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AlCourt of Aldermen was held on Tuesday, for the despatch of business*.

The Lord Mayor took his seat for the first time in his new official cape- paelty, and in modest terms bespoke the coiiperation of his brother Magis- laztee in the dispensation of justice and the performance of his priblic duties.

Sir Peter Laurie moved the thanks of the Court to the late Lord Mayor; accompanying the motion with a eulogy on the-efficiency of his rule in the past year. Alderman Farebrother seconded the motion with cordiality. The vote was carried by acclamations, and it was ordered that a copy of it he sent to Alderman Hooper.

The report of the annual return to the Secretary of State on the City prisons having been brought up, Alderman Sidney drew attention to the state of the Giltspur Street Prison, which has become dangerously crowded from the additional numbers now apprehended for vagrancy under the stricter rules adopted by the City Commissioner of Police. He observed that in the regulations of the Bridewell Hospital the institution had fallen from the manifest intention of its founders; which, if carried out, would obviate a vast amount of destitution in London. He moved for a commit- tee of inquiry into the state of the Giltspur Street Compter and the Bride- well Hospital.

Alderman Farebrother seconded the motion; and contrasted the com- passion bestowed on some heinous murderers with the general callousness to the sufferings of the thousands of deserving poor.

The Lord Mayor stated, that the influx of vagrants had been so great within the last few days, that he had considered it necessary to apply to the office of the Secretary of State upon so serious a subject. He assured the Court and the public, that there were brought before him every hour of the day parties of both sexes, regardless of all law and authority; and he hoped the community would not be led away by any undue sympathies. Vagrancy had increased to a most enormous extent, and he was sorry to say that Ireland contributed a most frightful proportion.

The subject was referred to the Gaol Committee. Upon the motion of Alderman Humphery, the Gaol Committee was in- structed to consider the adoption of more effectual means for the suppres- sion or correction of racing lotteries.

Similar compliments to the new and the late Lord Mayor passed at a Court of Common Council on Thursday.

Mr. Charles Pearson, M.P., the City Solicitor, has laid before the Court of Aldermen, on their directions, a statement of his plans for the im- prisonment of wilful and profligate female vagrants. The report has been printed for consideration of the Aldermen of the Gaol Committee. Mr. Pearson begins by stating that he has had his plans and estimates pre- pared upon the assumption that the number of persons, of the particular class to which his proposal has reference, requiring accommodation, may possibly amount to three hundred, and that the capacity of the building may at any time be increased according to circumstances. A building for three hundred adapted to the discipline he suggests, may, he states on com- petent professional authority, be erected for 9,500/.; which, at 5 per cent, will cost 32s. per annum for the lodging of each inmate, and that such a building may be commenced and finished within the space of three months. He says-

" In the present case, the persons to be dealt with are for the most part idle, profligate, reckless women and girls, vagrants, tramps, and paupers; many of whom actually break windows, riot in workhouses, and maliciously destroy pro- perty, that they may get into gaol and share the comforts, which our prisons afford.

The object of the proposed plan is to repress the system by two modes- " 1. Punishment, by means of privation of liberty and the enforcement of si- lence, with low diet and hard work: "2. Cocreciion, by stimulating habits of industry, and by awakening and strengthening in the prisoners their powers of self-control. " Beyond the attainment of these objects, every shilling expended upon the

building of a gaol, either in its ornament, -strength, or comfort, is, in my opinion, unjust to those who provide the funds, and a mockery of the honest hard-working

poor. The system of discipline proposed aims at establishing habits of manual ocen_ patios, combined with moral and religious instruction, in the same proportions s, would be the lot of the labouring poor in a well-ordered community. It is pro- posed to call these habits into action, by raising from time to time the rate of diet from the lowest the law allows to the standard of a well-regulated workhouse, and by abridging the duration of imprisonment according to the amount of con-. -tuitions labour and good conduct of each class of prisoners, classified according to the age, strength, and capacity of each individual. Every hour of a prisoner's life wasted and every shilling of the public money expended in prison discipline not warranted by these objects, is, in my opinion, a misapplication of time and money."

The great expense of modern prisons, he observes, "arises from their in- appropriate adornment, their unnecessary strength, and their unsuitable in- dulgences both in the building and management; an expense chiefly ren- dered necessary by the cellular system now in practice." Taking Reading House of Correction as an example of the evils of the present system, he points out that the great expense of that establishment is caused by the necessity that exists for keeping up artificially the means of warmth and ventilation in the cells; keeping awake the tagging energies of the inmates, whilst -a high description of diet is at the same time rendered necessary.

The prison recommended in -the report. is a plain building without pre- tensions to beauty, and only with as much strength as is necessary to se- curity. "Each cell is enclosed by thick planking, united by iron tongues, and fastened by strong iron castings at the top and bottom, and enclosed with wrought iron bars at the top of the plank division of each cell, at a height of six, seven, or eight feet, as the case may be." They are to be eight feet by four, inside measure; but as they are to be open at the top, there will be abundance of light and air. The warming and ventilation will be adequately provided for by means-of apparatus communicating with each cell. As-" the prisoners will not be condemned to solitude during the hours of work, except as a prison punishment, the perfect equality of tem- perature which is necessary for the tender plants of the solitary system will not be required, and thus a considerable amount of original outlay and annual cost will be avoided." The cells will be distributed over six differ- ent wards, and thus the superintendent will be able to classify the inmates.

" If any one will not work, neither shall he eat,' is a law of God, as appli- cable to a prisoner as to any other member of the community. The most efficient deterring and reformatory agent of prison discipline would be a system that re- quired a prisoner to do more-bodily work for less bodily comforts than the same quantity of work would procure for the honest portion of the labouring classes. This has been found hitherto impracticable in this country, because it has been only attempted by means of compulsory labour; which, like slave-labour of every kind, is comparatively unproductive, and irritates and hardens the heart whenever it is enforced.

"By making the diet and the duration of imprisonment of each individual depend upon his own continuous industry and good conduct in gaol, you would create in each a disposition to labour, and a power of self-control that would effectually secure orderly and industrious conduct in prison, and form habits cal- culated upon his discharge to keep alive the same stimulus, which would lead to an equally beneficial result, whether in a state of freedom in his own country or transplanted to one of our colonies where labour is more in demand." Mr. Pearson adds, that he is satisfied the measure he has proposed is well adapted to the general class of male as well as female prisoners, both juveniles and adults, which constitute the great mass of our prison popula- tion; and an addition to effect this object would not entail an extra ex- pense of above 750/. upon the building.

An adjourned meeting of gentlemen interested in establishing a "British Bank," on the principle of the Scottish banks, was held on Wednesday, at the London Tavern. Mr. M`Gregor, M.P., was called to the chair; and a report from the Committee appointed by the previous meeting, detailing the steps taken by them in furtherance of the undertaking, having been presented and approved of, it was stated to the meeting that a list of di- rectors, in every way cakulatedto inspire confidence, would be published shortly.

Frederick White, the soldier who attempted to rob two of the French National Guards on their late visit to London, was publicly dismissed from his regiment, the Second Battalion of Grenadier Guards, at the Tower, on Monday. After inspecting the battalion in the morning, Sir Ord Honeyman, the Colonel, called White from the ranks, and thus addressed him—" Frederick White, the crime of which you have been convicted by the civil power is at all times considered most disgraceful and degrading to the character of a soldier; but, considering the con- sequences resulting from it in your case, it is a crime of the deepest die. You robbed a soldier of the French National Guard, a stranger in this country, who, in the generous warmth of the moment on meeting a fellow soldier, invited you to drink. In robbing hire, you committed an act which not only stamped your own name with inamy, but compromised the character of the whole British Army; for that soldier, on his return to his own country, beyond all doubt pub- lished through the milks of the French Army that he had been robbed ill England, and that the robbery had been perpetrated by a soldier of the Queen of England's Guards. What atonement can you make for the stain you have thus cast on the character of the soldiery of England ? What atonement for having outraged the feelings of every good soldier in the Army ?- None. The sacrifice of your miserable existence would not redeem the deed. The only consolation left us is, that you will no longer be suffered to disgrace our ranks: and I trust that, as the knowledge of your crime has been spread far and wide, so the fact that we have expelled you, and thus done all that lies in our power to punish you and to redeem our fair fame, will become as extensively known to the world. I have the command of his Grace the Commander-in-chief to dismiss you, as utterly unworthy of serving in the British Army; and his Grace desires me at the same time to express to the regiment his regret, that, in consequence of your having been already tried by the civil authorities for your offence, it is not in his power to bring you to a court-martial, in order that you might have been drummed out of the regiment and disgraced with all the ignominy which the rules of the service permit." White was then marched out of the precincts of the barracks.

In the Court of Bankruptcy, on Saturday, Mr. Commissioner Goulburn gave judgment on the application of Mr. C. E. Jones, sculptor, for his certificate; which was opposed on the ground of excessive expenditure. It appeared that Mr. Jones had been employed to execute busts of the Queen, Prince Albert, Louis Phil1ppe2 and other distinguished personages; and had executed no fewer than ore hundin and twenty in the course of four years. The Commissioner determined to msx,, an order similar to that made in the case of Lord Huntingtower. "He only grant the certificate after the bankrupt had executed a bond binding liniseir to report, at stated periods, the amount of his earnings to the official as • eel and likewise to set apart one half of these to the payment of his creditors. ru

motion would be granted for a fortnight; and when the bankrupt had fulfilled the above conditions, the Court would sign an order for his certificate."

At liarylebone Police-office, on Tuesday, the Baroness St. Mart was finally examined on the charge of stealing two diamonds rings the property of Sir John Hare. Two witnesses were examined, and spoke a some of the circum- stances of the case. Mr. Ballantine reserved the defence for another tribunal. The accused was committed for trial, but bail was permitted: it was immediately forthcoming, and the lady was liberated.

At the Mansionhouse, on Monday, Elizabeth Johnson was charged with assist- ing William Edwards in carrying out an organized scheme of begging-letter im- postures. Edwards was sent to prison some months since, for his share of the impostures: the Duke of Cambridge and several other noblemen had been his victims. Johnson evaded arrest till last Saturday. She now admitted the facts charged; saying—" My Lord, the man is right: I had the money." The Lord Mayor—" Prisoner, your calling is one of the most base and mischievous: it is calculated to stop up the sources of charity, and to expose those who have real claims upon the benevolent to the extremity of starvation. I have good reason to suppose that you are one of the most indefatigable members of an extensive gang." The Prisoner--" As for the Duke of Cambridge, I served three months in the House of Correction for his Royal Highness, and I admit that I was in that busi- ness; but I do assure you there are worse persons about town than me. The of- ficers would do well to look after some others." The Lord Mayor—" If I can catch them, I shall certainly punish them as well as you." The Prisoner- " Thank you, my Lord. I hope you'll tell the officers to be on the look-out. There's new dodges every day. I had the money, I confess." She was sent to Bridewell for three months.

At Clerkenwell Police-office, on Tuesday, the robber Barrymore was reexamined. Three additional cases were gone into, and each was proved. They were all of the same description. In one, the man went to the house of Mr. Wilkinson, who is employed at Meux's brewery, and told Mrs. Wilkinson that her husband had met with an accident and desired her to hasten to the brewery. When she had hurried thither, Barrymore returned to the house, and got a handle of clothes from a set vent. Besides the four robberies on which the fellow was committed for trial, there were many of other persons present; but it was not deemed neces- sary to enter upon the cases.

At the Southwark Police-office, on Monday, Moor, Hodgson, and their accom- plices, were reexamined. The catalogue of their delinquencies seems endless. Mr. Self, a confectioner of Camberwell, was swindled of 151. by Hodgson; who pretended that he had extensive tobacco plantations at New Orleans, but was short of money from the non-arrival of a cargo of produce. He declared that General Callender was a friend of his; and he did really take Mr. Self to the General's house. General Callender afterwards told Mr. Self that he suspected Hodgson was a swindler, and remarked that he had missed some plate. Messrs. Kidd and Co., lace-dealers in Wood Street, trusted one Webb to the extent of 1301. on Hodgson's representation that he was a respectable man. Mr. Gibson, a shoe- mercer of Lisle Street, was defrauded of goods to the value of 301 by Moor. The prisoners are to be committed for trial on Monday next.

The local authorities of Marylebone have resolved, under the provisions of their district act of Parliament, to publish the names of any tradesman of the district who shall have been three times convicted of using false or fraudulent weights and measures, and to cause the name, residence, and calling, and the cir- cumstances attendant on the conviction, to be publicly advertised in the morning newspapers.

About midnight on the 17th, a fire was discovered in Lloyd's Commercial Room in the Royal Exchange. An alarm was raised, and firemen were soon on the spot. Some of the bond-timber in a window recess and near a stove had taken fire: a portion of the building was cut away, and the fire was extinguished. Mr. Payne, the City Coroner, held an inquiry on Monday. The stove, it appeared in evidence, had been so placed that the heat had been conveyed by an iron band to the wood-work of the window-sill and the frame. A'fireman said that sufficient Care had not been used in placing the stove. The Jury returned this verdict— "That, having made doe inquiry into the cause of the tire, they find that it was caused by the want of due precaution in the Mang of the stove, between which and the wood-work of the window the apace is so small as to require the greatest precaution in the setting of the same : that no evidence having been brought forward to enable them to form an opinion as to whether the repairs consequent on the fire have been properly executed, they recommend the Committee of Lloyd's to investigate this point, and to inquire into the mode adopted in the setting of the stoves in other parts of the establishment."

Very early on Tuesday morning, a fire was discovered by a policeman in St. Matthew's Church, City Road. A portion of the floor, some matting, and a form, were on fire; but from the timely discovery of the disaster, the flames were soon extinguished. The cause of the fire is stated to have been the carelessness of workmen in dropping sparks from a candle.

A floor-cloth and table-cover mannfactory, near the canal bridge in the Kings land Road, was burnt down on Thursday morning; and no fewer than twenty ad- joining houses were more or less damaged.

Early on the morning of the 17th, the driver of a luggage-train on the Rich- mond Railway, while crossing Barnes Common saw what appeared to be the stuffed figure of a man reclining against the wooden fencing of the line. The train was stopped, and the people approached the object. "-They were horror- struck at finding a human being, surrounded by a pool of blood, and not only dead, but partly frozen: the blood was easily traced in a direct line to the up- rail, and here it was evident the accident, whatever it was, had happened; but that the unfortunate victim should after its occurrence have crawled to the spot he was found in, would have been considered impossible, had it not been that the grass and weeds which he had convulsively grasped and torn up in his strug- gle to get removed out of danger fully confirmed that fact. His left foot had been all but severed, a tendon only uniting it to the leg; and the sufferer, who was found with an open pocket-knife firmly grasped in his right hand, had cut away his leather gaiter, prior, as is supposed, to Ins intended entire severance of the limb, when he sank from exhaustion, and literally died from loss of blood." It turned out that the deceased was John Sharp, a hawker; aged about fifty. He had left Richmond the preceding evening in an up-train, had probably fallen asleep, and, not waking at the Barnes station, where he ought to have got out, bad attempted to alight while the train was in motion. The verdict of the Coro- ner's inquest was "Accidental death."