The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-02 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar
arrived yesterday on a visit, and dined with her Majesty
in the evening. The party also included their Royal
Highnesses the Duchess of Kent, the .E'rincess Royal,
and Prince Frederick William of Prussia; Viscountess
Stratford de Rsdclitle. Lady Anna Maria Dawson, Lady
Dawson, Lady Augusta Bruce, Major-General the Hon.
Charles and Mrs. Grey;the Rev. W. Canning, the Dean
of Windsor, Captain •. echweinitz, :bud Dr. Wagner.
The Queen, with the Princess Royal, rode is the
Riding-house this morning, attended by the Hon. Bea.
trice Byng.
His Royal Highness the Prince Consort went out
shooting, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, Prince
Frederick William of Prussia, and Prince Edward of
Saxe- Weimar.

Lord Rivers and Mr. J. Ormsby Gore have succeeded
the Earl of Caithness and General Sir E. Bowater, as
Lord and Groom in Waiting.
Major-General the Hon. Charles Grey and Captain
du Plat have relieved Major-General Buckley and Capt,
the Hon. D. de Roe, as Equerries in Waiting to the
Queen and Prince Cousort.

A Cabinet Council was hell, yesterday, at the official
residence of the First Lord of the Treasury in Downing.
street. The Ministers present were—Viscount Palmer-
ston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Marquis
of Lansdowne, the Earl of Harrowby, Sir George Grey,
the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the
Right Hon, R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of A lierley,
the Duke of Argyll, and the Right Hon. M. T. Baines.
The Address of the Lords, in reply to the Speech
from. the Throne, will be moved by Lord Portman and
seconded by Lord Carew.
A marriage is arranged, and will shortly take place,
between Mr. Alfred Buckley, son of General and Lady
Catherine Buckley, and Miss Geraldine Mildmay,
youngest daughter of Mr. George Mild may.
The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghs have left, the
Clarendon, for Floori Castle, N.B.
The Marquis of Breadalbane arrived at his mansion in
Park-lane, yesterday, from Scotland. Her ladyship still
remains in the north.

The Marquis of Exeter arrived in town yesterday. Her
ladyship is passing the season at Brighton.

The Earl of Annesley has left the St. George's Hotel,
for Sectlancl.

Tile Earl and Countess of Verularn are entertaining,
at Gormanbury, the Marquis and Marchioness of A her-
corn and the Ladies Hamilton, the Earl and Countess
Craven and the Ladies Elizabeth and Evelyn Craven,
Mr. W. and Lady Mary Craven, Miss Lister, Mr.
Bathurst, Mr. R. Weyland, Mr. Peyton, Mr. Dun-
cornbe, and Mr. W. Patten.,
Lady Granville Somerset has left the St. George's
Hotel, for Brighton.
_ .

Lord Willoughby de Eresby arrived in town yesterday
from South Hill House, Torquay, for a few days.
Count Jaucourt has left town on a visit to the Mar-
quis and Marchioness of Salisbury, at Hatfield House,
Her ts.

The Baroness Schermesholm and family have arrived
at the Brunswick Hotel, St. James's. Lady Arthur
Hervey and the 113 n. Mrs. Singleton are among the
recent departures from the same establishment.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat yes-
terday. An appeAl, " Hocquard v. the Queen" (the
Newport) Vice-Admiralty, St. Helena, was commenced.
Tne Lords present were—The Lord Justices Knight
Bruce and Turner, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Corn-
wall, and the Judge of the Admiralty Ctiurt.
Despatches were sent to the Governors of the West
India Colonies, yesterday, from the Colonial-office.
We are given to understand that a meeting of the
Royal Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund will take
place at 11 a.m., on Saturday next, at the Palace at
Westminster.

The ,Hon. and Rev. George Herbert, vicar of Chin
Salop, has been appointed to the prebend of Hinton,
in the Ca bedral Church of Hereford.
About ao,ooot. in gold was taken to the Bank yes-
terday. It consisted of Australian, American, .Rus-
sian, and a variety of miscellaxeoua parcels. About
15,000 sovereigns were withdrawn to purchase silver
to send to Hamburg.
Two remittances of golf, amounting together to
120,000/ , on their way from St, Petersburg, have
been delayed for a short time by accidents to the
steamers. The navigation being now closed, these
are the last BEIM that can be sent except by the
more expensive land route.
The Hon. Elward and Mrs. Gritnston return to town
tc-day from visiting the Countess of Clarendon, at the
Crave, Wgtford.
General Sir Harry and Lady Jones have left Far-
rance's [lota. Belgravia, for Sandhurst College.
°NMI BUM --ST. JAIIES'S THECATRIC.—Their Royal
Highueves the Duce s of Cambridge and the Princess
Mary bon Aired the performances with their presencs
last evening. A fashiqnable audience al ,o atten led the
theatre, amongst rthAn were the Earl of Westmoreland,
the Margnis d'Azes;din, Frances Countess Wallegrave,
Count L,,uis Corti, Lady Hiscock, &c.
The young prince to whom the Queen I-abella has
just given birth will, according to the laws of Spaip, bear
the title of Prince of the ..A.si,urias, as heir presumptive
to the throne.

SIR ARCHDALE WILSON OF DELHI.—The accounts
of General Wilson's retirement from his command on
the ground of ill-►health not having been very explicit,
the public may perhaps be interested to learn that a
litter has this week been received from Lady Wilson,
stating that on the S:h of October General Wilson ar-
rived at ?11n source on sick lea +e, so exhausted that he
was scarcely able to walk., She rejoiced, however, to
be able to add that he had no positive illness, and was
at the date of her letter (October 12) greatly improved.
The General had directed his family to address their
Patera-letters to Meerut, where he was shortly about to
rejoin his brigade, and to hold himself in readiness for
any command that might be given him.

The report of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Company issued preparatory to their meeting on the
.sth recommends the usual half-yearly dividend of 3!2., rer
cant. and a bonus of like amount.

THE FALKIRK BANK CASE.—Her Majesty has been
pleased to remit the remainder of the sentence in the
ease of Thomas Gentles, one of the two young men who
were convicted at tie Stirling circuit on the 20th Sep-
tember last, and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment
for breach of trust and embezzlement in the branch of
the Commercial Eank at Falkirk. The two young men,
it will be remembered, were the instruments by which,
in a great measure, the late Henry Salmon, manager
the bank, was enabled to embezzle its funds, his defal
cations amounting in all to about 26,000/,, and, thouga
the jury expressed their belief that the young men hal
received no portion of the money, they were found guilty
as aiding and abetting the manager in perpetrating his
frauds. Gentles was liberated horn Perth Penitentiary
on Saturday.

PRICE of GOLD,—The quotation of gold at Parts is
about 5 per mille premium, and the short exchange on
Loudon is 25.37} per 1/. sterling. On comparing these
rates with the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 101 i. per
011PCEI for standard gold, it appears that gold is about
3-10,hs per cent. dearer in London than in Paris By
ad vices from Hamburg the price of gold is 424 permark,
and the short exchange on London is 13.61 ?er 1/.
sterling. Standard gold at the English Mint iv there-
fore about 9-10ths per cent, dearer in London than in
Hamburg. The course of exchange at New Yrirk on
London for bills at 60 days' sight is about 1031 per
cent. for first-class paper. At the present rate of dis-
count here there is consequently no profit on the
transmission of gold from this country to the United
States.

A RAGGED SCSOOL ENTERTAINMENT.—Oa Friday
evening last, the 27th ult., the children from no less
than 16 of our Metropolitan Ragged Schools were again
assembled together by that good friend of the Jagged
school children of London—Mr. W. H. Miler ; and
(thanks to that same good friend) were charmed, both
through their eyes and their ears, with a most delight-
ful entertainment. The entertainment. was both de-

lightful and instructive, It was entitled, after the fashion
of one of Charles Reade's moral romances of everyday
life—" Honesty is the Best Policy." Ae iu the instance
of the admirable but more didactic entertainment given
last winter in the same place (Doughty-strei.t, Lambeth-
walk), under similar circumstances, by the same gen-
tleman, the spoken description was very strikingly illus-
trated by a moving panorama, , painted by Mr. W.
Miller himself, the accomplished and humane originator
—in regard to ragged schools—of this attractive Opecies
of entertainment.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.-0a Friday evening, about six
o'clock, as Mies Miles, sister to Mr. P. W. S. Miles, for-
merly member for Bristol, and ball-;inter to Mr. W.
Miles, M.P. for East Somerset, was returning to Kings.
weston-park from Bristol, an accident of a very serious
character occurred. On arriving at the hill leading to
the lodge entrance of the park the coachman passed the
park gate, and, discovering his mistake, turned the
horses sharply, and in so doing overturned the carriage
on to a bank. Miss Miles, who was the only per-
son inside the carriage, had her band severely cut by the
breaking of one of the windows ; but, assistance being
speedily procured from the lodge, she was extricated
without further injury. The footman, who was on the
box, sustained a severe concussion of the brain.; and the
coachman, who fell on the footman (the carriage coming
upon both of there), sustained severe internal injuries,
and his life is despaired of.
At no former period has there been more activity in
the shipbuilding department of Chatham Dockykr4 than
at the present, in order to get those vessels brought
forward forlaunching whieh are ordered by the Lords of
the Admiralty to be completed forthwith. The various
ships now constructing at this dockyard give an aggre-
gate of 20,000 tons, among the most forward being the
Hero, 91, screw steamer, which is nearly completed and
ready for launching. The Hood, 90, screw steamer, has
been twice lengthened, and converted from an 80 gun
sailing vessel to a screw steamer ; she will shortly be
ready for launching. The Irresistible, 80, screw steamer,
is to be fitted with machinery of 4007horae power. The
screw frigate Mersey, 40, has several hundred men con-
stantly employed on her, in order that she may be com-
pleted and launohed early in the ensuing year. The
Charybdis, 21, screw corvette, is in a very forward state,
and will shortly be reported. Three new screw steamers
—the Atlas, 91, the Bulwark, 91, and the Orpheus, 22
—are to be built at that establisment.
At a meeting of the African Steam Ship Company
yesterday afternoon, Mr. P. D. Hadow in the chair, the
report and accounts were adopted ucanimonsly, and a
dividend declared for the half-year ending the 31st Oct.
of 53. per share, being at the rate of 5 per cent, per
annum, free of income-tax. The chairmaa 'congratu-
lated the proprietors upon the improved prospects of the
undertaking, although the board had been unable to
obtain from the Government any modification of the
present noremunerative mail contract. A new steamer
—the Armenian, of 1,140 tone—has %en bought to
supply the void caused by the loss of the Niger, and
from the pressure upon the money-market the price paid
has been only 16,0001. or about 141. per ton. A short
conversation took place upon the valuation of the corn
pany's vessels iu the accounts, the nature of rendering
the accounts themselves, and some printed statements
that had been circulated among the shareholders, and in
each case the chairman gave explanations satisfactory
to the meeting. Th'e development of the internal African
trade is relied upon by the coMparty Jo insure their
permanent prosperity, j and it was stated that: river
steameredrivving little water cotild penetrate the inte-
rior as far as Thabuatoo.

SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. I.—The Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steam-ship Euxine, Captain Jamieson, sailed
to-day for Plymouth, where she embarks troops for
India. The sailing-ship New Great Britain, Captain
Kerr, which put in here on the 11th ult. having been
ashore at Dunnose while on her voyage (row London
for Hong Kong, with a general cargo, sailed hence to-
day for her destination, having completed repairs and
reshipped cargo. The directors of the Peninsular and
Oriental Company haie notified their acceptance of a
contract with the Spanish Government for the fort-
nightly coaveyance of mails between Hong Kong and
Manilla, to commence in March text ; but as they
have already placed one steamer on the line, gooth and
parcels for Manilla will be taken by the steamers leav-
ing this pert on the 4th Dec., Jan., and Feb. The fol-
lowing changes have just taken place in connection
with the
lCustoms'ing:
nestablishmenteat, t this
ons uppoerrta
n: —n
uMa
nP .;
SNinr.it.Th.etßt'rendt, landing surveyor at Hull, removes to
Southampton ; Mr. R. H. Minns becomes the senior
landing surveyor at this port; Mr. C. J. Cladie, landing
waiter at Sotithatnpton, is promoted to be landing sur-
veyor at Hall. By these changes a vacancy occurs
among the landing waiters in the Southampton estab•
libhment.

ST. JAMES'S HOME FOR PENITENTS.—We understand
that an asylum has been opened at Whetstone, Fincbley
Common, for the reformation of fallen women cf a class
somewhat superior in point of education, social standing
and comparative inexperience in vice to the great ma-
jority of those who are to be found in most of the existing
Refuges and Penitentiaries. It is to bo called the St.
James's
Ref"ge and Home for Penitents, as having
originated with the parish of St. James's, Piccadilly, but
it will be open indifferently to applicants from all parts
of the metropolis or of the country, Accommodation has
been provided for 20 penitents under a Lady Superin-
tendent and an Assistant. The Bishop of London has
consented to act as Visitor of the Institution and the
Rector of St. James's will be the President. The want
of a house of this peculiar kind has long been felt by all
who have had to do with penitentiaries. At a time when
public attention is being more Ithau ever directed to that
"great sin of great cities," which has of late years in-
creased to an extent seriously menacing to the health of
society, and strenuous efforts are being made to check it
by the prosecution of persons keeping houses of
ill-
repute and the closing of casinos, it is gratifying to find
that a regard is being paid to the welfare of poor " un-
fortunates," who are, after all, in great measure only the
Victims of a corrupt state of society, for which every
individual is in some degree responsible •, any attempt to
improve the Penitentiary system on however small a
scale, will be welcomed by all true philanthropists.

A MODEST SCOTCH BANKRUPT.-,The Edln6urgh.
Gazette of Pride4y, under the bead of "Scotch Bank-
ruptcy contains this unobtrusive notification :—"John
Edward Stephens, residing in Northumberlandestraet,
formerly banker, and lately of Gothic-lodge, Twieken-
ham, county of Middlesex, to be exam) led in Sheriff's-
office, 7th December, at 12. John Edward Stephens is
rather a common name, and a COMUlollnathe is sometimes
of essential advantage-to a men. If, -in this case, it
had unfortunately been Humphrey Stephens there might
have been some ground for public recognition. " For-
reedy banker," too, t, a common description enough ;
for, who in' the course of his life !ars not bad the
misfortune to become the holder of a 'therein Some
fraudulent joint-.stock bank ? Again, "lately of
Gothic-lodge, l:Rickenham," is not particularly
defi,Ate at at a time when you cannot ta!,e a i-troll
round any one of the metropolitan suburbs without
meeting with a Nottingham-house, a Tunbridge-villa, a
Matlock-cottage, or a Riohmond-lodge, at which some
modest Jones, Stephens, or Brown has not lately "re-
sided." Lest the public, after guessing again and again
in vain who this John Edwards Stephens, of Northum-
berland-street, Edinburgh, can be, should at length
conclude that he is a myth, or that is one of those cases
so aptly described by the poet,.of "modest merit born
to blush unseen," it may be stated that the Mr. Stephens
here referred to is no other person than that celebrated
financier, the Mr. John Ed ward Stephens, lately army
or navy surgeoa, and manager of the London and
Eastern Banking Corporation. The praotice among
delvers in the county of Middlesex to emigrate to Scot-
land having of late become fashionable, is may ha well
to take cognisance of the fact. Sac!' of them as do net
like to face Baming'oall-etreet find it much p!ewauter
to take up a residence for 40 days in Sco land. Bank-
ruptcy cases are in Edinburgh much rwire gingerly
handled, there is greater privacy, and creditors may be
deterred from incurring the great inconvenience and ex-
pen,e of a journey of several hundred miles from Mid-
dlesex in order to lay their complaints before a Scotch
sheriff. The time would appear to have arrived when
the ba:.kruptcy laws of Eegland and Scotland should be
either assimilated or the jurisdiction of the latter be
subjected to very necessary and most wholesome
abridgment. -The amount owing by this man and his
intimate aeseciates to the unfortunate abe.reholders of
the London and Eastern Bank is very /ergo. Colonel
Waugh, its principal directer, cannot be had. The
state of his health rendered Lis departure for France
and Spain necessary at a time when his dupes wanted
bins here. We have now the manager, Stephens, getting
quietly relieved from his liabilities in the Sherdrs-offiee,
Edinburgh. It is to be hoped that when ho makes his
appearance in that office on the 7th of December some
of his London creditors may be " there to see."

DECEMBER 2.