The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-05 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, JAN. 4.

The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred went to Lon-
don yesterday, and attended Mr. Faraday's lectures at
the Royal Institution.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston and Viscount
and Viscountess Hardinge arrived on a visit to the
Queen.

The following had the honour of dining with her
Majesty last evening—Viscount and Viscountess Pal-
merston, Viscount and Viscount Hardinge, Lady Caro-
line Barrington, and Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps.
The band of the 2d Life Guards played during dinner,
and the Queen's private band afterwards performed in
the Castle.

His Royal Highness the Prince went out hunting this
morning. _ . '

Mr. Parkes, her Majesty's Consul at Amoy, lately
returned from a mission to the King of Siam, had the
honour of an audience of the Queen.

A. meeting was held yesterday afternoon at the office
of the Secretary of State for War ; present—Viscount
Palmerston, the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Panmure,
Earl Granville, Sir Charles Wood, Sir Edmund Lyons,
and Viscount Hardinge. Viscounts Palmerston and
Hardinge arrived in town from Windsor Castle for the
purpose of attending the meeting. Viscount Palmerston
afterwards left London, and returned to Windsor
Castle.

Despatches for the Governors of the North American
Provinces were sent, last evening from the Colonial-
office.

We understand that the candidates for the vacancy al
the Metropolitan Board of Works, caused by the resig-
nation of Sir John Villiers Shelley, are Mr. Geesin, Mr.
Bridgnorth, and Mr. James Beale.
_ _

The Fourth Monthly Return of the Bank of London
appeared in last night's Low.lon. Gazette. The assets of
this bank have reached the sum of 911,984/.

NEW COUNTY COURT JUDOS.—Mr. Sergeant Millar
has been appointed the county court judge at Leicester
by the Lord Chancellor, in the room of the late judge.
General de la Marmora arrived at Turin on the 2d.
The Ministers and a great number of deputies received
him at the railway station. In consequence of the ne-
cessity of his immediate departure for Paris, the ban-
quet which the Chamber of Deputies intended to offer
him has been postponed until his return.
THE COUNCIL OF WAR AT PARIS.—The Constantinople
correspondent of La Presse says tbat Marshal Pelissier
will be represented in the approaching Council of War
by General Martimprey, the chief of his staff, who is in
Paris at the present moment, and in whose judgment
and knowledge the marshal places the utmost con-
fidence.

DEATH OF TUB MARQUIS OF AILEf3BURY, K.T.—We
regret to announce the demise of the Marquis of Ades-
bury, who expired yesterday morning, at a quarter-past
four o'clock, at Tottenham Park, the family seat, near
Marlborough, Wilts. The venerable Marquis had been
in declining health for the last three years, so that the
members of his lordship's family were not unprepared
for the mournful event. He is succeeded in the family
honours by his eldest son, George William Frederick,
Earl Bruce, Lieut.-Col. Commandant of the Royal Wilt-
shire Yeomanry Cavalry, born Nov. 20, 1804, and mar-
ried, May 11, 1837, Lady Mary Caroline Herbert, third
daughter of the late Earl of Pembroke. His lordship
was, in 1830, summoned to the House of Lords by the
title of Baron Bruce of Tottenham. Numerous families
of distinction are placed in mourning by the dissolution
of the venerable peer.
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—The Creation was per•
formed by this society last evening at Exeter-hall. Not-
withstanding Madame Goldschmidt-Lind's two recent
performances of this oratorio in the same place the at -
tendance last night was as great as ever, the hall being
crowded to the doors. In consequence of the in-
disposition of Mr. Costa, M. Sainton, at the re-
quest of the committee, officiated as conductor, and ac-
quitted himself with great ability. The solo parts wera
strongly cast—Soprano, Madame Clara Novell° ; tenor,
Mr. Sims Reeves ; and bass, Mr. Thomas. Madame
Novello sang superbly ; as also did Mr. Sims Reeves.
Mr. Thomas, who is making rapid progress in public
favour, sustained his part exceedingly well. The choruses
were sung with great power, and the whole performance
was effective and successful.
THE LATE EXPLOSION IN WOOLWICH ARSENAL.—The
Government has directed that the widows and families
of the three men who died from the injuries resulting
from the late explosion shall continue to receive a sum
equal to the amount of wages formerly paid to the de-
ceased. The same payment is also to be made to the
families of the sufferers now at the Royal Ordnance
HoTital.
ROYAL ARIENAL, WOOLWlCH.—Considerable alarm
and sensation was caused to those individuals who hap-
pened not to be enjoying their nightly repose by the very
great reflection of fire which lit up the sky for a consider-
able distance round the arsenal between 12 and 2 o'clock
on Friday morning ; but there was really no serious cause
of alarm. The inhabitants of Woolwich and Plumstesd,
knowing the immeiase quantity of combustible material
deposited at the Royal Arsenal, and the close proximity
of their dwellings, naturally are alarmed at the slightest
signs of fire in that quarter, and more especially at
night-time, when assistance is not so readily at hand.
The alarm was caused by an immense quantity of
refuse from the various workshops becoming ignited.
This refuse is deposited in a sort of enclosure adjoin-
ing some sheds used by the contractors for sawing
timber, &c., and which, as far as we can learn, is kept
burning so as to destroy it, and of course regulated to a
certain degree ; but, in consequence of a sudden gush of
wind blowing off the river yesterday morning, it burned
with such rapidity that the flames soon rose high in the
air, and at the same time the destroying element caught
two of these sawing sheds, which are constructed of light
wood, and burnt them to the ground, with a quantity of
tools therein, which were a'so burnt. The damage done
is confined to the contractors, as only the rubbish be,
longing to Government was in the least affected ; there-
fore, no portion of the arsenal works are at all interfered
with.

Sounumrrox, Jan. 4.—The following return gives
the aggregate amount of tonnage which entered the
Southampton docks from the let of January to the 31st
of December, 1855, showing the register tonnage on
which dues are payable, and also the gross or full ton-
nage :

Ports of Destination for Register Gross, or Full
Tonnage. Tonnage.
West Indies
Brazils 13,923 21,015
East Indies, via Alexandria
Gibraltar and Peninsula 15,449 23,153
Black Sea and Crimoa 54,955 81,103
America
Australia (steam-ships)
Ditto (emigrant's sailing ships) 25,467 25,467
Cape of Good Hope 1,400 1,905
Baltic
Ostend 607
809

French . 41,927 70,539
Jersey 36,666 59,117
Irish ....
Colliers
Coasters
To repair from sundry ports

Total tons.. 405,679 568,473
Of the above, 94 vessels have availed themselves of the
uses of the graving ducks of this port. The following is
the amount of steam coals which have been received in
Sautharnpton docks during
the past year :—By sundry
ships, 36,0261 tons • transshipped, 43,105 ditto ; by rail-
way'
laid down' 3,154 tons ; shipped, 12,4041 tons ;
total, 94,690 tons.