The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-28 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY•

OSBORNE, Dec. 27.

The Queen went out in the morning accompanied
by Princess Beatrice, and in the afternoon with
Princess Helena.

By her Majesty's command a Christmas tree was
prepared at Osborne yesterday afternoon, with pre-
sents of books, toys, &c., and plumb-pudding for all
the boys and girls of the Whippingham sdhools.

Soon after half-past four - o'clock her Majesty
entered the hall, with their Royal Highnesses
Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur,
Prince Leopold, and Princess Beatrice, when the
children, about 100 'in number, were introduced,
and received their presents from her Majesty and
the royal family.
The Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting were in
attendance ; and the Rev. G. Prothero (rector of
Whippingham), Mrs. Prothero, and their family
had the honour of being invited.

Frances Countess Waldegrave and the Right
Hon. Chichester Fortescue are receiving company
at the Chief Secretary's Lodge, Phoenix-park, Dub-
lin. The visitors comprise their Royal Highnesses
the Count de Paris and the Duke de Chartres, the
Lord Chancellor and Mrs. Brady, the Earl and
Countess of Charlemont, the Earl of Granard, Lord
James and Lady Rachel Butler, Mr. and Lady
Louisa Tennison, the Hon. Jenico and Mrs. Pres-
ton, Sir Hugh Rose, Sir Thomas and Lady Larcom,
Sir Erskine and Lady Perry, Mr. Justice O'Hagan,
Mr. Corry Connellan, Mr. R. M. Bellew, Miss Ida
Money, Mr. Wodehouse, Mr. de Robeck, Mr. Chi-
chester Hamilton, and Mr. Harris.
It is stated that the Earl of St. Germans has re-
signed the office of Lord Steward of the Household,
and that his lordship will be succeeded by Lord
Bessborough, who has been for many years Master
of the Buckhounds.

Lord and Lady Elcho have arrived at their resi-
dence in St. James's-place, from a tour of visits.

Lady Lucy Smith, eldest daughter of Alexander,
9th Earl of Leven and Melville, died on Saturday
last:, at Wilford, Notts. The deceased lady was
born Jan. 21, 1794, and married, July 14, 1824,
Mr. Henry Smith, of the well-known banking firm,
and a cousin of Lord Carington.

Lady Vassal Webster has arrived at the Alexandra
Hotel, Hyde-park- corner.
The Right Hon. Sir George Grey left town on
Tuesday, on a visit to Lord Northbrook at Stratton
Park, Hants.
The Hon. Frederick and Lady Elizabeth Villiers
arrived in town yesterday from Selby Hall, North-
amptonshire.
MARRIAGE OF LADY BLANCHE EGERTON.—The
marriage of the Earl of Sandwich and Lady Blanche Eger-
ton, youngest daughter of Harriet Countess of Ellesmere
and Francis, Ist earl, took place yesterday at the elegant
church erected by the Earl of Ellesmere, the grandsire of
the present peer, at Ratchford, Surrey.

Death of Major-General J. Fitzmaurice, LH.

___e__

We have to announce the death of Major-General
John Fitzmaurice, K.H., lieutenant of her Majesty's
Body Guard, who died on Christmas-eve at Dray-
ton-green, Ealing. The late gallant officer, who
had for some ;yeari held the post of lieutenant of
her Majesty's Body Guard (Yeomen of the Guard),
entered the army in April, 1811, as a volunteer in
the Rifle Brigade, with which gallant corps he served
in the Peninsula till the end of the war in 1814.
He took part and was present at the action of
Sabugal, the battle of Fuentes d'Onor, and the
sieges and assaults of Ciudad Rodrigo and Bada-
jos, at which latter he had a leg broken ; also in the
action at San Milan and the battle of Vittoria ;
skirmishing in advance he there, with two rifle-
men, took the first gun captured that day, and secured
seven prisoners, pursuing the enemy to Pampe-
luna. He was present at the battles of Nivelle and
Nive, together with those near Bayonne on the 10th,
11th, and 13th Dec., 1813 ; the brilliant action with
Soult's rearguard at Tarbes, and the battle of Tou-
louse, besides numerous minor affairs. He served
aim in the campaign of 1815, and led the advanced
guard at Quatre Bras, where he was severely wounded
in the thigh. In recognition of his distinguished
military services he was made by his Majesty William
IV. a Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic
Order in 1833. His commissions bore date as fol-
lows :—Ensign, April 25, 1811; lieutenant, Jan.
14, 1813 ; captain, June 16, 1825 ; major, March
30, 1832; lieutenant-colonel, Nov. 9, 1846 ; colonel,
June 20, 1854 ; and major-general, May 7, 1861.
The gallant officer, on obtaining his majority, went
on half-pay. He had received a silver war medal
with eight clasps for his services in the Peninsula,
and the Waterloo medal. Major-General Fitz-
maurice was in his 73d year.

Messrs. Mann Nephews beg to announce Mr. W.
Ray Smee's pamphlet on the Malt Tax is out of print, but
the second edition will be published immediately.—Corn-
hill, 27th December, 1865.

THE BISHOP OF LONDON'S FUND.-01 the quar-
ter of a million already subscribed among the 3,000,000
inhabitants of London in support of the Bishop of London's
Fund exactly one half is given by 90 persons. _ _

The Queen, on the recommendation of Lord
Russell, has been pleased to express her intention to grant
a pension of £2OO a year to the widow and daughter of the
late Sir William Rowan Hamilton, Astronomer Royal of
Ireland. We have reason to believe that the good offices
of the Lord Lieutenant were effectually used in procuring
this recognition of the distinguished services rendered to
science by our lamented countryman.—Dublin Express.
THE CHINESE IN AUSTRALIA.—An Australian
paper, the Talbot Leader, states that in the year 1866 the
Chinese in Australia will be called upon to contribute to a
fund for defraying the expenses of conveying for inter-
ment in Chinese soil the bodies of those of their country-
men of a certain rank who have died on the goldfields since
010 last shipment of this nature was made ; for it is stated
that this 'proceeding takes place every other year. It is
estimated that the number sent will be about 500.

GORDON'S COURT-MARTIAL—As a specimen of
the ignorance that characterises those pseudo-
philanthropical gentlemen, it would be a monstrous pity
to omit all mention of one little point immediately con-
nected with the army and navy, and upon which Exeter
Hall has rung its changes with a vengeance. Mr. Eyre has
been accused of handing Gordon and other rebels over to
the tender mercies of a court-martial composed of " three
youths," "three striplings," "three beardless boys." It
has never occurred to them to reflect for one moment that
a lieutenant and commander in the royal navy is an officer
of both service and reputation, and that a man may be an
ensign with grey hairs in his head. It so happens that the
two naval officers were commanders, and of the ensign I
am enabled to speak personally, and to add that he has
worn her Majesty's uniform for very many years, and is a
man whose judgment is in every way to be relied upon. 1
merely mention this fact to exemplify into what blunders
ignorance will lead people, and to clear away an impression,
entertained even by many of Mr. Eyre's supporters, that
the court-martial which tried Gordon was composed of
mere inexperienced youngsters.—British Army and Navy
Review (Bentley).
The bulletin of the Paris Observatory gives the
following as the atmospheric situation yesterday:—
" A strong gale from the S.W. was this morning
invading the north of Europe ; it was felt on Mon-
day in the British islands, where the winds were
powerful from the S.W. and S.S.W. Calm weather
still prevails in France, Spain, Italy, and Central
Europe ; the barometer there is high, and the wind
moderate. The sky is becoming overcast on the
western coasts. It rains in Sicily." In Paris yes-
terday there was a continuation of the frost, with a
clear sky, and the cold by no means severe. The
thermometer at six in the morning marked 4-6
below zero Centigrade (24 Fahrenheit), at noon 2-8
below C. (261 F.), and at three 1-5 below C. (29
2-5 Fahrenheit).
D uring a general rehearsal of " Le Roi d'Yvetot,"
the ballet by the Duke de Massa, Mlle. Stoikoff, one
of the dancers, fell and dislocated her elbow. The
bones were immediately replaced by the medical at-
tendant of the theatre, but the patient will not be
able to take_part in the performance.
As Mlle. Isabelle, the flower-girl of the Jockey-
Club, was returning home late a few evenings ago
with the receipts of the day, she was attacked by an
individual in the Rue du Port-Mahon, but suc-
ceeded in defending her property, although not with-
out sustaining some severe contusions. She is still
confined to bed, but has been better during the last
two days.