The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-15 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha, arrived at Buckingham Pa.
lack at five minutes past four o'clock yesterday afternoon,
in one of the Royal Carriages and four, escorted by a
party of Light Dragoons, from Windsor Castle. Her
Majesty and the Prince were received with loud and fre-
quent gratulations, by a numerous body of spectators,
who bad assembled in the vicinity of the Falacc. The
Royal Standard was immediately raised on the marble
arch. Several of the Queen's carriages followed, con-
taining Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent; their
Serene Highnesses the Duke of Saxe Cobourg and
Gotha and Prince Ernest, the Countess of Sandwich,
Lady Fanny Howard, llon. Miss Cocks, Hon. Miss Ca-
vendish, Earl of Erroll, Viscount Torrington, Honour-
able Major Kepia.l, Lord Alfred Paget, Count
Kolowrath, Baron Alecnaleben, Baron Lowenfels, Mr.
Seymour, Mr. Craven, and Captain Pcelnitz. Her Ma.
jesty and Prince Albert were received at the entrance to
the Grand Hall by the Lord Chamberlain, the Master
of the Horse, and the Clerk Marshal, who conducted her
Majesty and his Royal Highness to the State Rooms. On
crossing the Picture Gallery, the band of the Ist Life
Guards, who were stationed at the end in a recess, played
" God Save the Queen."

The Royal Dinner Party at the Palace laat evening in•
eluded the Earl of Errol, the Earl of Uxbridge, and the
Earl of Surrey.

The band of the Ist Life Guards attended at the Palace
during the evening.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had a small party
et dinner, including the Danish Minister and Baroness
Memo, the Netherlands Minister and Madame Dedel, and
the Hanoverian Minister, on Thursday evening, at Cam-
bridge House.

'lle Duke of Cambridge visited the Royal College of
Surgeons yesterday afternoon.
Viscount Melbourne arrived in Town yesterday after-
noon from a visit to her Majesty at Windsor Castle.
Count Polion, the Sardinian Minister, transacted busi-
ness yesterday at the Foreign-office.
Mr. John Lefevre and Mr. M. Biddulph had inter-
views yesterday with the Marquis of Normanby,,at the
Home-office.

Despatches from Governor Light, at British Guinea,
were received yesterday at the Colonial-office.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat yes-
terday, and were occupied during the whole of the day
with the appeal respecting a Codicil of the late
Mr. Davy's Will, Dufaur v. Croft and others.
Sir William Follett and Dr. Nicholl were heard for the
Respondent, and Mr. Fitzroy Kelly replied for the
Appellant. After the Judges had been some
time in consultation, it was intimated that judgment
would be given on Monday, the 24th instant.
The Lords present were, the Lord President, Mr.
Baron Parke, Mr. Justice Bosanquet, and Mr. Justice
Erskine. The Hon. William Bathurst was the Clerk of
the Council in Waiting.
Mr. E. J. Cooper, M.P., and lady, arrived at Farrance's
Hotel, Belgrave-street, from Brighton.
Miss Laura Wheatley, daughter of Major-General Sir
Henry and Lady Wheatley, expired yesterday morning
at her father's residence in St. James's Palace. This
lamented young lady was taken suddenly ill on Monday
morning, and it was owing to this circumstance that Sir
Henry Wheatley was from the ceremonial of the
Queen's marriage, as Keeper of her Majesty's Privy
Purse.

Sir G. Anson, Member for Lichfield, who it will
be remembered, held a confidential appointment in the House-
hold of the late Duke of Kent, is appointed Treasurer of Prime
Albert's Household. Captain Seymour, who has been for some
time travelling with the Prince is also to hold an appointment
in his Royal Highness's Household.
A completely new town is in the course of forma-
tion between the old corporation town of Kingston-on-Thames
( Surrey) and the South Western Railway, and already nearly
200 beautiful houses and snug villas are finished, or in the course
of 6nishing.
PROGRESS OF TIIE NORTH MIDLAND RAIL'
WA Y. —A considerable portion of this railway is so far com-
pleted as to allow of the permanent way being laid; this is
done on the greater part of the line. The most forward dis-
trict is that situated between Derby and Barnsley. One line
of rails is now nearly all laid for the whole distance, which is
about 50 miles, great exertions having been made to accom-
plish this, as it is expected the Directors will pass along the
line with a locomotive engine, between the towns of Derby and
Barnsley, very shortly—probably next week. In the neigh-
bourhood of Wiper, Clay Cross, Staveley, &c. the works are
proceeding night and day, in order to have a road through the
large excavations in those districts. A locomotive is about to
be put on to convey ballast from Little Eaton northward. The
first class stations are nearly all contracted for, and several of
them are in a forward state. The Eckington one is nearly
ready for the roof ; the Chesterfield and South Wingfield sta-
tions are also far advanced ; the Leeds and Sheffield stations
have been set out during the week. The latter one is con-
tracted for by Mr. Crawshaw, and will be situated near the
entrance of the Sheffield and Rotherham railway. It will be
a large and convenient station ; the cost is estimated at about
8,000/.—Nottingliain Review.
The Betsy Hall, Captain Cooker, which arrived
at Liverpool on Thursday morning, has brought letters fropa
Monte Video to the 30th of November. They confirm the re-
port previously received, that Rosas had put down the insur-
rection which had been got up against his Government, and
taken many of the insurgents prisoners. About GOO or 700,
who had made their escape, had taken refuge on board the
French ships of war. The general opinion of the merchants of
Monte Video was, that Rosas would sequestrate the property
of the persons who had been engaged in the insurrection, many
of whom were people of substance, and thereby strengthen his
own power, and enable him effectual', to resist the French.
The reinforcement on its way to the French squadron had not
reached La Plata at the time the Betsy Hall sailed.
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY.—This well-known
custom (says Fosbroke in his Antiquarian Encyclo_pmdia), was
a Christian commutation of the ceremony in the Roman Lu-
percalia, in which the names of young women were put in a
box, from which they were drawn by the men, as chance
directed. It was continued by the ladies, who chose knights
for a twelvemonth, mostly during carnival time. The earliest
poetical valentines now remaining are supposed to be those of
Charles Duke of Orleans, taken prisoner at Agincourt, and
which are in the Royal library at the British Museum. In in
old English ballad, girls are directed to pray crosslegged to St.
Valentine for good luck. The Roman Lupercalia above men-
tioned used to be observed on the 15th of February, being de-
dicated to Lycssan Pan.
Great consternation was excited amongst the
members of the South Bemlleet Benefit Club, at their monthly
meeting at the Anchor public-house, on the Ist of February,
on discovering that their cashbox had been stolen. with its
contents, amounting to 81/. Is. Odd. At the previous meeting,
on the 4th of January, the money was safely deposited in a
box, which was enclosed in a larger box, both being locked.
On the secretary attempting to unlock the box on the Ist. inst.,
the lid came off, and the box containing the cash was found to
be missing. It had been given into the landlord's custody, who
placed it in a bed-room v,llere his sons and a lodger slept. The
latter, who is a briekla),r. and hail been in the neighbourhood
some time, lately left the ',louse, saying he was going to Graves-
end for work, and he has not since returned. The robbery
will be a serious loss to the members of the club.—Essex
//erold.

The body of a well-dressed female, about forty-
five years of age, was found on Tuesday morning in a sewer
which runs by the Swan, opposite Kennington Church.
MADRID, FEB. 1.-The Government is going
to send two ships of war to the Phillipine Islands ; one to remelts
on the station there, now become of more importance since
war between England and China has become so very imminent

Itf,CULLOCH'S GEOGRAPHICAL DICTIONAR Y.
This day is published, price ss. with ; large Map, Part 1.. of
ADICTIONARY, GEOGRAPHIC AL,
STATISTICAL, and HISTORICAL, of the: va-
lions COUNTRIES, PLACES, and principal NATURAL
'OBJECTS iu the WORLD.
By J. R. M'CULLOCH, Esq.
London : Longman, Orme, and Co.
1- Of whom may be had, price 60s. a New Edition of
MR. M'CULLOCH'S COMMERCIAL DICTIONARY.