The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-20 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

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OSBORNE, JAN, 19.
The Queen walked out this morning accompanied by the
Princess Helena.

His Reyal Highness Prince Louis of Hesso went to Lon-
don to-day, attended by Captain von Westerweller.
The Bishop of Worcester has left Osborne.

A deputation, consisting of Sir Joseph Paxton, M.P.,
Mr. Alderman Lynes, president; Mr. Alderman Browett,
vice president ; Mr. H. R. Phillips, member of the council;
and Mr. Henry J. Davis, secretary of the Chamber of Com-
merce, Coventry, had an interview with the Right Hon. T.
Milner Gibson, yesterday, at the office of the Board of
Trade, respecting the statistical registration of the imports
of silk ribbons.
A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Royal Com-
mission for the Exhibition of 1851, was held yesterday at
the Privy Council Office. There were present—Earl Gran-
ville, Lord Overstone, Lord Taunton, the Right Hon. W.
E. Gladstone, M.P., Sir A. Spearman, Bart., Sir S. M.
Poto, Bart., M.P., Sir C. W. Dilke, Bart., Mr. T. F.
Gibson, Mr. Thring, and Mr. E. Bawring, C. 8., Secretary.
A deputation from St. Pancras and Marylebone vestries,
on the subject of the powers given to the electric telegraph
companies by private bills, had yesterday an interview with
the President of the Board of Trade. The deputation was
introduced by Mr. Harvey Lewis, M.P.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived in town yes-
terday afternoon, from Hawarden Castle, Chester.
Mr. Miller, M.P., Mr. Provost Lindsay, and Col. Mac-
gregor, from Leith, and Mr. Wakeford, parliamentary
agent, had yesterday an interview with the Right Hon. T.
Milner Gibson, at the Board of Trade.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Governors of Ceylon, Hong-Kong, the Australian
colonies, the North American Provinces, Gibraltar, Ber-
muda, and from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian
Islands. Despatches were sent to the Governors of the
Mauritius, Malta, and Labuan.

THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA.—The new paper,
published at Copenhagen, the Denmark, says:—
Her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra, who mixes
but little in society during the mourning for Prince Al-
bert, seldom shows herself to the public. Some few per-
sons have assembled to see her drive to and from the Eng.
lish chapel, where the Rev. R. S. Ellis, M.A,, officiates,
but otherwise she is chiefly visible to the public only on the
Long Line, particularly in the morning, arm in arm with
her father. Usually along this fashionable promenade
the Royal family, the Court, and the beau monde may be
seen at this season enjoying their skating. But this
year the water obstinately refuses to freeze. It is in
vain that the attentive Prince of Wales has forwarded to
his coming bride a pair of elegant skates. St. Janarius
as sullenly denies the princes of our days as the billows
of the North Sea once resisted the appeal of Canute the
Great.

His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Hesse
honoured the Haymarket Theatre last night with his pre-
sence.

His Excellency the Belgian Minister leaves Port-
land-place to-day for New Lodge, Windsor Forest.
The Duk© of Cleveland has been entertaining a
large family circle and friends at Raby Castle, during the
Christmas holidays, including—Viscount and Viscountess
Boyne, Lord and Lady William Powlett, Mr. and Lady
Augusta Milbanke, Mr. Vane Milbanke, Mr. Henry Mil-
banke, Mr. and Hon. Mrs. Henry Forester, Mr. Morritt,
M.P., and Mrs. Morritt, Major-General Stanhope, Sir John
Hippesley, Mr. Vane, and Miss Augusta Somerset.
The Bishop of Oxford has been entertaining com-
pany at Cuddesdon Palace during the past week. Amongst
the company were the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Miss
Mackenzie, Mr. and Misses Hugh Hamersley, &c.

The Earl and Countess of Malmesbury, who have
been receiving company at Heron Court, Hants, will return
to town on Monday next.

Lord Brougham has been receiving a succession
of visitors during the past week, at his seat in Wiltshire.
Chevalier and Madame Santonio have left the
Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Paris, on their way
to Rome.

DEATH OF SIR DITNCAN CAMERON.—The Scots-
man announces the death, in his 87th year, of Sir
Duncan Cameron, Bart., of Fassifern and Callart. Sir
Duncan was the brother of the celebrated Colonel John
Cameron who fell at Quatre Bras, and whose chivalry and
daring led to his being reputed one of the most gallant sol-
diers of his day. Sir Duncan spent his younger years at the
bar in Edinburgh. He succeeded to the baronetcy and
estates in 1828, since which time he has given himself to
the management of his property. He was greatly beloved
by his numerous dependents. One of his latest acts was
the munificent endowment of a new parish, inclusive of the
town of Fortwilliam, which has been named in his honour
Duncansburgh. His only child is the wife of Mr. Camp-
bell of Moazie.

EXAMINATION OF LAW STUDENTS.—At a public
examination of the students of the Inns of Court
held at Lincoln's-inn-hall, the Council of Legal Education
awarded to William Grantham, Esq., student of the Inner
Temple, a studentship of 50 guineas per annum, to continue
for a period of three years. Certificates that they have
satisfactorily passed a public examination were awarded to
Arthur M. Channell, Esq., student of the Inner Temple;
Jas. Marshall Moorsom, Esq , student of the Inner Temple ;
Bruce Campbell, Esq., student of the Inner Temple; aad
Frederick Whiting, Esq., student of Lincoln's-inn. The
public lecture of the Reader on Constitutional Law and
Legal History will be delivered on Wednesday, January 28,
at 2 p.m.

TRIAL OF A LlFEBOAT.—Yesterday some interest-
ing trials were made in the Regent's Canal Dock,
Limehouse, with a beautiful lifeboat, 35 feet long, belong-
ing to the National Lifeboat Institution. Her qualities of
self-righting and self-ejecting of water were found to be in
every way satisfactory. The boat is called the Thomas
Chapman, after the deputy-chairman of the society, in ac •
knowledgment of Mr. Chapman's long and valuable ser-
vices to the Lifeboat Institution. She is to be sent to-day
(Tuesday) to Newhaven, on the Sussex coast, in lieu of a
smaller lifeboat at present on that station A free cunvey-
ance has readily, as usual, been given to both boats by the
Brighton and South-Coast Railway Company, who, like all
the railway compinies, are always ready to help forward by
such means the great and national objects of the Lifeboat
Institution,

The Journal du Havre tells us that a negro has
just discovered in Brazil a diamond larger than the Soh-i-
-noor and the Star of the South united. The fortunate
Sambo is said to propose founding a colony for enfranchised
slaves with the proceeds of this extraordinary piece of good
luck. •

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THE INFALLIBLE HOME•OFFICE.—It surely
never was intended that an officer of State, bur-
dened already with the whole interior economy of an em-
pire—conversant with minutes and dockets and corre-
spondence of the most portentous character—and very
often, if we may take the tremendous liberty to say so, an
auhtedall
exceedingly common-place personage, who would find it
through head"—should
of great difficulty to get a living " out of his own
eaald"—should have the duty cast upon him of re-trying
mazessingle
o f judge.a
rial,
constituted
in his bureau—becoming a court of appeal
nttleenHe
to is
wteoi g
h tracethe his
classes of evidence, presumptive and ' circumstantial, and,
by the force of his own abilities, to reach a
conclusion to
which the judge
who tried the case by no
means saw his way. It is the destiny of this unaccredited
a to be called on to interfere only where the case is
of the most perplexing sort •
as to inquire a trained , where the balance is so even
scales; where much eyeto see the proper weight of both
testimony, which
is
only may depend on the legal value of the
This delicate duty is yto be appreciated by an adept.
precisely one cast
of her Majesty's Home Secrete on the shoulders
ry,
counsel with experienced heads, just a But he will take
was directed in the Dodd affair by Lords
Mansfield
third George
monarch did not consult the great lawyerlansfield ? That
or as to the conduct of the trial, but
professionally,
the advisability on public grounds of sparing merely as to
the criminal's
life. And who should our Home Secretary consult
the person most likely to be impartial, andco ? Say
to be mos
thoroughly acquainted with the merits of thet
as
judge who presided at the trial. In the Maclach6laue—the case
pris
oner
and recorded opinion of the judge was against the
and it is to be presumed would not be altered when he
consulted by the Secretary of State. If the revisionwas be
openly assigned to a commissioner, as in the same case, who
is to take evidence and receive fresh testimony, such a
course practically amounts to a new trial, and can only be
considered a very violent stretch of prerogative. If new 1
evidence be received, favouring the accused, why is it not I
brought forward at a new and regular trial, in due eourse of
law, where the accused would receive its full benefit in the
proper forms—perhaps leading to acquittal, instead of a
senseless and illogical commutation of punishment ? If it
bear strongly against him, why should he not have the op-
portunity
of regular cross•emamination in open court, and a
fair jury of his countrymen, who shall judge of its force?
This becomes a really serious constitutional question, and
it may be doubted whether it is not a practical invasion of
the right of a great British tribunal of 2 men sitting in a
jury-box to deal with the malefactors of the State.—
Dickens's "All the Year Round." Just Published.
The Bishop of Orleans has just addressed a circu-
lar to the clergy of his diocese, instructing them to make a
general collection for the distressed operatives of Rouen.
FRANCE AND THE RED SEA.—La France makes
the
following
announcement :—" We are informed
that France is about to take possession officially of Obok,
a point
in the Red Sea in . • the Straits
Babel Mandeb, The proximity to tne of
p
;carry
steam frigate Hermione has, it is said,
been charged to '
situate for a coaliogrrsytatth.is into effect. Obok is admirably
shortly be commenced thine%.
and” the necessary works will
A wild boar was lately found in the forest of
Baon (Yonne), taken in a
trap
poachers for smaller animals. The animal
apparently set by
by the neck and strangled, The animal had been caught
boar weighed above 200
bOtinds.