The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-25 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen, accompanied by Priticess Alice and Prince
Louis of Hesse, walked in the grounds of the Castle this
morning, attended by the maids of Honour in Waiting.
Prince Louis skated on the ice in the Home Park.

The Prince Consort, with the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, and the Prince of Leiningen, west out shooting,
attended by Major-General Seymour and Lieut.-Colonel
Keprel.

Prince Arthur skated on the ice, attended by Major
Elphinstone, R.E.

His Excellency the Sardinian Minister has left
town on a visit to Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston,
at Broadlands.

Viscountess Stratford de Redcliffe and the Hon.
Misses Canning have returned to Grosvenor-square from
visiting Lady Margaret Beaumont, at Bywell Hall, New-
castle-on-Tyne,

The Lord Chancellor's Vicarage of Nusson, near
Bawtry, Nottinghamshire, has become vacant by the death
of the Rev. Wm. Thorp, M.A., of Jesus College, Cam-
bridge. The benefice is worth £360 a year.
CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAY.—
Monday, Dec. 24.—Admissions on payment, 10,244 ; ditto
by season tickets, 2,175.—T0tal visitors, 12,419.
THE GREAT EASTERN.—The required repairs of
this vessel, now lying securely and snugly on the beach at
Milford Haven, have been commenced, and are vigorously
being carried on under the efficient superintendence of Cap-
tain Jackson, of the firm of Ford and Jackson. They will
be completed early in the spring of the ensuing year.
THE REPRESENTATION OF ABERDEENSHIRE.—
The Aberdeen Free Press says—" There are two candidates,
if not both formally, yet to all intents and purposes, in the
field. Both Sir A. Bannerman and Mr. Leslie (of Warthill)
are organising the machinery for an active canvass of the
county, and the address of the former has been issued.
Mr. Leslie starts in the Conservative interest, and Sir A.
Bannerman comes forward as a Palmerstonian. There has
been some talk about the likelihood of one of the brothers
of our late member coming forward. As party distinctions
are now very much broken down, so proportionately, a$
least, we should hope, would pressure—particularly of
landlords on tenants—be abated. We have, however, just
learned with some surprise that a certain noble lord has
already issued a circular to his tenantry in this quarter—
not, of course, `dictating' to them how they should vote,
but intimating that he is a Conservative, and that this is a
time when there being so much false liberalism abroad
every good man and true should rally round the ' institu-
tions of the country.' Now, the noble to whom we refer
may personally, or in what he deems the interest of his
order, have a very great horror of John Bright. Still, 'we
think, such a use of the influence of his position is a little
too strong for these days, and such as make people rather
desire to see measures carried calculated to abate the power
that can wield it." _ _

FlRES.—Yesterday and last night a great many
fires occurred in different parts of the metropolis. The
most serious was at Mr. Groves's, wheelwright, Abbey-
street, Bermondsey, whose premises were completely
destroyed.

THE LAW AND EQUITY COURTS_ yesterday the
offices of the common law courts were closed until Satur-
day, and with the exception of the Court of Queen's Bench,
the courts stand adjourned until the commencement of
term. The Court of Queen's Bench will sit to-morrow
(Wednesdays to conclude the case, " Stokes v. the Eastern
Counties Railway Company," and on its rising will be
adjourned until term, which begins on the 11th proximo.
The equity courts adjourned on Saturday, and the offices
were closed until the 7th January. The courts will not
open before them. The Divorce Court has also closed its
sittings until term.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—It
appears that the directors of this company intend to recom-
mend to the shareholders that the vacancy caused by tho
death of the late Mr. Uzielli should be filled up at the
ordinary meeting of the company in February next. As 30
days' notice prior to the meeting is required to be given by
candidates for the office of director, shareholders who may
wish to become candidates will have ample time to give the
requisite notice prior to the meeting, which it is understood
will be held on the 14th of February next.

THE EASTERN FISHERIES.—The parties engaged
in the herring fishery off the eastern coast are now " making
up" and congratulating themselves on the success which
has attended their vigorous labours. It is estimated that
the boats connected with Great Yarmouth have taken 8,000
to 10,000 lasts, or the enormous number of 100,000,000 fish.
The sum thus obtained by each boat has been from £4OO to
£l,OOO, and all taken above £5OO per boat is regarded as
profit. At Lowestoft equally encouraging results have been
obtained, the value of the fish caught being estimated at
£50,000, one boat alone having taken 1,000,000 fish. The
fishermen are paid according to the success which follow
their exertions, and some of them will have £3O, £4O, and
even £5O, to receive at tho hands of their employers.
-WEIGHING A THEFT.—A citizen missed two
pounds of fresh butter, which was to be reserved for him-
self. The maid, however, had not only stolen it, but fas-
tened the theft upon the cat, av-Jrring. moreover, that she
caught her in the act of devouring the last morsel. The
wily cit immediately put the kitten into the scales, and
found it to weigh but a pound and a half. This city mode
of accurate reasoning being quite conclusive, the girl con-
fessed her crime.—American paper.

THE FROST IN BRISTOL.—The temperature of
the air 101 l to 17.0 on the 21st, reaching a maximum of
3233 in the day. On the 22d a wave of warmer air mod.-
rated the frost, and the thermometer, four feet above the
soil, did not descend lower th.an 27.4. It remained, how-
ever, during that day in 'a nearly stationary condition, the
maximum not being above 32.8. On Sunday another start
was made, the ni;:nimum attained being again low (19.7).
The mercury in the barometer has continued to fall. The
maximum temperature for the week ending the 22d was
42.3 ou he 16th, and the minimum, 17.0 on tb.e 21st.
How TO BRING DOWN RAIN.--Jr. Weeks, of
Sandwich, writes as follows to Mr. Howell, who, at the
British Association, suggested the possibility of bringing
down rain from the clouds at pleasure :—" I have from very
early life been an assiduous experimenter with electric
kites, atmospheric exploring wires, &c. Now I beg to
assure you that it has several times happened that when
my kite has been raised immediately under a distended,
light, fleecy cloud, at a moderate elevation, a free current
of sparks has passed from the apparatus during some 10 or
12 minutes. I have suddenly found myself bedewed with
a descent of line misty rain; and, on looking up, have seen
the cloud upon which I was operating surprisingly reduced
iu maguitude,"-2he