THE COURT AT WINDSOR.—Donna Maria da Gloria, Duchess of Oporto,

or Queen of Portugal, was introduced to the King on Monday. She arrived from Laleham soon after two o'clock, and was received by the Duke of Mon- trose and Lord Clinton. The Court Circular says—" His Majesty waited on her at the top of the stairs, accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, and the Duke of Gloucester, together with the great officers of his household. On saluting the Queen, the King addressed her in the most obliging expressions, and led her to the saloon, where their Majes- ties remained till a sumptuous breakfast for thirty persons was served up to the sound of beautiful regimental music. During the whole of the visit the King showed towards the Queen the most striking marks of sympathy and re- gard." The Globe says that she was received as Queen ; and in addressing her (in French), his Majesty is said to have used the word " Majesty " and not "Royal Highness," as some have asserted. On entering the Royallapart- ment, she appeared somewhat embarrassed at first, but soon recovered her self-possession : she sat on a sofa beside the King. The Duchesses of Cla- rence and Gloucester made themselves agreeable by admiring her dress —a superb robe of lace, over which hung the portrait of her father, and all the decorations of the Portuguese and Brazilian orders. She remained in the Castle two hours • and, on her departure, the King conducted her to the top of the stairs, embraced her, and assured her of his kind and warm wishes for her welfare.

There was a strong muster of Portuguese at Windsor on this occasion, to cheer their Queen as she passed along. The Morning Journal, not favouring the cause, delights to record, that none of the Portuguese grandees were asked to stay dinner at the Palace, where the King had a party.

The King is to give a juvenile ball at the Castle on Thursday next, in com- pliment to the young Queen of Portugal, to whom a large proportion of our young nobility of her own age will on that occasion be introduced.

CABINET COUNCIL.—The Ministers were in deliberation for three hours on Wednesday, at the Foreign Office; and in the evening, they again assembled at the residence of the Premier, in Downing-street, where they dined.

WILL OF THE LATE QUEEN OF WURTEMBERG.—This deed has been proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. It is dated in December 1816; and the value of her Majesty's effects in England is sworn under 80,000/. She has disposed of the greater part of her property to the house of Wurtem- berg ; but to the different members of her own family, she bequeaths a variety of trinkets—clocks, rings, pins, bracelets, paintings, medallions, and services of porcelains.

WARDENSHIP OF THE CINQUE PORTS.—The Lord Wardenship of the Cinque Ports is at last disposed of: the Duke of Wellington, following the pre- cedent of other Prime Ministers, during whose administration the office had become void, has appointed himself to the vacant office. The Wardenship has been in the last three instances given to Prime Ministers—Lord North, Mr. Pitt, the Earl of Liverpool, and now the Duke of Wellington. The only emoluments appertaining to the office are the pay as Governor of Dover Castle, worth about 4851. per annum ; the beautiful residence of Walmer Castle, on which the late Earl of Liverpool expended a considerable sum of mo- ney, and the Droits as Admiral of the Cinque Ports. This ancient fee of office comprehends all the rights of a Lord of the Manor, from a point near Seaford to the coast of Essex ; and any wrecked goods withinthe district, that remain unclaimed for a year, are condemned in the Cinque Ports Admiralty Court held at Dover, as the Droit of the Lord Warden. It very rarely hap- pens, however, that any articles of value are cast on shore without a claim for them being made and established. We are not disposed to quarrel with the Duke of Wellington for appropriating to himself what his predecessors have done before him. His Grace has as good a right as any of them to the office which is, after all, one more of honour than emolument. The residence of Walmer Castle is the most desirable thing about it.—Sun.

YORK HOUSE —The Marquis of Stafford has been in possession of the house built by the late Duke of York for a considerable length of time, and has expended some thousands of pounds in finishing it ; and yet, strange to relate, his right of possession is still disputed by the executors of the late Duke of York, who, till within these few days, retained possession, by keeping a man of the name of Fenn, who was porter to the late Duke, to reside in a room in the house, where there were valuable papers belonging to the executors, and other pro- perty. The man has been repeatedly ordered to quit the premises by the agents of the Marquis, which he constantly refused to do, he acting under the orders of the executors. Last Thursday evening, he was again soiled to by

the attorney of the Marquis, to leave the premises, accompanied by a con- stable, which he refused to do, except force was used. The constable then,

by the direction of the attorney, took him by the collar and led him out. The man refused to take the property he had in care with him.—Morning Herald. RETRENCHMENT.—It is understood that the Duke of Wellington intends to reduce the number of the Commissioners of Excise.

ELECTION OF COMMON COUNCILMEN.—St. Thomas's Day falling on Sun- day, the election of Common Councilmen for the year ensuing commenced on

Monday. Very few wards were contested, and in those that were, the old members had made an agreement amongst themselves not to make speeches— the avowed motive, to save time ; but the adepts were aware that it was to avoid comparison in contest with other speakers. The Ward of Farringdon Without was the most conspicuous in contention ; Hunt and Cobbett having for some time past announced their intention to stand as candidates. The former gentleman had his placards placed at every avenue leading to St. An- drew's Church, and for some days previously his friends and himself were on the alert in canvassing for votes. Alderman Waithman took the chair at twelve o'clock; and Mr. Hunt was immediately proposed. The orator then stood forward, and declaimed against the manner in which the revenue of the city was expended ; pledging himself, if returned, to do what he could to prevent the Misapplication of the funds in future. Mr. Wood implored the citizens not to send Mr. Hunt to the Court of Common Council, as he "nei- ther possessed character, probity, nor respectability." Mr. Cobbett also raked up many of the sins of the Corporation ; but he withdrew from the contest. At the close of the poll, on Wednesday, Mr. Hunt remained at the bottom of

the list, minus 92 on the lowest. A great deal of speechifying followed, and the orator was extremely warm in his accusations, particularly against City Jobs, and was also rather personal in his observations on one of the members who had annoyed him in the course of the poll by allusions to his cast-off wife, and other family secrets. Hunt says he has spent a fortune in the pub- lic service, but he won't spend a sixpence more—if the public want him they must seek him.

BANKING IN THE CITY.—It having been stated that one of the banking- houses in Lombard-street was about to give up business, a severe run on the house followed, but all demands upon it were met. The statement had ob- tained such general belief, that at an early hour on Monday morning, the acting partner in another banking firm sought an interview with the head of the house to which the statement applied, to request his influence in the trans- fer of some of its connexions to him. The gentlemen was however informed that no intention had ever existed on their part of relinquishing business. Some reports injurious to the character of the house got into circulation, to- gether with the statement above referred to ; as that the firm, for example, had lent 150,0001. towards the erection of the Coliseum in the Regent's-park ; but to this an express contradiction has been given by the gentleman, Mr. Horner, to whom that undertaking owes its origin. The run on the house had entirely ceased long before the hour at which banking business closes, and the event had ceased to excite attention in the City—City Correspondent of the Times.

KENT ANTI-BRUNSWICK DINNER—The in-doors Anti-Brunswick muster, at Maidstone, on Tuesday, was attended by nearly three hundred Liberals, headed by the Earl of Darnley. Lords Sondes, Torrington, Thanet, Teyne- ham, Clifton, Say and Sele, and General Miller were among the supporters of the Noble Chairman. In introducing the leading toast of the day, Lord Darnley observed, that they had in some sort been compelled to come toge- ther in self-defence, since other gentlemen in the county had established a club, and spread abroad principles as the general sense of the county, of an exclusive character. These did not accord with the feelings of the people of Kent, which were comprehensive and liberal. The gentlemen then assems bled had canvassed the opinions of that class, and had now declared against them. The supposed triumph at Penenden Heath, then, was at an end, the voice of the county being against such bigotry ; and the late Meethig, instead of impairing the efficacy of liberal opinions, had created a reaction, and given them greater power. In the course of the evening his Lordship contradicted the report that he had given Mr. Shiel a freehold ; on the con- trary, he was against his appearance at all.

MR. COOPER AND MR. WAKLEY—In reference to the late trial, the pupils of Guy's Hospital have resolved to present Mr. Branshy Cooper with a piece of plate, as a testimonial of their gratitude to him as a teacher, and of their opinion of him as an operator. The admirers of Mr. Wakley, on the other hand, have had a meeting at the Freemason's Tavern, to mark their opinion of his exertions in the cause of " surgical reform." It was first agreed that thanks were due to 14Ir. Wakley for having, as editor of the Lancet, given the first impulse to "medical reform ;" it was next resolved that a subscrip- tion should he opened to pay his expenses at the recent trial ; and next that lie should be invited to a public dinner. In the course of the evening the conduct of one of the speakers gave, for a short time, an amusing turn to the discussion. The gentleman proposed to read for the audience a letter which he had written to the chairman of the committee, asking permission to attend. He began, but he had scarcely got through a few words when he declared he was not able to make out his own writing, and requested the chairman to assist him. The chairman made the attempt, but was not more successful. Another gentleman then undertook the task, but with no better effect. The audience received each unsuccessful effort with loud laughter, which so much annoyed the writer that he took back the letter, and again tried to go through with it; but not being able. to make it out, he proposed to read for the meet- ing two letters which he wrote on the some subject to the editor of a Sunday paper. Loud laughter followed this proposition, which was increased, when, on an attempt to read one of them, he had no more success than before.

CRIME IN LoNooN.—The Times calls the attention of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the increase of burglaries and robberies in most parts of the outskirts of the metropolis. They have increased beyond all precedent within the last few months ; and have frequently been accom- panied with acts of violence, as in the attack on Mr. Warrington's house. "This," says the Times, " is enough to make us shudder for what may befal the most helpless families in these long nights." Government should con- sider the means of protecting, with more efficacy than hitherto, the "property which the tax-gatherer leaves in the hands of its owners."

CRIME IN NORFOLK.—It appears from a report which has been addressed to the Country Magistrates, by the Reverend .lames Brown, the Chaplain of the Castle, that the number of commitments during the last year has been only 483; in the preceding year they were 585. He recommends the immediate tansportatiott of those who are sentenced to such a fate. This is a pultishe meet in itself dreaded by offenders; and it takes away from them the possi- bility of corrupting others. Mr. Brown urges the propriety of prosecuting false witnesses at the public expense, as the surest way to check perjury.

LADIES' BIBLE ASSOCIATION.—The second anniversary of this Society was ield in the Market-house, Cheltenham, on Friday, and was attended by about wo thousand people,—the greater part of the lowest order of society.

IMPORTATIONS OF appears, by the official returns, that in the month of November 440,746 quarters of foreign grain, nearly all wheat, paid duty for home consumption ; and 414,256 quarters (of which, however, only 104,991 quarters were wheat) remained in warehouse at the end of the month. The quantity of foreign grain actually introduced in November, and that remaining available for home consumption at the end of the month, make, therefore, about 850,000 quarters in all. Considerable importations seem to he still in progress, so that the aggregate supply to be derived from abroad promises to be greater than, under the unfavourable circumstances of the har- vests of other countries, could have been at first anticipated. The absence, as yet, of the severe and general distress which a rise of the price of grain, so great as that which we have lately witnessed, commonly produces, must be attributed, we presume, to the growing importance of substitutes for bread, especially potatoes. The rise of the price of wheat must of course have been severely felt, but at no previous time has it excited so little alarm. The in- crease of the use of the potato, as an article of daily food, has also been still more striking in the North of Germany than here ; and the goodness of the crop of this root has been probably one cause of a greater supply of grain having been spared from that country than the unfavourable corn harvest had seemed to allow.—Globe.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH. BEST V. LAWSON.--ThiS was an action against The Times, for having, in August 1827, published the following article : "A considerable stir has taken place to-day at the custom-house, in consequence of the discovery of a smuggling transaction of a very curious description. It appears that a vessel from Hamburgh, the Simeon' Captain Itoome, having on board certain bales of ulva marina (sea-grass), as it is termed in the bill of lading, and consigned to a merchant residing in Katharine-court, Tower-hill, has arrived in the river, and application was made this morning by the consignee for a bill of entry in the usual mode. His manner betraying some agitation, the officer was induced to suspect fraud, and caused one of the bales to be examined, in the centre of which was found about 501bs. weight of tea. In the others, when opened, a similar dis- covery was made. Tea is a wholly prohibited article, and the penalty for any vessel having it on board is 100!., for the recovery of which a process will issue in the first instance against the captain, and next against the consignee. Suspicion exists that this fraud has been carried on fora long period by the same parties without detection. The affair, however, wilt undergo an immediate and strict investigation."

The defendants entered a plea of justification ; but they failed in proving every point to the letter ; and the Jury, after deliberating for half an hour, returned a verdict for the plaintiff—damages, 20/.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. SOULBY V. PICKFORD AND OT:IERS.—This was an action to recover 30/. for printing. As the question was likely to turn upon the balance of contradictory evidence, Mr. Justice Park expressed a wish that the counsel would come to some arrangement among themselves. Mr. Serjeant Wilde, for the defendants, was willing to consent to a reference ; but Mr. Serjeant Spankie, for the plaintiff, said he could not consent to such a course. Mr. Justice Park again expressed a wish that an arrangement should be come to ; and intimated that the counsel for the plaintiff ought to exercise his own discretion. Mr. Serjeant Spankie observed, that his client would not consent to a reference. Mr. Justice Park said, that in such cases counsel should be guided by their own honourable feelings, and should not suffer their better judgments to be biassed by their clients, the attornies. When he was at the bar, he never consulted an attorney under such circumstances. Mr. Serjeant Spankie—" I am afraid, my Lord, if I do not consult the attornies, they will not consult me." (A laugh.) Mr. Justice Park observed, sith some warmth, that he was convinced the honourable feeling of brother Span- kie never had been, and never would be, governed by such a consideration. He was only sorry that his learned brother had made use of an expression so contrary to the real rule of his conduct, as it :night go forth to the world and be considered as his real. motive. Mr. Serjeant Spankie said that he had merely made use of the expression in a jocular manner, and observed, with respect to the world's taking it for his real motive, that men must live in the world as it was. Mr. Justice Park—" Men should live in the world with per.. fect respect and high honour, or they had better not live in it at all."—The Jury returned a verdict for the defendant.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER. HOSEATONS V. LORD COCHRANE. The plaintiffs were heirs to a gentleman who died about two years since, and who, while Cochrane was in Chili, acted as his lordship's agent. When Lord.Cochrane, in 1823, had determined to leave Chili for the Brazils, he was due Mr. Hoseaton, his prize-agent, 17,683 dollars. He received a bill for the amount on the Chilian Government. The Chilian Government, however, refused pay- ment; and the bill was then forwarded to his lordship at Rio. Lord Coch- rane had also refused to pay the bill; and therefore Mr. Hoseaton's execu- tors had brought this action to compel payment. It was submitted for the defence, that due diligence had not been used to recover payment from the Chilian Government, and that the plaintiff had not given the defendant the earliest notice of its dishonour. A witness was then recalled to explain some parts of his testimony. Lord Chief Baron—" You do not give your evi- dence so decisively as Lord Cochrane fights, I think." Mr. Alexander—. " He is not so well paid for it, my Lord." Mr. Thesiger—" Paid for it, in- deed !" The case went to the jury, who found for the plaintiff for the

whole amount claimed.

GETTING INTO CHANCERY.—A novel and interesting case was heard last week in the Rolls' Court, Dublin, in the matter of Maria Stewart, a minor. This young lady had been carried off by a young man, and married without the consent of her guardian or the Court. The Master of the Rolls ordered him into custody, and a reference was made:to the Master respecting a settle- ment. Master of the Rolls—" I differ with the Master on the settlement of this young lady's property which he proposes in the event of her dying with- out issue. I think, in that event, it should go to the next of kin of the wife. It is so laid down in the 8th Vesey. In that case the husband was a music- master, who ran off with his pupil. Here, though he is not in a similar caps. city, yet he is an improvident young man, who cannot make any settlement; so that, in the settlement now to be executed, hi default of the issue of the marriage, on her death the property must go to her next of kin. The mar- riage must also be forthwith properly solemnized, and the settlement executed. After that let him come in and apply here." The Solicitor—" The parties are both Protestants, and no clergyman will marry this minor withoutanordq

mime.

fratinly14 Hanotti.". Master af the Rolls--e" I make 'an order -to hare them married while the young man is in custody, and for the Sheriffs teat- tend Kith him at the parish-churbh ; fur I certainly will not discharge hint till the ceremony is properly performed.. This is necessary feoni the various circumstances of the case as disclo.sed in the guardian's petition," In conse- quence of this order, the . youthful bride and her " dearly beloved" were escorted to the parish-church. of St. Catherine, accompanied by the Sheriffs, end the ceremony of marriage repeated by the officiating minister. The youth was Conducted back to durance vile, to await the further decision of the Court. • On Saturday evening, while Mr. A. G. Fullerton, an officer of the Gtiards, accompanied by the Honourable Augustus Villiers, were driving along St. James's-street, Haymarket, for Drury Lane Theatre, their cabriolet came against an old deaf woman who was passing, and knocked her down. The gentlemen immediately got out, and had her conveyed, first to the* nearest surgeon's, and next to Middlesex Hospital, where they saw that every care was bestowed upon her. Mr. Fullerton sent his servant in the course of the evenitere to inquire after her; but by that time she had died—three ribs and the breast-hone having been broken. On hearing all the circumstances, a Coroner's Jury found a verdict of " Accidental death."

On Thursday week, as Lord William Paget, Lord Errol, and a third gentle- man, were riding at a quick pace through Parliament-street, Dublin, they were met by an officer coming in a contrary direction, and before either could check their speed, or turn aside, the whole party came in collision. The gentleman in the company of Lords Paget and Errol was severely hurt by a blow on the knee. The sword worn by the officer struck Lord W. Paget, and cut his eye severely, and he was driven with great force against Lord Errol, who nearly fell from his horse in consequence, and it was several minutes before he was enabled to proceed. On Sunday morning, as Mr. Cope, the organist of Saint Saviour's South- wark, was proceeding to perform his duties at that church, he fell down, in the Borough-market. Surgical assistance was immediately procured, but life was extinct.

A child belonging to Mr. Waite, a tradesman on Walworth Common died ..

the other day, from having swallowed vitriol, mistaking it for peppermint..

CLIMBING Bovs.—On Tuesday, a boy was sent up the-back-roorn flue of .a house in Preston, to clean it. As he did not return, means were taken to ascertain his fate; when it was found that he had 'missed his way, and gone into another flue, where he stuck fast, till part of the stone-work at the back of the premises were removed, and then he was taken out dead.

The cupola of the church of Torre del Greco; at Naples, fell down on the gist ulewith a tremendous crash; and fifty persons were killed on the spot, besideS a umber wounded.

' We learn from Port Santa Maria, that on the 30th ult. a shower of stones fell in that towiirluring the space of two hours, by which great damage was done to the houses.` Tee stones in general were as big as eggs, and the quan- tity so great, that they lay in. the street to the depth of four feet, and com- pletely obstructed' the circulation.—Paris Paper.

Surrentece.—On Friday morning, the 19th, the brig William of Liverpool, from the West Indies, with 'a cargo of cotton, coffee, sugar, and logwood, went on a, reef of rocks near Fortelle, about two miles east of Boulogne. A dreadful surf was running at the time; and she very shortly rolled over and went entirely to pieces. All on board perished. A man of colour reached the share, dreadfully exhausted and bruised. He was able to walk up the sands some'distance by the aid of some humane fishermen, but was unable to speak. They gave him a little brandy, and were in the act of taking him to their house, wheat the custom-house officers arrived, who immediately ordered the fishermen to leave their charge, on the penalty of a thrust from their bayonets if they refused. This they very reluctantly did, and the custoinhouse-efficers proceeded to get such valuables as might float ashore, while the poor black— left exposed in the wet and cold for several hours—perished on the spot. Several of the dead bodies were seen floating in along shore in the afternoon; but the 'ilouaniers would not permit them to be picked up, consequently, on the ebbing of the tide, they washed out again. This barbarous conduct has caused a universal feeling of disgust among the English, and most of the Vietich. in Boulogne.

The Leeds packed from New York, of 500 tons, while seineg up the Thames at high-water on Wednesday evening, went aground off the Police- office, Wapping. and soon after went upon her beam-ends. She righted next morning, but with about ten feet of water in the hold. She has a valuable cargo on board, which is partially damaged; and the vessel is at present little better than a wreck.