The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-02 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Yesterday was the birthday of his Royal Highness
Prince Arthur. The Duchess of Kent paid a visit of
congratulation to the Queen in the forenoon.
Her Majesty gave a ball in the evening at Bucking-
ham Palace to a party of the juvenile nobility. The
invitations numbered about 260, and comprised the
families of the foreign Ministers, of the Ministers of
State, and of the ladies and gentlemen of the Court.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended
by Lady Anna Maria Dawson, and their Royal High-
nesses the Duchess and Princess Mary of Cambridge,
attended by a Lady in Waiting and Baron Knesebeck,
arrived at the Palace at half-past 8 o'clock, and were
received by the Queen in the White Drawing-room.
The general company had commenced arriving at 8
o'clock, and were ushered up the Grand Staircase, which
was brilliantly illuminated and decorated with flowers,
the large arch at the termination of the first flight
beinc, completely filled to the height of about 14 feet
with* a beautiful display of geraniums, arranged with
great taste, and lighted by two large crystal candelabra
on massive bronze pedestals. Her Majesty's juvenile
guests assembled in the Picture Gallery.
At a quarter to 9 o'clock the Queen and Prince
Albert, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, the
Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, Prince Alfred, the
Princess Helena, the Princess Louisa, Prince Arthur,
the Duchess of Kent, and the Duchess and Princess
Mary of Cambridge, and attended by the Countess of
Charlernont, the Hon. Caroline Cavendish, the Hon.
Flora Macdonald, the Marquis of Breadalbane, Lord
de Tabley, Viscount Torrington, Lieutenant-Colonel
the Hon. A. N. Hood, Colonel Wylde, Lord Charles
Fitzroy, and Captain the Hon. Dudley de Ros, entered
the Throne-room, which was arranged for dancing, and
the ball immediately commenced with a quadrille.
The Royal Princesses wore dresses of white tulle over
white silk, trimmed with apple blossoms and wreaths of
the same.

The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred wore the High-
land dress.

Lords Albert and Ronald Leveson Gower, the sons of
the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland ; the Marquis of
Douglas, son of the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton ;
the Marquis of Lorne and the Lords Archibald and
Walter Campbell, sons of the Duke and Duchess of
Argyll, and other youthful scions of the Scottish aris-
tocracy, wore the Highland costume.
Her Majesty's private band officiated for the dancing.
Refreshments were served during the evening in an
ante-room, and, at the conclusion of the ball, her Ma-
jesty's juvenile visitors were conducted to supper, which
was served in the State dinner-room.

Captain the Hon. Dudley de EO3 has relieved Lieut.-
Colonel F. H. Seymour in his duties as Equerry in
Waiting to Prince Albert.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the
Duchess of Glocester yesterday, at Glocester-house.
Sir Alexander Spearman had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official re-
sidence in Downing-street.

A deputation on✓the subject of the Thames Embank-
ment and Railway, consisting of the Hon. R. E. Ho-
ward, Mr. T. K. Holmes, Mr. R. E. Jackson, Mr.
Bird (engineer), Mr. Maltby (solicitor), and Mr. J. E.
Weller, had an interview with Sir William Moleswarth
yesterday, at the office of Public Works, in Whitehall-
place.
A deputation, including the Marquis of Chandos, Mr.
Denison, the Right Hun. Spencer Walpole, Mr. Mac-
gregor, and Mr. Pullien, had an interview with the
Right Hon. E. Cardwell and Lord Stanley of Alderley
yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade.

ST. PETERSBURG. —The letters from St. Petersburg
reach to the 22d April. Business was almost entirely
suspended, but the rate of exchange was again slightly
less unfavourable, the quotation being 344 d. to id. The
weather bad become warm and very fine, and the ice in
the river was expected speedily to disappear.
DEPARTURES FOR AUSTRALIA.—The departures from
the port of London for the Australian colonies during
the past week show a decrease. They have comprised
altogether seven vessels—two to Port Philip, with an
aggregate burden of 1,041 tons; two to Sydney, with
an aggregate burden of 1,041 tons ; one to Hobart Town
of 605 tons ; one to Launceston of 292 tons ; and one
to Adelaide of 392 tons. Their total capacity was con-
sequently 3,161 tons. The rates of freight have not ex-
hibited any great variation.
THE ALLEGED MUTINY ON BOARD THE AMERICAN SHIP
SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS.—The Government having de-
clined, on the application of the American consul, to
order an adjudication in this country of the eight seamen
imprisoned on board the American ship Sovereign of the
Seas, of New York, Captain Warner, on a charge of
mutiny while on a passage from Melbourne to the port
of London, the Secretary of the Legation had, we under-
stand, an audience on Saturday last with Lord Palmer-
ston, the Secretary of State for the Home Department,
on the subject of a second application for the removal
of the prisoners to a place of security until the captain
was in a position to convey them to the United States
for trial. His lordship, however, declined to entertain
such a course. The whole of the prisoners made their
escape from the ship on Saturday night, leaving their
irons behind them. However, subseq,uently they were
found all seated in the American clinsure office in the
City, and, on interrogating them as to how they got out
of the ship, they stated that the carpenter came below
to them, and, having unlocked their handcuffs, said
they could go about their business, which they did, and
they had come to the consul to seek redress and their
wages. The clerks in the office persisted that the men
had made their escape, yet no steps were taken to pretest
their liberty.
A MEDICAL ALDERMAN.—The newly-elected alder-
man for the city of London had formerly been a most
honourable member of the medical profession, having
filled a post no less distinguished that that of physician-
general in the Bombay department of the East India
Company's service. After proceeding to India as assist-
ant-surgeon more than 40 years ago, he passed through
the various ranks of the medical profession in the service
until at length he was appointed to the high office of
head of the medical department of Bombay as physician-
general. He served under Lord Keene in Affghanistan,
and returned to the Bombay presidency at the close of
the war in that province of India. Mr. Alderman Ken-
nedy is, moreover, most favourably known as a medical
author, having written one of the best treatises extant
on that dreadful scourge of humanity, epidemic cholera,
which he dedicated to the Medical and Physical Society
of Calcutta.

-n
ii3OYALITALIAN OPERA.—The Queen's box at the Royal
Italian Opera was occupied on Saturday evening by
Lady Caroline Barrington and Miss Barrington and
party. Among the fashionable company attending the
theatre, we remarked his Excellency the Belgian Mini-
ster and Madame Van de Weyer, the Duchess of Wel-
lington and Lady Jane Hay, the Marchioness of Hast-
ings and Lady Bertha Hastings, the Marquis of Bread-
albane, the Marquis of Bath, the Marchioness of Ailes-
bury, the Marchioness of Ely, the Earl of Wilton, the
Earl Cowper, the Earl of Cardigan, the Earl and Coun-
tess of Clare and Lady Eleanor Fitzgibbon, the Earl of
Gifford, the Countess of Glengall and Lady M. Butler,
Viscount Ebrington, Viscount Ingestre, Viscount Clifden,
Viscount Bolinzbroke,Viseount Ranelagh, Lady Sondes
and the Hon. Miss Mines, Lord Robert Pelham Clin-
ton, Lord Cranstoun, Lord and Lady Ernest Bruce,
Lord and Lady Francis Russell, Lord H. Thynne, Lord
Charles Bruce, Lord Batemen, Lady Duffierin, the Ba-
roness Tallevrand, Lord and Lady Colville, Baron
Paravicini, Lady Macfarlane, Hon. Francis Stonor,
Hon. Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Browne, Hon. Mr. and 14Irs.
H. Liddell and Miss Liddell, Hon. Mrs. Anson and
Miss Anson, Hon. Mrs. Dudley Ward and Miss Fitz-
gerald, Hon. John Fortescue, General the Hon. H. Ca-
vendish, Sir George Armytage, Colonel Brownlow Knox,
Sir Henry Menx, M.P., Mr. and Mrs. John Stanley,
Mr. William Rose Mr. Henry Greville, Mr. Walter
Strickland, Mr. and Mrs. Batts, Mr. Thistlethwayte,
Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, Major Gage, Major Pole,
Colonel Blair, Captain Shearson, Captain Ellison, Cap-
tain Torrens,
Leopold Redpath, Mr. J. H. Haytor, Mr. E. Bligh,
Oaptain Vivian, Mr. H. W. Currie, Mr.
Henry Webster, Mr. and Mrs. Arabin, Mr. Webster,
Mr. HaTo49tl-33ecliett, Mr. It, Baring, M,P., &e,