The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-19 00:00:00

Departure of the Queen for Osborne,

WINDSOR, Dec. 17.
The Queen left Windsor Castle at a quarter toll
this morning for Osborne.
The royal party drove to the Windsor terminus
of the Great Western Railway in close carriages,
that occupied by the Queen being drawn by a
couple of milk white horses. At the station a special
train of seven carriages, including two state saloons,
had been provided by the Landon and South Wes.
tern Railway Company, the luggage and horses be-
longing to the royal household having been previ-
ously despatched .

I❑ spite of the wintry aspect of the day there was
a numerous assemblage of spectators, and the plat=
form was thronged with persons who had assem-
bled to witness her Majesty's departure.
The special train, in charge of Mr Grierson, who
accompanied it to Baaingtoke, left Windsor at 10.55
a.m., just nine minutes behind the time arranged
for its departure, and, drawn by a Great Western
engine, proceeded at a steady rate along the narrow
gauge of the latter line—via Slough. After leaving
the latter junction the pace was quickened, and
Reading, which was enveloped in a heavy snow-
storm, was soon made. Here and at the stations to
Basingstoke, which was reached at 12.3 p.m., the
platforms were crowded with spectators. Her
Majesty was received with marks of the -greatest
respect, though all were silent.

There were no guards of honour either at Winds
eor or Gosport, as the journey WO conducted with
the greatest quietude.

THE ROYAL INSURANCE COMPANY'S ALMANAC
FOR 1865.—T0 deal with all the facts embodied in
this instructive volume, would involve us in a larger t-:sk
than we have space for; we must therefore be content with
some of the more salient features presented to us. The first
tact gleaned from these pages is the rapid yet regular pro-
gress presented by the career of the Royal Insurance Com-
pany. Who, it might be asked, among the millionaires of
Europe would well vie with it in position. seeing that its
income is more than £600,000 per annum, m hile its accumu-
lated resources exceed one million sterling. To high in-
tegrity it has conjoined a conspicuous liberality, while the
promptitude with which every claim has been met, sup-
plies a letter of recommendation wherever its agencies are
to be found. An unquestionably large experience has en-
abled the Royal to calculate risks with almost unparalleled
exactitude, while year by year fresh accessions have been
made to its stability, until at the last annual meeting we find
no less than £156,000 added to its reserve fund. Moreover,
the office has been highly complimented by an authoritative
financier for the accuracy with which its balance sheets
have been presented to the House of Commons ; and so ex-
traordinary have been its successes, that in the last return
of percentage duty paid to the Crown, the Royal is again
placed at the head of all insurance offices as regards in-
crease of business, Economy of expenditure is also another
important feature of the management of this company, and
goes far to justify its strong hold upon the confidence of
the public. No failing businesses have been purchased, no
amalgamations effected. The Royal has been content to
remain solos in gloria.

A very cruel csso of breach of promise of marriage
was tried in the Court of F..xclargaer on SAltuday. The
defendant, a pubiican named Sadler, had, under promise of
marriage, seduced a young girl named Aerons, only 14 years
of age. The judge in summing up commented severely on
the conduct of the defendant, and the j ury gave the plaintiff
£5OO damages.

LIFE,BOATEL—During the past two years the
lifeboats of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have
been manned, on all occasicne, by about 12,000 persons;
and it is a gratifying and encouraging fact to find that,
with the exception of the two poor men who jumped out of
the Tynemouth lifeboat on the night of the 24th ult., not a
single life has been lest from the lifeboats during these two
years. With one or two exceptions the boats have been
readily and promptly manned during the fiercest storms.
The National Lifeboat Institution OAS now one hundro
and thirty-eight lifeboats under its management,