The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-01 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, DEO. 30.
The dinner party yesterday included her Royal High-
ness the Duchess of Kent, the Marquis of Breadalbane,
Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, the Bishop of
New Zealand and Mrs. Selwyn, and Colonel and Lady
Emily Seymour.
Her Majesty's private band was in attendance after
dinner.

The Queen, with the Princess Alice, walked in the
Home Park this morning.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, with the Prince of
Wales, went shooting. Captain Seymour had the
honour to accompany the Prince.
The Lord Chamberlain left the Castle in the forenoon
for Londun.

Day. 31.
There was no addition to the Royal dinner party yes-
terday.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
drove out yesterday afternoon in an open carriage. The
equerries in waiting were in attendance on horseback.

16e Queen and —Prince, with the Royal children
the Duchess of Kent, attended Divine service to-day in
the private clsapel of the Castle. The Rev. Lord
~Viiothesley Russell performed the morning service, and
preached the sermon.

CABINET COUNCIL.—The Ministers will again as.
semble in council to-morrow afternoon at the Foreign-
office.

Major-General Lord Rokeby, appointed to command
a division of the army in the Crimea, will leave town on
Friday next for Plymouth, to embark there the follow-
ing day for the Black Sea. Major-General Barnard,
who is likewise appointed to command another division,
and who is staying with his uncle, General Sir Andrew
Barnard, at the Geverner's house, Chelsea Hospital,
will accompany his lordship. Captains Barnard and
Allix, aides-de-camp to the gallant generals, proceed to
the East at the same time. The horses and baggage
of the Generale have already been forwarded to Ply-
mouth.

We are happy to learn that the Duchess of Cambridge
received letters on Saturday, brought by the Queen's
messenger who arrived that morning from Constan-
tinople, from the Duke of Cambridge, which gave a
favourable account of the health of his Royal Highness.
The Royal Duke has been staying at Therapia since he
arrived with Major the Hon. James Macdonald, from
Balaklava, and his heala has gradually improved,
mainly from retirement and change of scene. The Royal
Duke is most anxious to rej)in his division of the army
before Sebastopol, but his medical attendants insist on
his thorough restoration to his accustomed good health
before he quits for the Crimea. It was thought his
Royal Highness would leave towards the close of the
month (December) for Balaklava.
We have received a letter from a correspondent, re-
ferring to a very graphic account we published of the
Russian steamer Wladmir and another firing upon the
French steamer Caton, on the sth. The name of the
English steamer that drove the enemy back was the
Valorous, and not the Terrible.

WINDSOR CASTLE.—There will be no theatrical per-
formances or halls at the Castle this season, the morns
usually occupied for that purpose having been fitted up
in the most splendid manner for the reception of the Em-
peror and Empress of the French, whose ♦isit is expected
immediately after the war assumes a more favourable

aspect.
REPORTED VISIT OF THE QUEEN TO CARDIFF.—The
Cardiff Guardiaa contains a letter front Colonel Phipps
to Mr. Richards, Town Clerk of Cardiff, which states
that thorn is no foundation for a report on which the
Town Council were preparing to act, that the Queea and
Prince Albert would shortly pass through Cardiff, on
their way to Pembroke Dockyard. No royal visit is con-
templated either to Cardiff or to Pembroke._

SOUTH AUSTRALIIN SYMPATHY WITH ENGLAND IN
THE WAIL—AB an expression of colonial sympathy with
Great Britain in the war now raging with Russia, a
fund is being raised in aid of the wives and dependent
relatives of the soldiers and sailors engaged in the war.
The sum already collected amounts to 5,2171. Gs.
A ustralian and New Zealand Gazette.

AVAILABLE COAL FIELD IN VIOTORIA.—The discovery
of coal at Cape Patterson, about 150 miles from Mel.
bourne, on the south-east coast, is of the greatest im
portance ; it will enable machinery to be very advan-
tageously used, and create a demand for steam power,
which will stimulate a new important branch of com-
merce for the tuturc—Australian and New Zealand
Gazette.

THEAT/13.—SinCO the first night of the
Christmas entertainment at this house Mademoiselle
Benoni, a French clansease of considerable celebrity,
from La Scala, at Milan, has made her appearance in
the divertissements which form a relief to the action of
the piece. She is an artiste of a high school, endowed
with great physical strength, and with a decision and
firmness in her steps which give a remarkable character
to her execution. It should be observed that the diver-
tissements are of a different kind from the occasional
dances which we sometimes find at non-operatic
theatres. Mademoiselle Benoni and Maraquita are real
artistes of the ballet, versed in the mysteries of elaborate
pas, arid their appearance at a dramatic house may be
regarded as a sigular novelty.
WANT OF SEAMEN AT veesels are
now detained in our harbour for want of seamen. There
seems to be a deficiency of mates, men before the mast,
and masters. Mates aro getting freely 6/. 10s. per
month to Constantinople, and in some instances as muck
as 61. 10s. and 81. has been offered. Whilst the navy
has been absorbing during the year many of the best
men from the merchant service, the present system and
imperfect supply of apprentices are by no means ade-
quate to meet the deficiency ; indeed, according to
present appearances, mainly owing to the inefficient
supply of apprentices, some serious embarrassments may
be apprehended.—Suntierland Times.