The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-11 00:00:00

THE QUEEN'S FIRST COURT.

The Queen held a Court at Buckingham Palace
ea Saturda7 afternoon.
Her Majesty, who had arrived at Buckingham Palace
fi.nn Wior Castle in the morning, entered the White
Drawing•room at three o'clock, accompanied by his Ma•
pity the King of the Belgians, and by their Royal High-
names the Princess Helena, Winans Louisa, and Prince
Arthur.

In attendance upon her Melody were Earl Russell. her
Majesty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Alain,
with the Countess Russell, and the officers of the household.
The court being in mourning, the ladies who attended the
reception were attired in full dress mourning costume, with-
out trains. The gentlemen were in full dress, with crape on
the left arm.

The Queen, accompanied by Primer Hams, left
Buckingham Palace soon after five o'clock, and returned to
Wisdom. °antis.

His Majesty the King of the Belgium also accompanied
the Queen to Windsor.

Thi Queen wore a black silk dress, covered with deep
black crape, and edged with jet gimp ; a cap of white crape
I'•se in the style of the cap of Mary Queen of Scots, with
orals and diamonds, and a king white crape lire veil
attached to it.

Her llaiesty won the Ribbon, Star, and Badge of the
Garin, a &mood necklace, sod large cross containing the
Primes Goanort's miniature, sod a brooch composed of •
large sapphire set in twelve large diamonds.
The Princess Helena wore • dress of white satin hand-
lamely trimmed with rich lace. Head•dreas of white roses
with black leaves and diamond ornaments.

,;;;;;;Lii;7(itt,; sod headdress,
bat with pearl ortatineata.

We are authorised to state that the Court an-
nounced to take place at Buckingham Palace on
Wednesday next, at 3 o'clock, is postponed till
Saturday next at the same hour.

The Duke of Newcastle, we are sorry to learn,
is still in a precarious state. Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales have displayed much anxiety
about the health of his grace, and telegrams are transmitted
twic, a day to Windsor Castle sod Sandringham.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston entertained
a select circle at dinner, at Cambridge-house, Piccadilly,
on Saturday. Later in the evening Lady Palmenton bad
an assembly, which wu numerously attended.
His Royal Highness the Duke d'Aumale
honoured Sir Erskine and Lady Pea .7 with bin company at
dinner on Saturday evening, at the f►mily residence in
Eaton•place. The following were invited to meet his roy►l
highness:—The Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde,
Frances Countess Waldegrave sad the Right Hon.
Chichester Porteous, M.P., the Right Hon. Sir Hamilton
and Lady Seymour, the Right Hon. William E. Gladstone,
M.P., and Mrs. Gladstone, Sir Anthony de Rothschild, Sir
Roderick Murchison, Mr. R. S. Holford, P.. and Mrs.
Holford, Mrs. Humphrey St. John Mildmay, Re.

The vacant Garter will, we believe, be bestowed
opoo hie Grace the Duke of Suflorload.

We (Timcs) have reason to believe that Lord
Clarendon will shortly proceed to Nem upon a private
mission to the imperial court.

His Serene Highness the Duke August of Saxe
Coburg Gotha arrived at Dover yesterday morning by mail
packet Wave from Calais, and after partaking of refresh-
ments at the Lord Warden Hotel, left per South &stern
Railway 4.30 a.m. mail train for London and Faber.

VISIT OF THEIR ROYAL HIOHNIVSES PRINCERSLS
HELENA AND LOUISA TO WINDSOR PARISH CHURCIL
WINDsoR, SUNDAY.—This afternoon. at half-past 2 o'clock,
their Royal Highness., Princesses Helena sad Louisa visited
the parish church of St. John's, Windsor. on the occasion
of the onofirinatioe, by the Right Rev. the Biahop of Ox-
ford, of a large number of young persons of both sexes.
The bishop had preached at the morniig service in aid of
the funds of the Diocesan Spiritual Aid Society. The body
of the church wes nearly filled with the candidates for coo.
notation, the girls and women with their heads covered
with white cape or veils, while round the commotion mils
were assembled a number of the local clergy, including the
Rev. Prebendary Ellison, Revs. J. St. John Blunt, T.
%Ate, R. J. Simpson, J. A. Image, Lc. After en earomt
exhortation from the Bishop of Oxford. delivered from the
pulpit, " Veni Creator " was song by the choir, end the
right rev. prelate admitted the several candidates for con-
notation by the imposition of hands. after which the prin-
cess returned to the castle.

OFFICIAL APPOlNTMEN74.—Lieuteuant-Governor
Eyre has been appointed Lieutenant-General, Governor-in-
Chief, and Vice-Admiral of Jamaica. The Hoe. Mousers
Sutton, formerly Lieutenant. Governor of New Brunswick,
has been appointed Governor of Trinidad. Sir Richard
Gravel M'Doonell, late Governor of South Australia, has
been appointed Lieutenant. Governor of Nova Scotia. Mr.
Anthony Musgrave, Governor of St. Vincent's, has been
appointed Governor of Newfoundland, in the room of Sir A.
Bannerman, who retires. Mr. K. Rawson, C. 8., Colonial
Secretary at the Cape of Good Hope, is appointed Governor
of the Bahama.. Lieutenant-Governor Colooel Maclean
proceeds from British Kaffraria to be Governor of Natal.
Mr. George Berkeley, Colonial Secretary of British Hon-
duras. is appointed Lieutenant-Gcvernor of St. Vincent's, in
the room of Mr. Musgrave, promoted to Newfoundland,

PROBABLE.
TITEDAT. On NORTEREI WITNEEDAT.
E. W. to S.W., mode- Coarts. W. to N., fresh to mo-
nk to fresn, a few derate,generslly fine.
showers.
Aa above. Wrsmtw. As above.
N.W. to N. E. and back floOnfaka. B.W. to N.W. and to
to S.W., variable.mo- N.E, moderate to
dente, a few showers light, generally tine.
In places.
W. to N. and back, ow- !Arnim
derste.generally ass.

As text above.

Northein.Ecotiand. Weetern=lreland, Wales, and ad-
jacencies. SouteerrmEnglish Channel and Blew Lay. Eastern
=Sage...lied Ragland and Heligoland.

B.—barometer corrected and reduced to 34.• at half tide level.
Each ten feet. of vertical elevation, coming about one hundredth
of an Inch DIMINUTION : and each ten degrees, above sr. caus-
ing nearly three hundredths MCMINN, IL—Exposed Thermo-
meter in shade. D.—Difference of wet Milli (for evaporation and
dew point). W.—Wind, direction of ,Tittlf—tWO points tare of
magnetic:. F.—Force (I to 12—estimated). X.—Extreme force
Moe last report. Q.—Quarter whence minima force (E N Er-2,
to Il2=N). I.—lnitials: h —blue sky: a--clouds (detached);
L—fog b.—hall L —lightning m.—misty ;hazy) ; o.—overcast
. r.—rain; 1. —anow : —thunder. E. = itsin-taij, snow ie
biß
to. imelted), aloes last report. S—Sea disturbance (1 to 9).
L—Cal

TRIAIN Or THR ARMSTRONG AND WHITWORTH
Gass.—The rest of the experiments upon stockades end
other works of defence remain to be followed up to-day
(Monday), u Saturday at Shoebnrynesa is devoted to
clueing up goes and putting is order.