The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVILIING, MARC a 18, 1861.

DEATH OF THE' DUCHhSS OF WT.

The illness under which her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent had been suffering for some time,
though of a nature to create anxiety, did not assume
until about 1 o'clock on Friday last a character such
as to cause serious alarm of an immediate fatal ter-
mination.

Sir James Clark, her Majesty's physician, called
at Frogmore-house on Friday, on his way from
London to Bagshot, and was immediately informed
by .)Ir. Brown, the Duchess's medical attendant, that
since the morning a sudden and most unfavourable
change had taken place in her Royal Highness. Sir
James Clark, having ascertained the fact, at once
returned to London and communicated the intelli-
gence to his Royal Highness the Prince Consort.
A special train was immediately ordered to convey
the Queen, the Prince Consort, and Princess Alice
to Windsor, whence they proceed to Frogmore-
house, and remained during the whole night in
attendance on the Duchess, whose weakness gradu-
ally increased until half-past 9 o'clock on Saturday
morning, when her Royal Highness breathed her
last, peaceably and without pain, her couch being
surrounded by the Queen, the Prince Consort, and
Princess Alice ; and her Royal Highness's ladies.
The Queen and Prince, with the Princess Alice,
overwhelmed with grief, remained at Frogmore
during the day, where the Prince of Wales and
Princess Helena joined their sorrowing parents.

(From the Court Circular.)

" FitOGMORE, 16TH MARCH, 6 A.M.

" Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
whose health has been failing for some time, was
yesterday attacked by a severe rigor, since which
the symptoms have assumed a very dangerous
character. Her Royal Highness has passed the
night quietly, but the prostration of strength is
such as to cause the greatest alarm.

"J. CLARK."

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent expired
about half-past 9 o'clock on Saturday morning at
Frogmore-house, in the presence of the Queen, the
Prince Consort, and Princess Alice, who had arrived
from London at 8 o'clock on Friday night, and re-
mained during the night at Frogmore.
The following bulletin announcing the death of
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, was
issued on Saturday :

" FROGMORE, MARCH 16.

"Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent's
health had been declining for some time, but with-
out giving any cause of immediate anxiety till
yesterday, when the Duchess had a violent rigor.
From this time the symptoms assumed a very dan-
gerous character, and, although she passed a quiet
night, the prostration of strength continued to
increase rapidly, and her Royal Highness died at
half-past 9 o'clock this morning.
(Signed) " JAMES CLARK, M.D.
"HENRY BROWN, Surgeon."

WINDSOR CASTLE, SATURDAY.

The Queen, Prince Consort, and Princess Alice
left Buckingham Palace a little before seven o'clock
on Friday evening and proceeded to Windsor by a
special train on the Great Western Railway,
attended by Major-General the Hon. C. Grey,
Colonel the Hon. A. Hardinge, Colonel Biddulph,
and Sir James Clark.

On arriving at Windsor her Majesty, the Prince
Consort, and Princess Alice drove immediately to
Frogmore-house and remained there.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent
expired this morning at half-past nine o'clock,
without pain, in the presence of her Majesty, the
Prince Consort, and Princess Alice, and the
Duchess's attendants.

Telegrams to announce the melancholy event
were at once despatched to the Crown Princess of
Prussia, thr, -Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the
King of the Belgians, the King of Prussia, the
King of Portugal, the King of Hanover, the Duke
of Coburg, Princess Hohenlohe and other relatives
of the deceased Duchess, and also to Viscount Pal-
merston and her Majesty's Ministers.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who
had been summoned from Maddingley-hall, Cam-
bridge, arrived at Frogmore-house at 12 o'clock,
attended by Major-General the Hon. R. Bruce and
Colonel Keppel.
Their Royal Highnesses Princess Helena, Prin-
cess Louise, Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold, and
Princess Beatrice arrived at Windsor from Bucking-
ham Palace at 12 o'clock. attended by Lady Caroline
Barrington, Colonel the Hon. A. Liddell, and Major
Elphinstone. Princess Helena joined her Majesty
and the Royal family at Frogmore-house.
About 7 o'clock yesterday evening the Queen,
Prince Consort, the Prince of Wales, Princess Alice,
and Princess Helena eame from Frogmore-house to
Windsor Castle, where her Majesty and the Royal
family will remain.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Nemours
and Prince Philip of Wurtemberg came to Frog-
more in the forenoon, having heard of the Duchess's
dangerous illness, and were admitted to the presence
of the Queen. •

Her Majesty's health has not suffered, notwith-
standing the heavy affliction with which her
Majesty has been visited.

The Marchiouess of Ely has arrived as Lady-in
Waiting.

SUNDAY.

Divine Service was performed in the private
chapel of the Castle this morning by the Hon. and
Very Rev, the Dean of Windsor.

(From the London Gazette Extraordinary.)
WHITEHALL, MARCH 16.

This morning, about half-past nine o'clock, her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent departed this
life, at Frogmore House, to the great grief of her
Majesty and all the Royal family, after long suf-
fering, which she bore with exemplary patience.
The Queen, his Royal Highness the Prince
Consort, and her Royal Highness the Princess
Alice, who had arrived from London at eight
o'clock last night, and remained during the night
at Frogmore, were present when the Duchess of
Kent expired.

Sir George Lewis, the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, announced the demise of her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent on Saturday
in the subjoined communication, addressed to the
Lord Mayor at the Mansion-house.
"WHITEHALL, MARCH 16.

" My Lord,—lt is with great concern that I in-
form your Lordship of the death of her Royal High-
ness the Duchess of Kent, which took place at
Frogmore-house, this morning about half-past nine
o'clock, to the great grief of her Majesty and the
Royal family.
" I request that you will give the directions usual
on such occasions for tolling the great bell at St.
Paul's Cathedral.—l have the honour to be, my
Lord, your Lordship's obedient servant,
"G. C. LEWIS.
" The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor."

The Chief Magistrate immediately forwarded a
copy of this official communication to Dr. Milman,
the Dean of St. Paul's, and in a few minutes after-
wards the great bell of the Cathedral, which is
never tolled except on the decease of a member
of the Royal family, was booming the sad intel-
ligence over the metropolis far and near. Fol-
lowing an ancient usage on such occasions, the
Lord Mayor also caused a copy of the letter to
be posted in front of the Mansion-house, where,
during the remainder of the day and yesterday,
1 thousands of people paused to read it.

Her Royal Highness. the Princess Royal (the
Princess Frederick William of Prussia) is expected
to arrive this evening from Berlin, on a visit of
condolence to her illustrious parents at Windsor.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and the Priness Mary, accompanied by his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, left their
residence at St. James's Palace yesterday afternoon,

shortly after 2 o'clock, to pay a lisit of condolence
to the Queen and the Prince Cosort at Windsor.
Their Royal Highnesses returnl to town shortly
before 6 o'clock.

We have authority to annouice that, in conse-
quence of the death of her Itcyal Highness the
Duchess of Kent, the State apntments at Windsor
Castle are closed until further entice.

We are authorised to state that, in consequence
Of the death of her Royal Hightvss the Duchess of
Kent, her Majesty's Drawing Rom announced for
Thursday next, the 21st inst., will not take place.

read,

view of the quarrel—indeed the Governor's own
defence—was transmitted to the Secretary of State
in June or July last, and has most likely been laid
before Parliament, and now Mr. C. W. Richmond,
who has had the management of native affairs, and
is one of the Ministry, has published an elaborate
answer to Sir W. Martin. Of course, the views of
the parties to the controversy are opposed to those
of each other. Sir W. Martin endeavours to esta-
blish :

1. That the disputed land belongs to the whole
tribe,' as proprietors ; individual occupants culti-
vating, or having a right to cultivate, portions.
2. That this "tribal right" has been hitherto
acknowledged by the Government.
3. That Kingi, as principal chief, has asserted
this right; and that the Governor, initiating a new
policy, has denied it. This is the grand issue now
being tried by the ultimcz ratio regunz.
4. That there are many claimants who have as
good a claim as Teira, and that Kingi and his family
are among those claimants co-equal with Teira.
5. That these claims were not sufficiently inves-.
tigated, and that Teira's title is either bad, or at
best doubtful.

6. That the Governor was not justified in taking
forcible possession without the judgment of a court
of law ; and that the Governor, by his proclamation
of martial law, illegal in itself, declared war against
the natives at Taranaki before they had commenced
hostilities.
Mr. Richmond answers—

1. That the " tribal right" has never been recog-
nized, and that the precedents of former purchases
have been strictly followed in the Waitara case.
"2. That Kingi did not pretend to found his re-
sistance on his tribal or other right, but took the
broad ground of resisting the further extension of
the settlement.

3. That the investigation was complete. That
Teira's right to a portion of the block is certain (Sir
W. Martin would admit this), and his right to the
whole probable. (This is the whole of the original
question in dispute.) No adverse claim has been
proved, and none " authentically preferred."
4. The Governor, being of right sole judge of
questions respecting native territorial rights, was
justified in enforcing his jurisdiction in the only
practicable mode—namely, by military occupation.
The taking possession of the block was lawful, on
the further ground that the rights of the apparent
owners, after due inquiry, had been ceded to the
Crown.

ECONOMIC LIFE ASSURANCE

SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The thirty-eighth annual meeting of the society
was held on Saturday afternoon at the offices,
No 6, New Bridge-street, Blackfriars, for the pur-
pcse of receiving a statement of the receipts and
disbursements for the past year. _ _

Robert Biddulph, Esq., chairman of the board
of directors, presided. _ _

The notice convening the meeting having been

Mr. ALEXANDER MACDONALD (the secretary)
proceeded to read the following statement of the
accounts :

RECEIVED.
Assurance premiums ....0189,366 2 3
less commission.. 6,379 11 3

-- £182,986 11 0
Interest on investments .. £74,630 8 6
less income-tax.... 3,041 15 10

71,588 12 8