verdict of 1,0001. damages against Pepper, for a libel published in his paper called the Satirist. On the same day, in the Court of Exchequer, the Duke gained a verdict against Slowman, the Sheriffs officer, for illegally breaking into his house in order to a seizure of the ducal goods in execu. Um. Of the 7201. awarded by the Jury, 5001. was damages for the wrong.

At the Central Criminal Court, on Satarday,'„George Frederick Middlebrook, a youth of sixteen, was tried for setting fire to the house of Mr. Hruinaford, an engraver of Clerkenwell, whose apprentice he was. One Sunday evening, sk and Mrs. Hannaford went out, leaving the accused in charge of the house; noon afterwards a fire was discovered in a bedroom; but it was easily extinguished. The fire had originated in a cupboard, in which a cash-box was kept; this box had been forced open, and 201. taken from it. A saucer filled with turpen- tine and water was found in the bedroom and in the cupboard there was a quan._ tity of paper saturated with turpentine and smeared with pitch. For the defence, it was urged that there was only a case of strong suspicion, but no proof of the prisoner's guilt. He received an excellent character. The verdict was "Guilty," but with a recommendation to mercy. The youth was sentenced to he transported for seven years.

On Monday, Thomas Harris alias Alfred Raiford, aged twenty, was indicted for unlawfully obtaining 10/. from Mr. Cynrie Lloyd by false pretences. Mr. Lloyd keep race-horses; the accused wrote to him offering to divulge a conspiracy which existed to poison his horses, or to administer a drug which should destroy their fleetness; Harris obtained an interview with Mr. Lloyd, and, on pretence of bringing sat_ nesses from the country to prove the existence of the conspiracy, he gut 10/. from the prosecutor. The man invented a complicated tale respecting the conspiracy, which he said be had become acquainted with through his father. It appeared at the trial, that the father had been dead for some years. The upshot was, that the police were set to work to apprehend the conspirators, Harris having made a deposition on the matter before the Marlborough Street Magistrate. Inspector Shackell, armed with a warrant, wandered about with the prisoner for twelve hours in an endeavour to capture the culprite; but the officer after that discovered the real aide of the case. .fhe man was found guilty, and sentenced to be trans- ported for seven years.

Joseph Ady has succumbed—or pretended to succumb—to the Post-office operations against him. On Wednesday he was summoned to Bow Street Police. office for 161. 103. 6d., the postage of letters which had been sent by him, and refused: these missives had all been posted since he last appeared before the Magistrate. Joseph did not speak for himself on this occasion, but instructed Mr. Pelham to appeal for mercy, and to promise that his aged client, having seen the error of his ways, would forthwith amend them. But the Magistrate, Mr. Henry, was obdurate; the money must be paid, or a distress-warrant for the amount will be issued.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Tuesday, Thomas Eagle, a clerk in the General Post-office, was finally examined on a charge of stealing two letters. While sort. ing the letters, he bad been observed to secrete two, which were afterwards found on him: one contained a sovereign and a shilling, and themther two Roman coins. Eagle made no defence; and he was committed for trial.

At Marlborough Street Police-office, on Wednesday, Edward Weixon, the keeper of the Gallery of British Artists, was finally examined en charges of embezzling money paid by prikeholders in the Art-Union. It appeared that several persons who lied obtained prizes bought pictures of a higher price at the Gallery, paying the difference to the 'accused. In two cases he paid to the treasurer of the So- ciety less than he had received; and in two other instances he did not account at all for the payments by prizeholders. The prisoner made no defence; and he was committed for trial.

Annette Meyers, the woman who shot the soldier in St. James's Park, was examined at Bow Street Police-office on Saturday. She is twenty-six years of age, and was handsomely dressed. Several witnesses described the murder. Mr. Beattie, a gunmaker of Regent Street, stated that he sold the pistol to the pri- soner on the Thursday: she said her brother wanted it to shoot a dog, and Air. Beattie loaded it at her request. When taken to the Police-station, she gave up some letters; one of them, written by herself to Ducker, seems to explain her motives. The soldier had pressed her for more money than she had to give; and he had threatened to forsake her for another woman who could provide him with money more liberally. Meyers was committed to take her trial for the murder. The inquest was held on Monday; but no new fact came out.

Ducker appears to have been "gayer" than the majority of the young soldiers even in the "crack" regiments. His comrades regarded him as "a good sort of fellow "; but he was understood to have some kind of relation with several wo- tnen—" six or seven," says one account—who supplied him with money. Ire was handsome' and seems to have been fastidious in his dress; for the sergeant knew him after his death by his gloves, which were of a better kind than those elicited in the regimental kit. Annette Meyers is understood to be a Belgian by birth. The accounts differ as to her personal appearance; some representing it as attractive," others as attractive." She was in service; having gone to her situation from the Servants' Home. She bore a good character, and is said to have had the art of making herself beloved, especially by children. We subjoin the letter which was pro- duced— " Monday evening.

"My dear Henry—I take my pen in hand to write these few lines to tell you my mind. I must say there is something the matter with you, as Sunday afternoon you did not as much as otter use your arm, but walked as if we did not know much of one another. People must have thought so to see us. It was an unkind thing for you to tell me you would go and see that young woman, and that you could get some money from her, as I would not give you some. But I do not like such ways ; and you say if she had not got any money, she would lend her things to get some. More fool she. No young man would wish me to do such things except It was for some good motive. lint I think if any young man wishes a young woman well, and his meaning is good to her, he will not wish anything of that kind from her. Henry, for you or any other young man, I would not do such a thing ; and If you are not ashamed of it, I am.

"Look back since Christmas how much you had from me ; and self that is all the love you have for me, I do not care for such love. I know you care more for that young woman than you do for me, because she can give you more money than I 0011: she gets it easier than I can, and she does not get it in service. You know very well that no other man but you had my company since you wished for my company but you can please yourself. Go and see her, or any other young woman that can give you more than I have. But please to give me what you have of mine—that Is, two books and the pencil that you have of mine ; but I wish to see you once more to part friendly.

"Henry, do not be afraid to face me once more, for the last time, and write to Me here. I hope she will be more kind to you than what I have been. "One day you had the face to tell me that I had done nothing to what some had. I have done all that lay In my power, and I am not going to do what they do to get you money. I did not let you do what you liked with me because I thought of getting some money, but it was because I kindly love you. And what did you say to me in the Park last erenifig? Henry, I little thought then I should have to write such a letter to you as this.

" Henry, our case wm be a warning for others. You will see what kind love Means soon, Henry: but do not be afraid, I am not going to do anything to you. All I wish from you is to see you once more. When I asked you on Sunday if I should see you next Sunday, you said • It all depends' ; but you did not say what: but I can think what. If you like to come next Sunday, at half-past six o'clock, I shall be able to go out then. We can make it the last time to see one another : bat please to let me know, as I may tell mistress in time that I want to go out then; and if you have not a penny, as you say, you can send, as yeti say you can, without paying for it. I hope I have said enough for you to think what your meaning is towards me. No more. God bless you. Do not forget what I told you. I will still remain yours -tut we part next Sunday, or before, if you like to come down.