The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-29 00:00:00

S N, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 29, 1849

LETTERS on the THEORY of PROBABILI-
TIES. Translated from the French of A.
Quetelet by Olinthus Gregory Downes.
Persons unacquainted with this masterly effusion
may very possibly shrink from attempting its perusal,
out of a mistaken conviction that it requires before it
can be comprehended a profound acquaintance with
the abstruser portions of the science of mathematics.
Such an erroneous supposition we would throw off at
once, informing the larger number of the public that
the work is of a more elementary nature than the
erudite compositions of Laplace and Poisson. When
it is remembered, moreover, that the theory
in question is here applied to the various
laws affectinc, society, moral, social, and political, it
must be evident that the book appeals directly to the
jurist, the statesman, and the philosopher, besides
affecting ourselves, each and all, in an intimate de-
gree. The letters of Quetelet, originally addressed to
the Grand Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha,
and through him to the world at large, has been here
most admirably translated by the learned and in-
genious Olinthus Gregory Downes. The enterprize
of the publishers, we doubt not, in bringing before the
readers of England this remarkable production will
be ultimately repaid by the increasing popularity of
an effusion so deserving of a large circulation.

368
1,270
408

3,709
1,372
670
643

Mr. E. HENTY seconded the nomination. The
Noble Lord was willing to advocate those principle
which would be found the best for the country at
large. In his address he told them he was of the same
opinions as the late Mr. Goring, and he (Mr. Henty)
was sure the supporters of that gentleman would
most gladly place the Noble Lord in a similar position
as their representative.— (Cheers and hisses.)
His family was so well known and so well appre-
ciated, that if any security was wanted for his
uniiinching advocacy of the principles he professed,
it would be found in the fact that he was a member of
the family which for so many ages had been found
deserving of support.—(Cheers and hisses.) Mr.
Shelley—(Renewed hisses and cheers)—bad issued
an address in which, indeed, there was mention of
protection to agriculture, but not a word of protection
to navigation.—(Cheers and hisses.) No, he had
passed that subject by in
.silence. However, Mr.
Shelley thought discretion tne better part of valour,
and thougbt an early retreat better than an ignomi-
nious defeat.—(" Bravo !" and cries of " No, no, you
don't mean that.") He begged leave, with much
pleasure, to second the nomination of Lord A.
Lennox.—(Loud cheers and hisses. A man in the
crowd—" We won't have him. The Duke of Rich-
mond says 7s. a week is enough—that it's good pay."
"Oh ! oh !")
Mr. J. P. GATES, constable of the hundred, and re-
turning officer, inquired if any other elector had a
candidate to propose, and, after a silence of a few
seconds, only broken by the facetious remarks of some
of the crowd, declared Lord A. Lennox duly elected.
—(Loud cheering and some groaning.)
The crier made proclamation accordingly, but the
time- honoured " Oyez, oyez, oyez !" was uttered in
such a chilly, inarticulate voice that the crowd hooted
and laughed at the aged functionary.
Lord A. LENNOX proceeded to address the electors,
observing that the only drawback he felt to the proud
position in which he was placed was the recollection of
bow short a time had elapsed since they were repre-
sented by one for whom he entertained feelings of
sincere regard and friendship.—(Cheers, and cries of
" Bravo 1") The straightforward and honest conduct
of Mr. Goring in private life gained him the respect
and esteem of all who had the happiness to be ac-
quainted with him. He was a liberal landlliear,ord—.
hear)—ever their steady friend, and that not
only to his equals but to the inhabitants of the poorest
cottage—(Cheers, and cries of "Bravo !")—as well
as one who in his public capacity boldly asserted and
acted up to those principles which on the hustings he
pledged himself to support.—(Cheers.) To have been
selected to succeed one of so high a character was
most gratifying to his feelings, and agreeing with him
in the opinions he had expressed through life, he (Lord
A. Lennox) would endeavour, however humbly, to
follow his example.—(Cheers, and a groan or two.)
He (Lord A. Lennox) was a strenuous supporter of
the Established Church of this country—(Cheers)—
and he was strenuously opposed to the admission of
Jews into Parliament. He was proud to call himself
a Protectionist.—(Cheers and groans.) He advocated
protection not only to the farmer but to all classes of
British industry—(Cheers, and cries of " Gammon,"
particularly from the one eyed boatman)—and he was
opposed to what was called free trade, which was
really free trade to the foreigner only, at the expense
of our countrymen and of our highly-taxed farmers.—
(Hear, hear, and groans from the man with the
herring and the boatman.) (A man in the crowd,
" Lower the rents."--Cheers.) Lord A. Lennox—
" Shut your mouth, and I'll open mine." Great
laughter followed this rejoinder, and the Noble Lord
continued—The farmer could not now afford to pay
or employ so many labourers, nor could he afford to
give them as good wages as under the old system of
protection.--(Voices, "Lower the rents.") Nor could
the labourer afford to live as well or expend as much
money with the shopkeepers.—(Cries of " Lower
the rents," followed by cheers and hisses.) While at
the same time free trade increased the peon-rates and
diminished the funds out of which they were to be
paid.—(A man in the crowd, " Gammon," cries of
" Turn him out.") The cases of the shipbuilder and
the shipowner, as well as of the colonial interest, were
similar. By the repeal of the protective duties and
this alteration of the old navigation laws the industry
of this country has been deeply injured.—(" No," and
cheers.) And who had been the gainer ? The
foreigner, who kept the profit and obtained all the
advantage, while he paid no taxes and paid but little
wages. The English shipowner, on the contrary, who
must pay heavy taxes and give higher wages, would
be driven from every market of the world by the
foreigner, who was untaxed, and fed his men on food
on which no Englishman could exist.—(Cheers.) The
British shipbuilders were also to be sacrificed to the
same system. What was to become of them and of
their dependents ? They were told, indeed, by the
free traders to emigrate—to quit for ever their native
land, and never again to see the country they had
enriched by their industry and intelligence.—(Hear,
hear.) He unhesitatingly declared himself in favour of
retracing their steps—(Cheers, and some hisses)—of
placing duties on foreign produce, and thereby giving
protection to British industry, without which this
country could not continue great or prosperous,
happy or contented.—(Hear, hear.) They might
depend on it, so long as he was their Member he
should advocate protection.—(Bravo !) He was at a
loss for words to express how sensible be felt of the
honour they had conferred on him by electing him
as their representative--(Oh, oh !)—and he would
only conclude by saying he trusted sincerely the
confidence of the independent electors—(The one-
eyed boatman---" Oh, there's no independent electors
at all !" Cries of " Turn him out.")—of Shore-
ham and the Rape of Bramber would never be mis-
placed.—(Loud cheering.)
The meeting was then dissolved, after the custo-
mary vote of thanks to the returning officer; the
orange banners were collected in advance, the band
followed, playing tunes of which much of the music
seemed to be in the predicament of that in the frozen
trumpet of Baron Munchausen ; the procession of
orange and blue riband and stavebearers reformed, and
the Noble Member and bis friends left the platform
and went into the town, the proceedings not having
occupied half an hour altogether.

4 CATHOLIC HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
By William Bernard Mae Cabe. Vol. IL
In this the second volume of his very valuable
history Mr. Mac Cabe brings down the history of
England to the reign of St. Edgar the Confessor,
and in his preface he announces that the third volume,
which will close with the accession of William the
Conqueror, will appear in the course of 1850. It is
with mingled feelings of shame and regret that we
read what follows. "In making this announcement,"
says Mr. Mac Cabe—
think it right thus early to state that the third
volume will also bring to a conclusion my labours, at
least for the present, and probably for ever, upon the
History of England, prior to the Reformation.
" Such an arrangement is a departure from my original
intention, and from the plan that I had laid down in
commencing this task, and for the completion of which
I had arranged the materials.
" The reasons for abandoning that plan, should, I
conceive, be stated distinctly, for the satisfaction of
those whose kind opinions have cheered me in my labours,
and whose patronage has encouraged me to continue them.
"It was mentioned in the Introduction to this work,
that the labours devoted to the Catholic History consti-
tuted the occupation of those hours not required in the
services of others to whom my time belonged, and who
had a right to command my exertions for the promotion
of their interests.
"In the endeavour to discharge those imperative
duties—duties that neither could, with justice to those
dependent upon me for support, be neglected, nor, in
honesty towards those who employed me, be slurred
over, or half-performed, whilst I at the samo time pro-
ceeded with this History—it has habitually happened
for years, that my toil commencing at ten o'clock in the
day, has been prolongued without an hour's intermission
until one and two o'clock the following morning.
" To proceed with this work on the plan with which
I commenced, and to bring to a conclusion its first part
—that is, the History of England as written in the very
words used by the Monkish Historians, would require at
least, fur one situated as I am, fifteen more years of a
life of such ceaseless labour as I have described. •
" My health, I am conscious, could not continue with
such toil, and therefore I deem it to be best to pause in
my labours whilst it remains unbroken.
" These then are the reasons that compel me to bring
the Catholic History to a close with the third volume. I
cannot proceed without endangering that which is my
only property—my health; and I cannot afford to give
up my entiro time to the task I had commenced."
Surely the great body of English Catholics will not
suffer such a work as this, describing the rulers, the
clergy, and the poor of England before the Reforma-
tion, in the very words of the monkish historians them-
selves, a work which may be regarded as a record of the
evidence on behalf of Roman Catholicism as
against the Reformation, to be discontinued when
a plan is completed and the materials arranged. As a
body they are rich as religionists, they are peculiarly
attached to their faith, and we trust that they will
come forward and enable Mr. Mac Cabe to devote the
whole of his future time to the completion of the
work he has undertaken, of giving to the world " The
History of England, as written in the very words
used by the Monkish Historians themselves." The
present volume is compiled on the same plan as the
former one ; in every instance, the monkish historian
quoted tells his own tale in his own words, and
whenever Mr. Mac Cabe thinks it necessary to make
any comments, those comments are invariably made
in the form of notes. The quaint phraseology of
these monkish writers is occasionally excessively
piquant, and their descriptions are admirable. We are,
however, inclined to look upon them as news writers
rather than historians, as men who wrote all they
heard, without taking much pains to ascertain whe-
ther or not the story which they recorded was or was
not gossip ; and who rather preferred a narrative
well spiced with the supernatural and miraculous to
a plain statement of facts. Their works, however, con-
stitute the only records that we have of the early
history of our country, and we certainly prefer the
plan pursued by Mr. Mac Cabe, of giving all
that they have written, and giving it in their own
words, leaving it to the reader to judge from internal
evidence what is fact and what is gossip, to that
which has been pursued by the historians of the
Eclectic school, who leave nothing to the judgment
of the reader, and are sometimes inclined to bolster up
a false position, by suppressing or cooking the evidence.
Every biographer conceives an affection for his hero
—every historian acquires an almost superstitions
reverence and veneration for his authorities • us are
not, therefore, surprised at finding that Mr. Mac Cabe
entertains a much higher opinion of the accuracy of
these monkish historians than that which we have
ourselves expressed. It is evident that Mr. Mac Cabe
places implicit reliance not only on their honesty of
purpose, but on their critical acumen ; that he has a
firm faith in all they say, and therefore is he the man
of all others the best adapted to do ample justice to
their works. Again we urge upon the Catholic body,
and upon the nation at large, the necessity of enabling
Mr. Mac Cabe to complete this labour which he has
undertaken, of concentrating into a focus all that is
known of our early historical traditions. It is a
national object, and national resources have often been
wasted on objects less worthy. At all events, we
trust that from some source or other means will be
forthcoming to enable Mr. Mac Cabe to complete
with comfort to himself, and consistently with the
duty he owes his family, this most valuabls national
work, and to render available to posterity the fruits of
a life devoted to study and historical research.

'OST-OFFICE ARRANGEMENTS.—The following in-
struction has been issued by the Postmaster-General to
the Deputy Postmasters:—Numerous errors having been
made by postmasters in the manner of forwarding the
letters which arrived yesterday morning (Sunday the
23d instant), it mutt be distinctly understood thnt the
dispatch to London on Saturday is to be confined ex•
elusively to stamped forward _letters. No registered
letters, unpaid letters, nor letters prepaid by money
must be sent up, nor any letters addressed to London
or the London district, except those for the chief officers
of the Government. All foreign, colonial, and ship
I,tters, landed at the outports, must of course be for-
warded as usual.

METROPOLITAN COMMISSION or SEWERS.— Yester-
day ait..;pecial Court was fixed to held, for the purpose
of ratifying the appointment of Mr. Foster as engineer,
but the requisite number of members not being present
at one o'ctock, the Court adjourned till the 11th of Ja-
nuary. An ordinary court was then held, and some
formal business wss then `,ransacted.
We understand that at the next Council the order
autlayrieiDg truspertatien to the Cape will be reyeked,

HIGH TIDES AT YARMOUTH.—The high spring
tides of the last two drys, increated by heavy gales of
wind from the north-west, have laid under water the
towns of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, and the whole
of the surrounding country for miles. The lower flats
of most of the houses aro flooded to the depth of from
three to six feet, and, as a mcussary consequence, there
has been a great destruction of property. The quay, the
market-place, and the streets of Yarmouth, are all inun-
dated. The water over the bar at the mouth of the
haven is twelve feet deeper than usual. Eleven vessels
have been driven on the sands, and it is feared must go
to pieces. Nor has the inundation been confined to the
immediate vicinity of the coast. The waters have ex-
tended far and wide over the low-lying pasture lands
around. A bridge near Lowestoft has been swept away,
and the railway trains have been unable to proceed
eastward beyond Reedham, eleven miles from Norwich,
where the lines to Yarmouth and Lowestoft meet.
Every exertion has been made to save property and lite,
but the loss which has been caused must be very serious
Ia eztegt, and will be felt :merely.

, LITERAT U li E. 1 SHOREHA.3I ELECTION.
' 1 READINGS
.for RAILWAYS. By Leigh Runt. I SHOREHAM, Feiner Ninier.—Perhaps since the
A pleli,atit volume of extracts from various depart- 1 good old days before the Reform Bill there never was
ments of literature has just been issued as a boon fort such a snug, quiet little election as that which took
railway travellers by our indefatigable Leigh Hunt. place to-day, and placed Lord A. Lennox in the
It was a happy thought to emulate the labours of a ; Commons' House of Parliament. Mr. Shelley having
man of taste like IdeDiarrnid, with a view to wile retired from the field, it was only necessary for his
away hours that might otherwise hang heavily in a Lordship to go through the constitutional formali-
first or second-class carriage. As a specimen of the ties, in order to fill the seat, on the Protectionist
contents of the little volume before us, we give at side, which Mr. Goring's demise had rendered vacant.
random the following : It may be readily conceived, by any person who has
"NAPOLEON AT SEA. ever been there, bow cold Shoreham was to-day,
“ Bourrienne, in his memoirs, gives some interesting placed as it is on a bleak beach, accessible to almost
particulars of the habits and occupations of Napoleon every wind out of Heaven, and
peculiarly favourable
when at sea. In the following assage the good natural to the intense.st development of the " bitter north,"
feeling manifested appears instrange contrast with the
w
recklessness induced by a military conqueror's usual which blew its most frigid blasts over sea and downs
for the especial benefit of the inn and tavern keepers.
pursuits:—' In a long voyage it is impossible to prevent
accidents from men falling overboard. This occurrence There were but few persons, therefore, who could be
happened several times with us, from the crowded state seduced from their firesides even by the whole elo-
of our vessel. On these occasions it was strange to wit• quence of the Rape of Bramber. Soon after eleven
ness the instinctive force of humanity in the bosom of o'clock, however, some able-bodied personages were
that man, so lavish' of the blood of his felbw-creatures struggling up the deserted streets against the wind,
on the field of battle, arid who was about to shed torrents and bearing gorgeous orange and blue favours and
of it in that very Egypt whither we were going. When- banners which flamed out broadly with the
ever a man fell into the water, the Commander-in-Chi-_f legends " Lennox for ever !" " Protection to Bri-
had no
o rests
ills hew he was
the most saved. Hlively e instantly orderedthe
unfortunate was recovered, and ordered me to recompense up in front of the particularly small platform which
liberally those most active in the rescue. Sailors who
answered as a hustings, and as a shelter from the
had thus distinguished themselves, when guilty of some
blast to the speakers and their friends. To the men
breach of discipline, were always exempted from puni:l- with the banners and shoulder-knots were added a
meat. I remember, during one dark night, a noise was band of music, and presently several seafaring men,
heard as.of a man overheard. Bonaparte instantly gave yeomen, some few gentlemen, and farmers, with the
the word to put the ship about, till the presumed victim usual assemblage of boys and women, were collected
should be rescued from inevitable death. The crew in front of the unpretending little erection which
hastened from all quarters; exertions were redoubled; was placed just under the lee of Shoreham Church.
and at length we fished up—what? The victim was—a The appearance of Lord A. Lennox and his friends quarter of beef, which had slipped from a noose over the ,accompanied by the returning officer, &c., was the
side. He ordered me to reward the sailors who had
signal for cheers from most of the multitude (who
exposed themselves on this occasion more liberally than .
might, at twelve o'clock, when the proceedings corn-
usual. "It might," said he, " have been a man; and
these brave fellows have shown neither less activity nor menced, have consisted of 100 or 120 people), but
less courage." '— Constable's Miscellany, No. 57." several persons, among whom a one-eyed boatman
Several, however, ef the paragraphs and sen tepees given who waved a red herring continuously
and a man
among the miscellaneous quotations, appear to us to were conspicuous, hissed and hooted.
Mr. F. Coween solicitor so Duke of Norfolk,
impertinent, as of a controversial and abusive charac-
,.. the
be remarkably indifferent, and at times even actually
read the writ, and Mr. Williams read the Bribery
Act and another Act which was specially passed for
from being in any respect worthy of its gifted and S
ter. The book is an ingenious oddity, and yet is far
Shoreham and the Rape of Bramber, relative to the
scholarly compiler, mode of conducting elections and to the qualifications
of electors.
Mr. C. S. DICKENS, when the usual ceremonies
had been completed, proceeded to propose Lord A.
Lennox as a fit and proper person to represent the
Rape of Bramber and borough of Shoreham in Par-
liament.—(Cheers.) The speech in which he did so
was very brief, in consideration of the sufferings of
his audience from the cold and drift of snow, and,
after an eulogium on the character of their late Mem-
ber, and a reference to the address of the candidate,
was concluded amid cheers and some little disappro-
bation, and cries of " We'll have no union"—" No
union "

41:115.10745.Z. S.
.
.` 1
Names of e., Dividend Pe Names of ,
, Price. Comp:mica. A per 1 Companies. z per 0,„
'Dividend
Annum. ''''''
v.: Annum.l co
I , ----
\
Ashtn & Oldh 071 71. 113 Macclesfield. 100, 21. 10s. 50
Barnsley.... 160 121. 160 Neatk .....• 100 161. 340
Brknk&Abrg 150 51. 85 0xf0rd...... 100 201. 186
Birmingham 351 41. 63 Peak Forest. 73 Si. lb. 70
Coventry.... 100' 251. 210 Regent's •• .• 33 11. 2s. 18
Derby ••• • • 100 61. 63 Rochdale.... 35 41. 50
Ellsmre&Chs 133'' 565. 41 Somrset Coal 150171.105. 139
Erewask ••• 100 321. - Do.LkFdSt 12 61. p. c. -
UrandJunctn 100 Si. 82% StffrdStWorc 140 281. 400
Grand Surrey 100 21. 30 Shrewsbury.. 125 151. -
Grand Union 100 11. 10s. 24 Stoarbrldge.. 145 201. 300
KGerannutthlcamAvn- 13590 7's-. 6d. -8 swevyeernitaainid.}
26 21. 05. _
Leeds& Livrp 100 301. 325 Warwick/el
41. 63
Leicester ...• 140 51. 6334 Ulm:Ling. f 100
Lelestr &Nth 83 41. 411 Warwick&
100 31. 43
Lmeoun4ml)
obourt eh hhill
04: 78011.. 6_50
78 31. 42
Af ntgemrysh I 100 - - Birming.
WNo racilstt°rn & 1
Meltn3lwbry 100 - - Wilts & Brks -1 14s. p

LIST OP SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES
Dividend Amount
Name of Company per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
,----
Bank of Scotland
British Linen Company al. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 220
Caledonian Bank
City of Glasgow Bank
Clydesdale Bank •• •• •• 6% per cent. 20 0 0 10 0 0 13%
Commercial Bank •• •• 71. per cent. 500 0 0 j 100 0 0 166%
Eastern Bank.. •• •• • • 61. per cent. 25 u 0 10 0 0 814
Edini,..k Glasgow sank 61. per cent. 8 0 0 5 0 0 5/. Ps.
Exehangeßnk of Scot- 41. per cent. 100 0 0 50 0 0 21
Isle of Man. Company 71. per cent. 10 0 0 7 0 0 -
National Bank 6% per cent. 50 0 0 10 0 0 14%
Northof Scotlandßank 41. percent. 20 0 0 i 0 0 2%
North British Bank
..• - - - -
/loyal Bank of Scotland 51. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 129
Union Bank of Scotland 81. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 84
Western Bank .. .. •• • • 71. per cent. 50 0 0 50 0 75
Aberdeen Fire and Life 7%1.pr cent. 12 10 0 2 0 2
B. Accord. Life and Fire - 20 0 0 0 1 0 -
British Guarantee Ins. 4/. per tent. 10 0 0 1 0 133 Od
Caledonian Fire Insnr. 101. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 21
Church of England Ins. - 50 0 0 2 0 -
City of Glasgow Life 6l. per cent. 25 0 0 2 0 21. 103
Edinburgh Life Insur 6l. per cent. 100 0 0 12 1 0 20
East of Scotland Life - 10 0 0 0 1 0 98.0 d.
Eng. & Scot, Law Life 51. per.cent. 50 0 0 2 1 6 -
Hercules Insurance Co. 71. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 -
insur. Co. of Scetlnd• • 51. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 -
Life Assoc. of Scotland 61. per cent. 10 0 0 1 9 11. 13s
Mercantile Life .. • .
National Fire and Life 51. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 208.6 d
North British Incur
North & West of Scot 6l. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 -
Scottish Life and Gear - 20 0 0 011 0 -
Scot. Mas. and Gon.Life - 0 0 015 0 -
Scottish Union Insrnce. 6%1. pr cent. 20 0 0 1 0 0 231.6 d
Standard Life ...... • . 51. per cent. 50 0 0 414 0 9%
United Dep. Assurance 51. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 13s Od
MISCELLANEOUS.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
Z. s. d. Z. s. d.
Auction Mart.. • • .... 2/. 55. 50 0 0 - 25
Australian Agriculturl 11. 100 0 0 30 0 0 16
Anglo-Mexican Mint.. 11. 41. 10 I 9 10 0 0 -
Ditto, Half Shares.. - - 2 10 0
Canada ......... •... Gl. per cent. 100 0 0 82 10 0 26
Uppr Canada Bonds 51. percent. - - -
flity Navigation .... - - - 91
Gen. Revers. & Invest. sp.c. & bs, 2/ 100 0 011 100 0 0 -
Equitable Reversienry 51. pr cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 103
GtH.Steam Navigation 11.8.. 15 0 41 14 0 0 20
London Institution ... - - 78 11 0 -
Russell Institution • ... - - 26 4 0 -
Peninslr& Orient.Stm. 81. per cent. 80 0 0 50 0 0 793 i
Reversionary Int. Soc. 4%1. pr cent. 100 0 0 jeo o 0 92%
Royal Mail Steam.... 61 18..4. p. c 100 0 0 160 0 0 SO
South Australian ....• 11. per share. 25 0 0 25 0 0 -
Van Dleman's Land.. - 100 00,23 0 0 2

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.—Yesterday
morning there was a heavy fall of snow in the metro-
polis, accompanied by a high north-easterly wind, which
caused the river to be very much swollen, and several of
the craft were much damaged. The piece of water in
St. James's-park was frozen over, so that the men were
obliged to break the ice for the convenience of the
Aquatic birds. The glass in some aspects was 10 degrees
below freezing point. The Serpentine and the water in
the Regent's-park were slightly covered with ice, but
in the environs of town the ponds were all frozen, which
gave some occupation to the donkey-cart men, and many
loads of ice were shot at the different pastrycooka' and
confectioners' throughout the metropolis. Numerous
accidents to horses happened in the course of yesterday
in consequence of the slippery state of the streets and
the bridges, and the omnibus drivers had great difficulty
in keeping their horses on their feet, which caused
much delay to the passengers. Should the frost con-
tinue, the Serpentine and St. James's-park will, in all
probability, tempt the skaters on Sunday. According to
the accounts of guards o❑ the railways, in the northern
and easter❑ counties there has been a heavy fall of snow
for some days, and the country is covered with a white
mantle, and the ice in some parts is upwards of an inch
thick, so that there is every probality of a severe winter.
DEPARTURE OF THE DUCHESS OF SAXE-WEIMAR
AND FAMILY.—The Admiralty yacht Black Eagle was
ordered to be in readiness this day at Woolwich, to
convoy her Serene Highness the Duchess of Saxe-
Weimar and family to Ostend; but in consequence of
the boisterous state of the weather these orders have
been cancelled, and it is intended that the royal party
shall proceed via the South-Eastern Railway to Dover,
and thence by wail packet to Calais on Monday. the 31st
aslant.