The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00

Countess Wa.lerwski with their company on Friday, the
12th of May, ad a bal costutn4'," the utmost exertions
were made by their Excellencies, assisted by the general
superintendency of M. De Saux, the senior secretary of
the Embassy ire this country, to render this fete worthy
of the exalted presence with which it was honoured, and
of the gallant and accomplished nation of which the
Count is the representative. The new residence of the
Embassy, formerly known as Gibraltar-house, the quon-
dam domicile of Mr. Hudson, but now called Albert-
gate-house, has been in course of preparation for
some weeks past, and every resource of artistic
and floral decoration was put into requisition,
and an effect produced, which even to those
familiar with the magnificent suite of State apart-
ments at Sutherland-house and other principal man-
sions of the nobility, could not but excite surprise
and admiration, when the (comparatively speaking)
limited size of the mansion is considered. In the arrange-
ment and decoration of these fetes our Parisian neigh-
bours have established a renown which it is hopeless for
any other capital to attempt to rival, and this fete at the
French Embassy will certainly not detract from their
well-earned reputation. The whole State apartments
had undergone a complete metamorphosis, and the beau-
tiful arrangement of the flowers, the elegance of the
form, the exquisite selection of the colour of the draperies,
and the novel and brilliant illuminations, were themes
of universal admiration throughout the rooms.
The visitors were directed to appear en costume, and
to arrive at the Embassy at 9 o'clock precisely, in order
that all might be in readiness for the reception of the
Queen and Prince.
At half-past 9 o'clock the Marquis of Breadalbane, the
Queen's Lord Chamberlain ; Lord Ernest !Bruce, the
Queen's Vice-Chamberlain ; the Duke of Wellington,
her Majesty's Master of the Horse ; and Earl Spencer,
the Lord Steward of the Royal Household, arrived at
the Embassy, and having made the tour of the State-
rooms, retired to a room on the ground-flour to await
the arrival of the Queen. These noblemen were all
dressed in the full State Household uniform, it being un-
derstood that neither the Queen nor Prince, the Royal
Family, nor the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Queen's
Household in attendance on her Majesty, would appear

in costume.
At ten o'clock her Majesty and Prince Albert arrived
at the Embassy. The royal cortege consisted of four of
the State carriages, the attendants being in the same
State liveries as when her Majesty opens Parliament,
with an escort of a squadron of the Ist Life Guards,
under the command of Captain Lord Francis Gordon.
The Queen was attended by the Duchess of Sutherland,
the Mistress of the Robes, who rode in the carriage with
the Queen and Prince, Lady Jocelyn, two maids of
honour, Misses Macdonald and Cavendish ; Lord Rivers,
Sir F. Stovin, and Colonel Bouverie. Prince Albert was
attended by Lord Torrington, Captain Du Platt, and
Colonel Wylde, R.A. Her Majesty was dressed in an
ordinary ball dress, composed of pink crape over pink
satin. The dress was ornamented with bunches of roses
and green leaves running round the dress near the bot-
tom, and was trimmed with white lace. The Queen wore
a tiara of diamonds on the top of the head, and at the
back a number of small pink roses. The Prince wore a
military uniform with Blue Riband of the Order of the
Garter with the George in diamonds, and the Order of
the Golden Fleece, also set in jewels. The ladies of the
Queen's suite wore ordinary ball dresses, the Duchess of
Sutherland wearing a dress of Indian gold tissue, made
with great simplicity, having no other trimming than a
few blush roses in the front. The style of head-dress
was similar ',to that of the Queen—a tiara of diamonds
and blush roses at the back of the head. . .

Lady Jocelyn wore a pink ball dress, with a head-
dress of diamond stars.
The appearance of the Queen and Royal family and
their respective suites in the fashion of the day made the
Royal groups easily distinguishable among the gay and
fanciful dresses of the general company by which they
were surrounded—dresses of the greatest magnificence,
and in almost every variety of design, but which were
far too numerous and too elaborate for description in
our columns.
Her Majesty was received on alighting from her car-
riage by the Count and Countess Walewski and her own
great oilleers of state, and, conducted by the Ambas-
sador and ushered by the Lord Chamberlain, reached
the elevated seats prepared for her, the Prince, and the
rest of the Royal family, through the gay and brillant
throng, who tendered the homage of their respect during
her Majesty's passage. Laurent's quadrille band was sta-
tioned in the ball-room, and immediately after the
Queen's arrival dancing commenced, various costume
quadrilles being danced in the course of the evening.
The other members of the Royal family present were—
the Duchess of Kent and Cambridge and the Princess
Mary of Cambridge, who were dressed in ordinary ball

dresses.
M. Van de Weyer, the senior Foreign Minister ac•
credited to the British Court, M. Musurus, the Turkish
Minister, and the whole of the corps dip/omatipc and
their ladies were present, and the invitations extended
to ail the members of the Administration, the great
officers of State, the leading members of the two Houses
of Parliament, and a numerous party of the nobility and
gentry.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

THE CASE OF MR. HENRY STONOR.
This committee re-assembled yesterday. Mr. G. H.
Moore sat as a member for the purpose of conducting the
case; no member appeared as representing the defence.
The proceedings began by an application from Mr.
Eyston, of Gray's-inn, London, who said he had formerly
acted as Mr. Stonor's solicitor, but now attended as his
friend. In the course of the proeeedings he should beg
the permission of the committee to make suggestions to
them on Mr. Stonor's behalf as to facts within his know-
ledge, should circumstances render it advisable that he
should do so.
Mr. Sotheron replied that the committee entirely dis-
claimed having Mr. Stonor's conduct in question before
them. At the same time Mr. Eyston might remain in the
room, and if any fresh imputation should be cast upon Mr.
Stonor, he would be at liberty to make to the committee
any application he might decide upon.
Mr. Moore then proceeded to examine the Duke of New-
castle, who had already taken his seat in the witness-box.
h;,l Grace began by saying that he concurred in the state-
ment Tuade in the House of Commons by Mr. Peel, that Mr.
Stonor's appointment was given him entirely on account
of his professional attainments. A letter was received from
the then GoveTnor of Victoria, Mr. Latrobe, on the 19th of
August, 1853, to the effect that a temorary puisne judge
was wanted at 1,5004 a- ear during at enure of office, and
that there was a prospect of his receiving a similar place
of a permanentnature. The appointment lay properly with
Mr. Latrobe, but as there was no gentleman in the colony
whom he thought himself justified in appointing as suf-
ficiently qualified, he wrote home, begging that the Co-
lonial-office -would send out a gentleman whom he might
appoint.
Mr. Moore—Would not a considerable knowle
d isdge
pen-
of
?
common law, and of the practice of rt be an in
able qualification for such a gentleman
Thie Duke of Newcastle—The duties of this gentleman
were to be civi Mr. well as criminal.
Mr. Moore— Stoner was a conveyancer ?
The Duke of Neweastle--Yes.
Mr. Moore--Are you aware of any precedent in this
country of a conveyancer being appointed to
as the one in quo
stion ? eon the
The Duke of Newcastle—I have no knowledg
subject.
Mr. Moore—ls it not desirable that you should have a
knowledge on the subject?
The Duke of Newcastle—I do not coinsidteor
bineyaspeplfoiqoutaeldi-.
fled to decide cm the merits ofthe judges
I should be guided by the op - j_stu orsthose who were
conversant with such niatteri,zsno.:'l,.'he Governor's letter
1853. He (the Duke
was received on the 19th ofeAcua-e set on foot a series of
properly qualified per-
of Newcastle) did not InlEgni.ling's
inquiries, with a view of. d
son to send out, because in such mattemi it was the
aem
that the first notice he received of the ezistence of v
cies was from the letters of applicants for them. He ex-
pected the same thing to happen in this case, and waited
but the vacancy having become known at
for applications,
the commencement of the long vacation, when all the West-
minster-hall gentlemen had gone to the country or the
Continent, and the temporary character of the situation
—these two circumstances brought it ttbout that no appli-
cations were made. He therefore spoke on the subject to
some gentlemen in whom be had confidence, but he was
assured by them that it would be very difficult to fill the
vacancy, as there was only a possibility of permanence,
dependent on the will of a future governor and his execu-
tive council. Those gentlemen wore Mr. Merivale, Per-
manent Under-Secretary for the Colonies, a lawyer of
zrcat ability and intelligence, and his private secretary,
Mr. iloberts, also a lawyer and a man of great expe-
rience, liviting formerly held a judicial appointment in
the island of Jmnaica. The salary was 1,5001. during
tenure, and that at irktoria was only equal to 5001. in
England, or, at mogf, to GOO/. or 7001. About three
weeks before the receipt of the application from Mr.
Stonor an application was received from a Mr.Chapinan,
gentleman who had held a judicial appointment in New
Zealand, and a political one, a secretaryship, in Van Die-
men's Land. Be (the Duke of Newcastle) did not think
fit to give him the place, as ho had gathered from Mr.
Latrobe's letter that it would not be advisable to appoint
any one already connected with the colony. Mr. Chap-
man, however, had left his family there, and was on his
way out to rejoin him, and therefore the uncertainty of
permanence did not much matter to him. On the 30th
of November, 1853, he (the Duke of Newcastle) received
from Mr. Henry Stonor a letter soliciting the appointment,
and enclosing testimonials from the Lord Chief Justice
(Lord Campbell), Vice-Chancellor Stuart, Judge and Mas-
ter Sir George Rose, Mr. Peter Brodie, Mr. Jas.Ca,mpbell,
Q.C., Mr. John Measure, and Mr. Richard Griffiths, of
Dublin, with whom Mr. Stoner had been much engaged. in
1846-7, and also a reference to Mr. Labouchere,
that period Chief Secretary for Ireland. Theroe theduln
Sligo
printed statement—a small pamphlet—as t
(Borough) Election Committee's Report.
Mr. Moore—According to the statement of your Grace,
the statement made by the Under-Secretary for the Colo-
nies in the House of Commons is not altogether accurate ?
The Duke of Newcastle am not aware whether Mr.
Peel's statement was accurately reported dint in the newspapers
or not. If it is soeurately reported, maable to eay