The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-29 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert left townyesterday
morning for Germany. His Royal Highness left Buck-
ingham Palace at half-past nine o'clock, attended by Mr.
George Edward Anson, Captain Francis Seymour, and
Colonel Bouverie, and proceeded to the terminus of the
South Eastern Railway at London-bridge. The Royal
party took their departure by a special train for Dover,
his Royal Highness embarking on the " Princess Alice"
steam-packet for Ostend. Colonel Bouverie and Cap-
tain Francis Seymour are expected to attend the Prince
to the Continent.

The Queen and the Queen of the Belgians walked in
the Royal Gardens of Buckingham Palace yesterday.
The Royal Family were taken airings yesterday in the
Royal Garden.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester visited
her Majesty the Queen Dowager 3 esterday at Marl-
borough House.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent left town in
a carriage and four, at ten o'clock yesterday morning,
for her residence, Frogmore Lodge, near Windsor. The
Royal Duchess returned to Clarence House, St. James's,
in the afternoon.

The Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank of
England had an audience with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in
Downing. street.
M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister, and Baron
Cetto, Bavarian Minister, transacted business yesterday
at the Foreign-office.
Mr. Gladstone and other Cabinet Ministers had inter-
views with Sir Robert Peel yesterday.

THE POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS AND THE PARISH
OF ST.SAVIOUR'S SOUTHWARK.—At the sitting of the Board of
Guardians last night, it was announced that the charges re-
cently preferred against Mr. John Richards, the governor of
the St. Saviour's Union, had been entirely disproved, much
to the satisfaction of a large and influential body of rate-
payers. It appears that if Mr. Richards erred at all it was
at least upon the side of humanity.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—Mr. Carter, the coroner, held
an inquest at the King and Queen, Rotherhithe, as to the
death of Richard Herbert Penderell, aged 29, who was
drowned under very melancholy circumstances. It appeared
by the evidence that the deceased was a waterman, and was
very often attacked with fits. On Thursday last he had just
landed a fare, and was returning to King and Queen Stairs,
when Inspector Judge, of the Thames police, saw him stand
up in the boat and extend his arms, the usual signal he made
when he felt the approach of the fits, and almost instantly
he fell into the river. Inspector Judge rowed to the spot,
and having got the drags searched for the body, which was
taken out in about a quarter of an hour. Every means were
resorted to to restore life, but medical skill was unavailing.
It was stated in the room that the deceased was in expecta-
tion of considerable property, as a descendant of Richard
Penderell, who assisted in the escape of Charles 11., after the
battle of Worcester. Penderell's monument is behind the
altar in the church of St. Giles-in-the-Fields. A verdict of
" Accidentally drowned" was returned.

TRIED BRANDY.-At the last Gloucestershire Ad-
journed Sessions, a girl was placed at the bar, charged with
stealing a pint of brandy (it was produced in Court) from
her master. The girl was acquitted; but the jury, with
exemplary partiality, not only tried the girl, but the brandy
too ; for they conscientiously emptied the bottle. The liquor
being drunk, the jury appended to their verdict—" below
proof."—Punch. _ __

EAST ANGLIAN RAILWAYS. Yesterday special
meetings of the Proprietors of the Northern and Eastern and
Eastern Counties Companies, were held at the Shoreditch
station. The Proprietors of the Northern and Eastern Com-
pany met at twelve o'clock, when, in the absence of Mr. W.
Marshall, M.P., chairman of the Directors, Mr. Paterson pre-
sided. The draft of a Bill to empower the Directors to apply
to Parliament for leave to make certain deviations in the
Newport Extension Line, was submitted to the meeting and
agreed to. The Chairman stated that it had likewise been
determined on, by the Directors of the joint Companies, to
apply to Parliament in the next session to extend the rail-
way from Ely to Lincoln, through Wisbeach, Lynn, Spald-
ing, and Boston. At the meeting of the Eastern unties
Proprietors, Mr. H. Bosanquet presiding, a Bill was read and
agreed to for extending the line by Cambridge and Ely, and
from thence to Brandon and Peterborough. The Chairman
stated that the Bill now before Parliament, for the amalga-
mation of the interests of the two Companies, was not likely
to meet with opposition.
Attention has been called to a case under the re-
cent statute of 5 and 6 Victoria, c. 116, for the relief of insol-
vent debtors, to show the impossibility of carrying into effect
the intention of the Legislature. In the beginning of last
year a debtor presented a petition to the Court of Bank-
rnptcy, a creditors' assignee was chosen, the assets were
realised and paid into the Bank of England, and everything
seemed mature for making a dyision of the estate. The so-

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licitor to the assignees applied to the Commissioner to ap-
point an audit, and proceed to a dividend; but he decided
that he had no power-under the statute to comply with the
request, suggesting, however, that a dividend might be made
with the written consent of the insolvent. This was ob-
tained ; but the Commissioner still expressed doubts, and de •
dined acting; whereupon the official assignee consented to
take upon himself the responsibility of applying for an
audit, and dividing the estate upon being furnished with
a similar consent from the insolvent. This was again
procured, and it was determined to have an audit meeting at
the office of the official assignee, and afterwards to proceed to
a dividend in the same manner as under an assignment for
the benefit of creditors; but here an insurmountable obstacle
occurred, for the solicitor's bill having been taxed for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the actual amount there would be to
divide, and the allocatur taken to the Crmmissioner for the
purpose of procuring an order to pay the money out of the
Bank, the Commissioner declined to make any order, stating
that he had had a conference with the rest of the Commis-
sioners, who thought they had no power to act in the mat-
ter. The result, therefore, is, that the money remains in the
Bank of England, that the insolvent is completely protected
from all legal process (his protection having been granted, of
course, during the proceedings), and that the creditors are
deprived of all benefit whatever, though a fair division of an
estate is the principal object of the statute. Such a state of
things seems imperatively to demand such an alteration of
the law as will give additional authority to the Commis-
sioners.—Times.

THE FINE WEATHER.—Th. e weather for some days
has been remarkably fine. This morning, up to ten o'clock,
there was much fog all over the metropolis, but after that
hour it cleared away, and the day has been one of the most
splendid of the season. The barometer stands almost at the
highest point, 30.6 degrees, and the thermometer is also
high, though the wind is easterly.