regard to the City of London, it is enacted that the
Lord Mayor of the City of London shall, on the request
of the City in Common Council assembled, convene a
public meeting in order to determine whether the act
shall be adopted, and if at such meeting two-thirds of
such persons then present shall decide, the act shall
come into operation, and the expenses to be paid out of
the consolidated rate. In order to prevent agitation, it
is provided that if any meeting called in any borough,
district, or parish shall determine against the adoption,
no meeting for a similar purpose shall be held for the
space of one year at least from the time of holding the
previous meeting.

The Post Office has issued two notes respecting the
Postage of Newspapers to the British colonies and
foreign countries, and another relating to the Postage of
Books to Western Australia viâ Melbourne. Henceforth
newspapers going abroad will not require the
impressed or old newspaper-stamp, but simply a penny
postage-stamp or a penny in money when destined
to the British colonies, and the additional postage
according to the specified rates when its destination is a
foreign country. The old newspaper-stamp will only
be required in the case of the transmission and
retransmission of newspapers in the United Kingdom.
The rate of postage on books to Western Australia will
be—for packets under a half-pound in weight, sixpence;
exceeding a half-pound but under a pound, one
shilling; exceeding one pound but under two pounds,
two shillings; and so on, increasing one shilling for
every pound or fraction of a pound.

All the London Joint-stock Banks have now held their
usual half-yearly meetings. Their accounts show a
continued increase of prosperity. The aggregate of deposits
at the end of last year was £26,315,473; in June it had
swelled to £29,376,410. The paid-up capitals amount
to £3,066,332; and the guarantee-funds to £601,229.
The dividends and bonuses for the year ending June
30 were at the following rates—London and Westminster
Bank, 14 per cent; London Joint-Stock Bank,
23 per cent; Union of London, 20 per cent; London
and County, 10 per cent; Commercial, 10 per cent;
Royal British, 6 per cent. These six banks will henceforth
have to compete with others: one, the City Bank,
commenced business last week; a second, the Bank of
London, will open two establishments on the 22nd;
while there are other companies projected.

Mr. Mechi held his annual Tiptree Gathering on the
4th inst. It was very numerously attended, and Mr.
Mechi stated that the farm left a net profit last year of
£600, and he expected this year it would do still
better.

The anniversary of the Hospital for Diseases of the
Skin was celebrated on the 7th inst. by a déjeûner at
the Crystal Palace. The Hon. A. Kinnaird was in the
chair. The company was numerous, and many
eminent persons were present. In the course of the
proceedings, the chairman made an effective speech,
advocating in eloquent terms the claims of the charity,
and was followed by Dr. Southwood Smith and Mr.
James Startin, the principal surgeon in attendance at
the hospital. From the statements made by these
gentlemen it appears that the hospital is conferring a very
large amount of benefit on the poor. Since its foundation
in 1841, 62,538 cases have been registered, and the
number of patients now in attendance averages
upwards of 10,000 per annum. The great majority of
these had been effectually cured, and the incurable
cases appear not to exceed more than 2 per cent.
Before the termination of the meeting, subscriptions to
the amount of about £550 were announced.

The Annual Cattle show of the Royal Agricultural
Improvement Society took place at Dublin on the 8th
inst. It was an average exhibition. In the evening,
the Duke of Leinster presided over the banquet, and
the Lord-Lieutenant was present and took part in the
proceedings. In acknowledging a toast to his health,
the Earl of Carlisle noticed the improvements which of
late years have been effected. For instance: the
quantity of land in cultivation had increased from
13,464,300 acres in 1841, to 14,802,581 acres in 1851;
while the value of live stock during the same period
rose from £19,339,000 to £27,326,000, and reached to
£33,508,000 in 1854. Then the growth of wheat has
diminished, and green crops, oats, barley, and flax, have
increased. There were in 1853, 174,379 acres under
flax cultivation, and in 1854 the scutch-mills amounted
to 1100. While the population has decreased, the
productions of Ireland have increased, and the condition
of the remaining population has been benefited in two
ways. "Thus, gentlemen," said Lord Carlisle, "if
such has been the continued progress, despite the
blight of famine and the drain of emigration, and the
dreadful calamity of war, whether we refer to the
productiveness of the soil, the enterprise of the proprietors,
or the general condition of the people, may not
our hopes for the future—sobered, indeed, by a reliance
upon the inscrutable will of an all-ruling Providence—
may not our hopes for the future be most encouraging
and sanguine? And if such be the general improvement
in Irish agriculture and the condition of the
Irish population, let me add my earnest hope that this
society, the great Irish Agricultural Society itself, may
long continue to witness and develop its inestimable
advantages under the genial auspices of your Grace;
and that, gathering still increasing support from all
classes and from all orders—from those who represent
the most ancient lineage and the largest wealth of the
country, and from those whose hard-working industry
and labour sustain the wide basis of our social fabric—
bringing to bear all the new lights of science, applying
all such new methods and preferring all such old ones
as experience may approve, this society may progress
each future year as it has done each past year of its
valuable existence, and find its best reward in the
acknowledgments of new advantages conferred upon a
peaceful, a prosperous, and a grateful people."

The report of the Crystal Palace Company was
presented to a meeting held on the 9th inst. The amount
expended up to the 30th June was £1,231,000, and the
liabilities to be discharged before closing the capital
account amount to £45,000, which will make a total of
£1,275,000. This is exclusive of £65,000 remaining due
on the original purchase of land, and against which
there are available assets of £38,000. Estimating everything,
the general result coincides with the statement a
year ago, that the undertaking would be completed for
£1,300,000. The estimate of £1000 a week for expenditure
has also proved correct. The net profits of the first
year (exclusive of 25,786 guinea season tickets, which
are applicable to the next year) have been £66,000,
out of which a dividend of 5 per cent. was declared
in February, leaving £12,299 now to be carried over.
The total number of visitors to the Palace, exclusive
of season ticket-holders, has been 1,322,008, of which
956,232 were from the opening to the 30th December,
and 365,776 from the 30th of December to the 30th of
June last. The rental for space in the former period
was £17,738, and in the latter only £4,311. Much of the
permanent success of the undertaking is felt to depend
on the increase of railway facilities, and it is expected
that the West-end line, which is now proceeding with
vigour, will be finished in the course of next year.
The shareholders having already had a dividend for
the year, none is declared on the present occasion; but,
if one should be warranted on making up the books in
December, the directors will call a meeting. Sir J.
Paxton, having brought all the works and arrangements
of the building and grounds to a point which requires
only ordinary labour for their completion, desires, for
the sake of his other duties, to be relieved from the
further exercise of an active superintendence, but will
continue to give the company the benefit of his counsel
and experience. Mr. Laing, the chairman, retires,
and there are likewise vacancies in the direction,
occasioned by the resignation of Messrs. Fuller, Calvert,
and Lushington.

On the 9th inst., the boys of the three "Shoeblack
Brigades" went to Richmond Park, by water,
accompanied by a large number of friends. The bright
uniforms of the Red, the Blue, and the Yellow Societies,
caused many a good humoured smile from the people in
the Strand as the 120 lads marched along with a band,
and banners gaily painted with emblems appropriate to
their humble, but useful calling. Football, cricket,
and other boyish amusements were enjoyed in the park,