The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-26 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR CASTLE, DEC. 25.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent P,nd the Prince
and Princess of Leiningen visited her 31,:kjesty yesterday
from Frogmore.

In the evening the Royal dinner party included the
Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, Princess Alice, Prince
Louis of Hesse, Baron von Westerweller, Lieutenant-
Colonel Keppel, Major Cowol, R.E., and Major-General
the Hon. R. and Mrs. Bruce, who arrived from Oxford in
the afternoon.

The band of thnSeote Fusileer Guards played during
dinner. Her Majesty's private band afterwards performed
in the Drawing-room.

The Queen and Prince Consort, the Prince of Wales,
Prince Alfred, Princess Alice, Prince Arthur, Prince Leo-
pold, Princess Helena, Princess Louise, and Prince Louis
of Hesse, the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, and the
domestic household attended Divine this morning in the
private chapel.

The Duke and Duchess of Athole have left the
St. George's Hotel.
The Earl of Yarborough, who is staying at
Brighton, is stated to b..; in a weak state of health. His
lordship has never wholly recovered from the alarming
accident which he met with in his yacht, the Zoo, which
foundered off the east coast about, three years since.
The Earl and Countess of Clarendon are enter-
taining a select circle at the Grove, Herts.
The Earl and Countess of Winchilsea and Lady
Florence Paget has left the St. George's Hotel.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston have a
select circle assembled at Broadlands.
Viscount Valletort, ALP., has left Farrance's
Hotel for Mount-Edgecumbe, Devon.
DEATH OF THZ EARL OF MExtououGu.—We
regret to announce the demise of the Earl of Mexbo-
rough, who expired yesterday at the residence of his son-
in-law, Colonel the Hon. James Lindsay, in Portman-
square, after a short illness. His lordship was born in
1783, and married, 1807, the eldest daughter of the third
Earl of Hardwicke, and succeeded his father as third earl
in 1830. His lordship is succeeded in his titles by his
eldest son, Viscount Pollington, born in 1810.
MR. COBDEN.—A private letter from Algiers
conveys the information that Mr. Cobden and his family
have arrived there, and intend to remain till the opening
of Parliament. The same communication adds that though
his health We 8 somewhat affected in Paris, ho is now much
better and only requires rest.
DREADFUL TRAGEDY.—A dreadful occurrence
has just taken place in Shropshire-row, in Bilston: A
woman named Maria Parsons has poisoned herself, her
husband, and four of her children. The woman and one
of her children are dead. On Saturday one of them lay in
a precarious state, and two are likely to recover. These
are the mere outlines of this most deplorable occurrence.
We shall give full details to-morrow.—Biriningliani .Post.
At the drawing of the Credit Foncier Bonds, on
Saturday, the following numbers obtained prizes : —No.
176,165, 100,000 fr. ; 161,38.5, 50,000 tr. ; 48,178, 10,000 fr. ;
6,054,30,000 f. ; 87,180, 20,000 f ; 62,172, 10,000 f. ; and Nos.
125,443, 51,284, 138,842, 77,608, 173,922, 61,846, 187,078,
and 63,260, 10,000 fr. each.
DEATH OF A HARTLEPOOL CENTENARIAN.--
Jeannie Shepherd, the oldest inhabitant of Hartlepool, died
on Saturday last, in herhundredth year. Jeannie " hirpled"
about and did her own domestic work till 1858, when,
through scalding herself, she took to her bed, and gradually
declined in strength. Three years ago, she followed her
own son, John Shepherd, aged sixty-three, to the grave;
and, about one year before that, she caught a thief stealing
her silk dress, watched him till a policeman came up, and
gave him into custody, and prosecuted him before the
magistrates.—Sunderland Herald.
NEW ACT TO ABOLISH FEES TO CORONERS.—On
Tuesday next a provision in a recent Act on County
Coroners (23 and 21 Vie., chap. 116) will take effect, and
in future they will be paid by salary instead of fees. On
the 31st December instant all fees to county coroners will
be abolished, and on the Ist January their salaries will be
commenced. The sum is to be fixed by justices in session
on an average of the last five years, and in the event of the
parties not agreeing an appeal is given to the Home Secre-
tary, and ho is to determine the amount for mileage and
allowances, having regard to the number of inquests held
in the last five years. After the lapse of every successive
period of five years the salaries may be revised by the
justices and coroners, and the same aro to be increased or
diminished, and, in case of their disagreement, a similar
appeal is given to the Secretary of State. By the same act
the Lord Chancellor is empowered to remove a county
coroner for inability or misbehaviour in his office. Further,
the act provides that the polling at elections for coroners is
to continue for one day instead of two, as authorised by
former statutes.

AN AMERICAN DUEL. —A writer in the
Vicksburg Sun furnishes the following incident of the
celebrated duel between Judge Gholson and S. S.
Prentiss, of Mississippi. The facts are these :—" At the
first fire, Gholson leaped exactly three feet one inch
and a half from the ground, not with a ball through
his heart, because the ball had struck the toe of his right
foot, glancing in a westwardly direction, hitting Gholson's
second in the pit of the stomach, causing him to 'double
up' with such violence that an empty pistol he had in his
hand flew forward with such force as to hit his principal on
his head, causing him to jump aforesaid, because he was so
completely astonished, believing his antagonist's ball had
hit him on the back of the head ! Gholson was cured of a
corn on the right foot, but had the toothache for a week.
Gholson's second took the cramp colic. The ball of his
adversary passed so close to the lips of Prentiss as to take
away his breath, causing him to fall upon the ground, from
which ever afterwards be had a slight lisp in his speech.
The parties were reconciled on the ground in this man-
ner; after they, had untangled and unrolled Gholson's
second out of a hard knot, and somewhat relieved him,
Prentiss, lisping considerably, said, " Gholson, you owe me
a dollar. What for ?' said Gholson. For curing your
corn,' says, Prentiss. No,' says Gholson, You owe me a
dollar.' What for ?' says Prentiss. Because,' said
Gholson, ' your ball liit% my second in the stomach, and
caused him to hit me on the head, which gave me a tooth-
ache, and now I'll have to have the tooth pulled, which
will cost me a dollar.' Well,' says Prentiss, " let's call it
square.' They shook hands on the spot."—New York
Tribune.

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(RELTTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

GAETA (via Marseilles), Dcc. 22.
The bombardment of the city is being continued

with increased vigour.

The Spanish Ambassador has left bi 3 palace on
account of its being riddled with bullets.

Two officers have been struck while standing
near the King.

New Sardinian batteries can be seen, evidently
ready to take part in the bombardment.
A deputation has arrived here from Calabria,
and has promised to raise an insurrection in favour
of the King.

NAPLES, DEC. 22,

The news that the French squadron is about to
quit Gaeta has caused a rise in the Neapolitan

funds.

A decree, dated the 20th instant, calls out the
classes of the last four years. These classes are to
assemble at the end of February.

BONN, DEC. 22,

Considerable quantities of provisions are being
despatched to Gaeta.

FRANCE.

Bounsz, Dec. 24.—The market has evinced ra-
ther more buoyancy, and prices have slightly im-
proved. For the Account, Threes are now at 68f
40c ; Mobilier, 760 f ; Orleans, 1,385 f 25c ; Mediter-
ranean, 911 f 25c; Northern, 991 f 251; Austrian,
503 f 75c ; Lombard, 415 f. The following wore the
last quotations :-
41 per per Cents 96 90
Do end month...,
3 per Cents
Do. end month 6B 301
Bank Shares 2940
Credit Mobilier 761 25
Do. Account 7.58 75

Credit Fancier
Belgian 41 —
Piedmontese Fives 79 75
Roman
Austrian
Spanish Threes 5O 25
Home Debt

ItAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orlsans 1382 50 .. 1383 25
Northern 9BB 75 .. 990
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 912 50 .. 911 25
Geneva 375 .. 376 25
Southern 621 25 .. 522 10
Western
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard