The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 15, 1863

Prince William and the Greek Throne.

* COPENHAGEN, April 10.
The Daybladet this morning contains the follow-
ing leader :

" Prince 'William's candidature for the Greek throne,
which at first appeared to be an Oriental story or fanciful
frolic, has quickly, even too quickly, become a notorious fact.
The English Government proposed him, France seconded
the proposal, the Greeks elected him without much ado,
and already a deputation, amongst whose members we find
names as renowned as Grivas and Kanaris, is on its way
from the Greek to the Northern Athens to bring official in-
formation of the election and present the crown, which, after
having fallen from King Otho's weak head, has been offered
and rejected at least half a dozen times. The whole aff,ir
is so far settled and clear, but one thing is wanting—the
consent of the King, the Prince, and Denmark.
" How it is with this very important condition is still un-
certain. It may be taken as settled that the preliminary
consent, which was communicated to the world with such
great haste, has never been given. If his Royal Highness
Prince Christian has acted less correctly after his meeting
with King Leopold at Lacken, if he has given England any
reason to believe in his approbation of the plan, or if the
whole tale of the ' family conference' and its consent ;_s
nothing but an English stratagem to cut short all hesitation
and circumlocution—time must show. At all events, that
consent which is necessary to accept the election has not
been yet given, and it is therefore not too late to sift the
matter somewhat closer.

" At the first glance it looks very brilliant that the Glucks-
burg dynasty, which, little more than ten years ago was
but a younger branch of a small and poor German princely
family, all at once should rise to so prominent a position in
Europe. The right of succession to Denmark's old throne,
a daughter married to the heir to England's throne, a
younger son called to the Greek throne, in near and pro-
bable prospect a daughter's marrying the future ruler of
Russia, and the union of the eldest son with the only
daughter of the King of Sweden and Norway. This is, in
a short time, a much more powerful development of the
family's power and influence than the advancement of the
envied Coburg family, by degrees, to one of European con-
sequence. It may be understood if such prospects tempt to
accept without further consideration what here is offered.
The Crown of Greece contains, as we might say, in itself, a
sort of promise of future greatness, of a restoration of the
Byzantine empire, which, by its position and extent would
become one of the greatest powers in Europe; and why should
this promise not be fulfilled when England and Russia, both
connections by marriage, thereby could meet in the East ?
But behind these proud dreams we espy reality with less
inviting prospects. Greece is a small state, whose restless
ambition is neither supported by outer power nor inner ability;
it is poor ; it is far behind in intellectual and material civi-
lisation ; its finances are in an endless disorder, its credit
is destroyed; it is demoralised by oppression during centu-
tries, and the weakness of a bad government ; it is rent
asunder by factions whose patriotism does not govern their
passions; it is a ball for intrigues and plots, acted by Greek
puppets, but led by foreign strings. And, into this whirl-
pool, which has frightened able and ambitious men away,
a young boy of eighteen is now to be thrown, a good-
natured and merry midshipman, whose greatest trouble
hitherto has been to get through his lessons and to escape
being caught at his little tricks. To this land that must be
raised by its King, and which cannot raise him, a poor
Prince without experience, without serious interests, with-
out reliable councillors, is now to be sent, where he will
risk being thrown forward and backward between parties
whose ideas he cannot value, between efforts whose
spirit is strange to him, to end at last, like King Otho,
in flying from his thorny crown, rich in nothing but
contempt. This 'fate, which is quite probable as the
fulfilment of the Byzantine Imperial dreams, no father
could wish for his child. His Majesty the King, who so
jealously guards the interests of the Royal house, and
Prince Christian, who has earned his best claim on affection
as the father of a family, would not either be dazzled by
fantasies, but keep reality before them ; and the young
Prince himself, whose youth saves him from any great
measure of ambition, has every reason to consider well
before he sacrifices a peaceful and undisturbed life for the
cares and bitter disappointments which, according to all
reason, await him in a more prominent position.
" However, the personal question is neither the only one
nor the most important one. Denmark has also an interet4
in this matter, and from the moment that the Glucksburg
family was called to the succession, it becomes its inviolable
duty to consider the interests of the country before its own
dynastic grandeur. The right of succession is limited to
Prince Christian and his three sons by Princess Louise ;
these, and only these and their male descendants in one
continued male line, are heirs to the Danish monarchy. It
must not necessarily have been so ; the treaty of London of
May 8, 1852, supposed, on the contrary, that the agnatic-
cegnatic succession of the Lex Regia should continue in
force for the Danish state; but the hereditary law of July
31, 1853, cut this historical tie in a very melancholy way,
and the consequence is now, that not only the integrity of
the Danish monarchy, but even the cohesion of the Danish
state, depends on Prince Christian's three sons and their
agnatic descendants. Experience teaches that Royal
houses often degenerate or become extinct ; and the three
lives on which our succession depends, therefore, give so
small a security for the future that every diminution thereof
becomes really dangerous. This objection cannot be dis-
missed by saying that Prince William may take his
Danish right of succession with him to Greece. It is
not sufficient for us that there are eventual Danish suc-
cessors in Athens, educated in the Greek-Catholic
religion, foreign to our land, our language, our manners,
our whole way of thinking. We cannot be satisfied if we
should some future day have to send a deputation to
Athens to fetch a King, as the Greeks now send one
to Copenhagen. Prince William's acceptance of the
Greek throne would thus diminish the dynastic guarantees
which the Danish Monarchy possesses, and there is not the
least reason why we should make such a sacrifice, if no
compensation is offered. The full security for the succes-
sion is so very important because the interior constitutional
relations aro in a disturbed state of fermentation, and be-
cause grasping neighbours make use thereof to undermine
the integrity. If the interior relations were finally settled,
peace and quiet e/tablished, the possibility of foreign inter-
meddling excluded, then the danger arising from an even-
tual interruption in the line of succession would be less to
be feared. It therefore announces itself as a natural condi-
tion that the Powers which are so eager to get a king for
Greece, make good what Denmark loses in dynastic security
by helping it to put an end to the constitution question,
and prevent the encroachments of Germany. Let England
and France acknowledge Denmark's right to settle the
affairs of the monarchy on the basis of autonomy for Hol-
stein, and the complete amalgamation of Schleswig with the
kingdom, and let them promise it an active support against
the possible attacks of Germany, then we would have gained
something which could counterbalance the loss of security
for tha succession, and Prince William might then go to
Greece with the feeling that whatever he might do for his
new fatherland he would have deserved well of the one he
had left.
" The necessity of making this condition seems so clear to
us that we cannot understand how any Danish Government
could undertake tho responsibility of not doing so. The de-
mand is not greater than what the two leading Powers might
very well agree to, and their own interests would induce
them to do so. It is not to do Denmark a favour or to hon-
our the Glucksburg family that they recommend and sup-
port Prince William's candidature, but solely from political
motives, and they have gone so far, they have compromised
themselves so badly before the Greeks, that they cannot
draw back. Experience has next taught us that the Great
Powers have no other object in the Dano-German question
than to bring it to an end ; they took Germany's part
when they thought thereby to frighten us into com-
pliance, and they would assist and support our cause if
some interest or other could be served by it. But, it is
said, it does not look well to impose conditions on great
powers that offer a crown I It is odious to trade with Prince
William, to sell him to foreign Powers, and bargain for the
disinclined
g,i
right,hl delicacy
ne
30 pieces of silver I If this sort of considerations were de-
ri
cisive there would be no more to say. But they seem to us
very simple, much too childish. Let us take a look at the
way in which England has acted ; how it has used Den-
mark and the Danish Prince without the least ceremony,
as if they were chessmen without a will of their own in its
hand ; how the King of Denmark has been taken no notice
of at all ; how every regard has been put aside in order to
create a fait accompli; how it let its envoy, Mr. Elliot, call
forth the election and then leave Athens, as if the whole
affair were thus settled ; and lastly how it, in order to crown
the cynic regardlessness arranges a regency by the Coburger
Ernest, ' the hero from Eckernforde,' for the Danish Prince.
Is there one single trait in the whole of these proceedings
which calls for gentle modesty on Denmark's part ? Is it
not, on the contrary, quite clear that there is no getting on
with such a political system as Earl Russell's if you do put
al
we
all
England
htoy ad
to
nvmawoenaialdecl
purpose.xefibebp npel explained i
hitneheee
there is have
ki ssg iaovune nh ups s
oonu, rs
opportu-
nitye to get our right acknowledged, we do not make use of
s
'i If the rumouris . .
correct Prince Christian is at present
edl
first
enrllosgettu: aside
nisooroi dnimwge
ohoFt
feth/
ktawhtu We have stood on our
part, and it
that case will nyot come expected that his Majesty the King in
of the Prince. But if
to a resolution contrary to the wishes
favour of the Greeks, ththere be an inclination to decide in
and his future clemetine:l'i the
regard for the young Prince
guarantees for his independence
take place under sufficient
and for a real core. ti. ut ional
government. And the intereste of Denmark demands that
the sacrifice which the eountry and Royal family make to
the wishes of Europe is compensated
for
support of the two great Powers in the final by the powerful
our quarrel with Germany in a
manner conformable settlement
our right. A prudent use of the moment would ensure with
rethe
fulfilment of both conditions,"

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
A correspondent at Plymouth has received a
letter from Bermuda, dated March 21, which states
that the French ship of war Calumet, Commander
Faber, arrived on the 19th, five days from Guade-
loupe. She was sent to receive the French invalid
sailors and soldiers left in the hof4tital in the naval
yard by the French ships of war Vauban and Alba-
tross. As Admiral Alei. Milne had made arrange-
ments for their transmission in the Orlando to Eng-
land, to be sent thence to France, he thought it better
that they should still proceed in the frigate rather
than iu the Calumet, which had to go to Fortress
Monroe and New York before she returned to
Guadeloupe. Commander Faber readily yielded to
the admiral's suggestion. The Calumet was to
leave on the 22d of March. She had obtained coal
at the dockyard, with a supply of fresh provisions
and some oxen. The Orlando was to leave on
25th, and goes home to be docked, as she never
recovered from the injuries she received on her
passage out to Halifax last winter. The Nile,
78, Captain Edward K. Barnard, left on
the 13th for St. Thomas's, Nassau, and Havannah ;
she will be absent about six weeks. The Galatea,
26, Capt. R. Maguire, left on the 20th for New
York, to await despatches from Lord Lyons. Pay-
master Henry Pengelley, of the screw steam-sloop
Petrel, 11, Commander G. W. Watson, died in the
Naval Hospital about a week since. Mr. J. T.
Snater, of the Admiral's office, has been promoted,
and appointed paymaster of the Petrel. The Ri-
naldo leaves us in a day or two for Fort Monroe.
All the ships occupying the outer basin at Wool-
wich have been cleared out and laid up in ordinary

Leander.

for the purpose of commencing the works connected
with the enlargement of the entrance for the recep-
tion of the iron-cased ship Caledonia, ordered to be
admitted by August 1. The Civil Engineer de-
partment, under the superintendence of Mr. Miller,
yesterday commenced driving the piles for the for-
mation of a cofferdam, after which the basin will be
thoroughly drained and the lower coping of the
entrance cut away, to give additional space for the
admission of the Caledonia, rendered necessary by
her unusual breadth and dimensions. The process
of armour casing the Caledonia is advancing, and
will be much accelerated by the aid of Messrs.
Smith, Beacock, and Taurett's powerful machinery,
specially ordered for that purpose. The " conning
towers," three in number, erected on the upper
deck, are nearly completed, and, together with the
general structure of the vessel, are highly creditable
to the builder's judgment and experience. Admiral
Robinson, Controller of the Navy, in his official
survey of the Caledonia on Thursday last, remarked
that he had no hesitation in stating as his opinion
that the Caledonia, when completed and at sea, will
be the most solidly built ship afloat. The ventila-
tion of the ship on a new principle is now occupy-
ing the attention of Mr. Turner, the builder. A
powerful force-pump will expel the vitiated atmo-
sphere and supply every compartment with pure air.
On board the iron-frigate Achilles, 50, building
at Chatham, the greatest activity prevails, and under
the operations of the 1,200 hands constantly em-
ployed on her very considerable progress is daily
perceptible. At the close of this present week all the
mechanics, shipwrights, and other hands engaged
on this vessel will commence working additional
hours, entering the dockyard at 6 a.m. and work-
ing until 745 p.m. This arrangement will be con-
tinued during the summer, the Admiralty being de-
sirous of having her completed and afloat by the
close of the year. On tha port and starboard sides
65 of the armour-plates had been fixed up to yester-
day afternoon, and the operation of bolting the
slabs of iron to the exterior of the vessel will be car-
ried on as rapidly as the plates can be prepared and
turned out from the adjoining factory. Each plate
is laid on a backing of felt, and so evenly is the work
finished off that it is impossible to insert a penknife
blade between the edges even before the iron caulk-
ing is applied to the seams. Although the ironwork
on board the Achilles is performed chiefly by ship-
wrights, who are employed as rivetters, platers, and
in other capacities, and the whole of whom until
within the last few months had been working ex-
clusively on wood, yet so admirably are they doing
the work that the results of their labours will bear
no unfavourable comparison with that of the most
experienced mechanics in that particular depart-
ment. In the interior of the ship the mechanics are
busy with the completion_ of the watertight bulk-
heads or compartments. The Achilles is intended to
be fitted with four' masts, all of which will be of
iron and ship-rigged.
The Arethusa, 51, 400-horse power, the last of
the 50-gun sailing frigates converted at Chatham
Dockyard from a sailing ship to a screw steamer, is
preparedostredaemredretsoerbveeintheme
for the
taking the place of
the division of the
the Leander, 51, 500-horse power, which is daily
expected to be commissioned. The latter vessel,
having made good her defects and repaired the in-
juries which
totetahtehetrriarlatgerooafedspaetedt,he Maplin Sands
to
which occurred on her recent trial trip, will
when an officer
be
e-
specially sent down from the department of the
Controller of the Navy, will be present to note and
report upon the results.
The acre w gunvessel Jaseur, 5, 80 horse power,
Commander W. J. H, Grubbs, fitting for service on
the west coast of Africa, has been taken out of the
great basin, and now lies at moorings in the Med-
way. The Jaseur will be succeeded by the screw
gunvessel Snipe, which is ordered to take her place
in the first division of the Chatham steam reserve.
The Curagoa, screw frigate, oompleting her stor-
ing and outfit in the steam basin at Portsmouth,
will be commissioned about Monday next by Capt.
Sir W. Wiseman, as Commodore's ship on the Aus-
tralian station, in the room of the Orpheus. Com-
mander Phillimore joins the Curaeoa as her corn-

mander.
A gang of upwards of 80 convicts are now om-
ployed in No. 10 dock at Portsmouth, in chopping
off with scrapers the composition and rust from the
two lower tiers of armour-plates on the sides of the
Black Prince iron :frigate. The oxidation on the
surface of the plates amidships has been consider-
ably in the wash of the water-line, as must naturally
be the case with slabs of iron only protected by
paint or patent compositions.
The Supply storeship, Master-Commander Bal-
liston, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning
from the Mediterranean. Her news from Malta has
been anticipated by the letter of a Malta correspon-
dent in The Sun of yesterday. The Supply is loaded
with Government stores for Woolwich ; she also
brings home 19 naval invalids and 3 men of the
yf who were transferred
Ittoollya.lMM.Sa.riVneicLtoirgyhtblyaftahnetr Sprightly steam tender,
Master-Commander Allen. The Supply will proceed
on from Spithead to Woolwich.
The court-martial on board H,M.S. Victory at
Portsmouth on Capt. Hillyar, C. 8., and Lieut. Lil-
lingston is still sitting. The case yesterday had suf-
ficiently proceeded to admit of evidence being re-
ceived on the latter part of the joint charge against
the prisoners for " cruelty, oppres•iion, and unofficer-
like conduct, &c." When the case for the prosecu-
tion thus far is c?osed the prisoners will be called
• on for their defence. Afterwards the Court will
• have to proceed with the trial of Capt. Hillyar on
• the charge of preventing entries being made in the
defaulter's book contrary to the regulations of the

service, &c.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 13., to the
Cumberland, vice Capt. Thompson ; Capt. S. Gren-
fell, to the Russell, vice Capt. Hall ; Capt. J. N.
aliis; Lieut. G. W. Allen,
Lieut. A. P. M. Lake, and
LieutStran .gFe,. tno tßhreon2Cioironww,
Lieut. J.W, F. Harvey, to the Marlborough ; Lieut.
S. Pulley, and Lieut. H. A. Monteith, to the Nile ;
Lieut. H.' B. Stewart, to the Sutlej ; Lieut. C. S..
Shuckburgb, to the Rattlesnake ; Lieut. H. F. R.

Yorke, to the 'Tribune; D. H. Speer, master, to the
Leander; G. Gordon, surgeon, to the Leander; T.
S. Burnett and E. Malealey, assist.-surgeons, to the

PEACE .4d.
STAMPED ....Bd.

-------7--.------.............-----
from the data supplied by the rnagnificentCity neck-
lace which stands immediately beneath the diadem
The centre stone of the City necklace is valued at
25,000, and one can count in the diadem above it
no less than 11 brilliants almost, if not quite equal,
to it in size and purity of water. This almost
Queenly crown is so constructed as that it can be
taken to pieces end worn, if wanted, in separate
ornaments--a convenience of which it is not likely
the Princess will ever avail herself, as it is almost
embarrassing to conjecture how she is to manage,
even by subdivisions of lie: time, to wear all the
separate ornaments that are here disphlycd. Most
of the presents given by the Royal family are the
work of Gerard and Co., except one exquisitely
beautiful gold necklace, given by the Prince, the
Etruscan form of which shop; s it to be the work of
Mr. Phillips. The young Princes and Princesses
of our Royal family make a joint present of a noble
brooch of brilliants and sapphires ; the Prince
and Princess Louis of Hesse a bracelet of tur-
quoises and brilliants ; the Duchess of Cam-
bridge a magnificent diamond and emerald brooch ;
and Princess Mary a diamond bracelet.; and the
Duke of Cambridge also a diamond and enamel
bracelet. The Landgrave William of Hesse and
sisters give a most beautiful parure of solid gold,
of a fine old Danish design ; and the Chamberlain
Jnel, another suite of the same richness ; while the
inhabitants of the two islands Laaland and Falster
also send a gold suite, of ancient Scandinavian de-
sign— such as the wives of the Vikings of old
might have worn in State—consisting of a massive
diadem, armlet, brooch, hairpin, button earrings,
and finger rings—all of massive gold, and of quaint
old Runic design.
One of the most interesting presents in this part
of the collection is that made by the bridesmaids—
a bracelet in eight compartments, each one contain-
ing a miniature of the fair young girls who fol-
lowed the Princess to the altar, with their initials
set in diamonds on the cover of the portrait. The
ladies of Liverpool give a cross composed of 11 large
and superb briliiants, suspended from a row of pearls;
the ladies of Manchester a very fine opal and bril-
liant bracelet ; the ladies of Leeds a fine diamond
bracelet in a white anal gold casket. In a case by
themselves are three bouquet holders, one from the
Maharajah Dhulep Sing, one from the Lady
Mayoress, one from the ladies of Gravesend. As the
Princess brought one with h'3r, and Southampton is
about to give her another, her Highness will need
only one more to have one for every day in the week.
, Of the three now at South Kensington, that made
by London and Ryder for Dhuleep Sing is incom-
parably the finest. It is a most massive and costly
ornament, of rock crystal and gold, jewelled over
with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and pearls. The
Highland Companies of the Edinburgh Rifle Vo-
volunteers gave a beautiful and characteristic
plaid or shawl brooch, with a Gaelic inscription ;
and Lord Harris a massive, chased, gold Indian
bangle, set with rubies and emeralds. These, how-
ever, are only the chief or most interesting orna-
ments among the jewellery.
In the silver plate the most conspicuous ornament
is the noble silvergilt toilet service presented by the
royal household, to which we have already alluded.
It is certainly the most beautiful, and is said to be
the most costly, present of the kind ever made.
Near it is a magnificent silver-gilt and jewelled
vase, in the style of Holbein, the gift of the Duke of
Buccleuch.
Among the porcelain gifts there is a vase almost
large enough to bathe in, given by the King and
Queen of Prussia, from the royal factory at Meis-
sen. The middle portion contains a wonderful por-
trait of the King, so like, indeed, that everyone will
be able to understand the cause of his difficulties
with the Prussian Chambers, and his harsh dealing
with the Poles. Near this are an ewer and plateau
in the style of the 16th century, an imitation of the
exquisite Limoges enamels as only the Royal Wor-
cester Works can produce. These are the gift of
Lord Spencer. The Dowager Duchess of Slither-
land gives a china service and a beautiful pair of
beakers, made by Minton, which will bear favour-
able contrast with the Sevres clock and turquoise
porcelain candelabra presented by the members of
the household of the Prince. The textile fabrics
include all presents of this kind that have been
made, from the Indian shawls and pieces of satin
and velvet for dresses, given by the Queen and
the Prince, to the exquisite fairy-looking webs of
lace from Belgium, Norwich, and Ireland. The city
of Norwich sends quite a small outfit in this depart-
ment—Norwich crape shawls, opera cloaks, and
dresses. The three shawls from Norwich, made
by Messrs. Clabburn and Sons, are hung close by the
gold-woven tissues of Delhi which the Queen has
given—a perilous juxtaposition for any European
manufacturer. Yet the Norwich fabric does not
suffer by comparison, and more than this it would
be difficult to say. One shawl of Oriental pattern
on a crimson ground is the nearest approach, not to
the Cashmere shawl, for that is not to be imitated,
but to the shawls of Delhi, which we have ever seen
made in England. The laces given by the King of
the Belgians are, as might be expected, wonderful
triumphs of this species of art manufacture, though
not superior of their kind to the laces that have
been sent from Ireland. A Paisley shawl woven
of Cashmere wool and silk, the gift of the Queen,
and the manufacture of Romanes and Paterson,
of Edinburgh, is another illustration of the strides
with which this branch of native industry is
outstripping all competition. The Committee of
the British and Foreign Bible Society gave a very
magnificent and somehow a rather pompous look-
ing Bible, but which, nevertheless, will not be
looked on with the same interest as the very pretty
Bible and Prayer-book given by the children of
Windsor, or the Bible given from the children
at the ominously-named school of Whippingham.
Lord Hinchinbroke, the travelling companion of the
Prince during his American progress, gives the
Prince a cigar-box of Algerian onyx, richly
mounted ; this and the gold casket in which his
Royal Highness received the freedom of the Fish-
mongers' Company are the only gifts to the Prince
in the whole collection. In the centre of the cases
devoted to fabrics are the portraits of their Royal
Highnesses the Crown Prince and Princess of
Prussia. They are the most perfect likenerssreisecoe
both that we have ever seen, that a
especially being almost marvellous in
like fidelity of feature and expressaiorne.
parures, and
its mirror-
like
is singular that, though there
bracelets, and brooches, and uet holders till one
repetition, not
gets almost tired of the gn littering
all parts of England
one of the many : the
presenting
.Princess with a
have thought of donors i
English manufacture in which we stand
specimen of E
many presents are still to
unrivalled—we mean a thoroughly
goodsupre;rJeglainshd watch.unriv
be forthcoming, and their nature is yet undecided
00, this omission may yet be rectified.
To-night admission to South K • ensington will be
given by tickets only between the hours of 8 and
11. After this week visitors •
will be admitted ac
cording to the usual rules of the museum—viz.,
three days a week free,
and three days on payment
of 6(1.

A. Vienna letter says i " Miss Pastowojtoff is
now a famous personage. She is now living in
Prague in the Hotel de Saxe, and will, it appears, remain
there for some time. A number of curious folks gathered
before her windows to endeavour to get a sight of her, but
failed ; the lady would not gratify their curiosity. She is
I mostly with another distinguished Polish lady, who is also
wrapped in mystery, no one knowing who she is. She is
young, well shaped, and of an interesting appearance,
walking always alone in the promenade. Miss P. has an
old servant with her, and makes use of the hotel equipage.
She has an elegant bearing, and on her pale cheek is an
imprint of sorrow, which is further deepened by the mon
ing she wears. She is graceful in her manners, which
.grief. She
point to a vivacious mind now subdued by
speaks very good German, uses Polish only with her ear.
iparole not
want. She is without a guard, having given her
to mix up any more with the Polish movement.,

tvik
":41' ertr,r- \•Nt7
COITRT OF ALDERME
-
A Court of Aldermen was held yesterday in the Alder-
man's Chamber, Guildhall—the Right Hon, the Lord
Mayor presided,
The LORD MAYOR isid before the Court the communica-
tion which he had received from Sir G. Grey, informing
him of the confinement of her Royal Highness the Princess
of Hesse, on the morning of the s'h inst., and it was ordered
to be entered upon the journals of the Court.
The SHERIFFS presented their reports of the state of the
prisons, from which it appeared that the number of pri-
soners in Newgate was 117, in the Debtors' 91, and in the
City Prison at llolloway 436.
Mr. Alderman COPELAND asked if the number of pri-
soners at Holoway was not mach largm• than usual.
Mr. Alderman etrAws, one of the visiting magistrates
to the prisons, said it was very much larger, and they
were consequently obliged ke( p some of the. prisoners in
association, as they had not sullicient rcont to keep them
separate, as Was &sited.

PAIS LUNATIC`.
A report was brought up from the General Purposes
C auwittee, "On the reference to i,,quire relative to the
amount elm' ,eagle up, n the City ca:3l fa. the support of
i.auper lunatics, with a Hum of the number of lunatics',
end the itivaitit paid fur th.^ last. ten rear:, and Ihe opinion
of the law office's as to the liability of the Corporation,"
staling that the comnotke had directed the return to be
made, and it had bun soot in ; and it appeared that in 1852
—the year iu which the act of Parliament 16 and 17 Vic.,
cap. 97, came into operation, the number of paupers sup-
potted at the expense of the Corporation of London was 13,
at a cost of £444 14s. The number for the past year up to
Sept. 29 was 42, at an expense of £1,479 9s. id., and since
that period to which the return was made the number had
been still further increased. The committee, in order to as-
certain the liability of the Corporation under the 97th cap,
of the 16th and 17th Vic., in respect to these expensee,
directed that the opinion of the law officers should be taken
'thereon, and they also requested that they would advise the
necessary course to be pursued, there being no county rate
for the city of London. The solicitor had reported to them
the following opinion of the law officers, which was signed
by Russell Gurney, Thomas Chambers, Ferdinand Brand,
Edward Tyrrell, and T. G. Nelson, Esqs. :—" That they
are of opinion that the Corporation is not liable under the
16th and 17th Vic., cap. 97, for the support of pauper luna-
tics. The cost of supporting pauper lunatics is by law to be
defrayed out of the county rate, and if no other fund were
available for that purpose, the magistrates would doubtless
be compelled by mandamus to impose a county rate on the
City."
The report was adopted, and was referred back to the
committee to take what steps they thought advisable.
THE ACCIDENTS ON THE NIGHT OF THE ILLUMINATIONS.
The LORD MAYOR addressed the Court, as it was about
to break up, and said that he found himself placed in consi-
derable difficulty. Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales had sent to him the sum of
£125 to be distributed amongst those persons who met with
accidents upon the occasion of the illuminations in the City
on the 10th March. That fact having got abroad, the num-
ber of accidents that had been recorded was fabulous, not
in the City alone, but also in the metropolis, and the num-
ber was quite beyond belief. What he was to do with the
£125 under these circumstances, he was at a loss to con-
ceive ; and he hoped the Court sr ould allow him to place the
matter in the hands of the General Purposes Committee,
that they might adopt such a mode of distribution as they
might think best.
Mr. Aldermen COPELAND said he hoped no allowances
would be made to persons who had received such trivial in-
juries as a black eye, as applications by such persons were
so numerous before the committee that the whole considera-
tion was adjourned.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY thought his lordship could deal
with it much better himself, and he was sure that if he did
so ho would give satisfaction to the whole court. If it went
to a committee there would undoubtedly be a large number
of alaims such as were mentioned by Nderraan Copeland,
and the returns would show a large number. If Sir G. Grey
wanted anything to carry out the object he had in hand, he
could not have anything better, as no doubt there would be
a la number with trifling injuries come for a donation
from the fund.
Sir J. MUSGROVE said the money had not been sent to
them as a Court of Aldermen, but to his lordship as Lord
Mayor. It seemed to him that if the Court took it up it
would make it a public matter, which would lead them into
considerable difficulties, and ho hoped his lordship would
excuses the Court from taking it upon themselves. If his
lordship would take the distribution of it at the Mansion-
house, where there was a staff well calculated to perform
the task, ho was sure the court would be well pleased with
any mode which his lordship might adopt, and he hoped
the Court would not deal with it.
Mr. MECHI said, notwithstanding the difficulties which
might present themselves, the Court could not but respect
the kindly feeling which prompted the donation.
The LORD MAYOR said, by way of illustration of the
kind of applications to which he had to listen, that a woman
had been imprudent enough to go out to see the illumina-
tions, although she expected every day to be confined.
She was confined the next day, and she sent to say that it
would he very convenient if she could have a portion of the
fund ; showing that unless the return was made with a
great deal of care it would have a great effect in the House
of Commons as regarded a proposal which was about to be
considered. It was within the knowledge of all the Court
that the Secretary of State had called upon him for a return
of all the accidents in the City and out of the City, and
this advertising the £125 would be likely to bring forward
a great many trivial accidents both in and out of the City.
Mr. Alderman GABRIEL said the distribution of the re-
turns ought both to be limited to the official reports, and
those accidents known to the police.
Mr. WOODTHORPE, the Town Clerk, said the inquiry
was being directed by the Police Committee, and the re-
port would be before the Common Council shortly.
It was finally arranged that his lordship should take the
distribution of the money.
The Court then adjourned.