The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-09 00:00:00

BRIGHTON.-THURSDAY.

Their Majesties have not been out for a week. The
weather still continues exceedingly boisterous.
This morning his Majesty granted an audience to Sir
G. Shiffner, Bart.

The Royal dinner party yesterday evening was con-
fined to their Majesties and the suite.

The calls at the Palace this day comprise the Earl and
Countess of Beauchamp, Viscount Lake, Col. Higginson,
Marquis of Thomond, Rev. G. Shiffner, Rev. Dr. Batten,
Col. G. Windham (on leaving).
The Marehioness of Clanricarde gave a soire de dank
last night to a select circle of the haut ton, at her residence,
Brunswick-terrace. Dancing commenced about 11 o'clock
to Kirchner's band, and terminated soon after two. Among
the company present were Lady Colville, Admiral Cod-
rington, Earl and Countess Rosse and the Ladies Parsons,
Lady H. and Misses Paulet, Sir Robert and Lady Fitz-
wygram, Hon. Misses Tennant, Mr., Mrs., and Miss Jones ;
Lady and the Misses Tierney.
The Duchess of Cannizzaro's soire musicale last night
was fashionably attended.
Lady Fitzwygram's cards are out for a ball on the 21st.
The Countess of Winterton has issued cards for a din-
ner on the 16th.

Sir Henry Halford has been staying for a day or two on
a visit to Mrs. Fitzherbcrt, and left yesterday for town.
The Earl of Errol has left Brighton for a short time to
join the hunt at Aylesbury.
Lord F. Gordon will go to town to-morrow for a few days.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, DEC. 8.

This day the Houses of Parliament met pro forma, the
period of the prorogation having terminated. At 3 o'clock
the Lord Chancellor and Lords Glenelg and Duncannon
entered the House of Lords in their robes ; and having taken
their seats in front of the Throne, the Lord Chancellor di-
rected Black Rod (the Deputy Usher, Mr. Pulman, attended)
to require the immediate attendance of the Commons in the
House of Peers, to hear his Majesty's Commission read.
Mr. Rickman, one of the clerks at the table of the Com-
mons, accompanied by many persons connected with that
House, and some strangers, who were desirous of viewing
the ceremonial, appeared at and below the bar.

The LORD CHANCELLOR then directed his Majesty's
Commission to be read, which was accordingly done by Mr.
Currie, the second clerk at their Lordships' table.

The LORD CHANCELLOR thereupon spoke to the
following effect
" MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

" By virtue of his Majesty's Commission issued under the
Great -Seal, and to us and other Lords directed, and which
has just been read, we, in his Majesty's name, and in obedi-
ence to his commands, do prorogue this Parliament to Tues-
day, the 31st day of January next ; and we now declare that
this Parliament is now prorogued accordingly to Tuesday,
the 31st of January next."

The Lords and Commons then severally bowed and
quieted the House.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of business.
The report of the proceedings adopted on the subject of
transferring the Gresham Lectures from the small incom-
modious room in the Royal Exchange to the City of Lon-
don School was introduced, and caused a good deal of ob-
servation.

Mr. Barns said that having brought forward the subject
some time ago, and expressed a sanguine opinion that the
lecturers, as men of literature and science, would have
gladlylacquiesced in the proposition to render the Gresham
will more available than it had been for so long a period, he
felt that he was in a painful position. If he were surprised
at their disinclination to render the service he had expected
of them, he was still more surprised at the reasons which
they had advanced, and which appeared to him to be an in-
sult to the Court, and a disgrace to themselves and to the
institution, and to the memory of the founder. Mr. Baylis
concluded by moving, " That the communication of the
clerk to the Mercers' Company to the town clerk be re-
ferred to the City of London School Committee, and that
it be an instruction to such committee to consider the rela-
tive rights of the Corporation and the Mercers' Company,
as co-trustees of the Gresham estate, and of the professors,
and whether any and what steps should be taken more fully
to carry out the intentions of Sir Thomas Gresham's will,
by makinc, the lectures more beneficial to the public."
Mr. HALE (Chairman of the City of London School)
seconded the motion. He stated that the estate was con-
siderably in debt to the Corporation—he believed 20,0001.
Mr. R. L. JONES stated that he was afraid the present
reference would meet the fate of all past references on this
subject.
Mr. STEVENS thought that a very good way to effect the
object the Corporation had in view, would be to endeavour
to prevail upon the public press to send reporters to the
closet in the Royal Exchange to give accounts of the lec-
tures delivered there.
After some further discussion,

Mr. E. WILSON said that he had a question to put (we
believe to Sheriff Duke) of considerable importance to the
public. He had been given to understand that some delay
had taken place in the Central Criminal Court, in conse-
quence of the illness of Sergeant Arabin, one of the City
Judges. Now, as considerable expense and inconvenience
were likely to arise in the event of a sudden indisposition of
a Judge, and as most of the Learned Judges and Sergeants
were included in the Commission, he wished to know whe-
ther, on the occasion alluded to, any one of these Learned
persons had offered to preside in the place of Sergeant
Arabin ?—(Hear, hear.) Upon the occasion to which he
referred Aldermen Brown and Wilson, who sat on the
bench, had offered to try the prisoners, but the Recorder,
or some one of the Judges of the land, very properly ob-
jected to such substitutes. There might have been here
an inconvenience resulting, if any prisoner who might have
been committed by either of those magistrates had been
put to the bar to take his trial.

Sheriff DUKE said that no serious delay had taken place
in. consequence of the illness of Sergeant Arabin ; and
that it had not been found necessary to deviate from the
usual course.

Mr. CHARLES PEARSON rose and said a few words on
the subject.
Under-Sheriff WIRE stated that a distinct arrangement
might be made by which the judges of the land would have
to try none but capital offences, and the City judges might
dispose of those of minor importance. There would then
be more certainty as to the time of trial. The Sheriffs also
were of opinion that much trouble might be saved to the
judges of the land, by making arrangements to do away
with a proceeding now very prevalent—that of two or three
of them, sitting on the Bench at the same time, to try ap-
pointed cases.
Mr. PEARSON then moved that Sheriff Duke should be
added to the Committee on the administration of justice.
Agreed to unanimously.
POOR WIDOWS OF FREEMEN.

The sum of 5001. was ordered to be distributed amongst
the poor widows of freemen on St. Thomas's Day.

BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE.

Mr. R. TAYLOR withdrew his notice to remove the fur-
ther prosecution of the repairs of Blackfriars Bridge to the
Bridge-house Estates Committee. The experience and in-
tegrity of Mr. Prior (the Chairman) and the Blackfriars
Bridge Committee, entitled them, in his opinion, to the
most complete confidence of their fellow-citizens.

LIVERPOOL TRADESMEN'S RE-

FORM ASSOCIATION.

This newly-organized body held its first monthly meet-
ing last Saturday evening. Upwards of 300 members were
present, and the proceedings of the evening were charac-
terized by uncommon zeal and enthusiasm..
The Liverpool Tradesmen's Reform Association owes its
existence to the manceuvres which the Tories for some time
have been exhibiting, in order to impress the world with a
high opinion of their numerical strength in Liverpool. The
Reformers are now on the alert, and about to exhibit their
giant-strength in a manner which has already excited the
fears and enkindled the anger of their enemies.

The first fruit of this newly-organized opposition to
Toryism is the Tradesmen's Reform Association. Although
the Association is only fourteen days old, it already em-
braces 800 members, whose donations and subscriptions
amount to 5001. The manner in which this infant Asso-
ciation has been supported since its first announcement ap-
peared to throw an inspiring influence over the speakers and
the meeting.

The Glasgow dinner to Sir Robert Peel is fixed for
Friday the 13th January.

Captain R. H. Stanhope, R.N., cousin of the Earl
of Harrington, and brother of Lady Southampton, has been
appointed inspector of the constabulary force in the county
of Leitrim.

The Hon. Mrs. H. Legge gave a juvenile dance on
Tuesday evening, the Gth instant.
The ordinary meeting of the Society of Antiquaries
was held yesterday, evening, W. R. Hamilton, Esq., V.P.,
in the chair. A communication was read from A. J. Kempe,
Esq., on the Roman remains met with in London, and ac-
counting for their paucity being used in other erections, as
was more . particularly instanced in ecclesiastical esta-
blishments. A paper was next read from H. W. Diamond,
Esq., who exhibited an early mezzotinto engraving, tending
to confirm some previous remarks of his, that the credit of
the invention belonged to M. Seigen, instead of Prince
Rupert, to whom it is generally assigned.
The ordinary meeting of the Linnwan Society was
held on Wednesday evening, A. B. Lambert, Esq., V.P.,
in the chair. A communication was read from the Chair-
man on the culture of the Peruvian grain called quirroa.
A paper was also read from Professor Don on two species
of the natural order corrifera. One of these, the pinus
brutici, from Calabria, was nearly related to the maritime
pine of Greece, attaining a considerable size, and yielding
timber of very superior quality ; the other was a native of
New Holland, and discovered by Banks and Solander in the
first'voyage of Captain Cook.
THE MARRIAGES OF THE YEAR.—We leave to
the learned in " population" the task of counting up all the
marriages that have been perpetrated bet.veen January and
December, and, curious only about the marriages of the
season, shall take the hint that is given us, and; tur❑ to
the Court Journal of to-morrow for its review of this most
most interesting portion of the events of the twelvemonth.
The list of fashionable and distinguished weddings is a long
one, and affords plenty of scope to a brilliant pen for awak-
ening pleasant reminiscences, detailing piquant anecdotes,
and summoning up picturesque groupes, so as to present a
chronicle that the gay world may turn to with no ordinary
curiosity. We are told that the narrative is studded with
sparkling descriptions of the lovely and (we hope) loving
brides.

The cap put on the pinnacle of the obelisk at Paris
is.uncovered. It is composed of a mastic, said to be as
durable as the granite itself. Its colour is at present rather
deeper than that of the stone, but this will be softened
down by the effect of the sun and air. The pinnacle is now
exactly similar in appearance to that which still remains at
the sate of Luxor.