• StictrapaIi4.

There was a very full meeting of the Middlesex Magistrates on Thursday. After sonic preliminary business bad been disposed of, a discussion ensued relative to the intentions of Government as to resist- ing or supporting two bills now before Parliament for regulating the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Courts of Justice, and for granting a salary of out of the county-rates to the Chairman. A letter was received from Lord Melbourne in the course of the debate, in which Ire declared it to be the opinion of Government that the bills in ques- tion should not be proceeded with. It was agreed to postpone the first bill, by u ina:mrity of 18 to 10; but it was determined to proceed with the second bill, by 17 to 11. Sir Charles Forbes and Sir William Curtis expressed themselves very indignantly against the Government. It was considered to be Lord Melbourne's wish that the Chairman of the Sessions should be appointed and paid by Government ; but Sir Charles Forbes said he would never sit there to be the puppet of a Government nominee; and Sir W. Curtis declared, that Lord Mel- bourne made his blood boil vhen he intimated that Government should name a gentleman to take the chair, or that the Police Magistrates- should be called upon to fill it in rotation. It was stated that Mr. Byng had refused to have any thing to do with the Chairman's Salary. Bill. Sir Charles Forbes said he deserved to have a vote of censure. past on bins for his refusal. It was the first time that a County Mem- ber had refused to accede to the wishes of the County Magistracy. Sir Peter Laurie thought, that as the business of the Court would be les- sened, a Chairman who would act gratuitously might easily be found. Altogether, their Worships appear to have been in a very wrathful state of mind ; and not without cause, truly.

A half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of Bank-Stock was • held in the Bank Court-room on Thursday ; when the following inter- esting conversation took place.

The Chairman stated, that this was a meeting to declare a dividend; and the Court of Directors, looking to the Bank Accounts, had resolved to recommend a dividend of four per cent. for the half year. Mr. Young said, before the question was put, he wished to ask a few import- ant questions. Did the Company advance capital or indemnify- speculations, tither in the Foreign Exchange, or for any object but that of legitimate supply and demand ?

The (hue-mar—" No."

Mr. Young—" 1 ant glad to bear it. The next question is, have the Bank accepted a large capital from the India Company, at 'merest?" The Governor—" Yes."

Mr. Yonng—" Have they done the same with respect to any other.botly?"

The Governor—" No."

Mr. Young—" How was the transaction effected?" The Governor—" The East India Company, finding that they had a large - capital accumulating, gave notice they should withdraw it, and place it at in- terest. An offer was made to lend, at three per cent., one million and a half to- the Bank ; which was accepted, and the money has been employed to the ad- vantage of tlw proprietors. ' Mr. Young—" Was the Bank capital so exhausted as to render such a loan necessary?" (Laughter.) The Governor—" Certainly not." (A laugh.) Mr. Young regretted the Bank had changed its character; it had. become• borrowers instead of lenders of money. The Chairman explained, that the principal part of the money had been lent at a profit. Mr. Young aslaal if it is-as true, as reported in tbe Times, that a large bill had been discounted at two and a half per cent, for any party ? [This refers to. a statement in the Times City articles of Wednesday and Thursday, that the Bank had discounted a bill drawn at six months by the American Government on Baring and Co. for 350,000/.] The Governor said the report in the Times was utterly false. He had the

authority of an old Director, that so long a bill had never been discounted. Mr. Young asked if in affording public accommodation, the Bank charged the

same rate of interest to all, or did they make exceptions, and on what grounds? The Governor—" There were no exceptions made."

Mr. Williamson asked what portion of the Deadweight was made available' as profits out of which the dividend was declared?

The Governor said he was not prepared to answer the question • and isr reply to another point, as to the reduction of 1/. from the capital, the Governer ;nada the same remark.

Mr. Williamson said, it appeared that out of die original capital of 1,200,0001., an annuity hail been granted of 100,000/. Was that annuity received ? The Governor—" That is the case."

Mr. Williamson—" If so, the interest on our capital ought to be 550,0001., instead of 446,0001., as stated."

The Governor—Had notice of the questions been given, he would have come prepared to answer them.

Mr. Weeding said, as the Chancellor of Exchequer was to pay off one .fourth of the capital, he wished to know what course was to he pursued with respect to it.

The Governor—" At the present moment we know nothing more, than when we last made a communication upon the subject." Mr. Young asked if it was not imperative on the Government to repay the money to the Bank.

The Governor replied in the affirmative.

The question was then put, and the dividend agreed to ; after which the Court adjourned.

The proprietors of the East India stock held their quarterly general meeting on Wednesday. It was stated by the Chairman, Mr. Loch, that the Royal East India Volunteer corps would be disbanded, the officers to retain the rank attached to their respective commissions. In reply to a question from Mr. Poynder, the Chairman said, that Government had determined to put an end to the practice of burning widows; two or three notorious instances of which had recently occurred. Captain Gowan, in a long speech, called the attention of the Court to the great expense incurred in missions to the court of Persia, which he con- sidered to be out of all proportion to the benefits derived from them. In thirty years, nearly a million had been spent in this way. He gave notice that he should endeavour to obtain a special Court to consider the subject. Captain Gowan also proposed a resolution condemnatory of the heavy cost of the dinners and other entertainments of the Di- rectors, which amounted to about 6000/. a year. This, he thought, ought no longer to be allowed. Colonel Stanhope seconded the motion ; but it was opposed by Sir Charles Forbes and other proprietors, and rejected, there being only four hands held up for it. Another motion by Captain Gowan, for facilitating the admission of visiters to the mu- seum of the India House, the number of visiters last year being about four thousand, was withdrawn, after a brief discussion.

A meeting was held at the Horticultural Society's Rooms, on Satur- day, by a number of gentlemen desirous of forming a Statistical Society. The chair was laken by the Marquis of Lansdowne; and among those present were the Earl of Kerry, Air. Jeffrey, Mr. Abercromby, Mr. Gouiburn, Mr. Spring Rice, Mr. Wilks, Mr. Babbage, Mr. Hallam, Sir Francis Palgrave, Colonel Torrens, and Mr. Jones. The Mar- quis of Lansdowne opened the business of the meeting, and dwelt upon the advantage of having a society whose exertions should be directed to obtaining statistical information, and communicating it in an accurate and condensed form. Government might derive important assistance from such a society. Mr. Goulburn moved and Mr. Jeffrey seconded the first resolution- " That accurate knowledge of the achial condition and prospects of society is an object of great national importance, not to be attained without a careful col- Itction and classification of statistical facts."

Mr. Babbage moved, " That a Society be established by the name of the Statistical Society of Lon- don, the object of which shall be the collection and classification of all facts illus- trative of the condition and prospects of society, especially as it exists in the British dominions ; and that the Society consist in the first instance of such of the present company as shall subscribe the above obligation.

"That the Committee be empowered until the day of the next meeting to re- ceive the signatures of additional members, and to admit them fellows of the 'Society."

He stated the circumstances which had led to the formation of this .y.

It weld be known to most of the gentlemen present, that a few years ago, an asseciation of learned gentlemen was formed under the denomination of the Bri- tish Association, after the manner of similar learned societies on the Continent. This association had held meetings yearly in different places—at Oxford, York, and Cambridge. At the last meeting at Cambridge, a Belgian gentleman, well known in the literary world (M. Quetelel;), who had been sent over to attend the meeting, and to give information to those assembled of the state of the arts, sciences, and literature, in his own country, as well as to carry hack to it infor- mation of the state of literature in England, suggested that a section of the Bri- tish Association should be set aside for the excluQive purpose of collecting and arranging statistical facts. On this hint a statistical section was formed in the Association, and a committee appointed in London to conduct its affairs. This committee met several times; but in consequence of a feeling among the mem- has that it was impossible to conduct their inquiries as they were then consti- tuted, they resolved to endeavour to found a Statistical Society, which would have a regular place of meeting, with proper officers to conduct its affairs.

Mr. Hallam, Mr. Babbage, and Mr. Jones, were appointed a provi- sional committee to prepare regulations for the conduct of the Society, to be submitted for approval at a general meeting, to be called on the • 19th of April, or some earlier day. All the resolutions passed uaani- mously. Many gentlemen joined the Society at the time; and on the motion of Mr. Babbage, Mr. Quetelet was elected its first honorary member.

The annual meeting of the Labonrers' Friend Society was held on Wednesday, in Exeter hail; Lord Sandon in the chair. The report stated that their monthly publication had increased to 1500 in number; that the Queen had become an annual subscriber of 101.; that the Duke of Bedford had on his estates 600 cottages, the Marquis of Lansdowne 700, &c., conducted on the plans of the Society, all flourishing to the highest degree of expectation and satisfaction. The funds for the past year were 985/. 2s. 3d., an increase of 3671. over the preceding. The expenses had exceeded that sum by nearly 70/.

The first dinner of the North London Hospital took place on Satur- day, at the Freemason's Tavern. The attendance was numerous; and amongst the company were the Duke of Somerset, Sir J. C. Hob- house, Mr. Warburton, M. P.' Mr. Potter, M. P., Mr. Tooke, M. P., Mr. M. Phillips, M. P., Dr. Elliotson, Dr. Bostock, Dr. Davis, and Mr. H. Key.. Lord Eblington presided. The subscriptions amounted to upwards of 4601.

The fifty-seventh anniversary festival of the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund was celebrated at the Freemason's Tavern on Wednesday; the Marquis of Clanricarde in the chair. Upwards of 12001. was sub- scribed in the course of the evening.

Major-General Sir H. Worsley has just made the munificent dona- tion of 2000/. to King's College; London, for the endowment of an

exhibition, to be applied to the purpose of educating young men in that institution for the office of missionaries of the Established Church in the East. This gift is in addition to former donations, amounting to to 7001. which the same liberal supporter of the College has presented to it.

The new English Opera-house is at length rising from the ground ; and in a few weeks the pedestrian will be able to pass twin Waterloo Bridge in a straight line to Long Acre.

The certainty of obtaining an adequate supply of gas having been ascertained, the Chartered Gas Company have issued a circular to that effect, in which they state that, although the sudden exchange of work- men embarrassed them for the moment, yet that the new hands are be- coming so capable of doing the work properly, that a regular supply of gas may be expected. Many of the old hands have petitioned to be restored to their former occupations, but mit one of them has been re- engaged.

The stone-sawyers employed by Mr. Malcott, at the National Gal- lery, stated to hint a few days ago, that, unless he would advance the price paid to them to a certain sum per foot, it was their determination to strike on the Saturday following. Their demand be refused ; at the same time informing them that they should not remain until the Satur- day, but quit the premises immediately on performing the work in hand, and subsequently they departed successively as each fiiiished his work. To supply their place, Mr. Maleott assembled the labourers ; and, after selecting some strong and active men, whose wages were 17s. each a week, asked them if they would try and saw stones under the instruc- tion of the foreman, and in ease of their succeeding they should be paid

at the rate of the stone-sawyers who had struck. To this proposition the men cheerfully agreed ; and some of them have become so expert at sawing, that they now earn at the rate of 28s. a week.

The large ship Gentoo left the London Docks on Sunday morning, for New York, with no less than four hundred passengers on boaid, who intend settling in the United States and British North .A meriea.

With the exception of a few cabin passengers, the emigrants consist chiefly of agricultural labourers, from the counties near the :Metropolis.

There are a few mechanics and labourers behaving to London in the ship. The passage-money paid by these emigrants is only 4/. each. The quays on both sides of the dock were crowded with the friends and relatives of the passengers.

As Sir Lancelot Shadwell was walking in the Regent's Park last Saturday, he saw something floating in the canal, and directed thut it

should be brought to land ; when it turned out to be the body of a fe- male infant, who had been strangled. Its head was covered by a bag tied slightly round the neck. Information of the occurrence was sent immediately to the Stationhouse.

On Monday evening, the family of Mr. Kcmpster, builder, in the Borough, were alarmed by a fire, which broke out in one of mIme bed- rooms. A fine child, about ten months old, was so dreadfully burnt, that it died shortly after it had been extricated from the flames.

The Globe newspaper office was broken open on Wednesday morning, and cheques, bills, and other papers were found scattered about the floor. Upon close examination, it was discovered that the thieves had succeeded in taking off between 300/. and 400/. and a cheque for 291.

Information was given at the Mansionhouse on Saturday, of a rob- bery committed on the bank of Harvey and Hudson, of Bungay, on the preceding Thursday evening. The property stolen•amounts to upwards of 4000/. The following particulars were stated.

At the riungay Bank, a steady man, of regular habits, resides as housekeeper in the house; and it is the practice of the cashier, upon leaving the blank at

seven o'clock every evening, to lock up the cash aml bills in a tin box, which he

deposits in a desk. The housekeeper has been in the habit of taking this tin box up to his bedroom upon retiring to rest, for the greater security. On Thursday

last, he had occasion to be absent between the time at which the cashier took

his departure at nine o'clock ; and upon returning, he found the strectaloor closed, as he had left it ; but upon going into the counting- house, he perceived

that the cash-desk was open, and that there was no property in it. Ile, how- ever, did not suspect that thieves had been at work ; for the street-door hail not, in his opinion, been meddled with. His conjecture was, that the cashier had thought proper to deviate from his general rule, and taken the property to his

own house, or locked it up in the iron safe. So distant was stepicion from Ida mind, that he did not think it necessary to go to the cashier's house, which was but a very short distance, and make inquiry into the circumstance of so unusual a disappearance. Next morning, the cashier, upon going to his desk, was startled at finding that it bad been broken open, and plundered of its valu ble contents. It was ascertained that two men, who Were strangers to the town, had been seen in the neighbourhood for the last two or three months, and that one of them had called early on the morning of Thursday at the bank to obtain change for a 10/. Bank of England note. These men disappetned from die town altogether on the night the rubbery was accomplished.

Two Policemen were immediately ordered by the Lord Mayor to search for the robbers. [It is only surprising that the bank was not robbed before. What prudent man would have left 4000/. in a till box in a desk? Is there no iron safe or closet in the Bungay bank