.64t 3littrofo1io.

A special meeting of the Court of Proprietor's of the East India Com- pany, called by requisition, was held on Wednesday, to consider the communication addressed by the. Government to the Directors respecting the continuance of the power of the Company. Mr. Mangles occupied the chair. He explained, that there was only one letter that which the Court of Directors addressed to the Government; and it could not be pro- duced until it was answered. The letters addressed by the Government to.the Chairman and Deputy-Chairman are "private." Mr. Crawshay, the Mayor of Gateshead, moved the following resolution- " That the proposed transfer of the governing power of the East India Company to the Crown is opposed to the rights and privileges of the East India Company, is fraught with danger to the constitutional interests of Eng- land, and perilous to the safety of the Indian empire, and calls for the re- sistance of this corporation by all constitutional means."

He endeavoured to Make out that the evils of Indian government arose from the action of the Board of Control, and not from the Company, which ought to be placed "in the position in which it stood at the time of Warren Hastings." Mr. Lewin seconded the motion. Mr. Macken- zie, long a reAdent in Bogs', gave his voice against the government of the Company ; but insisted that unless there were changes in the local government, changes in the home government would be of little use. Mr. Remington and Colonel Sykes supported the views of Mr. Crawahay, by showing that the wars ordered by the Queen's Government had swal-

lowed up the surplus revenue thatet ht NOM devoted to Indian improvements. The disenegitita was urned.

5.

A

The four .11 religious meeting-helktogromote the spread of Christianity in India took place in Ex epr Hell on Tuesday. The Archbishop of Canterbury occupied the chair. Three other English Bishops were pre- sent—those of London Winchester, and Norwich—and Bishop Carr, late of Bombay. The Erik of Chichester, Mr. Arthur Kinnaird, Mr. J. C. Colquhoun, and Mr. J. Thomas late Member of Council at Madras, were among the laymen. The chairman said, they did not ask the Govern- ment to exercise its power ; all that Christians require is the " counte- nance " of the Government and fair play. A report read to the meeting spoke highly of the bearing of the Native Christians, and recorded some instances where they had suffered death for conscience sake. The Reve- rend C. Reuthen, a missionary from jounpore, spoke to the same effect. Mr. Kinnaird said that God had blessed missionary labour in Central In- dia, and mentioned that there are 100,000 Native Christians in Burmah. The Bishop of London regarded the calamities that have occurred as a visitation of God, needed to awaken the English nation to a sense of its responsibilities. He hoped that India would become a Christian country. Should the progress be slow, we must not be discouraged ; but remember that "the matter is in God's hands, and that there can be no doubt it is His intention that India shall be Christianized."

"For the future, young men proceeding to hold responsible situations in India must be taught that they themselves go forth as missionaries; and let it be remembered that that man will better perform his part as a soldier of the Queen who is a faithful soldier of Christ. What were the feelings which occurred to all, upon reading a few days back that short but em- phatic telegraphic message, General Havelock is dead ' ? Did not every- one feel that a faithful soldier of Christ had been removed to receive from the Captain of his salvation a reward far higher than it was in the power of any earthly sovereign to bestow? What an example was that to the Army, when it was seen that the most able soldier of Christ was the ablest soldier of the Queen ? Those who had visited the churchyard near Water- loo must have been struck with the fact that there is hardly one single epi- taph which speaks of any hope of a resurrection through Christ, but the graves in the Crimea show a very different state of things in the present day. It is the fashion of some persons to scoff at the idea of psalm-singing soldiers; but there has been a day in England when it was seen what psalm- singing soldiers could do." The Bishop of Winchester warned the meeting to be on their guard against a "neutral policy," and advised them to " petition, petition, petition!" lest Christian principle should be compromised. The prac- tical resolutions declared that Government is bound to commend the true religion to the acceptance of its subjects by such measures as con- sist with liberty of conscience, and with the principles of a just tolera- tion"; and pledged the meeting to go about the work in hand with re- newed zeal.

The attempts to unite the Radical Reformers and the Chartists in Lon- don do not seem very successful. A meeting of reconciliation was held on Wednesday, in the Freemasons' Tavern. Mr. Herbert Ingram took the chair. Mr. Ernest Jones, Mr. Passmore Edwards, Mr. William Coningham, and Mr. Townsend of Greenwich, appeared as speakers and movers of resolutions. They asked the meeting to declare manhood of- frage essential ; Mr. Jones warmly advocating the union of the middle and working classes. A very democratic amendment was moved, in eluding election by "show of hands." Mr. Bronterre O'Brien rose to speak. The meeting would not hear him. Mr. Jones was called a "traitor." Finally, so great was the uproar, that it was impossible to say whether the original resolution or the amendment was carried, and the meeting broke up in confusion.

The Royal Geographical Society resumed its meetings at Burlington House on Monday. There was a full attendance. Among the strangers present was M. Jules Gerard, "the lion-slayer and traveller." Sir Roderick Murchison, from the chair, after paying a tribute to the memory of the late Admiral Beaufort, referred to Dr. Livingstone's expedition to Africa. Lord Clarendon had expressed his wish that the Council of the Society should submit to the Foreign Office any sug- gestions respecting the expedition. The Council had approved of Dr. Livingstone's arrangements, and also of the persons he recommended as his scientific comp:mums.

Those persons are Commander Beddingfield RN., well known for his exploration of the Congo and other African Rivers, and who had volun-

The services in the nave of Westminster Abbey on Sunday evening did not attract so numerous a crowd as on the first occasion ; but the number of "unmistakeable working men" present was much greater. The mode of admission was better-managed, and the crush consequently less severe. The weather being mild, the congregation did not suffer those inconveniences from &Ming draughts that were experienced on the first evening. The preacher WA Lord John Thynne Sub-Dean of the Abbey. Tomorrow the preacher will not be the Bishop of Oxford, as at first announced, but Archdeacon Sinclair.

The growth of a peculiar street nuisance—the swarms of disorderly women, who throng the Haymarket, Regent Street, and Portland Place —has of late called forth considerable though intermittent activity in the parishes of St. James St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and Marylebone. The officials and inhabitants have met and discussed the nuisance ; the pollee have been more strict; the Argyll Casino has been closed; the knots in one noted street have been partially cleared of their outcast lodgers ; but still, as any one may see' the numbers who throng the streets have hardly decreased, neither has their reckless effrontery been much abated. The Society for the Suppression of Vice proposes that the Government should devise and enforce a systematic plan and employ a special police for the removal of the public scandal from our streets, and that all houses of refreshment and entertainment should be licensed and placed under stria supervision. r. At a. Meeting of Metropolitan clergymen, in Sion College, London an Wednesday, the Reverend C. Mackenzie in the chair, resolu- "tresdling for an equalization of the poor-rates in London were unani- modally adopted, and it was ordered that petitions embodying that view should be presented to Parliament.

A church-rate has been refused at Sydenham on a poll, by a majority both of votes and voters.

teared on this new expedition; Dr. Kirk, a well-known M.D., of Edinburgh, who will go out as the economic botanist of the expedition ; Mr. Richard Thornton of the Geological School of Mines, who is to be the mining geolo- gist; Mr!Bainest who will go out as the artist, for whkh he is in every way qualified, being a first-rate artist, and having travelled in Tropical regions and in Australia ; and Mr. Livingstone, Dr. Livingstone's brother, who will attend the expedition as an associate and companion, and take charge of the little establishment which the Doctor hopes to fix for a time at the confluence of one of the tributaries to the Zambesi. Sir Roderick had further to state, that the Council has expressed a very decided wish, that, considering the unhealthiness of the delta of the Zambesi below Tete—that is for the last 250 miles—the expedition should be forwarded on from the mouth of the river to Tete in a decked steam-vessel, of light draught, and that the steam-launch now in preparation should carry the party on from that point.

. Montgomery Martin suggested that the Portuguese Government should be called upon to cooperate by appointing scientific men. But to this Dr. Livingstone objected : it _would be unwise to appoint persons of different nations and languages. Besides, the proposed expedition will be composed of Englishmen, who are enemies to slavery, whereas whatever may be the feelings of the Portuguese Government, the Portu- guese in Africa countenance slavery and uphold it. Sir Roderick Murchison said that the Portuguese Government is favourable to the expedition. Had not the yellow fever appeared at Lisbon, Dr. Livingstone would have called there on his way, to he presented to the King, and to communicate personally with the Foreign Minister ; as he will do now if there is time.

The Law Amendment Society held a meeting on Monday, and dis- cussed the subject of the Registration of Titles. The resolutions before the meeting embodied a proposal by Mr. Edward Webster, as follows- " 1. That in the opinion of this Society, the transfer of land in England and Wales ought to be effected by a registration of the transfer of the title, analogous in principle to the registration of the transfer of the title to shares in the Public Funds in the books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England.

"2. That it be referred to the Committee on the Transfer of Land to consi- der and report to the Society whether the registration of the transfer of the title to land would be best effected by county or other local registries, or by a Metropolitan registryonly ; or by a metropolitan registry, with branch offices in the country ; or in any other, and what, manner.

Mr. Charles Webster, approving of the resolutions, strongly re- commended the adoption of the Scotch system of registration by instru- ment of sasine. Mr. Gilmour remarked, that in France the whole diffi- culty is got rid of by excluding trusts from registration. The registries there are upon the same principle as in Scotland, but infinitely superior, because in Scotland they are encumbered with trusts. The consequence of their being so excluded is that in France a conveyance or a mortage does not exceed in length the transfer of bank stock, and is executed as speedily and as economically. In this country ships are similarly trans- ferred, and land might very well follow the precedent. In France a map is always registered with the conveyance and no dispute ever arises about the identity of the land. Mr. -Wakefield said that the Society ought not to pledge itself to any system without due delibera- tion, and he moved an amendment giving greater latitude to the Com- mittee. The upshot of the discussion was that the whole subject, to- gether with Mr, l'irebster's plan, was referred to a Committee.

The Courts of Law resumed their sittings on Monday ; the Judges as usual, breakfasting with the Lord Chancellor. On Tuesday, Sir C;ess- well Cromwell took his seat in the new Court of Probate. There was a large attendance. On the part of the Bar, the Queen's Advocate ten- dered their congratulations.

" For that particular branch of the profession to which I have the honour to belong, I can sincerely say that, although we look back to the past with some emotions of natural regret and of honest pride, we look forward to the future with hope and confidence. Removed, as we have been, somewhat unexpectedly not, as we are well aware, by your Lordship's desire) from our ancient h lotion, we still find ourselves at home under the shadow of that ancient hall which has so long been dedicated to English law and jus- tice ; and I trust we may say with the fugitives of old, 'Non erimus regno indecores.' We are deeply conscious that in a new court, with a new pro- cedure, we have much to learn; butwe trust we have also something to im- part. We shall gladly welcome our friends who belong to the other branches of the profession ; and we have no doubt that we shall be received by them with courteous hospitality, when, in the exercise of the extehded rights which have been conferred upon us, we practise in Their courts. I trust we shall all work cordially and harmoniously together for the purpoite of carrying to a successful issue the great experiment in jurisprudence which has wisely been intrusted to your Lordship's experienced hands, and of lightening, as far as we can, the serious weight of labour which has been cast on you. I need hardly say that in Doctors' Commons the most entire confidence has ever prevailed in the intercourse between the Bench and the Bar ; and I trust that a similar feeling may soon take root and may long flourish here between your Lordship and that profession in whose name I most heartily and cordially bid you welcome." • Judge Crewmen answered in a similar strain of cordial feeling—

"You have alluded to the long experience I have had in Westminster Hall, and to the interest manifested by the large attendance of the Bar on this occasion. If I have had the good fortune to acquire their good-will and esteem in the exercise of my judicial office, I can only ascribe it to their doing me the justice to believe that I have ever been animated by an earnest desire to hold the scales equally between all men, to show no preference or personal feeling, but to deal evenhanded justice to every one. I hope I may without presumption promise that during the rest of my judicial career, I shall pursue the same course; and happy shall I be if at the conclusion of the few years during which I shall hold my present office, I shall be able to Carry with me the same good feeling which has been expressed towards me today."

The Leviathan, on Thursday, was pushed into a position where, at high-tide yesterday, she had twelve feet of water under or rather round her. The draught of water required to float her is fourteen feet nine inches. The present plan is to let her rest until the coming spring-tides are past ; then to push her as far as the hydraulic ma.chines will send her ; and afterwards allow the great spring-tides at the end of the month to float her off into deep water.

Mr. Thompson, a Director of the Agra Bank, has been appointed creditors' representative in the winding-up of the Eastern Banking Corporation : that toucan awes 39,881/, to the Agra Bank.

The Grand Jury at the London Sessions have ignored the bill preferred against the Reverend Mr. May, the master of the Brewers' School, for as- saulting one of the schoolboys, Grossmith, by severely beating him. The master seems to have met with general sympathy. The Court of Assistants of the Brewers' Company have expelled the boy.

Applicants are already appearing before the Police Magistrates asking for aid in obtaining divorces under the new act : Magistrates have not the power of granting divorce, but they can protect the earnings of wives who have been deserted by their husbands,—a great boon for many a struggling woman.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, an aged gentleman who served in the Penin- sular and in the first Burmese war, has died from a pistol-wound in the head, inflicted by himself while his mind was deranged. He had shown much eccentricity for several years.

The real use of crinoline. On Saturday afternoon a girl threw herself into the Serpentine from the bridge ; as she descended, her crinoline petti- coat expanded ; and it supported her on the water till she could be rescued by a policeman ; whom she abused for saving her life.