The Press. — London, England, 1853-07-02 00:00:00

Mrs. Martin 'Smith's ball, on Tuesday, was, in many respects, remarkable. Its only fault was the excessive crowd, but this was, perhaps, to be attri buted to the attractions of the ball, rather than to any fault of the host or hostess. The decoration of the house is very pretty, though too French, and the pictures with which the walls are adorned are less ornamental than the Venetian lustre& The supper was artistic and excellently served ; no lack either of room or good cheer. On another occasion lot me recommend a little more attention to the cloak de partment. Lady Attliburnham's ball, at Bath-house, on Wed nesday, was one of the best of the season. The Duchesses of Cambridge and Mecklenburg, and the Princess Mary, were present, and remained till a late hour. Bath-house, not remarkable for its arehitectural excellence, is, nevertheless, well suited for an entertainment of this kind, and, though the pictures are, perhaps, too crowded to be well seen, some of the best works were in geniously lighted, anti told with much effect. Amongst these we may mention Itithens's " Wolf hunt" in the dining-room, and the Murillo in the eastern drawing-room. If we are to find a fault, we should say that the band was too loud, and that the music performed, as well as the instrumentalists, were hardly up to London ball-room mark. On Thursday her Royal Highness the Duchess of Oloucester gave a farewell entertainment to the King and Queen of Hanover, which was honoured with the presence of her Majesty and Prince Albert. The same night Mrs. Marley gave a concert in Cavendish *lnoue, at which Miss L. l'yne was the principal vocalist. This evening her Majesty gives her last state ball. At the Court balls etiquette in dress is fortunately still observed. It is some satisfaction to me to think how those gentlemen who find it too much trouble to put on a white neckcloth, even when they are in vital to meet members of the Royal Family, will sutler in uniform. Friday Evening. Ginrs. THE CHRISTENING of the INFANT PRINCE was per formed at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, with extraordinary pomp and splendour. All the principal ministers were summoned at a little after six in the evening to the private chapel, where the font of tazza, silver-gilt, was prepared, with seats of crimson and gold around, and the walls and seats on all sides lined, tapestried, and decorated in divert; appropriate fashions. The church dignitaries who officiated were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of London, Oxford, and Chester, the ltev. H. Howarth, rector of St. George's, and the Revs. Gerald Wellesley, Lord Wriothesley Russell, and G. H. Liddell. The procession entered in order—first, that of the sponsors, viz., the King of Hanover, the Princess of Prussia, the Prineess Mary of Cambridge, and the l'rince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg ; and afterwards the Queen's procession, in which her Majesty was accompanied by the junior members of the Royal Family, and sur rounded by the usual functionaries of state and cere mony. When the service had proceeded to the proper point, the infant Prince was brought in, and being presented at the font was named by the King of Hanover, "Leopold George Duncan Albert." The rite being concluded, the assemblage quitted the chapel for the picture gallery, where, at eight o'clock, the Queen gave a state banquet to a very numerous party of guests. The christening cake was placed in the centre of' the table, opposite to her Majesty's seat. It was raised in three stages, the base being deco rated with wreaths of white and red roses. The two upper divisions were faced with crimson satin, on which were displayed, iu white letters, the initials " P. L.," surmounted by a crown, varied with orna ments of pearls and white roses. The cake was crowned with a golden cup filled with flowers. oval ornaments, representing the four seasons, were placed round the cake. On the day after the christening the Queen visited the Princess's Theatre, and on Thursday proceeded to the camp at Chohhatn, and remained there some hours witnessing a sham tight. The same evening her Majesty was present at the fige given by the hichess of Gloucester. The Prince of Wales has been suffering under an attack of measles. The symptoms appeared last week, hut the disease never assumed a form calcu lated to cause the slightest anxiety, and has now almost disappeared. The Prince and Princess of Prussia arrived at Dover from Ostend shortly after midnight on Sunday. They rrtweeded to London by train in the morning, and still remain as her Majesty's guests at. Bucking ham Palace. THE ROYAL BOTANICAL SOCIETY succeeded in se curing a fine day for their third and last Rte on Wednesday. Nearly eighteen thousand persons visited the gardens in the Regent's-park on that day, and the show, both in the botanical specimens which gave it a title, and in the brilliant crowds which con stituted its real attraction, was all that could be desired. THE PRESS. Volittral. The QUEEN has appointed Edward Smirke, Esq., Vice-Warden of the Stanuaries, in the room of John Lucius Dampier, Esq., deceased. WILLIAM JOHN ALEXANDER, Hsu., Q.C., has been appointed Attorney General of MI Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in the room of Edward Smirke, Esq., resigned. THE GovEnNonsun. OF JAMAICA, according to the Titters, will be transferred to Mr. Henry liarkly, who lately returned from a successful ►dministration of affairs in British Guiana. THE deputy-chairmanship of the London and North-Western Railway has been resigned by Mr. Benson. - . . Tut: calls to the inner bar (luring the present term will comprise Messrs. Montague Smith, of the Western; Edward James and Stephen Temple, of the Northern ; and W. It. brow, of the South Wales Circuit. THE SUPPRESSIoN OF JUVENILE MENDIrANCY is attempted in another bill which Lord Shaftesbury has just had printed for the House of Lords. The parents, be., of young beggars and vagrants are to be deemed idle and disorderly, and punished accord ingly. Begging children may he apprehended, re lieved, and the expense recovered from guardians of the poor. CoNTINUANCE OF THE ENO:3111E11ED ESTATES COURT is provided by a bill now introduced in the Lords. The prolongation is for a term of four years. TIIE New INCOME-TAX ACT, which received the Royal assent on Tuesday, will have a retrospective effect from the sth of April last, from which day in comes beginning at 1001. a year will be taxed. For the first two years the tax will be 7d. in the pound, for the next two years ma in the pound, and for the last three years 51. in the pound. With respect to lands and tenements, other than a dwelling-house, occupied by a tenant distinct from a farm of lands, the duty will be—for the first two years, in England, 31d., and in Scotland and Ireland, 21d.; for the second two years, in England, 3d., and in Scotland and Ireland, 21d. ; and for the last three years, in England, 21d., and in Scotland and Ireland, lid. The act is to remain in force to the pith of April, 11460, and " no longer." Tin; Coeur em" BANKRUPTCY has returned its ac counts for last year, in obedience to an order from the I louse of Lords. The income was 143,6141.125. Od., and the expenditure 93,000/. lits. Sd. The amount of stock at the end of the year standing to the credit of the bankruptcy fund account was 1,315,892/. ss. Tug DEATtis registered in London during the week that ended last Saturday were 990, and show an increase on the return of the previous week. That number is, however, 14-1 less than the corrected average for the corresponding period in the ten years previous. A RATE of 12,0 M/. towards building churches in Paddington was proposed at a vestry meeting on Monday. Mr. Hayter, Sir J. Walmesley, Mr. J. B. Smith, and other M.P.'s were present ; and, after much speechifying, an amendment to the effect of refusing the rate, and trusting to voluntary contributions for the reliniml fund, was passed by a considerable majority. Time second educational eonversazione took place at the Mansion-house on Thursday evening. Besides the ordinary muster of " distinguished guests," a large muuller of school-teachers, and other ladies and gentlemen professionally interested in the subject of instrnction, were invited by the Lord Mayor. No further attempt for the admission of Jews to Parliament will have Lord John Russell's sanction, he tells us, during the present seesion. Oltttion Tnr. EnINIIIIIOHPIIIRE Et.rcrtos began and ended on Saturday, in the unopposed return of the Earl of AT the STitotin ELECTION, which came off on Tnes day, Mr. I lorsman was returned without opposition. AT PrrEnsonoton the polling took place on Satur day, and resulted in the return of the Conservative candidate. The numbers were at the close—Whalley, 2:sl ; Hawley, 210: majority, 11. Druttfrot ELEeTtom also terminated on Saturday. in favour of the Conservative, Mr. Mowbray polling 5211 votes against 444 for Sir H. Douglas. IN BARNsTAME a fourth candidate has come into the field in the person of Mr. Thorn, a Conservative. Mr. Guinness, of Dublin, has already issued an ad dress to the electors on that side, while Lord Ebring ton and Mr. Tite appeal for support to the Liberals. Tut; vacant.) , in WEST ConNwAli., occasioned by the death of Mr. l'emiames, will, it is said, be tilled by Mr. M. Willyams, of Trewinen in 6 wennap. Mr. Tremayne, another of the county gentlemen, is also spoken of as a candidate. SATrIMAY, THE SOCIETY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CON. EITION OF THE LABOURING CLASSES held their ninth annual meeting on Tuesday. The Earl of 'Shaftes bury presided, and in his address dwelt on the domi ciliary improvement which the society and kindred institutions had already effected in the working classes, arguing that a moral improvement was its concomitant, but regretted that the French Govern ment should be able to boast that it had taken the lead in voting 200,00 a to build model lodging-houses for the labouring classes of Paris. The report stated that the society had now in all 1,204 sets of apart ments, which were all paying a remunerative interest upon the capital invested in their construction, while the health of the inmates was far above the average. THE festival of the INFANT ORPHAN ASYLt'M - at Wanstead came off on Wednesday. The Duke of Argyll presided. A numerous body of visitants in spected the building and grounds of the institution, listened to the examination of the children, recita tions, &c., and responded to a special appeal on behalf of an asylum which supports and. educates 350 chil dren by subscribing 2,347/. on the spot. MTHE 6RENAnIER GuAnus celebrated their annual dinner on Saturday evening last at the London Tavern. Prince Albert, colonel-in-chief of the regi ment, honoured the corps with his presence on the occasion, arriving from 13uckingham Palace at a few minutes before eight o'clock, attended by Captain the Hon. Dudley de Roe. Among the officers present who had formerly served in the regiment were Vis count Hardinge, general commanding-in-chief; the Earl of Harewo od, Viscount Mandeville, Lord John Scott. etc. The officers now in the regiment were present almost without an exception. Covers were laid for ninety-six. AT the LONDON ORPHAN ASYLUM meeting on Tues day it was stated that the number of children to be admitted at the half-yearly election was increased from 30 to 35, making the total number benefited by the society 2,074. The asylum had lately been en larged, and a special item of outlay on that account appeared on the account-sheet, amounting to 1,1221. The gross revenue for the year was 10,004/. THE annual distribution of prizes at KIND'S Col.- T.POE Scutum took place on Monday, with the Arch bishop of Canterbury in the chair. The King of Hanover was present, and in an energetic speech alluded to the fact of his having himself been for merly a pupil in th• school, and expressed his grati tude to his old masters and tutors. THE LAW AMENDMENT SOCIETY held its annual dinner on Wednesday last at the Crown and Sceptre, Greenwich, Lord Brougham, the president, being in the chair. There was a larger attendance of mem bers than usual, and amongst the visitors was Mr. Justice Parker, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. . GREENWIcIi 114 bSPITAL.—On Monday last the Lords of the Admiralty paid their annual visit to the schools of this establishment, to distribute the prizes of merit pre►ious to the summer holidays. Sir James Graham, accompanied by the Hon. Captain Dundas, Hon. William Cowper, and Mr. B. Osborne, arrived at half-past ten, and was received by the governor, Sir Charles Adam and the officers of the hospital in full uniform, the boys of the school manning the yards of their model ship. After the distribution of prizes their lordships inspected the boys on parade, and saw them exercised in the gun and sword drill. They then visited the numerous class-rooms of this important establishment, apparently much interested iu the accounts which they received of the progress and discipline of the boys. After the boys had dined Sir :Wiles Graham addressed them in the presence of the officers and a large company of visitors, and on the part of their lordships expressed the great gratification which he felt at the good discipline and educational progress exhibited both on their visit and in the report of the inspector, the Rev. H. Moseley, Canon of Bristol. The day, he said, had been e. one of unmingled gratification to himself and his col leagues." Their lordships did not leave the institu tion until after two o'clock. iettinqs. THE CHRONOLOGICAL IN‘TITt - Tt held their half yearly meeting last week, under the presidency of Dr. Pettigrew. Several interesting papers were read and discussed, the principal being :—" Further Remarks on the Proposed Date, Anno Domini 37, for the Cru cifixion of Jesus Christ." by Mr. W. H. Black, hon. secretary of the Chronological Institute. "tin the Epistles of Dionysius Exiguus, in which the vulgar Christian Era was first proposed," by Mr. W. H. Black. "A copy of the original document showing the precise date of the creation of Cardinal wo , :ey, - proving it to have been on September 10,151:5. On the Chronology of Medical Literature," by Wm. Camps, M.D.