Vat _Metropolis.

The aim of the assassin M'Naughten was but too fatal, and Mr. Edward Drummond is no more. On Saturday morning, a very un- favourable change took place in his symptoms, and another search of the wound was instituted; when it was discovered that the lowest of the ribs had been seriously injured by the pistol-ball. Inflammation increased, and an attempt to bleed the patient proved ineffectual until the temporal artery was opened. From this period, with occasional fluctuations which revived hope, his condition deteriorated; and on Tuesday the frequent bulletins marked a rapid progress for the worse. After a consultation between his medical attendants Dr. Chambers, Mr. Guthrie, and Mr. Cooper, at which they decided that no hope remained, Mr. Arthur Drummond thought fit to apprise the dying man of his situation. He received the communication with perfect calm- ness, and remained undisturbed in mind. He had before expressed neither complaint nor fear. He suffered much pain on Tuesday night, but retained his consciousness to the last. His sister and three bro- thers sat up with him all night. When Mr. Guthrie arrived in Grosve- nor Street at seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, he found the patient sinking fast ; his pulse baying already ceased to be perceptible at the wrist. The Morning Post records some of his latest words- " At nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, when a pulse could be felt no- where, and a slight fluttering of the heart was alone perceptible, he retained the power of moving his limbs, pressed Mr.Guthrie's hand, and with that sweet smile on his countenance which was so endearing, asked if all hope was past ? On Mr. Guthrie's replying that all hope in this world was over, and that he must put his trust in God, he said, 'Well, I have endeavoured to live honestly, doing as much good as 1 could, and I place my hope in God's mercy for my redemption.' Turning to his sister, whose self-devotion had been unequalled, and who was crying by his side, he said, We have lived long and happily to- gether, and my only regret is in parting with you.' Ile then asked if he should live much longer, and on being told perhaps an hour or two, he said, 'The sooner the better—I don't feel pain ; and added, with a smile, That ugly French word malaise expresses most fully my burden.' Shortly after he said, Will it be presumptuous in a man in my situation to ask for a little wine and water, with soda or potass water; and on its being given to him, conveyed it to his mouth, and drank." He lingered until half-past ten o'clock ; when he expired, surrounded by his relatives. Mr. Drummond was in his fifty-first year ; having been born on the 30th March 1792. Although his name had not often been before the public, he had served the public long- " His career, thus prematurely and lamentably closed," says the Times, "had not been a useless or unhonoured one. Having entered into the service of the state as a Clerk of the Treasury at an early age, his assiduity, fidelity, and good humour introduced him to the more immediate patronage of the Minister of the day. As private secretary to the present Earl of Ripon when Chancellor of the Exchequer, he displayed those qualifications which recommended him suc- cessively to the notice of Mr. Canning, the Duke of Wellington, and Sir Ro- bert Peel. Under these statesmen it was his lot to discharge, for nearly twenty years, duties which are only inferior to those of a Cabinet Minister, because they are less conspicuous, but the faithful discharge of which can done alle- viate the anxieties and mitigate the asperities of official station. As there is no connexion so close as that which binds the English statesman to his se- cretary—a connexion unknown and unappreciated in foreign courts—so per- haps, there is no grief so profound as that winch an English statesman feels for the loss of him in whose person the qualities cf friend and partisan have been harmoniously blended—who has been the associate of his public counsels, the confidant of his public cares, and the cheerful companion of his private life." As might be supposed from the nature of the visitation, the inquiries as to the state of the sufferer daring the brief career of disease were constant. Sir Robert and Lady Peel frequently called to make inquiries. Among others who called or sent on the same errand, were the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex, Prince George of Cambridge, the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Buckingham, Lord and Lady Lynd- hurst, Sir H. Hardinge, Baron Neuimann, and several other distin- guished persons. On the morning after the attack, a message of inquiry was despatched from Windsor Castle to Grosvenor Street, and regular reports were made to the Queen and Prince Albert. On Mr. Drummond's death, intelligence of the event was instantly conveyed to Windsor Castle, to Sir Robert Peel and the other Cabinet Minis- ters. The Queen, it is said, was much affected, and some visiters who had been invited to the Castle were pat off. Sir Robert and Lady Peel were severely afflicted : Mr. Drummond had been a constant visitor of their domestic circle, and but a little before his deathblow he had parted from their children.

An inquest on the body was held at the Lion and Goat Tavern, in Grosvernor Street, on Thursday, before Mr. Gell, the Coroner for Westminster, assisted by Mr. Higgs, and a very respectable Jury. Mr. Manle, the Government Solicitor, appeared on behalf of the Crown ; no one attended to watch the proceedings for M'Naughten. In some pre- liminary remarks to the Jury, the Coroner observed, that probably a plea of insanity would be put in for the defence on ulterior proceedings ; but the Coroner's was not the proper court to institute the inquiry as to the insanity of a person charged.

Silver, a Policeman, stated the manner of the attack on Mr. Drum- mond, at Charing Cross, on Friday afternoon. His evidence corrects some inaccuracies in previous accounts. He saw Mr. Drummond put his hand to his left side, and reel; his coat being on fire at the time. The Policeman's eye had been directed to the spot, and he saw M'Naughten in the act of pointing the pistol with which Mr. Drum- mond had been shot. He put it back into his breast and drew forth

another; but the Policeman rushed upon him ; with great difficulty pre- vented his escaping or raising his arm again ; and the second pistol went off in the struggle, the ball striking the pavement. There was scarcely a moment between the two fires.

Robert Hodge, a carpenter of Kentish Town, aged nineteen, also wit- nessed the firing of the shot which struck Mr. Drummond: Hodge walked rapidly towards M'Naughten, who stared very hard at him while he pulled out the second pistol ; and the young man was so much frightened that he ran away. Mr. Drummond was led into Drummond's bank. M'Naughten appeared to be sober. Mr. Mettle said that he had other witnesses, but he did not think it necessary to produce them. Mr. Charles Guthrie produced a report on the post mortern examina- tion of the body, which had been instituted by Dr. Chambers, Dr. Hume, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Bransby Cooper, and Mr. Jackson.

"The body of the late E. Drummond, Esq., was opened by Mr. C. Gardiner Guthrie, on Thursday the 26th January, at one o'clock, in the presence of Dr. Chambers, Dr. Hume, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Bransby Cooper, and Mr. Jackson. The ball entered behind, two inches from the spinous process or ridge of the back-bone, between the eleventh and twelfth ribs, and three inches distant from the inferior angle of the shoulder-blade. It was extracted in front, be- tween the cartileges of the seventh and eighth ribs, about two inches distant from that part which is commonly called the pit of the stomach. The ball, after entering the cavity of the chest, slightly abrased the left lung at its lower and inferior edge ; which part was covered by recent lymph, the lung being internally sound. The left side of the chest contained nearly a pint of red- coloured serum. The ball perforated the diaphragm, or muscular partition dividing the chest from the abdomen, grazed the fat of the left kidney, passed through the great omentum below the stomach to the part where it was ex- tracted, injuring no very important organ in the abdomen in its transit, but ;thin rise to an effusion of blood, which was found coagulated and diffused to the amount of perhaps twelve ounces. The absence of all that shock and alarm which almost invariably follow the opening into either of the great cavities of the body, together with the great diliculty of ascertaining the spot at which the ball had entered, from its small size, gave rise, during the first twelve hours, to the anxious hope that it had not passed so directly across. We consider such a wound to be inevitably fatal.

(Signed) "W. F. CHAMBERS, T. R. HUME, C. G. GUTHRIE, BRANSBY B. COOPER, RICHARD JACKSON."

The Jury unanimously returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Daniel M'Naughten ; and Policeman Silver, Mr. Hodge, and Mr. Guthrie, were formally bound over to prosecute. Mr. Mettle, however, said that he would undertake the prosecution. The Coroner issued his warrant for M'Naughten's committal to Newgate.

M'Naughten was examined before Mr. Hall, at Bow Street, on Saturday morning, and we were able to give a tolerably full outline of the proceedings in a second edition. As the aspect of the case, however, has much altered during the week, and the evidence at the inquest sup- plies all that is wanting, the meagre proceedings in the Police Court may here be briefly dismissed. Partridge, a Policeman, deposed that he had seen M'Naughten loitering about the Treasury and Downing Street, for more than a fortnight before. M'Naughten sullenly abstained from questioning the successive witnesses, except a mere trilling question as to the extent to which he resisted the Policeman ; and at first he refused to make any statement ; but afterwards he uttered an incoherent complaint that the Tories of Glasgow had persecuted him, ruined his health, and disordered his mind, and thus driven him to this act. He seemed either mad or feigning madness. He was remanded for a fortnight, to Tothill Fields prison ; being placed in the room occupied by Cour- voisier and afterwards by Bean.

When he heard of Mr. Drummond's death, his face flashed, and he renewed his exclamations about the persecution of the Glasgow Tories and the disorder of his mind.

It is said that Mr. Drummond had received threatening letters. On Friday morning, he observed a man lurking about the Treasury, and he remarked it to a friend ; who said, carelessly, that he did not conceive the matter worth thinking about. Mr. Flower, a solicitor who practices in the Central Criminal Courts, has been engaged to defend the prisoner. On Tuesday, M'Naughten wrote the following note to one Gordon, who lived in Peter Street, Westminster ; but Gordon had left his lodg- ing for Scotland- " Tuthill Fields Prison, 24th January 1843.

"My dear Friend—I shall feel obliged if you will call upon me at dinner- time this day, as I wish to have some minutes' conversation with you early. I will not detain you long.

"I am yours very truly, "DANIEL ArNAUGHTEN."

Further inquiries have of course oeen made as to M'Naughten's pre- vious life; but they do not throw any very clear light upon the deed. Mr. Spalding, a carpenter, who lives near Bryanstone Square, has stated that he knew M'Naughten's father, who was a wood-turner, in Stock- well Street, Glasgow. Daniel was apprenticed to his father : he once left his family for eighteen months, and came to London. His father fetched him back ; and for a time he was remarkable for his steady attention to business. Afterwards, in 1837, he quarrelled with his father, and set up in opposition to him. In 1839, he threw up business, and took another excursion. About a year back, he succeeded to his father's business ; which he sold, and again went " vagabondizing." From the Glasgow papers, however, it would appear that there are some errors in this account. M'Naughten is an illegitimate son ; his father still lives ; and it was his own business, not his father's, which he sold. The Glasgow Courier says— "His workshop was first in Turner's Court, and afterwards in Stockwell. On leaving the business he disposed of it to a young man, who is still carrying it on in the latter place. He appears to have been very retired in his habits, avoiding society, and occupying much of his time in reading. He usually !pent about sixteen hours a day between working and reading. His disposition is very parsimonious, and he is understood to have saved a good deal of money. Though he was generally well enough dressed when he came abroad, his habits when within doors were of the most filthy kind. During almost all the time be was in business he lived in his workshop, cooked his own victuals, and other- wise attended to his own wants. Be was a Radical in his politics, and inclined to infidelity in religion. Both in politics and religion, however, his views were regarded by those who knew him as more speculative than practical. One ot our informants saw him about six months ago, at which time he had the ap- pearance of having been in bad health. "It appears that M'Naughten, upwards of two years ago, showed symptoms of mental aberration. To the landlady with whom he at that time lived he had repeatedly expressed his opinion that there were devils in human shape seeking his life ; and one day he showed her a pair of pistols, and declared his deter- termination to use them against his tormentors. About a year ar, it is also reported, that he applied to the Police here for protection against fory perse- cutors, *he sought his life."

The Glasgow Courier gives somewhat the same account, and adds-

" He kept his bed a great deal; where he read, and wrote 'haven' (as his landlady termed his • lucnbrations) almost constantly. The only thing, how- ever, of a manuscript description left in his lodgings, are a few sheets, filled with notes of medical lectures which he seems to have been attending, and several letters, all of which (with the exception of one from Mr. Alexander Johnston, M.P., which is calculated to strengthen the idea entertained of his insanity,) relate to matters of no importance. The letter from Mr. Johnston is dated ' 5th May, 1842,' and is as follows= I received your letter of the 3d May. I am very sorry I can do nothing for you. I am afraid you are labouring under a delusion of mind, and that there is no reason for you entertaining such fears.' Mrs. Pattison, with whom M'Naughten lodged, observed, we understand, two pocket-pistols in his possession upwards of a year ago. She remonstrated with him several times for keeping such dangerous weapons; and on these occasions he justified himself by observing that he had taken a fancy for ' fowling.' Once, when urged by Mrs. Pattison to go out and exert himself to get a situation of some kind or other, he said he had done everything he could for that purpose, but that he was persecuted and tormented by a parcel of devils. On being fur- ther questioned on the subject, he added, that if they (the devils) did not give up tormenting him, he would blow their braille out. Be left Mrs. Patti- son's for the last time, it seems, about four months ago, without saying where he was going, or taking even a change of linen with him. He carried along with him, however, the pistols formerly mentioned, and all his money. At one time, M'Naughten spent about three years with a company of strolling players. This was about fourteen or fifteen years since. He was fond of de- bating with any person who came into his shop; but he did not associate with any political party in the city, and had no personal associates. He is, we un- derstand, about thirty-three years of age."

The Glasgow Constitutional has some "further particulars "—

" An official gentleman arrived in Glasgow, from London, on Sunday, for the purpose of receiving information regarding M'Naughten. This was prin- cipally procured at the house of the assassin's father, who is a very respectable man. Among other matters, the father recollected that his son had told him, about the beginning of last summer, that he was going to call on Sir James Campbell, the Lord Provost. On application to his Lordship, we learn that about the end of May, or beginning of June, M'Naughten did call at his resi- dence in Bath Street. There he had some conversation in the hall with M'Naughten; who is described by the Lord Provost as a jolly-looking man, and as speaking very coolly, although evidently labouring under some halluci- nation of mind. He told the Provost, with great earnestness, that he had been incessantly watched and dogged by certain parties who had an ill-will at him. He said they had forced him from his home by their spiteful machinations; and the very night before they had obliged him to fly to the fields in the suburb for refuge. Sir James Campbell asked the name of the complainer; which he gave, as also the name of his father, and afterwards reasoned with him as to the folly of his notions. Sir James likewise inquired, pretty broadly, whether lie had ever been treated as if it had been suspected there was any thing wrong with his (M'Naughten's) intellects; and, being replied to in the negative, seriously advised him to consult his relations or some medical man as to the state of his health. At this visit, he talked neither of religion nor politics ; but just shook his head, and said that he could not get rid of them at all." M'Naughten has resided for months in Poplar Row, New Kent Road, in the house of Mrs. Dutton, a respectable widow. He first lodged with her three years ago, and left her to go to France. After an absence of many months he returned and took his old room, for which he paid 2s. 6d. a week ; and he was always exact in his pay- ments. Mrs. Dutton never observed him reading newspapers or any other publication ; but once when confined to his bed with a cold, she lent him a religious book, which he appeared to read with interest. He gave the impression of having something on his mind. When .1)1'Naughten last took up his abode with Mrs. Dutton, he had a miser- able wardrobe : he had only one shirt ; after the first fortnight he procured a second, and they were washed alternately ; he possessed only two pairs of socks, and a flannel waistcoat ; a fortnight ago, he bor- rowed of a shoemaker a pair of old boots while his own were mended.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday for the despatch of business. Mr. Anderton gave notice of a motion for the preparation of a bill to amend the Act for Regulating Elections within the City of London, &c., and especially to limit the period of election for all corporate offices to one day. The City Lands Committee sent in a report on the alteration of the Law Courts in Guildhall ; which Mr. Tite, the architect, estimated to cost 18,000/. After some discussion, the further consideration of the report was postponed. The other business possessed no interest.

A meeting of members of the Metropolitan Anti-Corn-law Associa- tions was held on Monday, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, as the first of the weekly meetings resolved upon last week. Among those present were Mr. Charles Villiers, M.P., Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P., Mr. Henry Ashworth of Bolton, Mr. Hamer Stansfeld of Leeds, and Mr. James Wilson. Mr. Ashworth, on the part of the League, stated formally the objects of collecting the League fund. The League are printing tracts to be distributed in packets, at the rate of three-and-a- half tons weekly ; which will cost 35,0001.; and the remaining 15,0001. will be devoted to contingent expenses. Mr. Sidney Smith read a general report on the progress made in the Metropolis-- During the last fifty-three days, seventy-four meetings had been held in Lon- don in aid of the great League fund, at which it was calculated at least 27,000 persons had been addressed. Applications for assistance in various districts were being made hourly. Sixty-nine Anti-Corn-law Associations had been established, and they were rapidly extending. In addition to the large amount already collected, cards for the collection of 5,225/. were already in the hands of their best friends, and in active circulation. It was confidently anticipated that the whole value would shortly be realized and returned to the League. The large houses and firms in the City had begun to contribute; which was an encouraging indication of the advancing state of public opinion on the great questions of Free Trade and a repeal of the Corn-laws.

The Chairman, Mr. Hamer Stansfeld, stated, that ten firms in Glas- gow had put down their names for 1001. each. Among the London subscriptions announced were—George Breftel and Co., 100L; Sharp and Ward, 100!.; James Canliffe, loot, as a supporter of a moderate fixed duty gradually reducing to a total repeal ; Morrison, Dillon, and Co., 1001.; Wynn Ellis, M.P., 1001.; Leaf, Coles, Smith, and Co., 1001.

A meeting was held at Baker's Hall, in the Ward of Tower, on Thursday week, to hear the result of the opposition to the wholesale surcharges under the Income-tax Act. A letter was read from Mr. Goalburn to Mr. Masterman, the Member for the City, in which he said that he had taken the memorial from the Ward, praying that the assess- ment might be quashed and a new one ordered, into serious considera- tion; but he did not find that Government had the power to interfere. Mr. Welsh, the Government Surveyor, had acquitted himself of having authorized the 556 statements made by the Ward Assessor on an esti- mate of value ; and as the Assessor had taken an oath to "act in all respects diligently and honestly," the Chancellor of the Exchequer was bound to suppose that he himself was satisfied of the propriety of the statements. The Additional Commissioners, who afterwards made and allowed the assessments, must have been equally satisfied that the state- ments were bond fide made. "The only mode of relief appointed by Jaw for persons aggrieved by an improper assessment, is an appeal to the General Commissioners." The meeting unanimously passed a reso- lution declaring- " That therefore, according to the present construction of this act, there is no clear and immediate remedy for the neglect or misconduct of these officers, and acts of injustice and annoyance can thus be perpetrated, as in the case of this Ward, for which the right of appeal affords no adequate redress."

At Bow Street Police-office, yesterday, Thomas Patterson was brought up under four warrants, issued some time back on the prosecution of Go- vernment, charging him with exposing certain blasphemous publications in Holywell Street. Patterson was partly defended by his counsel, Mr. Thomas, who took some technical objections that were overruled; and he partly defended himself, reading professedly for that purpose some papers which are said to have been outrageously blasphemous, and they were eventually taken from him. In three of the cases he was fined 40s.; and refusing to pay the fines, he was committed to prison for one month. The fourth case was postponed till Tuesday.