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The weekly meeting of the Anti-Corn-law League was held at Co- vent Garden Theatre on Wednesday night. Mr. Charles Villiers was the Chairman ; and in his introductory speech he touched upon the subject of the Agricultural Protection Society, much to the amusement of his hearers; chuckling over the nugatory and inactive state of its proceedings. Mr. Villiers announced that he should make his annual motion on the Corn-laws on the first convenient day next month. The meeting was also addressed by Mr. Ewers, Mr. Howard Elphinstone, and Mr. Moore.

A meeting of subscribers to the fund for liberating Mr. Oastler and providing him with an annuity was held on Wednesday, at the British Hotel. Lord Feversham presided ; on his right sat Mr. Oastler ; Mr. Ferrand and Mr. Walter were present. A report which was read stated that the debt due to Mr. Thornhill and the costs amounted to 3,172/. : the •uhscription to 2,0531. ; leaving a deficiency of 1,1181., which had been advanced by members of the Central Committee. Resolutions in promotion of the subscription were passed, with the single dissent of Captain Atcherley ; who caused repeated interruption. Mr. Oastler made a speech, expressing gratitude for his liberation, and launching forth upon his usual topics. He declared that to the spirit of infidelity he could trace all the disorganization and trouble of the present day. He told an anecdote of a factory-woman, who was unable to suckle her child, and suffered much from the redundancy of milk while confined at the tactory ; and afterwards he alluded to a statement of his which had been denied in the House of Commons— He said at Manchester, that Sir Robert Peel, on leaving the House of Com- mons, had said that the Ministry were defeated by the spirit of Christianity in the House. The gentleman who was his informant was then in the North of England, but immediately on his return he would ask him upon the subject, and publish the truth. He had heard there were correct and incorrect reports of what he had said. He did not know whether it was the correct or the in- correct report which had been denied, but he should wait until he could state the case fairly; and that was greater courtesy than Members of Parliament sometimes showed to him. Lie had often been misconstrued, and very harsh terms indeed applied to him. But probably Sir Robert had not used the exact expressions attributed to him, and yet had used some others similar ; but at all events, the Church of England thought against him upon this question, and he would soon be made to feel it. When he heard the prior factory-woman's story, he fancied he saw Sir Robert Peel with his hands pressing upon one of her breasts, and Sir James Graham pressing upon the other, while Lord Brougham stood by huzaaing.

The anniversary dinner of the Governesses Benevolent Institution was held at the London Tavern on Saturday. The Duke of Cambridge presided, and the noblemen and gentlemen present numbered about one hundred. The Chairman gave a brief report of the state of the Society, which has been established only one year— The Society was established principally for three purposes: one was, to assist governesses in temporary difficulties ; the second, to place money in the Funds from the interest of which permanent annuities may be granted to aged governesses; and the third object was to assist them in purchasing annuities for themselves. To carry out these objects, several ladies formed a committee to investigate the cases of applications for relief. From Jane 1843 to March last, they had examined into 102 applications, and had assisted fifty-six of that number ; but many of' the other applications they were obliged to decline from the want of sufficient funds.

Lord Sandou, in proposing the Duke of Cambridge's health, eulo- gized his kindness of heart ia supporting the charitable institutions of the country, and dwelt on the hard lot of governesses. Mr. Charles Dickens took up the same part of the subject— It had been stated by Dr. Goldsmith, who had paiuful experience of the.ne- glect which this class of instructers endure, that he knew no member of society more useful or more honourable than the imparter of knowledge ; at the same time, he knew none who was so generally despised, and whose talents were so ill rewarded. Now, if this were true in general, with what peculiar force did it apply to those unkind, ungenerous slights which " patient merit of the un- worthy takes " iu the persons of governesses. It was very well to say that " knowledge is power"; but how often did they forget that it was the source of weakness too? Knowledge had not its right place in society, and he be- lieved that it did not obtain a just recognition and reward for its services any- where. To take the case of these ladies in comparison with menial servants: they were worse paid than the cook; their salaries would bear poor comparison with the wages of the butler ; they would appear but shabbily with the remu- neration of the lady's-maid; and they were even lower than those paid to liveriel footmen. The power of governesses was acknowledged by the middle- aged lady in a turban—she felt the power of the governesses' knowledge in the education of her daughters; gentlemen, also, felt the power of the governesses' knowledge; but nobody thought of poor fagged knowledge herself—her eyes red with poring over advertisements in search of a new situation, and after having faithfully accomplished her task in one family, being thrown upon the world and going forth again among strangers to educate others. * * * He con- sidered that those ladies and gentlemen w ho engaged in this good work virtually pledged themselves, by their influence anti example, to elevate the moral con- dition of governesses ; and from that moment he conceived in that institution a heartfelt interest and a hope of future benefit that he felt for very few. He took that to be the great end of the institution, for it would otherwise do but little at the best.

The subscription amounted to 1,020h, including 20/. from the Queen Dowager, and a second donation of 20/. from the Chairman.

A meeting of the Five District Societies of St. Marylebone was held at the Court-house on Wednesday; the Reverend Dr. Spry in the chair. The reports from the several districts were read ; from which it appeared, that during the past year 3,801 persons had been relieved by the visitations of the Societies, and that the sums distributed amounted to 1.395/.

On Wednesday, Lord John Russell laid, not the foundation-stone, but an inscription-stone, of a school-room in Chequer Alley, Bunhill Row, founded by Mr. Greig, and called " Schools for All." The Bible is to be the text-book, without any Catechism ; so that all denominations may partake of the education provided.

The will-forgery trials in the Central Criminal Court terminated rather unexpectedly on Monday. The case to be tried was that relating to the will of Mary Hunt, whose supposititious legatee, Thomas Hunt, had been personated by William Sanders ; the only one of the prisoners wha had not been tried in the two previous cases. Sanders, however, withdrew his plea of "Not Guilty," and pleaded " Guilty "; throwing himself on the mercy of the Court, and urging that he was a man of inferior education, who had been made the instrument of others more learned and experienced. On behalf of Barber, Mr. Wilkins protested against the Crown's declining to proceed with the remaining cases ; calling upon Mr. Erie either to suffer a verdict of acquittal to be taken or to enter a nolk prosequi. Mr. Erie said that he did not feel bound to do so, and he should not press the other cases.

The Judges retired to consult, and remained absent for about half an hour. On their return, the prisoners were placed at the bar, and called upon to say why judgment should not be passed upon them. Barber made a long statement, for the purpose of showing more completely that he had been engaged only as a professional man, and was not implicated in the conspiracy. He disclaimed any wish to imply dissatisfaction at the conduct of his own counsel, whom he highly complimented ; and he had no desire to increase Mr. Fletcher's difficulties, but the frightful situation in which he was placed was entirely owing to that person. Not having been prepared for being called up for judgment so soon, his statement was diffuse and ill-arranged ; for which he apologized. He said that the way in which he first became acquainted with Fletcher was this. In the Angell will case, a lady laid claim to the property, and sought out a person of means to back her claim : she found Mr. Fletcher, who desired to invest his capital in that way ; and he came to Mr. Barber. The claim, however, was not valid ; and so Mr. Barber told his visiter ; who seemed sorry to lose the opportunity of employing his capital, but thanked the solicitor for his frankness. After that, he became a constant client. Mr. Barber went over the whole case of Anne Slack's will ; representing that at each step he acted upon in- formation and instructions given to him by Fletcher, who had kept the real facts from him : Fletcher never told him who his "friend" at the Bank was ; Fletcher told hitn that there were several ladies of the name of Slack, and that Anne Slack of Bishop's Langley was not the right one; while Captain Foskett himself said that his sister-in-law was only twenty-seven years old, though the real Anne Slack, from the time at which she had executed a power of attorney, must then have been thirty-seven ; and Fletcher told him that Miss Slack's writing did not correspond with that of Anne Slack, the owner of the stock. Mr. Barber read copies of several letters from Fletcher to hituself, (the originals having been seized, and now being in the Judges' hands,) which corroborated his account for they kept up to Mr. Barber much the same story as that put forth, as if the writer had not admitted the solicitor to his confidence in the fraud. In that case he was only paid 151. for his bill of costs, of which 71. went to his partner. He called upon Fletcher to make confession ; and upon Sanders to repeat the declaration which he had been known to make, that "Barber was in- nocent."

Fletcher said, that throughout all these transactions he acted by the advice and under the direction of Christmas, the Bank-clerk ; who had several other persons in his hands also, and who was busy ever since this investigation commenced in preparing other cases for conviction. As to Mr. Barber, who charged him with having duped and deceived him, he could only say, that if he had practised deception upon Mr. Barber, he had been previously deceived himself. He threw himself upon the mercy of the Court; adding, that he had a heart-complaint, which would at some time deprive him suddenly of life.

Sanders asked mercy for himself and his wife. Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Dorey said nothing.

Mr. Baron Gurney passed sentence. Fletcher's crime was the gravest ; his station in life having enabled him to practise his deceptions and make others his instruments : he was sentenced to transportation for life. Barber, whose crime was aggravated by the fact of his being an attorney, was also sentenced to transportation for life. Making some allowance for Sanders's different circumstances, his sentence was trans- portation for seven years. Lydia Sanders and Georgiana Dorey had been instruments in the hands of others ; and though the acts of Georgiana Dorey had been very bad, they had been somewhat amoned by her confession : the two female prisoners would severally be im- prisoned for two years.

It was intimated by Mr. Wilkins, that some appeal would be made against the sentence on Barber ; but of what kind does not precisely appear.

The Court adjourned till the 6th May.

On Saturday, Marlborough Street Police-office was crowded with hotel-keepers and publicans, who came to hear the examination of Wil- liam Kelly, alias Young, charged with a robbery at the Waterloo Hotel in the Haymarket, which seemed to be part of a general plan of plunder. His method is understood to have been this. He went into a tavern or such place, and engaged a bed for the night. In the morning, while the people of the house were most busy, he took the opportunity of going from room to room, breaking open boxes and drawers, and car- rying off all he could. From the bulk of many things thus stolen, it is supposed that he must have had a confederate, of whom the Police have been in search. At one o'clock in the morning on Sunday week, Mr. Richard Bradshaw, a gentleman residing at the Waterloo Hotel, found his room in confusion, with the drawers forced open and several things taken away. Suspecting Kelly, who slept in the opposite room, Mr. Bradshaw went to him, and caused his bed and room to be searched : several missing things were discovered, and a chisel, with which the drawers had been broken open. A similar case having also been proved against him, the prisoner was committed for trial on both ; but remanded till the 2d May, in order to the production of further charges.

At Queen Square, on Saturday, John Crosby, a pensioner of the Fourth Regiment of Foot, was charged with having endeavoured to force his way into the Royal Mews, and with having used threatening language towards the Queen. Oa being brought in, he looked wildly around, uttering some incoherent exclamations ; and when told to hold his tongue, he exclaimed, "I shall not hold my tongue ; I should not if her 73111jesty were present. Am I striking anybody ? " At one o'clock on Friday, he accosted the sentinel at the Royal Mews, amid asked the way into the Palace. Seeing him excited, the sentinel di- rected him towards Chelsea; but the man then tried to push his way through the gate. The sentinel detained him, while a gentleman who happened to be passing fetched a Policeman ; and he was arrested. Or his way to the Stationhouse, lie repeatedly cried, " I will see the Queen, and I'll queen her when I do see her." On inquiry, it appeared that he was discharged from a lunatic asylum at Manchester only on the 6th instant ; and that he had that morning been very violent at Chelsea H pital, breaking several windows. Mr. Bond the Magistrate ordered that he should be kept at the Workhouse until he could be sent to Han- well Lunatic Asylum.

John Matthews, one of the persons who were injured by the late accident at the Dover Railway terminus, expired at Guy's Hospital on Monday night.