The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-16 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, FRIDAY.—The Earl of Albemarle ar-
rived from Hampton Court at the Castle this morning.
The Marquis of Normanby, Viscount Ebrington, the
Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, and Mr. Charles Gre-
vine arrived from town to attend the COuncil.

The noblemen and gentlemen attending the Privy
Council will have the honour of dining this evening with
her Majesty-. In addition to the visitors and Royal
suite at the Castle, the Royal dinner party this evening
is expected to include the Ccuntess of Uxbridge and the
Ladies Eleonora and Constance Paget.
Lord and Lady Ashley and family left yesterday, and
Colonel Wemyss arrived at the Castle as Equerry in
waiting on her Majesty.
The Cabinet Ministers and great Officers of State,
who arrived this morning, are expected to leave the
Castle to-morrow, except the Earl of Albemarle. The
Counuss of Ailmmarie is expected to arrive on a visit to
her Majesty to-morrow.
Lady Fanny Howard is expected to-morrow. Her
Ladyship comes into waiting on her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Kent in the room of Lady Charlotte
Dundas.

The Queen held a Privy Council at two o'clock yes-
terday afternoon at Windsor Castle. It was attended
by the First Lord of the Treasury, the Secretaries of
State for the Home and Foreign Departments, the
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the President of the Board
of Trade, the Lord Chamberlain, the Master of the
Horse, and the Earl of Errol.

At the Council, Viscount Ebrington (it was under-
stood) was sworn in Lord Lieutenant of the County of
Devon.

The Earl of Errol kissed hands on being appointed
Lord Steward of her Majesty's Household, and received
his wand of office from the Queen.
Mr. C. Greville was the Clerk of the Council in
waiting.

The Marquis of Headfort and the Hon. General Sir
William Lumley were the Lord and Groom in waiting
and Col. Wemyss the Equerry in waiting.
Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by the
Ladies and Gentlemen of her suite, took her depar-
ture on Thursday morning from the seat of Sir Robert
and Lady Peel, Drayton Manor, Staffordshire, on her
return to the residence of Earl Howe, Gopsall Hall,
Leicestershire.
The Duchess of Gloucester visited the Princess Au-
gusta yesterday, at Clarence House, St. James's.
The Princess Augusta took an airing on Thursday in
a carriage and four.
The Marquis of Normanby left town yesterday morn-
ing, to attend the Privy Council held at Windsor Castle.
Mr. Labouchere arrived in town on Thursday from
Stowey, Somersetshire. The Right Hon. Gentleman
left town yesterday morning for Windsor Castle, to at-
tend the Privy Council.
Dispatches from Sir J. Franklin, Lieut.-Governor of
Van Diemen's Land, and also from the Governors of
South and West Australia, were received yesterday at
the Colonial Office.

The Earl and Countess of Sefton are entertain-
ing a select party at Croxteth Park, Lancashire.
The Earl and Countess of Dunmore are seeing
visitors at Dunmore Castle, Falkirk, N. B.

The Earl and Countess of Lincoln are still
staying at Ranby Hall, near Rettord. The Countess
continues to enjoy most excellent health.
The Earl of Chesterfield is expected at Ches-
terfield House to-day, from Northampton, where the
Noble Earl has been hunting.
The Earl of Minto was to leave Minto House,
Roxburghshire, this morning, for the Admiralty, where
the Noble 'Earl is expected to-morrow evening. His
Lordship will be present at the Cabinet Council, on
Monday, and afterwards dine with Viscount Melbourne,
who has his first Cabinet dinner on that evening.

The Marquis of Lansdowne, notwithstanding
the great demand upon his time, generally takes a part
in anything which affects the well-being of the county.
Yesterday he attended the sessions during the discussion
on the Constabulary Force Bill : to-morrow his Lord-
ship presides at the triennial meeting of the Salisbury
Diocesan Church Building Society.—Devizes Gazelle.
The Earl and Countess Bruce are arrived at
Nice, where they will be shortly joined by the Countess
of Pembroke and Mr. Sidney Herbert. The whole
party will remain there during the winter.

The Earl and Countess of Sandwich have been
entertaining a large party at Hinchinbrook. _

The Earl of✓ Jersey arrived in Berkeley-square
on Wednesday evening, from the seat of the Duke of
Grafton, and this day intends to leave town to join his
Counters at Brighton.
Earl Fitzwilliam is at Wentworth House, near

Rotherham, and will not leave for Milton until the
first week in the ensuing month. Viscount and Vis-
countess Milton and infant son are still on a visit to the
Elrl and Countess of Morton, at Dalmahoy Cattle, N.B
MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.—At Dobrooke•
Church, on Thursday last, the Hon. William Almericus
de Courcy, brother and heir to Lord Kinsale, led to the
altar Char.:otte, only daughter of the late Jacob Wey,
Mouth, Esq., R.N., of Marlborough, Devon.
LEAMINGTON SPA, THURSDAY.—The season
at this agreeable watering place is about to commence
and, although not very full, we can boast of some of th
leading Nobility.—Viscount and Viscountess Ingestr
have arrived, and occupy a mansion in Portland-place
It is said his Lordship will reside here during the hunt-
ing season. Sir Edward and Lady Mostyn arrived o n
Tuesday at their residence on York terrace, from their
seat in Flintshire, accompanied by their family. Sir
Ralph Howard, M.P., and Lady Howard, have taken
their departure. Sir John and Lady Gerard, who re-
sided several months at the Spa last season, arrived
early in the week from Lancashire. The Earl and
Countess of Belfast are passing the autumn here ; as
also Viscount and Viscountess Eastuor, Lady and Miss
Thompson, Sir W. and Lady Geary, the Hon. Capt.
and Mrs. Somerville, Countess of Farnham, &c., Lady
Mary Fludycr, and the Hon. G. Scott, are among the
recent arrivals. Sir Henry Russell has left for Swal-
lnwfield, Berks. The first winter subscription ball is
announced at the Royal Assembly Rooms on Wednesday
next.
The Hon. Colonel and Mrs. Anson have left
town on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Leicester,
at Holkham Hall, Norfolk, where a select party have
assembled.

" The Marine Officer," from the pen of Sir
Robert Steele, is looked for with much curiosity by the
members of the profession generally, as it is understood
that he gives a running commentary on the events in
both the army and navy, from the period of the breaking
out of the war after the peace of Amiens to 1813. It
is whispered among those who are acquainted with the
gallant author, and have seen the MS., that he takes
quite original views of the past events of that spirit stir-
ring period, as well as of toe conduct of public men, of
which he delivers his opinions freely and fearlessly ; com-
bining with the popular history of the times, a number
of amusing personal adventures, which altogether render
his work a most entertaining chronicle of perhaps the
most interesting epoch of British achievements. It is
understood that he particularly dwells upon the import-
ant services rendered by the corps of Royal Marines,
and the neglect they have met with from the persons
that ruled ; and fearlessly denounces impressment, cor-
poreal punishments, and other similar blotches upon the
escutcheon of English liberty.

GAS EXPLOSION. —Last night about seven
o'clock, the inhabitants of Pall Malt East, and neigh-
b cra ueno
ebdu
dbr
eahe
ldroa orf
bottle,
alarm,
wb m
tye r
ceaots
nhu
mrd otdo wsie
et:
e,linto
sat t the n
oagreatestpremises
noise
sm e
n: e
whichonf.consternationmenspd s
e
pro-
Hancock, Rixon, and Co., chandelier manufacturers,
&c., Pall Mall, East, which contained the newly in-
vented or portable gas, of which they are the principal
agents. The noise produced was like that of thunder.
Chandelers and glass of various descriptions, together
with the large panes of plate glass in the shop windows,
s tnr
uo pt e
or
ns o
ofn a
proper
t beeny
injured by the explosion.
were blown to atoms. FortTuinleatdeel y
(which is insured) is estimated at between 1,4001. and

1,500/.
NEWSPAPERS.—For some years back the
greater portion of the middle classes in this country were
totally ignorant of passing public events, while the work-
ing
classes seldom inquired about anything beyond their
immediate callings. The first attempt at periodical li-
terature was made in England in the reign of Elizabeth.
It was in the shape of a pamphlet, and called the British
ilfercurie, but there were no newspapers in the single
sheet, like the present, till many years after. The
Mercuric was first published in 1588. The Public
Intelligences called a newspaper, was published
by Sir Robert L'Estrange, on the 31st of August,
1661. The first Gazette iu England was published at Ox-
ford, in 1665, the Court being then held there, but on the
removal of the Court it was called the London Gazette.
The Orange Intelligence). was the third newspaper pub-
lished, and the first after the Revolution in 168 S. The
latter continued to be the only daily paper in England
for some years ; but in 1690 there appears to have been
nine London papers publishea weekly. In Queen
Anne's reign the number of these were increased by
eighteen,but still there continued to be but one daily news-
paper, which was then called the London Courant. In
the reign of George I. the number was but three daily, six
weekly, and ten published three times a week. In 1773
the number of newspapers annually published in the
whole of England was 7,411,737 ; in 1760 they bad
increased more than two millions ; and in 1830 the
whole amounted to 30,493,941 ; and since that period
the increase has been very great.

In cases of high treason formerly the prisoners
used to be tried by Special Commission, and it was ells.
tomary to send them to the Tower, as was done in the
case of Messrs. Tooke, Hardy, and Thelwall, who
were tried before Baron Eyrein the Old Bailey Courts.
It was a singular circumstance that the Baron had been
a member of the Constitutional Society with Horne
Tooke.