Sbe ftletropolis. A public meeting of the merchants, bankers, and
traders of the city of London, was held yesterday in the Egyptian Hall at the Mansion- house, to consider the means of relieving the sufferers by the fire at Hamburg. The Lord Mayor, who had called the meeting at the in- Stance of a deputation from the merchants and bankers, presided. Among the company were Sir Moses Montefiore, Baron de Rothschild, Mr. David Salomons, Mr. Colquhoun the Consul for the Hanse Towns, Mr. T. Baring, Mr. Mathias Attwood, Mr. J. J. Gurney, Mr. Smith, Mr. Lyall, and other commercial gentlemen of the highest respecta- bility. Resolutions were passed expressing sorrow at the disaster; re- cognizing the uniform liberality of the Hamburg citizens ; thanking the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Queen Dowager, for their unsoli- cited sanction and assistance, Government for the spontaneous supply of tents and blankets for the homeless in Hamburg, and the public bodies generally for their promptitude and liberality on the occasion. It was resolved to open a subscription at the London and country banks ; and a Committee was appointed to carry out the last resolution. In the course of the proceedings, Mr. Coiquhoun gave what may be con- sidered the authentic statistics of the disaster— The population of Hamburg numbered 150,000 persons, of whom one-fifth were now homeless. The number of houses amounted to 10,000, of which 2,000 were destroyed. The English residents numbered about 8,000, and of those many had suffered severely from the conflagration. The value of the property destroyed amounted to 7,000,000/. ; the houses constituted 3,000,000/. of that amount.
The May meetings, religious and philanthropical, continue.
The New British and Foreign Temperance Society met at Exeter Hall on Monday, for its sixth annual assemblage. The meeting was well attended, chiefly by mechanics. Mr. John Dunlop took the chair. The report represented that the cause of Temperance is making rapid progress in England, Ireland, in the Colonies, and on the Continent ; in fact, saith the document, the Committee have found a desire in all parts of the world to abolish intemperance, and the aversion from Tee- totalism is fast dying away. Of Teetotal societies there are 784 for males and 250 for females. The Committee deplored their want of success in checking drunkenness among soldiers and in abolishing complimen- tary customs of drinking. The receipts fell short of the previous years, and the Treasurer is in debt to the amount of 4041. Mr. Mathew, who is said to be the father of Father Mathew, [he must then be grandfather Mathew] moved the adoption of the report ; which was carried.
The fifth annual meeting of the Aborigines Protection Society was also held at the Hall on Monday. The platform was chiefly occupied by Friends. Mr. Atkinson read the report ; which stated that the ob- jects of the Society were the improvement and protection of the abo- rigines connected with British colonies and commerce. The aborigines entitled to the term " British " amounted to—one million inhabiting Australia ; one million in the South Seas, including New Zealand ; half a million still surviving in North and South America ; and two millions in Western and Southern Africa; with several millions of the more barbarous tribes in British India and its borders, and in the Eastern Archipelago and the Indian Ocean. Of foreign aborigines benefited by the Society, there were sixteen millions in America, sixty millions in Africa, two hundred millions in Asia, and a small but interesting rem- nant of ancient European barbarism existing in Lapland. The report went into a very voluminous detail of several negotiations that had taken place between the Society, Lord John Russell, and Lord Stanley, respecting the objects of the Society ; and it concluded with a strong appeal in favour of the financial department, which was in a very ex- hausted state. The report was adopted. Dr. Garnier, the Reverend Dr. Barnett, Mr. Tooke, Mr. Sturz, and other gentlemen, addressed the meeting.
The Home Missionary Society used the Hall on Tuesday evening; Sir Culling Eardley Smith in the chair. The report declared that there never was a stronger demand for Scriptural knowledge than at present, and never had the Missionaries of the Society laboured with more zeaL The number of stations and out-stations had been increased from 295 to 635. The whole number of Missionaries at present engaged was 145, in addition to 11 students preparing for the performance of similar offices ; being an increase of 13 upon the previous year. The number of chapels and rooms occupied had increased from 567 to 620; the pa- rishes over which their operations extended, from 417 to 438 ; the hearers, from 40,000 to 49,600 ; the Sunday-schools, from 173 to 204 • and the teachers, from 1,260 to 1,475. The receipts amounted to 7,169/ and the expenditure to 9,390/. The report was adopted.
On Wednesday, the Hall was the arena for the British and Foreign Society for the Suppression of Intemperance. Earl Stanhope, the Pre- sident of the Society, was at his post. The report exhibited a bad state of finances ; and it recommended, as the speakers also did, that endea- vours should be made to effect a union with the New British and Fo- reign Temperance Society.
The Philanthropic Society enjoyed its anniversary festival at the London Tavern on Wednesday ; Mr. Henry Goulburn taking the chair in the absence of the Duke of Richmond. Eighty-five names, the re- port said, had been added to the list of subscribers and life-governors; and during the year 118 juvenile criminals (71 boys and 65 girls) have been admitted to the benefits of the institution. The subscriptions an- nounced amounted to 2,0001.
Annual meetings have also been held, by the supporters of the Cale- donian Asylum, at Freemasons Hall, on Saturday ; the Peace Society, at the Friends Meeting-house in Houndsditch, on Tuesday ; the Royal Maternity Charity, at the London Tavern, on Wednesday ; and the supporters of the Sailors Home, Destitute Sailors Asylum, and Epis- copal Fioating Church, at the Hanover Square Rooms, on Thursday.
At a meeting of the Electrical Society, on Tuesday, a paper was read from Mr. Weekes, stating that he bad carefully examined apparatus such as that which had been used in the production of galvanic :maxi, but without using the voltaic current ; and there was not the slightest indication of insect life. A communication by the Secretary described the course of the lightning which struck Brixton Church lately. It bad leaped from the conductor to an iron clamp ; and from a consider- ation of the subject, it was concluded that though a lightning-con- ductor might be suited to its purpose, yet the fluid would jump from it to some more capacious metallic conductor in the neighbourhood, overcoming even the resistance of the non-conducting air. The infer- ence is, that where such rival conductors necessarily exist in a building, a metallic communication should be established between them.
Whit Monday saw the usual concourse of holyday-folk ; multitudes leaving London to view the wonders of nature and art at Greenwich Fair, in the Parks, the heaths, on the railways, on the Thames, up and down, at Richmond, Hampton, and in short in all places; and multitudes coming into town to see the wonders of the Metropolis, the Museum, the galleries of science, some of the exhibitions, and the theatres at night. Southampton, and even Jersey, it is said, were the objects of ambition to a few enterprising travellers.
A boat with five youths in it was upset near the London Docks, in returning from Greenwich at night, and two were drowned ; but there seems to have been less than the usual number of accidents.
For some days a disturbance has taken place at Paradise Street in Lambeth, on account of a curious family-dispute ; and this week authentic statements of the facts are put forth. The question at issue is the guardianship of some children of Lord Cardross, the eldest son of the Earl of Buchan ; who, before he was twenty, married a lady named Torrie, by whom he had three children. He died in 1837 ; and the children have since remained under the care of their mother, Lady Cardross, in pursuance of the law of Scotland, which allows a mother to retain possession of her children till they are seven years old. Two of the children being beyond that age, their grandfather, the Earl of Buchan, wishes to assume the charge of them ; and he has tried to carry his claim by legal proceedings in the Courts of Scotland. Lady Cardross has come to England to avoid delivering up her children ; and she has taken lodgings at No. 15 Paradise Street, a small street in Lambeth. The Earl applied to a London Magistrate, and a warrant was issued to enforce the order of the Scotch Court. Lady Cardross, however, resisted the claim, and refuses entry to the Police. An order was obtained, on Wednesday, from the Master of the Rolls, restraining Lady Cardross from removing the children from the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery during the progress of farther proceedings.
The trial of Mary Good and Richard Gamble, as accessories after the fact in the murder of Jane Jones, took place on Saturday, at the Central Criminal Court. Mary Good was acquitted, no evidence being offered against her, on the ground that the wife of the person harboured under such circumstances is not a fitting object for punishment ; and though the ceremony could not be legally proved, the Attorney-General said that there was no doubt of their having contracted some sort of marriage in Ireland. She was of course discharged. Gamble, who was charged with receiving some of Jones's property, knowing it to be stolen, was also discharged ; no evidence being offered against him.
The execution of Good is fixed for Monday next.
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