The Press. — London, England, 1855-02-24 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 24, 1855. Court ad lastian. The Queen, who remains at Buckingham Palace for the season, has driven out in a sledge several times during the week. Prince Albert, also, has frequently gone out skating. On Tuesday and Thursday parties of invalids from the Grenadier and Coldstream Regiments of Guards, wounded at Alma, Inkermann, or during the siege operations before Sebastopol, were inspected by the Queen in Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty, attended by the lieutenant-colonels of the regiments, questioned every soldier about his wounds, and after wards received from the surgeon-majors reports of the state of the invalids. The Queen gave a splendid entertainment yester day (Friday) at Buckingham Palace, to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, General Sir De Lacy Evans, the Earl of Cardigan, &c., on their return from serving with the British army in the Crimea. The Queen visited the Olympia Theatre on Tues day evening. The Speaker gave his second parliamentary dinner on Saturday last. The following gentlemen were present :—Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Stan ley, Lord Naas, Viscount Newport, C. Forester, Sir J. Pakington, Spencer Walpole, J. W. Henley, R. A. Christopher, Mr. Beresford, Sir John Trollope, Hon. H. T. Liddell, Hon. Captain Duncombe, General Sir George Berkeley, K.C.8., Captain Sir Thomas Herbert, R.N., K.C.8., Sir Frederick Thesiger, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Colonel Knox, Mr. Bate son, Mr. Stafford, Colonel Dunne, Mr. Grogan, Mr. Whitmore, Mr. Knightley, the Rev. Mr. Gamier, and the Secretary. Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston gave a grand entertainment to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge on Saturday evening, at the noble Pre mier's new residence in Piccadilly. After the ban quet Lady Palmerston held an evening reception. The Countess Walewski gave a ball on Tuesday evening at the residence of the French Embassy, Albert-gate House. A matrimonial alliance is said to have been arranged to take place between the Earl of Munster and his cousin, Miss Kennedy Erskine, eldest daugh ter of the Lady Augusta Gordon Halyburton Erskine. Cabinet Councils have been held almost daily during the past week. On Wednesday the Council was attended for the last time by Mr. Gladstone, Sir J. Graham, and Mr. Sidney Herbert. Lord John Russell left London early on Tuesday morning and arrived the same night in Paris, where, on Wednesday, he had a long interview with M. Drouyn de Lhuys. It was expected that the noble lord would proceed to Berlin yesterday (Friday), and remain a few days in that capital. Apartments are already in preparation for his reception at the British Embassy in Vienna. His Excellency Baron Von Usedom, on a mission from the Court of Berlin, and Madame Von Usedom, arrived in London last week from the continent, after a detention at Brussels, arising from indisposition. His Excellency had an interview of the Earl of Cla rendon on Saturday at the Foreign-office. THE ORDNANCE ESTIMATES for the ensuing finan cial year amount to 7,808,0421., being an increase of 1,821,3801. on those of the present year. The prin cipal increase is under the head of " Ordnance Stores for Land and Sea Service," which amounts to 1,033,0001. The increase upon the pay and allow ances of 22,348 officers and men of the Ordnance Corps is 103,0001., and there is precisely the same increase under the head "Commissariat and Barrack Supplies for her Majesty's Forces, great coats for the army, and clothing for the militia." THE MEDALS AND CLASPS for the heroes of the Crimea, which are being executed under the direc tion of Mr. B. Wyon, will shortly be finished. The clasps will bear the name of the battle in which every man was engaged. There will be a clasp for Balaklava. THE NEW TRANSPORT BOARD will be composed of a naval officer as chairman, and a merchant captain and an army officer as ccmmissioners. The Admi ralty will have no difficulty in finding naval officers both able and willing to undertake the duties in question. In connection with the office of chairman of this new board, observes the Chronicle, two names are mentioned, either of which would insure a sue cessful result of its labours. Captain Lean, who for the last twenty years has been at the head of the emigration service, is one of the rumoured candidates for the honourable position, and Commander Gilmore is the second. Commander Gilmore distinguished himself during the last war in the Baltic, and also in the American war. Both officers possess the re quisite energy, practical experience, and ability required to fill with justice to the country that im portant post. THE PRESS. olitual and Stunk THE Candidate steam-ship, with an immense cargo of railway materials, horses, and men for the Crimea, arrived at Gibraltar early on the morning of the 6th inst., after a rapid passage of six and a half days from London. The Pioneer (Crimean Army Fund steamer), and the Peninsular, with Government stores, both of which left London two days earlier than the Candidate, also arrived shortly after the latter vessel. The weather had been most boisterous, and the Candidate was hove-to off Cape Finisterre for twenty hours, otherwise her passage would have been the fastest on record. REAR-ADMIRAL PLUMRIDOE has been appointed superintendent of Devonport Dockyard, vice Sey mour, appointed second in command of the Baltic CARDIGANSHIRE BOROUGHS.--Mr. Lloyd Davies is at present the only candidate for the Cardiganshire Boroughs. There appears, however, to be no doubt of a contest. IT is understood that officers of the East India Company's army now on furlough in this country, and also those that have retired from that army but are fit for duty, will, on tendering their services at the proper department at the East India-house, be re commended to Her Majesty's Government for employment abroad during the war with Russia. MAJOR-GENERAL BENTINCI will resume his com mand in the Crimea early next month. The cavalry, it is reported, will be placed under the command of Major-General Scarlett. CLUB RUMOURS are current to the effect that the Hon. Captain Gordon, son to Lord Aberdeen, would shortly cease to be Deputy Quartermaster-General in the East. _ _ _ THE EARL OF CARDIGAN having been elected an honorary member of the Senior United Service Club a few days 'since, was entertained at dinner on Tues day evening at the Club-house, by a select circle of the leading members. About twenty gentlemen were present. General Chatterton presided. The dinner was strictly private, and no speeches were made. ON Monday Major-General Sir Frederick Smith, R.E., traced out the lines of huts at Aldershot for the encampment of 20,000 men, which are expected to be up and serviceable in the course of the ensuing month. One of the principal features in this vast structure, it is said, will be a model hospital. MR. CHARLES B. KNOWLES, nephew to Mr. Sheridan Knowles, has been gazetted to an Ensigncy without purchase, in the 77th Foot. ALTHOUGH the " navvies " only landed at Bala klava on the 29th ult., by the 9th inst. they had made no less than three miles of the temporary road. The entire railway to the camp was expected to be completed in six weeks. THE entire amount required, according to the esti mates now completed, for the army, navy, transport, and ordnance services during the ensuing financial year is 37,427,0001. This exceeds the expenditure on the same departments last year by 10,273,0001. Nevertheless it is stated that the Government will experience no financial pressure until after Easter. AN OPEN IRON BRIDGE is to be constructed On the Rhine. The site appropriated for the bridge lies between the square known as the Frankenplatz, in Cologne, and the present wharf close to the rail road terminus at Deutz. The height of the arches will be more than sufficient to admit of the steamers passing. ADvicss FROM PESTH announce the death of Count Joseph Teleky, which took place on the 16th instant. A few days before the event he was en gaged in writing his historical work on the Era of the Hunyades. THE TELEGRAPH LINE between Melbourne and Geelong, according to the last advices, was being pushed on with considerable vigour, and it was expected the communication would be complete early in November. The line between Geelong and the Heads was also to be finished about the latter end of November. THE coining of the new copper pieces having the effigy of the Emperor is proceeding with great acti vity in the seven mints of France. At Paris, where the coining commenced towards the end of 1852, nearly 5,000,000 f. worth of sons have been already struck off; at Strasburg, Lyons, Rouen, and Lille, where it began about the middle of 1853, 8,000,000 f. worth have been coined ; and at Marseilles and Bordeaux, where it also commenced in 1853, the value coined is about 3,000,000 f. These 16,000,000 f. form about one-third of the total amount of copper money required for all France, and it is calculated that the other two-thirds will be struck off by the end of 1856. By that time the old copper coin, which is by no means of a handsome appearance, will have been nearly all withdrawn from circu lation. THE BILL FOR THE SCINDE RAILWAY was read for the first time in the House of Commons on Wednes• day, and was endorsed by Sir Herbert Maddock, Mr. Laing, Mr. Pinney, and the Hon. John Elliot. at flit Volict. Ax Action of considerable importance was tried in the Court of Queen's Bench on Wednesday. The question involved was the right of money-changers to take Bank of England notes in disregard of notices that they had been stolen. The action was brought by Messrs. Adam Spielmann and Co., of London, as correspondents of Messrs. Meyer Spiel mann and Co. ' of Paris, to recover the amount of t wo Bank of England notes for 5001. each, which had formed portions of notes for the value in all of 3,000 f. stolen from Messrs. Brown, Shipley, and Co. of Liverpool. The notes were stolen in Novem ber, 1852, and it was proved that notices of the robbery were delivered at the places of business of both firms. One of the notes was alleged to have been received by Meyer Spielmann and Co., in Paris, from a person giving the name of G. F. Howard, and the other from A. Monteux, a money-changer in Paris, which note also had the name of G. F. Howard upon it. Both notes were remitted by Messrs. Meyer Spielmann and Co. to Messrs. Adam Spielmann and Co., and received by them in London on the 27th of June last. On behalf of the plaintiff it was contended that the notes having been taken in the ordinary course of business, he was entitled to recover upon them. Lord Campbell left to the jury the question whether Meyer Spielmann took the notes bond fide and for value; whether Adam Spielmann received them bond fide as a remittance ; and whether the notices were left at the places of business of both parties. The jury found that Meyer Spielmann and Co. did not take the notes bond fide for value ; that Adam Spielmann and Co. did take them bond fide as a remittance ; and that the notices were duly received. Upon this finding Lord Campbell directed a verdict to be entered for the Bank of England. THE final examination of Charles King, the ex policeman and thief.trainer, took place at Bow street on Thursday. Mr. Bodkin attended as before, on behalf of the Crown ; and, after the production of some further evidence, the prisoner was fully com mitted for trial. THE girl Elizabeth Avis Law, charged with the murder of Mrs. Bacon, at Chatham, was examined on Monday before the county magistrates at Roches ter. The evidence was much the same as that given before the coroner. Two pawnbrokers proved that the prisoner had pledged dresses and other property belonging to the deceased. The magistrates com mitted the prisoner for trial on the two charges of murder and robbery. ESCAPE OF CONVICTS FROM NEROATE.-011 Satur day last the officials of Newgate were thrown into a state of great alarm by the discovery of the escape of three most notorious criminals, who, having been convicted and sentenced, were serving their proba tionary term prior to being drafted to their several destinations of transportation or penal servitude. It appeared that all the prisoners were called over at eight o'clock, and at nine o'clock three men were found to be missing, viz., John Berry, who was sen tenced to be transported for fifteen years for passing forged st. notes ; a man named Brown, convicted and sentenced to fourteen years' transportation for a burglary committed in the neighbourhood of and during the late great fire at Shoreditch ; and Spier+, the Bank clerk, who was sentenced to fifteen years' transportation for committing a forgery on Spooner and Attwood's bank. At the east end of the site occupied by the prison is an open space of ground, abutting upon the yard of an empty house in War wick square, and it is supposed that by means of a rope supplied to them from the outside the prisoners were enabled to scale the wall; and once in the yard, they found no difficulty in getting in at the window of the first floor of the house in Warwick square, and thus making their way into the street, their escape being materially assisted by the circumstance of their not having on the prison dress. Within a very few hours some of the most experienced detectives, and those officers who had a personal knowledge of the escaped convicts, were on the alert, and scouring every haunt of such characters in and about London, but for the present without success. A CURIOUS SCENE took place on Thursday night, on the frozen surface of the Serpentine. Several hundred persons, bearing torches, and accompanied by a brass•band, took possession of the river soon after dark, tents were then pitched, barrels of beer displayed, and a body of gentlemen, each having a lantern buckled to the front of his belt, performed sundry dextrous evolutions on skates, amidst a pro fuse display of fireworks. The band afterwards struck up several quadrilles and polkas, which were kept time to by those present, amongst whom were not a few ladies. The whole perf ormance p assed off without any accident beyond that of a young person fracturing his arm by a fall. Sin JOHN Ooitvv, BART., will, it is said, offer him. self as a candidate for the Montrose Burghs, vacant by the death of Mr. Hume. 11 187