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THE Queen held a Privy Council at Windsor Castle on Monday ; Lord Melbourne and the principal Ministers being present. An order was issued for the further prorogation of Parliament, from the 12th instant to the 16th of January. The Council sat for about a quarter of an hour.
Mr. Thomas Phillips, late Mayor of' Newport, was presented to her Majesty by the Marquis of Normanby, and received the honour of knighthood. The Queen was pleased to speak in complimentary terms of his gallant bearing at Newport; and Sir Thomas had the honour of dining with her Majesty and all the grandees at the Castle. Queen Adelaide, attended by the Countess of Sheffield, Miss Hudson, and Mr. William Ashley, arrived at Windsor, on Tuesday afternoon, on a visit to her Majesty. The Queen Dowager spent Wednesday with her niece, and returned to Marlborough House on Thursday.
The unfavourable weather has only permitted the Queen to take short walks in the neighbourhood of the Castle.
Sir James Clark "attended at the Castle" on Saturday. We have seen no notice of his return to town.
An amusing incident, which the newspapers call "an extraordinary
affair," occurred at Windsor on Sunday evening. A carriage and four drove up to the Castle, and out stepped a personage attired like a fo- reigner of distinction on his travels—with a foraging-cap, a boa round
his neck, and furred gloves. He announced himself as the bearer of important despatches, which must be delivered inn-Immediately into the Queen's own hand. Iler Majesty received a communication to this
effect while enjoying the society of Lord Melbourne in one of the drawing-rooms. Orders were sent to the foreign gentleman to deliver up his packets. This he sturdily refused. Mr. Charles Murray was deputed to obtain the documents, with no better success. Colonel Grey, Equerry in Waiting, went on the same errand ; but was assured that the Queen's autographical command would alone procure the precious deposit. Russell (not Lord John, but an inspector of Police, stationed at the Castle) then received orders to convey the furred gentleman to
the Stationhouse. There he displayed some newspapers addressed to the Queen, with a foreign post-mark ; declaring that he could not con- sistently with the oath he had taken deliver them up without the
Queen's command in her own handwriting. Persuasion being useless, the papers mid letters were taken from the man by force. He then de- clared that he was very hungry ; and a dimmer was sent to him from the
Castle kitchen, consisting, as the Monday Herald's correspondent is careful to state, of "mock turtle soup, beef-steaks, and half a pint of port." He wanted more wine, but not a glass more would they give him.
It turned out that this mysterious personage was a Mr. Satin- tiers, a clerk in the Post-office, St. Martin's-le-Grand I On Sun- day, after the usual despatch had been forwarded to Windsor, it was discovered that one packet had been left behind: the clerks were told by their superior, that they must bear among
themselves the expen,x, of sending the packet to Windsor : Saun- ders said he was going past Buckingham Palace, and would see whether it could not be forwarded thence to the Queen : but in- stead of this, he preferred making the ridiculous expedition to Wind- sor, in the hope of obtaining an interview with Royalty.
After passing Sunday night in the Statimthouse, Saunders was taken in custody to London, and suspended from his employment at the Post-office.
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