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At a meeting of the Law Amendment Society on Monday, Mr. Edward Webster revived and read the report of a committee appointed some time ago to consider the propriety of concentrating the Courts of Law and Equity in a central situation. The spot they selected is between Carey Street, Lincoln's Inn and the Strand. Sir Richard Bethel said that three years ago he submitted the plan to the Government of that day ; he had nearly satisfied the jealous and hesitating Chancellor of the Exchequer, and had hoped to bring in a bill, when the Palmerston Mi- nistry died—he would not say an untimely, but a natural death.

"He hoped, however' that the next session will not be entirely occupied by other discussions, to the exclusion of this great plan of legal reform. He called it a great plan of legal reform, because it is a thing most earnestly to be desired that that dissociation of the different branches of the adminis- tration of justice, which has so long prevailed from accidental circumstances should be put an end to, and that all departments concerned in that admi- nistration should be brought into the most easy, constant, and habitual communication with.each other. He was in the hope of bringing what Flight be called the legal and equitable mind into public harmony, and lead- ing them to perceive in reality one great leading principle—the administra- tion of justice in simple and uniform modes of procedure. He was desirous that all the members of the profassion should be brought into the daily habit of observing the administration of justice, and then becoming, as it were, the critics and commentators of its rules and modes of procedure, they might at last hope to arrive at a uniform system and set of principles in the administration of justice such as obtained in almost every other country except our own. The system of administering justice in this country has been divided by accident, and that which was our misfortune had become our characteristic. They would observe what a great misfortune it had been for the common law to be administered in 'Westminster Hall, the equity law in Lincoln's Inn, and the ecclesiastical law in that old cavern or den which used to exist at Doctors' Commons. They must be brought together in the end. There was another minor advantage of union which had not been touched upon. No one who is desirous of advancing the law and improving the administration of justice could fail to entertain along with it the desire that those great institutions of the country, the Inns of Court, should flourish together with the improvement of the law and the mode of administering it. He thought, therefore, if a great palace of jus- tice were locally situated, immediately between the Temple and Lincoln's Inn, and connected by a light, elegant bridge thrown over Fleet Street, that the value of the building-8 of these societies might be very, much aug- mented, while justice would be located on its natural site, in immediate connection with the habitations of those who would daily and habitually resort to the tribunals where it was administered. By such an arrange- ment they would recur to the ancient usage under which justice was ad- ministered in one place."

A great number of members took part in the discussion that ensued; the report of the Committee was received and referred to the Council of the Society, with a request that they would take such stelae as they might think expedient to bring the matter under the consideration of the Government.

Mr. John Stuart Mill was unanimously elected a member of the Society.

The Corporation of London are engaged in constructing a permanent pier near the south-west landing stairs of London Bridge to accommo- date steamboat traffic. Sir John Rennie, observing this, wrote to the Controller of the Bridge House estates to inform him that the works will seriously obstruct the navigation of the river and injure the bridge. This was in the middle of December. Early in January he twice re- peated his warning, and begged that the works might be stopped. On Monday a special Court of Common Council was held to consider the matter. A motion to refer the letters to a committee was rejected by the casting vote of the Lord Mayor.

The Jamaica Legislature have passed an Immigration Bill, by means of which they hope to obtain a supply of coolie labourers to make up for the want of labourers in the island. The Anti- Sleveey Society, inspired by island correspondents, are strongly op- posed to the bill, and not to the bill alone, but to all immigration to

a dwelling house opening upon a common staircase, and entitling the tenant or the West Indies. On Tuesday a formidable deputation, headed by

three Members of Parliament, Mr. Charles Gilpin, General Thompson, and Mr. Arthur Kiianaird waited on Sir Edward Lytton and presented a memorial against ,the bill and the system of which it is a part. They object that the planters do not propose to import labourers entirely at their own expense ; that the labourers they propose to import will come into competition with native labour ; that no effectual provisions have been made for the protection of the imported labourers ; that they can only be obtained by fraud, transported with great loss of life; and that they will be slaves when they reach the colony. Sir Edward Lytton said he had not had the memorial fivo minutes when the deputation arrived, but ha would give it his serious considers-. tion. It is understood that the deputation are indignant at the conduct of the Government.

The Australian colonists in London celebrated the seventy-first birth- day of the colonies by a dinner on Wednesday. The Australasian group were well represented, and among the guests were Sir John Pakington, a former, and Sir Edward Lytton, the present Secretary of State for the Colonies. These two gentlemen made speeches full of hearty oampli- ments to the colonists. Sir Edward Lytton pointed out that they had not only progressed as producers and consumele, but that they had pro- moted education, founded universities, and fostered an aristocracy not of intellect alone, but of civilized manners—the aristocracy of elevated cha- racter.

The Bishop of London's second appeal for funds for adapting St. Paul's for public service is based on the report of the expenses in the vast amount of coke required for the thirteen " Gurney " stoves in the crypt, he., double glazing the windows to exclude noise and cold, lighting the corona of the dome with gas at 1/. per hour, an outlay of 1000/. on the organ, the erection of a more suitable lecture and reading desk, and the supply of thick curtains at the north, south and west doors, to keep out the draughts of wind, as well as to complete the screen there : 40001. out of his first subscription of' 52001. has been already spent.

The Poor-law Commissioners have reminded the Directors of St. Pan- cras that by an order of the Poor-law Board every Officer holding office under the Board can only be dismissed by the Board. The chaplain of St. Pancras, Mr. Pugh, holding office under the Commissioners, has been dismissed by the Vestry without notice. Lord Courtenay asks the Di- rectors what explanation they have to offer in this case ?

A large meeting of working men was held in Exeter Hall on Wednes- day to promote the Nine Hours' movement.

The Lord Chancellor on Wednesday, delivered judgment in the case of Freeland versus Mortiboy. The plaintiffs were the sisters of a Mr. John Sheppard, the defendant, is the executor of the alleged widow ofJohn Shep- pard. The claim put in by the former is to a moiety of John Sheppard's estate. They ground the claim on the assertion that Mary Sheppard was not the widow of John Sheppard. Their story is this. Mary Sheppard, who had previously lived with a nobleman, was murried twice in 1824—the first time as Mary Jones with James Masters on the 26th February, the second time as Mary Wall with John Sheppard on the 8th March. The Sheppards lived as man and wife for eighteen years and then legally sepa- rated. John Sheppard died in 1845 ; Mary Sheppard administered to his will, and took his estate. She died in 1857 and left the estate to the chil- dren of her executor Mortibov. After her death the certificate of her mar- riage with Masters turned up by accident, and this led Sheppard's sisters to make inquiries which brought on this action. They allege that Mrs. b'hep- pard had committed bigamy. The Court below took the same view, and against this the plaintiff.' appealed. There were many discrepancies in the case, but the Court above seem to have made out of the evidence submitted this curious story. The gentleman with whom Mary Wall was living parted from her when he himself was about to marry, and found a husband for her. This he did by offering to Sheppard, a working jeweller, on condition of his marrying Mary 1Vall, the business from which he afterwards acquired 6000/. She, at the time passing under the name of Mrs. Masters, thought to lceepher respectability by acquiring a legal right to that name. But the lawyer con- sulted as to her settlement, it is supposed, expressed doubts as to validity of a marriage under assumed names. Hence the second marriage of Mary Wall and John Sheppard. The Court therefore thought that Masters and Sheppard were the same persons ; a theory supported by a singular chain of small and curious facts raked up from the pad—such as this. The man, Masters, described as a gentleman, and supposed to be the find husblind„ called at the house of the Sheppards just after the second marriage, in- quired whether the woman was married, and learning that she NUS dis- appeared, and has never been heard of since. Had he been the real huslanad, and not the former paramour of Mrs. Sheppard would he have dine so ? Again a Mrs. Fillet witness to the first marriage was a frequent visitor. to Mrs. Sheppard after her second marriage. Then the handwriting of" Mas- ters" and " Sheppard " was very similar. It is remarkable also that a Mr. Julius Hare had an unexplained interest in Mrs. Sheppard's marriage, •and that he consented to become one of her trustees. Decision of the Court -be- low reversed ; bill dismissed without costs. Vice-Chancellor Kiudersley removed the name of Mr. Nicol from tlie fist of contributories under the winding up of the British Bank ; on the ground that he had been induced to buy shares through the false and fracultilout representations of the directors and their agents. Against this judgment the official manager of the company appealed. The case was heard on Sa- turday before the Lord Chancellor and the Lords Justices. They held that the name of Mr. Nicol could not be properly removed on the ground lir: leged by the court below, because the representations, alle,,eed to be false and fraudulent, came from an individual director. But they considered that Mr. Nieol had made a valid transfer of his shares, and on that ground he was entitled to have his name removed from the list of contributories. [Nicors shares were bought by Cameron with the bank's money, on behalf of Mr. Empson.]

It may be remembered that at the last summer assizes in Liverpool Mr. John Scott and another obtained a verdict against Mr. Joshua Dixon, one of the directors of the Borough Bank, for 1401., the value of shares bought by the plaintiffs under false representations respecting the condition of, the bank issued by the directors. Subsequently a rule to show cause why a new trial should not be had was granted, and it was az gued before the Court of Queen's Bench on Thursday. Lord Campbell said the account of the alleged false representation was this, that the bank was represented mein a situation

The Judges sitting in baneo in the Court of Exchequer have refused a rule to grant a new trial or enter a verdict for the defendant in the case of Harrison versus Pearce, the Sheffield newspaper libel ease. The Chief Baron was of opinion that the damages granted were below the damage in- fficted by the libels. Fresh libels have appeared.

One Robinson was convicted of obtaining two dogs by false pretences, and was sentenced by the Recorder of Liverpool to seven years' penal servi- tude. A point was reserved. Is a dog a chattel so as to come within the statute ? Before the Court of Appeal in criminal cases, Mr. Littler, for the prisoner, contended that a dog was not a chattel. Mr. Brett said, it was not a chattel at common law, and it was not so, because in the books it was stated that it was not thought right that a man should die for so inferior an animal ; but as to a horse, that was stated to be good for food, and, there- fore, stealing a horse was made a capital offence. The punishment for stealing a swan was, that it should be tied up by the beak, and the offender should pile up wheat until it was covered. Mr. Baron Martin said that did not bear much proportion to seven years' penal servitude. Lord Campbell said it was clear that stealing a dog was not larceny ; that being so, and there being a specific punishment of a milder nature for stealing a dog, it would not be right to say that obtaining a dog by false pretences should subject the offender to seven years' penal servitude. Conviction quashed.

The Coroner's jury inquiring into the accident at the Polytechnic re- turned on Monday a verdict of accidental death from the fall of the staircase, a fall occasioned by "the cutting for the insertion of the iron trellis-work and brackets, and by the incautious manner of doing the work. The jury regret the adoption by the directors of the recommendation so to repair the staircases instead of reconstructing them. The Jury cannot allow this op- portunity to pass without expressing in the strongest manner their opinion that all public buildings should be subject to a periodical inspection. A competent person for such purpose should be appointed by the Government, whose duty should be to inspect all buildings used or intended for public as- semblage. That such inspector should forward a certificate to some office, and upon that certificate stating that the building was erected and finished in all its parts in a proper manner for the purpose for which it was intended a license should be granted for such building to be opened. That upon all alterations or repairs of importance the like inspection should take place, and the same certificate should be made and license granted. The jury also strongly. object to the almost irresponsible power now vested in the hands of companies and individuals in the erection ancl maintenance of our publieplaces of resort, and wish to impress upon the Government the absolute necessity of not allowing the ensuing session of Parliament to pass without some en- actment to enforce these suggestions. Such a come is deemed imperative to allay the fears of the public in consequence of the accidents that have so frequently taken place' and upon the well-founded observations contained in the valuable reports of the architects appointed by this inquest. The jury express their hope that the Coroner will forward these suggestions to her Majesty's Secretary of State for consideration. "That while the jury deplores that so sad an accident should have oc- curred from the causes stated in the verdict, they are not unmindful of the great and important services rendered to the cause of education and of science by the Polytechnic Institution and they are anxious to express their approbation of the conduct of all parties connected with the institution at the time of the accident, and particularly of the courageous conduct of Mr. T. L. King in descending amidst the ruins of the falling stairs to the assist- ance of the unfortunate sufferers. The jury are further anxious of hereby expressing their admiration of the highmindedness and truly benevolent eonduct of Mr. 7. P. Acton."

Several buildings, in course of erection at Kentish Town, have recently fallen down without obvious cause. This will lead to an interesting inves- tigation. A large grain warehouse and great part of an iron foundry at the end of Bankside fell down on Saturday. A portion of the building had been standing since the days of good Queen Bess.