The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-20 00:00:00

Foreign Courts.

PARIS, Oct. 18.
The Emperor and Empress the day before yesterday
vited to the Imperial table at St. Cloud the laureate of
Itome who lately gained the grand prizes for painting,
sculpture, architecture, and musical composition-315;
Maillard, Defaplanohe, Deschamps, Guadet, Dutert, and
Sieg. Among the other guests were Marshall Vaiilout,
Minister of the Beaus• Arts ; Count de Niewerkerke,super'
intendent of the Beaus-Arts; Count Baciocchi, superia-
tendent-general of theatres; M. Auber, director of the
Conservatoire, &c. The Emperor and Empress gave the
most gracious encouragement to the young artists, and
during the evening her Majesty presented to each of them
a photograph of the Emperor herself, and the Priuce
Imperial, signing each card with her name. M. Sieg was
also informed that his cantatz, which had gained the Vaud
prize for musical composition, was shortly to be performed
at the Grand Opera.

" There is nothing true," says the _Patric, " in the no'
r lunt given by several journals of an interview being about
to take place at Lyons between the Emperor Alexander
and the Emperor Napoleon. Their Russian Majesties
desire to observe the strictest incognito, and 14 hours'
travelling by railway would have ill prepared the Empress
of Russia, in her present state of health, to receive the
Emperor of the French, Tha Emperor Napoleon will visit
the Empress of Russia at Nice, as the Emperor Alexander
did the Empress Eugenie at SwalbaCh, and we have reason
to believe that this visit will coincide with the residence a
the Emperor of Russia at that place, as his stay will extend
from the 21st to the 29th inst."

Queen Marie Amelie, accompanied by their
Royal Highnesses the Duke de Nemours and the princess
Marguerite d'Orleans, and the Duke and Duchess do
Chartres, has left Chancellor's House, Tunbridge wells,
where the venerable Queen has been residing several
months, for Claremont, Surrey, attended by the ladies and
gentlemen of the royal household.
The Duke and Duchess of Manchester have left
town for Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire.
The Marquis of Bristol passed another favourable
night on Tuesday, and the latest accounts from Ickviorth
Park last evening represent the noble marquis as gradually
recovering from his severe illness.

The Marchioness of Ely arrived at her residence
at Prince's-gate last evening from Scarborough.
The Earl and Countess of Cork have arrived in
Grafton-street from Marston Park, for her ladyshiP
accouchement.

The Earl and Countess of Portarlington have
arrived at Emo Park, their seat in Ireland, from a tour.
The Countess Craven and Ladies Craven are
staying at Longford Castle, Wilts, with Viscount and Vis"
countess Folkestone, and not at Beckett House.

The Earl and Countess Nelson and Lady Alice
Nelson have been among the company visiting the Earl and.
Countess of Belmore, at Castlecoole.

The Earl of Lincoln left town yesterday morning
for Clamber Park, Notts, immediately after the receipt of
the telegram conveying the news of the sudden death of hiS
father, the Duke of Newcastle.

Lord and Lady Proby have arrived at 14, ILI'
kin-streot "West, from Ireland.

Mr. end Lady Catherine Weyland have arrived
at the St. George's 'lota.

We have to announce the death of the Hon.
Mrs. Hughes at Cheltenham. The deceased was the Hon.
Anna Maria Petre, daughter of the 10th Baron Petre. She
was born in 1800, and in 1838 married Mr. Arthur Hughes)
who died the same year.

Sir John and Lady Thor°ld and Mr. Taorold
have arrived at Brighton, from Syston Park, Grantham,
where they have been receiving a succession of coropanY
during the shooting season,

Colonel Taylor, M.P., and Mrs. Taylor are
entertaining a succession of visitors at Ardgillan Castle,
near Balbriggan, county Dublin.

DISASTERS TO BLOCKADE RUNNERS,---The
steamer Prince Albert, which left the Mersey a short time
since, has been totally wrecked off Charleston. In attempt-
ing to cross the bar she struck on the wreck of a vessel
named the Minho, which sunk there some 12 months ago,
and, to prevent her sinking, was run on shore nearly oppo-
site Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island. Finding it impossible
to get her cff, the officers and crew removed their baggage
and part of the cargo in small boats to the island. About
daylight the Federal batteries opened upon her, and com-
pletely riddled her with shot and shell, and set her on firs.
Only that portion of the cargo which had been landed by
the crew, consisting chiefly of medicines and other light
articles, were saved. The Nassau papers give particulars of
the loss of the steamer Agnes Louisa, bound from that port
to Wilmington. It appears that after leaving Nassau some
conviviality was indulged in by the owners and friends on
board, which was carried on till the vessel reached 11(g
Island, where these persons were to be landed. From some
cause or other—attributed by the newspapers to the above
conviviality—she was run on shore and stuck hard and fast
The great bulk of her cargo was landed, and under the su-
perintendence of "wreckers," several casks were slung
round her and fastened in the hold, and when the mail left
hopes were entertained of her safety. Two chases of block-
ade runners, and both of an interesting nature, are reported.
The first, after the Will .o'-the-Wisp, was kept up by 110
fewtr than four blockaders, all of which she successfully
eluded. She was from Wilmington with cotton for Naseago
and was chased for nearly 20 hours, almost the entire time
within range of her pursuers' guns. The second chase,
after the Confederate steamer Matagorda, bound from
Galveston to Havana with cotton, and which resulted in
her capture, is of a much more exciting nature, and can
perhaps be best recorded in the words of an officer on board
the United States steamer Magnolia :—" Yesterday (See'
21) a sail was reported from the masthead bearing soutb,
and shortly afterwards made out to be a steamer 00 ti
westerly course. All steam and sail were made on th°
Magnolia, and off we went after her. The chase soon NW°
her position, and clapped on all canvas, frequently alter-
ing her course and making sail, all the time emitting from
her chimney dense black smoke. Things now became
exciting, and our captain, in order to get up all steam
possible, expended pork, pitch, wood, &c. It soon be-
came evident that the chase was being rapidly over-
hauled, for three hours after first signalling her we were
but six miles from her. The forward pivot gun was nevi
brought to bear on her, and requests to heave to in the
shape of shot and shell sent over. But no; under steam
and sail she went, actually flying through the water, we at
no less speed following. We now began in earnest, shot
and shell were fired continually from all our guns, and the
bursting of the shells over and all round her was awful to
look on. At ten o'clock a lantern was shown over her
side and she hove to, upon which our executive officer
boarded her, and found her to be the Matagorda, from
Galveston for Havana. About 500 bales of cotton were in
the hold, 200 having been thrown overboard during the
chase. She had several passengers, including ladies and
children, and a crew of 26 men, whom, as well as the shiPt
in charge of a prize crew, were escorted to Key West."
THE COTTON TRADE IN CIIINA.—From Hong
Kong, under date of August 27, a correspondent
writes :—" The market remained quiet until the arrival of
the London mail on the 18th inst. Advices being favour •
able caused some animation to be exhibited. About 13,000
bales have been placed on the berth for England at prices
varying from 32 dole (Shanghai to 37 dole (Japan). Stock
reduced to 7,000 bales, and holders correspondingly firm.
At Shanghai tran-actioes have been on a moderate scale,
the stock offering being small, and buyers generally wait-
fug the arrival of the new crop, expected in about three
weeks. About 1,009 bales of the new crops are reported to
have been contracted for at Ningpo at 26 dole per bale of
118 to 120 catties. Stock at Amoy, 150 bales, and holders
firm; prices 32 to 31 dole. At Yohomama, the demand
remained steady at 27 to 23 dols for fine staple.
The export business has been necessarily limited, but trial
be given as follows :—For Liverpool, from Hong Hong, the
General Windham, with 9,010 bales, and Chaa-sze, with
.3,522 bales—from Shanghai, the Brockham, with 9,6"
bales, and Thomas Bell, with 7,241 bales—and from Yoko-
name, the Jane and Isabella, with 1,313 bales—for London,
the Sea Snake had sailed from lthhanghai with 3,392 bale°,
making the export far the month of August (to the 28thei
37,095 bales, which added to the previous export of the old
season (-50,653 bales), will give a grand total export of
87,748 bales, being about double that of the correspendiag.
period of last year. The new crop is expected to be about
doable of this season,"—Live7o9l Atom:fry.