The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-27 00:00:00

COU, T CIRCULAR.

•
WINDSOR, MAnCH 26.
Mr, Albert Smith had the honour of performing last
night before her Majesty, the King of the Belgians, the
Duchess of Kent, the Royal familly, and the party aEf
sernblo at ttL CAstiel

The., dinner pliqy included his Majesty the King of
the Belgians, her Royal Highness the Duche,is of Kent,
her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, the Belgian
Minister And Madame Van de Weyer, Lady Fanny
Howard, Earoness de Speth, Major-General the Hon.
Sir E I ward Cust, Colonel and Lady Emily Seymour,
Sir James Chtrk, Colonel do Moerkerke, Captain Prisse,
and Dr. Rieken.

The baud of the 2d Life Guards played during dinner.
Her Majesty's private band afterwards performed in the
Castle.

The Queen and Prince, with the Princess Royal and
Princess Alice, rode on horseback this morning, attended
by the Countess of Desart, Major-General Buckley, and
Captain the Hon. H. de Ros.
Major• General the Hon. Sir Edward Cast left the
castle in the forenoon.

Lady Macdonald has succeeded the Countess o
Desart as Lady in Waiting to her Majesty.

WINDSOR, MARCH 2E.

The birthday of his Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge—borti on 26th March, 1819—was celebrated
here to-day by the ringing of the bells of the Chapel
Royal of St. George, and other demonstrations of re-
spect.
On Monday next the Court will leave Windsor Castle
for Buckingham Palace, to remain there probably not
more than a week or ten days ; after which time, her
Majesty, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the
royal family will go t 4 the• Isle of Wight.
His Majesty the King 'Of the Belgians will take leave
of her Majesty and the Prince, and leave the Castle at
half-past nine o'clock to-morrow morning, on his return
to Brussels. The Xing and suite will travel by the
South-Western line to the junction at Wandsworth,
thence down the main lino to Guildford, branching
therefrom to Reigate, on the South-Eastern line, to
Dover, avoiding, by this arrangement, change of car-
riages, luggage, &0., as well as the inconvenience of the
delay occasioned by changes as formerly. His Majesty,
on his departure, will be attended by Mr. Scott, ma-
nager, and Nir. Crombie, secretary. The journey will
be performed in less than four hours.

kr. R. Berrington, of her Majasty's private band,
appo:nted one of the state trumpeters, in the
'room of Mr. deoeasea.

Their loyal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary will remain at Cambridge Cot-
tage,.Kew, until the close ofe,lie ensuing week, and then
return to St. James's Pa'ace for the season.
The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk leave Carlton
House Terrace to-day, far Arundel Castle. Admiral Sir
Edmund Lyons is staying with the noble duke and
duchess.
The Duchess (Dowager) of Norfolk leaves Norfolk
House, to-day, for Clifden Park, the Duke of Suther-
land's seat, near Maidenhead.
The Earl of Eelinton has left town on a visit to Lord
and Lady Southampton at Whittlebury Lodge, North-
amptonshire.
The Earl and Countess Spencer, who have returned
to Althorpe Hall from town for the recess, are entertain-
ing a distinguished circle at their country seat.
Viscount and Viscountess Ingestre have arrived at
the Earl of Eglinton's. from visiting Sir Watkin Wil-
liams and Lady Wynn, at Wynnstay.
Lord and Lady Southampton are receiving a succes-
sion of distinguished visitors at Whittlebury Lodge,
Northamptonshire, during the race meeting.
Lady Elizabeth Hope Vere and Mrs. Townshend
Wilson have arrived in town from Dover.
Lady Dover, since her return from Gowran Castle,
Ireland, has been ,taying with the Countess (Dowager)
of Carlisle, at Castle Howard, Yorkshire.
Lord and' Lady George Manners have joined the
family circle vi-iting the Duke of Rutland, at Belvoir
Cattle, Liecestershire.
Sr It )13ert Peel, Bart., M.P., and Lady Emily Peel
are expected to arrive in town immediately after the
' holidays, from a tour'in Italy.
Colonel Mountjoy Martyn has been seriously ill in
Paris. We are, lad to learn, by the latest account?, that
the gallant officer is pronounced out of danger.
Mr. Hastier, the respected and talented manager of
the Lord Warden Hotel, rendered so famous by the
late visit of the Emperor and Empress of the French,
leaves the direction of that establishment in Dover.
MADAME JENNY GOLDSCHMIDT-LIND.—The new Phil-
harmonic Society has received an intimation from
Madame Jenny Lind that she will perform at one of the
concerts of the society during the approaching season.
This is another proof cf the artistic feeling which is so
well known to animate this distinguished lady. Mr.
Benedict and Dr. Wyble will be the conductors.
A further amount of Australian gold is understood to
have been taken to the Bank yestur lay. Small parcels of
o its also continue to arrive from Paris ; but a consider-
able part of the A. ustralian gold by the Emma was pur-
chased yester lay for tr mern:ssion thither.
THE CAPE OF Goon Hope.—We have recoived files of
papers from Cape Town to the Bth of January inclusive.
Everything is going on satisfactorily in the colony. The
Cape 'otos Mail of the Bth of January says :—" Our in-
telligen e from b yo d the borders ha, now for a long
time been confined t ) works of peace, with scarcely an
indication of trouble or disco tent.
WEST 'COAST OF AFRICA —PLYMOUTH, March 26:
The African Steam Navigation Company's mail packet
Ethiopr, Commander W. H. Rirnarell, with a general
cup and nine passengers, sailed yesterday afiernoou
for Maderia, Tene:iffe, and the West Coast of Africa.
Notice has been posted at the gates of the Devonport
Dockyard teat her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam
sloop Scourge, 6, will sail for Sierra Leoae on the 3151.
instant.

SUICIDE OF MR. MANSFIELD, C E —On Saturday an
inquest was held at l)unkettle; near C on the body
of Mr. R. D. Matisfield, engineer on the Cork and Ban-
don Railway, which was found in the slob of the river
the previous day, as already described. The jury re-
turned a verdict to the effect that the deceased, in a
state of temporary insanity, drowned himself at Dun-
kettle Bridge.
FALL OF A ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL AT PRESTON.—
On Thursday last, about no6n, St. Mary's Catholic
Chapel, Friargate-hill, suddenly fell down, and became a
runs of ruins. Several workmen have been employed
for some time at the building. preparatory to its ealarge-
Went They were about to widen it, and for that pur-
posai intended to take out the side wall. A large qua'n•
tity of earth had been dug away from the wall, and it is
supposed that it weakened it, and was the immediate
cause of the destruction of the building. The two gable
ends are still standing, but in such a dangerous state
that. their fall may be looked for any moment. The
-eats, furniture, books, and, indeed, everything belonging
to the chapel, have been smashed and torn to pieces, and
buried beneath the ruins. Very fortunately none f the
men employed about the building were in any way in.
jured. The chapel will now have to be entirely rebuilt.
—Prcs69n Guardian.
THE FORTHCOMING EASTER TERM.- -Yesterday, on
the termination of the holidays, the several law offices
resumed business, when the lists of arrears for the forth-
coming Easter Terin were exhibited. In the three com-
mon law courts the number is only 71. At the corn-
,mencernent of last Tern the number (exclusive of mat-
ters in the Crown paper) was 161. In the Queen's
Bench, for next Term,' there are 27 rules—last Term
there were 73. In the Court of Common Pleas the
numbered entered is 19—last Term there were 29 ; and
in the Court of Exchequer there are 25—last Term the
number was 62. For the ensiling Term there are in the.
Court of Qneen's Bench 2 new trial rules, 10 rules in the
special paper, and 9 enlarged rules. In the Court of Com-
mon Pleas 3 enlarged rules, 7 for new trials, 1 rule for
judgment, and 8 demurrers entered ; whilst in the Court
of, Exchequer there are 2 rules in the peremptory paper,
2 in 'the special paper for judgment, and 5 for argu-
•ment, beside which' there are 16 rules far new trials.
There is a good deal of business in the common law
courts, and the beneficial operation of the Common Law
Procedure Acts is being felt both in the despatch of cases
and the diminished oasts i:10W charged by the profes-
sion. In actions in which jirtninent is allowed to go by,
default, the charges are trifling, and in the bill now
before Parliament to 'amend the county courts a de-
creased scale will be settled, so that it will be a matter of
consideration which is the cheapest—the superior court
or the county courts—for the suitor to enjoy the plea-
sureti of litigation.
EXTENSIVE FIRM AT
,MESSRS. HARRISON .AND CO.'S
'PIANOFORTE FACTORY, NEAR 'TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD.
Last night a fire, attended with very considerable de-
struction of property,broke out at a few minutes past 8
o'clock, in the extensive pile of premises belonging to
'Messrs. Harrison and Co., pianoforte manufacturers, car-
rying on business at No. 64, John-street, Tottenham-
courtenad, and No. 3, John-street-mews, near the Whit-
field chapel. The premises'were of considerable depth,
stretching from the mews as far Ai the timber yard behind
the private dwelling and offices. 11 ach floor was filled with
instruments, some finished and some partly so, which alone
were of great value, but many, we regret to state, have
been entirely destroyed. The loss is very serious, but fortu-
nately the sufferers were partially insured in the Connty
Fire-office for the factory, but, unfortunately, the whole
ofthe workmen havAlost their tools, and a number were'
not insured for a single penny. The private house be-
longing to the firm was, it is understood, insured in the
Athenmum Fire-office. rfhe'prernisee of Messrs. Andrews
and SPokes, tinplate-workers, No. 2, North-street-mews,
hive sustained some damage by fire, but considerably
more by water. So brilliantly was he metropolis illu-
minated by the fire that several thousand persons rushed
to the epot, and it requ4ed the services of a strong body,
of police to keep the oopulace out of danger. Mr. Hodg-
son and Mr. John Hanableton, the assessors of losses,
and Mr. T. Loader, the surveyor of the Tjuity Fire As-
sociation, were remarkably early in attendance ti look
after the salvage. As to the origin of the fire, not the
least information could be elicited.

ALARMING FlRES.—Yesterday morning, at five o'clock,
a fire broke out on the premises of Mrs. Mary Pannier,
milliner, 13, Margaret-street, Cavendish-square. The
firemen found that the fire originated in the ignition of
some bond timber adjoining a chimney in the next house.
This cause of fire has of latd been very often recorded in
the London-brigade books. By removing a very con-
siderable quatit ty of brick-work the fire was extinguished.
Insured in the Sun Fire Office.—A second fire broke
out at Mr. George Trickett's, bookbinder, 67, Hatfield-
street, Stamford-street. Owing to the timely arrival of
the fire-brigade it was extinguished, but not until consi-
derable damage was done. Considerable delay was
coused by the want of water from the mains of Lambeth ;
Wirter Works. The cause is'at-present unknotu.
_ .

LATEST NEWS.

MARSEILLES, AlAmen 26.

The Lange has arrived with advices from Con-

stantinople of the 18th, and from the Crimea of

the 15th.

General Vivian and 38 French military men

have arrived.

General Smith has arrived at Constantinople

from London on his way to Shumla.
Count Zamoyski has arrived from Paris.

The Porte has rejectel a potition from 60
Moldavian Boyards, directed against the local
Divan of the Principality.
Prince Ghika has, in the name of the Sultan,
intimated that all similar protests will be put
down.

Reinforcements, to the extent of 8,000 mei),

have arrived from England.

Two Chamberlains of the Sultan have been din-

missed for having opposed themselves to the re-
forms decreed by his Imperial Majesty.
The weather in the Black Sea had been very

boisterous. The French frigates Montezuma and

Christophe Colopab had returned to Constanti-

nople. Omer Pacha has paid a visit to the Cai-

macro.

The Porte has made an application to the
French Government for 10,000 carbines and as
many sabres. Thb English fleet is shortly expected

at Malta.

Accounts from the • Crinaoa to the 1 Rth state
that the weather continued stormy. The health
of the French troops had considerably improved.
The cold is severe at Kertch ; the canal of Yeni-
kale is frozen over.

BERLIN, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Rumours of a change in the Ministry are rife.

The most• important member of the internal

administration of the country is said to have ten-

dered his resignation.

Thirty cases filled with Minie rifles, on their

way from Belgium to Russia, have been seized
here by the authorities within the last few days.

The accusations against MM. Vou Manteuffel
and Von Gerlach, contained in a pamphlet re-
cently published touching the despatch robberies,
are formally contradicted by the Prussian Gazette.

MADRID, MARCH 25.

The Grand Central Company and the Credit

Mobilier Company united have made propositions

for the construction of the southern railway con
vecting Portugal and Spain. The deputies of the
Spanish provinces, directly interested in the line,
have expressed their approbation of the propo-
sitions.

THE PARIS CONFERENCES.
(From Second Edition of the Times of this day. )

The following is the letter of our Paris corre-
,
datedspondent yesterday, 6 p.m. :
Ihave reason to believe that we are at last near
• the satisfactory solution of our diplomatic difficul-
'tieS. The Congress met to-day ag tin, the third day
.consecutively since Sunday, and it will very pro-
bably continue to meet from day to day till the con-
cluSion. Notwithstanding the assurances in respect.
able quarters as to the exact date on which the pro-
tocols will be signed, 1 refrain from naming any day.
As matters stood yesterday(not being aware of what
passed at this day's sitting), I still am of opinion that
everything will he arranged this week. We are
now, it is true, in the middle of the week, but with
industry and application a good deal of work may
be got through by Friday or Saturday. I cannot
answer for .unforeseen accidents; but I am of
opinion that the business will be.brought to a close
very soon.• •
In my letter of Sunday I referred to the proceed-
ings of the Congress the day before. From what 1
have been •able. to ascertain since, these facts have
not only been confirmed, but some additional in
formation. acquired which may not be found unin
teresting. The dissension I alluded to a.s • breaking
out on that day certainly originated in the mann?)
in which the participation of Prussia in the treaty
was viewed. The Plenipotentiaries met, as
I informed you, at an earlier hour than usual.
This, however, was not the case with re-
spect to the Representatives of Prussia, who
were not summoned till a comparativelm
late hour—some sty at 4 or half-past 4 o'clock
-When they entered the Saloon- of the Conferences
they are said to have manifested their displeasuri-
at..what they consideled a studied slight if no,
humiliation offered toThem. One of the Plenipoten-
tiaries—who, teannot say positively—made excuses
for the seeming neglect, and explained that though
arriving, or summoned, late they were not to con-
sider themselves as treated on a different footing
from the other Plenipotentiaries; that they all met
in that room on terms of equality, and on terms of
equality they would remain. Another Plenipoten-
tiary, it is said the English, though I cannot of
course vouch for the• fact, stood up and disputed
the proposition laid down by his confrere. Ht
formally and decidedly denied the parallel soughl
to be established between the representatives o.
Prussia and those of the allies, and declared em-
phatically that he should never consent to it. In
this he was supported by the Sardinian Plenipo
tentiaries. The discussion continued for some

time in this strain, and the, parties separated
without coming to any decision, so that peace
could not be officially announced, as was hoped,
the following day, as an accompanienaent to the
Tc Deum. It is said that the English Pleni-
potentiaries—one, if not both—had a long in-
terview the next morning with the Emperor,
and left him perfectly satisfied. On Monday the
Congress again met, 'and resumed the discussion of
Saturday, as to the manner of admitting Prussia to
sign the treaty., lam not acquainted well enough
with *hat passed, or rather the reports on the sub-
ject are so contradictory, that I refrain from men
tioning any particulars. The same
,may be said of
that of yesterday ; but the only important fact is
that either on Monday or yesterday an arrangement
was proposed by which the allies should sign one
protocol, and that a second.should be drawn tip to
which Prussia and the allies should affix their sig-
natures. This, if I am correctly infcirmed, has
been adopted, and the Congress is now occupied in
the redaction of both protocols, The precedent of
France resuming her place in the European Concert
of h4l, after th treaty of 1840, which had been
signed without her participation, would then seem
to be followed on the present occasion. Lord Cla-
rendon is described as having decidedly resisted the
admission of Prussia in any other way, and, if my
information be correct, ho has resisted successfully,
notwithstanding the strong opposition to him.'
If this version be the correct one the arrangement
can hardly be called a compromise. As Prussia was
invited to join the Conferences it must be to sign
something. The allowing her the same advantages
as the other Powers; 'belligerents or who were
engaged to be so, could not be listened to, and
that Lord Clarendon did not consider the difficulty
as one toT—rnare;roi•milify;liut as a principle is
manifest from the opposition he made to it from
the beginning. If the matter be arranged as lam
told it is, the only delay (supposing no accident to
occur) can now be in the proper framing of the •
protocols.

In the meantime the last day allowed for the
armistice is rapidly approaching. It is no doubt
expected that the. treaty will be signed on or befog e
the 31st, but so serious a matter as the resump-
tion of hostilities cannot be left to chance or
exposed to accident. In order to avoid this,
and with la .humane desire to avoid the unne-
cessary effusion of blood, a message has been
or will be sent by telegraph to the head-quar-
ters in the Crimea not to recommence hos-
tilities without further orders. This is, of course,
nothing more or less than a prolongation of the
armistice ; but in order to prevent the unpleasant
effect on the public mind that would be sure to fol-
low the official announcement of such prolongation,
the order I allude:to will probably be explained by
the fear of an accident occurring to the electric
cable, which would produce a " solution of conti-
nuity." Thus the prolongation of the armistice
will be effected without unnecessarily alarming the
too susceptible public. This,' I believe; is all that 1

c•tu safely he said of the progress of the Conferencti
at this moment. The solution, as I have already
said, is expected this week.

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
It is rumoured to-day that means have been or-
dered to effect the transport to Algeria of all the
Tartars that may choose to leave the Crimea when
the Allies withdraw.

A review of troops, on a gigantic scale, to the
number of 150,000 men, will follow. the declaration
of peace.

"The Emperor," says the Constitutionnel, "has
for this year doubled the salaries of all the persons
i❑ his household. It is this, doubtless, which gave
rise to a report that a month's salary had been
granted by way of 'gratification ' to all func-
tionaries."

Decrees in the Moniteur make six
,nominations
to the rank of Knight in the Legion of Honour,
and confer 44 military medals on non-commissioned
officers and privates in different regiments who
have received wounds during the war. Other de-
crees confirm two nominations_ to the rank of
Knight in the Legion of Honour, and the grant of
live military medals, made by Mat sltal Pelissier.
General Rolin, Adjutant-Ganeral of the Palace '
of The Tuilerieß, has been promoted to the rank of
Grand Officer, in the Legion .of Honour.
The Emperor having decided that, on the occa-
sion of the birth of the Prince Imperial, the Easter
holidays given to the pupils of the Imperial schools
belonging to the Crown, such as the Polytechnic,
St. Cyr, St. Denis, &c., shall be increased by five
days, the studies, instead of being resumed on the
31st March, will not open until the sth of April.
A letter from Paris in the Independence Belge,
says :—" It was by a spontaneous act that the Em-
peror elevated Generals Canrobert and Bosquet to
the dign ty of Marshals of France. His Majesty -
had communicated his intention to no one, and he
took occasion to announce it to them himself in a
touching and solemn circumstance. On Tuesday
last, after the reception on the occasion of the
birth of the Prince Imperial, a grand dinner was
given at the Tuileries. At the dessert, the Emperor
caused the glasses to be .filled, and then said—
' Gentlemen, I propose the health of two mEn.
whom I esteem and love, MarsharCanrobert and
Marshal Bosquet.' I leave you to imagine the
sympathy with irhich this toast was received, and
with what emotion the two new marshals thus
learned their nomination."

Another Paris letter in the independance of
Brussels gives the following details relative to the
proceedings of the Congress :—" I have already in-.
formed you that the minutes of the sittings were
autographed by two men, and transferred to stones
to be struck off. I can now add that 24 copies are
pulled off for the Plenipotentiaries and:their respec-
tive Courts. The exact truth will therefore be one
day known. Iu the meautime, the printers en-
gaged in the business are not allowed to leave the
Ministry, and their work is performed under the
surveillance of a grey-headed employe, M. d'He-
-1 iant, archiviste of tl'e political direction, and an
old friend of the late Count de Rayneval."

BOURSE, March 26.—The following were the last
quotations :

_
Cash. fr. a. End of Month.
4i per Cents 93 75 —f. —o.
3 per Cents 7.3 40 72 50
New Loan 73
Bank Shares 3,500 Roman
Credit Mobilier 1,572 LO Austrian ' 89
Belgian Fives. — Spanish Threes
Piedmontese (5) 93 50 Home Debt ...... ...