Ste ffietropolfs.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress gave a grand entertainment, in the long parlour of the Mansionhouse, on Tuesday, to the principal officers of the Corporation and their ladies.

A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, for the despatch of bu- siness. The Court was occupied for some time in a discussion with closed doors, on a letter from Mr. Harvey, the Commissioner of Police, touching a rise of salary. It is to be gathered from some subsequent allusions, that it was proposed to allow Mr. Harvey 4001. additional, but that the matter was referred to a Committee. Mr. Henry Capel, who was elected on last St. Thomas's Day one of the Common Council for the Ward of Tower, at- tended for the purpose of showing cause why he refused to take upon 'dm- self the office to which he had been so elected. He now asked the opinion of the Recorder, whether he must serve, or whether he could be exone- rated on payment of a fine? The Recorder said, that it was compulsory on Mr. Capel to serve for one year; and he advised him to do so, rather than render himself liable to law-expenses. Mr. Capel acquiesced. Mr. Matthew Marshall attended to show cause why he refused to serve the office of Inquest-man of the Ward of Broad Street, to which he had been elected by the Wardmote on last St. Thomas's Day. Mr. Marshall is Chief Cashier of the Bank of England, and he lives in the Bank: that building was erected on the ground which once constituted the entire pre- cinct of St. Christopher-le-Stock; and it is felt in the Ward that it is hard for residents in the Bank to be exempt while poorer inhabitants are liable to serve. The question was referred to a Committee. Several similar ex- cuses public nuisances, and other business of the kind, were disposed of. Sheriff Sidney moved that the minutes of the Court be printed and sent to all the members. To-show how necessary it was that the proceedings of the Court should be known,he mentioned that in the discussion with closed doors the additional 4001. for Mr. Commissioner Harvey was nearly carried by a casting-vote. Sir Peter Laurie objected, that no court of record pub- lishes its proceedings, except the House of Lords, where it is necessary for the infOrmation of the members of the House who act by proxy. After a discussion, the motion was negatived. On the motion of Alderman Wilson, it was resolved, " That the Lord Mayor, being specially and repeatedly named in'the will of Sir Thomas Gresham as one •of his Trustees, it be re- ferred to the General Purposes Committee to obtain the opinion of counsel as to the right of the Gresham Committee to act in the execution of the trusts of the will without summoning the Lord Mayor to their meetings." Mr. Nice was appointed Veterinary Surgeon of Smithfield Market, with a salary of 501.; and the Court adjourned.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday. Mr. Ands ton drew attention to the inconvenience occasioned to the public by the bad attendance of Aldermen on the Police Committee; and there was a conver- sation on the subject, but without definite result. A petition praying for the completion of the improvements in Ferringdon Street Without was referred to the London Bridge Approaches Committee. The City Lands Committee made a report recommending that 25,0001. be paid for the pur- chase of theFleet Prison from Goverinnent ; which was unanimously agreed to; several members expressing a hope that the purpose to which the site should be devoted would not hastily be determined. The Thames Navi- gation Committee made a report recommending an application to Parlia- ment for an act to enable the Corporation to take up the bonds issued on loans at 5 per cent interest, and to effect new loans offered on the security of the tolls at the rate of 4 per cent. The report was adopted, by 39 to 10. After the transaction of some further business, the Court was " counted out."

At the Vestry meeting in Marylebone Court-house, on Saturday, the Re- verend Dr. Penfold, Rector of the Trinity District, attended to make his promised explanation respecting the manner in which a 25/. note, received at the offertory after a charity-sermon in behalf of the Girls Charity School, had been appropriated. Before he did so, however, Mr. Tritton, the Rector's Churchwarden, read a case which he had submitted to Dr. Phillimore, and the opinion of that civilian upon the case; of which we give the pith—

Dr. Phillimore held that the Churchwardens were not liable to account to the Vestry. The word " tithe" necessarily means in ecclesiastical language an offering for the benefit of the clergy alone. The local acts of Marylebone vest the legal right of demanding tithes in the Rector of the parish alone, but do not apply that restriction to voluntary donations; and in the present case the donor clearly meant a tithe of his own income, and not tithes that the Rector can demand. In the regulation of the offertory, the Church and the Legislature evidently pro- vided for the possibility of two kinds of offering in money,—alms for the poor, and oblations to the clergy: but this is one of the cases of disagreement contemplated by the Rubric, which might very properly be referred to the diocesan for his ad- judication, by the Rector and Churchwardens, and not by the Vestry; who are not the parties on whom the law has devolved the care of this matter.

Dr. Penfold, after some introductory remarks, in which he mentioned that he had occupied his place at that board for forty-five years, read a written statement by himself, and a letter from the gentleman who had given a 251. note. We compress the substance of both together— Early in 1843, that gentleman, whose name is still withheld, and who appears to be in business, came to the conviction that he ought to devote a tenth part of his income to the service of the Church ; and he resolved to make quarterly pay- ments to his Rector, beginning in April 1843 with 111., sent through the post. He paid 171. 17s. in July. In October of that year, some change enabled him at once to attend church more regularly and to make larger payments; and he gave 251 at the offertory collection. Subsequently, he made his payments through the post; bat on the 14th of July he brought 251. to the church, to be paid at the offertory. On entering the church, he found that there was to be a collection for the schools, of which he was not before aware; and that rather embarrassed him; but, as he was to be out of town on the following Sunday, he determined to make his offering at once; and in order to its being applied as usual, and not to the school, he wrote upon the paper enclosing the note the words " For general pur- with pencil ; having previously written in ink " Tithe, 14th July 1844." E 'et the collection was counted, the note thus enclosed was claimed by Mr. Trit- ton, for the Rector. The treasurer of the school put in a counter-claim, and laid the matter before the Bishop of London. Dr. Penfold explained all the circum- stances to the Bishop ; who was perfectly satisfied, and intimated as much to the School Trustees; but they afterwards brought the matter before the Vestry. Learn mg the unpleeeent consequence of his own inadvertence, the donor of the note called upon Dr. Penfold, and offered to wait upon the Bishop. Not thinking that necessary, Dr. Penfold was content with asking that his brother Rector, the Dean of Chichester, should receive a similar explanation from the gentleman. In vin- dication of his motives and conduct, Dr. Penfold cited a variety of zealous services which he had rendered to the Girls Charity School for a period of nearly fifty years.

The Dean of Chichester fully corroborated this statement, on the autho- rity of the anonymous gentleman. To prevent division, Sir Peter Laurie suggested that Dr. Penfold should this time let the money go to the charity, and advise the liberal donor not again to fall into such an error as to the method of transmission. Dr. Penfold adopted that suggestion; under- taking to procure the concurrence of the donor. On the motion of Sir Peter Laurie, the discussion was adjourned to the next meeting of the Vestry, with a view that there would be no occasion to renew it.

Meetings to petition for repeal of the Window-tax were held, on Thurs- day evening, by the rate-payers in the parishes of Marylebone and t. James's.

The accounts of the St. Clement's Savings-Bank for the past year show depo- sits to the amount of 46,0091.; the amount paid to depositors, including interest, was 41,1821. There were during the year 2,536 depositors whose balances did not exceed 201.; 1,190 depositors above 201. and not exceeding 501.; 536 not ex- ceeding 1001.; 167 not exceeding 150/ ; 67 not exceeding 2001.; 16 charitable societies and 30 friendly societies were also depositors. The total number of open accounts was 4,542; the increase of accounts in the year being 127; the number of deposits during the year 9,304. The capital in the first year of the establishment was 2,4001.; in 1838 it was 52,7601.; and from that time it Re- gressively increased to 121,8181. in 1844.

The case of Lord Huntingtower came before the Court of Bankruptcy on Mon- day. Lord Dysart, the bankrupt's father, was among the spectators. The case had been adjourned, in order to await the decision of the Ecclesiastical Court, on proceedings between the Earl and Countess of Dysart; but they have been pro- longed by an appeal, and there was some conversation respecting a farther ad- journment. Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque thought it not too much to expect, that between the present time and that period the friends of the insolvent would see the necessity of endeavouring to make some arrangement to terminate this unsatisfactory, and, it was not too much to say, this disgraceful state of things. Mr. Chambers said, it was the hope that something of this sort would be done that made him refrain for the present from going into his case of opposition. Mr. James observed, that it was a lamentable fact, but such was the case, and Lord Huntingtower was ready to swear it, that he had not one shilling in the world for his support except that which he received through the affection and kindness of his mother; from the sum allowed by the Ecclesiastical Court for her mainte- nance. " I state that." said Mr. James emphatically, " in the face of this Court, in the presence of Lord Dysart." Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque—" Then it re- mains with Lord Dysart to consider whether it is proper to allow his eldest son, and the heir to his title at least, to be made here day by day a public spectacle. Lord Dysart made no observation, but smiled. A day in July was then named for Lord Huntingtower's next appearance.

An agent of the Commissioners of Excise has been charged at Worship Street Police-office, by the Whitechapel Commissioners of Pavements, with an infraction of the law in taking up a great extent of pavement in the vicinity of Messrs. Smith's distillery, not having first obtained permission of the Pavement Commis- sioners to do so. The case has been adjourned till the trial of Messrs. Smith has taken place in the Court of Exchequer.

From some proceedings at Queen Square Police-office, it appears that Mr. John Kinkeade, a retired tradesman living at Calais, has been defrauded to a oonsider - able extent by three persons whom he met at Calais, one of whore called himself Sir Edward Barry. Sir Edward and his friends were always expecting horses from England; but only two came: then they went to England to fetch the horses; and Mr. Kinkeade followed them into Rent—only to find that he had been duped in lending money to the titled gentleman on the security of the horses. One of the rogues is in custody.

George Hawkins, a reputed thief, and Mr. Henry John Craweour, a Jewish surgeon living in Old Gravel Lane, have been committed from the Thames Po- lice-office for burglary ; but Mr. Crawconr has been admitted to bail. The only evidence against the latter is that of a lad, who swore that lie saw Crawconr let Hawkins and another man out of the house which was robbed. A great number of witnesses spoke to the respectability of Craweour and of his connexions.

Mr. Joshua Brodrick, a Newcastle gentleman, was robbed of 8251. in bank-notes in the pit of Covent Garden Theatre, on Saturday evening. The notes were in an inside breast-pocket of his coat.

In the Coldbath Fields House of Correction, on Tuesday, Mr. Mills, an Ux- bridge Magistrate, investigated the charge against Lamb, a prisoner, of murder- ing. a lad—beaten to death in a wood, probably on account of some grudge—at Ruislip eight years ago. Sibley, a fellow-prisoner, declared that Lamb had con • fessed to him that lie was the murderer. Other evidence tending to implicate Lamb was heard, and he was committed for trial. He merely observed, referring to Sibley's statement, " All I have got to say, gentlemen, is, that I never named it to him, if 1 was to die momently."

Blake, a supernumerary at Astley's, has lost his life from the effects of a fall during the performance of the pantomime on Monday evening. He was one of a number of persons who were tripped up by Clown and Pantaloon as they left a shop; and he fell flat and heavily on the stage, by which the metallic portion of a truss which he wore was forced into his abdomen; and he died on IN'isines- day morning.

Frederick Case, a young sawyer, has been killed at a saw-mill in Old St. Pan- cras Road, by falling upon a circular saw while it was in full operation: his skull and brain were sawn through; yet he lived for several days after the accident.

An oil-shop in the Whitechapel Road was burnt down on Thursday morning, by the ignition of some naphtha which was drawn off from a cask. From the combustible nature of the stock the premises were speedily gutted ; while por- tions were blown down by repeated explosions. Mr. Baylis, the shopkeeper, and his family, were in the upper part of the house when the naphtha ignited, and they had a narrow escape with their lives.