The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-20 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert, the Ladies and Gen-
tlemen of the Royal Suite, and the Household, attended
Divine service yesterday morning in the Chapel Royal,
Bnckingham Palaee. The Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie
Courtenay officiated.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Col.
Wylde, Equerry in Waiting, went on Saturday morning
to the office of the Duchy of Cornwall, in Somerset House.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and
the Princess Royal, were taken airings on Saturday in
the Royal Gardens of Buckingham Palace.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the
Countess of Mount Edgcumbe, Lady Caroline Cocks,
Hon. Miss Devereux, Viscount Hawarden, Colonel Ar-
buthnot, and Colonel Wylde, honoured the Italian Opera
with their presence on Saturday evening.
Her Majesty the Queen Dowager attended Divine
service yesterday, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's.
The prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Haden, the
lessons by the Rev. Dr. Wesley, and. the Communion
service by the Rev. Dr. Sleath. The sermon was
preached by the Hon. and Rev. R. Eden, from Isaiah,
chap. 30, verse 1. The musical service was Arnold's in
F, and the anthem God is gone up " (Croft).
The Queen Dowager was attended by the Countess
of Sheffield, the Hon. Charlotte Hudson, and Earl Howe.
The Bishop of Norwich and the Dean of Hereford, the
Clerk and Deputy-Clerk of the Closet, were in waiting.
Among the Nobility present were. the Duke and
Duchess of Beauford, the Duke of Leeds, Marquis of
Normanby, Lords Wilton, Sheffield, Ingestre, Alford,
Berwick, and Leveson ; Ladies Palmerston and C.
Sandford.

The Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Rutland, and
Sir F. Trench, attended the early service in the Chapel
Royal. St. James's, yesterday. Prayers were read by
the Rev. Dr. Wesley, and the sermon was preached by
the Hon. and Rev. R. Eden.

The Duke of Rutland, the Marquis of Downshire,
Earls Talbot, and Delawarr, Lords Sydney and Norreys,
attended the afternoon service in the Chapel Royal, St.
James's, yesterday.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge arrived
in town at five o'clock on Saturday afternoon, from the
Royal Military College at Sandhurst. His Royal
Highness visited her Majesty the Queen Dowager
yesterday, at Marlborough House.
The 13u ke and Duchess of Cambridge, attended
Divine service yesterday morning in Grosvenor Chapel,
South Audley-street. Baroness Ahlefeldt was in
waiting on the Royal Duchess.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge
visited the Queen Dowager on Satuaday, at Marlbo-
rough House.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, attended by Baroness Ahlefeldt, and Baron
Knesebeck honoured Viscount and Viscountess Palmer-
ston with their company on Saturday evening, at their
residence in Carlton-terrace.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday at
Gloucester House.

A deputation on the Dissenters' Chapels Bill, to re-
quest delay, had an interview with Sir Robert Peel on
Saturday, at his official residence in Downing-street.
The deputation consisted of Lord Hillsborough, Lord
Jocelyn, Lord Claude Hamilton, Mr. Boydell.
From the Presbyterian Church in Ireland—Rev. Dr.
Stewart, moderator ' • the Rev. Dr. Cooke, of Belfast ;
Rev. Dr. Brown, of Aghadswey ; Rev. Henry Dobbin ;
James Gibson, Esq., barrister, Belfast ; A. J. Mac-
rory, Esq., of Belfast, solicitor to the General Assembly.
From the Wesleyan Committee of Privileges—the Rev.
C. Brest, secretary ; Richard Mathews, Esq.. barrister,
and Thomas Farmer, Esq.
From the Congregational Union of England and
Wales—the Rev. Professor lloppus, L.L.D., London
University College, and the Rev. Dr. Henderson, of
llighbury College.
From the Protestant Dissenting Deputies of the three
denominations—John Remington Miles,Esq., chairman ;
John Wilks, Esq., James Cook Evans, Esq., barrister,
and Mr. Hull Terrell, secretary.
Lord Camoys had an interview with Lord Stanley on
Saturday at the Colonial-office.
A deputation from the West India Association of
Liverpool, on the subject of the proposed changes in the
sugar duties and coffee duties, had an interview with Sir
Robert Peel on Saturday. The deputation consisted of
Lord Sandon, Mr. J. Moss, Mr. Robertson Gladstone,
Mr. Francis Shand, Mr. Thomas Murray, Mr. W. R.
Sandach, and Mr. W. P. Bushby.
Dispatches for Sir C. Metcalfe, Governor of Canada,
and the Governors of the other North American Pro-
vinces, were sent off on Saturday evening from the Colo-
nial-office.

Mr. Dean, Chairman of the Customs, had an interview
with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Saturday.
Mr. Cartwright had an interview with Lord Stanley,
at the Colonial-office, on Saturday.
Mr. David Salomons had an interview with Sir R.
Peel, on Saturday.
Dispatches were sent off on Saturday, from the Co-
lonial-office, for the Governor of South Austalia.
Earl Talbot has arrived in town, from Leamington.

MONTHLY STATISTICS OF IN-
SOLVENCY.

During the month of April, there have appeared in the
Gazette, the names of persons who have received orders
vesting their property in the provisional assignees, that
is to say, as much of their property as they have not
squandered away or placed beyond the reach of their
creditors , 244

Assignments to trustees for equal benefit of creditors 28
Declarations of Insolvency

Bankrupts

Making a total of lnolvents for the month of 349
This is a considerable reduction as compared with the
corresponding month of the previous year. If we assnme
that for one insolvency that appears in the Gazette there
are nine settled by private compromise, the monthly HA
will amount to 3,490 ; and if the loss on each case be
estimated at the very moderate sum of 200/, the monthly
loss to the nation will amount to 798,000/, and on these
assumed data, the loss during the year 1843 was twelve
millions. Persons concerned in the administration of the
insolvency laws say that this estimate is, in all proba-
bility, much below the truth. Under Lord Brougham's
late Act, by which vesting orders protect the persons of
the insolvents, a hundred cases were adjudicated by one
Commissioner in 1843, in which the total amount of
debts were 100,0001., and the total amount of assets 3901.
or hardly 41. a case ! If these one hundred cases be
taken as a rule for the 60,000 insolvencies of the year
1843, the total of bad debts during that year would have
been sixty millions ! and the assets may be anything the
reader in his experience may estimate them at.
These are fearful sums to be transferred from the
pockets of the capitalist (oftentimes a man in very
humble life), and to be lost by illicit distribution. Some
Parliamentary returns, which are in preparation, will
supply a nearer approach to the real truth ; but the
actual annual amount of loss cannot be ascertained,
until it is by law prohibited to make any private com-
promise for debt. All cases of insolvency should be re-
gistered in the Courts, the names, amount of debts, and
amount of assets. Several attempts have been made to
obtain this wholesome regulation, but they have been
hitherto defeated by sinister influences.
The subject of insolvency laws is again under discus.
sion, by the introduction of Lord Cottenbam's Bill, which
will place the person of the debtor still more beyond
the reach of the creditor, and confiscate a larger amount
of honest men's capital. The business men in the City
with one voice declare this will be a further confiscation
of their property ; but they say that in the present
mood of the Legislature it is of no use to stir, nor will
it be, until the fatal:and vice-protecting error of sympa-
thising with the debtor instead of the creditor, is repu-
diated. One Commissioner of Bankruptcy said, the
other day, that he heard much commiseration for the
unfortunate debtor and his family, but none for the un-
fortunate creditor and his family. Bad imsolvency laws
demoralise the middle classes, as bad and ill-adminis-
tered poor-laws demoralise the lower classes.