The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-04 00:00:00

POLITICAL BANQUETS.

Lord John Russell, PO First Lord of the Treasury,
gave a grand banquet last evening, at his official resi-
dence in Downing-street, to a
_large party of members
of the House of Commons connected with the Govern-
ment. There were present—the Right Hon. the Speaker,
the Marquis of Kildare, the mover, and Mr. Peto, the
seconder, of the Address ; Viscount Palmerston, Sir
George Grey, the Right Hon. Fox Maule, the Attorney-
General, the Solicitor-General, the Right Hon. Sir Wm.
Somerville, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right
Hon. Sir ohn Cam Hobhouse, the Right Hon. W. G.
Hayter, the Hon. John Elliot, Mr. Hawes, Mr. Bellew,
Mr. Rich, Mr. George Cornewall Lewis, Mr. James
Wilson, the Right Henry Labouchere, the First Lord of
the Admiralty, Lord Seymour, Mr. J. Parker, the Hon.,
William Cowper, Admiral Deans Dundas, Admiral
Berkeley, Colonel the Hon. George Anson, the Right
Hon. M. T. Baines, the Right Hon. W. S. Lascelles, Sir
David Dundas, Mr. Ralph Bernal, Lord Alfred Paget,
Lord Marcus Hill, Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Robert
Boyle, Lord Clarence Paget, Mr. R. W. Grey, Mr. W.
Law, and Mr. A. Russell. The guests were all attired
in full official costume, and after the banquet Lord John
Russell read her Majesty's most gracious Speech to the
assembled genets.
The Marquis of Lansdowne, as leader of the Ministry
in the House of Lords, gave a magnificent entertain-
ment last evening, at Lansdowne-house, to a fiery large
party of Peers, supporters of the present Government.
The guests included—The Lord Chancellor, the Earl of
Effingham, the mover, and Lord Cremorne, the seconder,
of the Address; the Duke of Devonshire, the Duke of
Norfolk, the Marquis of Anglesey, the Marquis of
Breada,lbane, the Marquis of Westminster, the Marquis
of Clanricarde, the Earl of Carlisle, the Earl of Bess-
'borough, Earl Bruce, the Marquis of Donegal, Earl
Fitzhardinge, Earl Fitzwilliarti, Earl Granville, Earl
Grey, the Earl of Minto, the Earl of Morley, Earl
Spencer, the Earl of Stafford, the Earl of Waldegrave,
the Earl of Camperdown, Viscount Ponsonby, Lord
Beaumont, Lord Camoys, Lord Carrington, Lord Col-
borne, Lord do Manley, Lord Dufferin and Claneboye,
Lord Elphinstone, Lord Foley, Lord Hatherton, Lurd
Monteagle, Lord Portman, Lord Stanley (of Alderley),
Lord Poltimore, Lord Lilford, and the Earl of Shel-
burne. Her Majesty's Speech was read to the guests
after dinner by the Noble Marquis.
Lord Stanley, as leader of the Opposition in the House
of Lords, entertained a large party of Peers, supporters
of Conservative policy, last evening, at his mansion in
St. James's-square. The party included the Duke of
Richmond, the Duke of Rutland, the Duke of Cleveland,
the Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis of Salisbury, the
Earl of Cardigan, the Earl of Egliaton, the Earl of
Lonsdale, the Earl of Malmesbury, the Earl of Lucan,
the Earl of Sandwich, the Earl of Wilton, Earl Nelson,
the Earl of Stradbroke, the Earl of Wiuchilsea, the
Earl of Kinsale, the Earl of Glengall, Earl Talbot, the
Earl of Erne, Earl Delawarr, Viscount Combermere,
Viscount Strangford, Lord Redesdale, Lord de Ros,
) Lord Southampton, Lord Colchester, Lord Saltoun, and
Lord Sondes.

-- - - ---
THE OLDEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD.—We have
recently (says the Gateshead Observer) received a lock of
lady's hair. Gentle reader, do not smile too soon. Formerly
it was raven black; it is now snow white—bleached by one
hundred and nineteen winters. Mary Benton, from whose
tresses it was shorn, was born at Keverston, near Raby
Castle, in the county of Durham, on the 12th of February,
1731; and on the 3d of December, 1849, she sent her old
friend, Mr. John Hinchliffe, the respected parish clerk of
Cockfield, where she was christened, a lock of her lily hair,
in tender acknowledgment of her continued remembrance
and regard. Mr. Hinchliffe, on presenting a portion of the
keepsake to a friend, raised himself up to his full height and
said "She is as fresh as I am—(his own age is 72) walks
right up an end—feeds her hens and chickens—wears no
spectacles can hear well—and was helping at haymaking
at Elton in 1848." He might have added, "" and gleaning
fol-
lows we derive from the information of a lady who
lately visited Mary Benton, and found her engaged
in the autumn of the following year What
in washing her own clothes. Her father's name
was Ralph Lodge, who lived to the venerable ago of 105,
and her mother died an " old woman." Mary began life as
a shepherdess, " tending her father's flock." She afterwards
became "the maid of the inn" kept by her grandmother at
Piersbridge, where she well remembers soldiers being quar-
tered in the rebellion of '45. She afterwards lived in service
at various places; among the rest, Raby Castle, to which
the noble owner, the Duke of Cleveland, invited her—an
honour she prudently declined. The Duke of Northumber-
land has also been to see her. When young she had ' lovers
plenty," and " took the worst at last !" " as," said she to our
informant, " sometimes happens." On being asked if she
enjoyed unvarying health, she replied, " I never bad the
doctor but once, and I was so frightened that I swooned
away when he came into the room." Amusing enough, to
hear of the nerves that had stood the rebels giving way
before the doctor! In the course of last year Mr. Bewick . . ,
painted a striking likeness of the venerable matriarch—if we
APPROACHING MARRIAGE IN lIIGII LIFE.—We
may use such a word—who at present resides with her grand-
son at Elton. Should she live to be included in the ap- understand that a marriage will shortly take place between
the lion. James Colborn, eldest son of General Lord Seaton,
proaching census, and be entered as 120 years of age, she
Lieutenant-
will doubtless be the oldest person in that record, if she be and the Hon. Charlotte De Burgh, daughter of
General Lord Downes.
not, as we have supposed, the oldest woman in the world.
SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY.--The Royal Mail Com.
[ADVERTISEMENT.j—The
Observer of Sunday,
pany's steam-ship Clyde, Captain Moss, with the West India
Feb.
five of their folio columns of particulars mails, left this afternoon. She had a large and valuable
connected 2 gavewithnearly
the Great Exhibition, brought down to Sa- cams, with about fifty passengers, many of whom were for
turd ay night. The Observer of Sunday, Jan. 26, gave four the gold diggings. The next homeward steam-ship, with
folio columns of interesting incidents of the Exhibition, the West India and Mexican mails, will be the Thames,
chiefly original facts, collected and written by the Observer Captain Rived. She may be looked fbr about the sth or
reporters. The extensive publication of the Observer coin- 6th instant. The Jupiter, Peninsular and Oriental Com-
mences at four o'clock on Sunday mornings. Sunday, Feb. nany's steam-ship, commanded by Captain Meehan, with the
9, a gratuitous supplement to the Observer. Price of the Peninsular mails, has not made her appearance. The da-
Observer, Sixpence. magi done to her machinery on her outward voyage has, we
DEATH OF SIR FRANCIS LAwLEY, BART. We re- understand, been repaired at Corunna, so that sbe may
Bret to record the demise of the above highly respected Ba-
shortly be looked for. The Madrid, Captain J. Weeks, from
ronet, who died on Thursday last at his seat in Warwick- the Peninsula, with the usual mails, is expected about the
shire. His death was most unexpected, as he was out shoot-
4th instant.
ing, and apparently in the vigour of health on Tuesday last. CommissioN or LUNACY.—Yesterday an inquiry
Sir Francis was second son of Sir Robert Lawley (the fifth as to the state of mind of Mr. David Wilson, a retired mer-
baronet) by his marriage with Jane, only child of the late chant of the City, was opened before Mr. Barlow, one of the
Sir. Beilby Thompson, and consequently brother of Lord Masters in Lunacy, and a special jury of magistrates and
Wenlock and the Dowager Lady Middleton. lie was born merchants, at the Sheriff's-office, Red Lion-square. Mr.
in 1782, and married 18th May, 1815, Mary Anne, eldest Wilson was a native of Scotland, and early in life he joined
daughter of Mr. George Talbot, but does not leave any issue I a mercantile firm in the City as a partner, and having in
by that lady, who now survives him. In 1834 he succeeded that capacity amassed a considerable fortune he retired into
to the baronetcy on the death of his elder brother, Lord private life, and continued to reside with his wife (having
Wenlock. The late Baronet was a great personal friend of ! no children) until her death, which took place about two
the late Sir Robert Peel, of whom he was a great a Imirer years ago, after which event he became unsettled in his
and a staunch supporter, and in consequence of that friend- habits., wandering about from place to place, until his friends
ship was among the chosen few permitted to assist at the thought it necessary to have him placed under the care
not
last solemn rites of that illustrious statesman's career. Sir an attendant. The Precise amount of his property 1v1"20/t.
Francis represented Warwickshire in the House of Commons stated in evidence. The lunatic himself stated he hadi _. 0
bad
in four Pai Effluents, but has not taken any active share in a year. but he could not tell how it was derived, dD'
a 0
000/. to
• • e the general election in 1833. As a landlord told Dr. Winslow that he was worth from 20 , .
politics since
insane since the
he was highly revered by his tenantry- on his estates in .950,0001. The jury found that he had been
Warwickshire and Shropshire. The baronetcy devolves on 10th of December last.
his brother, Lord Wenlock, who will also inherit his large INTRAMURAL BURYING GROUNDS.—.Besides the
landed property. business of the valuations of old cemeteriesosingthem, and and private
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Sunday afternoon, as some burial-grounds, for compensation on
of new sites, the Board
el
be-
boys, who had clandestinely obtained possession of a water- sides the valuation and examinationinvestigation of the claims
man's boat, were rowing near Bugsby's Hole, the boat got of Health has been engaged in the
clergy, churchwardens, and the
foul of a tier of shipping, the tide running strong at the time. to compensation of
We believethethat up to the last week the investi-
Being unskilful and afraid they rose from their seats in great parishes.
the boat. Their •
alarm, and capsized cries brought a number gation of the claims r
St. Pancras and a number of the C.t.
1 y
of persons to their assistance, and three were saved, but two of Marylebone, ,
c. ,_ ,
...:sultdoe peer.
were unfortunately drowlaeti, parishes) lis4 been a e ma-

1851.