At Guildhall, on Tuesday, a labourer, named Bryant, was accused

of following and threatening a clerk of a mercantile house named Briscoe.

Bryant said, he had been in a comfortable situation thirteen years, and had been married nine years. He and his wife lived happily together, till they ven- tured upon taking a house in Little Carter Lane, and let a room to Briscoe, as a single man lodger. He soon discovered a change in his wife's behaviour, and had some suspicion of the cause. One night she said she was going to a wo- man's club in Old Street, of which the was a member; and upon hisMaking some objectidn, she seized a knife, and swore she would run him through if he refused to let her go. She was so excited that he yielded. He expected she had made some appointment, and followed her unseen, and, as he suspected, saw her take Briscoe by the arm. He reproached her, but told her he would forgive her if she would give up the young gentleman's company, and do her duty to her children. Subsequently he had more unequivocal proof of her faithlessness, and he turned the young man out of the house. She chose to follow him, and they had since been living together in Angel Street, St. Mar-

tin's-le-grand, as Mr. and Mrs. Briscoe. •

The seduction of a wife being a grievance which the law, in its wis- dom, does not consider as tending, like a libel, to provoke to a breach of the peace, the Magistrate was compelled to hold the honest and ag- grieved husband to bail, instead of holding to bail the destroyer of his wife's chastity, and of his family's comfort. Briscoe insisted, that he went in danger of his life,—as he richly deserves to do, as long as it is vouchsafed to him ; and poor Bryant was in consequence consigned to prison. Why, among the numerous Societies for the repression of vice, is there no one composed of respectable masters, who will pledge themselves not to employ either clerk or assistant of any kind that acts in open contempt of decency and morality ?

On Tuesday, a Sergeant of the Guards made a grievous complaint to the Lord Mayor, because of his exclusion from the parlour of the Haunch of Venison, in Bell Yard. Tne dignified man of war said he had gone into the house on Monday, for the purpose of getting some refreshment, and was, to his surprise, prevented from sitting ,down in the parlour. There was no tap-room in the house : there was indeed a seat in front of the bar, on which Ids rank in the army would not al- low him to sit ; he wished to know whether the owner of the house was at liberty to exclude him from the public room, in which several per- sons were sitting at the time. Mr. Hobler. said, that it was quite a mistaken idea that because a man bad a licence to keep a house of the kind, he was obliged to admit to any room in that house any person who chose to walk in. The Marshal said, that the parlour of the house in, quesdon was frequented by gentlemen, who, it was very pro- bable;objected to the companionship of a Sergeant of the Guards- Seigiaiat—" My Lord Mayor, I wish to know whether, if I go into th: Haunch of Venison, dressed as I now am, and paying my way, and behaving like a gentleman, I am to be put out ?"

Lord Mayor—" I don't know what right you have to go into that parlour, if the landlord objects to your entrance. 1 don't see why he is to turn out his company to accommodate you."

" Seigeant" I -look" upon it in this light, that they do not think a soldier fit company for them to sit with."

Lord Mayor—" You must know, if you know any thing, that gentlemen will not sit with soldiers under a certain rank. It is nonsense to say that people object to sit in company with a soldier; association is regulated by the rank of the individual, and the Army itself is a strong instance of it." Sergeant—" There is but this one public room in the house, and can't I go in there if I act like a gentleman?" • • Mr. Hobler—" No, you can't, if the owner choose to keep you out. Is a publiian to hive 'no power in his own house? That Would be an agreeable con- dition on which to keep a house of the sort !"

The City Solicitor suggested to the gentleman Sergeant, that there were plenty of houses that would willingly bear his stripes for his custom ; but he still maintained, that while he paid his way and " behaved as a gentleman," he had a right to be received as a parlour customer.—

Lord Mayor—" Pools! You'll not pretend that you dine, or are at liberty to dine, with your commanding officer?" Sergeant—" Certainly not." Lord Mayor—" Very well, then, your entrance into a parlour amongst gentle- men is a similar intrusion.—Call the next case."

A poor black man applied on Monday at the Mansionhouse for ad- vice and relief. His nanie, he said, was George Thomson ; he was a resident of St. Kitts. Some months ago, a letter came to him there, signed "Joseph Ady," stating that he had become entitled to a con- siderable estate in England. The letter contained a reference to Mr. Alderman Copeland for the respectability of the writer. . The poor maii, though he could frame no guess how he should have become the heir of any property, yet thought it a pity to neglect a good thing when thus. put in his way, especially as it was vouched by so respectable a name as that of the Member for Coleraine. He accordingly raised what money he could, and contrived, as steward of a vessel, to get to England. On arriving in London, he immediately waited on Mr. Joseph Ady ; when the latter, on seeing a black applicant where he expected a white one, merely exclaimed," Pooh, pooh ! you are not the man!" and shut the door in his face. The Magistrate told the legatee expectant, that he could do nothing for him ; and he departed, to find a ship to carry him back to St. Kitts, if he could.

At Marylebone Office on Tuesday, a female, of rather prepossessing appearance, was charged with entering, the house of a Captain Digby Willoughby, in Montague Street, Portman Square ;* where she locked herself up in a chamber, and was not removed without the assistance of a policeman. The female, on being questioned respecting her condnet, said that she had known Captain Willougby for upwards of fourteen years, and had a child now living by him. She was formerly the Cap- tain's mistress ; and'untillatelyhe allowed her a maintenance, but had now stopped it ; and she being completely' destitute, went to his house for the purPoie of coming-to an explanation .with -him. On- his re- fusing to see her, she certainly would not quit the house : he had also prevented her seeing her child, which is at present at school. . Captain Willoughby said he had given orders to the schoolmaster not to let her take the child away, but he bad never refused to allow her seeing it. The prisoner accused him of living with a common prostitute, whom he had taken off the streets,—a second mistress, whom he had suffered to take charge of her child. A letter was here handed over to the Magistrate by the Captain's present mistress, which she had received since the prisoner had been in custody. It contained such horrible im. precations, that Mr. Rawlinson threw it down, and immediately ordered the prisoner to enter into her own recognizance in 40/., and find two sureties in 201. each, to keep the peace. She was sent to prison, of course ; where she remains, as a proper punishment for writing such a naughty letter to her worthy successor. Captain Digby

loughby retired in triumph.

At Lambeth Office, on Tuesday, a police constable, named Joseph Slater, belonging to the G division, was charged with writing threaten- ing letters to Sir William Blizard, and the other medical gentlemen of the London Hospital. Slater gave a plausible account of the cause which led to the letters.

It appeared, that on the 19th of last month, a brother of the prisoner, having met with a serious accident, was taken to the London Hospital ; where he died on the 29th, from the effects of the injuries he had received. On the 6th of the present month, a letter was received by Sir Williath Blizard, complaining of the treatment which the deceased experienced in the Hospital, and containing threats by the writer against the venerable knight and other medical officers belonging to the institution. Sir William took no notice whatever of this letter ; but having in six days after received a similar one, which, if possible, contained stronger language, he waited on Mr. Walker, who directed an officer to make the necessary inquiries into the matter, and find out, if possible, the author of the letter. The result of the officer's inquiry was the tracing the letters to Slater. Mr. Walker, the Magistrate, on Slater's appearing, handed the two letters to him, and asked him if he had not written them. Slater, after looking over them, said that truth might be blamed but not shamed ; and however wrong he might have acted in having done so, he was bound in truth to acknowledge that they had been written by him. At the smile- tune, he wished to say, that they had been Written under an excitement of feeling which, though it might not justify the act, would induce some consideration on his be- half. After his brother had been taken to the Hospital, he visited him; and he then complained of not being well-treated ; in consequence of which he offered to take him home to his house, and have him properly attended to ; but the de- ceased objected, saying that he was sure he could not afford the expense; and he (lied in the Hospital on the 29th. On the day of his death, he called at the Hospital, and made a particular request that the body should not be opened or

disfigured, unless it was particularly requested by the Coroner and Jury who were to inquire into the circumstances attendant on his death. He called 'at the Hospital a second time on that day; and on going to where the body was, he found, that notwithstanding the request he had made, the body had been dis- sected, and its appearance had such an effect upon him as almost to deprive hiin of his senses. The letters were written under strong exoitement of feeling from this circumstance ; and his object in sending them to Sir William Blizard was with a view of ascertaining from that gentleman whether the excuse which had been made for opening the body—namely, that the woman with whom the de- ceased had lived had given her consent to it—was true. His intention wa:s also

to have summoned the medical men of the Hospital before their Worships, and make them account for opening the body without the sanction or authority of his fiiends, or by the request of the Coroner and Jury.

As Sir William Blizard -did not press the case, the policeman was discharged ; the letters having, however, been enclosed to his superiors, the Commissioners. The question still remains, why was the body opened, or touched at all? It could not be in order to discover the cause of death ; for it was stated by one of the medical gentlemen present, that the cause of death was so apparent, that" the Jury were satisfied with a pupil's certificate.

A woman was brought before the Thames Police Magistrates on Wednesday, charged with attempting to drown horself.

'Wheeler, a policeman, was called at a late hour on Tuesday night by two wa- termen plying at one of the stairs in Wapping, who said a woman had walked into the River,: and they had some difficulty in saving her. He led her to- wards the Station-house; and on her way thither she expressed her regret that the had not put an end to her life, and when near the dock bridge made an effort to get away from him. .

Andrews, another policeman said, that aboufan hour before Wheeler took the prisoner into custody, he saw her conversing with a young man in New Gravel Lane, near the dock ; and they quarrelled about something; and on leaving , him, she said she would drown herself, and hastily left him. Witness followed her to the swivel-bridge over the new eastern London Dock entrance • and she was about to get over it and throw herself into the water, when he Pulled her back, and told her to go about her business. The prisoner, in her defence, said she had a good deal hanging on her mind, and had been deceived by a young man. Mr. Ballantine—",It is not to be borne that the public feeling should be con- stantly outraged by these attempts of persons to rid themselves of life, through some real or imaginary grievance. Homicide is a felony; and whether the in- dividual put an end to his or her life, or to any other person's, the offence is equally the same. Is the prisoner known to the Police?' An officer said she wag an "unfortunate woman." •

Fagan, the Inspector, said that not fewer than forty females had thrown themselves into the London Dock from the swivel-bridge, or had attempted to do so, during the last three months, and several had been drowned. Scarcely a night passed but these attempts were made, and the Commissioners of Police had been put to great expense for medical attendance.

The Thames Police officers said, a great part of their night duty was often taken up in saving-persons who threw themselves off the bridges into the river. The prisoner begged hard to be forgiven, and said she was fully sensible of her folly. ' •

Mr. Ballantine--" I am tired of the sort of cant so much indulged in about wretched creatures,' and distressed objects of conapassion; when an attempt of this kind is made. I believe that one half of those who throw themselves into the water where assistance is near at hand, do not mean to commit suicide: those who really meditate that crime can always find means to do it effectually and unobserved.- I shall send this case before a jury. This sort of thing has really become a nuisance orno ordinary kind, and both the New and the Thames Police are taken from their legitimate duties to preserve foolish people from drowning themselves." The Magistrate then ,committed the prisoner for trial, for attempting self-destruction; and 'bound .over the witnesses to give evidence

against her. , . •

[In spite of the odd sound of.the thing, we have no. doubt of Mr. Ballantine's law, and we sincerely hope that a Jury will second his efforts. It is time that something should be done, in a fair way, to put a stop to what is a most pestilent nuisance.. U every self-willed hysterical wench or puppy who chooses to swallow oxalic acid, in re- liance on the stomach-pump, or to jump into the Thames in reliance on the Waterman, were assured of having, in the event of recovery, an op- portunity of six months' repentance on the tread-wheel, we believe that these Cockney exploits of girls of the town, barbers' apprentices, and boarding-school misses, would speedily cease. to be heard-of. The Globe, in commenting on this case, speaks of compassion being due to the would-be suicide, because of the stings and arrows that he suffers under. What are the stings and arrows, forsooth, that compel, in ninety-nine cases of a hundred, these acts of petulant impiety? A rebuke from an over-indulgent parent—a refusal of permission to go to a party—some. real or fancied slight from a worthless woman, or more worthless fellow, whom, had the party slighted had either "sense or mense," they never could have known. We may pity a poor wretch like " Henry," who seeks under the earth for the resting-place which is denied him upon it ; but what compassion is due to the great mass of those "victims of passion"—truly so denominated, whose vagaries we have every week to chronicle ?—lovers of idleness and gin, strong to mischief, feeble to good, whose only merit is that they bring into just disrepute the fashion of self-slaughter,, which some nobler spirits had given a false dignity to, by showing that it is a fashion in which the silliest and Most cowardly of the human race can emulate with success the wisest and most heroic ?]