The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-01 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
accojnpanied by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of
Wales, the Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, the Princesses
Alice, Helena, and Louisa, and Prince Arthur, left
Windsor Castle for London at five minutes past three
o'clock yesterday afternoon. The Royal suite consisted
of the Duchess of Wellington, Lady Caroline Barrington,
Hon. Eleanor Stanley, Hon. Beatrice Byng, Lord Wa-
terpark, Colonel the Hon. Charles Grey, Lieut.-Colonel
Biddulph, Lieut.-Colonel the Iron. Robert Boyle,
Colonel Bouverie, Captain the Hon. Dudley de Ros,
and Mr. Gib La.

The august party went to the Great Western Railway
station, where a guard of honour of the Scots Fusilier
Guards was on duty with the band of the regiment, and
received her Majesty with the usual honours.
A special train conveyed the Royal party to the Pad-
dington terminus, where six of the Queen's carriages
were in readiness to convey her Majesty, the Prince,
the Royal family, and suite to Buckingham Palace.
A detachment of the 13th Light Dragoons formed the
escort from the Paddington terminus to the Palace.
The Queen and Prince Albert were received on alight-
ing, at seven minutes past four o'clock, by the Duke of
Norfolk, the Marquis of Breadalbane, and the Duke of
Wellington.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, accom-
panied by her Serene Highness the Princess Adelaide of
Hohenlohe, arrived at her residence, Clarence-house, St.
James's, yesterday, from Frogmore. The Prince and
Princess Augustus of Saxe-Cobourg paid a visit to the
Royal Duchess in the afternoon.
Lady Anna Maria Dawson has succeeded Lidy Fanny
Howard in her duties as lady in waiting to the Duchess
of Kent.

Mr. A. C. Fitz-James had an interview with the Earl
of Aberdeen yesterday, at his official residence in Down-
ing-street.
The Sardinian Minister had an interview with the
Earl of Clarendon yesterday at the Foreign-office.

ROYAL DONATION.—Her Majesty has been graciously
pleased to forward, through the Rev. Mr. Maenzie, the
vicar, the sum of 251., towards the repairs of the organ
of the Church of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields. The further
sum of 3001. has been subscribed for the same purpose,
and it is estimated that the repairs will cost 9001.
The Board of Trade announces that the Government
will defray the expense of the patriotic experiment about
to be made by the Highland and Agricultural Society, in
the collection of the agricultural statistics of the counties
of Roxburgh, Haddington, and Sutherland.—North
British Mail.

MELBOURNE DOCK AND RAILWAY COMPANY.—The
prospectus has been issued with a capital of 600,000/. in
20/. shares. The enterprise is supported by some of the
principal persons connected with the trade of Australia,
and the objects proposed are to construct docks and
warehoUses to afford ample accomodation for the ship-
ping of the port, and a railway of two miles to convey
passengers and goods from Hobson's bay to the city of
Melbourne.

GENERAL SCREW STEAM COMPANY.—At the meeting
of the General Screw Steam Company held yesterday,
the retiring directors were re-elected. An adjournment
was subsequently agreed to, with the view of allowing
time for the final preparation of the report and accounts.
It was explained that the delay in preparing them had
arisen from the great increase of business during the
last few months, but it was also stated that if certain
pending negotiations should be successful, the share-
holders will not have reason to regret the temporary
postponement.
METCALFE AND GENERAL MINING COMPANY.—A
meeting of the Metcalfe and General Mining Company
took place yesterday, when resolutions were passed,
confirming the purchase of the Job's Hill property, the
issue of the new shares, and the proposed alterations in
the deed of settlement. In answer to questions, the
chairman (Mr. T. M. Weguelin) stated, that the pro-
gress of operations was satisfactory, and that the assays
of the ores from the Job's Hill mines showed extremely
encouraging results.
SOUTH SEA. COMPANY.-At the meeting of the South
Sea Company yesterday, the usual statement of the bond
debt, which on this occasion showed a balance of 4,5001.
was laid before the proprietors.
THE POST-OFFICE, MELBOURNE.—CIerks have been
seen (private windows having been continually broken
by the close pressure of crowds outside) walking over
floors apparently a foot deep with letters and newspapers.
Several days, and sometimes several weeks elapse before
letters and newspapers, which arrive from England, are
delivered.

COMMISSION FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTES.
—Yesterday the commissioners appointed to execute the
consolidation of the statute law met for the first time at
the Lord Chancellor's residence, Upper Brook-street.
The commissioners are Mr. Bellenden Ker, Mr. Chisholm
Anstey, Mr. Brickdale, Mr. George Coode, and Mr.
Rogers. Mr. Bellenden Ker is to receive 1,0001. per
annum, and the rest of the commissioners, we under-
stand, 6001. per annum each.

A CHILD SCALDED TO DEATH WITH BOILING COCOA.
—Yesterday, Mr. William Carter, the Surrey coroner,
held an inquest at the White Horse Tavern, Cornwall-
road, Lambeth, on the body of Sarah Molsley Leserve,
aged three years. The evidence proved that the parents
of the child were very poor but industrious persons, and
were compelled, with their children, to live in one room
at 65, White Horse-street. On Wednesday morning the
father of the deceased, who was a shoemaker, was at
work at one end of the room whilst the mother was pre-
paring their breakfast. A quantity of cocoa having been
made ready, it was placed on the hob, when, by some
means which could not be clearly ascertained, the vessel
toppled over, and the boiling contents fell over the de-
ceased, scalding her so frightfully that she lingered only
a few hours. A number of witnesses gave the parents
an excellent character for kindness towards their chil-
dren, and declared that they were positive the occur-
rence arose from accident. The jury returned a verdict
of " Accidental Death."

SUICIDE.—Mr. William Corbut, schoolmaster, at Nor-
ton, near Stockton-on-Tees, was found suspended by his
neck in his own residence, on the 29th ult. The de-
ceased has been many years a teacher in this place. An
inquest was held before John Settle, Esq., coroner, on
the fol!owing day, when the jury returned a verdict of
temporary insanity.
ANOTHER METROPOLITAN BURIAL-GROUND CON-
DEMNED.—At a meeting held at the National Packington
Schoolhouse, Charterhouse-square, on Wednesday, for
the election of a churchwarden and other parochial
officers for the Liberty of Glasshouse-yard, the Rev. C.
F. Webber, minister of St. Botolph Without, Alders-
gate, in the chair, Mr. J. Dodman, vestry clerk, infirmed
the vestry that he had received a letter from the Home
Secretary in reference to the extinction of the Glass-
house-yard Burial-ground. He read the letter, which
stated that Lord Palmerston would recommend to her
Majesty in Council the propriety of closing the burial-
ground in question. The rev. chairman observed that
the liberty would have to unite with the adjoining parish
of St. Sepulchre, or some other parish, to form a joint
burial-ground, in order to carry out the purposes of the
act. Mr. Newman moved, and Mr. Mills seconded, a
resolution, appointing a committee to take such measures
as may be requisite, in compliance with the communica-
tion, and that the vestry clerk obtain the best informa-
tion as to what would be necessary to be done. The re-
solution was agreed to unanimously.
EQUALISATION OF THE POOR-RATE.—A public meeting
of the City of London Union Rating Association was
held on Wednesday evening in the New Court of the
Sessions House, Old Bailey, for the purpose of considering
the propriety of adopting a petition to parliament in
favour of repealing the existing laws of settlement and
removal, and for the more equitable distribution of the
charge for the relief and maintenance of the poor ;
Alderman Thomas Sidney in the chair. The chairman
said the poor of the City of London, no matter at what
part of it, ought to be a charge upon the City at large ;
but in some cases a charge of Bs. in the pound had been
levied, while other parishes remained entirely exempt.
In some parishes in the kingdom, as shown by late re-
turns, a rate of 20s. in the pound was levied, and in
others only one farthing ; whilst it was the duty of the
country to provide for the poor, it was nevertheless just
and necessary that the assessment should be properly
made ; and it was the duty of government to see
that a tax, which levied millions a year upon the
people, should be equitably adjusted. Mr. Whiteside,
guardian of St. Catherine Cree, moved "That the
existing laws of settlement and removal are unjust and
oppressive to the poor by subjecting them in the time of
affliction and distress to be removed to the place of their
legal settlement, often far from their friends, relations,
and homes. , That to the ratepayers the said laws are
partial, unjust and oppressive, as by confining the charge
to the parochial boundary those parishes in which the
houses are small, and the labouring classes can obtain a
residence, a very large increase is made in the portion
they are called upon to pay towards the support of the
poor ; while, on the contrary, parishes in which the pro-
perty is of the greatest rateable value, and in which the
poor can find no home, are annnally relieved from that
fair share of the expense which in justice they ought to
bear." Mr. Pritchard seconded the resolution, which,
with several others, was unanimously carried. A. peti-
tion in accordance with the above was then adopted, and
the usual vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the
proceedings.
BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.—The British colonies have
an area of 218,339,414 acres, and a population in round
numbers of 2,500,000. Their commerce with all countries
amounts to $70,200,000, of which about $19,000,000 is
with the United States, and $30,000,000 with Great
Britain. These colonies own and employ shipping mea-
suring nearly 500,000 tons.