The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-24 00:00:00

THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

The Court will remain at Osborne until after Wednes-
day next, the 26th of August, where her Majesty has
constantly celebrated the birthday of the Prince Con-
sort. The usual rural fetes will take place which the
Queen has been accustomed to give to the tenantry and
the workpeople on the royal estates, and the crews of
the royal yachts. The Court is expected to arrive at
Balmoral on the 29th inst., the day originally fixed.
The Earl of Clarendon will accompany her Majesty to
Scotland as the Secretary of State in attendance.
Had it been possible to finish the session yesterday
(Saturday, 22d), the day expected, it was her Majesty's
intention to have prorogued Parliament in person ; but
the delays—still more the uncertainty—of the proceed-
ings on the Divorce Bill have altered all the anticipated
arrangements.
At this moment it la uncertain whether Parliament
will be prorogued on Wednesday or Thursday next. The
Privy Council, to settle the Queen's Speech, which was
fixed for Monday, was yesterday postponed to the fol-
lowing day, and it will be further postponed on Wednes-
day, unless the public business shall proceed on Monday,
in the Lords, sufficiently to allow of the Council being
held at Osborne, on Tuesday. Until the fate of important
measures be known on Monday, it is obviously impos-
sible for Ministers to make final arrangements fur the
breaking up of the session.
We believe that somo elevations to the peerage of the
United Kingdom will be announced in due course at the
end of the session.

His Excellency Count d'Apponyi left the Austrian
Legation on Saturday evening, for Holland, on tern-
porary leave of absence. During the conge of his Excel.
lency, the Count Chotek will act as charge de affaires.

The Duke of Devonshire arrived at Bolton Abbey,
Yorkshire, last week, from Chatsworth. His Grace is
entertaining a select circle of friends, who have had ex-
cellent shooting over the moors in the vicinity of the
Abbey.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn arrived at
Strathconon, last week, where the Earl and Countess of
Lichfield have also arrived. We learn that the Ea►l of
Lichfield has been slightly indisposed since his arrival,
but by the last letters he was better.

The Earl and Countess Nelson and family are among
the fashionable residents at Sandown, Isle of Wight.
The Earl of Lonsdale is surrounded by a select party
at Lowther Castle, Cumberland. Lady Fred. Bentinek,
and Mr. H. Lowther, M.P., and Mrs. Lowther, have
joined the circle. Lord Brougham has been among the
noble earl's visitors.

The Earl and Countess of Harrington have left town
for Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston entertained at
dinner, on Saturday e%ening, at Cambridge House, Pic-
cadilly, the Earl of Clarendon, the Earl Granville, the
Earl of Shelburne, the Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury
and Lady Victoria Ashley, Viscountess Jocelyn, Vis-
count Castlerosse, M.P., Lord Foley and the Hon. Miss
Foley, Lord Panmure, Lord John Hay, Lord Stanley
of Alderley, Lady William Russell, the Right Hon. W.
F. Cowper; M.P., and Mrs. Cowper, and Mr. Norman
Macdonald. After dinner her ladyship received a select
circle.

It is confidently asserted, in certain quarters which
profess to be well informed, that Lord R. Grosvenor,
Lord Harry Vane, and Mr. Compton Cavendish, ara to
be immediately raised to the peerage ; an 1 that the
writs for Middlesex, South Durham, and Bucks will be
issued before the prorogation.

LORD JOHN RussELL.—We have reason to believe
that the citizens of London will before long be called on
to select a successor to Lord J. Russell as one of their
representatives in the House of Commons. We learn
on unquestionable authority that her Majesty, at tt:•
suggestion of the noble viscount at the head of the Go-
vernment, is about to elevate Lord John Russell to the
House of Lords by creating him a Peer of the United
Kingdom. Considering Lord John Russell's political
career in the House of Common., extending over a pe
riod of 44 years and the great public mea,ures of re-
form which hit name is identified with, we think no
member of that popular branch of the Legislature more
deserving of the honour.
DEATH OF ADMIRAL THOMAS.—Admiral Mahal()
Thomas died on the 21st instant at his residence in
Lower Durnford-street, Stonehouse, in the 81st year of
his age. He entered the navy on ,the 26th May, 1790,
on board the Cumberland, 74, Captain John M'Bride,
and sailed in the course of the same year with a squadro
under Rear-Admiral Cornish, for the West Indite, where
he removed, as A. 8., on his arrival, to the Blanche,
Captain Robert Murray.
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.-110 admirers of Piccolo-
mini and Giuglini will have another opportunity of
hearing these delightul artistes, in the ensuing month,
when "La Traviata" and "Don Giovanni" will be per-
formed, with the same unprecedented cast as represented
during the season of the opera.
DRURY LANE THEATRE.—This theatre is to re-open
for dramatic performances on the 7th of September,
when Mr. Roberts, an American tragedian, of whom
fame speaks favourably, will make his first appearance
before a London audience.

Mdlle. Rachel, whom some of the theatrical papers
have sent to the south, is still in Paria, but there are nu
hopes of her glorious talent being added to the attrac-
tions of the Francais this winter.

Mr. T. P. Cooke, it is said, finds himself so regene-
rated by his performances at the Haymarket, that he
has consented to play at the Adelpbi, on the termination
of his present engagement.
Miss Reynolds has obtained a cong6 for a few weeks
from Mr. Buckstone, during which she intends recruiting
her health by travelling in Germany.

SURREY THEATRE.-2:The opera company having left
this theatre, the management have engaged the cele-
brated Christy Minstrels, who will give their exceedingly
' clever entertainments every evening during the week.
The favourite dramatic piece of " Extremely Peculiar,"
will be introduced between the American performances.
SADLER'S WELLS —This theatre will re-open, under
the management of Messrs. Phelps and Greenwood, early
in the month of September.
OLYMPIC.—Mr. Tom Taylor is writing a drama for
Vie Olympic.
flAt Astley's the grand Oriental spectacle of "El
Hyder" will be repeated, with the Scenes in the Circle.
NEW ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.—Up to the present time
only 54 public acts have been passed.
THE AMERICAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Aug 22.—The
British and North American Royal Mail Steam-ship
Company's steamer Asia, Capt. E. G. Lott, left the
Mersey for New York this morning at 11.45, with the
usual mails, a fall cargo, and 106 passengers.
EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION FETE.—The entertain-
ments at the Crystal Palace on Saturday, on behalf of
the Esrly Closing Association, attracted a greater ntm•
ber to Sydenham than have been there since the last day
of the Handel Festival. The morning entertainments
consisted of the sports of running in sacks, of running
blindfold after a man c,rrying jingling bell'', and wheel-
barrow races blindfold, each cf which produced a vast
neal of amusement. The Scottish games of throwing
hammer, " tossing the caber," of " putting the stone,"
broadsword exercises, the sword dance, and other sports
and exercises, kept the spectators outside fully enter-
tained till du:k ' • and inside the Palace there was a con-
cert, with vocal as well as instrumental performers.
Two displays of the upper fountains added to the day's
enjoyment. The performances will be repeated this dad.
EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE OF A CRIMINAL LUNATIC
FROM BEDLAM.—No little sensation has been crewed
amongst the officials of Bethlem Hospital, in en.
sequence of the escape of a criminal lunatic under
circumstances that apprc.x•mate the daring txploi's of
the•renowned Jack Sheppard. From the particular:,
obtained it appears that a man named Joseph King
had been liberated on a tickst of leave, ee having ben
convicted far felony. Since that he had been again ap
pretended forfelony, tried at Exeter Assizes in Dee. 185 r,
and sentenced to fifteen pars' transportation. After
befng incarcerated in Mi lbank prison some time, he a a
pronounced to be insane, and was in consequence
removed to Betbelem Hospital. On Friday, upon going
to the man's dormitory the keeper was astonished at
finding that the prisoner W:l3 non est, and a large held
made in the wail, which it was quite clear had been
made by the prisoner—tl:rough which be had got out.
A she and a blanket had been tied together, and
by t ose means he succeeded in sliding down into the
street, a distance of considerably over 20 feel, and
then got clear off. The authorities aro of opinion that
it must have taken the man neatly a week to have
bored the hole in the wall, and how he hail suc-
ceeded in accomplishing his object without ohi.ervatien
appears a perfect miracle. Th_ following is a description
of the person :—About thirty years of age, five feet ten
inles high, sallow cmplexion, dark hair and eyes, thin
visgae, spare figure, and pas dressed, when he left the
institution, in an Oxford mixture cloth jacket marked
inside Bethlehem Hospital, corduroy trousers, and is
supposed to have on his head a cloth cap. He is also
described as having a peculiar manner of helding his
head on one side while speaking. The police have been
actively engaged the whoie of Saturday in looking after
the accused, but he had not been apprehended up to an
early hour last evening.