The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-26 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, DEC. 25.
Yesterday afternoon, by her Majesty's command, the
children belonging to the Whippingham Boys' and Girls'
Schools attended at Osborne, where Christmas trees were
prepared for them, and each child received a present of
clothing. ,The Queen and Royal Family were present on
the occasion, and personally distributed the gifts to many
of the children. The Ladies and Gentlemen in 'Waiting,
and the Rev. George Prothero, Mrs. Prothero, and family,
had also the honour of being invited,

His Royal Highness Prince Arthur, attended by Major
Elphinstone, arrived at Osborne yesterday front Greenwich
Park.

The Belgian .Moniteur announces that, from the

Ist of January next, passports for Italian travellers in
Belgium and for Belgian travellers in Italy will be abolished.
Travellers will be only required to produce some document
establishing their identity.

THE PERSIAN GULF TELEGRAPH.--On Tuesday
the Government contract for the construction of this new
and important telegraphic route, extending for 1,100 miles
along the sea coast, from the mouth of the Persian Gulf to
Mekra, was conceded to Messrs. Henley, the telegraphic
contractors, and the manufacture of the cable will be com-
menced forthwith at the works at Woolwich, under the
superintendence of Sir C. 13right and Mr. L. Clark, the Go
vernment telegraphic engineers. The English and Conti-
nental system, which extends to Bagdad, is now being car-
ried forward, as part of one great scheme, from Bagdad to
the head of the Persian Gulf, and the communication is
being simultaneously carried forward from Mekra to Kur-
rachee, where it will unite with the whole network of the
Indian telegraphic system, a total stretch, when completed,
of 6,000 miles, as between Calcutta and Cornhill. Arrange-
ments are now being made with the Persian Government,
by Lieut.• Col. P. Stewart, of the Public Work Department,
India-office, for settling the precise route and establishing
the stations.

DOUBLE EXECUTION.—The Quebec Chronicle
gives the following account of the execution at Belleville,
on the 18th instant, of a man and his wife for murder:—
" At ten o'clock, the hour fixed by the sheriff for the exe-
cution, there could not have been less than four to six thou-
sand people on the ground. A delay of over an hour was
caused in consequence of the caps not being made. In the
meantime the vast multitude swayed to and fro, and their
attention was diverted by one or two small fights and
wrestling matches, but nothing serious occurred. Some
unfeeling wretches in the crowd exuibited their impatience
at the delay by using such expressions as Hurry up there I'
Bring them on I' &c. It was not until a quarter-past 11
o'clock that the procession approached the gallows, and
as the culprits stood upon the platform every breath was
hushed, and they saw nothing but a sea of upturned, eager,
anxious-looking faces. The unfortunate Alward looked
haggard and careworn, and Mrs. Aylward, habited in
white, with a crape over her shoulders, walked tremblingly
to the platform. Both culprits stood with folded hands
offering up their prayers, and in this position, and while
still praying,
the fatal bolt was drawn. The woman died
with but a few struggles, and in a minute and a half life
was extinct. The man struggled for some time, and died
in fearful agony, but the doctor pronounced him dead after
hanging for two minutes and a half. The bodies hung for
about thirty-five minutes, and were then taken down,
placed in their coffins, and taken possession of by those
who had been most assiduous in their attention to the un-
fortunate victims during the last few days of their
earthly existence. The bodies were buried in the Romal:v
Catholic cemetery,"