The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-12 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, DEC. 10.
The Queen and the Duchess of Brabant drove out yes-
terday morning, attended by Lord Alfred Paget.
M. Van de Weyer, Belgian Minister, arrived on a
visit to her Majesty.
The Duchess of Kent took leave of her Majesty and
left Osborne this morning, at a quarter past 10 o'clock,
for Frogmore, attended by Lady Fanny Howard. The
duchess embarked in the Fairy for Southampton, where
a special train was in readiness to convey her royal
highness.

DEC. 11.
The Queen and Prince, the Duke and Duchess of
Brabant, and the Royal family, walked out yesterday in
the grounds.
Viscount Hardinge arrived from London on a visit to
ker Ainjesty.

A deputation from the borough of Kingston-upon-
Thames had an interview on Saturday with the General
Board of Health, at their offices, Whitehall. The depu-
tation consisted of Mr. Frederick Gould, Mayor of
Kingston ; Mr. S. Ranyard, and Mr. J. Hollingdale, of
Surbiton ; and Mr. S. Phillips, of Kingston. The Rev.
Edward plncumbent of Surbiton, also had an
interview with the General Board of Health, at their
offices, Whitehall, on Saturday.
Colonel Sihthorp had an interview with Viscount Pal-
merston on Saturday.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat. on
Saturday and commenced the hearing of an appeal from,
the Prerogative Court, "Eowley v. Palmer and Biggs.'
The case was adjourned. The lords present were—The
Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, the
Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall,
the Judge of the
Admiralty Court, and Sir E. Ryan.

The Queen liar conferred the honour of Knight-
hood on Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Bogle, of the
East
India Company's service, Bengal establishment, civil com-
missioner in the Tenasserim and Mataban provinces.
The Duke and Duchess de Brabant will take
leave of her Majesty and Prince Albert to-day, at Osborne
House, Isle of Wight, and proceed to Dover, where their
Highnesses will embark on board one of his Belgian Ma-
jestv's mail packets to Ostend, en route to Brussels, where
the duke and duchess are expected to arrive this evening.
M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister, will attend them
to Dover.

The Duke and Duchess of Montrose and family
have arrived in Belgrave-square from Buchanan Castle,
N.B.

The Earl and Countess of Stamford and War-
rington, who arrived in Hill-street, on Thursday, from
Euville Hall, left town on Saturday for Brighton. The
earl, we aro glad to state, has recovered from the ferocious
assault committed on him by poachers in the neighbour-
hood of Envillo.

The Earl and Countess of Lichfield are expected
to leave town to-morrow for Brighton. His lordship's
youngest son, the Hon. Archibald H. Anson, has been just
appointed a second lieutenant in the Royal Brigade.

The Earl and Countess of Erroll have left town
for Portsmouth, where his lordship's corps, the Rifles, are
quartered.

The Earl Fitzwilliam is entertaining a numerous
7arnily circle at Wentworth House.

EARL SHREWSBURY.—The Right Hon. the Earl
of Shrewsbury this day attains his majority, and enters
upon the vast estates of his illustrious ancestors.
Amongst other means adopted by him for the commemora-
tion of the event, is the erection of a splendid Roman Ca-
tholic cathedral at Shrewsbury, at a cost of at least 10,000/.
The foundation-stone will be laid this day by the Right
Rev. Dr. Brown, of Shrewsbury.

THE EARL OF JERSEY.—We are pleased to learn
that this highly respected nobleman is considerably im.
proved in health.

His Excellency Namik Paella is expected to ar-
rive in London, from Paris, towards the close of the week.
THE BISHOP of NORWICH.—The last accounts
from Norwich respecting the health of the right rev. pre-
late are favourable. We are happy to add, his illness has
not been of so serious a nature as to cause any alarm to his
relations and numerous friends.

The ioble General Commanding-in-Chief Vis-
count Hardinge, left Great Stanhope-street on Saturday,
on a visit to the Queen at Osborne, Isle of Wight. His
lordship is expected to return to town to-day. Her lady-
ship and the Hon. Miss Hardinge, are staying at South
Park, Penhurst.

The noble Master of the Buckhounds, Lord Bes-
borough, has just received from Earl Fitzwilliam several
fine stags from Wentworth, York. They were delivered
at the Royal kennels at Ascot on Thursday, and are en-
tered for the Royal hunt.

Mr. Frederick Glennie, resident in Mexico, is
appointed to discharge the duties of her Britannic Ma-
jesty's consul in that city.
THE FRENCII EMBASSY.—We understand his Ex-
cellency Count Walewski, and the personnel of the French
embassy, remove from the present seat of tho embassy in
Grosvenor-square, to Gibraltar House (Mr. Hudson's,
mansion at Albert-crate), which has been taken by the
French Government for a lengthened term.

THE JUNIOR UNITED SERVICE CLUB.—The gal-
lant members of the above club have recently presented
Mr, David Steers (of the House of Commons) with a pair
of magnificent silver claret vases, as a testimonial of their
regard for his valuable services during the many years he
acted as steward of the club, which he vacated on being
appointed deputy assistant housekeeper of the house of

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

MALTA, DEC. 2.

THE MEDITERRANEAN FLEET.

By the arrival last night of the French mail packet
from the Levant news was received of the entire falsity
of the report that the combined fleets had entered the
Black Sea. The probable cause of the report having
gained circulation is the fact of two war-steamers having
entered that sea for the purpose of rendering assistance
to some merchant vessels.

The Terrible, steam-frigate, bearinc, the flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, reached Constantinople on
the 25th, as the mail was leaving.
The Highflyer, steam-frigate, arrived in Malta harbour
on the 26th ult., and saluted the flag of the Admiral
Superintendent. On the 30th she took her departure
for Corfu, previous to proceeding to join the Admiral.
The Queen, 116, proceeded on the 26th ult. on her
passage to Constantinople.
The London, 90, from Portsmouth, arrived on the
27th ult. and is to leave to-day to join the fleet. On
board the London was the new commander of the
Modeste, the son of the Admiral-Superintendent Hou-
ston Stewart, who on the 29th ult. read his commission
on board the vessel he is called upon to command.

The Modesto was inspected on Wednesday by Captain
Eden, of the London, who expressed himself highly
gratified at the high state of discipline in which lie
found her.

To-morrow the Modeste will leave port for Corfu,
where she is to remain on station for six weeks.

DUTCH NAVY.

Among the recent arrivals in this port are the Dog-
gersbank, from the Texel, on the 25th ult., and the Prins
von Oranje, yesterday, from the Levant. It is reported
that other vessels of this nation will shortly arrive here.

THE MERCANTILE NAVY.
The British Queen and the Taurus arrived on the 28th
ult. from the Levant, with full cargoes. Both left port
for Gibraltar and Liverpool, the former on the 28th, the
latter on the 29th.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's ship Vectis,
from Marseilles, with the portion of the outward India
mail, sent through France, arrived on the 30th ult., hav-
ing
encountered heavy gales during the whole voyage.
The Euxine, with mails for India, expectedhere .
on
the 30th, arrived last night, and will leave at noon to-
day for Alexandria.
The several steamers employed in the conveyance of
mails to and from Marseilles and the Levant ports, have
all arrived, and departed, or are on the point of proceed
ing to their destinations.
The mercantile screw steamer Orontes is due here to-
morrow.
Malta was visited by a severe storm of thunder on the
morning of Tuesday last. Some of the hailstones mea-
sured two, and two and a-half inches in circumference
--a fact hardly credible to those who had not seen and
measured them.
The Woodbine brig, from Liverpool,
le, deg
Oldham, from London to Constantinop
tulle 7 .
ult., in latitude 38 deg 9 min. north, g
spoke theoJoln:
1 min. east. The Woodbine
26th ult.
h schooner Martha,
arrived oil the
At 8 p.m. last night, the English from Cardiff, with
of Weymouth, Captain F. Williams, 'itieasoli Point, and
coals, out 22 days, struck ea '..
has gone to pieces: Crew saved.
pORTSMOUTH, DEC. 11.
THE "VAL
, cotitesTapVpooiLnUt:EnEtß
ofS all the cap-
tains to th
We reportedforce. last week
hhe pay of the captain-superinten-
-I,oooi. T
a year. The other captains are 6to
dent is to be
d 17s 6d. a day for travelling
receive 500/. a year eac, for a house, and Is.
subsistence, an .
day for empelled to go off their stations on
a Svhen c
dertye.nseAs commander will be attached to each cap-
tain.
tached following officers of
Wtore have said that a paymaster will be at-
tain division. The
grade each
already been selected :-----Henry
I,l;ats;ife Edwin J. Forster, and Julian A. Messum.
The pay of these officers will be 2601. per annum, and
lOs. a day subsistence or travelling money. Surgeons
will also be attached to each station. We expect, to be
-te
comp t. ,
1 the movement will ultimately comprise a
floating depot or training ship for each station, with sea
time allowed to the officers.

The good service pensions vacant by the promotion
of Captain Percy Grace and the death of Captain Foote
have been conferred upon Captain Edward Purcell. a
gallant old officer, late in command of the 80-gun ship
Superb, and Captain Thomas Wren Carter, at present
commanding the Britannia, 120, flagship of the British
fleet in the Dardanelles. Another good service pension
and the best home command for a captain afloat will Le
given away at the commencement of the new year, if we
are rightly informed that Captain Chads, of the Excel-
lent, will then appear on the list as a Rear-Admiral, in
the room of Sir John Franklin, whose name will be
struck off by the Admiralty on the grounds that all hope
of his existence are extinguished. It is expected Sir
Thomas Maitland will have the Excellent.
A. new metal screw for the Duke of Wellington, 131,
was cast in the foundry in this dockyard, under the su-
perintendence of Mr. Murray, the superintendent en-
gineer, on Friday. Its dimensions, diameter, pitch, &c.,
are precisely similar to the screw the Duke at present
works with, which is as the corareon principle. The

' new screw will be released from the mould on Tuesday ;
its weight is about 9 tons.
The Princess Royal, 91, Captain Lord Clarence Paget,
is progressing very rapidly with her rigging, considering-
the paucity of blue-jackets engaged in the work and the
intense coldness of the weather. We have every reason
to expect that the ship will have an able and a fine
crew. A seaman belonging to this noble vessel fell from
her futtock rigging into the fitting basin on Friday after-
noon, and sustained such a shock and injuries that hie
life is despaired of.
The Rifleman, 8, screw-schooner, Lieutenant Com-
mander Christian, remains guardship at Spithead. She
is yet shorthanded.
The Leopard, 18, paddlewheel steam-frigate, Captain
George Giffard, is re-tubing her boilers in the basin.
When refitted she will proceed to the Mediterranean.
First-Lieutenant Thelwal, commanding the artillery de-
tachment of Royal Marines on board, has obtained 10
days' leave of absence.
The Isis, 44, at Chatham, is ordered to be fitted im-
mediately for a flag.

WOOLWICH; DEC. 10.

The Banshee steam-vessel had her pendant hoisted.
yesterday by Lieutenant Louis R. Reynolds, who is to
command her, and in the course of the day entered
several hands and first-class boys from the Fisgard
flag-ship at this port. One corporal and six privates of
the 'Woolwich division of Royal Marines have been
placed under orders to embark on Tuesday next for
service in the Banshee.
The Black Eagle steam-vessel, Master Commander
Petley, is under orders to ho2d herself in readiness to
proceed to-morrow to Grimsby, to convey Sir James
Graham, First Lord of the Admiralty, and a party,
among whom will be several Elder Brethren of the
Trinity-house, for the purpose of inspecting the coast
defences or harbours of refuge at that place. A Trinity
pilot will pilot the Black Eagle to Grimsby.

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT AN EXECUTION;

(From the Baltimore Sun.)

The sentence of the law was duly executed on Thomas
Connor yesterday, within the gaol yard. At an early
hour persons beg;an to assemble in the vicinity of the
gaol, and by noon, the hour of the execution, thousands
were congregated on every available prominent position,
embracing both sexes, and every age, hue, and colour.
The scaffold was erected in the northern part of the
gaol yard, in the usual form, most of the timbers being
those used on previous occasions. The scaffold was 27
ropew t
feet 6 inches high, with 9 feet by 8 feet, 18 feet abovo
the
weight,
,o wasu
to n
triedd.
insure The
duringhaf theo atlino fwtheeek,ro p e was 21 feet. Tha
anshdoublodreoacchuarlfthtroonulgjah.
any weakness or flaw. It mishap
was manufactured especially
for the purpose.

At 10 o'clock persons who had received tickets of
admission to thegaol yard were admitted, and were nearly
500 in number. At 20 minutes past 10 o'clock, John
Hayes, Esq., high sheriff, and his deputies, proceeded
to the cell of the convict, who was duly transferred to
his custody by Mr. Myers, the warden. He appeared
very calm, with very slightsigns of trepidation about him.
On a table in his cell stood a small cross, and a bouquet
of blooming roses, placed there that morning. The pri.
soner said but little, and on the Rey. Father Hickey
speaking to him words of consolation and hope, he did
not shed a tear—not so with others, Mr. Foley, his
spiritual adviser, weeping freely. Connor bore the or.
deal with great nerve. At 25 minutes to 11 o'clock, the
sheriff and his deputies proceeded to place the whit
shroud of muslin on the prisoner, but he never faltered,
himself assisting in putting it on. At a quarter past 11
o'clock Connor engaged in devout prayer with Messrs.
Foley and Hickey. At half-past 11 the officers pro.
ceeded to bind his arms and hands preparatory to leay.
ing the cell for the scaffold. At a quarter to 12 o'clock
the white cap was placed on his head, and the sheriff and
his officers, clergymen, members of the press, and physi.
cians, who alone were admitted to his cell, started for
the scaffold, the warden and his deputies, tog(t.ier with
others who had attended on him, having bid him fare.
well. On the way to the scaffold the ministers chanted
an appropriate psalm, the crowd in the yard standing
uncovered as they passed through, a lane being formed
by the police. At ten minutes to 12 o'clock they arrived
at the scaffold, and without halting, the prisoner, toge.
ther with the clergy, sheriff, and two of his deputies,
and warden, proceeded at once on the platform.
Connor walked up with a great degree of firmness,
holding his head down, his eyes fixed on his crucifix, as
he had done from the time he had left the cell.

The sheriff and his assistants having fixed the rope on
his neck, a short prayer was offered by the clergy, and
the last absolution given. At five minutes to 12 o'clock
the cap was pulled over his eyes, and all having left tho
scaffoli, the trigger was touched and the trap fell. Pre.
vious to leaving the platform, at the request of the Rey.
Mr. Hickey, the fall of the rope had been increased from
21 feet to near 6 feet, and the weight of the body corn.
ing on it at that distance (Connor weighing over 1S01h.),
the rope broke in twain and he fell to the ground. A.
universal thrill of horror ran through the crowd within
the enclosure—outside it was greeted with shouts and
clapping of hands, and, as he sank from their view, the
multitude, as if by common consent, made their way
towards the gate of the gaol, expecting to hear some.
thing from the inside. About half of the crowd left the
location 'for their homes.
The rope on his neck which was suffocating him was
instantly cut. and he s,,on revived, being very little in.
jured, no bones being broken, and only a few slight
bruises perceptible. A small red ring, caused by tht
rops, the skin being abrased in a very few places, was tC
be seen around his neck. His first exclamation was—.

(" Well, gentlemen, I am innocent of murder in the first
degree !" The excitement occasioned by the mishap was
soon allayed, and water being brought, his face was
bathed in it by Mr. Foley, and he lay down under tha
scaffold, pleading to his God for mercy.
Sheriff Hayes immediately despatched the following
note to Governor Lowe, who was reported to be within
a short distance, at the residence of a relative :
" To his Excellency Governor Lowe :—Dear Sir—/
have met with an accident in the execution of Thomas
Connor, the rope having broke, and he declares his in.
nocence of murder in the first degree. Yours very re.
spectfully, " JOHN HAYES, Sheriff.
" Baltimore, Aug. 5, 1853."
Mr. Jeffers is the bearer of this note to your Excel.
lency. . ..

Connor, in the meantime, continued his supplicating
to his Maker for mercy—to take him out of this world ;
Messrs. Foley and Hickey did what they could to com.
fort him. He finally got himself in quite a nervous
emotion, crying loudly, asseverating that he had seen
his God—got a glimpse of his Saviour, and he wished to
go on the scaffold again to be hung, in order that he
might have the same Vision
take,
over—that his Saviour was
catching him in his arms, and was
jguosi tn
gi nt
ot hper
eascetlt of
his Father. He said, "I have
been a very bad boy, him too
I do
ege
oy, and nor te want
pattern by me," and repeated
guilty of murder in the -hefirstd anykil l
ed boyt
he to
man,
several times he was not
but did not intend to do it.
The journe
fold refused t3O en carpenters who had put up the scaf.
come forward and replace the trap again,.
and their employer, assisted by the sheriffs officers, put
it in proper order, re-affixing the same rope over the
crossbeam, which caused great apprehension that it
would again break.
Mr. M. Jeffers, who had been despatched with the
note to Governor Lowe, returned and reported that
his Exceilency had gone out of town during the
morning. There was no chance, therefore, for a fur•
they reprieve. At half-past twelve o'clock, the scaffold
ner was raised on his.
being again prepared, the priso
feet, and started for the platform, accompanied
by the Rev. Mr. Foley, the sheriff, and assistants.
Connor appeared extremely anxious to die, and actually
walked up the steps a-head of the others with quite a.
o re-adjusted, all left the
platform, and at 27 minutes to
rapid stride. The rope was son 1
o clock the trigger was
again pulled, the trap fell, and the poor wretch hung
suspended in the air. The fall this time was made
only about twenty inches,
and it proved amply suffi-
cient for the purpose. He struggled very little, and
in less than five minutes all, save a slight muscular
motion, had ceased.
At two minutes to one the body, having hung twenty-
five minutes, was lowered down and examined by Dr.
E. P. Duvall, the physician of the gaol, Dr. E. C.
Thomas, Dr. Charles A. Frick, and Dr. C. A. Leas, who
were in attendance, and life pronounced to be extinct.
The body was then placed in the coffin and removed
to a room of the building, where Dr. Duvall and others
made an examination and found that the neck was not
dislocated, and that death had resulted from suffocation.
His mother took charge of the body last evening and. had
it privately interred.
The crowd outside amounted to perhaps 20,000 per-
sons, a large proportion of whom were women and
chil-
dren ; another very large proportion was boys of all
Every eminence, including the house-tops in ages'
the vici-
nity, was covered with the masses, who seemed not to
be impressed with the solemnity of the occasi
parently regarded the whole as a frolic. on, but ap-
The prisoners in the penitentiary
were
witness the scene from the tops of two permitted to
and they sat in the broiling sun of the buildings,
looking
appa-
rently most interested spectators.on, the

&C.}:OIII,N THTEHEPOTOR.-1
COLLIERS,
GOOD NEWS
DIMENBE ARRIVAL OF
Saturday no fewer than THAMES, —On Friday and
immense fleet
ports in the north of
were entered inwards at 566 vessels, of all classes,
the aggregate quauti
336 coal-laden from the various
the Custom-house ; of this
exceeds 67,000 tons, aretyEonfglcaonadls, abnrdouigtiii
beystitmheasteedshtilpiast
market which has had such an effect on the
as to reduce the prices from 4s. to ss. a ton. Such
an accumulation of inward bound ships waiting for turns to
discharge has not been known to the oldest lighterman
to
have occurred on the Thames for several years ; and
should the wind continue in its present quarter, E.N.E.,
for a little longer, a much more numerous fleet is ex
petted, as above 400 vessels are now loading at Hartle-
pool, Shields, Newcastle, and Sunderland ; the other
arrivals include 156 ships from foreign ports—with only
one exception, from the north of Europe, and 52 coasters,
This last number comprises the steam-ships trading be-
tween the port of London and France, Belgium, Hol-
land, Leith, Hull, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Belfast.—
Sunday Times.
MARYLEBONE FREE LIBRARY, 27, GLOUCESTER.
PLACE, NEW-ROAD.—The first free library established in
the metropolis will, we are informed, be opened in
January, 1854 ; its doors will be opened gratuitously to
the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., thus !enabling all ..
classes to avail themselves of its advantages, which NV e
have no doubt they will readily do, as the collecti
books is such as to gratify the taste of a large variety c
ol- '•
1 readers.