The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-21 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Co-
lonel Bouverie, left Buckingham Palace at a quarter
before eight o'clock on Saturday morning, for the ter-
minus of the London and South Western Railway at
Nine Elms. The Prince was met at the terminus by
their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke
and Grand Duchess of Saxe Weimar, attended by their
suite. The illustrious party left for Gosport by a spe-
cial train, arrived at the Clarence Yard at half-past ten
o'clock, and were received by Admiral Sir Charles Ogle
and Lord Frederick Fitzclarence, and crossed to the
Isle of Wight in the Fairy, commanded by Lord Adol-
phus Fizclarence. On landing, Prince Albert and the
Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess proceeded
to Osborne, her Majesty's marine residence.
The Queen, accompanied by their Royal Highnesses
the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal, and at-
tended by the Marchioness of Douro, left Buckingham
Palace, in an open carriage and four, at ten minutes
past three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, for Claremont.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Alice, Baroness de
Speth, Major-General Bowles, Lord Alfred Paget, and
Dr. Meyer, followed in three carriages and four.
Her Majesty was conducted to her carriage by Lady
Caroline Cocks, Hon. Miss Paget, the Duke of Norfolk,
and Lord George Lennox.
The Queen and the Royal party arrived at Claremont
at twenty minutes before five o'clock, escorted by a party
of Light Dragoons. Her Majesty walked in Claremont
Park after her arrival.

The Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay arrived at
Claremont in the afternoon on a visit to the Queen.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert arrived at the
Esher station of the South Western Railway by a
special train at seven o'clock on his return from Osborne,
accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary
Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Saxe Weimar and
Suite, and attended by Colonel Bourerie, and proceeded
to Claremont.

Yesterday morning her Majesty and her Royal
Consort took their accustomed early walk.
The Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the
Princess Alice, took airings yesterday in Claremont
Park.

Her Majesty and Prince Albert, and the ladies and
gentlemen of the Court, attended Divine service yester-
day in Claremont. The Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie
Courtenay officiated.
Their Royal Highnesses Prince Alfred and the Prin-
cess Helena, accompanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttel-
ton, took airings yesterday and on Saturday in the
pleasure grounds of Buckingham Palace.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, and the Princess Mary, attended Divine
service yesterday morning in Grosvenor Chapel.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, attended by Baroness Hammerstein and
Baron Knesebeck, honoured the performance at the
Royal Italian Opera House with their presence on Sa-
turday evening.
A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at
the Foreign-office. It was attended by Lord John
Russell, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Lans-
downe, the Earl of Minto, Sir George Grey, Viscount
Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Earl of Auckland, Sir
John Hobhouse, Lord Campbell, Viscount Morpeth, the
Marquis of Clanricarde, the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay,
and the Right Hon. H. Labouchere.
The Council sat two hours.

Mr. Mostyn, bad an interview with Sir George
Grey on Saturday at the Home Office.
Mr. Sutherland, Mr. Swift, and Mr. Weems had an
interview with the Right Hon. Edward Strutt on Sa-
turday, at the office of the Commissioners of Railways,
in Great George•street.
The Duke of Wellington, the Duke and Duchess of
St. Alban's, and Sir Frederick Trench attended the
early service yesterday in the Chapel Royal, St. James's.
The Rev. Dr. Wesley officiated, and preached the ser-
mon. At the daily service the Prayers were read by the
Rev. T. Helmore, the Lessons by the Rev. W. Hall, and
the Communion Service by the Rev. Dr. Wesley. The
Sermon was preached by the Hon. and Rev. R. Sack-
villo West. The Anthem was "We will rejoice"
(Croft). Sir George Smart presided at the organ.

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

have noticed in The Sun of Tuesday last, the
15th inst., in your report of the evidence given before
the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the
Navigation Laws, on Thursday, the 10th inst., that Mr.
G. F. Young, when under examination, referred to two
instances in which he alleged that I had been incorrect
in the evidence I gave before the Committee in March
last, may I request your permission to make a few re-
marks thereon through the medium of your columns.
Mr. Young is reported to have said that " It was quite
impossible that he could agree with the evidence for-
merly given before the Committee, by Mr. Browning,
that the combination of shipwrights, in the river Thames,
had enhanced the price of ships, by several pounds a ton.
The total cost of labour did not, under any circum-
stances, exceed 41. per ton ; and he thought 21. 10s. per
ton was a fair average price ; so that to talk of the com-
bination as enhancing the price of ships by several
pounds, was perfectly absurd. With regard to another
part of Mr. Browning's evidence, in which he
stated that foreign vessels paid no light
dues, while British ships were subject to the
tax, it was most extraordinary to him that any gentle-
man, who knew anything of the laws of the country,
could come to such a conclusion, because it was per-
fectly well known, that not only were all foreign ships
chargeable with light-dues, but that, in accordance with
the old laws, the ships of many countries were still sub-
ject to double dues, which, in some instances, were paid
ont of the Consolidated Fund."

With reference to Mr. Young's first counter state- I
ment that he thought that 21. 10s. per ton was a fair
average price for labour in building a ship in the
Thames, under the influence of close combination, I
think that few persons will be found to agree with him:
I have been unable to discover one. The late Mr.
Somes (who was one of the best authorities in such
matters) stated in evidence before the Select Committee
of the House of Commons, OR British shipping, in 1844
(in reply to question 358), relative to river .built ships,
that the labour altogether per ton was from Si. to 61.,
and again (in answer to question 363) he stated
that the difference between London labour and that
of the outports was from 21. to 2/. 10s.: this
amount being merely the difference of combination
in London, and combination in the outports, he again
states (in reply to question 351) that the London Union
compels the employment of inferior men at 6s. per day,
who are not worth 10d. per day ; and (to questions 341
and 342) that a prime teak ship built at Sunderland will
cost him, ready for sea, Si. per ton less than a teak ship
he was then building in the Thames, and that he was
informed the Sunderland-built ship would be «far
superior." Now, if the direct difference be from 2/. to
2/, lOs. per ton under the effects of combination, the total
of the direct and indirect enhancement arising from com-
bination, will be found to be what I estimated it at.
Then, with regard to the question of light dues. I
may state that a very different LIGHT has been thrown
upon this subject to that which was meant. Every one,
I believe, hnows that foreign ships with cargo TO ENG-
Lisu PORTS pay our light dues ; but surely Mr. Young
must also know that foreign ships COMING AND GOING
FOREIGN use our lights WITHOUT CONTRIBUTING TO-
WARDS THEM ; they may anchor in our harbours from
stress of weather, without paying them ; innumerable
foreign ships, GOING FOREIGN, take foreign pilots off
Dungeness, &c., for Rotterdam, the Texel, &c., &c.,
all profiting by our lights without payment. We are
excluded from the international trade of Holland, Bel-
gium, and the north of Europe, with the United
.States. There may be commodities which are in demand
in the United States, procurable both in London and
Hamburgh at the same price; and presuming that the
distance, freight, loading, charges, and insurance, are
the same between them respectively and a port in the
United States, the fact of the foreign vessel trading from
Hamburgh being able to profit by the English lights
without payment, which a similar vessel trading to
London is obliged to pay, is pro tanto, a bounty
to foreign shipping, foreign warehousing, and fo-
reign trade, to the exclusion of our own. I
am aware that many other instances could be
cited to show that our light dues act prejudicially to
British trade and navigation. I therefore considered it
necessary to enumerate this minor advantage (the last in
the category of those I deemed of greater magnitude),
as deserving the attention of the Committee ; my opi-
nion being that all ships bringing cargoes to British ports
sheuld only bo charged their fair proportion of the
actual expense of maintaining those lights, and that the
whole system of lights urgently needed a searching in-
quiry and revision.
I have the honour to remain, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
SAMUEL BROWNING.
No. 4, New Bank-buildings, City, June 18, 1847.

The Queen of Portugal has written a letter with
her own hand to the Duke of Palmella, in the most
gracious manner commanding his return to Lisbon, and
his resumption of the position which he had so long and
so deservedly held in the Councils of her Majesty before
he was displaced and banished by the factious and cor-
rupt proceedings which have brought so much trouble
and calamity upon Portugal. The Duke of Palmella
has been long the devoted friend of constitutional
freedom, for which he struggled and risked everything
in the contest between the friends of the Queen and the
pretensions of Don Miguel, to whose usurpation and
despotic rule he was the foremost and most consistent
enemy. The renal of such a man, in a manner so gracious
and so honourable, is a good omen for the cause of con-
stitutional freedom in Portugal, and affords one of the
best evidences that can be given of the intentions of the
Queen and her present advisers to persevere in a course
of national and constitutional government.— Oblerver,