3/Ittruirolit

Alderman Gibbs has resigned his gown of office. It is said that the litigation in which he has been involved with the parochial authorities of St. Stephen's Walbrook is the cause of this abdication.

Immediately after the resignation it was reported that Baron Roth- schild, Mr. Joseph Travers, and Mr. 1). Wire the solicitor, were competing candidates ; but the expectations of such a good example of competition for office in the leading European municipality were disappointed, and Mr. Wire seems to be the only candidate announced.

Mr. William Dent has been elected by the proprietors of the East India Company to succeed Mr. George Lyall, who lately "disqualified" for the office of director.

The Commissioners of the City Sewers, in anticipation of the foreign snivels, have agreed to a suggestion by Mr. Deputy Britten, that the names at the corners of the streets shall be put in a state of repair and legible cleanliness ; and that additions shall be made to the labels, de- scribing the direction of the streets—North, East, West, or South.

Workmen were busy at the North side of Palace Yard on Thursday., laying down a number of wires to form an electric telegraph, communi- cating between the Admiralty and Westminster Palace, for the purpose of any immediate emergency of communication during the attendance of Ministers at the Parliament Houses.

The Chancery Reform Association met at the Hall of Commerce in the City on Thursday, and heard from many speakers narratives of injustice and injury amounting to ruin through the delays and denials of the law. A Mr. S. Hicks, of Bath, stated by letter, that his father, Mr. Charles Hicks, an eminent surgeon, left a fortune Of 200,0001. besides landed pro- perty: it is now in Chancery, and all that remains between the writer of the letter and his paternal fortune is the report of the Master, now three years over-due. Mr. I. Houghton the great land-agent and farmer of Berkshire, knew amen who has 70,000k in Chancery, and who at the age of ninety is a pauper. And 30 on with numbers of such iniquitous cases.

The Court of Queen's Bench heard arguments on Monday against an ap- plication lately made by Lord Brougham, as executor of the late Queen Dowager, for a mandamus commanding the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to show cause why they should not give the proper warrant for the payment of that quarter of the late Queen's annuity of 100,0001. which fell due on the quarter-day after her Majesty's death. The annuity was made payable out of the Consolidated Fund under the act 1 and 2 William IV., cap. 11, entitled "An act for enabling his Majesty to make provision for sup-

porting the royal dignity of the Queen, in case she shall survive his - jesty" ; it was "to take effect immediately from and after the decease of his Majesty, and continue thence during the natural life of her Ma- jesty.' ; and it was to be "payable at the four quarter-days" of the 31st March, 30th June, 30th September' and 31st December. The late King died on the 20th June 1837, and the Queen Dowager died on the 2d December 1849. Her Majesty received a full quarter's annuity on the 30th June 1837, only ten days. from the King's death; and her executors now claim also the full quarter which would have been payable without doubt if she had lived to the 31st December 1849. The Lords of the Treasury have felt bound to reject this claim : they contend that, under the general law, there can be no apportionment of this annuity ; and they suggest that in equity there would be no hardship, as the full quarter received for the ten days after the King's death compensates for the quarter not receivable on account of the sixty-three days after the Queen's death. There is no doubt that they rest on principles of law acknowledged with regard to annuities generally ; but the executor of the late Queen Dowager urges that this is a case not only of constructions e. of the dry interpretation,) but of intention. His counsel put it to the Court, that the express object of the act was to enable the late Queen to maintain her dignity, and that it cannot but be supposed the Legislature knew that her Majesty would be at great cost on this head during the currency of the quar- ter in which she died : as to the full payment made after the King's death, that would be proper on account of outfit, and the taking possession of the residences appointed for her Majesty's use one of which residences, Marl- borough House, was unfiumished. Lord use, suggested, that it would be best to let the mandamus go at once, with the intent that the parties might more quickly carry the matter to the highest- tribunal : but, after a conference, the numerous counsel consented to abide by the decision of the Court of Queen's Bench. The Court took time to consider its judgment.

The questions of technical law which have been raised on behalf of the Birds, man and wife, who caused the death of their maid Mary Ann Parsons by cruel treatment, were argued on Saturday, before the fifteen Judges of the Superior Courts, in the Exchequer Chamber. It will be recollected that the Birds were tried at Exeter, by "Mr. Justice Talfourd, for the murder of Par- sons by continuoua cruelty jointly practiced, and were acquitted because the medical evidence showed that the cause of death was a single particular in- jury of the head, which could not be fixed individually on either prisoner, though without doubt it was inflicted by one of them. Afterwards the pri- soners were tried at Exeter a second time, by Mr. Russell Gurney, Q.C., on the minor charge of an assault, in the hope of inflicting on them some por- tion of the greater punishment they deserved: but their counsel pleaded, that the former acquittal from the charge of murder exonerated from the present charge of assault; for the assaults now proved were the same assaults as those formerly charged as the component acts of the murder. The prisoners were convicted at the second trial ; but Mr. Gurney reserved in their favour the legal points. Those points have been argued before the five Judges of the five Courts sitting as a court under a recent statute to consider cases reserved from the Criminal Courts : but the Judges did not agree ; so the case now came before the fifteen Judges of all the Superior Courts, and the Birds remain in gaol.

The plea on behalf of the prisoners is ultimately founded on the well- known principle of English law, that no man can be tried twice for the same delict ; but it more immediately rests on the provisions of an act passed in the first year of Victoria, called Lord Denman 't3 Act.. Before that act, it was a rule of criminal procedure, that on an arraignment of a prisoner for mur- der the jury could only find a verdict of guilty " or " not guilty" of the murder, and could not say specially "guilty of assault," or some minor charge less than the one formally made but better justified by the evidence. Lord Denman's Act gave to juries the power of finding such a special verdict warranted by the evidence. The Birds were tried for murder, and acquitted generally ;.they might on that trialhave been acquitted of the murder and found guilty of such an assault as the evidence abundantly proved ; but as they were acquitted generally, their counsel now urge that they are absolved equally from the charge of murder formally made, and from the charges of assault which have as it were been tacitly and by implication superimposed by Lord Denman's Act. In addition to logical refinements on the force of the ex- pressions of the act and of the indictment, difficulties have been added by decision& which seem somewhat contradictory. The Court takes time to con- eider.

The Court of Common Pleas has granted a new trial in the will case of Bainbrigge versua Bainbrigge, on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence. -

Some parish excitement has lately arisen in St. Pancras in reference to a deportation of pauper children to Bermuda which has taken place. The Poor-law Board deputed Mr. Richard Hall to inquire into the facts alleged, and he has held an official investigation. Evidence was given that Mr. Gray, "an agent for the island," applied to the Board of Guardians for chil- dren to enter the service of families in Bermuda. Mr. Churchwarden Baker made inquiries as to the status of Mr. Gray, and of the parties to whom the children would go ; and getting. satisfactory information, the offer was ac- ceded to. A number of the young paupers volunteered, to-go ; their parents consented ; and they were sent abroad in the ship. of Captain Burrows, under agreements which bound them for seven years to their future masters. In the first instance, five boys went oat; in a second instance, two adults, some boys, and some girls, were sent ; and in a third instance, after very favour- able accounts had been received from the first emigrants, two adults, ten girls, and nine boys' were despatched. The ship was fitted with bulk-head separations between the departments of the two sexes and the grown-up women and girls had their meals with the captain. One of the Emigration Committee of the Board of Guardians. was an experienced traveller on the seas, and he approved of all the arrangements made on board the ship.

Sir John Jervis, Chief Justice of-the Common Pleas, appeared at the Bow Street Police Court on Wednesday, to demand that Thomas Bates formerly hall-butler to the Benchers of the Middle Temple should be bound to keep the peace towards him. Bates had been dismissed from his office by Sir John Jervis' as Treasurer of the Society, in 1846, for habitual drunkenness ; since which time, he has been in the habit of writing fierce letters to Sir John threatening personal chastisement for the alleged injustice. Bates is evidently rabid from the destruction of his naturally good faculties by drink : he subjected the Chief Justice to a bullying examination- for above an hour, and was answered with patient good-humour on every point. At one time Bates became so excited that the spectators thoughthe would, leap out of the dock : he trembled violently for a moment, and then became very dejected. In the end he was bound by his own. recognizances for 1001., and by two sureties for 501., to keep the peace towards Sir John Jervis.

The Police have at last captured Mrs. Sloane, and lodged her safely in Newgate. They webbed Mr. Sloane incessantly, and noted that he disap- peared from. London. It was suspected that he had' gone to Boulogne, and two officers followed him : they found Mr. and Mrs. Sloane, and 'Louisa Devaux in Boulogne and learned that they were just about to cross, incog- nito, to Folkestone. he officers followed them to Folkestone, and Mrs. Sloane was arrested, while proceeding alone from the passage-boat to the Rail- way station. She was exceedingly agitated when arrested, and almost fainted away ; and since she has been in prison she has become so ill that she is placed in the infirmary.

Captain Routledge, the person charged with being the swindler who oper- ated under style of "Bruce and Co." and a multitude of other styles, has died in.11orsemonger Lane prison, before justice could overtake him. An inquest has been held. It appears that he died of low fever, induced by ex- citement at the situation in. which he attest had placed himself. It is said that he has left property to a considerable-amount;. that he tried to make a will, but was unable from. debility ; and that he verbally expressed a hope that his son, who is at the Cape of Good Hope, should obtain his effects. His wife or reputed wife, attended at the inquest, and stated her belief that her husband had held a commission in the Somersetshire Militia, now dis- banded.

A notable sensation was produced in Londbn. on Monday evening by the report that the New Houses of Parliament were on fire ; and there was a ruskto Westminster to. me a repetition of the disastrous spectacle which destroyed the late Houses of Legislature. Expectation was fortunately dis- appointed.: there was a fire; but it was confined to that portion of the build- ing in which it broke out—the lofty but still unfinished clock-tower; and the whole damage done was comparatively insignificant. The details may be summed up in a few sentences. Four of the masons working on the spot Saw a column of smoke rise from the clock-tower; they hastened to the spot, burst open a door, and found that a quantity of old timber stored in the tower was on fire. Seven or eight engines promptly arrived, but it was more than an hour before the flames were subdued. This said that the-architectural plans of Mr. Barry include the laying on of water-mains through-all-the principal mai- ;slore„ cbergedeentinu y by a high-service pressure, but that "repeated re- presentations have been made in vain. to-the Commusamsera of Woods and Forests for a water supply commensurate with the arrangements." Some

blame would seem also to attach to those who made a timber-store of such a place without precautions as to watching, &c. which should give an absolute security that no fire could be brought near the inflammable store. Most of the timber was consumed. Some of the solid stone-work and sculpture was cracked by the heat ; but it is said that the whole damage done will be covered by 100L: a surprising estimate if much sculpture has to be replaced.

Two other fires in London were of great magnitude. On Monday morn- ing, the extensive premises of Messrs. Benefield and Co. wholesale clothiers, in Houndsditch, were totally destroyed. The buildings were new, and the damage done will reach several thousands of pounds. Hoffineyer, one of the firemen, met with an accident which may cost him his life : he fell from a window-sill, driven backwards by a piece of timber, on to the sharp iron railings, and was impaled, till a companion lifted him off. He lies in the hospital with little hope of recovery. On Tuesday, a carriage-shed at the New Cross station of the South-eastern Railway—a building 700 feet long, and constructed of light timber with thin boarding for its sides—was found in flames : two-thirds of the structure were burnt down, and in addition thirty-three carriages were destroyed, and three engines greatly damaged :

• the loss to the insurance-companies will be 50001.