Lord Derby on Friday se'nuight produced his accounts as trustee
for King Leopold of Belgium. That monarch, as husband of the Princess Charlotte, was entitled to an annuity for life of .50,000/. from Great Britain. On his election to the throne he appointed several trustees, of whom Lord Derby was one, to re- ceive this money, keep up Claremont, and pay certain pensions to servants of his wife. Under the trust a sum of 1,090,5001. has been paid into the Treasury, and Lord Derby now hopes that Government will consider the annuitants, many of whom are very old and poor ; and will, moreover, leave Claremont for life to Queen Amelie, who now resides there. Lord Russell seemed to speak doubtfully in reply, but it is clear he must fulfil both re- 'quests—the second, because it would be an outrage to remove a lady of the extreme age and deep sufferings of Louis Philippe's widow from her home ; and the first, because the concession made to a queen can hardly be refused to private persons. The elation is the gainer anyhow, for Leopold was no more bound to egive back his annuity than if he had received his wife's portion in Consols.
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