The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

effected, the hat was removed, and *Mr. Bright put on one of Lord
Aberdeen's best cotton nightcaps as his official costume. Lord Clan-
ricarde, as the proxy for the Noble Earl's sponsor and patron, was in-
ducted to the post of honour, and the programme, which had been
specially arranged by Lord Aberdeen himself, was then followed out.
The Noble Earl retired into his washing-closet, and was fetched out
by the Earl of Carlisle, who brought him up to the proxy of the Russian
Knight. He was ordered to kneel, which he did with great alacrity,
and the following questions and answers wore put and given:—
Q. Who are you ?
A. George Hamilton Gordon—Viscount Gordon in the peerage of
the United Kingdom, Earl of Aberdeen in that of Scotland, and Keeper
of Greenwich-Park.
Q. What do you want?
A. To be made a Knight of the Garter.
Q. What for ?
A. From motives of friendship.
Q. Explain yourself, will you ?
A. A valued friend of mine, of forty years' standing, belongs to the
Order, and I. desire to become his sworn brother.
Q. Any other reason?
A. Yes ; I am just leaving office, and am not likely to have another
chance of getting anything of the kind.
Q. Any other reason .
A. Yes ; I am excessively unpopular out of doors, and I desire to
make the public believe that I am in high favour at the Court.
Q. Any other reason ?
A. Yes ; Several men not half so deserving as myself have got the
Blue Ribbon, and I don't see why I should not have it.
Q. Any other reason?
A. Yes ; I desire to annoy one John Russell, who is going to get
me turned out of office.
Q. Any other reason ?
A. Yes; I am a Scotchmaa, and naturally wish to get everything
I can.

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Letters from Athens, of the 11th, state that Prince
Napoleon, after a short stay there, had set out for
Malta, where he would also make a brief sojourn.
It is reported and believed in Paris that the mili-
tary convention between Austria, France, and
England will be signed at Vienna within the next
forty-eight hours. It is already understood that by
one of the clauses of this convention an auxiliary
French army will be allowed to march across Loin-
bardy and the Austrian States, to take part in the war
on the Danube.
If the Austrian proposal to mobilise the armies of
the States of Germany, and to appoint a commander-
in-chief of the Federal forces, is carried at the
Frankfort diet, it is confidently expected that the
Emperor of Austria will be named as commander.

Prince Oscar, the second son of the King, is ap-
pointed commander-in-chief of the Swedish and
Norwegian navy ; and Prince Nicholas Augustus,
his younger brother, captain of the Norwegian Rifle
Corps. The army and naval (gun-boat) force of
Norway are to be considerably augmented. Orders
have been given to raise 1,000 sailors.

Senor Sevillano, the Spanish Minister of Finance,
resigned office on the 22nd inst. He will be re•
placed by Senor Madoz.

The Duke and Duchess of Brabant arrived at Milan on
the 16th, under the incognito of Viscount and Viscountess
of Ardenne4They will, alter a short stay, proceed on their
way to Greece and Egypt.

The Earl of Lincoln, the Duke of Newcastle's eldest
eon, attained his majority on Wednesday, when the event
was celebrated by public rejoicing among his grace's
tenants at Worksop, Newark, Retford, and Clumber.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.
Tuesday, January 23.
BANKBUPTS—Jour STEVENS, letter-lane, City, cheese-
monger—EDWAßD MURU as. Maidstone, licensed victualler—
WILLIAM PEARCE, Clerkenwell-green, gastitter—HlNßY BINNILL
HARMS, Shrewsbury, draper—Hrmax SPENCSR, Boss, Here-
fordshire, linendraper—Jklurs LucAs, Stroud, Gloucestershire,
cheese factor—Jorr WARD, Penistone, Yorkshire, surgeon—
Jour Coxosr, Macclesfield, Cheshire, butoher—TuouAs
ESCOLASTICO PEARSON, Seaton Carew and West Hartlepool,
Durham, merchant.
Friday. January 211.
BANKRUPTS.—NZHEMIAIt WILLIAM PARSON, SMIBIWArk,
millwright and engineer—Gronom HALL, BILAWII, upholsterer
--ArcturALD NEvISON, Darlington, hosier—WILLIAM LuDLovr
PALIN, Putney, licensed victualler--fiartuaL GLOVER FAlR-
saoTurn, Bow-street, printer—Jour RICHARD WEST, Sun Saw
Mills, Canal-road, Kingsland, Middlesex, dealer in hard wood—
DAvin ENocH DAVIES, Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, grocer—
GEORGE SMITH, Southwark, hat and cap manufacturer—Groftor
WARD, Bristol, victualler—HENßY PHILLIPS, liethnal-green-
road, Middlesex, corn chandler and corn deaIer—RICHARD
Timex, Blackman-street, Southwark, watch and clock maker—
Josion BRADFORD, Coventry, licensed victualler—WlLLlAM
GANY and GEORGIC GANDY York, merchants—Jour WAIDSON,
MontDgomery, innkeeper —RICHARD COLLARD, Devonport, coach
proprietor—JOHN WILLIAM SHAW, Liverpool, passenger broker
—SAMUEL GARRETT and HZERY BUCKLEY, Saud Mill, MEW
Mottram in Longendale, Chester, innkeeper.

Silt HENRY WAsp, now Lord High Commissioner
of the lonian Islands, according to the Herald, has
been selected by his old friends, the Ministers, to
relieve Sir George Anderson in the government of
that valuable colony, Ceylon.

Q. Any other reason ?
A. None that I desire to state.
Q. Your reasons are satisfactory. Take that !
Lord Clanricarde here dealt the Earl the usual honour-bestowing
blow, with a little extra emphasis. Lord Clarendon then tied on the
garter, after a smart squabble as to which leg it belonged to, and Lord
Carlisle delivered an eloquent and flowery address to the new Knight.
He reminded him that the Order was one of chivalry, and that its
members were bound to assail the strong in defence of the weak, a
principle which Lord Aberdeen had not perhaps exactly carried out
in his dealings with Turkey and Russia. but of which he could now see
the beauty and fitness. He apprised him that candour and sincerity
were the characteristics of a Knight, and that henceforth he must aban-
don that system of deceit and double-dealing which had brought us
into the present war; and he added that the vows enjoined the utmost
loyalty to one's Monarch, and courtesy to woman, hinting, delicately,
that the avowal of cordial friendship for one's Sovereign's enemy was
scarcely compatible with the first obligation—(Here Lord Clanricarde
rushed out, under pretence of asking what o'clock it was)—and that
the exacting a decoration of honour from a quarter whence it must
have been granted reluctantly, would have been decidedly an infraction
of the second had it been previously taken. But he added a hope
that the new Knight would polish up his old shield, and in future keep
it clear of spots and splashes.
Mr. Bright then delivered, as was supposed, a series of appro-
priate prayers, but as, in Quaker fashion, he remained perfectly silent
until, suddenly pulling off his nightcap, he demanded refreshment,
this can be only matter of surmise. The new Knight and his com-
panions then proceeded to the banquet, and the first toast (Lord Cla-
rendon dissenting) was the health of Nicholas of Russia, with the
sentiment, " May differences of opinion never alter friendship." Mr.
Bright sang " He's a jolly good fellow," and when the new Knight's
health had been drunk, the interesting ceremony was brought to a
close.

CRYSTAL PALACE COMPANY.

THE Crystal Palace Company have issued a report prepara-
tory to their meeting on the Bth of February, in which they
recommend a dividend of 4s. per share, or at the rate of 8
per cent. per annum, for the half-year ending the 81st of
December. The amount expended up to the present time
is stated at 1,143381., consisting of the share capital of
1,000,0001. (less 14,2251. remaining unissued), 61,5501.
borrowed on debentures, and certain sums from loans and
current receipts. The revenue of the twenty-nine weeks
from the opening on the 10th of June to the 81st of I)e-
-cember has been 113,5861., and the expenditure 38,7961.,
including about 10,01101. incidental to the opening cere-
mony. The balance nominally available is therefore
74,7881.; and as the proposed dividend will absorb only
39,4311., a surplus will remain of 35,3571. to the credit of
revenue account for the present year. The. general receipts
have comprised—payments at the doors by 956,232 visitors,
55,7901.; season-tickets, 36,7.241.: rental of space, 18,8201.';
and miscellaneous items, '2,245/., including the refresh-
ment department, the profits of which have exceeded its
cost of 50,035/. only by 8341., and which is henceforth to
he let to Messrs. Staples, of the Albion, Aldersgate-street,
who are to pay a penny per head on the number of daily
visitors. On the whole the results thus far attained must
be regarded as satisfactory, since severe drawbacks have
been encountered, from the war and other causes, which
could not originally be calculated upon. With regard to
future prospects, the directors look to the completion of
the waterworks, which will be effected early in the summer,
as an extraordinary source of attraction, as well as to the
opening of the West-end Railway, and they consider that
from pest experience they may fully rely that the estimate
of 1,0001. per week furnished by Sir Joseph Paxton will
prove ample to cover every expense except that for the
band. This, they remark, can be retained or discontinued,
as found advisable ; but, inasmuch as in its present state
of efficiency, under Mr. Schallehn, it is among the princi-
ple attractions of the place, especially to the season•ticket
holders, any diminution of its force is likely to he accom-
panied by a more than proportionate falling off in the per-
manent receipts. As respects the funds yet to be raised for
the entire completion of the undertaking, it is announced
that the 300,0001. mentioned at the meeting in July as the
requisite sum, in addition to the 1,000,0001. of share capital,
will not be exceeded. Of this 61,5501. has already been
obtained by the issue of debentures, and 60,000/. more is
expected from the same source. To supply such of the re-
mainder as is absolutely necessary, a preference stock of
150,0001., at 7 per cent., in 51. shares, is proposed to be
offered pro raid among the existing proprietors.

TEE WOODEN HUTS.—The last of the 2,362 houses
made by Mr. Essie, for the French and English Go-
vernments, was finished on Wednesday night last,
and despatched on the following day. The whole
have been completed within the time specified in the
contract, and was sent away latterly at the rate of lOti
per day. So enormous is the quantity of boards and
timbers consumed in the whole of these orders, that,
if they were laid close together upon the ground, they
would extend over more than 114 square acres of land.
The strips of wood alone, two inches broad, which
' were provided in every case to cover the joints of the
boards when erected, to keep out the wet, would ex-
tend, if put together in a line, over 563 miles, while
the hoop iron used in the packing would, if put end to
end in a similar way, reach over fifty-three miles, and
weigh more than thirty-two tons of beaten iron, ex-
clusive of nails. The entire surface of wood over
which the various saws in use travelled during their
work, greatly exceeds 2,700,000 square feet.