fLbe jItirtropolis.
At the close of a poll between contending candidates for the Common .souncil in Cord wainer's Ward, on Saturday, a discussion arose on the con- duct of Alderman Thomas Wood, the Alderman of the Ward. Thanks had been voted to him for presiding, when Mr. Taylor, the only rejected can- didate, remarked that the Ward was placed in the very unenviable con- dition of having had their Alderman twice passed over in the election la the Mayoralty, and they had a right to information on the subject. Mr. Lott added, that the Alderman was bound to explain the matter, or to resign his gown. If the Mining Journal, which had attacked him, might be treated with contempt, the Times presented higher game, and an action against that paper would open the whole subject. Alderman Wood addressed the Wardmote at considerable length. Whatever opi- nion might be entertained of him, in consequence of misrepresentations, in his own conscience be felt that he was right. Be could only say, that he could not tell why the Court of Aldermen had passed him over when he was entitled to stand for the Mayoralty : he had met with othing but personalities : he challenged the Court to account for their conduct : only six Aldermen out of twenty-six bad signed the docu- ment referring to the Talacre mine, and the opinion expressed therein was in fact no opinion at all. An action against the Times would not have the effect supposed ; for although it had published much relating to the subject, it had not published the original libel, which appeared in another paper. Why he had not proceeded against the party to whom that libel was attributable, was well known. Mr. Wood replied, in an- swer to some further questioning by Mr. Lou, that he should persevere in going before the Livery every year ; and that, having been pressed to accept the gown, and the election being for life, he should not resign his seat in the Court of Aldermen.
The Committee of the National School Society met on the 6th in- stant; the Archbishop of Canterbury presiding ; when the report of a Sub-Committee was read, communicating, with approbation, a proposal by Mr. Kay Shuttleworth and Mr. Tuff-nen to transfer the Training Establishment at Battersea to the care of the National Society. A resolution was passed unanimously accepting the "liberal offer." The Training Establishment has had the patronage of Prince Albert, which will be continued.
The schedule of Mr. Charles Mathews, the comedian, was filed in the Court of Bankruptcy on Saturday. It was of considerable size, contain- ing about thirty sheets of parchment. The debts and liabilities are set forth at upwards of 8,0004 Of this sum, more than 2,000/. consists of re- aewed debts, which appeared in the schedule when Mr. Mathews took the benefit of the Act in June 1840; others are "farther liabilities," leaving the lame fide debts at about 3,000/. There are no assets; but the insolvent bag, on ;'.1ae proceedings, made a proposition to pay his creditors. h seems that for the last five years the half-yearly earnings of the insolvent and his wife (Madame Vestris) have been 1,350L; and that sum he offers half-yearly to pay to the assignee for distribution among his creditors. The first examination will take place on the 8th February next.
At Clerkenwell Police-office, on Thursday, John Anderson, a sickly middle-aged Irishman, was charged with threatening to shoot the Queen. He voluntarily went, that morning, to George Street Police. station, and surrendered himself, saying that he did so because he in- tended to "injure the Queen." Being asked how ?—he answered, "to shoot her." To Mr. Greenwood, the Magistrate, he admitted the charge ; and, complaining of pain in hit head, supposed that he was "labouring under some delusion." Mr. Greenwood ordered him to be sent to Coldbath Fields Prison for the night. Yesterday he was re- examined before Mr. Combe. He stated that he came originally from ROSCOMMOR, and that his father had gone to America. He had been a Weaver and a gardener • and he had lived at Liverpool, which he left on Friday, and came to London. On Saturday, "labouring under some day. Since his arrest, he had been takekUaldiddlesex Hospital ; where the medical gentlemen were of opinion *eke was not insane, though they saw a '-vacancy " about nue Bra. Wakefield, Physician to the House of Correction, and; Taylor,, wits no ground for thinking him insane. On his way- tn the Hama of Correction, he told the Policeman who took him, that his frieedswere in America, and that his object was to get there. Anderson denied this, and insisted that his . head was affected, and that he had had fits. Mr. Combe thought that be had trumped up the story for the purpose of getting to America : be therefore held the man to bail for one month, with two sureties of 204 each ; and in default committed him to the House of Correction. According to the annual custom, the inmates of the prisons and work- houses throughout the Metropolis were regaled with good cheer on Christmas Day.
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