The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-18 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, MONDAY.—The Queen and Prince
Albert, accompanied by the Prince of Wales and the
Princess Royal, arrived at the Castle, in a carriage
and four, at eight minutes before five o'clock this
afternoon, from Claremont. _ _

Four carriages and four followed, conveying their
Royal llighnesses Prince Alfred, the Princess Alice,
and the Princess Helena, and also the Countess of
Desert, the Earl of Morton, Mr. George Edward
Anson, Major-General Bowles, Major-General
liremyss, and Captain the Hon. A. li. Gordon.
A party of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards,
commanded by Lord G. Lennox, formed the escort
of the august party.
Her Majes'y was received at the royal entrance by
the Hon. Miss Paget, one of the Maids of Honour in
Waiting

His itoyal highness Prince Albert, attended. by
Mr. G. E. Anson and Captain the Hon. A. H. Gor-
don, enjoyed the spurt of shooting yesterday morning
at Claremont.

Iler Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by
the Royal Children, and attended by the Royal Suite,
left Claremont for Windsor Castle at ten minutes past
three o'clock yesterday afternoon, escorted by a party
of the 12th Lancers.

Mr. Matheson had en interview with Earl Grey,
yesterday, at the Colonial office.
Sir Edward Codrington transacted business on
Saturday at the Board of Trade, with the Secretary
to the Royal Commission for inquiring into the Mer-
chant Seamen's Fund.

Dispatches were received yesteday at the Co-
lonial-office, from the Governor of Canada, and also
from the Governors of the other North American
Provinces.

Dispatches for Sir Harry Smith, Governor of the
Cape of Good Hope, were sent off yesterday evening
from the Colonial-office.
The Right Hon. Edward Strutt, Chief Commis-
sioner of Railways, arrived in town yesterday, from
Kingston Hall, Derby.

ROYAL DOCKYARD BATTALION.
The following minute has this week been issued
by the Captain Superintendent of her Majesty's dock-
yard, at this port :
ir, dTsO the respective Officers.
,
Commissioners of the Admiralty
having d ,
myLo.irected that the following number of drill
officers are to be allowed for the brigade at this yard,
together with instructions as regards the drill pay,
I have to signify
the same for your informa-
tion, viz. one adjutant and two sergeants major,
one for the battalion of infantry, and one for i
that of artillery; one quarter-master-sergeant 1
for the duties of the office, and two drill sergeants
for each company of infantry and artillery, and one
drill
that
batta-
lion. With respect to the drills, in order not to
allowed, my Lords have decided
fmor each company of the boat
onth of April the officers and non-
ed
the
he sergeant
tsums
e h
non-
commissioned officers only shall be drilled, and for
two days in the week. During the months of May,
June, July, and August., the whole force is to be
hx ae te
during
drilled, also for two days in the week ; and the drill
will close on the Ist September, as by this arrrange-
ment less time will be lost by the shortness of the days.
With respect to the band, my Lords desire that it
shall consist of not more than twenty-one men, which
number is to include a band-master and corporal ; a
drum-major and bugle-major, will be allowed for the
brigade generally, and one drummer or bugler to
each company of the brigade. The persons composing
the band are to be paid only on the days of drill
during the summer season--namely,
from May Ist to
August 31st, and for one day a week during the
winter months for practice, and their pay is to be on
the following scale :—Band-master and drum and
bugle-major, ls. 4d. ; corporal, ls. 2d. ; privates, ls.
My Lords are also pleased to allow the adjutants of
the brigades an additional allowance of 301. 2s. 6d.
per annum for coals, candles, and a servant.—Devon-
port Independenti

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY..--- Yesterday a
public meeting of the members and friends of this insti-
tution was held at the London Coffee-house, the Rev.
John Harding, istA., Rector of St. Anne's, Blackfriars,
presiding. Several speakers referred, in terms of
eulogy, to the Society '3 operations in India (where
the most extraordinary conversions had taken 'place
through the instrumentality of the rnissionaries), and
exploratory
George
visit, in conjunction
various districts which the Society had taken under
Smith, of Magdalen
Hall, ,had care.
In a
ad m
with another clergyman, and the reports which had
been made by those gentlemen induced the belief that,
if proper exertions were made, Christianity might be
extensively diffused, at no distant day, throughout that
Chinade
an th
Rev.
extensive and idolatrous country. Resolutions, affirming
the usefulness of the Church Missionary Society, and
pledging the meeting to its support, having been adopted,
a vote of thanks was pasE.Fl to the chairman, and the
meeting separated.
EXTENSIVE FRAUDS IN GOLD BARS.-012 Saturday
morning, a respectable looking young....
man; by trade a
jeweller, was brought before the sitting magistrate at
the public office, Birmingham, charged with fraudulently
cutting of the essay marks affixed to bars of pure gold,
and affixing them to a spurious metal which he had sold
as genuine to Messrs. Alston and Co., the eminent re-
finers and bullion merchants of this tow.. The frauds
committed by the prisoner already detected, are said to
amount to upwards of 1,5004 The prisoner was re-
molded until this day.

ASHBURTON.

At the conclusion of the dinner given on Thursday
night, at the London Inn, Ashburton, in honour of
the Liberal Member, Colonel Matheson, M.P., our
reporter migrated to the other party at the Golden
Lion, where the chair was occupied by James
Matheson, Esq., M.P., the Gallant Colonel's brother,
near whom sat Robert Tucker, Esq., solicitor, G.
Caunter, Esq., Captain Clifton, Elton, Esq.,
R. B. Berry, Esq., of Chagford, W. Hancock, Esq.,
&e., forming altogether a very large and respectable
company.
The Rev. Mr. DORE (Baptist minister) had just
risen to propose " Health, happiness, and prosperity
to one who was dear to the inhabitants of Ashburton,
and whose liberality made his name dear to every one
who wished well to his fellow-creatures—their re-
spected Member Colonel Matheson." The reverend
speaker at considerable length enlarged on the satis-
faction he had experienced from seeing from his
window the poor people return from the distribution
of bread in the morning, with their loaves in their
hands, and expressed his own lamentation that ill-
health prevented his being present at that delightful
scene. He insisted that a gentleman of property who
preferred the arduous task of a Member of Parliament
to the couch of ease and the mansion of comfort, and
offered himself to be sent to Parliament, ought not
to be considered as under any obligation to his con-
stituents; but that they were rather under an obli-
gation to him. He declared that as a minister of the
gospel he left political and commercial affairs to their
proper officers • but on behalf of the dear youth
rising up around him, he put in a plea for a literary
society (as was understood) ; hinted that electrical and
astronomical apparatus was required, and suggested that
their worthy Member, with Mr. Matheson and other
gentlemen, might form a committee to patronise the
establishment of such an institution.

The CHAIRMAN returned thanks for his brother,
saying that it was his highest ambition to prove
himself deserving of their confidence.
Mr. BERRY proposed the health of their worthy
chairman, and late respected representative. After
the long time they had had the pleasure of knowing
him, they need not enlarge on his kindness of heart
and the benevolence he had displayed towards the
inhabitants of the town of Ashburton. He had now
entered on a larger sphere, and no doubt would enjoy
the respect of those he was now representing in
another part of the country.—(Cheers).
Mr. MATEnsort said it would be difficult for him to
find words to express the grateful feelings with
which he was indeed overwhelmed by the gratifying
manner in which his health had been proposed and
drunk. lie could only say that he appreciated the
honour most highly; and that if he wanted words
adequately to express his sense of it, that arose from
the excess of emotion with which he was penetrated.
—(Cheers.) When it was his good fortune to come
first among them be enjoyed a degree of confidence
and kindness from them which could not but inspire
him with a most ardent desire to acquit himself to the
best of his humble ability of the duties imposed on
him by the distinguished honour they conferred on
him. It was a source of great pride to him to reflect
that the manner in which he had performed those
duties had uniformly met with their kind approbation,
and nothing would have afforded him greater pleasure
than again to solicit a renewal of that confidence, were
it not that he was called upon to assert the supremacy of
the liberal cause among a constituency who had such
claims on his attention as he could not resist, and who
were kind enough to believe that the interest of the
liberal cause would be served in his humble hands,
with greater prospect of success, than in those perhaps
of any other.—(Cheers.) Such was the call and
sense of public duty which alone could have induced
him to deprive himself of the pleasure of again soli-
citing their suffrages.—(Cheers.) It was a great
satisfaction to him that they all appreciated those
motives, and it added greatly to the satisfaction which
he could not but experience at the success which
attended his contest in a very different field.—(Cheers.)
It formed no small part of that success that the report
of the kind confidence with which they had always
viewed his efforts in this place no doubt served to
establish some degree of confidence among those to
whom he was not so well known as he was by them,
and although he had no longer the honour of filling
the plaee of their representative, it was with no
ordinary pleasure that he was still connected with them
by local ties which he hoped would long continue to
afford him renewed opportunities of cultivating their
goodwill in a private sphere.—(Great cheering.) He
should always look forward to their approbation as
one of the brightest rewards which could be bestowed
on him, and he should conclude by drinking all their
good healths, with hopes that he might often have
agreeable occasions of meeting them.—(Cheers.)—
Western Times.

SUICIDE OF SIR J. MILDMAY,

BART.
It is our painful duty to record the premature
death of Sir John Mildmay, Bart., which melancholy
event took place by his own hands, at an early hour
yesterday morning, at his residence, No. 6, Ilalkin-
terrace, Belgrave-square.
_ .

It appears, from intelligence carefully gleaned
by our informant, that the deceased gentleman had
resided as above for about five years, occupying the
upper part of the house, the ground floor being let to
Mrs. Cox, a milliner; his establishment consisting of
two male and an equal number of femsle servants ;
and his health of late was stated to be tolerably good ;
but for several days past his valet had noticed that he
appeared low and depressed in spirits, but on the
previous day (Sunday) the deceased appeared some-
what better, and partook of his meals apparently
with a better appetite. He retired to rest between
eleven and twelve o'clock, and nothing more was
heard or seen of him until shortly before five o'clock
yesterday morning, when his valet was awoke by a
deadened report of firearms. lie was undecided for
some time what to do, but eventually he went up
stairs to Sir John's bedchamber, on the second floor,
when on entering the room he was horror-struck on
discovering his master lying prostrate on the carpet,
weltering in his blood, and lifeless; his head was
shattered to atoms, and the walls and ceiling were
covered with his blood and brains, a small double
barrelled holster pistol, which had been recently dis-
charged, was lying close to his right hand, and had
evidently been discharged in the mouth. Several
medical gentlemen were promptly in attendance, who
pronounced death to have been instantaneous. Cap-
tain Mildmay, a son of deceased, who resides in
Chesham-place, was informed of the melancholy
event, and in the course of yesterday information
was conveyed to Mr. Wakley, M.P., the coroner
for Middlesex, in whose district the body lies, and
who will hold an inquest to-morrow morning.

DEATII OF THE EARL OF POWIS. —lt is with
much regret we announce the death of this estimable
nobleman, which took place yesterday at Powis Castle,
in consequence of an accident he met with whilst out
shooting. Sir Benjamin Brodie, who had been sent for
express on Saturday, returned to town last night, bring-
ing the melancholy intelligence.
Tux LATE DREADFUL. ACCIDENT AT EUSTON-
SQUARE STATlON.—Charles Gage, one of the sufferers
by the fall of the buildings at the Euston-square station,
died on Sunday in the University College llospital. This
makes the second death amongst the wounded. The
others are doing well. . . _

CONFESSION( OF MURDEL—Within the last few
days rumours have been rife that a mason residing in
Douglas (Isle of Man), and who was not expected to live,
had sent for one of the ministers of the town for the pur-
pose of making a confession of murder, as ho felt that he
could not die without revealing the secret. The murder
was said to have taken place some eleven years ago, and
was perpetrated by three parties, one of whom struck
the unfortunate man with a mason's hammer, and after-
wards threw him into Douglas Harbour, where he was
found the next morning with his skull fractured, but
which was supposed to be occasioned by a blow against
a vessel at the time of his fall. The man said to be
murdered was Robert Cannon, of the parish of Marown,
who was very well known throughout the island.
The private letters received yesterday, by the
Hibernia, from New York are interesting, and seem to
indicate that many singular and rapid changes in the
monetary relations of the United States and England
may be looked for during the present year. The efflux
of bullion, which had already far exceeded the antici-
pations entertained on either side, continues unchecked,
and produce is still retained for higher prices in the
face of a rate of discount ranging for the choicest paper
from 12 to 15 per cent. Part of the specie brought by
the present steamer is stated to consist of American
gold, as there were no more sovereigns to be had ; and
at the same time the demand for bills was extremely
heavy, causing the price to close with much firmness at
from 10} to 10i. From these circumstances it would
appear that shipments of manufactured goods must have
been made extensively from this country during the
present pressure, with orders for immediate sale and
remittance in bullion, since the sales of State stock-
on English account have not been sufficient to explain
the continuous flow that has taken place.
Tim Atams.—The dates by the Hibernia steamer,
delivered yesterday from the Post-office, were Montreal,
December 25th ; Quebec, 26th and 27th ; Prince Ed-
ward's Island, 28th, and Sackville, the 30th ; St. John's,
New Brunswick, January Ist ; New York, the 2d ; and
Halifax, the sth instant. Next packet due from Boston
—the Caledonia, on the 29th instant. Ship letter-bag
for New York.—A ship letter-bag will be made up for
New York on Friday evening next, the 21st instant, to
be forwarded by the Sarah Sands steamer from Liver-
pool, on the 22d instant. The Hibernia steamer wili
convey the British North American, Bermuda,, and
United States' mails, to be made up on Friday evening,
the 28th instant, via Liverpool, Halifax, and New York,
on the 22d instant. Her Majesty's steamer Acheron,
with mails for Madeira, Cape of Good Hope, Swan
River, Sydney, New South Wales, and Auckland (New
Zealand), is expected to sail from Devonport on the
13th instant (this day). Her Majesty's ship Bonetta,
with mails for St, Michael's (Azores), Madeira, Cape
Verde, and the Island of Ascension, sailed from Ports-
mouth on the 14th instant. Mails will be made up at
the General Post-office on the evening of the 31st inst.
for Madeira and the West Coast of Africa, to bo con-
veyed by ono of her tiajesty'e ships appointed to sail on
the let Fehrgery.

IRISH SPECIAL COMMISSION.
(From Saunders's News Letter of yesterday.)
ENNIS, SATURDAY, JAN. 15.
MURDER or MR. JAMES WATSON.—SENTENCE
OF THE CONVICTS RYAN AND HAYES.—At the sit-
ting of their Lordships this morning at ten o'clock,
Patrick Ryan " Small" and James Hayes, the two
men convicted on Thursday last of the wilful murder
of Mr. James Watson, of Ballycorney, in this county,
were placed at the bar to receive the sentence of the
Court.

The Clerk of the Crown (George Sampson, Esq.)
having asked them if they bad anything to say why
sentence of death and execution should not be pro-
nounced against them,
The prisoner Hayes said —My Lord, we have
nothing to say but that we are both innocent of the
charge, and were not near the place where the
murder was committed. I never knew William
Ryan " Puck " in my life, and it is a hard thing to
be hanged for a crime of which one is innocent.
The other convict, Ryan " Small," said—l hare
nothing but the same thing to say, my Lord, I was
fifteen miles away from Ballycorney that day, and I
am convicted on perjured testimony. The witnesses
swore falsely to get the reward, and may God help
them that are innocent. I hope we will get a long
day, my Lord, for we are both as innocent as a child
unborn.

Their Lordships having put on their black caps,
The CHIEF BARON proceeded to pronounce the
sentence of death and execution upon the prisoners.
His Lordship having recapitulated the circumstances
of this most barbarous murder, and warned those
who had as yet escaped from justiee, or had not been
up to the present time implicated in crime, to keep
aloof from all illegal confederacies, which would only
lead to their own destruction, and be the means of
injuring the country, by obliging the proprietors of
land to become absentees for their own self-preserva-
tion. He concluded by ordering the prisoners to be
hanged on the 15th of February next.
The prisoners received their sentence without
exhibiting much emotion. Ryan appeared to be
less concerned than Hayes, although it was still
apparent from his unsteady step from the bar that he
was not wholly unmoved. Hayes turned deadly
pale, and rolled about his eyes as a person would in
a faint or fits; he was, however, able to leave the bar
unassisted.
MURDER. ANOTHER CAPITAL CONVICTION.
Michael Butler and William Barrington, both men
about forty years of age, were placed at the bar, and
indicted for having, upon the fith of November, 1847,
at Gurtnaluck, in this county, wilfully and feloniously
murdered one Patrick Cleary. The prisoner Butler
was charged as having fired the shot at the deceased
which caused his death, and the other prisoner with
being present, aiding, and abetting.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL briefly stated the case
for the prosecution. He said that the deceased was
a man in very humble life, residing in the city of
Limerick, and had met with his death in consequence
of having exercised the rights of a subject, and pro-
secuted some persons who had committed an outrage
on him some time previous to the Spring Assizes of
1847. Before the assizes he was attacked by a
number of men, and having prosecuted them to
conviction, he was immediately made an object for
persecution, which ultimately ended in his death,
which was caused by a shot from a loaded pistol,
which shot, it would be proved, was fired
by the prisoner Butler, in the other prisoner's pre-
sence. The facts were these :—The deceased had oc-
casion to visit Broadfort in that county in the month
of November last, and being on his way home, about
a mile and a half from that village, on the evening
of the 6th, the two !prisoners came up to him and
fired at him, as he (the Attorney-General had already
stated), and inflicted a wound, of which he died on
the 21st of November, having previously made a
dying declaration, fully identifying the two men at
the bar as the men who attacked him on the night
in question. Evidence of a corroborative character
would be adduced, to show that the prisoners were
seen on the spot where the murder was committed,
and were seen running away after the firing of a shot.
Witnesses were examined who fully corroborated
the statement of the Learned Attorney-General.
The following document was put in :
" The dying declaration of Patrick Cleary, taken
before Wm. Roche, Esq., J.P., on the 18th November,
1847, at Limerick :

"1, Patrick Cleary, of the Englishtown, in the
city of Limerick, when returning from Broadfoot,
county Clare, on Saturday evening, at about half-past
five o'clock, upon the 6th of November last, was fired
at by a person named Mich. Butler, and seriously if
not mortally wounded in the chest and shoulder, in
consequence of which wound I am now languishing
at Barrington's Hospital, in said city. I also saw a
person named Matthew Hourigan in company with
said Butler, and seemingly aiding and assisting in
said crime. There was also a third person of the
party, whose name I do not know ; and I thus make
this deposition as my dying declaration, being in-
formed that I have little or no hope of recovery ; and
I make it therefore with the same truth and solemnity
as I shall answer for it before the throne of Almighty
God."

The deceased's wife proved that in less that a quar-
ter of an hour before he died she asked him was he
sure that Butler and Hourigan were the men who
attacked him, and he replied that he knew he was
dying, arid WAS positive as to their identity.
The Crown case closed here, and
Mr. O'HEA addressed the jury for the defence in a
most eloquent and able address.
The Cum, JUSTICE charged the jury, who retired,
and in a short time returned with a verdict of Guilty
against both prisoners.
They received the announcement with the same
indifference the convicts both in this county and the
county Limerick displayed when in the same position.
ROBBERY OF FIRE-ARMS. William Liddy, a man
between 25 and 30 years of age, was indicted for
stealing a gun, at Kilnacrandy, in this county, the
property of John Shea, on the 6th June, 1847.
The jury convicted the prisoner. He was sen-
tenced to one year's imprisonment, with hard labour,
to commence at the termination of kis present im-
prisonment, which will not terminate for upwards of
twelve months.

POSTING THREATENING No TlCES.—James Herse,
Nicholas Duggan, Michael 11Pillahon, and Austin
Brooke, were indicted for having, on the 31st of De-
cember, 1847, posted a threatening notice upon the
gate of Col. Crofton Vandeleur.
Simon Curtin, a man 'residing in the neighbour-
hood, deposed that he knew all the prisoners, and
saw them post the following notice on Colonel Van-
deleur's gate upon the evening before New Year's-
day.
" Take notice Croftin Vandulure If you Dont
Chang your mind and give relive :to the young as
well the old and Not to Put a stop to the Publicke
worke as you are and Also Captin Kenidy if ye Dont
be said by this Notice blive me I will do with ye
as I Did with Pirce Carige so have yeir will maid in
time."

Examination continued by the ATTORNEY-GE-
NERAL.-1 went home after I saw the notice was
posted, and in about an hour afterwards the four
prisoners came to my house, pulled me out of bed,
and made me swear I would never tell what I saw
to any one.
Nargaret Curtin, wife to the last witness, identified
the prisoners as the men who came to her husband's
house on New Year's Eve, and made him swear he
would not tell any one in the world that he saw them
posting a notice on Colonel Vandeleur's gate.
Catherine Cane identified one of the prisoners as
having been one of a party. of five who came to Cur-
tin's house on New Year is Eve, and swore him, as
stated by the other witnesses.
Peter Curtin, a boy :about ten years of age, son to
the first witness, identified all the prisoners as being
of the party who attacked his father's house.
The jury at once convicted all the prisoners.
Sentence deferred.
The Court adjourned until 11,Ionday.