t4E Yiittrufulio.

The Corporation of London is reforming itself apparently, anticipating the broom of the Home Secretary. Last week, the Town Clerk inti- mated far and wide, that all persons on the Parliamentary register, who would attend at the Chamberlain's office between eleven and three o'clock, would be admitted to the freedom of the City, with a right to vote for Aldermen and Councillors. The applicants were instant and numerous, and the officers were not prepared for the first batch ; but a reinforcement of clerks having arrived, claimants were registered at the rate of 200 a day. It is supposed that the total addition will be upwards of 4000.

A fortnight ago, the Lord Mayor received a requisition to call a Com- mon Hall to receive the report of a Committee appointed to give effect to the opposition to Sir George Grey's City Reform Bill. He called the meeting for Monday, but there was some "mistake in the arrangements," some failure to serve " notices," and the Lord Mayor had the mortifica- tion of attending at the Guildhall to explain these misadventures. The meeting was fixed for next Tuesday. Few persons were present.

The Commission of Sewers has discovered, that in consequence of an omission on the part of the Remembrancer, the Electric Telegraph Com- pany have obtained a right to pull up the pavements. The Commission, indignant thereat, has ordered a Committee to see what can be done.

At length the Metropolitan Board of Works have come to a second decision with regard to the sewage. After a long discussion, on Wed- nesday, the following singular resolution was adopted by 24 to 7, on the motion of Mr. Deputy Harrison-

" That the engineer's plan, marked B in his report dated the 26th Sep- tember 1856, [providing for the discharge of the sewage into the river at Halfway Reacla,] be adopted, and presented to the Commissioners of her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings ; and that it be intimated to them, that this Board have also had under consideration other plans for dis- charging the sewage into the river below Gravesend, but that it appearing that such extension would add between 1,000,0001. and 2,000,000/. to the outlay, and that this sum would be spent not to benefit the inhabitants of the metropolis, but to meet the wishes of the people of Kent and Essex who reside on the banks of the river, this Board has declined to entertain any such scheme : nevertheless, if it shall be the opinion of her Majesty's Government that such an extension is desirable, this Board.will readily un- dertake the work, the Government.providing such additional outlay out of the national revenue."

In the Court of Bankruptcy, on Monday, before Commissioners Holroyd and Goulburn, the directors of the Royal British Bank and one shareholder showed cause against the adjudication of bankruptcy. As some question might arise on the debt of Mr. Burke, the petitioning creditor, other credi- tors were produced to prove debts. Counsel for the directors then argued against the bankruptcy ; urging, that under the charter of the bank the company could not be made bankrupt; the bank had been dissolved, and a winding-up had been ordered by the Court of Chancery—the Bankruptcy Court could not override Chancery. All the property of the bank was now vested in the official manager—an assignee would have no assets to deal with. The bankruptcy. proceedings would cause a large and unnecessary expenditure. The official manager having possession, the bank could not be made bankrupt, for its means of payment having been taken out of its hands, how could it perform an act of bankruptcy ? Counsel urged the Commission- en to avoid a collision with Chancery, and save expense, by dismissing the petition.

The Commissioners, without calling on the counsel who appeared in sup- port of the petition, postponed their decision till Wednesday.

Mr. Commissioner Holroyd gave judgment on Wednesday. He pro- nounced adversely on all the points raised by counsel for the directors. It was true the company had ceased to do business after the 3d September so far as paying creditors was concerned ; but they had continued to receive money. An act of bankruptcy had been committed, and an adjudication of bankruptcy had been made, before the official manager under Chancery had been appointed : the property had become vested in the official assignee on the 9th October, the official manager had not been appointed till the 13th. The procen.p. in Bankruptcy and those in Chancery are at the instance of two different classft,—the first in the interest of the creditors, the second in that of the shareholders. Was it seasonable that creditors should have no power to act in defence of their interest? There were no equitable grounds for annulling the adjudication. A collision between the two courts was to be deprecated, but it cannot for a moment be anticipated. The assignees will take legal advice as to applying to the Court of Chancery to obtain possession of the assets. The Commissioner thought the Legislature could never have intended that the contributories should be able to obtain an order for winding-up before the creditors could compel the completion of an act of bankruptcy. He confirmed the adjudication. Mr. Commissioner Goal- burn briefly expressed his concurrence. Mr. James Wyld said, the creditors would be happy to hear of this decision • he hoped now, for the sake of all, that the estate would be wound-up entirely under Bankruptcy.

A jeweller's shop in Parliament Street was the scene of a daring outrage on Monday. One Joseph Jenkins went into the shop, about nine in the evening, and, apparently without provocation, attacked the shopman, Rich- ard Cope, beating him on the head with a " life-preserver." Persons stand- ing before the door did not interfere ; but a passer-by, Lorin, a porter, looked in and called out, "For God's sake, secure that man !" Whereupon Jenkins lighted a cigar and walked off, followed by Lerigs, crying, "Stop him !" A policeman complied with the request. Cope was carried to the hospital at Charing Cross, where he lies in great danger. It appears that each night the contents of the shop had been removed to a place of security, and that Cope carried away a sham parcel, intended to deceive the thieves : it was the object of Jenkins to seize this parcel. He carried it off, but threw it away.

Elizabeth Gaylor, wife of William Gaylor, a carpenter of Hackney, has died prematurely from taking sulphate of potass. This mineral is seldom used in medicine, and hardly an instance has occurred of its employment as a poison ; abroad is a goocl deal used to procure abortion. When Gaylor was taken before the Worship Street Magistrate, last week, charged with

having murdered his wife, ' be denied the charge • but he had admitted that he purchased the sulphate of potass, at his wife's desire ' - and she had taken it to procure a miscarriage. He has been committed. An inquest was held on Tuesday. The cause of death was clear • but it was proved that the de- ceased was not pregnant. A witness stated that the Gaylors lived comfort- ably together. The Jury appear to have arrived at the conclusion that Mrs. Gaylor took the sulphate which her husband had procured, withhis consent, the object of both being an unlawful one ; for they returned verdicts of " Wilful murder against William Gaylor," and " Felo de se against Eliza- beth Gaylor."

Mr. Octavius King, a young man who has carried on a large business as a corn-factor at Dullingham, near Newmarket, was placed before the Lord Mayor at the Mansionhouse on Saturday, charged with having forged three bills of exchange of 15001. each. The prosecutors were the National Dis- count Company. King had corresponded with the company on the subject of discounting bills. One morning, Mr. Shipton, a manager of the com- pany, received a letter from King requesting that a bill enclosed might be discounted. The bill was for 15001. • it purported to be drawn by " O. and A. King," and to be accepted by Bovill and Co., the corn-factors of Mark Lane, payable at Twining's bank. The next letter opened by Mr. Shipton was also from King ; it contained two bills for 15001. each, one purporting to be accepted by Bovill and Co., the other by Coventry and Co., corn-factors in Mark Lane ; King desired that they might be discounted. Mr. Shipton, surprised, looked at the enve- lope of this second letter—it was addressed to the "London Discount Company," a concern in course of formation; and it had been delivered to the National Company by the mistake of the postman. Mr. Shipton's suspicions were aroused ; inquiries were made ; and it was discovered that the acceptances were forged. Gentlemen from the two firms proved this on Saturday. Mr. Bovill, in answer to the prisoner's counsel, said he had had transactions with the prisoner in the last few years amounting to more than 100,0001. Daniel Forrester, the officer who arrested King at Newmarket, stated, that when he said to him, " Mr. Bovill states that the acceptance to this bill is not in his bandwritang," King paused for a few moments, and then said, "It is not." Forrester told him who he was : King said "he had not done it with the intention to defraud." He was about to add some- thing, when the officer cautioned him, and he desisted. The accused was re- manded.

On Thursday, King was fully committed. On the same day, Octavius and Alfred King were adjudicated bankrupts in the Court of Bankruptcy : it is supposed that the debts are not less than 30,0001.

The town was ringing on Monday morning with rumours of an unusual and truly horrible accident which had occurred on Sunday evening at the Music Hall of the Surrey Gardens : eight persons had been killed, and some scores been more or less severely hurt.

For some time past a notorious preacher, known as the Reverend Mr. Spurgeon, has attracted large congregations by his extravagant appeals ad 11011111nm. Recently he held forth in Exeter Hall ; and on such occasions, before the doors were opened or when the hall was crammed full, consider- able inconvenient* was caused by the mob blocking up the pavement in the Strand. At length the proprietors declined to let the hall to the Boanerges of the hour ; and an idea was started by his disciples that he should preach in some large place, in order that funds might be collected to aid hi the erection of a conventicle capable of holding fifteen thonsmul People ! One of his " deacons," a Mr. Moore, states that he suggested the Music Hall in the Surrey Gardens as an appropriate place • and that, Mr. SP( :1.-ei reluctantly yielding to his advice, the deacons biked the hall for four ,nhajda s, at 151. per ing ht. This is entered by three wide doors—one in the centre and one at each side at which latter are also the vomitories or exits of the staircases leading from the three tiers of galleries. These staircases are of stone, with a light iron balustrade surmounted by a mahogany hand-rail„ and are of a spiral form, running up each tower at the extremity of the building. It is calculated that the number of persons present at the ex- hibition on Sunday evening exceeded seven thousand, besides crowds outside the hall. This vast congregation was accommodated partly in the area and partly in the galleries. The preacher's post was on the orcheateal- platform. He had proceeded some way in the service usual on such oc,ea- mons, when, from some cause not satisfactorily ascertained, there arose

cries some say of " Fire !" some say " The roof, the roof others " The building, the building!" Whatever may have been the first cause of alarm the congregation was seized with a panic terror. The occupants of the galleries arose in dismay and all pressed to one stair-head ; those who were nearest to the outlets in the area rushed at them ; screams arose and hoarser cries ; and the masses from above and below went surging forward, having lost all self-control. Those nearest the opening from the galleries were the first to run. Some of them fell ; others fell over them ; and above the prostrate bodies the crowd, pressed from behind, rushed down. Then the staircase became choked up ; a portion of the balustrade gave way, and scores fell through. A woman was seen holding her child by its clothing over the balustrade to save it from the press : when the crowd grew calmer, and there was room to move, this woman's husband threw his arm round a woman by his side who appeared to have fainted—she was dead 1 Dead bodies lay at the bottom of the stairs. Some persons in the area had broken the windows on the ground-floor and had crept through into the gardens. At the first outbreak of the panic, Mr. Spurgeon, in spite of the entreat- ies of the Police Superintendent Lund, who happened to be present, con- tinued the service. Twice he and his deacons attempted to sing hymns the horrible uproar drowned their voices. One of the deacons exclaimed, " This gathering tonight has aroused Satan, and he will not allow the ser- vice to go on without attempting to interrupt it." There were cries of " False alarm !" " Take care of your pockets !" and such like ; but they availed not. At this stage Mr. Spurgeon seems to have decided that it would be better to induce the congregation to go home ; but the announce- ment that he would not preach gave "great dissatisfaction," and produced cries of "Go on, preach !" He is reported to have said—" My friends, what shall I preach about ? You bid me preach tonight. I am ready to do all I can ; but in the midst of all this confusion what shall be my subject ? May God's Holy Spirit give me a subject on this solemn occasion. My friends, there is a terrible day coming, when the terror and alarm of this evening shall be as nothing. 'That will be a time when the thunder and lightning and blackest darkness shall have their fullest power ; when the earth shall reel to and fro beneath us, and when the arches of the solid heavens shall totter to their centre. The day is coming when the clouds shall reveal their wonders and portent, and Christ shall sit upon those clouds in glory, and shall call you tojudgment. Many men have gone away tonight us the midst of this terrible confusion, and so shall it be on that great day. I can, however, believe that the results of that day will show that there will be a great many—not a less proportion than those who now remain to those who have left—who will stand the ordeal of that great day. . . . . Many were afraid to stop here, because they thought if they stopped they would be damned. They were aware—and many of you are aware—that if you were hurried before your Maker tonight, you would be brought there unshriven, unpardoned, and condemned. But what are your terrors now, to what they will be on that terrible day of reckoning of the Almighty, when the heaven shall shrink above you, and hell open her mouth beneath you ? " [Then the agitation and tremor of the preacher be- came painfully visible, and he broke off his discourse by saying—] " You ask me to preach, but how can I after this terrible scene ? My brain is in a whirl, and I scarcely know where I am, so great are my apprehensions that many persona must Lave been injured by rushing out." A hymn was sung ; the audience did not move, and Mr. Spurgeon once more spoke—" This event will, I trust, teach us the necessity of having a building of our own. We thought we had a sufficient number of police present to preserve order; but we have been disappointed. When once a cry is raised to serve the pur- pose of thieves, you all run away like silly sheep, and thus create the con- fusion which it is the object of those parties to create and to profit by I am attempting an impossibility; rt is impossible for me to preach to you this night. I know not how to speak to you." Finally, Mr. Spurgeon re- tired, completely exhausted ; and was hurried out of the gardens by a pri- vate door.

At the close, mon and boys hurried about with boxes asking contribu- tions ; and some one remarked, in a loud voice, that " although no sermon had been preached, still the large expense of the hall must be paid, and he hoped the congregation on leaving would not omit to aid by their oontribu- tions in defraying the charge." It is denied that these collections were made by authority. The dead, seven in number—six women and one man—were taken out of the press. The bodies of the adults were carried to the Newington Workhouse except that of one woman ; the body of the boy was taken away by hie father. One woman has died since Sunday. The worst of the other cases were taken to Guy's Hospital, but many of the victims were carried home by their friends.

On Monday evening, a meeting was held at "the Park Street Chapel, Southwark," Mr. Spurgeon's head-quarters. Here Mr. Moore, one of the " deacons," made a characteristic statement. "Had it not been for an over- whelming sense of duty, I never could have come here tonight. I am more fit to be in bed. I never passed through a more miserable and distress- ing day than this has been. With regard to the origin of the alarm last night, there is no doubt that it originated from wicked, designing men. If ever Satan was permitted to take human appearance and walk the earth, it was on last night. Oh, that dreadful scene ! But I must now let you know what particulars I have ascertained concerning the extent of the calamity, as preaching tonight is quite impossible. At an early hour this morning I was at the gardens, and found that seven persons had been killed, five of whom are lying at the workhouse, and about twenty-five or twenty- seven others more or less mutilated. 'Some of these, we fear, will not recover; but we must hope for the best. You are anxious to hear about our poor pastor —he is very bid. Very bad, I say, not from any injuries or bruises he has received, but from the extreme tension on his nerves, and his great anxiety. So bad is he that we were fearful for his mind this morning. Under these circumstances, only one thing could be done, that is, to send him into the country away from the scene. As we knew that a great num- ber of people would call at his house during the day, we sent him early this morning ; so that none of his engagements can be entered into this week. From information I have just received, I am enabled to tell you that tonight he is a little better, but still very prostrate. Mr. Olney (another deacon) ie ill in bed. Let us be more merciful to our enemies of last night than they were to us. That wicked wretch—that man whom we are justified in ceiling a miscreant —who first gave the dreadful signal by which so much life was lost—[here Mr. Moore, with many of his audience, bunt into tearsi—let ue even pray for him. Who knows but that he may one day stand in this room and own his great crime, and seek for repentance ? "

Mr. Carter, the Coroner for East Surrey, opened an inquiry into the cir- cumstances on Tuesday. Little evidence was taken beyond what was neces- sary to identify the bodies ; and the inquest was adjourned till Friday. Mr. Moore made a further report on the state of Mr. Spurgeon on Thurs- day, at a meeting in the Park Street Chapel. Mr. Spurgeon was better, but still suffering from the shock, and secluded by his medical attendant. Mr. Moore had faint hopes that he would be present, but none that he woul preach next Thursday. He also said—" We are likely to bring at least one of the perpetrators of the outrage last Sunday to justice. We have received information this evening, which it is our intention to follow up, and which we hope will result in the apprehension of one or more of the offenders."

Correspondents of the limes have chronicled the noble daring of an iron- safe-maker, Malpas, of Long Alley, Moorfields, exhibited at a fire in that neighbourhood on Tuesday evening. The upper part of a house in Eldon Street was in flames; in the third floor was a woman in imminent peril ; a ladder was got—it was too short ; a number of men held it up ; Malpas rushed up the ladder through smoke and fire, dashed in the window with his naked hands, drew out the woman, and brought her safely to the ground, amid the cheers of the excited crowd.