The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-25 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

We have just seen a portrait of her Majesty, Queen
Victoria, which has been engraved by Freebairn from
a model furnished by Weigall. It is an excellent like-
ness-.—though we must confess we have seen more
faithful ones—and, as a work of art, shows much skill
and delicacy of execution. The publisher of this en-
graving is Jennings, who has brought it out in a very
convenient form, and at a price calculated to make it
generally popular.

( ADVERTISEMENT. )
GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

The Directors regret to state that a temporary interruption
has occurred this morning (Friday) in the communication with
Birmingham, in consequence of the flood, which was more ex-
tensive than has been known for twenty years, having swept
away a culvert on the Arpley embankment, about a quarter of
a mile from the station at Warrington. Some apprehensions
had been entertained by the engineer on that part of the
line for the safety of the culvert in question owing to the sudden
rise of the waters, and to prevent the possibility of accident to
the trains, watchers were stationed and fires kept lighted along
the embankment during the whole of the night. The accident
occurred at one o'clock this morning (Friday), when measures
were immediately taken to restore the communication, which
will be effected in the course of to-morrow. In the meantime
the mail trains will depart as usual, the passengers being sub-
ject only to the inconvenience and detention of changing car-
riages at the spot where the accident occurred.
JOAN MOSS, Chairman.
Liverpool, Dec. 22, 1837.

LAISIBETN VESTRY.--CHURCH-RATE REFUSED.
__A vestry was held on Saturday morning, for the purpose of
making a Church-rate—this being the day generally chosen
by the authorities. in consequence of its being the most incon-
venient in the whole year for the greater portion of the
trading rate-payers. The Dissenters were defeated last year,
after a severe struggle, when an enormous sum was obtained
for the support of the old church during the twelvemonth. At
ten o'clock, the Reformers assembled, in spite of every disad-
vantage, in considerable numbers ; and a few minutes after,
the Chair being taken by the Rector's Wardell, the Anti.
church-rate party moved an adjournment of the meeting until
next December. The doors were consequently closed, and the
motion for adjournment was carried by a large majority. The
rate being thus refused, it remains with the church party to
take some other course for obtaining the requisite supply.
The Scotsman says, a report has been circulated
within the last few days, that it is the intention of Captain J.
E. Wemyss to retire from the representation of Fifeshire.
Ws have made inquiries respecting the truth of this rumour,
in quarters likely to be well-informed, and, from all we can
learn, it seems to be wholly without foundation,

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen went in State on Saturday to the House of
Lords, to give her Royal Assent to the Civil List Bill.

At half-past twelve o'clock the Royal procession was
formed in the following order :—A carriage, drawn by six
grays, conveying the Hon. Fred. Byng and two other Gentle-
men Ushers and the Exon of the Yeomen of the Guard in
Waiting. A carriage, drawn by six bays, conveying Captain
Seymour, Groom of the robes ; Lord Kilmarnock, Page of
Honour; and Colonel Greenwood, Silver Stick in Waiting.
A carriage, drawn by a set of hays, in which were the Hon.
Colonel Grey, Equerry in Waiting ; Master Cavendish, Page
of Honour ; Mr. Rich, Groom in Waiting ; and the Hon.
Colonel Cavendih, Clerk Marshal. A carriage, drawn by
six bays, containing the Treasurer of the household ; Lord
Hill, Gold Stick in Waiting ; and the Captain of the Yeomen
of the Guard. A carriage, drawn by six black horses, con-
veying Viscount Falkland, Lord in Waiting ; the Lord
Steward ; the Countess of Mulgrave, Lady in Waiting ; and
the Marchioness of Lansdowne, First Lady in Waiting. The
state coach, preceded by the Queen's Marshalmen, two and
two, the Queen's Footmen, in state liveries, two and two, and
by a party of the Yeomen of the Guard, in full costume.
The Queen was conducted from the State Rooms to the
coach by the Marquis of Conyngharr., Lord Chamberlain,
preceded by Lord Charles Fitzroy, Vice-Chamberlain, her
train, of crimson and velvet ermine,being borne by Lord Kil-
marnock and Master Cavendish, the pages of honour. Her
Majesty wore a splendid circlet, stomacher, and ear-rings of
diamonds, with the riband and star of the Order of the Gar-
ter, and an armlet having the motto of the most noble Order.
The dress was white, with deep bullion fringe. In the car-
riage her Majesty wore a long tippet of ermine. Opposite to
the Queen sat the Master of the Horse, and the Duchess of
Sutherland, Mistress of the Robes.
A Guard of Honour of the Coldstream Guards were on
duty in front of the Palace, with the band of the regiment,
and received her Majesty with the usual honours.
The State procession was escorted by a detachment of the
Life Guards. Her Majesty returned to the Palace at two
o'clock.

- -------
The Marquis of Conyngliam had an audience of the Queen
on Saturday.
Mr. George Hayter has been engaged on her Majesty's por-
trait for the great picture for the city of London during the
whole week.
The Royal dinner party at the new Palace, on Saturday
evening, included the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Vis-
count Melbourne, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and
the Lord Chamberlain.

The band of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards were in
attendance at the Palace during the evening.
The Queen attended Divine Service yesterday morning, at
the private chapel of the new Pace. The church service for
the day was read by the Dean of Chester, deputy clerk of
the closet in waiting, and the sermon was preached by the
Bishop of London ; the Countess of Mulgrave, the Hon.
Misses Cocks and Dillon, Viscount Falkland, Mr. Rich, and
the Hon. Colonel Grey, were in attendance on her Majesty.
The Duchess of Gloucester visited her Majesty yesterday.
The Royal dinner party last evening included the Lcrd
Steward, Viscount Melbourne, Baron Stockmar, and the Hon.
William Cowper.
, The Duchess of Kent visited the Duchess of Cambridge
yesterday afternoon.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, and
the Princess Augusta of Cambridge, attended Divine service
yesterday morning, in Grosvenor chapel, South Audley-street.
The Duchess of Gloucester diced with the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge on Saturday, and afterwards accom-
panied their Royal Highnesses, and Prince George, and the
Princess Augusta of Cambridge, to the Lyceum. Their Royal
Highnesses were attended by Miss Kerr, Baron Knesebeck,
and Colonel Cornwall.
At the Chapel Royal, St. James's, yesterday morning, an
impressive sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Anderson ;
Sir George Smart presided at the organ. The Duchess of
Sutherland, the Marquis of Headfort, the Earl and Countess
of Wilton, Lady Wheatley, and Lord Eliot, were amongst
the nobility and gentry present.
A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock on Saturday
afternoon. It was attended by Viscount Melbourne, the Lord
Chancellor, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Viscount Duncannon,
Lord John Russell, Viscount Palmerston, Lord Glenelg, Earl
of Minto, Lord Holland, Mr. Poulett Thomson, and Viscount
Howick.

The Council sat near two hours.
The Commander of the Forces had an interview with Vis-
count Melbourne on Saturday, in Downing street.
The French Ambassador, the Grecian and Bavarian Mi-
nisters, transacted business on Saturday, at the Foreign
Office.
Despatches were sent off on Saturday evening from the
Colonial Office, for the Governor of Gibraltar, and the Lord
High Commissioner of the lonian Islands.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVALS.

The Dowager Duchess of Beaufort, in Upper Brook-street,
from a visit to the Hon. Mr. Ryder, at Westbrooke, near St.
Alban's, Herts ; Colonel and Mrs. Gregory, at the Burling-
ton Hotel, Cork-street, from Kent : Sir Walter Rockliff, and
Lady Mary Farquhar, in Brook-street, from the seat of Lord
Calthorpe, near Hampstead-bridgo, Bucks.

DEPARTURES.
Count and Countess de Salis, from the Burlington Hotel,
Cork-street, for their seat, Rokeby Hall, Dunleer, Ireland; Sir
William Somerville, Bart. M. P., from ditto, for Bifrons, near
Canterbury, on a visit to the Marchioness of Conyngham ;
Mr. Charles Greenaway, M.P., from ditto, for Cheltenham ;
Mr. Redington, M. P., from ditto, for Ireland ; Captain
Oakes, from ditto, for Brighton ; Mr. J. Bailey, M.P., from
ditto, for his seat, near Worcester; Mr. Parker, M. P., from
ditto, for Oxfordshire; Viscount Adare, M. P., from ditto, for
Glamorganshire ; Mr. and Lady Sarah Digby, from ditto, for
Holkham Hall, on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Leices-
ter; Mr. Nicolas Bull, M.P., from ditto, for his seat in Ire-
land ; Mr. R. Heaton, M.P., from ditto, for his seat, in Staf-
fordshire ; Mr. Bentham, from ditto, for Hereford ; Mr. and
Mrs. Akers, from ditto, for Ludlow, Shropshire ; Mr. Hawkes,
M. P., from ditto, for Dudley; Mr. Wm. Bragge, from ditto,
for Oxford ; Mr. Joseph Bailey, jun., M.P., from ditto, for
Chrickholme ; Mr. Wells, from ditto, for his seat, Lulworth
Castle, Dorset; Mr. N. Earle, from ditto, for Liverpool ;
Mr. Scudimore, from ditto, for Hereford ; Mr. Haywood,
from ditto, for Manchester; Mr. Bridges, from ditto, for
Hereford ; the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, from
Lansdowne House, for Bowood Park, Wilts; Lord Charles
Russell. M. P., from Belgrave-square, for Woburn Abbey,
Bedfordshire ; Earl de Grey, from St. James's-square, for
Newby Hall, Yorkshire; Mr. C. W. Codriugton, M.P., from
Park-place, for Badminton, Gloucestershire, on a visit to the
Duke and Duchess of Beaufort ; the Earl and Countess of
Surrey, from Hyde Park-place, for Littlehampton, Sussex ;
Lord Compton, for Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire ; the
Hon. Mr. St. John, from the Burlington Hotel, Cork-street,
for Leamington Spa.

The Countess of Jersey was among the , earliest of
the Peeresses who arrived at the House of Lords on Saturday
morning. Her Ladyship's equipage, with those of other dis-
tinguished personages, was in waiting, in Old Palace-yard, as
early as half-past 10.
The Duke of Northumberland has joined his
Duchess, at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, where their
Graces will receive a family circle during Christmas.
The Earl and Countess of Mansfield and the Ladies
Murray have arrived at Caen Wuod, Hampstead, from Scone
Palace, Perthshire. The return of the Noble Family to town
so early was in consequence of the illness of the Hon. Charles
Murray, the Noble Earl's second son, who met with an acci-
dent, a few day's since, on landing from one of the Gravesend
steamers.
The Marquis of Waterford's health is daily im-
proving.
Count Anatole Demidoff has arrived in Paris from
Havre. The Count went to Havre to assist at the marriage
of M. Frederick Leplay, of the engineers, to whom he has
confided the great experiments he is making in his extensive
mines in South Russia.

Lord Canterbury left the Clarendon Hotel, on Frida
evening, for Paris.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, Lad
Louisa Fitzmaurice, and Lord Shelburne, left Lansdowne
House, on Saturday afternoon, for Bowood, for the recess.
On Wednesday her Majesty was graciously pleased
to honour Mr. A. E. Chalon with a sitting for a miniature.
Lord Muncaster gave a grand fete on Thursday
last, at his seat, Water Hall, Pocklington, . Yorkshire.
The Marquis of Northampton is entertaining a
party at Castle Ashby. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
left Mansfield-street on Friday, on a visit to the Noble Marquis.
The Marquis of Salisbury gave a grand entertain-
ment on Thursday, to his tenants in Herts, at Hatfield House,
being the first fete given at that splendid fabric since its par-
tial destruction by fire. The Noble Marquis and his Mar-
chioness will receive a select circle during the holidays.
The Duchess of Sutherland came up to Stafford
House express from Oatlands to attend her Majesty to the
Houso of Lords on Saturday. Her Grace and Lord Albe-
marle, by virtue of the respective offices they hold, have the
honour of accompanying the Sovereign, in the Ruyal carriage,
on State occasions.
Lord Leicester retains his fondness for the pursuits
of agriculture, and devotes his time and fortune to one of its
greatest objects—the breeding
of cattle.
We notice with the greatest pleasure that the com-
mercial reports furnished by our correspondents and others
represent a geecral improvement to be taking place in the
woollen, worsted, cotton, linen, hosiery, and lace trades in
the towns of Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford, Halifax, Roch-
dale, Wakefield, Manchester, Liverpool, Barnsley, and Not-
tingham. A decided improvement just at this period, which
is usually the dullest in the whole year, is a very cheering
symptom of returning prosperity, and affords good hopes of
increased comfort to the working classes. Moroever, the ap-
pearances cannot, he owing to an excessive circulation, as both
the Bank of England.and the country banks have largely re-
duced their issues and increased the stock of bullion in their
coffers. According to the latsst return of the Bank of Eng-
land, its stock of bullion now amounts to 8,172,0001., and its
circulation to only 17,998,0001. ; the former being increased
740,0001., and the latter decreased 346,0001. within the last
inonth.—Leeds Mercury.
He who first arouses in the bondsman the sense
and soul of freedom, comes as near as is permitted to man,
nearer than the philosopher, nearer even than the poet, to the
great attribute of God.—.l3tdiver's