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THE WASHINGTON DINNER.

On the 22d, the birthday of Washington, the American Association in London celebrated the anniversary by a dinner at Willis's Rooms. Only members and associates were of the party. General Campbell, the American Consul in London, President of the Association, was to have presided on the occasion ; but a severe attack of illness unex- pectedly prevented him from attending. In his absence the Vice-Presi- dent, Mr. Croskey, was called to the chair. Amongst those present were General John E. Ward, United States Envoy to Pekin, and Mr. W. W. Ward, the Secretary of Legation at Pekin ; the Honourable Ro- bert Dale Owen, late American Minister at Naples ; Mr. Benjamin Mo- ran, Assistant-Secretary of the mted States Legation in London ; the Honourable J. Wethered; Genefral Van Den Burgh ; Colonel H. Fuller, of New York ; Mr. Isaac S. Okford, Mr. Richard B. Kimball, Dr. It. W. Ballard, Mr. Andrew Arced ckne, Dr. Holland, Mr. Miner K. Kel- logg; Mr. Alpheus C. Billings, alid many more. Before the toasts were given, several letters were read froa gentlemen who had been invited to attend. One of these was from Mr. Dallas, the American Minister in London, who was unavoidably absent from a previous engagement in another place. But he sent the following toast-

" George Washington—Universal history presents no other human model for veneration as noble, as wise, and as good as this citizen of Virginia."

After the Chairman appropriately introduced the tribute to the me- mory of Washington, to the President of the 'United States, and to the Queen, setting forth the excellencies of each with much force and taste, "The day we celebrate, the 127th anniversary of the birthday of Washington," was responded to by Mr. Kimball. Ile claimed for Washington all the qualities that have severally distinguished the ablest generals of the world, courage, promptitude, prudence, foresight, self- possession in adversity, self-control in triumph. For that which formed the greatness of the man, which gave him his influence, and in fact oc- casioned them to celebrate that day, was not his conquering power. It was when, in the day of victory, his countrymen were prepared to do anything for him, and offered him the most exalted of positions, that he laid the foundations of the institutions of his country by his abnegation of self. The toast had been introduced by a passage from Lord Brougham—" It will be the duty of the historian and the sage in all ages to let no occasion pass of commemorating this illustrious man, and until time shall be no more, a test of the progress which our race has made in wisdom and virtue will be derived from the veneration paid to the im- mortal name of Washington." And before the cheers for Washington and his eulogist had subsided, a cry of "three cheers for Lord Brougham" met the heartiest response.

"The diplomatic and consular service of the United States" called forth General Ward and Mr. Owen. General Ward enforced the debt which Americans owe Washington, and,—as Mr. Kimball had done,—he pointed out how completely England and America are identified by blood,

by the spirit of their institutions and by the identity of their material into. rests. Together, they are the champions of liberty ; and war between them is daily becoming more improbable. Mr. Owen,—speaking a little more strictly to the toast,—exemplified this e converso. The common feeling of Americans reminded him of the Irishman who cried " glory" to the Moon, for she shines in the dark • whereas small thanks to the Sun who shines in the daytime. So, Americans and Englishmen are apt to regard the institutions which they enjoy, especially the habeas corpus and trial by jury, as matters of course' which are to be taken for granted, and in no manner de- fended at their outposts ; an hallucination which would speedily be cooled even by a short residence in Naples. "The United States and Great Britain, may peace between them be eternal," found an earnest expounder in the Honourable J. Wethered. "Our country and its citi- zens by birth and choice," called up Dr. Holland, a naturalized Ame- rican, who reviewed the value of American institutions, broadly and generously, from a thoroughly impartial standing-place. The toast to "the Associates of the American Institution in London," was acknow- ledged by Mr. Areedeckne, in the heartiest style. "The press at home and abroad," gave occasion for two speeches, both of them remarkable. Colonel Fuller, whose recent speech on Burns we quoted, contented him- self with reading an article that appears in the Illustrated London Hews of this day,—an admirable account of the occasion for this dinner, giving in a few pointed words—" written," as Bancroft might say' "with a pen of diamond upon plates of steel,"—the salient points of Washing- ton's life, and expressing the feeling with which his memory still guards the institutions of his country. Before simply returning tbankc on the part of the English press, Dr. Charles Mackay put in a protest, which was very cordially received, against the position usually assigned to the press in these public recognitions. He claimed for it an influence and a directing power superior to that of the pulpit or the legislature ; both of which have so far waived their functions by withdrawing from direct communication with the body of the people. We have very im- perfectly expressed the purport rather than the sense of Dr. Mackay's re- marks ; the best comment on which was the loud and spontaneous cheers of the guests. In the unset speaking which followed afterwards, an early opportunity was taken to acknowledge the masterly zeal with which Mr. N. S. Dodge the Treasurer of the Association, had contributed to its development.

The election of a member for Marylebone in the room of Lord Ebring- ton took place this week. The candidates were Colonel Romilly and Mr. Edwin James. A good deal of irritation was occasioned by a sus- picion that there had been unfair play on the part of Lord Ebrington's friends in keeping back his letter of resignation until the last moment, and then first disclosing its contents to those who put forward Colonel Romilly. There was no foundation in fact for this, but suspicion stood in the place of fact and was well worked. The electors were told that the aristocracy were attempting to dictate to them ; and Mr. Nicholay and others rallied to Mr. James avowedly as an anti-aristocrat. There was also a strong feeling in his favour as the " defender " of Bernard and Lieutenant-Colonel Dickson.

At the nomination on Wednesday Mr. Thompson Hankey proposed, and Mr. Brettingham seconded Colonel Romilly. Sir James Duke pro- posed and Mr. Ross seconded Mr. Edwin James. The latter won the show of hands, and carried everything before him at the poll. The numbers were James, 6803; Romilly, 3354; majority for James, 3449.

The Court of Aldermen, on Tuesday, sanctioned an arrangement whereby the means adopted on London Bridge for facilitating traffic are to be extended as far as Lombard Street. In this scheme the police are the principal agents ; they direct the heavy traffic to the sides of the road going and coming, leaving the centre free for swifter-going vehicles.

A large deputation waited upon the Bishop of London on Tuesday to represent to him the evils resulting from the law which forbids marriage with a deceased wife's sister. Lord Bury, Mr. Monckton Mines, Mr. Schneider, and Mr. Spooner' were the spokesmen on the occasion. In answer to an inquiry from Dr. Tait, Lord Bury explained that the bill had been drawn under the kind and able superintendence of Mr. Glad- stone, and was expressly framed to avoid an interference with the canons and the scruples of conscientious clergymen. The marriage will in every case be a civil contract. The Bishop promised that he would give the subject his best and earliest attention.

The forty-fourth dinner of the London Orphan Society was held on Wednesday, Sir John Pakington in the chair. The society educates 420 orphans ; its expenditure is 11,000/. a year ; its certain revenue 20001. The guests subscribed 2520/. during the evening.

A distinguished company, with the Duke of Cambridge in the chair, dined on Tuesday, on behalf of the St. Ann's Society. Mr. Dallas and Sir John Burgoyne were among the guests. The sum subscribed was 2646/.

The arguments of counsel in the case of Mr. Poole and the Bishop of Lon- don terminated on Saturday. No witnesses were called. At the close Dr. Lushington explained why the Archbishop did not at first consider it ne- cessary to accede to Mr. Poole's request. " His Grace's reasons were these— that in the first place he was reluctant to put the parties to the great ex- pense which must be incidental to proceedings of this nature. Secondly, that during the entire time that has elapsed since the passing of the statute, there has been no case in which it was considered necessary to have a hear- ing. And, lastly, he thought that, in the various documents submitted to him for his judgment, sufficient evidence was found on which to base that judgment. I am, however, confident, and his Grace has authorized me to state, that having in the first instance passed an opinion without hearing counsel, and that now having had the benefit of hearing able arguments on both sides, his Grace will proceed to consider the evidence with a mind di- vested of all previous prejudice, and with an earnest desire to do that justice which is required to all parties. I now think it right to add, that I do not consider it necessary that I should give his Grace a single word of advice as to the doctrines of the Church of England as to the great questions of con- fession and absolution. Not that I differ from Dr. Phillimore in thinking that it in a certain sense is a question of law, because I entirely concur with him that it is ,• but because I think his Grace is so entirely conversant with the whole of the doctrine, and the whole of the law that appertains to the subject, that it would be presumption in me to offer him any advice ; and for the matter which still remains, that, according to my present view, is not a question of the doctrine of the Church of England, but whether that doctrine and the directions given will coincide with the various authorities cited. Having, then listened with as much attention as was in my power to the arguments in favour of the appellant, I think it right that I should submit to his Grace the following considerations—First, whether the charges were sufficiently defined, and so clearly stated as to enable Mr. Poole to defend himself; secondly, whether there has been produced adequate legal evidence to sustain and prove such charges ; and, thirdly, whether Mr. Poole had sufficient opportunity to make his defence. If his Grace should ultimately be of opinion that any one of these propositions is not sufficiently made out by the papers and evidence before him, then I shall advise his Grace that, both by law and justice, he ought to reverse the judgment of the Court below. Alli have now to add is, that, in obedience to the statute, his Grace will deliver his judgment in writing."

Lieutenant Higginson, the principal in the recent unseemly conduct in re- lation to Alderman Salomons brought an action in the Court of Queen's Bench against the Bank of England to recover 2001. compensation for an invention to extinguish fire instantaneously. It seems that the Bank had promised to acknowledge the services of Lieutenant Higginson if they used his appara- tus. They had used, however, an invention designed for the British Museum by Sir Robert Smirk. Lord Campbell therefore directed the plaintiff to be nonsuited.

Mr. Hughes, a proprietor of omnibuses running between Islington and Brompton, has obtained from a jury in the Court of Common Pleas a verdict of 4001. damages against the London General Omnibus Company. The offence of the latter was that known as "nursing." It was successfully used against Mr. Hughes, and drove him from the competition.

Sarah Peat, a little girl twelve years of age, applied for permisolon to clean the steps of a house. The owner of the house, struck by her apparent anxiety to obtain work, employed her. For a time she behaved well. But she soon forfeited her good name. She stole a sovereign, and expended it in finery—cap fronts, ribands, a mantle, a bonnet, and a crinoline. To her mother she said that the sovereign had been given her. The mother did not believe it and threatened to go at once to the girl's employer. The girl tried to bribe her mother with the offer of the crinoline. The poor woman cried bitterly while making this statement, and said afterwards that she would try and pay la. weekly if the child could be placed in some refuge. Mr. Hamm111 remarked that the parent's feelings and conduct in the affair were most creditable to her. He thought it a fitting case for his interfer- ence, and would exert his interest to forward the mother's views. The pri- soner.pleaded "Guilty," and ultimately the magistrate was informed that

girl rl would be admitted into the Rescue Society, certified reformatory for females, at Hampstead, where, after an imprisonment of fourteen days, she would be kept five years.