The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-21 00:00:00

New Year's-Day at Washington.

New Year's-Day was universally observed as a
holiday. The weather was bright, balmy, and
springlike. The receptions were begun by the visits
of the officers of the army and navy to the Presi-
dent. This ceremony took place at eleven o'clock.
The officers of the navy, in full toggery, including
enormous chapeaux and cumbrous epaulettes,
assembled at the Navy Department ; and those of
the army, in their plainer uniforms, at the War
Department, whence, preceded by the heads of the
respective departments, they proceeded in a body
to present the annual compliments to the Comman-
der-in-Chief of the army and navy. There were
about 200 officers in the procession, among whom
were Gen. Halleck and a number of major-generals
and brigadiers. The most striking feature of the
President's reception was the visit of the foreign
Ministers, who appeared in grand costume, attended
by their families. They appeared at the White
House at an early hour, previous to the admis-
sion of the great mass of the people. Among these
guests were Lord Lyons, M. Mercier, M. de
Stoeck 1, Senor Tassara, Chevalier Hulse mann, Baron
von Gerolt, M. Berghinans (Acting Minister from
Belgium), Count Piper, M. Schleiden, Senor Ro-
mero, Chevalier Bertinatti, Senors Barreda, Asta
Buruaga, Lisxboa, Herren, Yrissari, and Molina.
Thus all the principal governments of Europe and
South America were represented, presenting a bril-
liant cortege seldom witnessed except upon New
Year's-day. A large crowd surrounded the gates
of the White House to witness the entrance and
exit of the foreign Ministers in full costume. In
posed of all sexes,
ac-
cordance with custom, at Noon the great gates of
composed
norathrough the main
the White House were thrown open, and for two
improvised passage and
windows of the East-
ed a position in the
stairwayboarsear
ongote entrance
. naacneTvdhathentrdtoiud othrough
Presidenthot conditions,fobhn yuepmooa humanity,
nert
celhtude i
Blue-room, and courteously shook hands with the
thousands of visitors who were presented by Mar-
shal Latnan, who stood beside Mr. Lincoln and
most admirably performed his duty of the Marshal's
office. Secretary Seward also was visited formally
by the representatives of foreign Governments, and
until 3 o'clock by an incessant stream of citizens
anxious to pay their compliments to the distin-
guished Premier. He was assisted in the enter-
tainment of his guests by his daughter and Mrs.
Frederick Seward. The elegant mansion of the Sec-
retary of the Treasury was also thronged with visi-
tors, among whom were noted all the prominent
foreign Ministers and officers of the army and navy.
Mr. Chase received his numerous visitors with all
that elegant suavity of manner for which he is noted.
Miss Kate Chase, celebrated for her winning grace-
fulness and charming courteousness, aided by her
youngest sister and Miss Parsons, of Columbus,
Ohio, contributed to the pleasure of the guests who
came to wish a happy new year to this interesting
family. Secretary Stanton was waited upon by the
officers of the army in a body, preceded by Gen. Hal-
leek, and was also visited by crowds of citizens. Mrs.
Douglas entertained a large number of her friends
and the friends of the late Senator Douglas, at the
residence of her father, Mr. J. Maddison Cutts.
Toasts to " Jeff. Davisi and the Southern Confede-
racy" were drunk in the houses of the Secessionists.
They were generally proposed by the ladies to their
visitors.—New York ir
era ( .

INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY.—A correspondent of
the Montreal Gazette states that, after several meet-
ings in London, it has been arranged that the loan to be
raised for the proposed railway, the cost of which is to be
borne, five-twelfths by Canada,
and seven-twelfths by
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, is to be £3,000,000 ster-
ling, repayable thus, £250,000 in 10 years, £500,000 in 20,
£1,000,000 in 30, and £1,250,000 in 40. It is added that
the Lords of the Treasury have consented to raise the
money upon Imperial debentures, and it will, therefore,
probably be obtained at 31 per cent. A sinking fund is to
commence in 1873, but Mr. Gladstone will allow it to be
investal in colonial securities ; he w;11 not undertake to get
the measure through Parliament without a sinking fund.
The Montreal Coinmercial Advertiser believes this state-
ment to be substantially correct, but maintains that the
sum is not more than a third of what will be required to
build and equip the line and
purchase the existing lines,
which must be acquired to complete it from Halifax t.
Quebec, and that the line can never pa), and will be use-
less for ruilitarypurposes, because it is impossible to protecta
railway from the raids of small bodies of troops. This
journal recommends good common roads as the only re-
liable winter communication iIZ time of War.

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

_,__

Yesterday at a meeting of magistrates of the city
at London, held at Guildhall, the Lord Mayor pre-
siding, a letter from Mr. Cubitt was read tender-
ing his resignation as an alderman, from con-
siderations of approaching age and its incidents and
of duties of a public and private nature which de-
volved upon him. He was, moreover, desirous of
being unconstrained as to time of absence in the
event of having to comply with advice to go to a
warmer climate; and he expressed his grateful ac-
knowledgments of the uniform friendliness with
which the members of the Court of Aldermen had
always treated him. A motion was proposed by
Alderman Humphery, and seconded by Alderman
Copeland, inviting the court not to accept the re-
signation, having regard to tla public services which
Mr. Cubitt had rendered the corporation of London
during the many years he sat in Parliament, and lat-
terly as chief magistrate, and the recollection of
which naturally disposed them to wish that he
should continue his connexion with them. The mo-
tion was opposed by Alderman Sidney, who sub-
mitted that Mr. Cubitt was the fittest judge of the
circumstances which had prompted his wish to
withdraw from the magistracy of London, that they
ought not to stand in the way of his giving effect
to that wish, and that for them to act otherwise
would be to make a bad precedent. Mr. Cubitt, he
added, was represented to be a man with large
worldly possessions, and they all knew that pro-
perty had its duties as well as its rights. He had
served the office of Lord Mayor with great honour
and usefulness for two successive years, and, having
regard to his advanced age, it was but natural that
he should long for repose, as well for its own sake
as to enable him to attend to his own private affairs.
Alderman Sir Robert Carden, on the other hand,
urged the court to adopt the motion before them,
believing it was the best compliment they could pay
a man who had so well discharged his duties, and
was now so sensitive as to think, though in that
they all differed from him, that he could no longer
efficiently serve the public. Alderman Carter and
Alderman Gabriel both spoke in favour of the
court falling in with the wish of Mr. Cubitt
for his own sake. The motion was then put and
negatived on a show of hands,-and the Court, at the
instance of Alderman Sidney, resolved to accept
Mr. Cubitt's resignation, and ordered, on the motion
of Alderman Humphery, that a precept should issue
for the election of an alderman in his place for the
ward of Langbourn. Alderman and Sheriff Law-
rence presented a report relative to the city pri-
sons, from which it appeared that in the gaol of
Newgato there are now 129 prisoners; in the
Debtors' Prison, Whitecross-street, 86 ; and in the
prison at Holloway, 393. Of the whole number 15
are in the infirmaries, and in each case the return
was accompanied by a certificate of the surgeon as
to the fit and sanitary condition of the prison.
Messrs. Robert Montague Nicholas, Chas, Henry
Greaves, Joseph De Castro, and Joseph Henry (3as-
kin took the oaths incident to the office of a broker;
and James Lothian, Alfred Comfort, Alfred Augus-
tus Stahlschmidt, David Wm. Nell, Edward Caffin,
John Gilbert Gillian Seaton, Hot ace Ripley. k'% m.
Thos. Korff, Henry RobeA Bullock, john Francis
Fernyhough,:James Thompson, James Chambers,
John Grant 'Hodgson, and Alexander Watt were
admitted as brokers. In the course of the sitting,
Mr. Thos. James Nelson, citizen weaver, lately
elected City Solicitor in the room of the late Mr.
Chas. Pearson, appeared at the bar and took and
subscribed the customary oaths and declarations
appertaining to the office, and was then, on the mo -
tion of Alderman Hale, invited to take his seat at
the table.