The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-18 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR

The Queen, accompanied by Prince Albert took an
airing in a carriage yesterday for the first time since her
Majesty's confinement. Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness left Buckingham Palace shortly before two
o'clock, and returned to the Palace in the course of half
an hour. _ .

The Princess SJphia Matilda visited her Majesty
yesterday afternoon.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert inspected yester-
day one of the magnificent sideboard dishes lately pre-
pared by Messrs. Rundell and Bridge for the Gold-
smith's Company.
The subject described is Richard the Second granting
the charter of incorporation to the Company ; the lo 3 er
part is occupied with festoons of fruit in high relief, ex-
quisitely finished. His Royal Highness was graciously
pleased to express his admiration of the performance to
Mr. Bridge, and afterwards had the piece of plate re-
moved to an adjoining apartment for her Majesty's in-
spection, who was also graciously pleased to express her
high approbation.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat
yesterday. Sir William Follett concluded his ad iros
in " Harwood v. Baker," from the Prerogative Court
of Canterbury. Judgment was not given.
Mr. Fitzroy Kelly, Queen's Counsel, then opened an
appeal from the Prerogative Court in the goods of Ed-
ward Hope, Esq., deceased ; the parties being Louisa
Goddard, widow, and the Rev. Henry
Wellesley, clerk,
executors named in the last will and testament of Ed-
ward Hope, Esq., late of Francis-street, Tottenham
Court-road, St. Pancras, deceased, bearing date the
27th July, 1835, appellants ; and James Joseph Hope
Vere, Esq., the natural and lawful brother, and one of
the next of kin, of the said deceased, respondent.

POST-OFFICE REGISTRATION OF

LETTERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sea—A public notice having been issued by the
Post-office, announcing that on and after the 6th of
January next a new system of registration is to be
adopted, whereby the safe conveyance of any letter ,or
packet containing money, or other articles of value is to
be insured, it becomes important that the public should
he informed whether such insurance is to have reference
merely to the packages themselves or to the value of
their contents, as it appears no account of the letter is
to be taken at the time of registration. If this be the
case the public will be but little benefited by the ar-
rangement, as under the present system instances arc
repeatedly occurring of letters being received through
the post, the contents of which have been carefully
abstracted. Should the same thing occur under the
new system, of course the Post-office cannot be deemed
responsible, as being unacquainted with the nature and
value of the property abstracted.
My object in soliciting a space for this in your co-
lumns is that should what Piave suggested be incorrect,
this notice may come under the observation of those
whose duty, as well as interest it is to remove anything
like misconception on a point so important to the public.
Hoping you will excuse the liberty I have taken, I re-
main, Sir, your obedient servant,
Bath, Dec. 12, 1840.

AN OBSERVER

THE HOLY BISHOPS AND THE

HALF-STARVED CURATES.

MR. EDITOR..-In the Ecclesiastical Gazette for the pre-
sent month the following monstrous paragraph occurs :
" It has been determined to proceed, without further
delay, with the plan proposed in the Bishop of London's
letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, for providing a
fund for the endowment of bishoprics in our colonies and
foreign possessions, and we hope that our next number may
contain more particular details respecting it. Her Majesty
the Queen Dowager has announced her intention of
contributing the munificent sum of 2,0001. ; the Archbishop
of Canterbury, 1,000/. ; the Bishop of London, 1,000/. ;
the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has voted
a grant of 10,000/. ; the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel in Foreign Parts, 5,0001. ; the Church Mis-
sionary society has declared its intention of contributing
liberally to the same object; the Colonial Church Society
has subscribed 4001. . _

46 We have reason to believe that the first objects to
which the fund will be applied will be the endowment, or
part endowment, of biahoprics in Malta and in New Zea-
land."

And thus Are the claims of the starving curates of the
Church passed over I His Grace of Canterbury, and my
Lord of London, conceive that they may safely allow
,‘ the herd of curates" to pine on their pittance of
seventy-five and eighty pounds per annum, while they,
the dignitaries, struggle to bolster up the Church
by lavishing thousands on the erection of colonial
bishoprics. Ten thousand pounds, it appears, is the
contribution of the Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge. Indeed !To a plain man it appears that the
object of that Society, as expressed in its foundation deed,
is to circulate the Scriptures, and diffuse works containing
sound religious information—not to furnish funds for the
endowment of distant bishoprics. Look to this a little, Mr.
Ruchfort Clarke and Mr. Hull.

---
When shall we find Bishop Blomfield or his aged supe-
rior instituting or giving a thousand pence towards a fund
for increasing the stipends of the hard-worked curates?
Yet which cause lies nearest home? .

- -
Now my curacy—and it is no sinecure—is FAR short of
1001., and yet I have no doubt that the Bishop of London
would deem me amply paid t " A poor clergy," he con-
tends, •' are a pious clergy," and this at least is one tenet
which his Right Reverend brethren all share with him.
That overloaded pluralist, the Bishop of Rochester, doubt-
less lauds it to the skies.

I remember some years ago soliciting a small piece of
preferment, then vacaxt, from my wealthy diocesan. " I
cannot entertain your request," was his reply. " You are
no relation of mine, have no sort of claim on me ; and if I
wore to listen to you, I should be pestered wiih fifty curates,
running on in the same strain about their long standing
in the diocese, poverty, and services. lam busy. Good
morning."
Poor man !he has since gone to his account. His last
exclamation was characteristic of his career : " Well 1 I
have one great satisfaction—l believe I have fully provided
for all my family."
" A bishop of Malta !" and " a bishop of New Zea-
land 1" Oh, by all means. Support the project with all
your energies and eloquence, ye mitred prelates ! And
especially do thou give it thy warm concurrence, my Lord
of Rochester Dear art thou to the people of England,
as the King of Hanover's bishop ;t
and dear enough,
heaven knows, art thou to the Church I Let me reckon
thy many and valuable preferments:—Bishop of Roches-
ter ), Dean of Worcester (2), Vicar of Bromsgrove (3),
Rector of Bishopsbourne (4), and Prebend—but I have
no heart to pursue the siekeniri. subject.
December 12,1840. ONE OF "THE HERD."
* A favourite expression of the gentle Bishop Blomfield.
+ His Lordship and Ernest are sworn cronies. Ile
visited Hanover not long since, where he was cordially
received. He was the prelate specially selected by his
Majesty to administer the right of confirmation to Prince
George. His principles recom-nended him ! Those about
him affirm that he has been for years employed in writing
the life of his Hanoverian Majesty, /
give him joy of his
materials.

LORD AUKLAND S RESIGNATION OF THE
GOVERNOR-GENERALSHIP OF INDIA. °Ur readers (Cal.
cotta Courier) may not perhaps be aware that Lord Auck-
land tendered his resignation of the Governor-General-
ship of India to the Court of Directors some months back.
We now understand, and we have no doubt of the fact, that
his Lordship's resignation has been accepted; the intelli-
gence having reached Madras by the last overland mail.
The Hon. T. C. Robertson, Member of the Supreme
Council and Deputy-Governor of Bengal, has been ap_
pointed to succeed provisionally to the Governor- General-
ship, which high situation it is expected be will continue to
fill till September, 1843, the date of the expirations of the
Service a Member
s of thea s
t Supreme
Indian
7eie grCouncil
ap i‘zand.
BDeapyetNyi
Governor
of
B e
n g a
1 ._E
•
DEATH OF ADMIRAL SIR
H•
aTbuoNv,eGg.alClan.
tßA.—dmWireal,htahveeinttoeuriegceonrcde
o the
whedoesme thisdeeab the
f Was
received yesterday morning at the, Admiralty. Sir, Henry
expired or, Wednesday morning at Bath, where he had
resided some years past. His death was rather sudden,
having been present with his aon at the first winter ball in
that city on Thursday night. The deceased Admiral en-
tered the navy at an catty age, f
or his commission as
Lieutenant is dated the 15th of Apri 1783, and was pro-
moted in the following order i—Commander, 10th of
March, 1794; Captain, 4th of May, 1794; Rear-Ad-
miral, 12th of August, 1812 ; Vice-Admiral, 19th of
July, 1821 ; and full Admiral, 10th of January, 1437.
When Lieutenant be was actively engagely at the reduc-
tion of Martinique, and was Commander of the Nautilus,
at Guadeloupe, in 1794. The deceased also eminently
distinguished himself under Nelson, at Trafalgar, where
he commanded the Leviathan, and subsequently, in 1807,
took part in the expedition against Buenos Ayres. In
October, 1839, in consideration of his distinguished ser-
vices, he was nominated a Knight Grand Cross of the
most honourable Order of the Bath, in addition to which
he had received a medal, and a pension of 3001. per
annum for good service, as also an honorary reward from
the Patriotic Fund. He was in his 75th year.
NI. de la 13ourdonnais, the celebrated chess-
players has just died in London. He had been for some
time ailing.
PLYMOUTH, DEC. 16.—A meeting, convened
by a requisition to the Mayor, and awned by many re-
spectable inhabitants, was this day held at the Guildhall,
of
for the pug pose Plymouth,voting congratulatory ad-
dresses to the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Duchess of
Kent, on
the birth of the Princess Royal. some Chart-
ists attended, and moved an adjournment of toe meeting
till half-past seven in the evening, in order that all classes
might have an opportunity of attending, the hour fixed on
for the meeting, one o'clock, not allowing all the working
classes being present, which was lost by a small majority,
and addresses were subsequently voted, to be presented by
the Worshipful the Mayor. At the next election for this
borough, it is very cturently reported that it will be con-
tested on the Conservative interest by Alderman Johnson
of the City.
Earl and Countess Cadogan and the Ladies Au-
gus,a and Honoria Cadogan, leave town early in the ensu-
ing week, on a tour of visits during the holidays.
Their Highnesses the Count and Countess de
Vismes, Prince and Princess de Ponthieu, are on a visit
with the Miss Bellews, at their residence, Colston-crescent,
Exeter.— Western Luminary.
Lerd and Lady Delamere will give their usual
fetes at Vale Royal, after Christmas. The festivities at
that splendid seat were marred, last year, by the lament.
able demise of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart.