The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-01 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, THIIESDAY.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal has honoured
Mrs. Thornycroft with sittings for her bust.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess cf Cambridge
and the Princess Mary and the Duke of Cambridge
arrived this afternoon, on a visit to her Majesty.
After dinner, Herr Wiljalba Frikell, the famous
Russian physician and prestidigitateur, had the holacTr
of exhibiting his extraordinary performances, by special
command, before the Queen and Prince Consort, the
Princess Royal, the Priuco of Wales, and the royal and
distinguished visitors enjoying her Majesty's hospitality.

We are requested to contradict the statement con-
tained in the journals of yesterday, that the public can
obtain tickets to view the procession on the occasion of
the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal,
ou application to the Lord Chamberlain. Arrangements
have already been made for the disposal of the felt
tickets which, in consequence of the limited space in
St. James's Palace, can be given on the °cession. The
chapel and rooms, however, will be exhibited to the
public by ticket immediately after the ceremony.

Their Highnesses the Siamese Ambassadors returned
to Claridge 's Hotel, last evening, from a lengthened tour
in the manufacturing districts. Their highnesses came
from Birrairgham direct to London.

Ilia Excellency the Persian Ambassador, accompanied
by Captain Lynch and the members of his suite, paid a
visit to the new City prison at Holloway, yesterday. His
excellency dined at Claridge's Hotel in the evening,
and afterwards honoured the operatic performances at
her Majesty's Theatre with his presence.
The Duke of Bedford is surrounded by a family circle
at Woburn Abbey.
The Marquis of Clanricarde arrived in town, on Wed•
negday evening, from Windsor CaAle.
Visc.met and Viscountess Combermere will arrive io
town on the 20th inst., to be present at the marriage of
her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.
We understand that the London Joint-Stock Bank
have taken up the agency of the City of Glasgow Bank.
DRATEI Or SIR JOUR ICERLE lIABERFIELD.—We re-
gret to have to record the demise, sags the Bristol
Gazette, of this estimable gentleman, ene of the best
known, and at one time most popular, of our fellow'
citizens. Sir John died at his residence in the Royal
York-crescent, on Sunday morning, in the 73d year of
hie age.

DEATH OP SIR D. H. BLAIR, BART. —We announce
with much regret to our readers the death of the Tenor-
able Sir David Hunter Blair, of Blairquban, count,'
tyr, N. 8., which event happened at his country seas
in the north on Saturday, the 26th ult. We believe
that at his deer ase he had recently entered upon the 80th
year of his age. Our readers will remember that bit/
eldest son by his first union, the late Colonel Jame'
Hunter Blair, of the Fusilier Guards, and sometime
M.P. for Ayrshire, was killed at Inkerman in Nov.,
1854, and the title has consequently devolved on hit
second son, Edward, formerly lieutenant in the 9341
Highlanders, now fourth baronet.
JUDICIAL SEPARATlON.—Henceforth no decree is to
be made for a divorce a menses et th,oro but for a judicial
separation' which may be obtained under the new act
(20 and 21 Viet., c. 85), either by a husband or wife, on
the ground of adultery or cruelty, or desertion without
cause, for two years and upwaida.
FRESH WATER IN•THE SERPENTINE.—The Serpentine
is partly supplied by springs rising in it, but a very large
additional supply of fresh water might be obtained bf
thorough drainage of Hyde Park and Kensington-gar•
dens. If they were both drained into the Serpentine,
the whole neighbourhood would be greatly benefited as
well as the Serpentine, the Park, and the Gardens.
There are times of the year when parts of Kensington
Gardens hold scores of thousand gallons of water like 16
great sponge.

- PARIS AND LONDON PARCELS EXPRESS.—The nor
Customs' regulation permitting the examination at Lon-
don of parcels conveyed by the South-Eastern Railway'
Company's "London and Paris Parcels Express," will
come into operation this day. Parcels under this
system will pass uninterrupted to London for examine-
lion, without being detained for that purpose at the port
of arrival.
The trial for- perjury of Edward Auchmuty Glover;
late M.P. for Beverley, wbo was subsequently unseated
on petition, aid whose prosecution, on the motion of Mr.
John Abel Smith, was ordered by the House of Com•
mons on the Bth of the past month, it is expected will
come on at the Central Criminal Court next Wednesday'
—Wednesday being the first day on which the judges
attend. The prosecution will be conducted by he?
Majesty's Attorney-General.
THE AUSTRALIAN POSTAL SERVICE.—A Parliftmen•
tary paper of 16 pages in length, yesterday printed, con•
tains a copy of the contract for carrying the Australian
mail to Melbourne via Alexandria and Suez, and sundry
particulars relative to the vessels employed in the service.
The time occupied by the voyage out during the past
year, 1857, varied from 52 days 9 hours to 99 days and
4 hours, there having occurred in several cartes an excess
over the time allowed, for which penalties were enforced.
Between Suez and Sydney there are foar vessels now
employed—the European, of 130-horse power and
2,359 tong; the Columbia, of 530-horse power and
2,351 tons ; the Simla,of 640-horse power and 2,441
tins; and the Enueu, of 309-horse power and 1,538
tons • the last two are chartered. Between South-
ampton and Alexandria two chartered vessels, the
Tamar and the Teviot, are employed, and 1 etween
Malta and Marseilles the Vanguard, a chartered
ve,sel of 300 I orse-po*er and 625 tors. There has
been no c,.y told°.•PetNe between the Trea,ury and the
d,,,,,,t0es 01 th- E.lropeart and Alts ratiau Boyai Mail
Company and of the Royal Alai: S ,ampcket Company,
with ttie view of amiligamati. g thi caid companies np to
tue date of tue widress of Oa House Commons for
this return, which address was dated the 20th of Aug.
The return was moved by Mr. Maoortney, M.P.

MONEY MARKET

~,ID

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CITY, Two O'CLOCK.
It is satisfactory to notice the general feeling of
confidence with which the commercial public
are looking forward to the probable course of
events during the year just commenced. Indi-
cations of improvement having been observable,
the last two or three weeks, the gloom occasioned
by the crisis and its lamentable results, is fast die-
appearing, and, with a further reduction in the
value of money, pr-parations will soon be com-
menced for a resumption of business, on a safer
though less extensive basis tha❑ existed prior to
the general collapse. The gigantic failures that
have taken place have cleared the mercantile rela-
tions of this country, of America, and the northern
cities of Europe also, from much that was unsound
and pernicious ; it may, therefore, be hoped that
the causes which have produced such incalculable
distress may be avoided hereafter. As it is im-
possible to prevent speculation, however, it is
ridiculous to suppose that there can be perfect
immunity from similar convulsions, but after what
has occured during the Autumn, we may
anticipate a much healthier state of things for the
next few years, until, in fact, the trade of the
United Kingdom is again forced beyond legitimate
bounds.

The incidents connected with the crisis are too
fresh in the minds of the public to require recapi-
tulation ; and as they afford an instructive lesson
that will act as a guide to the numerous compara-
tively young firms., who will now become more pro-
minent, through the fall of so many of their larger
competitors, it is desirable that they should not be
soon forgotten. The lax system of credit which
seems to have been extensively and almost univer-
sally introduced, is proved to have been abortive,
and although it is impossible to anticipate its com-
plete suppression, a hope is indulged that the mer-
cantile interests will henceforth relinquish, as much
as possible, the use of " open credits," and other
similar but equally destructive devices, in order to
maintain their position.
During the past year the fluctuations on the va-
rious public and private securities have been im-
portant. In the English Funds the variation has
been as much as 8 per cent., and in some of the
Foreign Securities, such as Turkish Bonds, he
difference in values has been about 14 per cent.
Railway Shares have shown some considerable
changes. The different stocks and shares and the
variations in quotations are shown in the following
table :
r

ENGLISH STOCKS.
Highest. Lowest. Difference.
Bank Stook
Reduced 3 per Cents... 94i
Consols, money
New 3 per Cents.
Exchequer 8i115.... ..... 7s. pm.
India Bonds 3s. pm. 51s. die 6Bs.
India Stock
Consols, account

FORBIGN SECURITIES.
Highest. Lowest.
Brazilian March 103+
Mexican March 24
Russian 5 per Cents.... —.Aug. 113. - Dec. 103
Russian 41 per Cents Sept. 99t .... ..... Nov. 94
Sardinian May 92 ..... .... Dec. 84
Spanish July 421 ... ... Aug. 39i
Spanish Deferred ..... June 261
Turkish 6 per Cents March 99f
Turkish 4 per Cents. Jan. 103 i
Dutch 24 per Cents. June 66 ... ...... Dec. 624
Dutch 4 per Cents Sept. 100