The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-27 00:00:00

ALMACK'S.

The grand full dress ball took place last night in honour of
the birth-day of her Majesty.
At least four hundred personages of rank graced tita
splendid ball-room by their presence, and the costumes ge-
nerally were of the most elegant description, the majority
of the ladies appearing in the same dresses as at the Queen's
drawing-room, and we noticed a large number who wore
feathers.
The Marquis of Huntley, Lord Charles Wellesley, Sir
Frederick Trench, his Excellency the Swedish Minister and
his two sons, the Barons Bjornstjerna, M. de Berg, his Ex-
cellency the Belgian Minister, Count Goltz, Baron Witzehern,
Baron de Linden, &c., were among those gentlemen who were
attired in full uniform.
, At the usual hour, eleven o'clock, the company began to
arrive, and it was after one o'clock before the carriages dis-
continued to set down visitors.
The M,prchioness of Londonderry arrived shortly after
eleven, accompanied by Lady Alexandrina Vane and Lady
Louisa Churchill; the Countess of Jersey and her daughter,
Lady. Clementina Villiers, came shortly afterwards ; and just
before dancing commenced, Viscount Palmerston, with the
Noble Viscountess, and his Excellency the Belgian Minister,
and Madame Van der Weyer, entered the ball-room. All
the lady patronesses in town were present on this occasion;
Lady Willoughby de Eresby and the Countess of Kinnoul
being abroad, and the Countess Grosvenor remains in Dor-
setahire till next month.

Di. Tolbecque and his celebrated band officiated for the
first time in this. capital. There was evidently some curio •
sity evinced to hear the performances of his famed orchestra.
The expectations entertained of its merits were fully
borne out.

His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar came
from the Queen Dowager's party. The Marchioness of Lon-
donderry, Countess of Jersey, and Viscountess Palmerston,
as ladies patronesses, occupied the benches at the extreme
end of the ball-room, surrounded by their friends, among
whom were observed Viscountess Palmerston, his Excellency
Count Bjernstjema, his Excellency the Belgian Minister,
Madame Van der Weyer, Duke of Leeds, Countess Powis,
Countesiof Rosebery, Lady Granville Somerset, &c.
In the midst of the gay and brilliant throng, the rich court
dress and valuable jewels of the Marchioness of London-
derry were most conspicuous for their splendour.
Count A. Esterhazy, Baron de Brenner, and Count Rosen
were among the foreigners of rank present, in addition to
those above-named; and the Duke of Leeds, Marquis of
Headfort, and Ladies H. and 0. Taylour, Marquis of Douro,
Marquis of Huntley, Marchioness of Wellesley, Earl and
Countess Nelson and Lady Nelson, Countess of Powis,
Countess of Rosebery, and Ladies Louisa and Ann Primrose,
Viscount Clive, Lord Lennox, Lady Caroline Gordon Len-
nox, Lord Charles Wellesley, Viscount Palmerston, Countess
of Camperdown and Lady E. Duncan, Lord John Manners,
Viscount Hereford, and Hon. M. Devereux, &c.

ILLUMINATIONS.—The illuminations on Thursday
in celebration of her Majesty's birthday were more extensive
than on the previous anniversary, although still chiefly con-
fined to the various club-houses and places of amusement,
and the residences of the Royal tradespeople. The extreme
fineness of the weather, and the brilliancy of the evening,
which more resembled an evening in June than in April,
drew out an almost countless multitude of persons of all ages
and grades, who, for the purpose of viewing the illumina-
tions, paraded the principal thoroughfares of the metropolis
from dusk until long after midnight. Innumerable carriages,
carts, and vehicles of all descriptions, with omnibuses from
places round the metropolis, filled inside and out, crowded
the streets. Several hundred policemen, drafted from every
division, were on duty in the streets during the evening, and
so admirable were the arrangements that no confusion took
place, nor have we heard of any serious accident.
Rear-Admiral Wiz, C. 8., is suffering from severe
indisposition at Plymouth.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.—On Thursday at
one o'clock nine houses situated in Belton-street and Brown-
low-street, Long-acre, were disposed of by auction, to be
taken down for the new street from Waterloo-bridge to
Bloomsbury. Nearly the whole of the houses in Belton-
street, on the east side, will now in a few days be removed,
and there are only a few in Hanover-street to be taken down.
The Mercers' Company have had a large area of ground
vacant in Hanover-street for several months. At the upper
part of Belton-street the workmen have been employed in
putting down the concrete, preparatory to laying the founda-
. tion-stone for the new church of Christ Church, which cere-
mony is expected shortly to take place. This is the 27th sale of
houses for the various new lines of streets in this part of the
metropolis by order of the Commissioners of 'Woods and
Forests, which will make above 200 houses that have been
cleared away. Last week some houses in Charlotte-street,
Bloomsbury, facing Charlotte-street Chapel, which will have
to be cleared away, were sold by order of the Commissioners.
TEE "FREE' CHURCH IN DUNDEE.—On Monday
evening a numerous meeting of the Rev. Mr. Law's congre-
gation was held in their chapel, Reform-street, Dundee,
Captain John Smith in the chair. After prayer by Mr. Law,
he shortly gave his reasons for resigning connexion with the
"Free" Church, and returning into the Establishment. In his
explanation he stated, that he considered the non intrusion
. r rinciple secured by Lord Aberdeen's Bill ; and that that rea-
son for separating was now removed. He then retired, that
the congregation might decide for themselves as to how they
were to act in the circumstances. Mr. Ivory Kidd, one of
the elders, after stating that all the elders and deacons had
agreed to join the Established Church along with their
pastor, moved a petition to the presbytery, praying that the
congregate in might be admitted into communion with them,
which, being seconded by the clerk of Mr. Law's session, was
unanimously adopted. A few of the " Free " Church party
were in attendance, and one elder made himself rather con-
spicuous in attempting dissension, which was speedily put
down. Mr. Law returned, after the petition had been re •
solved on, and concluded with prayer. As we were leaving
the members were pressing forward to sign the petition • and
we understand, that in the space of half an hour nearly 200
names were adhibited.—pundee Parer of Tuesday.

IRELAND.
THE STATE TRIALS.
, Aft
er r
nn
nr.o 2n 4
on.
yeis)teurißlLaiNvagents, the
motion for a new trial, delayed from Monday last, on the
the traversers with
ap-
plication of the Attorney-General, will come on to-morrow
morning at the sitting of the Court of Queen's Bench. The
and the
their noticeagen
ts served
affidavits filed by the Crown, on which to ground their re-
sistance to that motion, are those of the clerks of the peace,
Messrs. Archer and Dickinson, George Magrath, their chief
clerk, William Kemmis, Crown solicitor, and also the afti- '
davit of a person named Magrane, a clerk in the office of the
clerks athe peace. There is another affidavit, but upon an
immaterial point, from Mr. Hodges, the Government. re-
porter. The notice of the Crown apprises the traversers that
"the notes of the Learned Judges will be used in opposing tl•!e
motion." The Crown will serve another notice this after-
noon, to.the effect that the affidavit of Magrane, filed this
day, will also be relied upon.
Mr. Whiteside, Q.C., will open to-morrow morning, on
the part of Mr. O'Connell, and, it is understood, will occupy
the entire day. The Monitor of this evening states that, it
is arranged that Mr. Hatcliell, Q.C., will follow, on behalf
of Mr. Ray; then Mr. Moore for the Rev. Mr. Tierney; Mr.
M'Donagh, Q.C., for Mr. Barrett ; Mr. Fitzgibbon, Q.C., for
Mr. John Gray; Mr. O'Hagan for Mr. Duffy; Sir Coleman
O'Loghlen foz Mr. J. O'Connell ; and Mr. Close for Mr. Steel.
The charge made by the traversers, of fraudulent sup-
pression of jurors, mostly Roman Catholics, has not been at
all answered by the affidavits filed for the Crown.
On the first day of the State trials the traversers put in a
challenge to the array. The Attorney-General demurred, and
thereby, in point of law, admitted the truth of the challenge,
which charged the fraud ; but, by such demur, he avoided the
trial, in open Court, of the truth or falsehood of the charge by
triers selected by the Judges. Mr. Shaw, the Recorder, who
made the jury list, had been subpoenaed by the traversers, and
was sitting under the bench in Court. Mr. Magrath, the chief
clerk of the clerks of the peace,was also in attendance, with all
the necessary documents. Thus the Attorney-General then
avoided a trial, when all the witnesses could have been exa-
mined and cross-examined in open Court. If the charge of
' fraudulent- suppression -were false;' the Crown would then
have had the verdict of the triers appointed by the Judges,
and the traversers would have been shut out from renewing
the same charge upon motion for a new trial. But now the
Crown comes forward to appose that motion, with the affi-
davits of some of the persons in the office of the clerks of the
peace, who merely exculpate themselves, and attribute the
omission of jurors to accident, without being able to state
anything positive on the subject.
Each of the traversers is prepared to be heard by counsel
in support of the motion for a new trial. It is said that the
Crown will apply to the Court to limit them to two counsel,
and upon this point an argument may arise, when Mr. White-
side shall have concluded his address.