The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, ac-
companied by her Serene Highness the Princess Adelaide
of Hohenlohe, and attended by the Countess of Charle-
mont, the Hon. Eleanor Stanley, the Marquis of Ormonde,
Colonel Bouverie, and the Hon. Captain de Ros, honoured
the performance of the French Plays at St. Jame7s
Theatre with their presence last evening.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, and attended by the
Hon. Captain de Ros, and Mr. Gibbs, went yesterday after-
noon to the Bank of England.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday even-
ing at Gloucester-house.
The Education Committee of the Queen's most hon-
ourable Privy Council had a meeting yesterday at the
Ceancil-office, Whitehall. Present : the Lord President,
the Duke of Argyll, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl
of Aberdeen, Lord John Russell, and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer.
A deputation, consisting of the Marquis of Breadalbane,
the Rev. Dr. Mackellar, the Rev. Dr. Buchanan, and the
Rev. Dr. Candlish, had an interview yesterday with Vis-
count Palmerston at the Home-office.

A deputation of the Kennington-common Improvement
Committee, consisting of the Rev. Charlton Lane, Mr. J. B.
Walker (treasurer), Dr. Pursell, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Hodg-
son, and Mr. 0. H. Davis, had an interview with Sir
Wm. Molesworth yesterday at the office of Works and
Public Buildings in Whitehall-place.

The Count L. Corti, secretary of the Sardinian legation,
has returned to town from the Continent.

A deputation on the subject of tenant right, consisting
of James Manight, L.L.D., and the Rev. John Rogers,
had an interview with Viscount Palmerston at the Home-
office yesterday.

The Finance Committee of the Royal Commission for the
Exhibition of 1851 had a meeting yesterday at the Privy
Council-office, Whitehall. Present : Earl Granville (chair-
man), Lord Overstone, Sir Alexander Spearman, Bart.,
Sir William Cnbitt, Mr. T. F. Gibson, and Mr. Edgar A.
Bowring (secretary). Captain Owen, R.E., attended.
Dispatches were sent from the Colonial-office yesterday
to the Governors of the Mauritius, the Cape of Good Hope,
Port Natal, and Ceylon.

THE ARMY IN INDIA.—The senior lieutenant of each
of the five regiments of cavalry, and the two senior lieu•
tenants of each of the 24 regiments of infantry, serving
in the East Indies, will be promoted to the regimental
rank of captain in this night's Gazette.
INFLUX OF GOLD IN PARIS.—It is stated from Paris
that the influx of gold has latterly been resumed, and
that consequently an interval of 14 days again takes
place between the delivery of the metal at the Mint and
its re-issue in the shape of coin.
NEW PRUSSIAN LOAN.—Letters from Berlin mention
that the new Prussian loan of 5,000,000 thalers (750,0001.
sterling) will be brought out in that city as a four per
cent. stock, and that the issuing price is expected to be as
high as par.
RATE OF EXCHANGE AT ST. PETERSBURGH.--The St,
Petersburgh advices quote the rate of exchange 38d. to
id., which is rather less favourable for England. From
Odessa the dates are to the 28th of February, and busi-
ness was then generally quiet, with the exception of
large purchases of wool.
BANK OF PORTUGAL.—The Bank of Portugal has pre-
sented a petition to the Chamber of Deputies, protesting
against the assertions by which the Ministry have en-
deavoured to justify their attacks upon the establishment,
and praying that a commission of inquiry may be no-
minated to examine into its condition and management.
CONVEYANCE OF MAILS IN GREAT BRITAIN.—The
Post-office authorities have, at the present time to pay
for mails being conveyed over nearly 20,000 miles of
railways in Great Britain daily ; and in addition to this
they have to pay for the conveyance of mails over com-
mon roads in mail coaches and mail carts a distance of
nearly 4,000 miles daily.
ROYAL WEST INDIA MINING COMPANT.—This com-
pany, which was proposed to be established a few
months back, have notified a return, without deduction,
of the subscriptions received, in consequence of their
having failed in obtaining a charter. The negotiations
on the matter seem to have been attended with misun-
derstanding and disappointment, owing to the absence
of those definite principles which alone can enable the
public to escape uncertainty as to the course that will
be pursued by the Board of Trade in any given case.
DEPARTURES FOR AUSTRALIA.--The departures from
the port of London for the Australian colonies during
the past week have been more numerous than ever.
They consisted of nine vessels to Port Philip, with an
aggregate burden of 3,251 tons ; three to Sydney, with
an aggregate burden of 974 tons ; one tl Port Stephen,
of 511 tons, and one to Launceston, of 208 tons. Their
total capacity was consequently 4,944 tons. Consider-
able shipments are still made of manufactured goods and
general merchandise, but the decline in the rates of
freight continues.
CONVERSIONS FROM JUDAISM.—On Sunday week 8
Jews were baptised at the Jews' Episcopal Church, Pa-
lestine-place.
WOMEN'S ADDRESS ON SLAVERY.—We are informed
that the final meeting of the ladies' committee for the
promotion of this address is arranged to be held during
this week at Stafford-house, when the 24 volumes con-
taining more than 500,000 signatures, will be laid out
for inspection previous to their immediate transmission
to A merica. It is stated that an extensive movement
will speedily be set on foot to raise a considerable sum of
money for the purpose of advancing the cause of liberty
amongst the coloured race in America, by promoting
education and assisting the free blacks in other ways.
The administration of this fund will be entrusted to Mrs.
Beecher Stowe, as a tribute to her well-known exertions
on behalf of the slave ; and the Earl of Shaftesbury, the
Earl of Carlisle, and Mr. Samuel Gurney have agreed to
act as trustees.
THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY IN YORKSHIRE.—
This society having been invited to extend their opera-
tions to Yorkshire, a deputation, consisting of the Rev.
Dr. Worthington, Mr. Harrison, one of the solicitors,
and Mr. Gruneisen, the secretary, visited Leeds, Wake-
field, and Bradford, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fri-
day, and attended large and respectable meetings of the
inhabitants of these towns. The deputation at each
place was cordially received, and the statements with
respect to the advantages of the movement, morally and
socially, were listened to with attention and general ap-
proval, It was intimated that immediate steps would
be taken to purchase eligible Yorkshire estates, and
that the committee were prepared to undertake, if de-
sired, land purchases in almost every county in Eng-
land. In the course of their tour the committee made a
large addition to the list of members of the society.
A MAN DECAPITATED AT LEEDS.—On Friday morning
a shocking and fatal accident occurred at the Kirkstall
Forge Ironworks, near Leeds. A workman named
Wm. Merritt, aged 28, was employed in a room where
a revolving shaft, moved by steam power, is fixed, and
at the top of this shaft is a circular pieoe of thin metal
used for some purpose. The shaft is fixed in a corner of
the room, and behind it is kept a stock of iron reffits
used in making engine boilers. It is supposed that
whilst Merritt was taking something out of this corner
his clothes caught the revolving shaft, and whirled him
round it, and if so it would be with most fearful velocity.
However this may be, he was soon after the accident
found in the room without head and minus one arm—the
head being in one part and the trunk of the body in
another part of the room. The poor fellow was most
probably drawn up the shaft, and his neck coming in
contact with the piece of circular metal before men

tioned, it would be severed from his body instantane-
ously. A coroner's jury has been summoned to inquire
into the circumstances, but the inquest stands adjourned
until Wednesday next.
EMIGRATION FROM SLIGO.—The Sligo Journal states
that " hundreds " are preparing to leave that county.
Large sums of money have been sent home by emigrants,
and two or three of almost every labouring family in and
about Sligo have had their passage paid for by their
friends.
• •

THE GOVERNMENT BILL ON " AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.'

—Yesterday, the bill by Mr. Fitzroy and Viscount Pal-
merston, for the better prevention and punishment of
aggravated assaults upon women and children, and for
preventing delay and expense in the administration of
certain parts of the criminal law, was printed. One
clause relates to aggravated assaults; giving power to
two justices, or to a magistrate of one of the metropo-
litan police courts, to adjudge an offender to an im-
prisonment with or without hard labour, for a period not
exceeding six calendar months, or to fine an offender in
a sum,not exceeding 201. with costs, or to commit him
until it is paid. The other provisions have reference to
other matters. Indictments for misdemeanour are no
to be removed by certiorari, except on affidavit that a
fair trial cannot be bad. A court of general or quarter
session may, upon proof of conviction and notice to par-
ties, declare a recognisance to keep the peace or to be of
good behaviour to be forfeited. The Secretary of State
may issue his warrant for bringing up a prisoner (not in
custody under civil process) to give evidence. The act
is only to extend to England and Wales.
ELOPEMENT.—We regret to hear that the beautiful
and accomplished wife of a wealthy gentleman resident
in this neighbourhood, and well known in sporting
circles, left her home on 'Wednesday evening last, in

_ - -
company with a gallant captain in ono of the regiments
stationed here.—Plymouth Times.

WONDERFUL ESOAPE.—A few days since a young
woman named Greenoff jumped off a place called Ford
Rock (near Bideford in Devonshire), at low water, into
the river Torridge below. Fortunately, however, her
clothes acted as a balloon in her descent, and she fell
gently into the water. Mr. Middleton, who happened
t° be passing at the time, entered the river and con-
veyed her safely on shore. The cause oftlaifi. rash act is
said to be a love affair.