The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-26 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, JAN. 25.
The following had the honour to dine with her Ma-
jesty yesterday :—His Grace the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, the Earl and
Countess of Clarendon, the Earl and Countess of Bess-
borough, and Viscount and Viscountess Hardinge.

The band of the Scots Fusilier Guards attended in the
Castle during dinner, and played the following pieces :
Overture, " Die Zwei Prinzen"
Oeistcschwingen Walser
Selection—" Giralda" Adam.
Quadrille—" La Fete des Lilas" Lamotte.
Trio and Chorus—" La Charita" Rossini.
Overture —" La Muette de Portici" Auber.

Her Majesty's private band was afterwards in attend
ante, and performed the following compositions :

Overture—" Cantemire" Fesca.
Canzone—" Rigoletto" Verdi.
Fantaisie sur des Motifs de Mozart e de Beethoven.
The Queen with the Princess Royal and Princess
Alice walked in the Home Park this morning.
Prince Albert, accompanied by the Earl of Bess-
borough, went out shooting, attended by Lord Rivers
and Viscount Torrington.

The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred rode on horse_
back, attended by Mr. Gibbs.
The Duke of Cambridge is expected to-day on a visit
to her Majesty.
The following have received invitations, and are also
expected this afternoon :—The Marquis and Marchioness
of Exeter and Lady Mary Cecil, the Earl of Malmes-
bury, the Earl and Countess Bruce, Viscount and Vis-
countess Palmerston, Viscount Drumlanrig, and the
Right Hon. thei6peaker and Mrs. Shaw Lefevre.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl and Countess
of Clarendon, and Viscount and Viscountess Hardinge
left the Castle this forenoon.

Viscount Torrington has succeeded Colonel Wylde in
attendance on the Prince.

M. de Fleury had an interview with Viscount Pal
merston on Tuesday at the Home-office.

The Earl of Aberdeen left town yesterday morning
for Windsor Castle. The noble Earl returned to Lon-
don in the afternoon.

The Earl of Clarendon returned to town yesterday
morning from a visit to the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Sir Charles and Lady Mary Wood had a dinner party
last evening at their residence in Chesham-place.
The Royal Commission for inquiring into the State of
the Corporation of the City of London held a meeting
yesterday at the Privy Council Office. The Commis-
sioners present were the Right Hon. H. Labouchere,
the Right Hon. Sir J. Patteson, and G. Cornwall
Lewis, Esq.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston left town yes-
terday afternoon for Windsor Castle on a visit to the
Queen.

Despatches from the Governor of Gibraltar were re
ceived yesterday at the Colonial-office.

Lord and Lady John Russell received at dinner, last
evening, his Excellency the French Ambassador aria
the Countess Walewski, his Evocitency the Austrian
Minister, and the Countess Colloredo, the Count
Stralytsky, his Excellency the Sardinian Minister, the
Duchess of Inverness, Lord Castlerosse, M.P., Miss
Russell, Hon. Miss Lister, Hon. G. Byng, Mr. R.
Grey. Her ladyship subsequently had an evening party,
which was attended by a select circle.
Sir Charles and Lady Mary Wood received at
dinner, last evening, the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of
Aberdeen, the Earl and Countess Grey, the Earl and
Countess of Clarendon, the Earl Granville, Lady
Dalemny, Sir David Dundas, and Mr. C. Greville.
Field-Marshal the Marquis of Anglesea leaves Beau-
desert Park, near Lichfield, to-morrow, for Uxbridge
House, Burlington-street, for the season.
The Viscount and Viscountess Maidstone have
arrived in town, from a brief visit to the Earl and
Countess of Jersey, at Middleton Park.

The Earl and Countess of Zetland are entertaining a
select party at Aske Hall, near Richmond, including
Lord and Lady Alvanley, the Scottish Judge (Lord
Rutherford), Mr. Mark and Lady Augusta Milbank, the
Honourable Edward Phipps, &c.

Lord Anson, M.P., has arrived in the Albany from a
visiting tour.
The Venerable Duchess Dowager of Leeds continues
in rather infirm health at Hornby Castle.

The Duke and Duchess of Bedford are receiving a
family circle at Woburn Abbey.
The noble General Commanding-in-Chief and Vis-
countess Hardinge returned to Great Stanhope-street
yesterday from a visit to her Majesty at Windsor
Castle.

Viscount and Viscountess Falkland and suite are
expected to arrive by the next Oriental steamer from
Malta.

ILLNESS Os' SIR RALPH LOPEZ.—We regret to state
that Sir Ralph Lopez, Bart., M.P., whose health for
some time past has been such as to cause the most
serious fears as to the result, was yesterday taken so
much worse after his medical advisers had paid their
usual visit, that an express was sent requiring their im-
mediate attendance a second time, and Dr. Yonge and
Mr. Whippel, surgeons, proceeded at once to Maristowe.
A report of the death of the worthy baronet was current
last evening, but as the medical gentlemen had not re-
turned up to the time of cur going to press, we are
induced to hope there is no foundation for the rumour.
—Plymouth Mail of yesterday.
LONDON SOCIETY FOR TEACHING THE BLIND TO
READ.—On Tuesday a special general meeting of the
friends of this charity was held at the asylum, Avenue-
road, St. John's-wood, for the purpose of transacting the
usual business of the school. The report stated that the
friends of the society would rejoice to hear that their
essential object—viz., the completion of the Bible on
Lucas's system, had now been accomplished, and also
that Mr. Wood, the master, had adapted the characters
to musical notation. A wonderful proof of the facility
with which Lucas's system can be read is afforded in the
history of a clergyman, who having been, 12 years since,
deprived of sight, attempted in vain to read by the
common alphabetic characters, but, having acquired a
knowledge of the stenographic system, now reads with
such fluency as to perform his ministerial duties with-
out any assistance, conducting two whole services
with the same ease and comfort as if he were notde-
prived of sight. The completion of the embossed Bible
is to him a peculiar boon, not only by facilitating his
private study, but also by enabling him to read in public
the appropriate Church lessons throughout the year.
The report concluded with an appeal to the public for
support. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded
the business.

NEW YORK TO EUROPE IN SIX DAYS.—The new
steamer William Norris, which is warranted to run from
New York to Europe in five or six days, is nearly com-
pleted at New York. This vessel is simply flat and
sharp, with a good model for running fast in smooth
water. She is made unusually strong by having her
timbers strapped diagonally with bars of iron, and by an
iron kelson extending from the keel to the deck, excepting
in the central part of the vessel devoted to the engine.
This kelson is composed of two parallel sheets of iron
nearly half an inch in thickness, less than a foot apart,
and so fashioned and connected as to form a water tank.
On either side of this kelson are bilge kelsons, formed in
the same manner, also connecting with the deck. It is
expected that these unusual supports will give such an
amount of strength and solidity to the steamer as to
make her excel ail other vessels of similar dimensions.
THE SHORTEST PASSAGE OF A SAILING SHIP ACROSS
THE ATLANTIC.—The new clipper Red Jacket, Captain
Elridge (lato captain of the steam-yacht North Star, and
of the packet-ship Roscius), arrived in the Mersey on
Tuesday afternoon, after an unprecedented run of 13
days, one hour, and 25 minutes, having left new York
on the 11th inst. She is one of the handsomest vessels
ever built, possessing, with the greatest symmetry of model,
immense strength and carrying capacity. Her dimen-
sions are as follows :—Registered length, 250 feet (ex-
treme 260) ; beam, 45 feet ; depth of hold amidships,
24 feet ; rise forward, 3 feet ; registered measurement,
2,340 tons ; burthen, 3,500 tons. From her log we find
the following daily runs :—Wednesday, 11th, 103 miles;
12th, 150 ; 13th, 265 ; 14th, 311 ; 15th, 217 ; l6th,
;
106 ; 17th, 121 ; 18th, 319 ; 19th, 413 2oth, 374; 21st,
342 ; 22nd, 300 ; and 23d, 371 miles. The distance run
On the 19th inst., 413 miles, is the greatest distance ever
attained in 24 hours by anything afloat.