Iftetropolis.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday; but the doors were cleetei throughout the sitting. It is understood that the discussion resulted in the ap, • .intruent of a Corcunittee to oppose a bill which has been introduced into the : se of Lords "for enabling all persons to trade and work within the city of London."

A quarterly General Court of East India Proprietors was held on Wednesday. The principal topic of discussion was a motion for papers, by Mr. George Thomp- son, as a peg to introduce the claims of the Rajah of Sattara. After a discussion of more asperity than interest, the motion was withdrawn.

The annual dinner of the Irish Society was held at Freemason's Tavern, ort Monday, St. Patrick's Day. Mr. Sidney Herbert presided. The company was numerous, and comprised people of all parties—the Earl of Devon, Mr. Shell, Mr. Anthony Richard Blake, Earl Clanwilham, General Caulfield, Sir Ralph Howard, Mr. Ferriud, and others; but the utmost cordiality prevailed.

The annual meeting of the London Church Missionary Society was held in Crosby Hall, Bishogate Street, on Wednesday.; the Lore. Mayor presiding. The report stated that Society had now 93 misstonary-stations abroad, 1,181 sons engaged in Scriptural tuition, more than 700 schools, and upwards of 85, scholars, in addition to the congregations on days of prayer. The receipts of the Society during the past year amounted to 6691. The report was adopted.

A public meeting was held at Exeter Hall, on Tuesday, to petition Parliament against the increased grant to Maynooth College. In taking the chair, Mr. Plumptre, ALP., thus described the meeting and its objects—They were the company and band of Protestant Christians who loved the truth, and who were determined, the Lord being their helper, for that truth zealously to contend: they were called together because the truth was threatened: they were called upon by the Government of this Christian and Protestant country to make a increase ncrease M a grant for that Church. which they believed to hold Benne and fatal errors: he felt, as a Protestant, that his conscience was deeply wounded by this propoecd, and that by it an insult was offered to his reason an4 common sense. The Honourable and Reverend Baptist Noel contended, that since a war no longer closes the Continent against Irish ecclesiastical students, the British State is not bound to provide a domestic education for them: and the measure, he averred, is not a final measure, but must lead to others, even to the payment of Roman Catholic priests. Although persons were admitted to the meeting by ticket, its quiet was twice disturbed,—first , by .a party who altogether bjecW to the proceedings, and whose leader, at the instance of Sir Culling they Smith, was ejected- by the Police; and next, by Captain Atcherley, who was also expelled. Resolutions denouncing the grant, and a petition, were unani- mously adopted.

A Vestry meeting was held in the parish-church of St. George's, Middlesex, on Tuesday, to consider "the excited state of the parish and the abandonment of the pansh-churek" in consequence of innovations introduced by the Reverend Bryan King,. the Rector. Mr. King was charged by the parishioners present with venng m the innovations on frivolous pretexts, and with garbling ouotatione

in the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent letter to the clergy and laity of hilt province; some of the speakers not scrupling to make free use of the words " falsehoOd " and "lie." Resolutions passed unanimously, condemning the con- duct of the Rector, and declaring 1" That if the Rector's scruples of conscience do really operate so Arongly upon him as to prevent his performmg divine service in the manlier in which it has always been performed in this parish, from the time the church was built, in the reign of Queen Anne, until after he became Rector, each in the way in which the service is now performed in all the adjoining parish- churches, it is the decided opinion of this Vestry that he ought forthwith to re- sign the living."

An adjourned meeting was held at Marylebone Court-house, on Wednesday, to receiye Lord Duncan after his motion on the Window-tax. Thanks were voted to him for his exertions; and resolutions were adopted pledging the assemblage to persevere in agitating for the repeal of the tax.

What is called "a fancy fair and bazaar" was opened on Monday in the Thames Tunnel, and is to be continued for a fortnight. Besides the usual stalls for the sale of edibles and fancy articles, which are fixed in the recesses between the two tunnels, there were bands of music, conjuring, and other exhibitions, in the shafts; and at night the place has been illuminated. The annual boat-race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge took place on Saturday. For some years, up to 18422 the Cambridge men had been victorious; but in that year success went to the side of the Oxford men, and re- mained with them. Both Universities carefully selected the best crews for the present struggle. They were as follows. Cambridge—S. Mann,..Caius; W. Harkness senior, St. .Tohn's ; W. L. Lockhart, Christ's; W. P. Cloves, Trinity; F. M. Arnold, Cahn; R. Harkness, St. John's; S. Richardson, Trinity; C. G. Hall, stroke, Second Trinity; II. Munster, (steerer,) First Trinity. Oxford—M.

Christ's; W. C. Stapylton, Merton; W. IL Mama; Christ's; H. Lewis,

Ill broke; W. Buckle, Oriel; F. C. Rude, Brasenose ' - F. M. Wilson, Christ's; J. E. Tnke, (stroke,) Bra.senose; F. J. Richards, (steerer,) Merton. Both crews had undergone active training. At first, betting was two to one in favour of Oxford; but it settled at even before the start. The course was from Putney Bridge to Hammersmith. In spite of the icy. cold, an immense concourse witnessed the race. The boats were started at one minute past six; and after a gallant contest, at twenty-four minutes and a half past six, the Cambridge party dashed under Ham- mersmith Bridge, eight or nine boat-lengths ahead of their antagonists.

A Court of inquiry was held at Doctors Commons on Friday and Saturday., to investigate charges of gross immorality, preferred against the Reverend Frederick

Smith Moncktou, Perpetual Curate of St. Peter's, West Hackney, by Mr. Sheldrick, a parishioner. This was the first Court held under the Church Discipline Act. It was appointed by the Bishop of London; the Commissioners being Dr. Lush-

ington, Archdeacon Sinclair, Dr. Russell, and Dr. Stone. The principal charges against Mr. Monckton consisted in the allegation of undue familiarity with his female servants, indecorous conversation and manners and intemperance. He had, in 1843, three servants--Sarah Hugg.ins, aged twenty-three, Anne Day aged twenty-one, and Fanny Fronde; Fanny Fronde seems afterwards to have been re- placed by Susan Huggins, aged twenty-one. The witnesses in support of the charge were Mr. and Mrs. Williams, the master and matron of the National School in the parish; Fanny Fronde, the discharged servant; a Mrs. Smith; Mr. William Ivers, a proctor's clerk and one of the School Committee; and Mr. Rayson, another member of the Committee. Part of the evidence is not very well suited to our rages; but its nature may be gathered from what we are able to select. Accord- ing to some of the witnesses, Mr. Monckton was constantly in the kitchen, where he took his meals. Sarah Huggins filled, in many respects, the place of mistress of the house. On Christmas Day 1843, Mr. and Mrs. Williams were at the Par- sonage-house. Mr. Monckton went out to dinner, but told Sarah to act as mistress of the ceremonies in his absence. She was dressed like a lady; Anne Day was dressed like her, and they quarrelled for the head of the table. When Mr. Mona- ton came back from dinner, he was violently drunk and boisterous. He tried to throw Mr. Williams on the floor. He sang "The Old English Gentleman"- and to imitate the old gentleman's dying, he threw himself on the ground. Mr. Williams Eve some curious evidence. He said that he and his wife were obliged to to the Parsonage-house on business. They had frequently dined in the kitchen 't,h Mr. Monckton and his servants. They all sat at the table together, on a perfect equality. Sarah Huggins seemed Mr. Monckton's favourite. Ribald jests were constantly passing between Mr. Monckton and bis servants. His conversa- tion had a general tendency to ribaldry. Mr. Monckton would frequently cry out, in the presence of his maids, "All realities—no formalities—dull you can never be." Mr. Monckton was constantly asking for beer. On one occasion witness's wife determined to speak to Mr. Monckton is to a supposed insult towards her by the servants, and as to his improper conduct in relation to them. Witness did not choose on that occasion to interfere, and his wife left him and spoke by her- self. What she had said had made Mr. Monckton blush and appear confused. In April 1844, witness and his wife went together to the Parsonage and complained of Mr. Monckton's improper conduct with his servants. He was very angry, and said that no one had a right to interfere with him or his household. He did not care a — for any one. He would do as he liked, and if any one interfered with him he would kick him; (using a very coarse expression.) After this dispute Mr. Monckton had asked witness and his wife to stay supper, which invitation they had accepted. The maids supped with them, and all joined in the prevailing jo_cuLsrity. Supper over, rum was introduced, and two glasses were mixed. Witness drank with Mr. Monckton' and the women out of the other glass. Mr. blonckton had proposed a toast, "To their better understanding," which they all drank; and another, Here's to the waitress's good health,"—meaning thereby one of the girls, who had assisted in serving them. Mr. Monckton made advances towards Mrs. Williams. Her husband confessed, in cross-examination, that he bad taken tea with Mr. Monckton, because, being a poor man, he was afraid of diemiesal; that he had taken his mother to Mr.Monckton's, because she "wanted to look at a member of the aristocracy "; and that he had been compelled to apo- logize to Mr. Monckton for having spread slanderous rumours about the parish respecting him; but it was a "sham " apology—witness did not mean what he said. He had taken the sacrament from Mr. Monckton since his insult to his wife. Sarah Huggins left Mr. Monckton's house in August last, and went to lodge at Gravesend: there she gave birth to twins; who did not survive. She passed as the wife of a sailor. Mr. kfonekton visited her during her confinement, as her brother. On Saturday, the inquiry was adjourned, without fixing a day; the parties to have seven days' notice of the Court's next sitting.

Williatn Mal, late a Policeman of the L division, has been convicted, at the Surrey Sessions, of stealing Money from a shop in Lambeth Walk. The prisoner was on duty early one very cold morning in February; the master of thethop in- vited him in' and gave him drink to warm him; and while his host was dozing by the fire, the treacherous Policeman took a quantity of halfpence from the tine- showing himself the very viper of the fable, in blue coat with white trimmings.

From some proceedings at Clerkenwell Pelics•-ce&, Oh Wednesday, it appears that the owners of the Spafields burial-ground are attempting to delude the public and are creating a pestilence in the neighbourhood at the same time. In order to satisfy the relatives of persona interred in the ground, they have offered to open any grave and show that the coffins are there. When applied to, however, they refuse to permit the ground to be touched at any particular spot; but as a general satis- faction they have opened a number of graves, which they keep open. The up- turned ground diffuses a horrible odour around. Fresh facts were stated as to the loathsome condition of the place and the bad practices carried on. A few days ago, a coffin-plate, bearing the date of last year, was found on the ground. A female servant, living at Chelsea, purloined a roll of riband in a shop at East Chelsea, on Wednesday. last; and, being observed, was desired to walk to the back of the shop, while a Policeman was fetched: upon this she ran down the stairs to the kitchen, and, snatching up a table-knife from the dresser, cut her throat so that she died immediately. A crowd collected in the street; and in the bustle an old woman was thrown down, and her thigh was fractured.

The inquest at Blackwell on the men who were killed by the recent explosion at the works of Messrs. Samuda was resumed on Monday; Mr. Lowe being. pre- sent. A number of workmen who were on the spot at the time were examined; but much of their evidence was of little value in showing how the explosion was caused. One, however, corroborated the statements of former witnesses, that Lowe had placed a piece of wood under the lever of the safety-valve; and another stated that he saw the lever placed on a rivet of the boiler so as to prevent its acting: he told Lowe of it, and Lowe said he had put it in that position: this was half-an-hour before the explosion occurred. Mr. John Barnes, a civil engineer, who had inspected the rums, attributed the bursting of the boiler to the same cause as the gentlemen examined last week—excessive pressure of steam, the result of tampering with the safety-valve. He mentioned that the upper part of the boiler had been weakened at one place by an alteration. The inquiry was adjourned till Thursday, in order that initcombe the engine-driver, who was in the London Hospital badly injured, might be examined.

When the inquiry was resumed on Thursday, it was announced that another wounded Than had died. Mr. Flower, on behalf of Lowe had two witnesses re- examined, in the endeavour to show that other causes than tampering with the lever alleged against his client might have produced the explosion: but nothing Very cogent was elicited. The Jury then proceeded to the London Hospital to take the evidence of Whitcombe. He was Iound in a state of great weakness and

suffering. He said he could not account for the explosion. He had seen a bit et stick used at the safety-valve, he supposed to keep it partly shut, but he had not taken much notice of it. "The last time I saw thefire-door open, the fire was very low and the bars were almost bare. I determined to reduce the fire at all- events, as I thought there was very great danger. I was throughout apprehen- sive of danger, or of some accident occurring." Having returned to Blackwell, the Coroner summed up; and after an hour's deliberation the Jury pronounced a verdict of "Manslaughter against Lowe, in respect to the case of Thomas Wright." In delivering the verdict, the Foreman observed, that the Jury had re- marked, with much regret, the very inefficient state of the engines and machinery in general on the premises of Messrs. Samuda. The consideration of the other cases was than adjourned till Wednesday.