The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-18 00:00:00

The ex-Royal Family of France.

The whole of the Orleans branch of thu House of
Bourbon have assembled at Claremont, for the
approaching nuptials of the Count de Paris to the
Infanta Marie Isabella, eldest daughter of their
Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess de Mont-
pensier.

The venerable ex-Queen Marie Amelia returned
to Claremont on Saturday, from a short residence
at St. Leonards, in order to .meet the Duke and
Duchess de Montpensier and family, who arrived
at Claremont on Monday evening, from Spain.
The Duke de Nemours and the Prince and Prin-
cess de Joinville have returned to Claremont from
a visit to Belgium on family affairs.
Tire betrothal of the Count de Paris and his
cousin, the lafanta Marie Isabella, took place at the
Palace of St. Telme, in the early part of last month.
We understand that the marriage is fired to take
place on the 31st instant, at the Roman Catholic
Chapel at Kingston.

The Duke and Duchess d'Aumale, the Duke
Augustus and the Duchess Clementina, and the
Duke and Duchess de Chartres, will assemble at
Claremont on the interesting event.

The day selected for the wedding is the miniver..
sary of the marriage of the late Duke of Orleans
with the Princess Helene of Mecklenbur-
Schwerin.

Mr. Walford has had the honour of an interview
with the Prince and Princess of %Vales at Marlborough
House, and of presenting copies of the new edition of his
" County Families," which were graciously accepted. The
work will appear henceforth under the patronage of their
Royal Highnesses.

The Archbishop of Canterbury had a dinner
party last evening, at Lambeth Palace. Among
the guests of his grace were the Archbishop of Armagh
and Mrs. Beresford, the Bishop of Ripon and Mrs. Bicker-
steth, Lieut.-Gen. and Mrs. Knollys, Lady Radstcck and
Hon. Miss Waldegrave, the Bishop of Bangor and Mrs.
Campbell, and a largo party. Covers were laid for 32.

Prince Leon Eadzivil has arrived at Long's
Hotel. Prince Paskievitch has left the hotel.

Viscount Palmerston, in celebration of her Ma-
jesty's birthday, will give a grand full dress banquet to a
lArge circle of peers and supporters of the Government, on
Tuesday next, at Cambridge House, Piccadilly.
Lord and Lady Southampton are expected to
arrive in town at the end of the week from passing a few
weeks in Paris.

Lord Hotham entertained a select party at
dinner yesterday evening, at his residence in Grosvenor-
street.

Sir George Grey, as &erctary of State for the
Home Department, will give a full dress banquet at the
Clarendon Hotel on Tuesday next, in celebration of her
Majesty's birthday.

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer
will give a full dress dinner on Tuesday next to the Gover-
nor of the Bank of England, the Chairman of the Board of
Customs, the Chairman of the Board of Inland Ravenu©,
&c., at the right hon. gentleman's private residence ou
Carlton-house-terrace.

Sir John and Lady Thorold have iirrived at the
Palace Hotel, Buckingham•gate, from Paris.
Miss Burdett Coutts and Mrs. Brown have left
town for Torquay.

THE NEW STAMP DUTY ON VOTING PAPERS.--
A duty of one penny is to be paid on voting papers by proxy
in the United Kingdom at any meeting of shareholders or
society, or at any society exercising a public trust.
DEATH OF ADMIRAL ROBINSON.—We have to
record the death of Admiral Hercules Robinson, who ex-
plied on Sunday last at Southsea, near Portsmouth. The
gallant admiral, who was in his 75th year, served on board
the Euryalus as a midshipman at the battle of Trafalgar
under the immortal Nelson. He was commander of the
Prometheus when he captured three privateers in (he face
of the enemy, supported by a large body of troops. His
commissions bore date as follows :—Lieutenant, April 27,
1807; commander, August 30, 1809 ; captain, June 7, 1814 ;
rear •admiral, October 9, 1849; vice-admiral, Octobur 21,
1856 ; and admiral, January 15, 1862.

OCTOGENARIAN INTREPIDITY.—LIteIy an old
woman, 82 years of age, paid a visit to Milstetid to
bid adieu to some relations previcus to her starting for Utah.
She is nothing daunted at the task before her, being assured
by her chief that traveliing by railway is so sweet on the
other side of the water. She goes with a man about the
same age as herself, and feels confident that she shall yet
see three sons of hers who have been some time in the
Mormon colony.—Maidstone Journal.
THE CROPS IN CALIFORNIA.—From almost every
section of California (with but few exceptions), we
have good news of the crops, since the late copious rains ;
in fact in several places it is reported that the crops ars
from four tc six weeks earlier than for long, long years'
These facts preclude the possibility of any advance in bread"
stuffs, and lucky are those farmers that sold when the Pries
of wheat was at 21 cents. per lb. This prospect of a good
harvest gives life and animation to trade, both in the country
and the city.--San Francisco Paper.
MRS. MACREADY'S DRAMATIC REClTALS.—Yes-
terday evening Mrs. Macready repeated a series of
her dramatic recitals at the Queen's Concert Rooms, Hano-
ver-square. The programme included an extract from the
first scene of Sheridan Knowles's " Hanehback," the poem
of " The Boy and his Angel," by Caroline Sawyer, and the
liallad of "The Oysterman," by C. W. Holmes. To this
u an extract from the works of Edward Poe, en-
titled eells," in the recitation of which Mrs. Mac-
ready essayed
Ttatation of the intonation of different
au :.
bells—a difficult task, tril."l:!2 but one in which she accora-
s';‘::4lhe P.
plished a triumph of vocalisanini and obtained the warn'
plaudits of her audience. The remang part of the enter-
tainment comprised three scenes from first act of
"Hamlet," including the ghost scene, which 'a es rendered
with considerable spirit and effect, and wound up with
"The Charge of Balaklava ; or, The Fate of Engbri";
brave Six Hundred," which was given with much tastono"
pathos. The last of these entertainments is announced fox
Saturday, June 11.

THE PLACE TO LIVE 11‘1,—One may toil and gr°vr
rich and die in London; one may drag on an el-"i5V
ence at Vienna, vegetate at Brussels, prowl through the)
year at Florence, be bored at Rome, hipped at Ireniee,,'
terrified at St. Petersburg, stupified at Berlin, excited a"
New York, soothed at Boston, deluded at Dublin, intoxi-
cated at Edinburgh, astonished at Seville, amused at hlilapr
occupied at Amsterdam, fatigued at Naples, absorbed a:
Manchester, salted at Liverpool, cured at Brighton, ar
killed at New Orleans; but if one wants to live, to see
there is clearly no place in the world for man or woman
brit
Paris. This is an assertion scarcely worth arguing
Opinions are unanimous. Of course there are no bonve—
in the world worth the Paris bonnets. The Boulevards ar
unequalled among streets. Nobody knows how to coo :'
out of the Palais Royal. No pictures worth looking at ar©
to be seen out of the Louvre, except indeed those of the
Luxembourg. Why pursue a theme so trite ? While I, a
single Englishman, am duly sounding the praise of r 3"
50,003 Germans, Italians, Swedes, Russians, Poles, C7,0c115:
Moldo-Wallachs, Montenegrins, Magyars, and Masell
mans, are crying out that Parisian life is the life of lives,'
and that the only city worth living in is Paris.---Diceils
" All the Year Round,"
VISIT OF THE GOVERNMENT SURVEYOR TO T 11!
ROCHDALE RESERYOIRS.--Nir. Cobden has succeeded
obtaining a promise from the Secretary of the hope
partment, that at the earliest opportunity a Governor 7
surveyor shall be s9nt down to inspect and report upon n.!
state of the Rochdale reservoirs, including also the reservo:
of the Oldham Corporation at Piethorn, which is believ
to be in a very uneatiefaqory eoaclitio4,—.Leeds AforeNtY.