The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-23 00:00:00

COURT CHI CUL AR.

Viscount Melbourne and the Judge Advocate General had
audiences yesterday of the Queen.
M:jesty had a dinnor party last evening at tie New
Palace. Among the company were—Her Royal. Highness
the Duchess of Gloucester, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis
of Lansdowne, the Marquis Conyngharn, the Earl and Coun-
tess of Minto, Lady Fanny Elliot, the Earl of Surrey, Lady
Georgiana Bathurst (in waiting on the Duchess of Glouces-
ter), Sir Henry Wheatley, the Hon. Frederick Grey, and
Co:onel Armstrong.
The band of the Coldstream Guards was in attendance at
the Palace in the evening.
Lady Barham has succeeded the Countess of Charlcmont
as the Lady in Waiting on the Queen, and Lady Harriet
Clive has replaced the Hon. Mrs. George Campbell as Woman
of the Bedchamber in Waiting. Sir Robert Otway has suc-
ceeded Colonel Armstrong as the Groom in Waiting on her
M aj, sty.
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Augusta of
Cambridge, attended by Miss Kerr, Baroness Ahlefeldt and
Baron Knesebeck, honoured Baroness Blome (the Lady of the
Danish Minister) with her company on Monday evening, at
her residence in Portland-place.
The Duke of Cambridge honoured the Catch Club with his
company at dinner last evening.
A Cabinet Council was held yesterday afternoon at the re-
sidence of Viscount Melbourne, in Downing-street, which was
attended by all the Ministers. The Council sat an hour and
a half.

The Ministers of the Conference, consisting of the Russian
and French Ambassadors, and the Prussian and Austrian Mi-
nisters assembled at live o'clock yesterday afternoon at the
Foreign Office. Viscount Palmerston also came from at-
tending the Cabinet Council.
The Earl of Lovelace and Mr. Roebuck had interviews
with Viscount Melbourne yesterday in Downing-street.
The Right Hon. T. Frankland Lewis bad an interview with
Lord John Russell yesterday at the Home Office.
The Belgian, Lpanigh, and Brazilian Ministers transacted
business yesterday at the Foreign Office.
The Hanoverian, French, Prussian, and Austrian Ambas-
sadors transacted business yesterday at the Foreign Department.
Despatches from Sir John Colborne, Governor of the Ca-
nadas, were received yesterday at the Colonial Office.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Foreign Depart-
ment from Lord Ponsonby, the British Ambassador at Con-
stantinople.
Despatches. dated the Isth of November, were received
yesterday at the Colonial Department from the Governor of
the Cape of Good Hope.

Her Majesty will give a grand banquet this evening
at the New Palace. This will be the first grand dinner given
since the arrival of the Court from Brighton. The Duke of
Lucca is to be of the party, as also several members of the di-
plomatic corps.
Lady Maryborough has returned to town from a
visit to the Countess of Clarendon, at the Grove, Watford.

Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P., and Lady Peel, are
expected in town early in the ensuing week, from Drayton
Manor, Staffordshire. _ _

Mr. and Mrs. Rowland Errington will leave town
this day, on a visit to Sir Thomas Stanley, Bart., and the
Lady Maria Stanley, at their seat, Alderley Park, Knuts-
ford, in Cheshire.

We are happy to state that the Duchess-Countess
of Sutherland, who has been slightly indisposed, was much
better yesterday.
His Excellency the Russian Ambassador issued
cards yesterday for a grand entertainment on Saturday next
to his Royal Highness the Duke of Lucca. Baron Bulovr, and
a numerous and distinguished party have been invited to join
the dinner party.
A letter from a Correspondent at Malta, dated Jan.
5, states that a slight earthquake had been experienced there,
which, however, did no injury. On New Year's day the
Queen Dowager gave a splendid party.
We regret to state that a change for the worse has
manifested itself in the health of Ralph Lambton, Esq., and
that he is at present in a very precarious state. Hedworth
Lambton, Esq., M.P., intended
.departing for the south on
Monday, but the sudden and nuexpeeted alteration in his
uncle's health has induced him to remain, and he and his lady
are now at Morton-house.—Gateshead Observer.

The Marquis of Northampton, the new Noble Pre-
sident of the Royal Society in the room of his Royal Highness
the Duke of Sussex, has taken the splendid mansion on the
Terrace, Piccadilly, so many years the abode of the late Dow-
ager Countess Poulett.
The Officers of the Royal Marines will give a
grand ball and supper at Chatham, on Friday, to the Nobility
and Gentry of that neighbourhood.
Lord Fife, who is residing at his seat, Macduff'
Castle, has within the last few days ordered a plentiful supply
of coal and brush-wood to be distributed amongst the necessi-
tous poor of the town of Banff; and also a liberal supply of fuel
to the prisoners in the gaol.
His Grace the Duke of Rutland and Earl Howe
have respectively subscribed 1001. towards establishing a Dis-
trict Church Building Society in Leicestershire; the Society
to be supported by voluntary subscriptions.
The Rev, J. W. Minton, the esteemed and much
respected minister of Darlington, and his brother, have given
the very munificent sum of 2,0001. towards the endowment of
the church at present in course of erection at that place.
By a letter from Dresden of the 10th of January,
we lean that Madame Schroeder Devrient, whose loss of voice
would, it was said, occasion her retirement from the stage, had
again appeared in the part of Agatha, in the opera of Robin
des Bois. Her appearance was hailed by the audience with
loud and well-deserved applause. She appeared to have en-
tirely recovered from her illness—an Inflammation of the throat.
The Earl and Countess of Nonnanton, on the
10th instant, entertained upwards of 100 of the Nobility and
Gentry resident in the neighbourhood, with a ball and supper
at Somerly House, in the New Forest.
We hear that the Earl and Countess of Durham
will not leave town until Easter, when it is thought they will
go to Lambton Castle, Durham.
Baron Ostini arrived at Mivart's Hotel, last even-
ing, from a visit to Mr. and Lady Caroline Maxse, at their
seat near Midhurst, for the purpose of attending his Royal
Highness the Duke of Lucca this evening to dine with her
Majesty at Buckingham Mac.%
s Baron and Baroness Dimsdale have arrived at
Mivart's Hotel from Camfield Place, Herts ; but take their
departure to-morrJw, accompanied by the Hon. Miss Dims-
dale, for Stonelands, Devon, for the benefit of that young
lady's health.
Mr. Macready has, unsolicited, increased the sala-
ries of the entire band of the Theatre Royal Covent-garden;
an instance of managerial liberality, in the middle of a season,
we believe, wholly without precedent.
.Mr. Thomas Wilsen, Governor of the Bank of Ire-
land is to be High Sheriff fur the county of Armagh fur the
next year.
It has been rumoured that the vacant Garter has
been pressed upon the Noble Premier himself, from a quarter
and in a manner extremely difficult to resi.t. —Morning Paper.
Sir Henry Fanner, Bart., last week distributed 40
bushels of wheat among such poor families of Rotherfield,
Sussex, as have not received parochial relief.
The Earl and Countess Albemarle gives a sumptu-
ous entertainment on Wednesday next to their Royal High-
nesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. His Excel-
lency the Russian Ambassador, Count and Countess Charles
Pozzo do Bongo, and a distinguished party are invited to
meet their Royal Highnesses.
The Duke of Beaufort, the Eall'orScaitioroulf,rh;
Count D'Orsay, and a party arrived at Bath on Monday, from
Badminton Park.

The Marquis of Anglesey arrived at Uxbridge
House, last evening, from Beaudesert, Staffordshire. The fa-
mily plate, &c., arrived yesterday. The Marchioness intends
staying at Leamington fur the present.
Sir Robert Peel, Bart., I\LP., and Lady Peel are
expected in town early in the ensuing week from Drayton
Manor, Staffordshire.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S HEALTH.-
Ever since the Duke declined his annual visit to Belvoir, much
anxiety bas been felt upon the subject cf his Grace's health;
which anxiety no authentic steps have yet been tali c.n;to relic re.
Need we add, that there aro few subjects hi which people of all
ranks and opinions take a more lively interestthan in the health
of the Duke of Wellington?

Lord Clements lies seriously ill at Charlemont
House, Dublin. it is stated that he had an inflammation of
the lungs, and was bled to an imprudent degree.
CLARENCE HOUSE, ST. JAMESS.—The improve-
ments have been completed here by a new flag pavement, ex-
tending from St. James's Palace to the porter's lodge at the
entrance to the stable-yard. An entrance has also been made
from the mansion to the gardens of the palace. The Princess
Augusta is expected to resume the occupancy of the edifice, themiddle of the ensuing month, when her Royal Highness Will
return to town for the season.

POOR-LAWS AND THE POOR.—We have often
wondered and felt ashamed at our species, that, in the admi-
nistration of the Poor-laws, such callous and unfeeling conduct
should be displayed. Men seem to consider that in relieving
the poor, they are conferring a favour, and not performing the
most imperative of Christian duties. They seem to think it
ot infinitely more consequence that the publ c should not have
to support or relieve one idle or improvident person, than that
hundreds of miserable brings should be saved from the sharp
pangs of want, or spared tae cruel humiliation of reproaches
and grumbling distrust. The ordeal which, in thin highly pro-
Cpssing country, the miserable victims of want have to undergo
—the ordeal of distrust, harshness and disgust—before they
can be relieved, is so gruel to any one possessed of the least sus-
ceptibility of feeling, that we iioreet}mes almost wonder that
death from starvation is not preferred to 4pplying to the
parish fpr relief. In speaking thus of the administration of the
Poor-laws, we must not be understood as referring to those
laws themselves, but merely to the manner in which we are
sorry to perceive it seems generally thought proper to carry
then:
.'nte egestt—Presion Observer.