The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-17 00:00:00

bt Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE, D. 16.
The Queen drove in the grounds this morning.

♦ Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury,
in Downing-street. The ministers present were
Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl
Granville, Earl Russell, the Duke of Newcastle,
Earl de Grey, Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, the Duke of Somerset, the
Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, the Right Hon.
Edward Cardwell, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and
the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers.

The Chas:elks of the Exchequer arrived in town yester-
day morning from Hawuden Castle, Chester.
A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Royal Com-
mission for the Exhibition of 1851, was held yesterday at
the Privy Council-office. Them were present—Earl Glan-
ville (chairman), Sir Alexander Spearman, Bert., Sir S.
Morton Pete, But, WP., Sir C. W. Dilke, Bart., Mr. T.
F. Gibers:, Mr. Thring, and Mr. Edgar Bowriog, C.B. (se-
cretary).
Despatches ware received yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Governors of the West India Islands. Despatches
were sent to the Governors of British Columbia and
Bermuda.

The Prince of Wales honoured Mr. Foley. Mr. Noble,
sod Mr. Theed, on Tuesday, with visits at their studios.

DEPARTURE OF THE COURT FOR OSBORNE.—
,
(Tme DAY.)—Her Majesty left Windsor Castle this
morning for Osborne at a quarter feet eleven o'clock, by
I the narrow gauge on the Great Western line of railway,
in the South Eastern carriages, by the usual route to
Gosport, thus avoiding the inconvenience of &Pugin
carriages.
Yesterday afternoon her Majesty attended
Divine service in the Chapel Royal of St. George Her
Majesty, who was in deep mourning, occupied the royal
closet by the altar. The Princeeeee Helena and Louisa
were also present, and sat is the stills of the Sovereign
Knights of the Garter. The service was intoned by the
Rev. J. Gore, minor canon, the iffsgai.icat and Nuec
Dimitti* was Kelway in A, and the anthem, "Come unto
me," Elvey, sung by Mr. Whiffle. The first lesson was
rad by the Hon. and Rev. C. L. Courtney, and the se-
cood by the Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean of Windsor.
The Queen came to the chapel and retired privately through
the deanery.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will leave
Froginore House on Monday or Tuesday next, OD • Vila to
the Queen at Osborne, where they will spend the Christmas
and remain about ten days. On leaving Osborne their
royal highnesses will return to Frogmcee House.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
honoured Mr. Foley, Mr. Noble, sad Mr. Thud ou Tuesday
with vial's at their studios.

The christening of the infant daughter of General
Charles and Countess Aldenbnrg Bentiock took place yes-
terday (Wednesday) at their home in Grcevenor-strest.
Their Royal Higlinemai the Duchies of Cambridge and
Princess Mary arrived at one o'clock, the Primes* being olio
of the godmothers. The Promise Ambassador and the
Countess Bernstoeff represented the Crown Prises and
Crown Princess of Prussia as apogean. At two o'clock a
breakfast was given. The other gnash' were the members
of the family and she Rev. Charles Cavendish &intim*,
who performed the ceremony.
The Duke of Devonshire, accompanied by Lady
Louisa Cavendish and Lords Edward and Frederick Caren-
dish, are about to leave Chatsworth for Holkar Hall. Lan-
cashire, when a party will shortly smoothie for the holidays.
The aarcophagns of the late King of Denmark
bears a silver plate, containing the following WaffiiltiOn
Fredetkk the &Teeth, bore Gth October, 1808, ascended
AMR el the 20th of January, 1848. Married, first on
the 119 November, OA 12 rfieMet Wilhelroine Marie of
Denmark ; wood on the 10th June, 1841, to Primer
Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strolits ; married by the left
hand on the 7th August, 1850, to Lady Christina Louisa
Countess of Danner. He restored the popular liberties of
Denmark, and boldly defended the independence of the
realm. He was the last male of the line of King Frederick
111., aid, with the approbation of his people, elco'sd as
his encesmor the husband of his father's sister's &lighter,
the eon of hie grandfather's meter's daughter. He died on
the 15th November, 1863, when the Primo elect wended
the throne as Christian the Ninth. His motto was, ' The
love of the people is the strength of my

MUSK'.

NATIONAL CHORAL SOCIETY, EXETER-HALL.

Last evening this society gave for the first time
this swop a performance of the Meuiak, under the direc-
tion of its enterprising founder, Mr. W. G. Martin. With
the approach of Christmas the numerous performances of
this, the grandest of all oratorios, arsine to attract large
audiences, and Exeter-bell was on this °make crowded to
the doors. We have already celled attention to the rapid
progress the society has made of late, and to the increasing
proficiency of the choir. The choruses in the Messiah
were leg night given with • steadiness and precision per.
featly surprising, the short existence of the society being
taken into consideration. The most sublime of all inspira-
tions, "For unto us • child is born"—in the
reading of which, by the way, Mr. Martin entirely differs
from Mr. Costa, abstaining from the pianissimo 00111111M01).
meet—the members of the choir produced a perfectly elec-
trical effect on the audience, whose clamorous and enthu-
siastic encore admitted of no denial. The magnificent Hal-
lelujah chorus excited equal enthusing', and the perform-
ance generally was such as to place the moiety in a still
higher position amoogst choral anociatione than that it has
hitherto held.

Mr. Sims Reeves, who is "specially retained' for all
Mr. Martin's perfermat cm, bee quite lout all traces of his late
illness, and was in magnificent voice. We need scarcely add
that under them fa 'curable circumstances his randerieg of the
music allotted to him was as near perfection as anything can
be. He was mop°, ted by Miu Spiller, Miss Palmer, and Mr.
Lewis Thomas, all of whom acquitted themselves to the
eatire satisfaction of the vast audience. The band, com.
prising as it did most of the leading instrumentalists of the
day. was of course unexceptionable. Previous to the
oratorio, they played the " Dead March in Saul," in honour
of the second sanivenary of the death of the lonseated
Prince Cowart.

REPRESENTATION OP DEVONPORT.—We us in-
farmed that the 000stentive party ia Devooport and FAA
Stonehenge are prepared with • second candidate to Goa-
tee the borough, in connexion with Mr. rented, at the
next (denim The gentlemse selected will shortly be
announced, and address the =enervative electors. Mean-
time we learn that In is • wealthy City merchant end
shipowner, and coanrcted with the county of Devoe as a
Ladd proprietor.— Western Morning News.
Laintstut. MIMING AT NORWICH.—A meeting of
the " adminoid " liberals of Norwich wee held on Tuesday
moist, "to consider the
_present uratidastory Mate of
parliamentary affairs." Mr. J. H. TIMMS presided, sad ad-
drained the meeting at some length, as did al= several other
gentlemen. The following resolutions were =opted sawn-
manly :—"L That the apparent indifference of the present
'disc susmso to the great questions in -blob the
feel lateneted bee operated most Minimally on the lib ral
Eassil, and that unless 111413511/61 be taken to restore eoaL
&meg, the discouragement which prevails Is likely to tell
seriously against the petty now in newer in the event of a
I general election. 2. That this meeting would spolially ea i
I siirstion to the conduct of the government oft the =porn=
questiocie of parliamentary reform, =arab rates, sad the
Irish church, and also to the pretest enormous expeaditan
which involves war toization in a tires of peace. 3. That the
marchers for the city, in whom this meeting desires to ex-
peer is confidence, be Tenanted to make it helms in the
proper quarter that dissatisfaction prevail. moat • large
note= of the liberal party, and reepsctfully to warn our
leaden is parliament of the inevitable consequences of •
policy latterly irrecoocilable with liberal principles sad pro-
fessions." The proeeedisga closed with • vote of thanks to
the shairansi.