The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

Vatitual an Omni.

THE MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS continues
high, and last week's returns from the Registrar-
General's office exhibit an increase in the number of
deaths. The aggregate was 1,188, that of the pre-
ceding se'nnight having been 1,093, and the decen-
nial average, if increased in the proportion of the
population, only 1,053.
Two STEAMERS AND A SLOOP, with divers, have
been for some time at work at the wreck of thei ill
fated ship Tayleur, and have succeeded in recovering
a portion of her valuable cargo, consisting chiefly of
bale goods.
THE " STONOR COMMITTEE " met on Wednesday
for the last time, to arrange their report, which will
be very shortly laid on the table of the House of
• Commons.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF
SCOTLAND met yesterday week. The Lord Commis-
sioner (Lord Belhaven) held his previous levee in
the picture gallery of Holyrood Palace. The rival
Assembly of the Free Church met also ou the same
day.
A VOTE of 7,5501. is to be asked for in the present
session to defray the cost of the Statute Law Com-
mission for their experiment of codification.
THE MENDICITY SOCIETY held their annual meet-
ing on Saturday last, with the Marquis of West-
minster in the chair. The report stated that the
number of cases of beggars brought before the
manager by ticket, and considered of sufficient im-
portance to be registered, has diminished from 058 to
419 ; the number of vagrants has been reduced from

908 to 018 ' • and the begging-letters sent for investi-
gation is also less than in the preceding year. The
number of applicants for relief was 8,080 in the last
year ; in the year preceding there were 7,067. On
examining the records of the society, the cases of
children appear to amount to eleven per cent. of the
whole number of registered cases, and many of them
were found to be in the hands of persons whose
characters were of the worst description, and who
subsisted entirely on the proceeds of the children's
begging. Two deformed boys were brought to the
society by a gentleman who found them begging
and was struck with their miserable appearance ;
but they were identified at the office as old offenders.
One of the boys had been twice apprehended, and
admitted that his father was in a situation earning
15s. a week, and that he was himself in partnership
with another boy, that they did very well together,
and usually collected 2s. or 4s. a day, besides food,
which they divided equally between them.
A MEMORIAL, praying for a free pardon for Mr.
Jeremiah Smith, the late Mayor of Rye, who was
convicted at the Central Criminal Court of having
committed perjury before a committee of the House
of Commons, was presented on Tuesday to Lord
Palmerston by a deputation comprising many mem-
bers of Parliament and influential gentlemen. No
less than forty testimonials to the high character and
integrity of Mr. Smith were at the same time
handed to the Home Secretary. His lordship said
that nothing could be stronger than the testimonials;
but what he should have to consider was, not so

much the former character of the person as the act
for which he had been convicted. He promised,
however, to look at the case with every possible atten-
tion, and would consider all that had been urged in
favour of Mr. Smith.
THE announcement of a free discharge having
been made to some convicts in Newgate Prison,
Dublin, under sentence of penal servitude, four of
them were so overjoyed at the sudden intelligence
that the dropped dead.
THE ENGLISH CONSUL AT ST. PETERSBURG, Mr.
Michele, has, at the desire of the Russian Govern-
ment, left that capital, and arrived at Konigsberg on
the 18th instant