The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-13 00:00:00

COURT CIR.CULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert, with the Prince
of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice,
took an airing yesterday in an open carriage and four.
Lord Alfred Paget and Colonel Bouverie attended on
horseback.

Her—Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester
visited her Majesty yesterday at Buckingham Palace.
Tue Judge Advocate-General had an audience of
the Queen yesterday, and submitted to her Majesty
the proceedings of some courts martial.
Prince Alfred, the Princess Helena, and the Prin-
cess Louisa, took their usual exercise yesterday in
the garden of the -Peace.
The Queen had a dinner party yesterday in
Buckingham Palace. The company included Count
Schimmelpenninck, the Netherlands Minister, the
Marquis of Breadalbane, the Earl and Countess St
Germans, the Earl ( f Strafford, the Earl of Uxbridge
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston, Viscount
Clifder, the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn, the Right
Hon. William Sebright Lascelles, Mr. Pusey, and
Captain Francis Seymour.

The Commissioners for inquiring into Smithfield-
market, and markets in the city of London for the
sale of meat, met yesterday at the Home-office. There
were present Mr. George Cornewall Lewis, Sir
James Dula-, Sir Harry Verney, Mr. William Miles,
M.P., Profes'or Richard Owen, the Hon. Frederick
Byng, and Mr. John Wood.
THE VICTORIA DOCK COMPANY.—Yesterday fore-
noon Mr. J. M. Bendel), engineer, appointed by the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, under the Act to
make preliminary inquiries into applications for local
Acts, attended at the Blackwsll Hotel, Blackwell, for
the purpose of investigating and examining no plans of
the Victoria Dock Company, the promoters of which
propose to construct docks, for the admission of
colliers, in the marshes in the parish of Wet!.
11 am, 'Essex, above North Woolwich, upon a site
which will comp rise about 270 acres. Mr. Poto,
M.P., Mr. Kinne.ird (the (Theater), Mr. Bidder (the
engineer of the company), with Mr. Parsons (the
solicitor), wet le present to support the undertaking.
Some objections having been made on the part of the
Board of Ordnance and the commissioners of the Essex
levels, Mr. P.asons observed that clauses would be in-
seit id in the Bib to pc( t pct the interests of the Govern-
ment and the commissioners. Th." plans of the company
would improve and not obstruct the navigation of the
river, as a large number of vessels which impede the
t Ethic and tidal course of the ricer would be removed.
Mr. Rendell (on Mr. Parsons concluding) adjourned the
court, anti took a survey of the site for the iLt.nded
docks.

My
SAILORS' HOME AT PORTSMOCTII...-..A public meet-
ing, over which Vicc-Admiral llacres presided, was held
at Portsrecuth yesterday, to consider the means of esta-
blishing a Si:i:ors' Home for sailors in the port irrespcc-
tive of the receiving ships. There were present Lord
George Lennox, Lord Ft elerick Fitzciarence, Admiral
Sir F. Austen, Admiral Douglas, and many other naval
officers. Resolutions were passed for carrying out the
object desired, and saveral gentlemen addressed the
meeting on the necessity of the proposed home, and the
benifits likely to result from it. It appeared that appli-
cation had been made t ) the Board of Admiralty for
assistance and co-operation, but the Lords declined in-
terfering in their ca; acity as a board; the First Lord
had, however, as Member for Portsmouth, premised his
assistance to the me sure.
PUBLIC HEALTII ACT.—From a return to an
order from the Hbuie of Commons, dated Feb. 12,
1850, which has just been issued, it appears that the
number d towns and districts which have asked for in-

spection under tlle Public Health Act, and of those
which have embraced and are placed under its pro-
visions is 192, and that the amount of pcpulation which
these towns and districts comprise is 1,969.915.
NAPIER'S NEW WORK ON SOUTHERN AFRICA.—
" The appearance of this work is extremely well-timed
and acceptable. In addition, however, to the strong in-
terest which clings to everything relating to the Cape,
the natural features and character of the country, the
dramaCe excitement of its history, and the wild race
that inhabit it, we have a rapid bi:t iry f the Cape
colony, a sensible discussion of the emigration, the mis-
sionary, and the convict systen,, and the lively relation
numerous excursions, each of which is a panorama of
landscapes of social life and manners. Altogether, this
is a most important work."— Sunday Times.
PRIDE AND IRREGOLUTIoN, A Novel. By the
Author of " The Discipline of Life."--The publication
of the new work of Lady Emily Ponsonby, " Pride and,
Irresolution," pronliscs to cstahlish the author as one of
the most successtul novelists cf the day. In the school
of Mies Edgeworth, Mi,;s Austin, and Miss Fr rrier (sa: s
the Britannia) has the noble and talent.:d autbwe,s of
rscteuoclmtemd
ewL•diththpcsreodr.t
c; v a
snede
nwe' Os
ic
no r i ye
these vod dluamis
commend
ripeinine of Lifo" for thar trulfulii2s,, their nature
tLeir nem ate deliner.tion of charact, r, and tin it delicate
fashioning, which het.peak:: t':e Land of one a ho has, Hy( d
in and through the world, and learnt from ummon scenes
their interest as incidents, and their value for instruction
and reproof.
DA:ATLI OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL DURNEORD.--

This distinguished get eral officer, so long connected
‘4ith the corps of Royal Engineers, died on the Bth
instant, M Tunbridge Wellr, aged 75 yeirF, and &far
ft)-seven Ic ars' Ltrvice, lie was at present Lt the
see of Fort Bourbon, and capture of Martinique and
GUadaloupe, in 1794. In 184 G be became Colonel-
Co-Anandsnt of the corps of 1103-a1 Engineerr.
ABOLITION OF TUB LORD LI Eli TEN AN CT.—The
czon'emplatcd arrangement Is to crza:e a Secretary cf
State for Ireland with a left in the Cabii et, ard to
trans'er to him, by Act of Parliament, such of the
executive rights as are at present vested in the Lord
Lieutenant. The prerogative rights will go to the Queen.