Elbe Metropolis.

A Court of Common Council was held or. Tuesday. Soon after the Court assembled, General Espartero, accompanied by the Dutchess de Victoria and Donna Elidia, and his Secretary, entered the Guildhall ; where he was introduced to the Court, by Deputy Peacock and Deputy Green, the mover and seconder of the address to his Excellency. He was received with loud cheers; and Sir Peter Laurie stated that the General had expressed his regret that he could not thank the Court in English. The party took their leave amid much cheering. The Court prcoeeded to the election of a Clerk of the Works, in the room of Mr. Montague, deceased. There were two candidates,—Mr. Young, who had been for several years principal clerk in Mr. Montague's office ; and Mr. Banning. On a vote, the numbers were--for Bunning, 106 ; Young, 68 ; majority, 38. Mr. Bunning was declared to be duly elected. Mr. Lou, the Chairman of the Royal Hospitals Committee, brought up the report of the Committee, certifying the election of seve- ral members of the Court to governorships of the several hospitals under a new classification of Governors lately adopted by the Court. Some of the hospitals had been without Governors for a quarter of a century. Mr. R. L. Jones objected to a passage in the report, stating that the Governors had been required to pledge themselves to report to the Court the names of the parties to whom they gave presentations, or other matters connected with the business of the royal hospitals. After a sharp discussion, however, the report was affirmed.

The nomination of candidates for election to the Court of Aldermen for Bread Street Ward, in the room of Alderman Lainson, took place at Cordwainers Hall on Monday. Mr. Hughes Hughes and Mr. Ben- jamin Lawrence were proposed. Both candidates stated that they were life-governors in various charitable institutions ; and they promised to exercise their patronage in favour of the electors and inhabitants of the ward. Mr. Lawrence's friends relied on his being a " resident " in the ward ; whereas the other party said that he only spent a few hours in it daily, attending to his private business ; and Mr. Hughes made a hit by sayino.' that he himself had eaten so much mutton in. Cord wainers Hall that he was ashamed to look a sheep in the face. The Lord Mayor declared the show of hands to be in favour of Mr. Lawrence ; on which a poll was demanded for Mr. Hughes. At its close on Wednesday, the members were—for Lawrence, 89; Hughes, 82. A scrutiny was de- "Mended on the part of Mr. Hughes.

Alderman Magnay offered himself as a candidate for the Mayoralty, -in a letter issued on Saturday. Yesterday, Alderman Thomas Wood again came forward, in a letter to the electors.

The usual annual-scholastic fete took place on Thursday in the hail of Christ's Hospital, and the " orations ' were delivered by the senior scholars. The attendance of visiters was very numerous. The Lord Mayor entered in state, accompanied by the Earl of Grosvenor and a ,gentleman in Turkish costume. The orations having been delivered, the usual collection was made in the gloves of the orators.

A general meeting of the Proprietors of the Bank of England was held on Thursday, to declare a half-yearly dividend. The Governors stated that the Directors proposed a dividend of 3f per cent, minus the income-tax, for the half-year ending the 10th October. To make up that amount, 7,1671. 17s. 11d. would have to be taken from the "rest :" the amount so taken last time was 5,8641. Os. 3d. : the amount of the rest, after paying the dividend, would be 3,170,570/. Mr. Williamson urged economy, and complained that the trace of the Bank only re- turned a profit of 1 per cent. The Governor said that the fact was otherwise : the Bank obtained 3 per cent on its capital of 14,000,0001., and 4- per cent for the Dead-weight of 585,001.: as the annuities became less, the capital increased. Mr. Blackburn complained that 7d. in the pound deducted from dividends under 150/. was not always recovered by the poorer class of Fundholders. Some conversation took place on the subject, and Mr. Blackburn's assertion was denied ; but nothing came of the discussion. The dividend was declared. Mr. John Cooke moved a resolution calling upon the authorities of the Bank to urge Govern- ment for a revision on the laws on currency and banking ; but the motion was not seconded ; and the meeting adjourned.

A numerous and highly respectable meeting of mercantile gentlemen was held on Tuesday, at the Hall of Commerce in Threadneedle Street, to discuss the propriety of urgitg Government to accelerate the over- land mail to India. Mr. John Abel Smith, M.P., was called to the chair : and he stated the object of the meeting; remarking that it must be borne in mind, that a delay of three or four days would involve the delay of a month in the replies to correspondents— He was anxious to correct an impression which he understood to be preva- lent, that this meeting bad been called for the sole purpose of promoting the interests and objects of a particular company—the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company. With regard to that company, all be knew was, that for some years they had been intrus:cd by the Government with the carrying of the mails between England and Alexandria; and he believed they had discharged their duty with exemplary regularity. But as to the present meeting's pretending to dictate either to the Government or to the East India Company, the manner, -or the means, or the parties by which an implored arrangement should be effected, he begged, for one, to disclaim any such intention. The responsibility of securing the safe transmission of the important and valuable correspondent:: which passes between England and India rested upon the acting members of the Government here and there : they were responsible to the public of India and Britain, and that responsibility was too serious and important to be dealt with lightly. It was for her Majesty's Government and the East India Com- pany alone to decide upon the mode by which a more rapid communication than the present was to be obtained : all the meeting could do was to express an honest and deliberate opiniod, that if it were possible to shorten the time at present consumed in the transit of the mail to and front India, it would be a great and advantageous improvement. Observing that no gentleman had been pressed into the service of for- mally proposing and seconding the resolutions, he moved them at once from the chair. The first was- " That the present arrangements for the transmission of the mails nisi Egypt and the Red Sea, to and from India, China, Ceylon, Singapore, aed AustraLa, are defective in two essential points,—namely, the non-arrival of the mails frOm India usually until after the outward mails have been despatched, and the non- atrival of the outward mails at Calcutta, and other places in India of similar distance, until after the departure thence of the homeward mails for Europe; that much inconvenience to the public interests results from the consequent delay in the interchange of correspondence; and that any measure which pro- poses to remedy these defects is deserving of the prompt attention and en- couragement of the Government and the public."

That resolution having been adopted unanimously, the Chairman proposed the second-

" That it appears to this meeting, that if, by the employment of steam-vessels of superior power and speed to those at present used to transmit the mails be- tween Suez and Bombay, such an acceleration can be obtained as to remedy the inconvenience pointed out in the preceding resolution, and give the oppor- tunity of replying to letters from India by the outgoing mails of the same month, not only to London but the manufacturing towns and districts of the kingdom, an advantage of great importance would he gained for this country as well as for our Indian Empire and our Australian Colonies.

Mr. Elliot rose to move an amendment— He did not wish to see the general interests of India slcrificed to the par- ticular interests of Bombay. It was of the greatest importance that the merchants of Madras and Calcutta should receive their letters in time to answer them by the next overland mail ; but how could that be done under the present arrangement ? Had it been proposed that a contract should be made for the procedure of the mails to Aden, and thence by branch steamers to Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, he should have made no objection ; but if the object were to carry the mails direct to Bombay, he believed that such a plan would increase, and not diminish, the evils at present complained of. It was the practice now, when the mail arrived at Bombay, to transmit the letters, not all at once but in portions, to Madras and Calcutta, so that one person received his letters on one day and another on another ; and this delivery of despatches often extended over four or five days. It was scarcely possible for human in- genuity to devise a system more obnoxious and fraught with mischief to mer- cantile men. The effect was, that the Bombay trader could go into the market at Bengal and operate there before the merchants of Calcutta and Madras re- ceived any intelligence at all of the state of commercial affairs. It did not appear to him that there was any intention to alter this state of things; for the merely shortening of the time of communication with Bombay would still leave that greater nuisance entirely unredressed.

He therefore moved as an amendment-

" That no contract for the conveyance of the overland mails to India can with justice be entered into except upon such terms as are calculated to pro- cure an equal participation in the benefits of steam intercourse for Bombay, Ceylon, Madras, and Calcutta, and at the same time securing to those places the earliest receipt of their respective mails : this meeting is therefore of opi- nion, that her Majesty's Government and the East India Company ought to contract for the conveyance of the mail to India from Southampton, via Suez, to Calcutta, calling at Aden, Galle, and Madras; and that Bombay be the branch line from Aden."

The Chairman objected, that the amendment infrinsed upon the prin- ciple of altogether leaving to Government the mode of accelerating the mails. The question having been put, the original resolution was car- riga. by • a large majority. A third, for memorializing the various branches of the executive Government and the East India Company to use their influence for speedily carrying into effect the desired improve- ment, was unanimously agreed to. A committee was appointed to fur- ther the object of the meeting, and to report progress at a future meet- ing, to be held on or before the 1st December next.

An association has been formed in London to promote the shortening of business hours, in order to relieve the numerous class of shopmen from the confinement which is now so injurious to their physical and mental health. The " Association for bringing about an Abridg- ment of the limos of Business" purposes " publishing and distributing short tracts addressed to various classes, convening public meetings, &c.; and, in short, using all the means which prudence may suggest, and the support of subscribers maintain, to bring home to the trading community and to the public at large the conviction of the many evils and the utter inutility of late hours of business ; and so to prepare the way for their general diminution." We see several clergymen among the list of Vice-Presidents. Messrs. Nisbet and Co. 21 Berner's Street, Mr. William Aylott, 128 Chancery Lane, and Messrs. Ives and. Swan, 14 Paternoster Row, are mentioned as receiving subscriptions : the Honorary Secretaries are Mr. Alexander J. Dove, and Mr. Arthur J. King.

A meeting of broad silk hand-loom weavers of Spitalfields was held at the Crown and Anchor, Waterloo Town, on Saturday, to receive a communication respecting an interview which a deputation bad with Mr. M'Gregor of the Board of Trade. Having made a statement of the great distress under which the weavers laboured, and which they partly attributed to illicit importations, the deputation were assured that their case would be investigated by the Government before the meeting of Parliament, and that whatever measure of relief the Go- vernment considered advisable would be introduced early in the next session.

In the Court of Bankruptcy, on Tuesday, Mr. Taylor, of the firm of Messrs. Black, Gore, and Taylor, merchants in the drapery trade, Sam- brook Court, in the City, was examined ; the other partners being ordered out of court. The proceedings created much interest and amusement. The capital of the partners does not appear to have been extensive: we find Mr. Taylor promising to bring 1,0001. into the business, and Mr. Gore 4001., to induce Mr. Black not to withdraw from it, although at that time he owed 10,0001.1 Mr. James, the counsel for the assignees, asked Mr. Taylor, " Were 3 on insolvent when you and Gore began ?" " Yes," replied the bankrupt ; " we were ; we owed I0,000/." " What had you got to pay it with ?" " Little or nothing."

Perhaps you would drop the `little,' and say nothing.'" "Ye., no- thing." Some letters which had been seized were read ; but for want of more ample viva yam explanation, they are not very intelligible. It is to be gathered from them, that Mr. Brack and Mr. Gore went about the .

country, ne hieing manufacturers and wholesale dealers to sell goods to

the firm, on the strength of their credit, and of invoices of goods sold by the principal dealers iu London and elsewhere, whom the partners had persuaded to sell and now used as decoys. The firm kept no regu- lar accounts; but some of the goods did not disappear at all in the usual course of business—

Mr. James inquired, " In your letter of the 24th February, what do you

mean by your reference to Solomons?"—" That was for forcedsales. We bad

recourse to Solomons rather extensively, and took our goods to him as we purchased them. Our books will show such entries."

" I do not mean your books since your bankruptcy."—" Then there are none in our old books. Mr. Roberts made up our books from vouchers since our bankruptcy. We gave him all the vouchers we had. Our books will show the cash we received from Solomons, but not the quantity of goods sold. The amount, however, was 5,0001. in about three months, from March, when we began, until the end of May, when we stopped. We also took goods to Nathan, a Jew, for about 8001."

" To any other of the chosen people '? "—.. Yes; to Negroponte, of Fins- bury Circus, for 4001.; and all within these three months."

" Have you any entry of those transactions made at the time ? "—" None. The deductions generally were about 12 per cent. We bought goods of Williams, as appears by our books and invoices, for 1231.; and they went to Nathan on the very same day. The book now produced to me was regularly kept by Mr. Garling, our clerk ; and he is to be found. We bought goods of Jamesons and Co. for 2251. 13s. on the 31st March, and it would appear that they went to Solomons on the same day fur 165/. I believe they were the same goods; but I should be better able to tell by the invoices. We also bought of Leaf's house, Old Jewry, goods to the amount of 245/. ; which were

pawned,' though in the balance-sheet stated as sales, for 1761. I have given you the names of the whole of the parties from whom we bought goods."

Another passage in the examination exhibits a different class of dealings- . Fray, who is the Mr. Duncan Bruce, whose name I see in your made up' accounts ?"—" He is from Canada."

What is he, and where is he to be found ? "—" He was a merchant, and we drew upon him; but I cannot say that they were accommodation-bills."

" And though you drew upon him, you do not seem to know where he is to be found. Now hearken to this-

" Half Moon. Borough, Tuesday Moruing, 10th May 1842.

" Dear Taylor—I was chased yesterday, and hare taken shelter on this aide of the water. I suppose some of the beaks were at your place after me yesterday. It is un- pleasant to be in ' hidance,' but I must try and bring the chap to terms.

" Dear Taylor. yt,urs most truly. DUNCAN BRUCE.

Was this the person whom you got to accept bills for you ? "—" Yee, he is the same person."

Other projects mixed with the country purchases : in a note to Mr. Gore, Mr. Black says—" Walford seems a good fellow, and if we could get Taylor spliced to his daughter all would be right with us. Tell Taylor to do his part here." He adds—" Tell Taylor to be sure and stick to Walford's daughter." Mr. Walford, however, afterwards " stopped." In a subsequent letter, Mr. Black writes- ., Wednesday Night, Eight o'Clock. p.m. 28th April 1843. "7, Northern Terrace, Upper Broughton. "My dear Taylor—Well, I have got home, and sit down to write to you. I did not write before, as I wanted to get a fair notion of what can be done. Time will make all well, really all well ; and a painful feeling sometimes rises when things are so well, name and every thing. It would be a great pity to spoil it. Things have far improved since January last. Poor old Grant was really kind : he wished me to dine ; but my head was so full, I thought it better not. Thompson is fair. Jones I think will extend. Gisborne and Wilson will work, and well—but are spoiled from their knowledge of the history of the delaines ' (muffins.) In these they will not work for &month; then they say they will. The fustian-men are fair; even old Brierly offers seven weeks—there's for you I and Knowles will sell gray cloth. Time and work will do. My health is fair. I wrote to Weir, if possible to negotiate now with

Walford's bill, and put aside the judgment. See to this. * • •

" I am endeavouring this time to take a copy from the Manchester men, and go a head, rough and cool as a donkey. My lodgings please, and I rest here. I cut off from E., &c.

"Yours truly, D. B."

Mr. Taylor stated, that in four months, goods to the amount of 40,0001. passed through their hands. The further hearing of the case was post- poned to the 2d November next.

At the Mansionhouse, on Monday, William Tune, the master of the City of Boulogne steamer, was reexamined on a charge of abstracting money intrusted to his charge. An agent of the New Commercial Steam-packet Company stated that one bag was found on board the steamer, containing 4001.: the loss amounted to 1,4001. William Child, a City officer, said that the bag containing money was found on a shelf in a berth next Mr. Tune's cabin Child had before examined the same place, and the bag was not then there. Mr. Clarkson, the coun- sel for the Company who prosecuted, said that after the steamer got out of Boulogne Roads, a yacht was towed astern ; and it had been found that there were smuggled goods on board the steamer. Mr. Bush, who appeared for Mr. Tune, objected to entering into irrelevant matters ; and, contending that no evidence had been produced that any money at all had been intrusted to Mr. Tune's care, he called upon the Lord Mayor to stop the case. The investigation, however, was post- poned for a fortnight ; bail for Mr. Tune's reappearance being tendered and accepted.

At Bow Street Police-office, on Saturday, Barnard Gregory, editor of the Satirist newspaper, appeared in answer to a summons to show cause why he detained some foreign coins and other articles, of value under 151., the property of Thomasine Sarah Anna Burgess. The object was in point of fact to recover possession of some letters. According to a statement made by Mr. Gregory, Miss Burgess introduced herself to him as having lived under the protection of Mr. T. W. Beaumont ; but she said that she had been ill-used by him. She gave to Mr. Gregory copies of six hundred letters that she had received from Mr. Beau- mont; but he found them to be so "indecent and detestable" that he could do nothing with them, and he told her so. He returned all the letters but four He next discovered she had used Beaumont's name in commit- ting a forgery for 16,000L, which was compromised ; and it was in con- sequence of a letter he received from her on the subject that he wrote to desire she would keep out of the way. Mr. Gregory declared that the proceedings were part of a system adopted by Mr. Valiance to crush him. The further consideration of the case was postponed for a fortnight.

At Queen Square Police-office, on Tuesday, Thomas Jenkins was committed for trial as an accomplice in the robbery at the house of the late Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci.

At Hammersmith Police-office, on Monday, a tall, well-dressed per- son, wearing mustachios, who called himself the Honourable Thomas Talbot, a cousin of the Earl of Shrewsbury, was charged with stealing some articles of jewellery and other things from the house of Mr. Passau, in Gloucester Grove West, Old Brompton ; on Wednesday, Elizabeth Talbot, the prisoner's putative wife, was charged with being accessory ; and the two were examined again on Thursday. It was then proved that the male prisoner's name was Etty, and that the woman was not married to him ; but she declined to give her real name. They had lived in lodgings at Mr. Passau's for about three months ; and after their departure several things were missed. One of those, an inkstand, the woman said, had been given to her by Mr. Passau's daughter ; but that was denied. Etty was remanded till Thursday next ; the other prisoner was committed for trial. Before she was removed, it was stated that her real husband, from whose residence in Kent she eloped nine months ago, was in court. On leaving the bar, seeing him near her, she put out her hand to him ; which he at first took no notice of; but eventually he took it and shook it, and the prisoner, bursting into a passionate flood of tears, was with difficulty led out of the court. Etty is said to be in no way related to the Shrewsbury family.

Sunday night was disastrously prolific in fires ; for there were seven, all at the East end of London, though they were far from being equally destructive. The rope-manufactory of Mr. Burchfield, at Poplar, was destroyed : the loss is considerable, but it would fall principally on the Guardian Fire-office. The house of Mr. Wood, a toyman, opposite Whitechapel Church, was burnt down. It was from the first seen that it would be a hopeless attempt to save the house, and the exertions of the firemen were bent to preserve those next it ; and successfully, though they were much damaged.

Another ingenious system of defrauding the Customs has been re- cently discovered. We abridge the account which appeared in the Morning Chronicle—

Two lightermen Reekie and Bird. were in the habit of going in a barge

from London to lightermen, where they took chalk on board; but instead of returning straight to London, they proceeded down the river and beyond the Nore, to the Swin : there they met a sloop from Flanders—in the recently detected case it was the Nieuport—laden with compressed tobacco; which the lighterman took on board their barge, and then they sailed up the river to London. They deposited the tobacco thus smuggled under the name of "salt," in a loft over a baker's shop, in Eastfield Street, Limehouse, hired for the purpose by Reekie; and there it remained until it could be conveyed to the various dealers by whom Reekie and Bird were in fact employed. Recently there was a dispute between the two men and their employers : Reekie refused to give up the tobacco until he should be paid 70/. ; and after many fruitless attempts to obtain possession of it, the owners gave information to Mr. James Fogg, an Inspector of Thames Police. The tobacco in question had been purchased in Flanders for 8d. a pound. Mr. Fogg, by a bribe of 61., procured the guidance of Pettit, a lighterman who used to assist Reekie ; and he led the way to the loft. Here the Inspector becomes implicated: it is said that he made the seizure in the middle of the day, but that he did not remove the goods until ten at night ; more than a ton being carried away in the interval by carts belonging to Estall and Smith ; leaving about two tons to be seized. Reekie was arrested, but released at the instance of Fogg; who explained to the officer making the arrest, that the lighterman could only be proceeded against by information, as he was not found in actual possession of the tobacco, nor assisting in the unshippiug of it and conveying it ashore. Fogg made a report of the seizure to the Customhouse authorities in the usual manner, and also furnished the Board with such information as induced the Commissioners to direct that writs should be issued for the arrest of Reekie and Bird for de- frauding the revenue of duties to the amount of 30,000/. The two lightermen now went to the solicitor of the Customs and volunteered to make a full dis- closure; which they did ; implicating Fogg, Pettit, Skinner, a lighterman, William Estall, a brothel-keeper, of Baker Street, Commercial Road East, George Smith and Frederick Smith, smugglers, who formerly lived in the same house, John Conway, a farmer in Essex, Scrivener and Mace, tradesmen in Bermondsey, Sims, a publican, and three others, in all thirteen persons. Exchequer writs were served upon nine of them, and bail taken; six others are in Whitecroas Street Prison. The sloop and barge have also been seized. The most extraordinary part of this very complicated transaction is the countenance given by the Board of Customs to Reekie and Bird ; who, on their own showing, have been for some time engaged in extensive smuggling trans- actione. Both have received appointments. Before they became smug- glers, they were generally employed as informers and witnesses in the proceedings against persons for employing non-freemen on the river. Mr. Fogg strenuously denies the charges against him. He has been for twenty- seven years in the Thames Police, and for thirteen years he has held a Customhouse-warrant. He has been one of the ni st useful and active officers of the River Police, and has brought to justice :ore smugglers, felons, and receivers of stolen goods, than any other man no. ,ttached to the Police force. William Muthams, aged seventeen, (the sou . f the baker where the tobacco was deposited,) who has given some informs i at to the solicitor of Customs, has been rewarded with an appointment in ose of the revenue-cut- ters, in which he is now doing duty. One of the principal purchasers of the contraband tobacco on former occasions was a tobacconist and cigar-dealer in the Whitechapel Road ; against whom an Exchequer writ has been issued, and who has found it convenient to be out of the way. The tobacco was generally conveyed to his house by a man in the garb of a baker, in a bread-basket.