lEbe _Metropolis.

A deputation of Common Councilmen waited on the Lord Mayor, at the Mansionhouse, on Monday, and presented a requisition to him for «tiling a special Court of Common Council, in order to consider the propriety of peti- tioning the Queen to throw open the ports of the United Kingdom for the free admission of food. Mr. Ashurst stated, that with more time the num- ber of the requisitionists could be vastly increased. The Lord Mayor ob- jected, that there was no such emergency as required haste: the price of bread was low, and the prosperity of the country cheering; and he could not at all comprehend why agitation should be encouraged in the City of Loudon. Mr. Ashurst said that the deputation did not mean to interfere with his Lordship's opinion, on the policy of opening the ports ; but the propriety of discussing the subject could not be disputed. The I ord Mayor thought that St. Thomas's Day (the day of elections for the Com- mon Council) had something to do with it. Mr. Ashurst utterly denied the imputation of popularity-hunting. And why, asked the Lord Mayor, if there were such an emergency, not summon a Common Hall? Because, said Mr. Peacock, the Livery cannot go up with an address to the Throne. The Lord Mayor promised to consider the matter, and to give an env° er as soon as possible.

The Lord Mayor's reply was received by the deputation on Thursday. With a preamble about his having had the requisition under consideration, his Lordship "desires to acquaint the deputation he had the honour to receive, that although he differs in opinion with the requisitionists, he will afford them an opportunity of discussing the subject at a Court which he will hold on Thursday the 11th instant, at two o'clock precisely."

Yesterday, a requisitioni bearing 1,192 signatures of electors, was pre sented to the Lord Mayor by Mr. john Dillon and a numerous deputation, asking his Lordship to call a meeting of electors in the Guildhall, at an early day. The Lord Mayor promised to consider the subject, and send an early reply.

Certain merchants and bankers of London have issued aNeelaration on the subject of the Corn-laws. It is a concise and forcible array of many standing arguments against that measure. It recommends that a memorial embodying the same views be drawn up and extensively signed by the citizens for presentation to the First Lord of the Treasury. The declare tion is dated on the ad instant, and bears the following signatures— E. C. Buxton, Henry Christy, W. Miller Christy, James Colvin, James Co- life, Raikes Currie, R. P. Davis, John Dillon, Forster and Smith, Charles Grote, J. John Guest, J. Alexander Hankey, Thomson Hankey junior, Archibald Haisfed trie William Hawes, Kirkman J. Hodgson, H. L. Holland, George Kinnear, A Latham, George Larpent, H. S. Lefevre, Samuel Jones Loyd, J. W. Lubbock, James Martin, Richard Martineau, T. A. Mitchell, George Moffatt, James Morris, George Warde Norman, James Paulson, Christopher Pearce, H. J. Prescott, W. G. Prescott, J. L. Prevost, J. Lewis Ricardo, John N. Sibeth, Joseph Travers and Sons, S. B. Yenning, T. M. Weguelin, S. C. Whitbread, Western Wood.

Meetings to demand immediate opening of the ports have been held in the Tower Hamlets, (a preliminary meeting,) Westminster, (Reform Society) Hackney, Lambeth, Southwark, and Marylebone (Vestry). The last- named was distinguished by a copious attendance of 41e leading WhiZe: titled and untitled, resident in the parish.

The Southwark meeting is described by the Morning roniele-

" The most remarkable feature was the agreement inopinfon or the middle end working classes as to the effect of the present Corn-laWcon manufactures and wages. Some working men present advocated with great clearness and ability the old dicta of the monopolists, that cheap corn would produce Jew wages--that the repeal of the Corn-laws would but transfer power to the hands of the manu- facturers from the landed gentry—and that the profits which might accrue to the

and not in the employment of manual labour. Working amen on the otherae manufacturers from the repeal of the Corn-laws would be expended in

refuted these fallacies with a quickness and ease which showed how thorougigY this condition of 'England' question has been sifted by the intelligent mecharacs and tradesmen of the Metropolis. The discussion was conducted with good humour and forbearance:, and it ended by a memorial for the opening of the ports being carried unanimously.*

A meeting, convened by Mr. Wakley, was held at the Gray's Inn Coffee-

house, on Monday, in order that delegates from the parishes of Finsbury eight concert "measures to be adopted by the borough in the present alarming position of affairs." Mr. Wakley earnestly recommended the opening of the ports, to avert famine—the forerunner of pestilence. Re- ferring to Lord John Russell's letter, he deprecated any party view of the subject; but exhorted to the oblivion of all minor differences with Lord John, now that he had come forward as the advocate of openffig the ports.. He would support any public man who would come forward arid say that there ought to be free importation ("Mood. A resolution was passed ad- vising parish meetings to petition the Crown for the instant saninoning of Parliament.

A Court of Common Council was held on Thursday; the first in the present Mayoralty. The Lord Mayor opened the proceedings with a brief address, promising due diligence in his functions. A vote of thanks to the late Lord Mayor [Alderman Gibbs] was proposed by Mr. Deputy Wat- kins, and seconded by Mr. D. W. Wire; who enlarged on Mr. Gibbs's punc- tuality, efficiency, and zeal; especially lauding his attendance on charities: an unanimous vote, observed Mr. Wire, would remove impressions out of doors, made by unjust assaults on Mr. Gibbs's character. Mr. H. L Tay- lor protested against that indiscreet reference, and that construction of the vote: if the resolution had contained a word on a delicate subject which need not be named, [the Walbrook accounts,] Mr. Taylor would have been obliged to move an amendment. After some angry discussion, the vote was carried unanimously; and also one stating that the Court, "in token of its approbation of the conduct, character, and services of the Reverend Michael Gibbs, M.A., Chaplain to the late Lord Mayor, do request Mr. Chamberlain to present him with a purse of fifty guineas." Among the rou- tine business to be transacted, was the sealing of some Hospital docquets for leases; but Alderman Thomas Wood moved that the seal be not affixed until the Court had received the opinion of counsel on the Lord Mayor's right of precedence as President of the Royal Hospitals. After another vehement discussion, the question was adjourned till the next meeting of the Court.

A most unwonted scene occurred at the Office of the Railway Depart- ment of the Board of Trade on Sunday. That day being the 30th of N.erember, it was the last on which the plans of the new projects could be deposited with the Railway Board. It had been expected by many that Sunday would, as usual, be considered dies non; but the Law-officers of the Crown had advised a relaxation of that rule; and accordingly it had been announced that plans would be received till the midnight of the 30th. Nevertheless, the pressure at the last was extreme.

Last year the number of projects in respect of which plans were lodged with the Board of Trade vas 260; the number this year is stated by the Standard, on authority, to be 788. It is remarked that the projectors on Saturday. The Irish pro-

jectors of the Scotch lines were mostly in advance, and had their plans duly l

too, and the old establishedcompanies see 'ng powers to construct branches, were among the more punctual. But nearly 600 plans remained to be deposited on Sunday. Towards the last, the utmost exertions were made to forward them. The efforts of the lithographic draughtsmen and printers in London were exces- sive: people reniained at work night after night, snate,Iiing a hasty repose for a -couple of hours on lockers benches, or the floor. Sane found it impossible to execute their contracts; others did the work imperfectly. One of the most emi- nent was compelled to bring over four hundred lithographers from Belgium, and failed, nevertheless, with this reinforcement, in completing some of his plans. Some lithographers have been accused of throwing their contracts overboard, . bribed by opponents to give up the work; and in other cases charges are made of surreptitious pillaging of stones. Post-horses and express-trains, to bring to town plans prepared in the country, were sought in all parts. Horses were engaged days before, and kept, by persons specially appointed, under lock and key:. Some railway companies exercised their power of refusing express-trains for rival pro- jects; and clerks were obliged to make sudden and embarrassing changes of route in order to travel by less hostile ways. In one instance the exclusives were out- witted: the messengers of a rival project tried to engage an express-train on a certain line; it was refused; but the undaunted messengers, depositing the clerk, with his plans,, in a hearse, again sought for an express; and, coming in that solemn guise, the application was no longer refused. The offices of the Railway Board were opened at one o'clock on Sunday; and during the afternoon, cabs and carriages arrived, at first not very thick, towards night with increasing frequency. A reporter who was present, and whose narrative we prune a little, thus describes the process of reception. "The parties charged with the delivery of the plans were admitted to the lobby of the office; where they entered the name of the agents for whom they were concerned, in a book. The name was passed to an official, who conveyed the same to the inner office; where it was entered by the clerks. The several parties were then suc- cessively called in to describe the name and titles of their respective plans. This arrangement went on very well until eleven o'clock; when the delivery grew so rapid that the clerks were quite unable to keep pace with the arrivals. The en- trance-hall soon became inconveniently crowded; considerable anxiety being ex- pressed lest twelve o'clock should arrive ere the requisite formalities should have been gone through. This anxiety was allayed by the assurance that admission into the hall before that hour would be sufficient to warrant the reception of the documents. A good; deal of amusement was caused by the similarity, of names among the agents, particularly when any gentleman of the name of Smith was wanted. At every such call there were at least half-a-dozen respondents; and it very seldom happened that the right agent was pitched upon by the subordinates below; who, being ignorant of the projects with which the agents were connected, always ushered up the Mr. Smith who happened to be most clamorous. From an early period of the evening a large concourse of persons had assembled, and displayed the utmost freedom in their remarks upon the huge piles of paper which were to be consigned to their resting-place. As the clock struck twelve, the doors of the office were about to be closed; when a gentleman with the plans of one of the Surrey railways arrived, and with the greatest difficulty succeeded in obtain- ing admission. These were the last notices deposited. A lull of a few minutes here occurred; but just before the expiration of the first quarter of an hour, a post- chaise with reeking horses drove Up in hot haste to the entrance. In a moment its occupants (three gentlemen) alighted and rushed down the passage towards the office-door, each bearing a plan of Brobdignagian dimensions. On reaching the door and finding it closed, the countenances of all drooped; but one of them, more valorous than the rest, and prompted by the bystanders, gave a loud pull at the bell. It was answered by Inspector Otvray; who informed the ringer it was now too Tate, and that his plans could not be received. The agents did not wait for the conclusion of the unpleasant communication, but took advantage of the door's being opened and threw in their papers; which broke the passage-lamp in their fa. They were thrown back into the street When the door was again opened, again went in the plans, only to meet a similar fate. The three agents were now maddened to desperation; and the principal one began to tell his tale of wo to the bystanders. It appeared that he and his companions had that morning left Harwich, charged with the plans: they had arrived in London as early as half-past ten, but, through the ig-

norance of the post-boy, they had been driving about Pimlico and its neighbour- hood in search of the office of the Board of Trade for more than an hour and a half. The crowd, who had patiently listened to the recital, greeted its con- clusion with a burst of laughter. At two o'clock, the time at Which the reporter came away, the three luckless agents of the Harwich Railway were still stand- ing at the door, vainly endeavouring to move the sympathies of the obdurate officials."

In the Exchequer Chamber at Sergeant's Inn, on Wednesday, the case of the Brazilian pirates was argued before the Judges, by Doctors of the Civil Law, namely, Dr. Addams and Dr. Harding for the prisoners, and Sir John Dodson for the Crown. The general drift of their arguments did not differ from-the ease as it was argued before by counsel, except perhaps in a greater technical elaboration. The decision of the Judges will be communicated to the Home Office.

In the Court of Common Pleas, on Wednesday, Mr. Dunsforcl, a young surgeon of Bristol, sustained an action for criminal conversation with the wait of Mr. Edward Clark, a gentleman of fortune living in the same place. Mr. Dunsfonl was partner with Mr. Clark's elder brother, and was the professional attendant as well as friend of the family. Mrs. Clark is but twenty-three years of age, though the mother of five children. Her husband is said to have been kind and indulgent, though "quick"; and there was some mention of his extreme attention to busi- ness and absence from home. The improper intimacy appears to have begun in March, just three days before Mr. Dunsford's own marriage. The defence rested upon defective proof of actual criminality; but the Jury awarded 5,000/. damages.

In the Arches Court, on Wednesday, Sir Herbert Jenner Fast, pronounced sen- tence on the Reverend William Day, Rector of Hawridge, in Buckinghamghire. Mr. Day was charged with habitual intoxication, with frequenting the Rose and Crown public-house at Hawridge, and with having been convicted, at Aylesbury Assizes, in March last, of an assault at the public-house. Witnesses deposed to a number of instances in which Mr. Day was intoxicated; and at such times, although usually a taciturn man, he would "run on a great deal of nonsense ": he once offered to fight any man; at another time he told a person who would have helped him up, after falling, to "go to hell "; once a large dog, belonging to a parishioner followed a small dog belonging to himself, and, saying that he "would do for the rascal," he cut the larger dog's throat; and afterwards, in a drunken quarrel, he cut one Batchelor with a knife. He was convicted of that assault at the Assizes, and sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment. Even since the Bishop had directed an inquiry into his conduct, he had been intoxicated,—namely, as recently as the 18th November. With regard to one of these allegations, the Judge observed, that the Court was not called upon to censure Mr. Day for cutting, the dog's throat, but to decide whether he was intoxicated at that time; and although Pitkin, the landlord, had deposed that Mr. Day was "very fresh," and that he staggered in his walk, Batchelbr, who had the best means of judging, said he was not intoxicated. The question was less material, because the exact day in the month of May 1843 when the circumstance occurred was not fixed, and it might have been before the 10th; in which case the offence would be beyond the lima of two years. That point, therefore, was not established by the evidence; but the rest was generally admitted. In the argument, the Court had been pressed to pronounce the severest censure in its power—namely, deprivation; but the counsel1 had admitted that they were not able to produce any case in which a sentence of deprivation had been pronounced for habitual drunkenness, without previous admonition at least; and the Court knew of no such precedent. The sentence, according with the precedent in two similar cases, (Burder versus Jen- kins, and Bunter versus Speer,) was, that Mr. Day be suspended from the office and emoluments of the living for three years.

George Johnstone, late master of the ship Tory, charged with the murder of three of his crew, was reexamined at the Thames Police-office on Tuesday. Eight

witnesses reiterated the tale of cruelties inflicted on Reason and Mars. They des- cribed the horrible manner in which Mars was mutilated by the master. The man was cut and mangled all over his body—" there was hardly an inch," said one of the seamen, "but there was a wound." "His bands were cut to pieces; the joints were hanging out, and the bones of the small fingers were sticking out." While Mars's neck was swollen with the wounds, Johnstone ordered the shackle of the bower-anchor to be put round it; and with some difficulty it was forced on; the man suffering greatly. After his death it was observed that his clothes were "such a complete clot of blood that no one could tell what colour they were of." Inspecter Evans of the Thames Police had examined the 'nester's cabin: on the larboard quarter there were a great number of deep cuts about the partitions and beams, such as would be produced by a cutlass. The prisoner was remanded.

On Wednesday, the charge of murdering Rambert, the chief mate, was gone into. The witnesses, including two women who were passengers, described the cruelty with which the prisoner treated him—according to them, without cause. The man was hacked about the head with a cutlass, put in irons, and otherwise maltreated; and at length, on the 25th September, when Johnstone, with a cutlass in his hand, was chasing Rambert round the deck, the terrified. mate leaped overboard: the ship; was "huffed-to" a little, but no boat xis lowered, no attempt made to save the man. Incidentally, the men examnihd described the manner in which they themselves had been persecute I—cut, stab- bed, put in irons, sent to the mast-head, for no reason whatever. One of the apprentices stated that Johnstone had made him enter falsehoods in the log- book—such as the statement that Mars was murdered by the crew. The prisoner was again remanded to next Tuesday, in order that a witness who VW not yet sufficiently recovered from his wounds might be then examined. John- stone was in a very weak state, and had to be carried to and from the Court.

Samuel Quennell, the man who shot Fitzgerald last week at Newington, has twice been examined at the Lambeth Police-office; and the evidence against him was conclusive. It was proved, that some days before the murder he had pur- chased a pistol in the New Cut; at Walworth he had bought bullets and powder. When he was seized, he exclaimed, "Take me to the stationhouse; there is where I want to go." Fitzgerald had told Mrs. Quennell, wife of the builder in Kennington Lane, that her brother-in-law Samuel had used threats against her husband, exclaiming that he had a good mind to knock him on the head, and de- claring that if he had money he would set up as builder in opposition. The prisoner did not deny that some such conversation had taken place; but said that Fitzgerald was always urging him to speak ill of their egiployer. Mr. William Quennell desired his brother to seek work elsewhere; and, without being formally discharged, Samuel never returned to his employment. He imputed his dis- missal to Fitzgerald's machinations; declaring that the man was always urging him to speak ill of their master.

A Coroner's Jury, who examined the same aritnesses who appeared at the Police-office, have returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Quennell.

An extraordinary case of suspected murder was partially investigated at Queen Square Police-office, on Wednesday. On Monday morning, Mrs. Mundell, an elderly person residing at Brewer's Green, Westminessr, was found dead in her room, lying on a box, with a card fastened round her beck. Martha Browning, a young woman who had been living with the deceased for three weeks, went to Mrs. Gage, a daughter of Mrs. Mundell's, and said that the old lady had been screaming " Murder!" When the daughter came to the house, she found her mother dead. An inquest was held in the evening, apparently in a very careless manner, and a verdict was returned that the wollIEW had destroyed herself during a fit of insanity. On Tuesday, Browning attempted to change some notes of the "Bank of Elegance," thinking that they were bank-notes; Mrs. Gage remembered that her mother had such notes, and suspicion of foul play was excited; on per- ceiving it, the young woman attempted to run away, but was seamed, and was taken to the station-house. On arriving there, she cried out—" I did it! I did it I Lord have mercy upon me!' A woman who lived in the next room to the deceased had heard her, on the morning of her death, scream " Murder ! " and exclaim "What are you doing to me? what are you doing to me ? " The woman wept to the room-door and inquired what was the matter; and Browning answered, " Nothing." This evidence was given before the Coroner ! During the examination at the Police-office, the prisoner was insensible most of the time, and only sufficient evidence to warrant a remand was taken.

The bustle in railway affairs on Sunday evening, and some carelessness, occa- sioned a very dangerous accident on the Great Western Railway. Between Satur- day and Sunday nights, no fewer than ten express-trains left Paddington and three arrived there. One train, consisting of the engine, tender and a first-class carriage, left Paddington at twenty minutes past five o'clock p. M. As it passed by Slough, at the rate of forty or fifty miles an hour, Mr. Howell, the superin- tendent of that station, observed that the burning coke in the furnace beneath the boiler of the engine fell in considerable quantities through the bars; and he sur- mised that the train would not be able to go much further, for want of fire to keep up the steam. Within ten minutes after, another express-train, consisting of engine, tender, and a first and second-class carriage, approached from town : Mr. Howell stopped it, delayed it a quarter of an hour' and informed the guard of the state of the other engine. Meanwhile, the former train was brought to a stop about a mile beyond Maidenhead. It was now quite dark. The guard was sent back to Slough, for the purpose of signalizing any train, which might be proceed- ing down the line, to stop. He observed the second train coming towards him, and, being nnprovided with a light, he pulled off his jacket, in the hope that his white shirt-sleeves might attract the attention of the driver, and made the usual signal for the train to stop: but the device failed; the engine-driver did not see or heed him, and the second train passed on. In about two minutes it dashed into the stationary train, with a fearful crash. Luckily, the engine-driver, stoker, and guard, and the two or three passengers, had left the disabled train, and were standing by the side of the bank when the crash occurred; and thus they escaped unhurt. Those who were with the other train were slightly bruised. After a Short delay, the two parties were able to proceed with the sound engine, which was but little damaged. The obstruction on the rail, however, was not removed till near midnight. The men with the first train had neglected to provide them- selves with lights, and they had not a single one with them.

Three of four houses recently erected in Cavendish Place, Wandsworth Road, the interior finishing of which was not yet completed, tumbled down on Tuesday night, apparently from the slight manner in which they were built and the bad materials used. Two brothers, sons of the builder, Mr. Carroll, were at work at the time in one of the houses, and were buried in the ruins: one was extricated alive, though much bruised; but the other was killed.

The Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week end- ing on Saturday last shows the following general results.

Number of Autumnal Annual deaths, average. average.

Eymotic (or Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious) Diseases .... 204 ... 201 ... 184 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 83 ... 109 ... 106 Diseases of the Brain. Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses..,. 191 ... 155 ... 159 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 331 ... 323 ... 292 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 35 ... 27 . . 24 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 52 ... 68 ... 71

Diseases of the Kidneys, dc

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, &c 13

Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, de 8

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &c. 5

Old Age 47

Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 24

Total (including unspecified causes) 963 ... 1,020 ... 963

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 53.0° in the sun to 34.00 in Use shade; the mean temperature by day being warmer than the average mean temperature by 4.3°. The mean direction of the wind for the week was North- west for the first two days, and West by South for the remainder of the week.