The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-26 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a Court of Aldermen was held for the
dispatch of business.
The first matter of interest which came before the
Court was the case of Mr. Knill, who, after his election
as Common Councilman for the Ward of Billingsgate,
had declined to take, when required, the oath of ab-
juration.
The TOWN CLERK intimated to the Court that he had
received a communication from Mr. Knill, declaring his
intention to attend in his place in the Court of Common
Council on Thursday next. On this intimation Mr.
Knill was excused from further attendance in the pre-
sent Court of Aldermen; but
Mr. KNILL claimed permission to address a few words
to the Court. He said he had already taken his seat in
the Court of Common Council, a-id had subscribed two
of the oaths which had been tendered to him on two
previous elections. It was only at the last wardmote
that the obnoxious oath of abjuration had been tendered
to him, which he had conscientiously refused to take.
He had, however, to take and subscribe the oath pre-
scribed to be taken by persons who, like himself, were of
the Roman Catholic persuasion ; but it appeared that
neither the alderman of the ward, nor the ward clerk,
knew anything about it. He (Mr. Knill) could not but
complain that he had been dragged before the public in
this matter, and been made the subject of comment in
the newspapers, as having refused to serve the office to
which he had been re-elected. _

A long discussion followed, from which it appeared
that there was no uniform practice subsisting in the
City with regard to the administration of the Roman
Catholic oath to Members elected to the Common
Council.

Mr. having withdrawn,
The L RD MAYOR announced to the Court that he
had appointed the Rev. the Lord Bishop of Peterbo-
rough and the Rev. Dr. M'Caul to preach the Spital
sermons for the present year.

STREET NUISANCES.

Alderman WILSON presented a petition from the in-
habitants of the north-side of St. Paul's Church-yard,
complaining that for several months past they had suf-
fered a great nuisance from the congregation of large
numbers of persons assembled in front of their premises
offering various articles (which they cried at the highest
pitch of their voices) for sale. They prayed the Court
to devise some means for giving power to the Coth-
missioner of Police to effect its removal and abolition.
He moved that the petition be referred to the Committee
for general purposes. The motion was then agreed to.
After a long discussion, the bye-laws regulating the
navigation of the river Thames by steam-vessels, which
had been agreed to at the last Court, were confirmed,
and copies of them were ordered to be laid beforo coun-
sel preparatory to their being submitted to the judges.

STATE OF THE CITY PRISONS.

Alderman SIDNEY said he rose as a Member of the
Court, and also as one of the Sheriffs of the City of
London, to present a petition on the subject of the state
of the gaols of the metropolis. If he were not irregular,
he would embody the terms of the petition in the obser-
vations it was his intention to address to the Court.
Alderman FARERROTHER moved that the Court be
cleared.

Strangers then withdrew, and the Court continued
until its rising, its proceedings with closed doors. We
understand, however, that the petition, which complained
of the impossibility of any system of discipline or classi-
fication being carried out in the City prisons, owing to
their crowded state, was eventually referred to the Com-
mittee on general purposes. The Court adjourned at
half-past four o'clock.

THE MURDER AT HA.IVIPSTEAD.
Considerable sensation was created at Hampstead yester-
day by the arrival of a mounted messenger in the early part
of the day, who inquired for Bynell, the postman, for the
purpose, it was understood, of accompanying him to town in
order to identify a man, said to be in custody, answering the
description of one of the three men who had accosted him on
the night of the murder of Mr. Delarue, and wished him to
buy a razor hone.
The circumstance which led to the above-mentioned oc-
currence, and which induced a general belief that the cap-
ture of at least one of the murderers had been effected, was
as follows :--Shortly before twelve o'clock on Monday night
Inspector Martin, of the City police, received information at
the station-house in Smithfield, that there was a man in a
state of intoxication at the bar of the Cross Keys, in St.
John-street, who was exhibiting hones for sale, and who, in
other respects, resembled the description given of one of the
supposed murderers. He instantly dispatched some of his
men to that place, and the man in question was taken into
custody, and at once conveyed to the station, where he was
detained till evidence was procured from Hampstead. Suf-
fice it to say, that he was not identified as one of the party
alluded to, and his whereabout having been accurately as-
certained, he was permitted to depart.
It appears that Mr. Hilton, baker, who first heard the cries
of murder whilst on Haverstock-terrace, was greatly mis-
taken in the statement he made before the jury, that the
place where the body was found was distant half a mile from
where he stood when those cries reached him. The ground
has been accurately measured, and the distance of the spot
where the body was found from Haverstock-terrace is 460
yards, whilst tho exact distance of the place from the Swiss
Cottage is 640 yards. Upon a minute examination of the
marks of blood alluded to at the inquest, found upon the
second rail of the stile near which the body was discovered, it
appears that the marks are those of the fingers of a man's left
hand. When Mr. Delarue was found he had his glove on his
left hand, but no marks of blood were visible upon it.
Those persons who have already been announced as coming
forward to prove that they encountered three men answering
the description of the supposed murderers are not the only
ones who were stopped in the vicinity of llampstead on
the night of Friday last. Yesterday afternoon a gentleman
on horseback went to the Yorkshire Grey, and informed Mr.
Neal, the landlord, that he had been stopped, and had had
money demanded of him by three men in the Finchley-road
on the evening of Friday last. The name of this gentleman,
who is a medical man, and who left his card with Mr.
Neal, stating that he should be ready to give evidence upon
the point, is Mr. Creforne, of No. 5, Henry-street, Avenue-
road.

The becly of the unfortunate man still remains i■ the
cottage where it wrs first placed, and where it was viewed
by the jury ; and it is stated by Mr. Neal, the landlord of the
Yorkshire Grey, that it will not be removed until the funeral
takes place, which will be from his house.
Inspectors Shackel and Ilaines, of the detective police, are
still pursuing their inquiries, aided by Inspector Grey, and
although it is beyond doubt that a good clue to the perpe-
trators of the deed has been obtained, tip to a late hour last
evening their apprehension had not been effected.

THE CROOME POACHING AFFRAY.—On Saturday
last the seven men who have already several times under-
gone private examination before the Worcestershire magis-
trates, charged with being concerned in the murder of
Thomas Staite, the gamekeeper who was killed at Croome
on the 19th of December last, in the course of an affray be-
tween the keeper and a band of armed poachers to the
number of twenty, or thereabouts, were again examined at
the Worcester county gaol before three of the magistrates of
that county. Their names are William Bloomfield, George
Brant, Joseph Tandy, Samuel Turvey, John Cook, William
Freeman, and Francis Ferris, and the whole, with the ex-
ception of Ferris and Freeman, who were liberated from
custody, were again remanded to Wednesday next. At the
same time three others, who had been apprehended since the
previous examination, and whose names are Thomas Hooper,
Thomas Collins, and George Lippit, were, after an examina-
tion, also remanded to a future day. It will be recollected
that it was stated that William Cosnett, who had been
charged with the above prisoners, had, after undergoing an
examination, been released from custody. Since that time
further revelations having been made with regard to his
share in this dreadful outrage, he has again been taken into
custody, and remanded for examination with the other pri-
soners. The whole party reside at, and in the neighbour-
hood of, Pershore, a town about ten miles from Worcester,
and situate a short distance from the Croome preserves. They
are all well known to have been long connected together in
poaching transactions, many of them are respectably con-
nected, and they are strongly suspected of having been
concerned in other outrages ; which took place in the county
about the time of the fatal Croome affray. There are now
(including Joseph Turvey and Francis Dingley, committed
under the Coroner's warrant, on the 6th of January, for the
murder of Staite) eleven prisoners in the county gaol of
Worcester charged with being implicated in this fatal affray.
GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.—The
usual half-yearly meeting of the General Steam Navigation
Company took place yesterday, at the office of this Corpora-
tion, 69, Lombard-street. There was a numerous assemblage
of proprietors. The chair was taken by John Wilkin, Esq.
A report from the Directors, and the accounts for the year,
ending the 31st December last, were read. From these it
appeared the transactions of the Company had been followed
by increased prosperity, and that the general condition of
this Corporation's affairs was highly satisfactory. The cus-
tomary dividend and bonus being declared, thanks were
voted to the Chairman and Directors for their continued
exertions to promote the interests of the Company, when the
meeting separated.
NEW STEAMERS ON THE RIVER.—A new steam-
boat company was lately formed for the purpose of building
a faster and more superior class of steamers for the above-
bridge trade. The project originated with a few gentlemen
and tradesmen in the City, and the capital proposed was
30,0001. In four days the whole of that amount of specie,
and 4,000/. in addition was subscribed, and ten new iron
steamers were ordered. They are building by Messrs. Ditch-
burn and Mare, of Blackwell' and the engines and machinery
by Messrs. Penn aid Son, of Greenwich, who have fitted up
so many of the fast steamers on the Thames. Each of these
new steamers will be divided into four compartments, with
strong water-tight bulkheads between each, and will be pro-
pelled by two of Penn's oscillating engines and machinery of
twelve-horse power, each on an entirely new principle. The
name of the new concern is the City Steam-boat Company,
and the fleet will be distinguished by the name of Citizen,
and lettered A to N inclusive. The fleet of Citizens will begin
steaming between the City pier and Chelsea for the first time
on Whit-Monday.
LINENDRAPERS INSTITUTION.—The annual dinner
in commemoration of the institution of the linendrapers,
silkmercers, hosiers, &c., and in support of the funds by
which the benevolent objects of it are carried out, was givene
n
yesterday at the London Tavern, Bishopgate-street, h
large room of which establishment nearly 300 membersi
and
friends of the different trades sat down, at six o'clock, to the
plentiful banquet supplied by Messrs. Bathe and Breach.
Mr. Emerson Tennent had been announced in the adver-
tisements as the chairman, but was not able to preside in
consequence of his Parliamentary duties, and his absence,
s
which was much regretted, his place was very in
ably
The vocal arrangements were underuppliied
by Mr. Pearce. the
direction of Mr. Hobbs, assisted by Messrs. Hawkins, Hat-
ton, Bradbury, and Masters Stevens and Sullivan. On the
removal of the cloth, the " Benedictus" was sung, after
which the health of her Majesty, of the Queen Dowager,
Prince Albert, and of the Royal Family, were drunk with
accustomed loyal demonstrations. A great variety of toasts
followed, and the company did not separate till a late hour.
In the course of the evening the report was read by Mr.
Brace, the secretary, and was a most satisfactory testimonial
of the utility and success of the institution, and from which
it appeared that the capital stock of the institution at present
amounts to nearly 15,0001. Three per Cent. Consolidated
Annuities, and 10,000/. Three-and-a-Half per Cent. Annui-
ties. The subscriptions of the evening were very large, that
of the list of Mr. W. Gauntlett, one of the stewards, alone
Amounting to 400/., and the aggregate of the whole to 2,0001.
Mr. Tyler, proprietor of the Surrey Zoological-
gardens, had the honour of an interview with his Royal
Highness Prince Albert yesterday morning, at Buckingham
Palace, to submit the model of the forthcoming pictorial ex-
hibition, the subject of which was kindly suggested by his
Royal Highness. After entering minutely into the detail, his
Royal Highness expressed himself highly pleased with the
beauty and accuracy of the execution.