The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-19 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Yesterday was the birth-day of her Royal Highness
the Princess Louisa. Her Royal Highness the Duchess
of Kent arrived at an early hour in the morning, accom-
panied by the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, to pay a
visit of congratulation to her Majesty.
The Queen gave a juvenile party in the afternoon at
Buckingham Palace. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke
and Duchess of Nemours and three children, and their
Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Augustus of
Saxe Cobourg with four children, arrived at three
o'clock. The Duchess of Sutherland and four children,

Madame Van de Weyer and two children, the Countess
of Shaftesbury and four daughters, the Countess of De-
sart and two children, Lady Alfred Paget and one daugh-
ter, and four children of the family of Mr. Farquharson,
of Invercauld, had also the honour of being invited.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent and the
Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe also arrived at the
Palace in the afternoon.

M. Houdin attended, and had the honour of perform-
ing in the Picture Gallery, in the presence of her Ma-
jesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, who were
accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the Princess
Louisa, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, Prince
Alfred, the Princesses Alice and Helena, and Prince
Arthur, and also by the distinguished circle assembled
in the Palace.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by the
Hon. Captain de Ros, honoured the Baron Marochetti
with a visit at his studio in Onslow-square yesterday

morning,

The Queen had a dinner party last evening at Buck-
ingham Palace. The company included her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent, his Royal Highness the
Princess Augustus of Saxe-Coburg, her Serence High-
ness the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, the Duchess
of Sutherland, the Baroness Brunnow, the Count and
Countess Lavradio, the Marquis de Loule, Lady Fanny
Howard, the Earl and Countess of Jersey, the Earl of
Clarendon, Earl Mulgrave, Viscount Palmerston, Sir
John Herschel!, and Lady Caroline Barrington.
The band of the Coldstream Guards attended in the
Palace during dinner, and played the following selec-
tion :

Overture, " Stradella"
Selections, "Maritana"
Waltz, "andolina " Karl Buller.
Aria, "O, rest in the Lord" (Elijah)
Fantasia, " Alma"
Polka, " Echo du Mont Blanc" Jullien.
The band of the Grenadier Guards was in attendance
in the Palace during dinner on Thursday, and played
the following :

Ballible Chinois
Corra e sestetto ngl Opera "Il Tempiario" Nicolai.
Waltz, "Homage a Londres" Buhner.
Aria e Finale, " Lucia" Donizetti.
Pot ponrri des beaux esprits se rencontrent Zuhlehner.
Her Majesty's private band afterwards attended, and
performed the following pieces :

Overture, " Zerline"
Selection, " Schauspieldirektor"
Finale, Ist act, "Le Pro aux Clercs"
A deputation from Chelmsford, respecting the case of
the convict Saunders, under sentence of death, had an
interview yesterday with Viscount Palmerston at the
Home-office. The deputation consisted of Messrs. Thos.
Marriage, John Candler, William Impey, and Aug.
Sifters.

A deputation upon the subject of the duty upon soap,
with reference to the trade in palm oil from Africa, had
an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yes-
terday at his official residence in Downing-street. The
deputation consisted of Mr. James Aspinall Tobin and
Mr. George Horsfall, accompanied by Mr. Chas. Turner,
member for Liverpool.
Mr. James Caird had an interview with the Duke of
Newcastle yesterday at the Colonial-office.
Lord Stradbroke had an interview with Viscount Pal-
merston yesterday. Colonel Freestun, M.P., had also
an interview- with the noble viscount, at the Home-office.

MONEY AND COMMERCIAL NEWS.

Active circulation
Decrease
Bullion
Increase
Rest

Increase
Public Deposits
Increase
Other deposits
Increase
Seven day and other Bills
Decrease .
Government securities
Other securities
Decrease
Notes unemployed
Increase

CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.

£21,713,170
562,700
18,978,310
83,998
3,622,448
4,746
7,607,914
295,163
13,051,136
428,835
1,292,007
86,439
No alteration
15,396,827
4,393
10,665,430
579;400

The exports of the precious metals from London
direct, during the week to Thursday last, was
' 21,740 ounces of gold and 3,800 ounces of silver.
Besides this there have been shipments from Liver-
pool and Southampton to Australia.
Stocks are flat this morning by sympathy with
the Paris Bourse. Consols 99i- I for Transfer, and
99g I for Account. Exchequer Bills of June are
10s., and those of March Bs., premium. East India
Bonds have been 455. premium.
Foreign Securities are lower also, and so far the
Continental, and specially the Turkish news, affects
all. Spanish deferred Bonds are 20 • Mexican has
receded to 26 and 25k. Equador Stock is at 5/.
Peruvian Scrip has been as low as 3,1 and 4 pre-
mium.

Railway Shares are about per cent. lower, with
scarcely anything doing. French Shares droop also.
The Gold Mines are all worse, on account of the
insubordination of the men employed by the Port
Philip Company, arid their unreasonable demands.
The Land Companies' Shares are still giving way,
the Agricultural being down 4/. to 5/. ; the South
Australian, 2/. to 3/. ; and the Van Diemen's
Land, it.

The Joint Stock Bank Shares are very quiet, and
nominally firm.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.
(From the Official List.) _

ItuFonpss done
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities, 1726
India Bonds, £lOOO 4 45
Ditto, under £lOOO ~,I1 45
Consols for Account 13th April
Exchequer Bills, lid. June.
£lOOO
£5OO
Small lO
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY.
Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent. —
Ditto New, 1843
Chilian Bonds, 6 per Cent
Ditto, 3 per Cent B4
Equador Bonds 5•
Mexican 3 per Cent.. 25,1 6
Peruvian Scrip
Russian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto Small
Sardinian Bonds, 5 per Cent. .
Spanish Bonds, 3 per Cent .......... ....,
Spanish New Deferred, 3 per Cent 24/
Spanish Passive (Convezted) 54
TWO O'CLOCK,
99}
998

Marcy
8

Consols
Ditto April Account

EXTENSIVE FIRES IN LAMBETH AND
PECKHAM-(THIS DAY.)

This (Saturday) morning two series fires happened on
the Surrey side of the water, which were attended with
considerable destruction of property. One fire broke out
in the extensive hat factory of Messrs. Pritchard,
situate at 31, Stamford-street, Lambeth, next door to
the Stanley Arms Tavern. The flames were first dis-
covered by the watchman in charge of the property, at
which time they were raging in what is termed the
finishing-shop. The man immediately gave an alarm,
and then started off to the West of England engine sta-
tion, and gave information of the disaster to Mr. Con-
norton. The engine of the company was at once
dispatched to the spot, and was followed by several en•
gines of the London Brigade, under the direction of Mr.
Henderson, the foreman, and Mr. Harnbleton. By the
time this powerful force arrived, although but a few
minutes had elapsed, the flames had made fearful havoc,
for they had extended from the finishing-shop to the
body-shop, and from thence to the tipping-off shop, so
that there seemed little chance of saving any part of the
extensive premises. Fortunately, an instant supply of
water was obtained from the mains of the Lambeth
Company, and the engines were worked with full vigour,
but the firemen were unable to get the fire subdued until
the whole of the buildings before alluded to were burned
out, and the stores likewise damaged. The total loss, it
is supposed, will exceed 1.0001. Fortunately, the firm
was insured in the Sun Fire-officer: The origin of the
fire could not be gleaned.

The other fire took place in the private residence of
Mr. Wilkinson, 2, Park-place, Peckham. At the
time of the outbreak the inmates were in their beds
asleep. The smoke, however, awoke a young lady, who
found the fire raging in her bed-room. She aroused the
other inmates, and information was sent to town for the
engines, when those of the London Brigade and West of
England office attended. Owing to the exertions of the
police, strangers, and firemen, the fire was extinguished,
but not until it had gone through one side of the house,
which was a double one. Unfortunately, the sufferer
was not insured. A spark from a lighted candle, it is
thought, was the cause of the disaster.

THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC JUNCTION COM-
PANY.—It would appear that much confusion and no little
embazrassment has arisen, more particularly upon the
Continent, from the assumption of the title of the " Atlan-
tic and Pacific Company" by a recently projected associa-
tion in this country—the same title having been held since
1841 by a committee of gentlemen combined to explore
and search out the best possible route. To the latter com-
pany concessions of a liberal, free, and unfettered character
have been granted, which give it powers of action indicat-
ing a high sense of confidence upon the part of the executive
government of New Grenada. It is said that the attention
of our own Government has been drawn to these and other
important fact, and that inquiry of anlunbiassed character,
free from partisanship or self-interest, is about to be at,
once instituted, and through which, it is to be hoped, suf-
ficient truth will be elicited to secure for the world the
very best means of overcoming the difficulties by which
this most impel ant affair is surrounded.
EXTRAORDINARY FEAT OF WALKING.--Coates,
the veteran London pedestrian has arrived in Plymouth,
at the request of several officers of the garrison to attempt
the feat of walking 1,000 half miles in 1,000 successive
half hours, to be performed upon the same principle as
the renowned Barclay match. This affair arose from an
argument whether Coates, &ries, or any other person,
ever did exceed the 1,000 miles, in which the captain
could receive one hour and 30 minutes rest, whereas Coates
can only obtain 36 minutes at one time. He commences
the task on Tuesday afternoon next, at four o'clock, in the
paddock of the No-place Inn, tldad, Plymouth, under the
superintendence of two umpires, veteran soldiers, and a
referee chosen by himself, an inhabitant of Plymouth ; if '
he succeeds he is to receive r, purse of 50 sovereigns.—
Plymouth Journal.

There was a steady demand for cotton at Liver-
pool yesterday at advanced rates. Sales 7,000
bales, including 2,000 on speculation. Railway
Shares were flat at lower prices.
The weekly return of the Bank of England made
up to last Saturday is favourable as concerns the
specie, and there would appear to have been less
demand for money ; the loans and discounts hav-
ing been diminished, while the balances of deposi-
tors are increasing. From this latter cause, and
the augmentation in the public deposits, the
amount of notes in circulation was necessarily cur-
tailed. Taken against the previous week, the fol-
lowing alterations appear in the balance-sheet :

Bills on the principal cities of the Continent
were taken yesterday at full rates. Paris, 90 days,
25, 25 to 30 ; Amsterdam, 11, 18i to 19 ; Ham-
burgh, 13, 8 to 81; and Trieste, 11, 3 to 5.
Under this head yesterday, attention was called
to the proposal of the New South Wales Gold
Commissioner, Mr. Beit, to render the sale of gold
to the Government by the miners, compulsory at
the price of 655. per oz., and in commenting upon
the erroneousness of such interference, we remarked
how prone Governments were to trammel private
enterpise. Another case of a like nature is now
before us in the shape of a report by a select com-
mittee of the Legislative Council of New South
Wales, appointed to inquire into the state of the
currency and of banking. The committee collected
no facts, nor sought to obtain any evidence ;
although it must have been sensible of existing
defects in the working of the banks when it em-
bodied in its report the following paragraph
" So long asithis
power of expanding of contracting
the currency of a country is left to private speculators,
so long will the prosperity of that country be constantly
liable to the most violent and disastrous fluctuations.
There must always be, in such a state of things, a pro-
bability of trade and speculation being unduly stimulated
at one period, and unduly depressed at another. An infi-
nite number of unforeseen causes may, at any moment,
induce private banking institutions to expand their issues
to an extent wholly disproportioned to the metallic capi-
tal of the country, and thus bring about a state of
feverish excitement, the sure forerunner of a fatal col-
lapse."

The Committee recommend the establishment of
one Bank of Issue • ignoring the existence of all
the other moneyed corporations, that have taken
root and expanded with the growth of the colony,
and reckless of the wide-spread derangement and
' possible ruin that such an extraordinary alteration
might occasion. Here, again, the gold fields were to
be attacked ; for it is suggested that the Bank should,
on behalf of Government, have the exclusive right
of buying the precious metals—an improvement
this even upon the plan of the Commissioner.
When will legislators learn wisdom, and when
cease to dam up the source of the very riches with
which they so heedlessly trifle ?
The 24,000 ounces of gold which we mentioned
yesterday as being on board the Great Britain
steamer, are from Sydney only. At Melbourne she
would probably receive from 150,000 to 200,000
ounces more.