1 Yartrufalts.

In the Court of Aldermen, on Wednesday, a report from the Com- mittee of General Purposes was read, stating that they had approved of a site for the City Asylum, selected by the City Architect, at Hollo- way; and recommending the Court to adopt the necessary measures for purchasing the same. After a smart discussion, the report was referred back to the Committee to be carried into execution.

The Court of Common Council have given way before the opposition of Mr. Gilpin on the subject of the Head Mastership of the Freeman's Or- phan School. At a meeting on Thursday, the words enacting that the Head Master should be a " clergyman of the Church of England " were struck out of the resolution, and it was agreed that the Head Master should be selected from "such three candidates as shall be specified to be best qualified, by the Head Masters of the City of London School, King's College School, and the London University College School, or the majority of them."

At the same meeting, there was considerable discussion on a report re- commending that Temple Bar should be restored and repaired. The re- port was referred back to the Committee, by a majority of 35 to 23, led by speakers hostile to the continuance of Temple Bar at all.

A report upon the proposed cemetery was read at a meeting of the City Sewers Commission, on Tuesday. The most eligible site offered, and approved of in the report, is a plot of land near Ilford, consisting of 120 acres, at 1501. per acre. It is near the Eastern Counties Railway, from which a siding may be easily made into the ground.

At a meeting of the Medical Society of London, on Saturday, there was an interesting discussion on a paper read by Dr. Forbes Winslow, " on some unrecognized forms of mental disorder." Dr. Winslow drew attention to certain morbid affections of the mind, manifested in every- day life, and not sufficiently recognized, as symptoms of mental and cere- bral alienation, amenable to treatment. There exists a frightful amount of undetected and untreated mental depression leading to suicide, and of insanity showing itself in uncontrollable habits of intemperance. Dr. Winslow holds that this form of cerebral disease is greatly on the in- crease.

Following the lead of the City demonstration of Friday last, certain inhabitants of Notting Hill -and others met on Monday to pronounce upon the Turkish question. Mr. David Urquhart was the chief orator ; and the resolutions were similar to those of the Stafford and Hanley meetings,—condemning the Ministry, and secret diplomacy ; and at- tributing the great rise in prices, not to a bad harvest, but to the Russian occupation of ...he corn-growing countries of the Danube.

The wages agitation still continues in the Metropolis, with varying success. The masons and carpenters seem to have got pretty generally an advance of 6d. a day, or shorter hours in lieu of it. The basket- makers have commenced work for themselves, the proceeds to be equally divided among the workers. The bricklayers continue to strike a few at a time for 6d. a day extra ; the rest of the men supporting those on strike. Other handicrafts are moving.

" Captain" Richard Hicks has been remanded by the Marylebone Magis- trate on charges of uttering false checks. They were drawn on the Bank of Ireland, in Dublin ; but when presented there were " no effects." The Police have been looking for Hicks for some time. A wine-merchant said, he had been defrauded of money by the accused, on the strength of checks which purported to be drawn by his cousin, the barrackmaster of Nenagh. Two Policemen produced papers to show that Hicks had no authority to raise money in the barrackmaster's name..

Daniel Moloney, a lad of sixteen, has been committed by the Bow Street Magistrate for a very base robbery. Mrs. Tomkins, the wife of Colonel George Tomkins, had interested herself to get Moloney a situation ; he called at her house to see her upon the subject ; and while he was left alone for a few minutes, he stole from a reticule a purse containing 101. Mrs. Tomkins dis- covered the loss when she went to the reticule for money to bestow upon the rascal. He denied that he had taken the purse ; but it was found inside his stocking.

Henry Field, a young man, has been committed-by the Bow Street Ma- gistrate, for stealing the contents of the poor-box in St. Clement's Church in i the Strand. He had concealed himself in the church after the service on Sunday afternoon, broke open the box, and took out 58. 11d. When the sexton opened the church in the evening, he discovered that the box had been broken, and he found Field in a dark corner of the church.

Mr. Edward Pitman, "a stout, well-dressed, and rather consequential gen- tleman," has earned the title of "a sensible drunkard" from the reporters. Mr. Pitman was taken before the Thames Police Magistrate, charged with drunkenness. He objected to stand in the felon's dock—he was not a felon, though he had been " Bacchi plenus." A Police-constable stated that Mr. Pitman came up to him staggering, at an early hour on Sunday morning, in Rosemary Lane, and said he was drunk, and wished to be sent home in a cab. Policeman told him there was no cab-stand nearer than the Minories. Mr. Pitman then said, "I am drunk and unable to take care of myself, and I have money about me; take me to the stationhouse." Policeman did so; and the defendant, who was "staggering drunk and incapable," was locked u . Mr. Yardley—" The prisoner did the most prudent thing I ever heard u ing. I fine you three shillings, Mr. Pitman; which

ay,

meat of an elderly woman who applied for advice to te, her daughter, a girl of seventeen, has been e female husband first appeared as Mrs. Penton ; telling a ridiculous story that she was the son of ueen Caroline ; and finally " Mr. Albert Guelph " hgate Church : it turned out that the husband was

the mother of three children. Mr. Broderip referred her to the Magistrate for the Highgate district.

William Jones, a debtor, died in the Queen's Prison, from fever. An in- quest has been held. It appears that Jones came recently from Winchester Gaol ; and that he complained of his treatment there—the very low diet. The Surgeon of the Queen's Prison thought the cause of the disease was the previous bad living of the deceased—he knew of no external cause. Mr. Poulton, a gentleman who had been a prisoner for debt at Winchester, gave evidence showing the miserable fare allowed to the prisoners there—not a morsel of meat, but a round of bread, potatoes, gruel, cheese, and soup twice a week ; the quantities being small. The general treatment is very harsh. The effect on the witness, who was at Winchester for seven months, was to reduce his vital powers so much that when he was removed to the Queen's Prison he was under the surgeon for two months. In accordance with the advice of the Coroner, the Jury returned a verdict—" That William Jones died of fever ; and the Jury are of opinion, from the evidence adduced be- fore them, that the dietary established in Winchester Gaol ought to be in- quired into by the Secretary of State." The Coroner was to forward a copy of the evidence to Lord Palmerston.

Emily Richardson, a domestic servant, was admitted into University Col- lege Hospital, suffering from strangulated hernia. It was soon perceived that the only chance of preserving life was by a surgical operation. Chloroform was administered ; the patient became unconscious ; then the medical gentlemen perceived that something was amiss, and adopted every means to recover the patient—in vain ; the chloroform had been fatal. A. post-mortem examination showed that an operation had been absolutely necessary for the hernia ; also that the deceased had suffered from a disease of the heart, and the chloroform had acted on the diseased heart. It was stated at the inquest that this had been only the second fatal case out of two thousand instances in which chloroform had been used : there have been thirty deaths throughout the United Kingdom. A Juror expressed an opin- ion that chloroform ought not to be used, as it is dangerous. The Coroner said, that although a few isolated fatal cases had occurred, the public ought not to condemn the use of chloroform when they consider the many lives that were saved by it. The same argument might be used against opera- tions; which sometimes prove fatal. It is extraordinary how few deaths have arisen from the use of chloroform. At St. Bartholomew's Hospital it was used in thirty thousand cases without death ensuing. The verdict was " Accidental death."

About half a mile from the Paddington terminus, a very long engine-shed is in course of construction by the side of the Great Western Railway. The roof is formed by iron girders of the shape of an obtuse-angled triangle, with a base seventy-two feet long. Twenty-nine of these had been fixed on the brick piers, and the thirtieth was raised on the afternoon of Saturday last. When about to be adjusted, it fell over towards the girders already in position, knocking eight of them down, the nine ponderous masses falling to the ground. One man was killed on the spot, and many others were seriously hurt.

The evidence at the inquest on the dead body showed that the disaster did not arise from bad materials or want of care ; but as to the actual cause the witnesses differed. Some thought that when certain ropes were slackened, the derrick slipped and fell against the thirtieth "principal" or girder, and knocked it over ; Mr. Hawking, the superintendent of the works, consi- dered that the derrick fell from the breaking of a rope, accidentally chafed against the bricks; some workmen believed that the principal fell over, and dragged the derrick with it. No very clear suggestions for the prevention of a second accident of the kind were elicited. Mr. Hawking thought he should continue the present plan, but with increased watchfulness over the ropes. The Jury gave a verdict of " Accidental death," without making any recommendation in regard to the future operations—they were content to leave future precautionary measures to the contractors themselves.