The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-21 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Gloucester and the
Duke of Cambridge attended Divine service yesterday morn-
ing in Grosvenor Chapel, South Midley-street.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge, accom-
panied by the Princesses Augusta and Mary of Cambridge,
attended Divine service yesterday eternoon in Kew church.
The Royal Duchess and the Princesses afterwards returned
to town.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge, Prince
George, and the Princess Augusta of Cambridge, viiited her
Majesty the Queen Dowager on Saturday, at Marlborough
House.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester visited the
Duke and D nch ess of Cambridge yesterday, at Cambridge House.
A deputat on, consisting of Sir J. Tyrrel, Bart., M.P., SirC.
Broke Vere, Mr. Blackztone, M.P., Mr. Baggc, M.P.,
Mr. Burough, M. P., Mr. Neald, M. P., Lieut. .Col. Rushbrooke,
M.P., Mr. Waddington,, M.P., Mr. Ormsby sore, M.P.,
Mr. Fellowes, M.P., Mr. Packe, M.P., and Mr. Wodehouse,
M.P., had an interview with Sir Robert Peel on Saturday, at
his official residence in Downing-street.
A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at the
Foreign Office. It was attended by Sir Robert Peel, the Duke
of Wellington, Lord Wharncliffe, the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord
Stanley, S‘r James Graham, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Earl of Haddington, Earl of Ripon, Lord F►tzgerald, Sir
Henry Hardinge, and Sir E. Knatchbull. The i.. ouncil sat
two hours and a half.

Sir Howard Douglas had an interview with Lord Stanley
on Saturday at the Colonial Office
_ _

A Deputation from the Society of Friends, consisting of
Samuel Gurney, John Kitching, Joseph Neatby, Josiah Fors-
ter, George Stacey, Robert Forster, John Fell, Thomas Non
ton, jun., and John Hodgkin, jun., had an interview on Sa-
turday with Sir Robert Peel, at his official residence in Down-
ing-street.
'1 he French Ambassador, and the Russian and Prussian
Ministers, visited the Earl of Aberdeen on Saturday at the
Foreign Office.
Mr. Dean, Chairman of the Customs, and Mr. Wickham,
Chairman of the Stamps, had interviews with the qhancedor
of the Exchequer on Saturday at his official residence in Down.
ing-street.

Lord Mahon, Sir Robert H. Inglis, and Mr. R. M. Milnes,
had an intervtew with Sir Robert Peel on Saturday.
Despatches from Sir A. Woodford, Governor of Gibraltar,
were received yesterday at the Colonial Office.
Lord Stanley had a dinner party on Satui day at his residence
in St. James's-square. Among the company were the Duke of
Richmond, Lady Caroline Lennox, Marquis and Marchioness
of Douro, Earl of Aberdeen, Viscount and Viscountess Can-
ning, Lord
and Lady Elgin, Lord and Lady Ashley, Lord Os-
sulston, Hon. Sydney Herbert, Sir Alexander Grant, Mr. and
Mrs. Hope, Mr. Liddell, Colonel Wilbraham, and Mr. James
Wortley.
'1 he Right Honourable Thomas Grenville entertained at
dinner on Saturday the Earl and Countess of Cawdor, Lord
and Lady., Francis Egerton, Lord and Lady Mahon, Lady C.
Grenville, and a select party.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat on Satur-
day. The Lords present were the Lord President, Lord Wyn-
ford, Lord Brougham, Lord Campbell, Mr. Justice Erskine,
and the Judge of the Admiralty Court.
Dr. Lnshington gave judgment in an appeal from Bombay,
" Morgan v. Leech," allowing the appeal.
Lord Brougham, on the part of their Lordships, gave judg-
ment at great length in an appeal from the Prerogative Court,
" Charles Deare and Thomas Mayhew v. Ellen Ellwn," relative
to the property of the late Mr. Peter Rainier. Their Lord-
ships affirmed the decree of the Court below, but without costs.
Lord Campbell gave judgment in an appeal from the Pre-
rogative Court, " Emily Virginia Ditchburn v. /Eneasina
Mackay Fearn," relative to the propriety of the late Mr. John
Fearn. The judgment appealed against was affirmed, but their
Lordships gave costs to the appellant in the Courts below.
With respect to the costs of the present appeal their Lordships
gave no direction.
Lord Broughman gave judgment in an appeal from the Admi-
ralty Court,• " Stuart v. lsensonger," relative to the ship
Diana. The appeal was dismissed, and the sentence of the
Court below affirmed.

Dr. Lushington gave judgment in an appeal from the Pre-
rogative Court, " Henfrey v. Henfrey." The appeal was
pronounced against with costs.
The appeal " Smith v. Gould," from the Admiralty Court,
part heard at a former meeting, was then resumed. Dr. Phi-
limore was heard for the respondent, and the Queen's advocate
was heard in reply for the appellant.—Judgment was deferred.

THE EIiFECT OF SIR ROBERT
PEEL'S SCALE.

Experience has shown that no very large importation
of foreign food takes place at duties above 2s. Bd. per
quarter, and that the extreme need of the country has
been usually relieved only at a duty of one shilling.
Sir Robert Peel justly observed, that " In 1838 the
total amount of foreign wheat taken for home consump-
tion was 1,728,000 quarters in the course of the year. Of
that amount 1,261,000 quarters were entered at the duty
of ls. In 1840 tne total amount entered for home con-
sumption was 2,020,000 quarters, of which 1,217,000
quarters were taken at a duty of 2s. Bd." A similar
proportion of the whole was imported at ls. last year.
Thus, according to the Premier's own showing, the
great bulk of the foreign supply comes in at duties in
the amount of which he makes a reduction of Bd. only,
and he leaves the same high minimum as before of 735.,
at which the ports are open ! We are aware that there
will be a somewhat freer entry of corn at average prices
of from 66g. to 715.; but this we apprehend will be of
small benefit, for the premium on the reservation of corn
is still preserved. This is inseparable from. any sliding-
scale whatever. It matters comparatively little how
gradual the rise in the rates may be, so long as by re
fraining from entering corn at the higher, the seller can
gain the greater profit of the lowest rates. Sir Robert
Peel evidently assumes, that because the holder, of the
foreign corn can sell at a remunerating price when he
pays 35., 4s„ 55., or 65., that he therefore will do it. Why
should he, when he can gain a still higher profit by
waiting ? It ought to be kept in mind that the continental
supply is itself a monopoly, and that it is limited,
according to the Report of the Consuls, to some
two or three millions of quarters. That more might
eventually be'obtained we question not, but it is evident
that no larger amount could be had under a demand con-
stantly limited by a sliding door, as often shut as open.
There is, and would be then, a monopoly of foreign corn
in the hands of the sellers, and the sellers would regulate
their sales, not according to an option of moderate pro-
fits, but according to their own power of realizing larger
profits. We regard the• reductions in higher duties as
mere moonshine ; high duties are seldom paid ; and if,
instead of reducing 245. duties.to 10s. ones, Sir R. Peel
had raised them to 241., he would have made -his scale
not a jot practically worse than it was before. So long
as the goal of open ports is at the end of the slide, and
men have it in their power to hold on till they reach it,
it is of small importance whether the inclination of the
slide be rapid or gentle. The distance to be traversed
is of the utmost moment, and that distance the Premier
leaves undiminished. Till wheat is 735. a quarter—a
price invariably coincident with the severest suffering—
foreign food is still taxed ; and this is equalfy the case
under both scales.—Facts and Figures, which continues
to be a very useful publication.