Vibe jriiittropolis.

A Common Hall was held on Monday ; at which Alderman William Hunter, of Coleman Street Ward, and Mr. Thomas Sydney, of Ludgate Hill, were elected Sheriffs for London and Middlesex. The Chamber. lain, Bridgeniaser, and other officers annually chosen by the Livery, were also elected. The Auditors of the City Accounts handed in a report on the Chamberlain's accounts of the Corporation and Gresham funds, and on the Bridge-master's accounts of the Bridge-house estates ; recording their "satisfaction at the beautiful and accurate way in which the accounts are kept."

The Sheriffs of London and Middlesex gave a sumptuous entertain- ment to the Judges, at Stationers Hall, on Saturday last. The com- pany consisted of about seventy ; and among them were the Chief Baron of the Exchequer and Mr. Baron Rolfe.

The fourth general annual meeting of the London Diocesan Board of Education was held on Wednesday, at Pall Mall ; the Bishop of London presiding. Want of funds was complained of.

At the meeting of the Marylebone Vestry on Saturday, a most de- termined spirit of hostility was exhibited to the Government plan of pulling down the Metropolitan prisons and reerecting them with cells for solitary confinement. Various speakers reasoned against it—Sir Peter Laurie in the van--on the score of the expense of the scheme, and the inhumanity of the system. Sir Peter mentioned the fact, that when Barber was in the Compter, before his trial in the late will- forgeries case, be was for some days in an apartment by himself, and he wrote a letter to the Lord Mayor praying for God's sake to be allowed society or he should lose his senses ; and his request was at once com- plied with. Mr. T. Duncombe and Mr. Hume have both promised to be vigilant on this matter. With respect to the former, Mr. Joseph remarked that he believed Mr. Duncombe might justly be considered the Member for the whole Metropolis ; for be did more for its inha- bitants generally than all the rest of the 'Metropolitan Members put together.

A most uproarious meeting of the parishioners of St. Leonard's Shore- ditch was held on Tuesday, in the parish-church, for the purpose of making a rate for the relief of the poor. The meeting commenced at three o'clock, and, with the exception of a short adjournment, lasted till eleven at night. A rate of ls. in the pound was proposed, but an amendment substituting 8d. was carried ; on which a poll was demanded.

The Committee of Privileges of the House of Peers assembled on Tuesday, on the claim of Sir Augustus D'Este to the Peerage of his late father, the Duke of Sussex. The witnesses examined were—Miss Au- gusta D'Este, sister of the claimant, Lady Virginia Murray, his aunt, Dr. Lushington, whose evidence was held to be inadmissible ou a legal point, the Honourable Admiral Stopford, and Dr. Wiseman, the Roman Ca- tholic Bishop. Tne evidence of Miss Augusta D'Este went merely to the fact of a journal kept by her mother having been found in an iron chest after her death. She added, " I have very often—very frequently— heard my father and mother say that they were married at Rome." Lady Virginia Murray was more explicit-

" I am a daughter of the Earl of Dunmore, and sister of the late Augusta Murray. I was st Rome in the years 1792 and 1793. My parents as well as my sister were there. 1 saw the late Duke of Sussex many times during our sojourn at Rome. His Royal Highness visited our family. I was quite aware, after the lapse of a short time, that his Royal Highness paid peculiar attentions to my sister, Lady Augusta Murray ; I cannot say how long a time his Royal Highness remained at Rome, but at all events he was therk for some months. I very well remember hearing of the marriage between his Royal Highness and m7 sister at Rome. * * • After our return to this country, his Royal Highness visited our family in Lower Berkeley Street. 1 very well remember when Lady Augusta Murray, my sister, was confined. The present claimant is the child to which my sister, Lady Augusta Murray, gave birth upon that 0012■11i0D. I have constantly seen him from time to time. My sister and the Prince cohabited and lived together as man and wife. Lady Augusta Murray-,, my sister, was always called Princess Augusta Frederick.' I have constantly seen the claimant and his father, the Duke of Sussex, together. The latter treated him as the fondest of fathers would have done. The claimant was always called ' the little Prince,' or 'Prince Augustus.' I have resided in France now about twenty-five years. I have only come over upon this oc- casion, for these proceedings."

Dr. Wiseman, the well-known Roman Catholic authority, was ex- amined chiefly on the marriage law at Rouse.

The marriage at Rome of two Protestants before a Protestant clergyman. would be deemed a valid marriage at Rome. There is no decision or law on that subject, but I have no doubt that it would be deemed a valid marriage: if that marriage was celebrated by the Protestant clergyman according to the Protestant ritual, it would be valid. No other marriage would be necessary. The parties could not separate or marry again. The rights of succession would take place upon such a marriage. It would not be the subject of ecclesiastical censure. They would he considered as man and wife."

The Reverend Mr. Randall Lythgoe also attended; but his evidence on the Roman law was held to be inadmissible. It was intimated that the Lords would expect the best evidence of the Roman law, and the practice of the Roman tribunals : and the counsel for the claimant there- fore suggested an adjournment.

The Committee resumed proceedings yesterday. Dr. Thomas Brown, Vicar Apostolic for Wales, was examined. In his opinion, a marriage of two Protestants at Rome would be held valid, and the issue of the marriage would be entitled to any property which belonged to the parents.

A letter was put in from Lord Grenville to the late Lady Augusta Murray, (found among her papers,) by which it was proposed to allow Lady Augusta an annuity, provided she would not use the Royal arms. A Clerk from Coutts's proved the payment of an annuity of 1,8001. a year to Lady Augusta Murray.

The claimant's case being ended, Mr. Erle summed up in his be- half; and the following question was submitted to the Common Law Judges by the Lord Chancellor- " Evidence being offered of a marriage solemnized at Rome, in the year 1793, by an English priest, according to the rites of the Church of England, between A B, a son of his Majesty King George the Third, and C D, a British subject, without the previous consent M his said Majesty; assuming such evi- dence to have been sufficient to establish a valid marriage between A B and- C D, independently- of the provisions of the statute of the 12th George III. chap. 11, would it be sufficient, having regard to that statute, to establish a valid marriage in a suit in which the elder son of A B claims an estate in England as son of A B by virtue of such marriage ? " The Committee was then adjourned sine die.

The claims of Baron De Bode, (for property confiscated during the French Revolution,) which have come before the public in many shapes and at different times, have been at last brought into the Court of Queen's Bench, for the decision of a Jury. The Court was occupied with the subject from Thursday last week till Monday; when the Jury returned a verdict on the points submitted to them. The case, how- ever, is not yet settled ; the finding of the Jury being merely as to cer- tain facts, on which they decided after upwards of an hour's delibera- tion— First, that the evidence showed that cession took place in 1791 from Baron Charles the father to Baron Clement the son, the petitioner; and the jurors found from the evidence of the foreign lawyers that such cession was a valid cession ; secondly, that the present cause of application did not arise within the apace of six years ; thirdly, that it did not arise in her Majesty's reign ; fourthly, that the property was confiscated in 1793; and fifthly, that as to the question whether the sum paid by the French Government was expressly intended to meet the claim of the petitioner, there was no evidence that it was so paid.

Mr. M. D. Hill, counsel for the Baron De Bode, said the verdict was in favour of the claimant on all points but the last, on which point the Jury had not been called to pronounce. The mode of entering the verdict is a subject for further consideration.

In the Court of Exchequer, a person named Wood had brought an action against Leadbitter for an assault in forcibly expelling him from the Grand Stand at the last Doncaster races ; and the case came for trial on Saturday. It appeared that Leadbitter acted under the direction of Lord Egliuton ; who had ordered Wood to be excluded as a defaulter. Lord George Bentinck, Lord Stanley, and the Duke of Richmond, were examined against the plaintiff, respecting his being a defaulter, and his having been excluded from races for that reason. The Jury returned a verdict for the defendant on the plea of justification.

In the Exchequer Court, on Wednesday, an action for criminal con- versation—Thomas Britten versus Edward Henry Keeling—which was. to have come on, was stopped by a verdict being taken by consent for the plaintiff; damages 3,0001.

In the Court of Common Pleas, on Saturday, Captain Mayor obtained a verdict with 750/. damages against Captain Farquhar, for criminal conversation with his wife. Both were Indian officers, and had beet acquainted for years. Captain Mayor, being ordered on active service, sent his wife to England in the beginning of the year 1842: Captain Farquhar also arrived in England in March that year ; and immediately renewed his acquaintance with Mrs. Mayor, becoming very assiduous in his attentions ; and at length, in the summer of 1843, they resided together at Windsor for a week as man and wife.

A meeting of the creditors of the Romford Bank was held at the Court of Bankruptcy on Monday, for the choice of assignees. The total amount of debts proved is about 40,0001. The amount of the bankrupts' notes in circulation is estimated at 16,0001.; but, until the accounts are gone into, it is impossible to say what assets may be realised. The whole of Mr. Mann's property has been completely ab- sorbed, and a strong feeling of interest has been manifested by the creditors in his favour. From a statement published by Mr. Mann it appears, that he was induced by Mr. Johnson to become a partner in the bank in 1831 ; that he was never at the bank, knew nothing of the banking affairs, and never saw a book belonging to the concern ; and when he applied for information he could not obtain it. It was not till Messrs. Glyn's solicitor went down to Romford to investigate the affairs that he became aware there was any deficiency. In conclusion, Mr. Mann says—" My over-confidence bas brought upon any family dis-

tress ; has swept away the earnings of more than forty years' devoted, constant, assiduous, and untiring attention to business, upon which I have depended for support for myself and my wife in our old age, and as a provision for my sons, one of whom has been fifteen years in the business. This is all lost to me ; and I now stand before the world a ruined man."

At Bow Street Police-office, on Saturday, Mr. William Kemmis, the Crown Solicitor for Ireland, was charged by Mr. Irwin with having stolen a letter from the Castle of Dublin, addressed by Robert Johnson of Kinlonth, late Assistant Barrister of the county of Mayo, to the Right Honourable John Littleton, now Lord Hatherton, in the month of Oc- tober 1834. Mr. Irwin was convicted of having forged a letter con- taining the resignation by Mr. Johnson of his office, by which Irwin hoped to succeed him ; and he asserted that such a letter as described above was sent by Johnson to Lord Hatherton, which if produced at his trial would have proved his innocence ; but that Mr. Kemmis had abstracted it from Dublin Castle. Mr. Kemmis, who said his accuser was rather " cracked " upon this subject, and had summoned the Mar- quis of Normanby on a similar accusation, was discharged; the com- plaint having no apparent foundation.

The adjourned inquest on Mrs. Belaney, the wife of James Cockburn Belaney, late of North Sunderland, who died from the effects of prussic acid, supposed to have been administered by her husband, was resumed on Tuesday. Mrs. Stobbs, an aunt of the deceased, stated that Mrs. Skelly, her sister, died very suddenly about a year since, while residing with Mr. and Mrs. Belaney at North Sunderland, and that her funeral was a harried one. The inquest was adjourned till Thursday ; when the Jury returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against Belaney.

On Wednesday he was brought before Mr. Broderip, at the Thames Police-office, and a number of witnesses were examined. The leading features of their evidence were, that on the eve of the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Belaney from North Sunderland, they each made a will, be- queathing the whole of the property they possessed to each other, in the event of one surviving the other ; that on the very day his wife died, he wrote a letter to Mr. Bell, his clerk, stating that his wife was dangerously ill, and attended by two physicians—although she had not been visited by any medical gentleman ; and that on the 9th he wrote another letter to the same person, stating that his wife was dead, but giving no account, or even alluding to the fact of her having taken poi- son. The prisoner was remanded till Saturday.

At the Wandsworth Police-office, on Saturday, Edward Wright, a labourer, was fined Is. for shooting a carrier-pigeon on the Derby-day, 508. the value of the bird, and 17s. costs ; and committed to prison for six weeks in default of payment.

On Thursday morning, a fire broke out on board the brig Galena, a Newcastle trader, lying off the Tower : it was only extinguished by scuttling the vessel. Before she sank, she fell over on her larboard side, nearly engulphing one of the floating-engines, sinking several boats, and endangering the lives of four persons—who, however, were -saved.