The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-13 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, MONDAY.—The Queen and Prince Albert took
their customary walk in the forenoon. Her Majesty and
his Royal Highness again promenaded in the afternoon.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Colonel
Wylde, Equerry in Waiting, rode out on horseback about
one o'clock to-day.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, will dine with
her Majesty at the Castle this evening.

Their Royal llighnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam-
bridge left Witley Court, Worcestershire, the residence of
her Majesty the Queen Dowager, yesterday morning, for town.
A Cabinet Council was held at one o'clock yesterday
afternoon, at the Foreign-office. It was attended by Sir R.
Peel, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Wharncliffe, Earl of
Aberdeen, Lord Stanley, Sir ames Graham, Earl of Had-
dington Earl of Ripon, Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Henry Hardinge, and Sir
Edward Knatchbull. The Lord Chancellor subsequently
arrived at the Foreign-office, to join his colleagues. The
Council sat two hours and a half.

The Earl of Aberdeen has recovered from his recent slight
illness, and yesterday attended at the office of the Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs.
M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister, and Baron Cetto,
the Bavarian Minister, transacted business yesterday, at the
Foreign-office.

The Ecclesiastical Commission for England, had a meeting
yesterday afternoon, at the office in Whitehall-place. The
Commissioners present were, the Bishop of London, the
Bishop of Exeter, the Bishop of Ripon, the Bishop of Sa-
lisbury, the Right Hon. John Nichol, D.C.L., and the Dean
of 'Westminster.

Dispatches from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, for the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, were received
in town at two o'clock yesterday morning.
A Queen's messenger was sent off from the Home-office
on Sunday evening, with dispatches for the Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland.

CURIOUS PHENOMENON.—A good many years since
a breast-wall or quay was built at Ardentallan, in Argylshire,
for shipping stones from a quarry at which much work has
been done. When Mr. David Smith, builder, at Oban, was
erecting the beacon of Skervuil, in Jura Sound, for the
Northern Lights' Board, he fitted the cOurses of blocks for
that 'work to their places on the quay, and has occasionally
had upwards of 200 tons of stones upon it at a time, without
accident. The quarry has lately been worked for the repairs
of the Caledonian Canal, and on the 23d ult. there were
between 170 and 180 tons of dressed stones lying upon the
quay ready for shipment, when, to the astonishment of
the quarriers, the crane upon the quay was observed to move
and shake without any visible cause, and some openings ap-
peared at the surface of the quay, which were rapidly
widening ; the men on the instant cried out for the foreman,
who rushed to the spot, and saw the quay, with its crane and
the cairn of blocks upon it, moving outwards from the
shore, and sinking in the deep water; and in less than two
hours the whole had proceeded seaward about 50 yards,
and settled with a depth of 11 feet water over them.
The whole mass is now so completely absorbed in mud
and clay, that although the height of the quarry and,
materials could not be less than 20 feet, it has not
lessened the depth of water at the entrance of the place.—
Scotsman.

FATAL OCCURRENCE AT LOCHMABEN.—On Tues-
day several young persons having incautiously ventured upon
the ice on the Kirk Loch, for the purpose of skating and
atnusement, it unfortunately gave way, when no less than
live of them were precipitated into the water, three of whom,
melancholy to relate, were drowned, the other two having
with great difficulty succeeded in getting out. The unfortu-
nate youths that have perished are, a son of Mr. Paterson, of
Locherbriggs, a boarder at the public school here, a son of
William Gibson, slater, and the other a son of Mr. William
Harkness, and a brother of the two lads who were saved.—
Dumfries Standard.
Viscount Sidmouth is scrinusly inaisposod at his
residence in Richmond Park, from the effects of influenza.
RAlLWAYS.—Committee nominated :—Mr. Glad-
stone, Mr. Labouchere, Lord Seymour, Mr. Wilson Patten,
Viscount Sandon, Mr. Gisborne, Lord Granville Somerset,
Sir John Easthope, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Russell, Mr. Hors-
man, Mr. Greene, Mr. Maclean, Mr. Thornely, and Mr.
Beckett Denison.

DONATION BATTA.—Yesterday, at twelve o'clock,
a previous notice having been given by order of the Governor
and Directors of the East India Company to the officers and
seamen of the several men-of-war, frigates, steamers, and
other vessels which had been engaged in the hostilities against
the Chinese, that a distribution of donation batta would
take place at the East India House, mans of those who had
shared in the glories of that war attended there for that pur-
pose. The donation batta, which had been ordered by the
Governor-General of India to the military and naval forces,
in consideration of the great services rendered by them, con-
sist of an addition of pay according to the time of service.
The vessels serving in that war were the Wellesley, Blen-
heim, Melville, Blonde, Algerine, Alligator, Calliope, Colum-
bine, Conway, Cruiser, Druid, Herald, Jupiter, Lara, Sama-
rang, Starling, Sulphur, and Volage, with the Nemesis and
Queen steamers. The distribution was an increase of 6, 12,
and 18 months' pay. This will cause an addition to the ex-
penses attending this war of several thousands of pounds.
Me military received their batta at Calcutta, the money
having been taken there by the Calliope. The officers and
men have yet to receive the prize money for that war which
will be paid at Somerset House.
A GLIMPSE AT SPANISH LIFE AS IT IS.—Between
Pancorbo and Burgos we passed several half-ruined villages,
which appeared parched—almost calcined—by the sun.
doubt if Decamps, the painter, ever encountered, during his
rambles in the heart of Asia Minor, anything more burnt
and tawny, more crumbling and decayed, than these wretched
collection of hovels. Wandering about among their dilapi-
dated walls, were a few jackasses, of that philosophical and
contemplative aspect peculiar to the Spanish donkey, who is
fully aware of his own utility, considers himself as part of the
family to which he belongs ; and, moreover, having read
Don Quixote, assumes an additional degree of importance, on
account of the possibility of his being lineally descended
from Sancho's• celebrated Dapple. Besides the asses, the
only living things visible were some magnificent dogs of va-
rious breeds; amongst others, several enormous greyhounds,
such as one sees introduced in the paintings of Paul Veronese
and Velasquez ; and here and there a group of peasant chil-
dren, whose eyes sparkled, like black diamonds, through their
filthy rags and long tangled hair.— Gantier'snarels in Spain.
POLICE CONSTABLES FEES.—The Cilmmissionrrs of
the Metropolitan Police force have cacioisnesdtaabglerseautleo.dialemt.ient.
be made in the allowances to police
wit-
nesses attending the Central Criminal Court,
it,dohe
ttoenri
e
snhiiilnuaitligonpherasdbar7gazhldt if; like
shillinge ke the
aCniti.„l„.P.opleincec,edwro4eirviennh
they come any distance.