The formal prorogation of Parliament, to the 25th of next
month, took place on Thursday, in the Library of the late House of Lords, which is again partly furnished with books, &c. A gold-burnished chair was amounted at the extremity to represent the splendid throne (of George the Fourth), now no more ; and in front of it appeared a seat or form for the Lords Commissioners, and a miniature representation of the woolsack : there were also benches on each side, and even cross- benches, and all were duly covered with scarlet cloth. There was a large table in the centre of the chamber ; and on it the identical boxes, it was stated, that heretofore appeared on the table of the older houw. At the cud of one of the cross-benches, appeared seated, taking minutes as coolly as if nothing had happened, Mr. Courtenay, the First Clerk, regularly robed and wigged ; and as regularly robed and wigged appeared Mr. Currey to read the commission. The Commons and their Representatives assembled in the Committee-rooms of the Lords, Nos. 4 and 5, which are situated on the other side of the Royal Gallery, and in the range of new buildings not approached by the fire. Mr. Rickman, one of the Clerks, appeared in the place of the Speaker, on receiving the usual summons ; accompanied by Sir James Graham, Mr. Stewart Mackenzie, and a few other Members of the House. There were about a dozen Peers present. The Lord Chancellor then prorogued the Parliament in the usual words ; and several Peers, with their Ladies, took the opportunity to see as much of the ruins as they were allowed to approach.
There have been meetings of the Privy Council in the Cockpit at Whitehall every day this week, to examine witnesses, and collect in- formation relative to the origin of the fire in the Houses of Parliament. Some accounts-of what is said to have passed at these meetings have appeared in the newspapers ; but as the investigation is carried on with closed doors, and no reporter except Mr. Gurney, the short-hand- writer, is admitted. much reliance cannot be placed on the statement of what is said to have taken place. According, however, to these accounts, Mrs. Wright, the housekeeper, having been examined, gave evidence that she perceived an unusual heat in the building on Thurs- day morning, and sent three times ro James Scott, the man who was employed in burning the Exchequer tallies, to desire him to be careful. –Reynolds, a boy, who delivered the messages gave the same evidence. Scott himself, however, denied positively the having received any message at all. lie was careful, he says, in burning the tallies, and cannot tell how the [louse was set on fire. The flames burst forth after he had done his work, and apparently from many places at once. This man underwent a severe examination by the Attorney-General; and it was elicited, that he had been, in early life, transported for a felony.
Many reports have been circulated as to the fire being known in Cheltenham, Worcester, and Dudley, on Thursday evening, before it was possible that intelligence of the event could have been received from London : but the only well-authenticated story of this kind rests upon the authority of a Mr. Cooper, of the firm of Cooper, Hall, and Co., stove-manufacturers in Drury Lane ; who said, that he heard the fire mentioned by several persons in Dudley as early as ten o'clock on Thursday, though the fire was not discovered till half-past six o'clock in London, and Dudley is a hundred and nineteen miles distant from the Metropolis. Mr. Cooper is quite positive that Thursday was the day, as he left Dudley urn the Friday following at noon, in the Shrewsbury Regulator coach, for London. As soon as the Lord Chancellor, who was at the Council board, heard this " be suggested the absolute necessity of having the guard of the Shrewsbury coach before them ; arid messengers were immediately despatched to procure his attendance." But he was then absent on the road. This was on Tuesday ; and on Wednesday this important witness appeared before the Privy Council; but all he could tell 'them was, that he passed through Dudley on Friday noon, and that all his passengers were Oxford collegians, except two gentlemen, one of whom booked himself in his right name, he supposes, and the other was simply described as " a gentleman." On Thursday, he was confronted with Mr. Cooper, and recognized him as the " gentleman."
The King arid Queen visited the smoking ruins on Saturday, in company with Sir Charles Manners Sutton, who is now living with Sir. Baillie, the Member for Bristol, in Seamore Place. A long penny-a- line account is given of their Majesties' grief on viewing the " calamitous spectacle :" but their stay was cut short, we are told, by the apparition of Lord Beverley and " a lady:" the King spoke a few words to the Lord, but it does riot appear that the Queen noticed the " lady;" and both King and Queen soon took their departure,---not, however, until the kind King had ordered some money to be given for the relief of those who suffered injuries of various kinds on the night of the fire.
Vast crowds of people have of course been to view the scene of disaster ; but now most of the avenues are boarded up, and placards with " Bewair of dangir '.' are posted up in till directions. The tire has not yet been entirely extinguished—it continues smouldering among the coals in the vaults; the engines therefore are almost constantly playing. Lord Duncamion was not among the noblemen and gentlemen who dis- tinguished themselves on the night of the fire : his Lordship is at present
in Ireland. Lord Hill, and Captain Thornton, who was employed in the naval service of Dolma Maria, are mentioned among the most active and discreet of the persons who directed the firemen and Police. Sir.
Hume has written a letter to the newspapers, bearing testimony to the good conduct of the soldiers ; and it is now asserted that the Speaker's wine was not touched. As to the good conduct of the military, how- ever, that is not so clearly made out. The True San mentions one case of robbery by a soldier, which a policeman of the B division detected; and another soldier, as we see by the Police accounts, was under a similar charge at the Queen Square Office. Among the records missing, is the warrant for the execution of Charles the First. Sir John Hobbouse, Lords Auckland, Melbourne, Mulgrave, and other Ministers, have more than once been on the ground examining plans, ice.
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