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The City Commissioners have examined this week a great many officers of the Corporation, chiefly those occupying inferior posts; and the evi- dence they have given consists mainly of detailed accounts of their duties and the management of their offices, of little public interest. Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey gave statistics of the City Police. The force consists of 579 men, none of whom are under 5 feet 8 inches in height : last year they cost 44,3411., or 74/. 178. lid. per man. Mr. Harvey compared the cost of the City with that of the Metropolitan Police ; giving the number of persons arrested and the number committed within and without the City, in order to show the efficiency of the City force. He does not think that the distinction between the two Police jurisdictions causes any inconvenience. Mr. Merewether, the Town-Clerk, handed in a list of the incomes and emoluments of r:11 the officers of the Corporation, pre- pared by themselves.
There were two elections for the office of Common Councilman in the City on Monday. The Wardmote of Billingsgate elected Mr. Slovrman, by a large majority, to fill the place of Mr. Lull; and the Wardmote of Aldersgate elected Mr. Robert Besley, without opposition, to the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. James Ward.
At a meeting of the City Commissioners of Sewers, on Tuesday, Mr. Tite applied for leave to erect the model of a pedestal for the Peel statue in the centre of the roadway nearly fronting the Mansionhouse. A mo- tion to that effect was accordingly made; followed by an amendment, that a pedestal should also be put up at the West end of Cheapside, so that both sites might be fairly tested. The amendment found no seconder, and the original motion was carried.
From the annual report of Mr. Haywood, the engineer and surveyor of the City Commission of Sewers, we learn that in the course of last year deeper sewers were substituted in twenty-five different places for ancient shallow sewers ; that the Fleet sewer is under substantial repair between Fleet Street and Blackfriars Bridge; and that "nearly every gully with- in the City has been retrapped with traps of improved construction within the last five years." The number of premises drained during the year WOA 280; making a total of 11,794 drained premises, and leaving 4206 premises about the drainage of which nothing is known." The charges for gas have been reduced ; a large extent of paving has been executed ; and several streets have been widened and improved. As the church- yards are nearly all permanently closed, the report recommends that steps should be taken to prevent noxious exhalations from them, by paving, draining, and planting them with grass and trees. The smoke nuisance is said to be considerably abated ; and it is hoped "the question of the in- teroeption of the sewage from the Thames" will be settled this year, by the adoption of a comprehensive plan now under the joint consideration of Mr. Haywood and the engineer ofthe Metropolitan Commission.
.The Lord Mayor stated on Monday that he had dispensed no less than NU from the poor-box on Saturday ; and on Monday he distributed a still larger sum.
Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey has declined to accept the testimonial offered by the Police, because it might be his duty to admonish with se- verity or instantly to dismiss some of the constables who contributed.
A deputation of gentlemen from the Incorporated Law Society had an interview with the Lord Chancellor on Wednesday, to draw his attention to the proposed establishment of public companies to administer private trusts. Two companies for this purpose—the South Sea Company, and the Executor and Trustee Society—have already deposited their bills in the Private Bill Office of the House of Commons.
At a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, on Monday, Lord Ellesmere in the chair, Dr. Shaw read a report of the steps taken by the Society in regard to the expedition to explore North Australia [proposed by M. Haug]. Sir Charles Fellowes stated the result of the interview which a deputation had with the Duke of Newcastle on the 18th instant. The Duke told them, that the Government entered into the views of the Society with great liberality, and proposed to take the responsibility of the expedition into their own hands ; placing at its head Captain Stokes, an officer of great ability and experience. The Duke also said, the necessary sum would be considered in the Estimates of the present year ; but he feared the amount asked by the Society, 25001., would prove insufficient. Captain Sturt, the Australian explorer, and Mr. Baines, botanist, have both offered their services.
An important decision was given, by Vice-Chancellor Stuart, on Wednes- day, regarding the liability of shareholders in joint-stock companies com- pletely registered. Master Tinney had, on the 20th June 1853, made an order that Mr. Greenwood should pay a call of IL per share on twenty-five shares held by him in the Sea, Fire and Life Assurance Company. A motion was made to discharge the order. The Company was dissolved in 1850, and ordered to be brought under the provisions of the Winding-up Acts of 1848-'49. Mr. Greenwood was sued at the instance of the official manager for payment of a fresh call, although he had previously paid the amount of his shares in full, and there were many shareholders who had paid only part ; while at the same time the Company's deed provided that beyond the actual amount of their subscription no shareholders should be liable for any further call. The decision of the Vice-Chancellor was, that the call could not be made' and that, unless upon some special grounds, such as did not appear to exist in the present ease, no further liability could be enforced. In stating this conclusion, he dwelt also upon the Joint-Stock Companies Act in a man- ner which went far to indicate that its bearings afford more of the advantages of the system of limited partnership than has hitherto been supposed. Order discharged.
William Tanner, a stone-mason, has been sent to prison for a month by the Lambeth Magistrate, for using threats and intimidation to compel Richard Wilcock to join the "Masons' Union." Wilcock was one of the masons em- ployed to execute Messrs. Kirk and Parry's contract at the Crystal Palace ; he would not join the Union; Tanner importuned and threatened him—if he did not join by a certain hour the other masons would strike. He did not pay the money demanded, and the masons struck ; in consequence, the foreman at once discharged Wilcook. He has since obtained work else- where. Mr. Norton said he would not send a hard-working man to prison,, if Wilcock were reinstated and not again interfered with : but the complain- ant said it would be useless for him to go back, as he could not expect any comfort. The Magistrate was obliged to enforce the law. - Boyd, Symes, and Floyd, accused of stealing a packet of jewellery the pro- perty of Mr. Alexander, were finally examined by the Bow Street Magistrate, on Saturday. After some corroboratory evidence had been heard, Boyd made a statement. He was Mr. Alexander's coachman : Byrnes led him astray, first by inducing him to appropriate valuable articles accidentally left in the brougham, and then by urging him to take part in a large rob- bery; promising that he should afterwards be set up as a cab-proprietor. When Boyd objected, Symes and Floyd threatened to inform Mr. Alexander of the appropriation of property left in the carriage, and thus get him transported. On the day of the robbery, they followed Mr. Alexander's brougham in a cab, and eventually they carried off the parcel of jewellery. Boyd was afterwards cheated of his proportion of the plunder. He complain- ed to Floyd. "Floyd said, if I would keep quiet, I should join him in his cabs and horses, and work half the number." Floyd—" You won't work half the number now." Symes denied the truth of Boyd's statements ; and Floyd declared that he knew nothing about the affair. The three were com- mitted.
William Cobley, a Blue-coat-boy, fifteen years old, son of a respectable farmer, was brought before the Marylebone Magistrate for stealing five sove- reigns from Mr. Brydge, a gentleman living at Finchley, at whose house he was on a visit. He admitted that he took the money : be concealed him- self under the bedstead till Mr. Brydge was asleep, took the money from his waistcoat-pocket, and returned to school. Mr. Brydge declined to prosecute ; and the Magistrate, after suitably admonishing the young thief, set him at liberty.
Policeman Dwyer, who suffered so much from the brutality of the sweep Cannon, has been granted a pension of 30/. by the Commissioners of Police.
A clock is to be placed in the North-east turret of the White Tower in the Tower of London.
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