30ttrufalio.

In the course of last Saturday afternoon, it became known that Lord John Russell, though then at Paris, and about to start for Vienna, had accepted a place in Lord Palmerston's Ministry—as Secretary of State for the Colonies; and Mr. Hayter was confidentially handing about a copy of Lord John's address to the electors of the City of London, as a candidate for reelection. The address, afterwards published, was dated "Paris, 23d February" I Lord John informed: his constituents that he had with- drawn for a time from Parliament because the Queen had appointed him to an important mission ; that, while at Paris, Lord Palmerston had asked his assistance in carrying on the Government ; that in the difficult circumstances of the country he did not feel justified in withholding his aid from the Queen ; that he had accepted office ; and that on his return from Vienna he should be prepared to assume its duties and responsibi- lities.

During the week there was some talk of an opposition, and Sir Charles Napier was named. On Thursday the Liberal Registration Association held a meeting ; Mr. H. J. Prescott filled the chair, and there was a large attendance of influential persons. There was much difference of senti- ment. Mr. R. W. Crawford moved a resolution simply expressing con- fidence in Lord Palmerston, and pledging the meeting to support Lord John Russell. Mr. Bateman thought something should be said about the disastrous conduct of the war ; and he moved the addition of words em- phatically expressing extreme discontent, and declaring that his consti- tuents would exact from Lord John that the war should be carried on "with an attention and spirit different in every respect from the terrible mismanagement of the past." Mr. Ayrton and Mr. John Dillon deprecated any dictation. Mr. P. A. Taylor moved an amendment, expressing. the most strenuous disapprobation of the conduct of Lord John in remaining in the Cabinet weeks after he was thoroughly acquainted with the infamous maladministration of the war ; disapproving also of the four points, and of Lord John's mission to Vienna. Mr. S. Morley said, nothing could be smaller or meaner than the way in which Lord John had "sneaked out of the Government." Mr. W. Hawes, Mr. Bennoch, Mr. Wilkinson M.P., and Baron Roth- schild M.P., all spoke in favour of some expression of opinion on the war. The two amendments proposed were then negatived. But still there was discontent; and at length, on the motion of Mr. Morley, the following words were added to the original resolution-

" In so doing, it expresses the hope that his Lordship's 'return to office may be regarded as a guarantee that such arrangements will be made as will effectually prevent a recurrence of the lamentable disasters which have dis- graced the late campaign ; and, further, this meeting considers it to be its duty not to allow the reelection of Lord John Russell to pass without de- claring its continued interest in that civil and religious progress which in times past has secured to him the support of the citizens of London." The election takes place today.

There is an annual gathering of persons at St. Martin's Hall, in the latter days of February, to commemorate the "great revolutionary instead in 1848," by drinking tea and making speeches. This year, nstead of Mazzini and Kossuth, Barbes and Victor Hugo, the chief speakers were the notorious Mr. Ernest Jones, a Mr. Finlen, M. Alfred Talan- dier, a French Socialist, and M. Herzen, a Russian exile. The staple of the speaking was to the effect that England should form alliances with " peoples," not " despots " ; and the practical recommendation was, that an international committee should be formed to effect this object- Mr. Jones addressed the audience as " men of Europe" ; and declared that all the difficulties in the way of transmitting clothing and provisions might be traced to the malevolence of the Emperor Napoleon, who by his machinations has destroyed our army.

A deputation from the soldiers of the late British Auxiliary Legion in Spain, headed by Sergeant Cuffe, waited on Sir De Lacy Evans on Wed- nesday, and presented an address to their old commander, expressing ad- miration of his conduct in the Crimea, and recalling the memory of parallel passages from the annals of the Spanish Legion.

This year the annual meeting of the Law Amendment Society, usually held in June, was anticipated by several months, in order, as Lord Brougham explained from the chair, that they might thereby lay a better foundation for measures to be brought into Parliament for the amendment of the law. The meeting was held on Saturday last, and numerously attended by Members of the House of Commons as well as others. In his opening speech, Lord Brougham feelingly alluded to the loss the cause of law-amendment had sustained by the death of Lord Denman and of Mr. Joseph Hume. The Solicitor-General moved—

"That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is desirable that the friends of law reform should, at the present time, direct their special attention to the following measures-1. The consolidation of the law. 2. An amendment of the Common Law Procedure Act of last session, so as more effectually to secure the attainment of its objects. 3. An amendment in the law of bankruptcy. 4. An alteration in the law of partnership, with a view to affording greater facilities for the formation of partnerships with limited liability. 6. An amendment in the laws relating to women, including the law of divorce. 6. The appointment of a public prosecutor. 7. The more speedy trial of offenders, (especially when charged with petty offences,) and a general improvement in the administration of the criminal law. 8. The amendment of the acts of last session relating to juvenile reformatories." In his speech the Solicitor-General said that he should only express his own opinion, and that what he might say must not be taken as a pledge of measures to be brought forward. With respect to the first subject, the consolidation of the law, he had suggested that to the Lord Chancel- lor when he first entered office, and his suggestion had been well received. He thought that the common law, consisting of the great principles of moral conduct and duty, might be embodied, consolidated, expressed, and arranged, under separate heads. But the statute law, so readily capable of condensation and embodiment, the Lord Chancellor thought was not so.

But the Solicitor-General did not hesitate to say, that a digest of the sta- tute law might be effected. By a digest of the statute law, he wished it to be clearly understood, he did not mean that they should have the statutes simply consolidated, but that they should set out with something like a philosophic distribution and arrangement of the subject, according to which the great heads of legislation and rules of law would be divided so as that each division might throw light on the other and stand in harmonious rela- tion. By such a methodical arrangement of the different branches of the law and the rules of conduct enjoined by the state, the law would become a science ; its study would interest by reason of the philosophic analysis it would present ; and instead of being a disorderly and miscellaneous mass of crude enactments, it would assume the characters of regularity, method, and certainty. For instance, he desired to see the day when real property might be as saleable and as readily converted into money as a house or furniture. The system of the Bank of England in regard to transfer might with equal benefit be applied to land. He desired to see an end of the vicious system of legal education, and a great Metropolitan University established, of which the four Inns of Court shall form the principal elements. The law of part- nership should be altered, and the Ecelisiastical Courts should be completely removed.

Sir John Pakington said, they were all reformers, and must feel the necessity which existed for the reparation and improvement of institu- tions. He paid the highest compliments to Lord Brougham. He de- scribed himself as belonging to that "amphibious class called Chairmen of Quarter-Sessions," who without being lawyers are obliged to adminis- ter the law as best they can. [Lord Brougham interpolated—" You do it much better than might be expected ! "J Their duties, continued Sir John, would be easier if systems were introduced into the statutes. He concurred entirely with the Solicitor-General's views in regard to the transfer of land.

Mr. Napier, Mr. Whiteside, Mr. Fitzroy, Mr. M. D. Hill, and Mr. Hadfield, also addressed the meeting.

An action brought in the Court of Queen's Bench, and tried on Monday, illustrates the practice of selling next presentations. Messrs. Simpson, cle- rical agents, sued Edward Augustus Lamb to recover damages for refusing to sell the next presentation to the living of West Hackney, for 30001., ac- cording to agreement. The Reverend Josiah Itodwell applied to the Messrs. Simpson, in consequence of an advertisement in the Times in November last, respecting the sale of a living. Mr. John Simpson demanded a fee of two guineas before he gave any information. This being paid, he said the living was West Hackney ; the income 5501. a year with a house; the price 30001. ; commission to the Messrs. Simpson 5 per cent. If everything had been satisfactory, Mr. Rodwell would have purchased the living. Mr. John Simpson showetlthat Mr. Lamb had given him authority to obtain a pur- chaser for West Hackney, but that Lamb continually delayed the completion of the contract. It was shown, however, that Lamb was not the owner of the advowson, but that in the month of August preceding he had been ne- gotiating for the next presentation with the patron's solicitor, and that it was valued, not at 30001. but 8001. or 9001. Mr. Lamb's defence was, that he had not authorized Mr. Simpson to sell the property, or said that he was the patron, or that he would give possession in a given time. Lord Camp- bell said, the defendant's conduct was unaccountable : it seemed as if he had some speculation on foot with respect to the living; and it was clear that he had instructed the Simpsons to look out for a purchaser in case he became patron of the living. It would be for the Jury to say what remune- ration the plaintiffs were entitled to for their trouble. The Jury gave 501. damages.

At the Central Criminal Court, on Monday, Frederick Charles Maturin, who was formerly convicted of defrauding would-be emigrants by false re- presentations of his power with the Emigration Commissioners, was brought up for judgment. The counsel for the prosecution stated that Maturin had made restitution to the people he had wronged ; and as he had been in pri- son four months, the Government authorities thought he might now be libe- rated. The Recorder, however, said he could not adopt that course without mature consideration ; and he ordered the matter to stand over till the end of the sessions.

On Tuesday,. William Alexander Morland, a youth of nineteen, pleaded guilty to uttering a forged bill of exchange for 3001. The bill purported to be,accepted by Morland's employer, and made payable at Smith, Payne, and Smith's; Morland presented it, and it not only passed as genuine, but the cashier paid him 5001. instead of 3001. Morlaud had got connected with some bad women, and he speedily squandered part of his ill-gotten cash upon them ; but nearly 4001. has been recovered by the prosecutors, and they have recommended Morland to mercy.

On Wednesday, Frederick Drew, the solicitor's clerk who applied cancelled stamps to deeds in Chancery with a view to defraud the revenue, was con- victed. The case was peculiar. Drew was defendant in a Chancery suit ; he was very poor; he was compelled to put in certain documents, stamped ; to save expense, or probably as the only way to meet it, he took stamps from old deeds and applied them to his papers. The Jury recommended him to mercy on account of his previous good character, and because he had "the misfortune to be defendant in a Chancery suit."

On Thursday, Joseph Cleary was convicted of firing two pistols at Mr. Leah, an auctioneer at Walworth, with intent to murder him. The par- ticulars of this case were noted last week. The prosecutor recommended Cleary to mercy. The Recorder said the intent of the convict was too clear to admit of any doubt ; and he ordered sentence of death to be recorded against him.

Another Policeman was tried this day—Joseph Davis, for obtaining Si. from a naval officer by means of a forged letter. Davis pleaded "Guilty." Sentence, six years' penal servitude.

Luigi Buranelli, the murderer of Mr. Latham, was produced before the Marylebone Magistrate on Saturday ; Government having obtained a writ of habeas corpus to bring him from Ncwgate, to which he had been committed by Coroner Wakley. *Some witnesses were examined, and the prisoner was remanded for a week : he will be remanded from week to week till Mrs. Jeans is well enough to attend and give evidence. The assassin is in a poor

state of health.

Some time since, Louisa Harrison, wife of a carpenter, accused ono Mallett of an outrageous attack upon her and robbery of her house ; on her testi- mony he was convicted, and sentenced to be transported. Recently, she pre- tended that a man and a boy had committed similar offences; and swore in-

. formations to that effect. The Police inquired into the matter, and came to the conclusion, not only that the charge was a fabrication, but that the former one against Mallett was also false. Louisa Harrison was arrested ; and, after several examinations, she was committed, on Saturday, by the Lord Mayor to be tried for perjury. A free pardon has been granted to Mul- lett, Sir Robert Carden having exerted himself strongly to get the poor man righted a little fund is to be raised to enable him to emigrate.

Three women, a Belgian and two Germans, have been fined by the Thames Police Magistrate, and sent to prison in default of payment, for attempting to smuggle tobacco. They arrived in a steamer from Ostend ; under the dress of each was artistically concealed some forty pounds of tobacco. The women all declared that they had been induced to attempt to pass the tobacco by a man at Ostend, he paying their fare to London and back, and giving them a trifling gratuity, for the service. The matter will be strictly in- quired into by the Customs.

Two men are in custody for leading a mob in Drury Lane on Saturday last in an incipient " bread riot."

The various Metropolitan Magistrates have received liberal donations for the poor-box, to enable them to relieve some of the distress arising from the severe weather.

Spite of the rapid thaw, which quickly reduced the thickness of the ice and covered its surface with water, numbers of persons were sliding or skat- ing in the Parks on Sunday. There was a fatal accident in St. James's Park : a boy slipped off the ice into a canal cut for the use of the water- fowl ; this was not immediately known to the icemen, and when the body was got out life was gone.