Nov. 2, J 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



flS44. 



between the hours of 7 and 8, a fire broke out in an' dement. The coroner said, when a person obtained a 



extensive range of premises in Finch-lane, Cornhill. A 

 er eat mass of flame was seen to issue through one of the 

 windows. An instant alarm was raised, and engines 

 from the neighbouring stations promptly attended. A 

 good supply of water being at hand, the firemen and in- 

 habitants set to work, and the fire was confined to that 

 part of the building in which it originated, and in less 

 than half an hour was completely extinguished. It was 

 exceedingly fortunate that the fire was so easily subdued ; 

 had it only extended to the houses at the back, it is pro- 

 bable that the new Royal Exchange would have suffered. 



The Lord Mayor Elect It is stated by the Times of 



"Wednesday that a suggestion has been made for the pur- 

 pose of compelling Alderman Gibbs to resign the office to 

 which he has been elected. It says it is proposed that the 

 bankers, corporate bodies, insurance companies, and, 

 jn a word, all persons desiring to preserve a reputation 

 for probity, should, by one address or varying addresses, 

 request him not to act as Lord Mayor until the pending 

 suits in wjiich he is engaged are determined. It states, 

 that no harm can arise from such a postponement, for 

 which the alderman has no one but himself to blame; 

 for if he be proved virtually innocent, the honours paid 

 him afterwards will be more sweet, because unmixed with 

 tainted influences. The Times adds that a remark 

 fell on Monday last from the lips of a distinguished guest 

 at Her Majesty's table in the Exchange, which appeared 

 to meet with general acquiescence. On his being informed 

 that Alderman Gibbs had not ridden on Monday in the 

 civic procession, it is stated that a cabinet minister ob- 

 served, "that a man who could not venture to meet 

 public opinion, was unfit to fill the office of Chief Magis- 

 trate of London." 



Court of Aldermen. — A Court was held on Tuesday 

 at which the thanks of the Court were voted to the Lord 

 Mayor, Sir William Magnay, Bart., for his judicious con- 

 duct and arrangements at the opening of the Royal Ex- 

 change, and for his exertions in sustaining the dignity and 

 privileges of the Corporation. Mr. Moon was also sworn 

 in as Alderman of Portsoken Ward, under a protest 

 from Mr. Salomons. 



New Legal Association. — On Wednesday a meeting 

 of members of the legal profession was held at the 

 Gray's Inn Coffeehouse, for the purpose of electing 

 officers and taking the requisite steps to constitute the 

 Society. Sir G. Stephen presided, and in opening the 

 business of the meeting observed, that in the discbarge 

 of their duties as attorneys, the profession were admitted 

 to that confidence which it would be vain and useless to 

 commit to others. It was the common interest of both 

 attorney and client to retain that inviolable professional 

 secrecy by which alone the interests of both could be 

 promoted. One who acts as an attorney must dive into 

 the inmost recesses of domestic privacy. They must be- 

 come acquainted both with the political, commercial, and 

 Parliamentary details of their client's claims. Under 

 those circumstances, he thought that the institution of a 

 new association of members ot the legal profession might 

 be considered to be a new era, so far as they themselves 

 were concerned. The means whereby the members of 

 that profession had gained a livelihood have been at- 

 tacked, and therefore it became necessary for them to 

 form an association in their own defence. In saying 

 thus much, it became his duty also to say, that they were 

 bound to correct the malpractices both of those *in the 

 profession and of those who were not qualified. He then 

 read the rules and regulations of the Association, and 

 said he was most anxious to maintain the respectability 

 of the profession, and to insure honourable conduct on 

 the part of its practitioners. In his opinion, the greatest 

 reform that was necessary to give respectability to the 

 profession was to look strictly after those persons who 

 adopted sharp practice. Mr. D. W. Wire, in a speech of 

 some length, disclaimed any wish to interfere with any 

 other legal association, and concluded by moving the 

 adoption of the rules read by the chairman. Alter a 

 good deal of discussion, and some modification, they 

 Were adopted, and the various officers of the institution 

 appointed. 



Destitution in the Metropolis. — On Wednesday a 

 Protracted inquiry, adjourned from Friday last, was re- 

 amed before Mr. Wakley, M.P., on the body of William 

 " a ll> formerly a footman at Seven Oaks, whose death 

 took place under very melancholy circumstances. It 

 appeared that deceased, together with his wife and four 

 children, in consequence of their deep distress, were, at 

 the recommendation of a friend, placed by Messrs. Wil- 

 ^ams and Carpenter, house agents, of Old Burlington- 

 street, in the care of the house, No. 6, Stratford-place, 

 - alel y the residence of Sir T. Troubridge. They lived 

 ln the kitchen, and for the last nine weeks had lived 

 J? 0! \ nothing but dry bread and potatoes. The wife of 

 e deceased, whose appearance presented the very pic- 

 , Ure of starvation, stated that deceased died on Wednes- 

 ■J night. She had applied about a month since to 

 arylebone workhouse for relief, and half-a-crown was 



wh^K ^ er ° n the ins P ector seeing the destitute state in 

 nich deceased and her children were ; but at the same 

 fce they told her that if she applied again they must be 



I assed to their parish, which was in Huntingdonshire. 



em , account cf this, knowing that she could not get 

 jnpioyment there, she had not applied since for relief, 



OnTk 1 f ° r a medical order to get medicine for deceased. 

 Q the day deceased died she had not a farthing in the 



reliT-' 8Dd h6r children were without a meal. The 

 der/ ln ? overseer and inspector admitted that on giving 

 na««i half-crown they told her they must be 



doin t0 - their P aris . h » but said that they were, in so 



medical order, from that moment the parish authorities 

 became responsible for the care of the recipient. The 

 law of settlement was, in many cases, the cause of death, 

 and he hoped that another year would not pass before it 

 was repealed. Messrs. Quain and Clarke, the~surgeons 

 who had examined the body, stated that although gre 

 destitution was exhibited, the immediate cause of death 

 was rupture of the aorta, which, from the deceased's 

 debility, had burst. The coroner again expressed his 

 determination to bring the matter before Parliament, and 

 hoped he should have the assistance of the jury, and the 

 parochial authorities generally, in doing so. The jury 

 acquiesced in the views of the coroner, and ultimately 

 returned a verdict in accordance with the general evi- 

 dence. The coroner said that since the distress of the 

 poor woman had been made known, he had received 

 several sums of money for her, and trusted that she 

 would never again fall into 6ucli a dreadful state of 



misery. 



The National Gallery. — On Tuesday this Exhibition 

 was re-opened to the public, having been closed during 

 the last few weeks for the purpose of examining the 

 various wodcs of art contained therein, and making the 

 necessary repairs. During the recess, all the pictur 

 have been either cleaned or varnished. The late pur- 

 chases, the Guido and Rubens, from the Penrice collec- 

 tion, now appear in all their splendour. The Francias 

 are now seen in perfect'on, and no picture has undergone 

 a more thorough change than the " Brazen Serpent," 

 by Rubens, which had probably never before been 

 cleaned from its smoke and varnish since its arrival in 

 England. It is now, in a manner, resuscitated, and pre- 

 sents a noble specimen of the master. The Hogarths 

 have been varnished, and are in the most perfect state; 

 the cracks in the Wilkies have been carefully mended, 

 and the pictures brought out in all their effect. The 

 rooms have been thoroughly cleaned and repaired, and 

 the blinds and ventilators put in order. It is to be 

 feared, however, that the return of summer dust and 

 the breath of crowds will again obscure the brightness of 

 these fine paintings, and probably ere long this result 

 may convince the public that a larger place is necessary 

 for the accommodation of both pictures and spectators 

 than is afforded in the present building. The cleansing 

 of the pictures has been intrusted to Mr. Seguier and 

 Mr. Brown. The rooms on Tuesday were much 

 crowded, and the improved character of the Exhibition 

 appeared to give the greatest satisfaction to the visitors. 



Westminster-bridge. — On Monday this bridge was 

 again thrown open to the public. The acclivity of the 

 carriage-way has been reduced in the centre, and the 

 hollows filled up both on the Middlesex and Surrey ends, 

 the latter of which was previously so dangerous, and it 

 now assumes a gradual inclination almost as level as 

 Waterloo-bridge. The foot-pavement 'is now much 



ary Society had 400 missionaries labouring in foreign 

 parts, besides 6000 agents. The receipts of the city of 

 London Association had been 230/. Is., being an increase 

 of 95/. over the receipts of last year. The report having 

 been adopted, Mr. Pritchard spoke at considerable length, 

 dwelling chiefly on the rapid spread of religion in Tahiti 

 and the other islands of the Pacific. Amongst those who 

 had contributed to this success were the Wesleyan mis- 

 sionaries, to whom great praise was due for the manner 

 in which they discharged the duties devolving upon them. 

 Mr. Freeman, from Ashantee, also detailed the pro ress 

 of religion there. A vote of thanks to Alderman Chailis 

 concluded the business of the evening. 



The Forgern of Bank of England Notts. — On this 

 subject the Brussels Gazette says :— M We would put 

 our readers on their guard against an extensive forgery 

 [of notes of the Bank of England for 100/. sterling each 

 at present in circulation in Belgium and other parts m 

 the Continent. These notes are so well imitated as to- 

 baffle the closest inspection. We have heard of 700/. of 

 the said forgeries having been cashed by a money- 

 changer, at Brussels, and 200/. in Antwerp ; but the- 

 Hank has acted iti the most liberal manner, by having 

 already liquidated nearly the whole amount of thege, and 

 it is probable they will do the same with regard to the 

 others as they come in, that can be proved to have been 

 taken in the regular course of business. The person 

 who duped the said parties is apparently a Frenchman o 



small stature, with a good address, but unprepossessing 



look, and an agent of the bank has come over in pursuit 

 of him." We learn from Gtdignani that a man called 

 Lindor is considered to be the principal agent in the 

 forgeries. He appears to have effected his escape from 

 Paris, as he did from Brussels and London, after having 

 got several of the forged notes exchanged ; >et if pre- 

 caution had been used, he would have been captured in 

 Paris. On the 21st Inst he exchanged a 100/. note at 

 the shop of a money-changer named Bouchon, who soon 

 afterwards took it to Madame Emeiique, of the Palais 

 Royal. That lady, by her experience, has acquired more 

 knowledge of English notes than the minor changers, 

 and she appears to have had a suspicion of the note 

 presented to her by M. Bouchon, but gave him change 

 for it, on his endorsing it, by way of guarantee to her, 

 in the event of its proving a forgery. In the evening 

 Lindor again called upon M. Bouchon to exchange an- 

 other 100/. note, but M. Bouchon told him that he had 

 not at the moment as much French money, but if 

 he would leave his address he would take him the 

 money on the following morning at nine o'clock. 

 At the same time M. Bouchon mentioned that some 

 doubt had been expressed of the genuineness of the 

 note which he had cashed. Lindor gave an address 

 (a false one, of course), and said he would not trouble 

 M. Bouchon to call with the money, but would call him- 

 self at 9 the next day. He did not present himself, but 



hig 



her than the road, bat the foot passengers are pro- sent a letter, in which he said that his wife had been so 



tected from danger by strong wooden posts, through the 

 tops of which pass a continuous line of long iron bars, 

 all danger from falling into the road being thereby en- 

 tirely prevented. 



Oxford-street Wood Paving.— On Saturday consider- 

 able sensation was created in the Marylebone Vestry, in 

 consequence of a notice of motion having been given, 

 calling upon the vestry to renew their contract for three 

 years with the Metropolitan Wood Paving Company, for 

 keeping in repair and cleansing that portion of wood 

 paving laid down by them between Wells-street and Rath- 

 bone-place. After a very stormy discussion, a division 

 was demanded, when there appeared for the resolution, 

 21 ; against it, 23 ; majority, refusing to enter into the 



contract, 2. 



Old Streets Newly Named— On Thursday, at a vestry 

 of the parishioners of St. Bride's, Fleet-street, it was 

 resolved to change the name of Water-lane, Fleet-street, 

 into W T hitefriars-street. The street was the boundary on 

 the east side of the Monastery of Whitefriars, and a short 

 time ago, while excavating for a sewer, the foundations 

 of the wall were discovered the whole length of the street, 

 at a great depth. Cateaton-street also has been named 

 Gresham-street, and the end houses labelled accordingly. 



Departure of Professor Liebig.— On Saturday the 

 students of University College assembled in the theatre, 

 for the purpose of inviting Professor Liebig to a dinner. 

 Though the matter had only been broached the evening 

 before in the presence of 35 students, 30 of them in- 

 stantly subscribed a guinea each, and a committee was 

 appointed to arrange the affair ; but unfortunately Pro- 

 fessor Liebig was obliged to leave this country on Thurs- 

 day, for Germany. The Professor delayed his departure 

 in order to be present at the royal entertainment on 

 Monday last, on the occasion of the opening of the Royal 

 Exchange. It was in contemplation in various quarters 

 to have given him a public entertainment ; but, bein^ 

 necessitated to officiate at the Giessen University, where 

 the lectures commenced a week ago, he was obliged to 

 decline the pressing invitations he received from several 



scientific bodies. 



Wesleyan Missions.— On Wednesday evening, the 

 annual meeting of the London Wesleyan Missionary 

 Society was held in Jewin-st. Chapel, Alderman Chains 

 in the chair. An unusually large attendance took place 

 in consequence of an announcement that Mr. Pritchard 

 would be present, and would give some information on 

 the subject of the late differences in Tahiti. The chair- 

 man at great length set forth the advantages of such 

 meetings, as far as the interests of religion were con- 

 cerned, and eulogised the exertions made by the Wesleyan 

 body in the propagation of Christianity among the 



much agitated at the mere supposition that a forged 

 note could have got into his hands, that she had mis- 

 carried, and was at the time so alarmingly ill that he 

 could not leave her. This was a mere trick to gain time, 

 for it was supposed that M. Bouchon would have no 

 suspicion of his being about to quit Paris under such, 

 circumstances. It was not until the 25th that official 

 accounts were received here of the forgeries, and by that 

 time he had disappeared. It is understood, however, 

 that Mr. Lawson, the solicitor, has received instructions 

 to follow up the affair, and it is by no means improbable 

 that all the parties engaged in it may be apprehended. 

 Lindor is said to be a native of Holland. 



The Convicts Barber and Fletcher. — Many of the 

 daily papers state that in the vessel which took out 

 the will-forgers, a fever has broken out to which, 

 several of the crew and convicts have fallen a sacrifice, 

 and among others Barber. He has, it is said, left behind 

 him some important memoirs connected with the extra- 

 ordinary will-forgeries.— In reference to the above para- 

 graph, the Times of Thursday states that they have re- 

 ceived a letter from the owner, inclosing the following 

 extract from one written by Captain Nealby, of that 

 vessel, dated Aug. 7, lat. 1110 N., long. 26 W. :— " I 

 am happy to say we are getting on tolerabJy well, although 

 not very fast. We have buried a child and one soldier 

 since we left." An evening paper, after quoting the 

 paragraph, says :— " On inquiry at the Home-office we 

 were" informed that no intelligence whatever had been 

 received on the subject, and that the report was not 



credited." 



Mortality of the Metropolis— The following is the 



number of deaths registered in the week ending Oct. 26 : 



West Districts, 151; Northern, 149; Central, 167 ; 



Eastern, 193; JSoutherr, 275 : Total, 1)35. Weekly 



average for the last five years, 946. 



— - 



|3robtnctal 3Cctos. 



Bristol. — The Great Britain steam-ship is at length 

 released from her protracted confinement. The neces- 

 sary alterations in the upper lock leading from Cumber- 

 land Basin into the float having been made, she was on 

 Friday evening, between 6 and 7 o'clock, removed from 

 her moorings on the Sea-banks, and proceeded down the 

 floating harbour to the entrance of the lock, where she 

 remained for the night, and on Saturday morning at 

 7 o'clock she was brought safely through the lock into 

 Cumberland Basin, where she will remain for a few days 

 to have the screw affixed, &c. It is then intended that 

 she shall make one or two trial trips, after which she 



will proceed to London. . 



Chtiham.— A fatal accident, connected with the siege 



i Z£^ Z&X^TPJrX Sen. ™e^=d '^he We^an MUsion- i operations, oc^ed here on Wednesday. It appears 



