OCCULTATIONS OF PLANETS AND FIXED STARS BY THE MOON,

VISIBLE AT GREENWICH.

A TABLE OF THE DURATION OF MOONLIGHT AFTER SUNSET AND BEFORE SUNRISE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

The figures under the name of each month denote the number of hours nearly between sunset and sunrise. The number of points denote the hours of darkness; and their position .......................* indicates the one..... before, the other after midnight.

31

TERMS AND RETURNS.

HILARY TERM begins 11th January-Ends 31st January.
EASTER TERM begins 15th April-Ends 8th May.
TRINITY TERM begins 22nd May-Ends 12th June,
MICHAELMAS TERM begins 2nd Nov.-Ends 25th Nov.

Trinity Term...... May 14......July 5 25 March Lady Day 29 Sept.. Mich. Day Michaelmas Term..Oct. 10......Dec. 17 24 June.. Midsum. 25 Dec... Christmas. IN SCOTLAND.

TRANSFER DAYS.

The Transfer Days are now Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Dividends are due at the following dates after an interval of three days, or if a Sunday intervenes of four days.

Powers of Attorney for the Sale or Transfer of Stock must be deposited at the Bank, &c. for examination, one day before they can be acted upon; if for receiving Dividends, it is sufficient to present them at the time the first Dividend becomes payable.

The expense of a Power of Attorney is 17. 1s. 6d. for each Stock separately, but for Bank and India Stock, 17. 11s. 6d. ; and when required to be made out on the same day, half-past Twelve o'clock is the latest time for receiving orders. The boxes for receiving Powers of Attorney for Sale close at Two o'clock.

All Probates of Wills, Letters of Administration, and other proofs of decease, are required to be left at the Bank, &c., for Registration from two to three clear days, exclusive of holidays.

HOLIDAYS KEPT AT THE PUBLIC OFFICES IN 1856. By an Act of Parliament passed in 1834, much of the money business of the Exchequer is removed to the Bank of England. At the EXCHEQUER all holidays are abolished except Christmas Day and Good Friday.

EXCISE, STAMPS, AND TAXES OFFICES.

Good Friday, March 21. Day appointed to be kept as the Queen's Birth-day. Coronation Day, June 28. Prince of Wales's Birth-day, Nov. 9. Christmas Day, Dec. 25. All the above days are also ordered to be kept as holidays by the officers and servants of the Custom House and the Dock Companies of the United Kingdom, except the Prince of Wales's birthday and the Coronation day. At the Stamps and Taxes Oflice, the Restoration of Charles II., May 29; Whit Monday and Tuesday (May 12 and 13), are kept in addition.

And in the Transfer Offices, 1st May and 1st November in addition. N.B. Whenever the 1st May or 1st November falls on a Sunday the holiday will be kept on the Monday following.

BRITISH MUSEUM.

The Public are admitted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, between the hours of Ten and Four during the months of November, December, January, and February; between Ten and Five during the months of September, October, March, and April; and between Ten and Six during the months of May, June, July, and August. The Reading Room is open every day, except holidays, an hour earlier, but closes at the same times.

The Museum is closed between the 1st and 7th January, the 1st and 7th May, and the 1st and 7th September, and on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Christmas day. Any Special Fast or Thanksgiving Days ordered by Authority are kept in addition by all the above establishments.

QUARTER-SESSIONS (1856)

IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES.

By the Act 1 Will. IV. c. 70, it is enacted that" in the year 1831, and afterwards, the justices of the peace in every county, riding, or division, for which Quarter-Sessions of the Peace by law ought to be held, shall hold their general Quarter-Sessions of the Peace in the first week after the 11th of October, in the first week after the 28th of December, in the first week after the 31st of March, and in the first week after the 24th of June." The following list has been computed according to this rule.

The Act 4 and 5 Will. IV. cap. 47, allows a discretionary power to the Justices of Peace as to the time of holding the Spring Quarter-Sessions, and empowers them to alter the day for holding the Sessions, so as not to be earlier than the 7th of March, nor later than the 22d of April.

BEDFORD-W. Jan. 2, April 9, July 2,

Oct. 15.

BERKS-Tu. Abingdon, Jan. 1, April 8,
July 1, and Oct. 14.

BOCKS--Aylesbury, Tu. same as Berks.
CAMBRIDGE Cambridge County, F. Jan. 4,
April 11, July 4, Oct. 17. For the Town,
the Monday before.

CHESHIRE Chester, M. Dec. 31, 1855,
Apr. 7, June 30, Oct. 13.
CORNWALL-Bodmin, Tu. same as Berks.
CUMBERLAND-Tu. as Berks, Jan, and June
at Carlisle, April & Get. at Cockermouth.
DERBYSHIRE-April Sessions at Chester-
field, the others at Derby, Tu. same as
Berks.

DEVONSHIRE-Ereter, Tu, same as Berks.
Exeter City, on preceding Monday.
DORSETSHIRE-Dorchester, Tu. as Berks.
DURHAM-M. same as Cheshire.

ELY, Isle of-W. as Bedford, at Wisbeach,
or Ely.

ESSES-Colchester and Harwich, M. same
as Cheshire. Chelmsford, Tu. as Berks.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE-Gloster, Tu. as Berks.
HAMPSHIRE Winchester, Tu, as Berks.
HEREFORDSHIRE-Hereford, M. as Cheshire.
HERTFORDSHIRE-Hertford, M. same as
Cheshire. St. Alban's, the same week.
HUNTINGDONSHIRE-M. same as Cheshire.
KENT-Canterbury, Tu. Jan. 1, Fr. Apr.
Maid-
11, Tu. July 1, Fr. Oct. 14.
stone, Th. Jan. 3, Tu. Apr. 8, Th. July 3,
Tu. Oct. 14.
LANCASHIRE — Lancaster, M. same
Cheshire. Adjournments are held at
Preston, at Salford, and at Kirkdale.
LEICESTERSHIRE-Leicester as Cheshire.

LINCOLNSHIRE—

Livoin city! Sat. Jan.5 Apr. 12 July 5
Parts of Lindsey.

Kirton.... Fr. Jan. 4 April 11 July 4

as

Oct. 18

Louth ....

Spilsby

Tu. April 15
Tu. Jan. 8

Oct. 17
July 8

Oct. 21

Burn and Boston, Tu. as Berks; Sleaford, and Spalding, Th. Jan. 3, April 10, July 3. Oct. 16.

MIDDLESEX-General or adjourned Sessions are held at least twice a month at the Sessions House, Clerkenwell, usually on the alternate Tuesdays; and adjourned Sessions are also held at Westminster (Broad Sanctuary). The LoNDON Sessions are held four times a year at the Guildhall. The Tower Liberty Sessions are held eight times a year at the Sessions House, Wellclose-square. MONMOUTHSHIRE-Usk, M. as Cheshire. NORFOLK Shire House, Norwich, W. same as Bedford; City of Norwich the day before.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Northampton, Th. |

as Susser, West Div. Peterborough, W.
as Bedford.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Nottingham, M. as Cheshire.
Newark, F. as Cambridge.
East Retford, M. after Newark.
Town of Nottingham-Two days after
the County Sessions.
NORTHUMBERLAND-The County Sessions
are held alternately at Newcastle-on-
Tyne, Morpeth, Hexham, and Alnwick.
Town of
Th. same as Northampton.
Newcastle, W. previous.
OXFORDSHIRE-Oxford, County and City,
M. as Cheshire. Banbury, the preceding
Saturday.

RUTLANDSHIRE-Oakham, Tu. as Berks.
SHROPSHIRE Shrewsbury, Tu. as Berks.
For the Town, the Monday preceding.
SOMERSETSHIRE-Taunton, Tues. Jan. 1,
July 1. Wells, Apr. 8, Oct. 14. Bath
on the following Fridays.

STAFFORDSHIRE-Stafford, W. as Bedford.
SUFFOLK-Beccles, M. as Cheshire, Wood-
bridge, W. as Bedford, Ipswich, F. as
Cambridge; and Bury, M. following.
SURREY-New Sessions House, Newington,
Guild-
Tu. Jan. 1. Reigate, April 8.
ford, July 1. Kingston, Oct. 14.
SUSSEX Eastern Division: Lewes, M.
same as Cheshire. Western Division:
Petworth, Th. Jan. 3, and April 10. Hor.
sham, July 3. Chichester, Oct. 16.
WARWICKSHIRE-Warwick, M. as Cheshire.
Coventry, on the following Wednesday.
WESTMINSTER-City, are generally held on
the Thursday preceding the Quarter-Ses
sions for Middlesex.
WESTMORLAND-Appleby, W. as Bedfd.,
and by adjournment at Kendal.
WILTSHIRE-Tu. Devizes, Jan. 1. Salis-
bury, April 8. Warminster, July 1.
Marlborough, Oct. 14.

WORCESTERSHIRE-Worcester, M. same as
Cheshire. Worcester City the day following.
YORKSHIRE York City, M. as Cheshire.
EAST RIDING: Beverley, Tu. as Berks.
WEST RIDING: Knaresborough, M. Dec.
31. Wakefield, Tu. Jan. 1. Sheffield, F.
Jan. 4. Pontefract, M. April 7. Skip-
ton, M. June 30. Bradford, Tu. July 1.
Rotherham, F. July 4. Knaresborough,
M. Oct. 13. Leeds, Tu. Oct. 14.
NORTH RIDING:
caster, F. Oct. 17.
Northallerton, Tu. as Berks.

Don

The Quarter Sessions through NORTH and SOUTH WALES are held by the same rule as the foregoing, the magistrates determining the day of the week on which the Sessions shall commence.