The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-27 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen held a Court on Smurday afternoon, at
Buckingh,m Palace. Count Bjoriistjerna, Envoy Extra-
ordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the King of
Sweden, bad an audience of her Maj..sty to deliver a letter.
Baron de Cetto, Env.y Extrtordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary from the King of Bavaria, had an audience

of the Queen to deliver a letter from his Sovereign.
Court de Potion, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenirten. iary from the King of Sardinia, and from his
Royal Highnest the Duke of Lucca, had an audience of

her Majesty.
Baron de. Moncorvo, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary from her Most Faithful Majesty the Queen
of Portugal anti the Algarves, had an aud!ence of her Ma-
jests to deliver a letter from his S:)vereign.
.Their Excellencies were respectively introduced by Vis-
count Palintirston, G. C 8., her 11, jesty's Principal S.—
cretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The Court was attended by the Hon. William Cowper,
Groom in Waiting
Her Majesty and Prince Albert attended Divine Service
yesterday afternoon, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's.
The Service for the evening was read by the Rev. Messrs.
P.,ekman and Barham. The musical service was Travers
in F. The anthem was "In Jewry is God k own," ar-
ranged by J. B. Sale. Mr. J. B. Sale presided at the
organ.
The Dean of Hereford was the Deputy Clerk of the
Closet in Waiting. The Royal suite consisted of Lary
Barham, Honourable Miss Paget, Hon. Miss Anson, Lord
Byron, Earl of Morley, Earl of Surrey, Han. William
Cowper, Hon. Colonel Cavendish, Colonel Bouverie, and
Mr. Francis Seymour.
After attending the Service, her Majesty and Prince
Albert accompanied by the Duke and Duchess de Nemours,
took an airing in an open carriage and four. The Hon.
Colonel Cavendish and Colonel Bouverie attended the
Royal party on horseback.
Viscount Melbourne bad an audience of her Maj,sty.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Duke and Duchess de Nemours, and attended by the
Hon. Miss Paget, Hon. Miss Anson, Countess d'Oraison,
Lord Byron, Earl of Surrey, Hon. W. Cowper, Hon.
Colonel Cavendish, Colonel Bouverie, and General Col-

bert, honoured the' Italian Opera with their presence on
Saturday evening.
The Marquis of Normanby and Viscount Melbourne
had audiences of the Queen on Saturday.
Her Majesty and the Duchess de Nemours took an
airing on Saturday afternon in an open carriage and four.
Prince Albert and the Duke de Nemours rode out on

hor-eback at the same time. The Hon. Colonel Caven-
dish was in attendance on the Queen on horseback, and
Colonel Ihuverie and Count Colbert attended their
Royal Highnesses.
The Duke and Duchess de Nemours attended divine
service yesterday morning, in the French Chapel, in
George-street, Portman-square. Countess d'Oraison and
General Colbert were in Waiting on their Royal High-
nesses.

The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess de
Nemours (attended by Countess d'Oraison), visited the
Duchess of Kent yesterday at Ingestrie House, Belgrave-
square. The Princess Sophia Matilda paid a visit to the
Royal Duchess on Saturday.
The Duke of Cambridge attended Divine Service yester-
day morning in Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley-street.
Ihe Lord Mayor had an audience of Prince Albert on
Saturday at Buckingham Palace.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess dc Ne-
mours honoured Mr. Ross, A.R. A., with final sittings for
their miniatures on Saturday afternoon at Buckingham

Palace.
The Duchess of Cambridge took an airing yesterday
afternoon to Kew.
The Duke and Duchess de Nemours, attended by
Countess d'Oraison and General Colbert, honoured NI.
Guiz3t, the French Ambassador, with their company at
dinner last evening, at the residence of the Embassy in
Manchester-square. A select party were present to meet
their Royal Highne,ses.
A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at
the Foreign-office. It was attended by all the Ministers
except Viscount Palmerston. Tue Council sat two hours.
A deputation, consisting of Sir Thomas Troubridge,
Bart. ; Mr. Charles Bleaden, the Chairman ; and Mr.
Sheriff Wheelton, Directors ; Sir John Rennie, Engineer,
and Mr. John Bigg, Secretary, had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on Saturday, in Downing-
street, on business relative to the Deal Pier Company.
Yesterday was the birth-day of the Duchess of Cam•
bridge. Her Royal Highness received visits of congratu-
lation, in the course of the day, from their Royal High-
nesses Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess
of Gloucester, the Duke of Sussex, and the Duke and
Duchess de Nemours (attended by Countess d'Oraison and
Count Colbert). In the afternoon the Duchess of Cam-
bridge, accompanied by the Princess Augusta of Cam-
bridge, and attended by Lady Augusta Somerset, paid a
visit to the Queen at Buckin ham Palace. The Foreign
Ministers and many of the nobility called during the day
at Cambridge House, and left their names for the Royal
Duchess.
The answer given yesterday to the nobility at Clarence
House, St. James's, was—" The Princess Augusta has
had some refreshing sleep during the night, and is rather
better to-day." The Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of
Gloucester, the Princess Sophia Matilda, and the Duke of
Cambridge. visited her Royal Highness-on Saturday. The
Duchess of Gloucester •isited tilt Princess Augusta yes-
terday.
The Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Charlotte
Dundas, and the Princess Sophia Matilda, attended by
Miss Coates, visited the Duke and Duchess de Nemours
on Saturday afternoon at Buckingham Palace.
Sir John Scale held an interview with the Marquis of
Normanby, on Saturday, at the Home Office.
The Chairman of Excise had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on Saturday.
Viscount Melbourne had a dinner party on Saturday
evening at his residence in South-street.

CUSTOMS BILL IN COMMITTEE

The following strong reasons for supporting an amend-
ment in the 11th clause of the Bill, require the immediate
attention of the Legislature :
" The present duty on British Plantation Coffee is 6d.
per lb. ; the duty on Coffee imported from the British
Ports, within the limits of the East India Company's
Charter, is 91. per lb. ; being already a protecting duty
in favour of British Plantation Coffee of 50 per cent.,
which protection is fully adequate to secure to the West
India interest the command of the English Market. while
the dealer in East India Coffee is compelled to submit io
severe sacrifices to effect a sale of Coffee for home con-
sumption.
" By the Bill now in Committee, it is proposed, in
the 11th cl ,use, to reduce further the duty on British
Plantation Coffee Id. per lb., leaving the East India
Coffee without reduction, at 91. This is clearly a mani-
fest injustice to the East India dealer and importer, for
whether the duty be sd. and 91., or 6d. and 10d., the evil
is the same, because it is increasing the protecting duty on
British Plantation from 50 to 80 per cent., the effect of
which will be to exclude East India importation altogether
for home consumption, except in case of great scarcity,
end in the m•-an time the British Plantation Produce
would, by the increased protection to its monopoly, realize
an exorbitant price.
By the proposed alteration in the duty, a manifest in-
justice is done to the public—the consumers; inasmuch as
the reduced Id. per lb. or 103. per cwt. duty, would be a
bonus to the West India importer; for their Coffee, in
consequence of the limited supplies, would
,be held, and
the market scantily supplied, until the price had risen in
the Fame prop-Ttion as the duty had been reduced. The
consumer, therefore. being compelled to pay equally for
his Coffee, while the reduction of taxation is intended as a
benefit to the tax-payer—the consumer.
"The reduction of the duty in the same ratio on the East
India importation, as is proposed on the West India, will
coafer on the consumer a great benefit, because it will
keep in check the evils of monopoly ; it will give to the
consumer hie Coffe..t at a fair price, and will allow him the
opportunity of purchasing Coffee best suited to his taste.
" After the Twenty Millions voted as compensation to
the West India interest, it is clearly evident that they are
not entitled to the increased protection of monopoly—to
the injury of other great commercial interests and the con-
sumer in general.
In consequence of the inadequacy of the supply of Bri-
tish Plantation Coffee to meet the consumers' demand,
such Coffees are realizing more than double the price ob-
tained in the year 1830 ; and the East India importer and
dealer having faith in the continuance of the present du-
ties of 6d. and 9d. had been induced to import largely,
and cargoes of considerable amount are now afloat for the
English market. Therefore this contemplated reduction
of the duty on British Plantation Coffee, unless extended
to East India importation now in bond or afloat in the
same ratio, will inflict on such importers and dealers, a
most unjustifiable and oppressive loss in such Coffee per
cwt., equal in amount to the duty proposed to be reduced
e. Id. per lb.
" Nearly all the Coffee imported from the East India
ports is the produce of free labour, but such as is the pro.
duce of slave labour, is nearly all re-shipped, being found
unsuitable for the English market.

" For these reasons the amendment proposed, the spirit
of which is—