1E4t 311?trufolio.

Tax Court of Common Council resumed its sittings on Thursday. A letter from the Office of Public Works was read, notifying that the Go- vernment have determined to survey the Thames ; and requesting a copy of a plan of the river made in 1823 under the direction of Mr. Telford. The request was granted. A report from the General Purposes Com- mittee, recommending that " the whole subject of metage " should be considered with a view to a settlement, was sent back to the Committee with instructions to carry it into execution. Some discussion arose on different motions on the subject of Corporation Reform ; and it was ulti- mately agreed that a Committee should be appointed " to consider and report their opinion as to the alterations and provisions which should be made, and, generally, what should now be done for the better regulation of the Corporation of London, and the management of its affairs; stating what can be effected by the powers of this Court, and what would ap- pear to require Parliamentary aid."

The death of Alderman Hunter imposed on the Ward of Coleman Street the duty of electing his successor. Losing no time, the inhabit- ants met in the Wardroom on Wednesday,—Mr. J. B. Heath, former a Bank Director, in the chair,—and adopted, on the motion of Mr. J. IL Palmer, seconded by Mr. J. D. Powles, a resolution, calling upon the Ward Deputy, Mr. Hale, to stand forward as a candidate for the gown. Mr. Heath stated that Mr. Hale would willingly accept the office.

At the quarterly meeting of the Court of Proprietors of the East India Company, on Wednesday, Mr. Lewin moved and Mr. Jones seconded a resolution condemning " the seizure of the territories of Oude, as one of the worst examples of Indian spoliation." Both gentlemen spoke co- piously on the injustice done to the " moral " King of Oude; and the. Court attentively listened to their dbliertations, without saying one word of reply. Colonel Sykes, on the part of the Directors, explained that they had given every facility to Mr. Jones and Mr. Lewin, by not bringing into operation the law that required the presence of twenty proprietors at any discussion. They were willing that the opinions of those proprietors should go forth to the world. Both the Directors and the Government have approved and supported the policy of Lord Dalhousie, and that rendered it unnecessary to argue the question. The resolution was negatived without a division. The shareholders of the Royal British Bank met at the London Tavern on'eaturday, to receive from the Directors an official statement of the-reskion of their affairs. The Directors present were—the Go- vernor Mr_ Esdaile, the .Deputy-Governor Mr. Stapleton, Alderman Kennedy Mr. D. M‘Leod, Vailliast, Mr. Sutt„ Sir. Gillett, and Mr. i Hunt. n opening the 4sissiness of the day, the Governor, speaking from the ohair deprecated the righteous resentment of the shareholders, while he explained that the course followed since the suspension of the

bank had been in accordance witii the opinion of counsel ; and he sug- gested that they should postpone discussion, hear the accounts, and con- tent themselves with declaring the capital fost, and the corporation dis-

solved. These suggestions were not heard without interruption. Mr. Coleman, the accountant employed, read a balance-sheet, showing—

liabilities, 539,131/. 12s. 9d. ; assets, exclusive of Welsh iron-works, 288,644/. 8s. 11d. The cost of the Welsh works, exclusive of interest on the advances, was 106,453/. 4s. 9d. ; its minimum value is 40,000/.; probable profit if worked, 16,0001. a year. The chairman gave a history

of this transaction. In 1850, the bank, acting on "the recommendation of one of the first commercial authorities in the City," allowed Dummel-

lar and Scales, and afterwards Dummellar and Swift, to open a cash-

credit for 30001. and a discount-credit for 6000/. ; then, "trusting to the recommendation, the parties were allowed to go beyond the limits pre-

scribed" ; when the liabilities of the parties to the bank reached 20,000/., it was represented to the Board, that by working the property themselves they might recompense themselves for the whole of the previous ad- vanoes. The bank became proprietors of the property; the iron-market fell flat ; profits ceased, but a coal-mine was providentially " dis- covered ; and money kept going out to construct " slips " and vents,"

and make the mine available. In 1853, a Mr. Clarke took the works ;

but, finding he had not enough capital, he threw them back on the di- rectors. In reply to a question, the chairman said that the debt when the directors took back the works was 70,000/. or 80,000/. In answer to cries of " Shame," he said, the directors dared not have closed the works in 1853.

Mr. Marsh, R.N., said he was not a shareholder in 1853, when, ac- cording to the chairman, the property of the shareholders to the amount of 80;0001. had been involved, while only 50,000/. of the capital was paid

up. By the representation of the bank he was induced to become a shareholder in 1855. Was it just in the directors to hold out prospects

of success with their affairs in that state ? " Was it not a fraudulent destruction of my property and that of my children?" Was not the bank insolvent when the new shares were issued ?

Mr. Esdaile explained, that until he was called to the chair in 1855, he did not know that Mr. Brown was indebted to the bank at all. After

some irregular conversation, Mr. Coleman interposed, and, amid great interruption and outcry, enumerated the following list of bad debts due by directors and officers—

Mr. John Gwynn°, formerly a director, 13,6401. ; Mr. John M'Gregor M.P., 7362/. ; Mr. Humphry Brown M.P., 70,908/. ; Mr. Oliver of Liver= pool, 13,486/. ; Mr. Cameron, 29902/., advanced on securities proved to have been already encumbered ; lir. Mullins, late solicitor of the bank, 7000/. ; total loss by directors or their connexions, 121,000/. Besides these, " there is a debt from one of the auditors of 2000/." ; 492 sundry accounts of " customers," 59,3651. ; bad debts or losses by the branches 10,4287.; loss on premises, 14,0221. ' • total loss, 270,0001.

Mr. Mitchell, General Atchison, Mr. Gillett, Mr. Stapleton, Mr. God- dard, Mr. Owen, ex-director, and Alderman Kennedy, addressed the meeting. Mr. itapleton made a remarkable statement-

" When Mr. Cameron was on the • dig of leaving us, we found that he had obtained a large sum of money . e, the bank, and that he was not in a position to give us sufficient security. We pressed him; we even threat- ened him with criminal proceedings ; and in order to save himself, he used every exertion to get any kind of security. It so happened that his own son-in-law, who is a member of the Board, had a large number of shares, and Mr. Cameron induced him to lend him those shares ; which he trans- ferred to the Board as a portion of the securities for'the advances."

Mr. Owen still further revealed the peculiar system of management that prevailed in the bank-offices-

Much of the difficulty brought about had arisen from the appointment of Mr. Cameron, who bad never previously been connected with any bank in London, and who refused to allow the directors to have 'full cognizance of the traiesactions, on the ground that it would be impolitic that they should know whose bills were discounted. When, however, the general manager was taken ill about two years and a half ago—so ill, indeed, that he was not expected to recover—it transpired that be possessed a book, with a private key, which the Board had never seen.hen the contents of that book were disclosed, they were all indeed astonished. Mr. Sheriff Kennedy—it must be said to his credit—then introduced as strong resolutions as could be framed, directing that everything in the book should be seen, and that not a shilling should be lent to any party without his bill or his security coming before the Board.

The shareholders condemned the directors for not having stopped earlier ; and expressed a sincere sympathy for the depositors and a desire to meet their claims or part of them as soon as possible. Alderman Ken- nedy declared that he had been deceived throughout as to the state of affairs. On the faith of Mr. Cameron's statements, he had induced his friends and relatives to become proprietors : he was himself a very large sufferer; and he trusted the meeting would believe that he was no party to the transactions that had been condemned.

The business done at the meeting consisted in passing a resolution de- claring that the losses of the bank "had exhausted all the surplus or re- served fund and one-fourth part of the capital of the bank "; and that having been done, the chairman declared that the company was dissolved except for winding-up purposes. Mr. L. M. Goddard proposed a reso- lution severely censuking all the directors except those elected on the 1st of August last, for misapplying the funds, concealing the state of affairs, issuing new shares when the bank was insolvent, and thereby showing themselves unfit for the posts they occupied and unworthy of the con- fidence of that or any other proprietary. Mr. Goddard put this resolution himself, and declared it carried unanimously ! But some did not vote at all ; a scene of confusion ensued ; the resolution was put again, and again declared to be both carried and not carried: tend in this position it remained.

Another general meeting of the shareholders of the Unity Fire In- surance Company was held on Tuesday, for a special purpose. Some time since, the Nottingham local Board expressed dissatisfaction at the great outlay as compared with the receipts; and they asked the London Board to supply certain accounts, to call the yearly meeting at an earlier day than usual, and appoint a committee of investigation. Those pro- posals were declined, but the present meeting was called to settle the question respecting the proposed committee of inquiry. It was dis- tinctly understood that no other business could be transacted, and that the Nottingham resolution must be carried or rejected as it stood. After a very long debate, the resolution was negatived by 131 to 19. The directors then withdrew; Alderman Lankester, of Southampton, took the chair, which Dr. Lloyd vacated ; and a resolution was passed simply requesting the directors to select from a given list a committee to inves- tigate the affairs of the company, and report thereon to the general meet- ing in November.

As regards the general affairs of the Unity, Mr. Mechi has become " master of the situation " by means of the proxies deposited in his hands ; and he advertised, that he had reason to believe that he has brought about a reconciliation between Mr. Baylis and the Directors. But the Directors have since notified that Mr. Mechi was mistaken in his belief.

" Monday Evening Concerts for the People " is the title of a new Metropolitan entertainment at St. Martin's Hall. It is intended to in- clude not only music but a literary interlude—in other words, readings from English authors ; accompanied by an exhibition of polytechnic dis- plays, paintings, and other works of art, and specimens of handicraft and machinery. The prices of admission are threepence, sixpence, and a shilling. Among the musical performers are Mr. Sims Reeves, Herr Formes, Miss Birch, Mr. Donald King, and Mr. Frank Bodda ; who give their services gratuitously. The inaugural meeting took place on Monday last. Mr. Leigh Hunt occupied the chair ; with Mr. Henry Mayhew as a conspicuons supporter. The literary interlude was opened by an address written by Mr. Hunt. Mr. Stocqueler began to read it, but was unable to make himself heard ; and Mr. Mayhew supplied his place effectively. The address, however, contained some long quotations from Shakspere, and the multitude who filled the hall showed so much impatience that it was prematurely cut short. Mr. Mayhew reproved them for not showing more respect for Mr. Hunt; but a wag remarked from the threepenny seats, that it was not Leigh Hunt but Shakspere to whom they objected. The dispute was compromised with a grant of -three cheers for Mr. Hunt ; and the concert was resumed and concluded.

A number of dentists met at the London Tavern on Monday, and re- solved to organize a " Society of Dentists." They further resolved, that the interests of the public as well as of the profession imperatively demand that an authorized system of professional education and exami- nation should be established, and that energetic measures should at once be adopted to secure the means necessary to provide those requirements.

The weekly report on the health of the Metropolis by the Registrar- General records a slight decline in the number of deaths ; which for the week ending Saturday last were 1064, against 1087 in the preceding week. This is the ordinary average of mortality ; the slight decrease repre- senting the decrease of diarrhcea. " Four nonagenarians appear in the registration of the week,—the widow of a captain, who died at the age of ninety-one years ; two gentlemen, aged respectively ninety-one and ninety-four years ; and a widow who died in Wandsworth, at the age of nmety-ffve years."

John Pringle has been charged before the Lord Mayor with attempting to extort money from the Secretary of the Bank of London. Pringle and a Mr. Lawson claim the merit of inventing the name of the Bank of London. Lawson some time since brought an action against the Bank for appro- priating his title; but the action was scouted from court. At length

i Prgle wrote a letter to Mr. Scott, the secretary, threatening to publish something that would " shut up" the bank, if they did not remit some- thing liberal." The Lord Mayor committed Pringle for trial, but-took bail.

William James Robson, a clerk in the transfer-office of the Crystal Palace Company, has committed a very extensive fraud. Taking advantage of his position, he got a large number of fictitious shares of the company, repre- senting both ordinary and preference shares, sold in the Stock Exchange, and registered the transfers as if the shares had been bona fide ones. The fraud was suspected while it was in progress ; so that, though false docu- ments representing 10,0001. had been put into circulation, only about 60001. worth had been registered. When questioned by a superior officer on the matter, Robson said he would explain what seemed to be mysterious for. and he cleverly managed to escape. A reward of 2501. has been offered his apprehension.

The Bow Street Magistrate has committed Thomas Renwick, a boy under fourteen, for stealing, and Catharine Phillips, a marine-store dealer, for feloniously, receiving the plunder. Phillips was the chief offender ; inas- much as she incited the boy first to steal his mother's watch, for which she gave him two shillings, and then supplied him with keys that he might enter a shoemaker's store-rooms, from which he stole a dozen pairs of boots and shoes, purchased by Phillips for a few shillings.

The Police seem to have got hold of one of the burglars who rule the dis- trict of Notting Hill by night—James Barnes, a powerful young man. Mr. Ullathorne's house, in Lansdowne Terrace, was opened in a most scientific way, and plunder was carried off. Barnes had recently been employed in the house as a labourer while some repairs were proceeding. A number of circumstances support the belief that he was the burglar in this case, or one of a gang. The Hammersmith Magistrate has remanded him.

Another offender has since been caught,—Chambers, "a thin, middle- aged man, who had anything but the appearance of a burglar" ' • but who nevertheless was captured in Mr. Thomas's house, in KeniangtonPark Ter- race, in the middle of the night, by Mr. Thomas himself. After he had been seized, it took three-quarters of an hour to find .a policeman ! The Hammersmith Magistrate has committed Chambers.

"Man-trap " argues in the Times in favour of using man-traps as a pro- tection against burglars, in preference to revolvers and, pistols with all their unpleasant incidents. He says, Plant your traps where your burglars will enter; sleep in comfort ; catch your man ; and next morning put human vermin and trap into a barrow and proceed to the police court. He protects his own premises with traps.

At the Mansionhouse, on Monday, the further examination of John Pratt, a youth of seventeen, arrested on a charge of stealing 981. 108. belong- ing to the Chartered Bank of Australasia, disclosed an amazing story of stupid depravity. The chief witnesses evamined were Withers, a brothel- keeper, and Harriet Davis, one of his lodgers. When arrested, Pratt had only ils. in his pocket, and the Object of the investigation was to discover what had become of the rest of the money. In this object the prosecutors were frustrated, except in so far as they found that a portion of it had been expended in vicious indulgence. Withers deposed, that Pratt came to his house on the 4th instant, and remained there until he was arrested. D • his stay he changed a twenty-pound note at the Bank " he treated us,' said Withers, "m a carriage to Epping Forest and afterwards to Barnet fair. He gave money to a girl named Davie, to buy a silk dress, a bonnet, and a pair of boots." Asked by the counsel for the prisoner, whether, when he saw a boy enter his house with back-notes, he did not make some inquiries, Withers said—" No, I made no particular in- quiries. We had plenty of drink, he paying for it. He lent me ten shillings to get my watch out of pledge." Mr. Lewis—" How was it that he came to treat your wife to the Forest?" "He was taking the other women out, and asked use and my wife to go with him. He paid for the drag and all other expenses." Withers and Harriett Davis dented that they had seen any " notes" ; they had seen " bits of paper." Two other girls, Davis said, were in the room when these papers were put in the fire by Pratt. " I took the poker, and tried to get them out of the fire. The prisoner, when he put the papers under the kettle, said to me, Don't frighten yourself, Harriet, dear ; I'm all right now, if you will be true' ; and I said I would be true. Mr. and Mrs. Withers and the other girls and my- self used to go out riding together. The prisoner stood about three or four pounds' worth of brandy while he was at the brothel. He used to drink lots of neat spirits out of a tumbler, and I used to ask him how he could drink so much brandy. I had about ten pounds of him in two days. He bought me two new dresses, a visite, a cloak, and a hat—one of those flop' ones." They all thought Pratt was "a gentleman who had had money left him, which he was squandering away." The prisoner was committed for trial, but admitted to bail.

Another case illustrating human stupidity came before the Thames Police Magistrate. Captain Russell, of the ship Energy, lodged in an improper house, and was robbed of his watch, chain, and money. Next day he went to the same house to get back his chain ; and complacently went to bed, putting a purse containing seven pounds under his pillow. Of course he was robbed. He then caused the woman who kept the house to be arrested ; and the following dialogue between the Captain and the Police Magistrate ensued. Mr. Yardley—" Are you a single or a married man ?" Captain Russell—" I am marrried, sir." Mr. I hope your wife will

hear of this. May I ask how old you are ? Captain Russell—" I amthirty-seven, sir." Mr. Yardley—"And you actually go into the house and sleep in it after being robbed the night before ?" Captain Russell—" I went to get the chain. I was never in London before. I am an Irishman." Mr. Yardley—" You are the commander of a ship ?" Captain Russell—" I am, 'sir ; the Energy." Mr. Yardley—" A simple, indiscreet sort of man, to be in command of a ship ! You cannot command yourself." Captain Russell—" I thought I could get my chain." Mr. Yardley—" You thought London a perfect Arcadia, no doubt. You may not understand that word. You thought the place a most innocent one, where everybody is honest and virtuous. -Get him'his watch and chain, if you can, officer—though he is quite unfit to have either. The prisoner is remanded."