Ebt jtietropolis.
A Court of Aldermen was held on Tuesday. A report recommending improvements in Emmanuel Hospital—the reerection of the building, and the admission of more pensioners —was adopted. A report by Mr. Tyrell, the Remembrancer, on wholesale dealers, in reference to the question whether they can be compelled to become freemen, was pre- sented; and copies were ordered to be sent to members of the Court of Common Council, in anticipation of a conference on the matter. The other business was not of great interest.
A special general meeting of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society was held at Exeter Hall, on Monday. Mr. Scoble, the Secretary, stated that at the late annual meeting of the Society, an amendment had been moved, and finally carried, which required the Committee to call a special general meeting to take into consideration a part of that rule which recommended "the use of free-grown produce, and to promote the adoption of fiscal regulations in favour of free labour." A circular to announce the meeting had been issued to all the subscribers. The Reverend J. Hinton delivered a long speech advocating fiscal regulations in favour of free labour, and concluded by moving- " That, in the judgment of this meeting, that portion of the fourth rule of the Society which requires it to promote the adoption of fiscal regulations in favour of free labour ought to be confirmed."
This was seconded by Mr. J. J. Gurney. Mr. E. Smith, of Sheffield, proposed an amendment. Like the rest, his speech was long. Fiscal regulations, he argued, involved the principle of calling on Government la inflict a pecuniary penalty on those who differed from them in opi- nion. If they succeeded in their nonintercourse with Brazil, they would inflict upon the population of Sheffield and Manchester a degree of suf- fering of which they had no idea. Sheffield was reduced almost to a state of desolation by these fiscal regulations. He moved— The clause in the constitution of the Society which pledges the adoption of fiscal regulations in favour of free labour having been seriously considered, it is resolved, that whilst, as individuals, every member of this Society is left to pursue his own course, yet, seeing the principle involved in the above resolution has given rise to great diversity of opinion, and cannot be considered as abso- lutely essential to the working out of the objects of the Society, this meeting, with a view to secure the harmonious cooperation of all the friends of the slave,. deems it best to annul the aforesaid clause in the constitution of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society."
Mr. Bright seconded the amendment. A very protracted discussion, interrupted by an adjournment to refresh the attenders of the meeting, followed. Among others, Mr. Lefroy, Mr. G. W. Alexander, and Mr. Samuel Gurney, supported the original motion. Mr. George Thompson warmly supported the amendment : for example— He denounced, as a wicked prostitution of power, the attempt which had been made by the Society to induce the Government to prevent 26,000,000 of their fellow-countrymen from buying and consuming the sugar of the Brazils. There never was a greater fraud or a more gigantic robbery than the sugar-robbery, and the Society had been called on to aid and assist in that robbery. The Anti- Slavery party on the one side, and the East and West India body on the other, formed, in the present state of things, an entirely new combination. He felt convinced that by the course taken by the Committee of this Society the character- arid reputation of the Society would be severely damaged, and that they could not maintain their stand as Christian men.
Eventually, the original motion was carried, by 82 to 7.
The annual festival to aid the funds of the Sanatorium was held on Tuesday, at the London Tavern. Mr. Charles Dickens was in the chair ; supported by Dr. Southwood Smith, Mr. G. R. Porter, Mr. Stanfield, Mr. Maelise, Mr. R. H. Horne, Mr. Harrison Ainsworth, Mr. Harley„ and other gentlemen : the company numbered about a hundred and ninety ; including eighty ladies, who, by an agreeable innovation, joined the party. The object of the Sanatorium is, to afford at moderate cost, lodging, nursing, and medical attendance, to those patients who have not sufficient comforts or conveniences at home, and yet are not in a po- sition of life to enter a hospital. Between four and five hundred pounds was collected.
A dinner was given to Mr. Charles Knight, at the Albion Tavern„. on Wednesday ; professedly to celebrate the completion of the Penny Cyclopedia, but also, in fact, to pay a tribute of esteem to Mr. Knight for his merits as an author, and as an enterprising publisher who has had more than mere mercantile success in view. About a hundred and fifty gentlemen joined in this festive demonstration ; the party consisting of contributors to the works connected with the Society for the Diffusion- of Useful Knowledge, several other well-known denizens of the literary world, with a few artists, and a literary Lord or two. Lord Brougham was the chairman : and very well he acquitted himself in that familiar post—it is clear that his popularity has not waned in this quarter at least. In proposing the health of the guest, Lord Brougham paid a passing compliment to his critical labours on the subject of Shaksperg,, but held him up chiefly as an original projector in " useful" literature, like the Penny Magazine, and still more as the writer of two tracts on, "the Rights of Industry" and "the Results of Machinery," exten- sively circulated by the Whig Government during the riots in the agri- cultural and manufacturing districts eleven or twelve years ago. The other principal speakers were, of course Mr. Knight himself, Professor Long, Professor Key, Mr. Weir, Lord Wrottesley, Mr. M. D. Hill, Mr.. George Craik, and the Reverend Mr. Jones.
In the Court of Exchequer, on Thursday, arrangements were made- between the Bench and counsel for Mr. Wood and Colonel Peel, for the trial of the dispute as to the age of Running Rein, the winner of the Derby Stakes at Epsom. It was settled that the issue should be, whether Running Rein was a colt foaled in 1841, whose sire was The Saddler and- whose dam was Mab; Colonel Peel being allowed to give in evidence the acts and declarations of Mr. Abraham Levi Goodman, provided he could prove that gentleman to be owner, or part-owner, or interested in the horse. The issue is to be tried in the Court of Exchequer, after the present term, during the sittings in London, by one of the Puisne Barons.
At Hanwell, on Tuesday, Bernard Fitzpatrick was examined before two of the County Magistrates, charged with threatening to shoot Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of Wellington. He is a tall man, about fifty years of age ; some years ago he was a soldier in the Forty-seventh Re- giment, and he suffered severely from yellow fever in the West Indies ; he has twice been confined in the Han well Lunatic Asylum. He fancies that the Duke of Wellington prevents his obtaining some pension ; and his enmity to Sir Robert Peel arises from Mr. O'Connell's sentence. Evidence of his insanity having been produced, he was given in charge to his wife and several Policemen, to be lodged in the Asylum.
Last week, the wife of one Hall, a plasterer at Wimbledon, was found dead in her bed, and black in the face and neck, as if she had been smothered. Her husband and she had been heard to quarrel in the night ; the man had disappeared ; and be was suspected of killing her ; but a Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes." On Monday, Hall was arrested at Shoreham, and next day he was examined before the Magistrates. He declared that he found his wife dead by his side in the morning : she had been drunk over night. On Thursday he was committed for trial.
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