THE ROYAL. SOCIETY—ELECTION FOR PRESIDENT.-...AE ,eleven o'clock on Tuesday, the
President took the chair, and delivered the annual ad-
dress ; which was received with great marks of satisfaction. At its close, the President read the order for the election .isf.• officers, and the ballot commenced with unparalleled ardour on both sides. There were present about 300 Fellows. The real contest was of course for the office of President, but the nominal one was for the members of Council ; for, by the rules of the Society, all the office-bearers must be selected from the Council. There were two lists,—one which included Mr. Herschel's name, and was supported by his friends; the other, which excluded it, and was supported by the friends of the Duke of Sussex. The former list was rejected by a majority of 8, the numbers being 111 to 119. His Royal Highness was afterwards elected without opposition, and as a matter of course. Some attempt has been made to give a colour to the proceedings ; as if, because the last formal vote was uncontested, there was no division of opinion on the question of President. This is a dis- tinction without a difference. It might be as well said that there was no contest about Sir Henry Parnell's Committee, because it was carried without division or discussion, these having taken place on the prelimi- nary question.
COMMON SERGEANT.—At the meeting of the Common Council on Thursday, Mr. Law was elected.to the office of Common Sergeant, by a majority of 18 ; the numbers being—for Law 118, for Hill 100. Mr. Pearson renewed his objection to Mr. Law as King's Counsel, and Alder- man Brown defended him. Mr. Bousfield complained of a recommenda- tory letter being written in favour of Mr. Hill by Lord Brougham (before he was raised to the woolsack), as an act of improper interference. Alder- man Waithman said he had received a recommendatory letter from the ex-Attorney-General in favour of Mr. Law--he thought the one was as great an act of interference as the other.
At the same meeting of the Common Council, Mr. Archer Ryland was chosen Common Pleader by a large majority of votes. •
MARYLEHONE MEETING.—Mr. Hume presided at a meeting, held on Monday, to express the determination of the parishioners of Maryle- bone; towithhold all furtherpayments of &arch, poor, or other rates, until therivere satisfied of their proper applitation. The meeting was addressed ralwards,*he moved, and' r. Jackson, who seconded, the reso- lution. Lord Risdstock also being sailed on, spoke in favour of the Select Vestry, 1331MS-tine& interruption.
Idnifinnssalikthe rental of Marylebone in the King's Books stood at 726,7311., while the whole of the City of London only amounted to 776,0311. (Cries of " Shame!") He did not cry shame, but he said this —that as every one of the twenty-four Wards of the City had full sight and privilege to investigate every farthing of their expenditure, it wai an infamous thing that the parish of Marylebone, that paid nearly as Much as all of them put together, had no such right.
Colonel Jones said, that one of the things they had most right to com- plain of, was the salaries awarded to the clergymen. By the Act of Par- liament, they were to have five hundred pounds a year; and the rest of the pew-rents (out of which those salaries were to be paid) were to go to buy the preachers' houses, and to alleviate the poor-rates • but instead of this, there had been a great struggle making, to ply all the residue to the preachers. But the fact was, that the parishioners had little. else to expect, as long as the clergy retained such an upper hand in the parish as they did at present. It was well observed by Locke, that " theclergy have trucked away the rights and liberties of the people in this and all other countries, whenever they have had opportunities ; so that sense and reason, law, properties, rights, and liberties, must be understood as
those oracles shall interpret or give signification." . It was agreed that the Vestry should be waited on, and requested to select two cases for trial ; and that the cost of the defence should be borne from the parochial fund.
SONS OF THE CLERGY OF THE CHURCH Or SCOTLAND.—This
Society held their winter meeting at the Albion Tavern, on Thursday last ; Mr. Wilkie, R.A. in the chair; supported by Colonel Stewart, Captains Nairne and Barclay, Doctors Gordon and Webster, Messrs. Small, Milne, Boner, &c. The dinner was served in Mr. Kay's best style, and the evening passed with great conviviality, and was enlivened by several national songs from the musical members present. Among the toasts proposed, was that of the Lord Chancellor of England ; who, besides the many claims he possesses to be remembered by any meeting of his countrymen, had, on this occasion, the peculiar one of being " a grandson of the Kirk." The health of Lord Moncrieff, one of the most distinguished ornaments of the Scottish Bench, and a son of the Church, was also given ; nor was the Land of Cakes forgot by her absent chil.. dren. Although this society has not existed for many years, and only admits sons of clergymen of the Established Church of Scotland, several eminent individuals have belonged to it ; among them, may be men- tioned, the late Dr. Baillie, Sir Walter Farquhar, Sir Robert Barclay: and the present list of members contains, besides their talented chair- man, Sir Charles Forbes ; Mr. Campbell, the King's Counsel and M.P.; the Polar navigator, Captain Ross ; Mr. J. Gibson Lockhart, Mr. Ser- geant Spankie, and nearly fifty other scions of the worthy successors of John Knox.
NATIONAL SOCIETY.—An ordinary meeting of the members of the General Committee of this Society took place on Wednesday, at the Vestry-room of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The Lord Archbishop of Can- terbury in the Chair.
Semrun HOSPITAL.—The St. Andrew's anniversary of this ekcels lent institution was celebrated on Tuesday, by a dinner at the Albion Tavern ; the Duke of Gordon in the chair. His Grace has been elected President of the Hospital, in consequence of the accession of his present 'Majesty, who was the President, to the throne. Trrsins.The Reverend 'Mr. Beresford has instituted twenty-four actions, in the Court of Exchequer,'against the parishioners of St.An- dretes, Holborn, from whom he claims tithe on inhabited houses. The iarishioners, at a meeting on Saturday, resolved to persist in defending the actions.
Hotx ON THE ROYAL COMUITTEE.—A great number of visitors, it is said, from- the neighbourhood of Whitechapel, obtained access to the
braveries of the Guildhall on Tuesday, by means of forged tickets. Some blame has also been attached to the Committee, several members of whom are charged with having signed tickets of admission without permission from their brethren.
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