Zbe,.Petropolis.
A Court of Common Conagii,,was Amid on Thursday. Deputy Pea- cock gave notice of an address, to the Queen, praying that measarea
might be taken to tranquillize Ireland. The Queen's answer to the congratulatory address of the Corporation was reported, and ordered to be entered on the journals of the Court. Mr. R. L. Jones moved the adoption of the report recommending alterations in the method of re- munerating the City Chamberlain, virtually fixing his salary at 2,500/. Mr. Harrison moved an amendment, appropriating any surplus that might accrue to relieving the charges of management of the public funds in the Chamber. The discussion was adjourned ; as well as that on a proposition to separate the offices of City Surveyor and Clerk of the works.
A meeting of Marylebone electors, convened by their Representatives, took place at the house of Sir Benjamin Hall on Monday, to consider the propriety of making a " demonstration" with reference to the state of Ireland. Several Members of Parliament (principally Irish) were present ; Sir De Lacy Evans, and the Honourable L. Mostyn. A Com- mittee was appointed to arrange the demonstration.
Nothing new has transpired respecting the late fatal duel. On Satur- day, Mr. Gulliver was brought before Mr. Justice Coleridge, under the writ of habeas corpus, and Mr. Bodkin applied for his discharge from detention under the Coroner's warrant ; contending that the Coroner has no powerto commit to custody until after the verdict of the Jury. The Judge cited a contrary opinion of Lord Hale ; but, there being no oppo- sition, he held Mr. Gulliver to bail, to appear at the inquest at its sitting from time to time. On Wednesday, some of the evidence taken before Mr. Wakley last week was repeated before Mr. Long, at Marylebone Police-office ; and on Thursday, the Coroner's Jury assembled to pursue the inquiry, but there had been some remissness in obtaining further evidence. The Police inquiry is adjourned to the 24th instant ; the inquest till Tuesday next.
A story has appeared in the papers, confessedly, however, of a doubtful and exparte kind, purporting to detail the true reasons for the duel. According to this statement, the Misses Porter, sisters and coheiresses married to Colonel Fawcett and Mr. Munro, inherited some property, part of which was managed, during Colonel Fawcett's absence from England, by Mr. Munro. He paid 50/ as a bonus to a person who pro- cured a purchaser for a house in Brighton ; but the bargain was broken off. The Colonel was much chagrined at the loss of half of the pre- mium ; and on the night before the duel made repeated and very irri- table allusions to it ; accusing Mr. Munro of a "trick," and telling a servant to " kick Mr. Munro out of the House." Mr. Munro left the room, to avoid that outrage ; but returned to remonstrate with the Colo- nel : more words followed, and Mr. Munro left the house. He repaired to a friend, who advised him to invite Colonel Fawcett to apologize. Mr. Grant was accordingly deputed. The Colonel asked what would be the alternative of refusing an apology P Mr. Grant replied, that he was not prepared with an answer to that question. "I am," exclaimed the Colonel ; " a message—in one word, Sir, I accept it ; and this you may communicate to Mr. Munro." On this, Mr. Munro yielded to the advice of his friend, and consented that a meeting should be arranged.
The Vice-Chancellor gave a decision on Saturday, in the case of Chappell versus Purday, which has excited a good deal of interest in the musical world. In 1829, M. Auber sold the copyright of his opera, Era Diavolo, for France, Italy, and Germany, to M. Troupenas : in 1830, M. Auber and M. Troupenas sold the copyright for Great Britain to Mr. Latour of Bond Street ; and he consigned it to Mr. Chappell, but without any written conveyance. Mr. Chappell died in 1834 ; and in 1836 his widow and executrix obtained a formal assignment of the copy- right from Auber, Troupenas, and Latour. In 1841, Mr. Purday pub- lished the overture of the opera ; and the sale of that publication Mrs. Chappell sought to prevent by injunction. The defence was, that Chappell's own first publication preceded the purchase of the copyright from Latour; that Chappell had waived his copyright, as he had per- mitted the publication of the overture and the importation of the over- ture by others ; and that although he had objected to Purday's publish- ing a new arrangement, he undertook to supply him with copies at 35 per cent under the trade price ; an engagement which Mrs. Chappell had not fulfilled ; and therefore the defendant had published his own arrangement. The Vice-Chancellor thought that the copyright had not been made out, the assignment being very irregular : the Court there- fore could not interfere by injunction ; but the bill would be retained for a twelvemonth, and in the mean time Mrs. Chappell might bring an action at law to try her legal title.
In the Consistory Court, on Tuesday, Viscountess Frankfort de ilontmorency obtained a divorce from the Viscount, on the score of adultery ; the suit being unopposed. The Court allotted 8001. alimony and 5501. pendente lite (out of 2,5001. joint income.) Yesterday Charles Tilder was examined at Bow Street Police-office for the second time, charged with loitering about the residence of Sir Robert Peel, and refusing to give an account of himself. When ar- rested on Tuesday, he gave a false name and totally false account. He proves to be the son of a music-engraver in Soho. He has been in the habit of loitering about Whitehall ; has attended many political meet- ings, especially those of the Anti-Corn-law League ; and has been heard to express an intention of " having a pop' at "Bobby." He volunteers the declaration that he is respectable, and not insane. He -Was remanded for a week.
' There have been some bad fires in the Metropolis and vicinity. The warehouses of Mr. Myer Marks, a marine-store-dealer, at the back of Church Street in Greenwich, were burned down on Monday night ; the property being insured at 12,000/. About twenty neighbouring cottages were damaged. At four o'clock on Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in premises occupied by Mr. Wiggins, a machine-ruler, and Mr. Ryder, a builder, behind Great Tower Street: that range of building was destroyed, and several houses in Tower Street, Carpenter's Court, and:Idol Lane, were damaged. The loss, howder, is not estimated above 3,000/. On Tuesday evening, there was a serious fire on the premises of Messrs. Palmer, wax and tallow-melters, in Sutton Street, Clerkenwell ; when a wareroom and palm-oil-house were destroyed, and several buildings, with some neighbouring houses, were injured. On Wednesday night, the workshops of Messrs. Taylor and Son, upholsterers, in the Dover
Road, were reduced to ruins. At half-past ten o'clock on the same. evening, Kensington was startled by a report that the Palace was on fire :. it proved only to be a hayrick in the stables that was on fire; but, in consequence of a bad supply of water, the flames were not mastered till one o'clock. The fire is attributed to an incendiary.
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