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Another and final special meeting of the Court of Common Council, for the purpose of considering the provisions of the Government bill for the better regulation of the Corporation of the city of London, was held on Monday at Guildhall, the Lord Mayor presiding. On clause 66, giving powers to the court of Common Council to raise money not exceeding a sum of 60,0001. for providing or improving police-stations, objection was taken that it would open a way for unnecessary or extravagant expendi- ture, and an amendment was made for opposing the clause. Mr. Deputy Fry suggested that a proviso should be introduced for spreading the re- payment of money borrowed over a series of years, while Mr. Deputy Harrison objected to the idea being for a moment entertained that the Common Council would ever expend such a sum as 60,0001. for such a purpose. Mr. Alderman Cubitt, on the part of the Police Committee, repudiated all intention upon their part of making such a recommenda- tion, and suggested that 30,0001. should be substituted for 60,0001. An amendment to this effect was agreed to almost unanimously. The other clauses of the bill were then agreed to, and a resolution was also passed empowering the Corporation Inquiry Committee to take steps for getting the various amendments adopted during the special sittings introduced into the bill.
At a meeting of the Parliamentary Reform Committee, held at West- minster, on Wednesday, it was resolved that it was desirable "to extend the borough franchise to those who occupy apartments, furnished or un- furnished, at a rent of 101. a year, and also to those, whether in counties or boroughs, who pay 408. a year direct taxes."
The annual meeting of the Royal Literary Fund was held on Wednes- day, Lord Stanhope in the chair. From the report it appeared that during the past year 16401. have been bestowed upon distressed authors and their families-9851. to gentlemen, 6551. to ladies. The cost of the general management of the fund amounted to 529/. 2a. 9d. The Com- mittee state that they have declined a gift offered by Mr. Dickens and Mr. Elwyn. The nature of the gift was not stated as the committee desired to avoid controversy. The Bishop of St. David's was elected Vice-President in the room of Lord Macaulay; Dr. Croly. Dr. Russell, and Mr. Cardwell, were elected members of council ; and Mr. Thackeray was placed on the general committee.
The Italians belonging the Central Provinces, above twenty-one years of age, resident in London, met at the London Mechanics' Institution on Friday, last week, to vote by secret ballot—in the presence of a notary public and an agent of the TnsesnConsul—on the question of annexation to Sardinia ; 250 Italians of all classes attended. The Lombards, Nea- politans, and Romans were not allowed to vote. Each voter received two balloting papers, one having printed on it, " Annessione alla Mo- narchia Costituzionale di Re Vittorio Emanuele II.," and the other " Regno Separate." The voters, consisting of 59 Tuscans and 80 natives of the 2Emilian provinces, were unanimously' in favour of annexation to Piedmont.
The St. George's-in-the-East fend between high-church and low church continues. On Sunday, 300 policemen composed part of the congregation assembled in the parish church. A notice stuck in the pews warned any one against staying in the church more than half an hour after the afternoon lecture. By the order of the Bishop of London, the altar had been denuded on Saturday evening of its crosses and in- scriptions. Mr. King simply protested against the proceeding and con- ducted the service in a regular manner. The evening service was densely crowded. At its conclusion, the blessing was pronounced, but the congregation lingered, and struck up the doxology. The organist tried to drown their voices. The contest between singers and organist lasted for nearly an hour. An extra body of police cleared the church. The rioters mustered opposite the rector's house, and there sang the doxology, which they continued singing in Cannon Street Road, until they were tired. Mr. King has commenced an action against Mr. Herbert, the chief constable of the parish, for trespass. He has also caused five other persons to, be served with writs.
Mr. Robert Rosier appeared in the Consistory Court on Tuesday, and put in his answer to the allegations of the articles exhibited against him by the Reverend Bryan King. The case was again adjourned to the 27th of April. A numerously-signed address from the undergraduates of Oxford has been presented to the Reverend Bryan King. In reply thereto, Mr. King says, he has been assailed on all sides by misrepresentation, and been the " victim of treatment which, in all its bitterness, I humbly trust is not wholly deserved."
Richardson, the late Secretary to the Council of the London Rifle Brigade, charged with embezzling sums of their money, was brought up. at tbe Man- sion-house on Tuesday, for further examination, and was again remanded. Three witnesses deposed to their having paid him, two of them 61. 108. 10d. each, the other, 1/. 198. 10d. At the request of Mr. Sleigh, the bail was re- duced from 2000/. to 12001.—the prisoner himself in 6001., and the two sureties in 300/. each, with twenty-four hours notice to the solicitor for the prosecution. The counsel of the accused states that he is prepared to make a triumphant answer to the charge.
Thomas Spencer, who was arrested and examined last week, for cutting and wounding Thomas Paddock at the public-houap in Leicester Square, lias been finally examined and committed for trial. At Worship Street Police Court on Monday, William Fossey, a well- dressed young man of twenty-five, described as a saddler, was charged with fraud, bigamy, larceny, and perjury. He had hired houses but paid no rent for them, stripped off the lead from the roofs and sold it ; hired clerks, and obtained money from them as security for their honesty, but paid them no salaries. He had also obtained building materials for fraudulent purposes. He was committed for trial on one of the lead-stealing cases, and remanded for further evamination into the others.
The verdict of the jury on the accident at the Tottenham station of the Eastern Counties Railway, from the effects of which seven persons have died, was given on Thursday—" We find that the deceased men met with their deaths from the breaking of the tire of one of the leading wheels of the en- pine, in consequence of the defective weld ; and we are of opinion that, had proper caution and vigilance been used, the same might have been detected."
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