The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-24 00:00:00

COURT CURCULA R.

The Queen and Prince Albert, the Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Court, and the Domestic Household, attended Divine
service yesterday morning in the private Chapel at Bucking-
ham Palace. The Bishop of I ondon preached the sermon,
and the Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay assisted in per-
forming the service. _ _

His —Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge visited her
Majesty yesterday.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the Equerries
in Waiting, took equestrian exercise in the Riding School
near Buckingham Palace, on Saturday.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended by
Lady Fanny Howard, Lady in Waiting, arrived at Buck-
ingham Palace, in a carriage and four, at half-past one
o'clock, on Saturday afternoon, from her residence, Frog-
more House, near Windsor. Her Royal Highness remained
to luncheon with her Majesty and Prince Albert, and at
three o'clock left the Palace for Gloucester House, to pay a
visit to her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester. In
the afternoon the Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Fanny
Howard, took her departure on her return to Frogmore
House.

Her M4esty and Prince Albert, attended by the Countess
of Mount Edgcumhe, the Marquis of 'Ormonde, Colonel
Buckhy, and Colonel Wylde, honoured the Haymarket
Theatre with their presence on Saturday evening.
The Duke of Cambridge attended Divine service yesterday
morning in Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley -street. Baron
Knesebeck was in waiting on his Royal Highness.
His Royal Highness the Duke of *Cambridge, attended by
Baron Knesebeck, honoured the Marquis of Northampton
with his company on Saturday evening, at his residence in
Piccadilly.
Mr. Bentley and Mr. George Clerk had an interview with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Saturday, at his official
residence in Downing-street
The Chairman and Secretaries of the London Missionary
Society had an interview with the Earl of Aberdeen at the
Foreign-office on Saturday.
Dispatches were received on Saturday at the Colonial
Office from the Governors of the West India Colenies.
Mr. J. Strettell Brickwood, Public Works, Loan Office,
South Sea House, had an interview on Saturday with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Earl of Mornington expired on Saturday evening at
his residence in Grosvenor-square.
The Duke of Wellington and Sir Frederick Trench, at-
tended the early service yesterday, in the Chapel Royal, St.
James's. The Rev. Dr. Wesley read the prayers and
preached the sermon. The Earl of Devon, Lords Clive and
G. Paget, and Lady G. Paget. attended the daily service.
The prayers were read by the Rev. Dr. Knapp, the lessons by
the Rev. Mr. Hall, the communion service by the Rev. Dr.
Sleath. The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Llandaff.
The anthem was, "Oh 1 where shall wisdom be found"
(Boyce). Sir George Smart presided at the organ. The
Duke of Montrose, the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord and Lady
Wharncliffe, Lords Ernest Bruce, Canterbury, Ashley, and
Courtenay attended the evening service in the Chapel Royal,
St. James's.
The Grand Duchess of Baden arrived at Dover from
Ostend, on Friday evening, and slept at the Ship Hotel. Her
Royal Highness travelled, on Saturday, by the railroad. as
far as the station at the Bricklayers' Arms, where she was re-
ceived by the Duke of Hamilton and her son-in-law. the
Marquis of Douglas, accompanied by whom her Royal High-
ness proceeded to his Grace's residence in Portman-square.

DUTCH AND HAMBURG MAILS.
THE HAGUE, FEB. 20.—1 n the sitting of the Second
Chamber to-day, a Royal Message, accompanying a
project of law, with an explanatory memorial, contain-
ing modifications of the transit duties and some other
points relative to trade, was presented. These documents
were referred to the Sections. In the same sitting reports
were brought up on numerous petitions respecting the
tariff of import, export, and transit duties.

.
THE HAGUE, FEB. 19.—The sections of the Second
Chamber have been again engaged to-day in examining
the proposition which has been referred to them for re-
vising the fundamental law, which has been submitted to
the Chamber by nine Members. The examination will
be resumed to-morrow.

AMSTERDAM, FEB. 19.—The 28th anniversary of the
birthday of his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange
was observed to-day in the usual manner;
FLUSHING, FEB. 18.—This afternoon his Majesty's
frigate the Series, Capt. Enslie, having on board Rear-
Admiral Vanden Bosch, left the road ; this frigate is
bound to Java, where Admiral Vanden Bosch is to take
the command of his Majesty's naval force in those seas.
AMSTERDAM, FEB. 21.—We are positively informed
that the Directors of the Dutch' Iron Railway Company
have resolved to have an electric telegraph on the rail-
way from Amsterdam to Haarlem.
THE HAGUE, FEB. 21.—According to the notice re-
ceived by the department of the Interior, it appears, that
Lt the negotiation of the 3d series of the loan for cover-
ing the expense of the draining of the lake of Haarlem,
amounting to one million of florins, there have been sub-
scribed 9,743,000 florins, of which 6,934,000 were sub-
scribed at Amsterdam, and 2,563,000 at Rotterdam.
HAMBURG, FEB. 17TH.—We learn from Cuxhaven
that the English brig, the Countess of Eglington, having
discharged a small part of its cargo into a Heligoland
boat, has got afloat, and arrived at Cuxhaven.
CUXHAVEN, FEB. 16TH.—The mails brought by the
William Jolliffe, Captain Gibbs, has just arrived here at
a quarter to two o'clock, brought by an Heligoland boat.
This steamer has been off the Elbe hut was obliged by
the ice to return to Heligoland, where it waits for the
return of the Heligoland boat, which takes the mails for
London.

HAMBUIUM, FEB. 18.—The John Bull arrived yes-.
terday morning at half-past ten o'clock at Cuxhaven,
and immediately put to sea again with the mail. The
William Jolliffe was seen yesterday morning at the dis-
tance of a league from Cuxhaven.

BERLIN,FEB.I2.—The news of a contemplated commer-
cial treaty between Sweden and France, has excited some
sensation here, because it is thought to be preparatory
to an alliance between the two States, which is very .e-
-riously thought of in Stockholm and Paris. The article
on the Sound duty in the Prussian Gazette was com-
posed by superior authority from official sources.—
Hamburgh Pavers, Feb. 18.

HORRIBLE MURDER and HIGH-
WAY ROBBERY.

The usually quiet neighbourhood of Haws:- ,d and
Kentish-town, throughout the whole of Swill-day, pre-
sented a scene of the most intense excitement, in conse-
quence of the discovery of a most inhuman murder and
highway robbery which had been perpetrated upon a
gentleman the preceding evening in a field near Bellsize
Park, Hampstead.
From the statement of the constable in charge of the
body it appears that between 7 and 8 on Friday night,
Mr. Hilton, of West-end, was proceeding along the
Finchley-road, in the direction of the Swiss Cottage, in
a cart, when, all of a sudden, his attention was arrested
by hearing screams of murder, which appeared to
proceed from the vicinity of the footpath leading to
Bellsize Park. At this juncture he perceived a
gentleman, who turns out to be Mr. Kilburn,
junior, the son of a gentleman residing at Haver
stock-terrace, coming from the direction of the Swiss
Cottage, who was about to take the path from the road
in the same turning as the noise appeared to proceed
from. Mr. Hilton immediately told Mr. Kilburn what
he had heard, and added, " Sir, if you will see about it,
I will at once drive to the Swiss Cottage, and follow
yea." .Mr. Kilburn then went fo: ward. lipon arriving
at the end of the field he was horror-stricken at
seeing the body of a man lying on the ground, on the
we-tern side of the stile. In alarm he ran back to-
, wards the spot from whence he had started, crying, "Mur-
der," and " police!" His cries reached the ears of Ser-
geant Fletcher, of the S. division, who, accompanied by
Police: constable :Abbott, hastened in the direction of
the cries, and shortly after were joined by several other
persons from the Swiss-cottage. They then found the
body of a very respectably-dressed man, about three
yards on the Hainp,tead side of the stile, lying on his
face in a pool of blood. He was quite deal, but warm,
and the blond was running frtan a frightful gash, which
had, to all appearances, been inflicted by some sharp in-
strument over the right eye and temple, ' and from the
back of the skull, which was literally dashed in, causing
'the brain to protrude.
The body was, without a moment's loss of time, con-
veyed on a stretcher to the Yorkshire Grey Tavern. It
was there examined, when the pockets of deceased were
found some of them turned inside out, and it was evi-
dent, from the appearance •of the wei4eotit left hand
pocket, that the unfortunate deceased had been in the.'
habit of wearing a watch, which had been taken away.
Nothing whatever was found on his person, with the ex-
ception of an envelope with the superscription,
" J. CdOper, Esq., Hampstead-road." Near to where:
the body was discovered was found one of the deceased's
gloves (a black kill one), the other being • still upon his
hand. His hat was discovered some few yards from :he
spot where the body lay, in the narrow ditch passing
along the outside of the wall of Bellsize Park—it is of
beaver, nearly new, and bearing the name on. the inside,
" Massey, maker, Hampstead-road."
The wounds at the back of the head were probably
inflicted by some blunt instrument, whilst the injuries
over the right eye and ymple have been done with the
sharp edge of a shovel, or some weapon of a similar
description.

No clue has been obtained likely to lead to a discovery
of the murderers, nor has the body bt en as yet identified.
The following is an accurate description of the person
of the unfortunate gentleman :—He was of fair com-
plexion, sandy curly hair, about five feet six inches
high, and rather inclined to corpulency. The features
appear much swollen and covered with blood. The go
neral opinion is that he was not more than twenty. six
or twenty-seven years of age. His attire consisted of a
black beaver hat, brown wrapper of fine cloth, with
brown velvet facings ; black body coat with velvetcollar,
black kerseymere trousers, and a dark blue single-
breasted vest (valencia), with a small red flower and
sprigs • Wellington boots, and his linen, which is of the
very finest fabric, is marked " D" with indelible ink.

MARRIAGES IN ENGLAND...--It appears from very
elaborate tables, prepared by the Registrar-General of births,
deaths, and marriages, and on Tuesday laid before Parliament,
that the total number of marriages, it 1842, in. England and
Wales was, 118,825 ; of these 17,689 were in the metropolis
alone. Of this number, 26,198 were persons who had been
married before, the proportion being 15,619 widowers, and
10,579 widows. Thus, the proportion per cent. of those who
were remarried was 11.02 for the whole of England, and 12.34
or the metropolis. The proportion of annual marriages
to persons of all ages was 1 in 130 in all England, 1 in
102 in London ; the annual marriages were to the persons
aged from 20 to 40, nearly as 1 to 40 in England, 1 to 37
in the metropolis ; or, more exactly, 2.515 per cent. ; and
2 675 (as regards London). Taking 100,000 persons, it
further appears, that in England, 1,473 were married of
that number, of all ages, 4,814 between 20 and 40, and 4,278
were " bachelors and spinsters married to 100,000 persons
living, aged 20 to 40." There was, altogether, one marriage
to 136 males and females living in 1842, but only one person
married for the first time to 76.3 persons living, which may
be considered equivalent to one marriage to 153 persons
living. Eleven per cent. of the persons married had been
married before, and had been enumerated in the returns of
previous years. In 1839, the number married out of 100,000
males was 1,625; and of 100,000 females, 1,553 ; in 1840,
1,597 males. and 1,526 females ; in 1841, 1,574 males. ami
1,504 females; and in 1P42, 1,506 maks, awl 1,439 f'lilale3.
Thus, it will be perceived that there has been a yearly de-
crease during that period. The annual average has been,
however, 1. is 64 eat 0100,000, and 66 females,