The Press.
London, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

THE WARDMOTES.

THE annual wardmotes of the citizens of London
were held on Monday in the various wards
for the purpose of proceeding to the election of
common councilmen and other officers for the
ensuing year. More than ordinary interest attached
to the proceedings in consequence of the extension
of the number of voters which has recently taken
place, and the many important topics which present
themselves for consideration. It, may be mentioned

that since the remission of prices for admission into
the freedom, the constituency has increased upwards
of 3,000. Numerous local questions were discussed
at the various meetings—questions relating to
Billingsgate and Smithfield markets, the New River,
burial fees, the alleged misappropriation of the funds
of the Corporation, &c.

AIDGATE.-Mr. Andrew Lusk was elected in the
room of Mr. Elger Stephenson, one of the old
members.

COLEMAN-STREET.—The fresh candidate, Mr. B.
Kenyon, pollei only sixty-four votes, and lost his
election.

CORDWAINERS.—Mr. Lamb:defeated Mr. Such for
the vacancy caused by the removal of Mr. Tress
from the ward.

CRIPPLEOATE WITHOUT.—At the adjourned ward-
mote on Wednesday, Mr. Alderman Challis an-
nounced that he should make a double return of
Messrs. Sewell and Spencer, who had polled
equal numbers, and he had no doubt that a fresh
precept would be issued.

DOWGATE.—The contest in this ward for the elec-
tion of common councilmen terminated in favour ci
two of the new candidates, viz., Mr. John Kearns and
Mr. J. Colman, and the rejection of one new candi-
date, Mr. Andrew M'Laren, and of G. Fox, Esq., one
of the old members.

WALBROOK. -In this ward the question of
Jewish disabilities was brought forward, and a
resolution passed, animadverting upon the continued
exclusion of one of the metropolitan representatives
from the House of Commons, and demanding from
the Government that the removal of the grievance
shall be made a Cabinet measure. But the great
theme for corporation eloquence was the income tax.
The obnoxious impost was attacked and denounced
from every point of view ; and the citizens of Lon-
don appeared to consider that that was the one
stupendous evil which it became their patriotic duty
to overthrow.

THE BISHOP OF LONDON consecrated a handsome
and commodious new church, on Tuesday, in the
vicinity of Oakley•square, Bedford New-town, in the
parish of St. Pancras. The church is of the early
English decorated style of architecture, designed by
Mr. John Johnston, and is capable of accommoda-
ting about 1,230 persons, includi.ig the large propor-
tion of 550 free sittings. expressly set apart for ;he
poor. The total cost. of the edifice is up earls of
8,0001., of which about 1,0001., remains unliquidated.
The Duke of Bedford gave the site for the church
and parsonage, and 2,0001. in money towards its
erection. There is no endowment attached to the
church, and the salary of the incumbent will be en-
tirely dependent on the pew-rents. After the cere-
mony of consecration and an impressive sermon by
the bishop of the diocese, the local committee for
building the church, following the invariable rule
attached to all ceremonies in England, entertained
the right rev. prelate, the clergy, and the principal
members of the congregation at lunch in the build-
ing hitherto used as the temporary church. The
bishop on Wednesday consecrated the Church of
St. Paul at Walworth—a handsome building in the
early English style of the thirteenth century. Accom-
modation is afforded for 1,204 persons ; 602 of the
sittings are to be free. The bishop tben preached
the consecration sermon, from the 12th chapter of
11. Corinthians, part of verse 10—" When I am weak
then am I strong "—and at the conclusion, during
the reading of the offertory, a collection was made,
which was liberally responded to.

THE QUESTION of amalgamating the two great gas
companies of the metropolis was fully discussed at
the adjourned meeting this week at the London
Tavern. The Great Central and the City Gas Com-
panies after a brief competition have resolved to
a joint plant, and thus secure to the conjoint pro-
prietary all the advantages of a consolidated and more
economical system of management. Mr. Lakin, the
chairman of the Great Central Company, concluded
by moving a resolution committing the meeting to
an approval of the amalgamation upon the terms
laid before the first meeting, but Mr. Benuoch, a
director, proposed an amendment declaring the
principle of taking the gross income of the City Gas
Company as a basis of calculation, without regard to
net profits, to be utterly fallacious. The chairman,
seeing the feeling of the shareholders present to

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be opposed to him, offered to withdraw his resolu-
tion, but Mr. Bennoch insisting on the question
being put to the vote, the amendment was carried
without a dissentient, and the proceedings termi-
nated. _

Mn. ERNEST JONES on Tuesday gave his last
political soiree, at St. Martin's Mali, Long-acre. As
on the previous occasions, the political portion of the
entertainment was preceded by a concert, of which it
is impossible to speak but in terms of just admira-
tion. Mr. Jones's own address commenced with the
praise of that portion of the press which was liberal
enough to open its columns to the reports of his own
lectures, and the condemnation of those paper:
which, as he alleged, misrepresented them. He
then went into an arithmetical calculation to show
that every labouring man in the country ought to
have at least 1451. per annum. This, in Mr.
Jones's opinion, is to be accomplished by the simple
process of doing away with a territorial aristocracy,
with the Established Church, with the factory owners,
and with Royalty itself.
THE RECTORY OF ST. GILES.IN-THE -FIELDS, vacant
by the elevation to the bench of the Rev. D. Bicker-
steth, has been conferred upon the Rev. E. H. Curr,
M.A., incumbent of Christ Chapel, Maida•hill.
THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF \VORIS had an
interview with Sir Benjamin Hall on Monday. The
Chief Commissioner explained his views regarding
the adoption of Plan B• as follows :
The plan you have now submitted to me fixes the out-
falls at the points referred to by Captain Buratal. and
which are fifteen miles below London-bridge. But we are
well aware that it is desired by the inhabitants of the
towns and districts bordering on the river Thames below
the fifteen miles' point that the main sewer should be ex-
tended, and that the outfall should be carried still further
from the metropolis, provided the funds can be obtained
for the increased expenditure which that extension would
render necessary. I shall therefore desire three engineers
to report to me whether, in their opinion, there is any
other point of discharge still further down the river calcu-
lated to meet the requirements of those districts. If so, I
shall desire that when they submit a plan for such an ex-
tension of the main sewer that they at the same time set
forth the increased cost consequent upon any such exten-
sion, and the benefits to be derived by the districts through
which the extended main drainage will pass. I shall
desire them also to state how far, in their opinion, those
districts should be required to contribute to the expense of
such extended works, having relation to the benefit which
those districts would derive from that extension ; as, of
course, it is not my intention in giving these instructions,
to impose upon the inhabitants of the metropolis a larger
sum than they would have to pay if the main sewer stopped
at H•. To that extent only ought they to be taxed, unless
there should be a general taxation for the works, and then
they would come in on the same terms that are applicable
to the rest of the kingdom. But it is certainly very desir-
able, as the people in the vicinity of the Thames are of
opinion that the main sewer should be carried further
down the river, that three eminent engineers should well
consider the subject, so that we may have it fully before
us previous to any application to Parliament.

A YOUNG WOMAN was killed in a cab on Sunday
evening in the New-road. The cabman, will was
drunk, ran his cab into an omnibus. He was thrown
from his seat by the concussion, and the cab horse,
starting off at a great pace, came into collision with
another omnibus. The pole of the omnibus was
forced through the cab, and, crushing in the chest of
the poor woman, killed her on the spot. The cabman
is in custody, and under remand for the result of
the coroner's inquest.
THE CITY MILITIA, it was decided at a Court of
Lieutenancy held on Monday, will be made up to its
full complement of 1,000 men, and be called out ou
Friday, the 17th of April nest. The new head-
quarters building, between Bunbilf fields burying-
ground and the Artillery-ground, will be completed
by the end of next year. The extent of ground
covered will comprise four acres, a lease of which the
commissioners have obtained from the Ecclesiasti-
cal Commissioners for 100 years for the use of the
militia. The ground lease for the whole of Fins-
bury-square and the parts adjacent has nearly
expired, and at its expiration the ground will come
into the hands of the Church Commissioners. It
was understood that the militia would not be again
billeted upon the inhabitants of Finsbury, but that
immediately upon the assembling of the butly they
would be sent to the camp at Aldershott.
THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S RETURNS for the week
are of a favorable nature. The deaths have decreased
to 1,060, an unusually low average. The births for
the last week amounted to H6B boys and 823 girls, in
all 1,1191 children. The mean daily temperature of
the week was 38.8 deg. The mean temperature of
the Thames was 43.7 deg.; on the whole, below the
average of the last thirty-eight years.