The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-17 00:00:00

Auxin PATENT PORTMANTEAUS and
TRAVELLING RAGS with square
EADISr WARDROBE TRUNKS, DRESS laretAGS, wttb
dim
DIEM EOM WRITING and DRESSING CAMS, and
sf other Wide, foe hose or continental travelling. lllustrated
cstalagnes by gag bar two stamps.
AIM Mimeo Barra* Furniture Catalogue of Portable Bed-
steads, Drawers, Shay Chairs, Wuhhandatanda, Canteena, dc.,
by pet for two slangs.
J. W. ALLEN, Mannbataser and Patents, It and SI, Weld
✓im% Ueda% W.C.

222 REGENT-STREET, LONDON.
9 ILUPPIN EROTHIZII (by imam to
Isaperhal Malady Napoleon III.), BlLrglitfflt. Electra-
Saver Platers, Dressing-case Manufacturers, and Cutlers, Queen's
°Wary Works, fibefiteld, have the honour to announce that
hey have
00l0LINCHD BUSINESS at the WEIT-END of LONDON, by
opening PRIOIISk.n at
662. itIf,OENT •STILILET,
with a large collection of their manufactures, and they hope to
receive. as they will endeavour to ment, an extension of the
favours hitherto awarded them at their ishment.
87 and eB. KING WILLIAM.

HARMONIUMFL—NEW MODEL.
climax Bias, sad INOD. W, iliffentareet,

ght ervressfs.

TO 001.112820NDE1T3.
dweritemeiwie Intended for The Eritrea," London liveable
must be et the mike, 10, Bouverieatreet, by Two
ro a=
en the day et publication.

HAYMAPSZT.
TM IMMO, Till WOLF AND THZ LAMS.—OSZ
AIaRICAN COMM. llama Bathos, Ilucksboo, L Y0G1.%
Pavan : Mns Tang. NW Oliver.—LA OONTILLBANDISTA.
P►tsa NUM aad Semi Morava.—And MY HUBBANDI3 GHOST.

mummers.
TRH Mask CASH v. CUPID. MI Marla Harris.—
And HAJILIT. Mss. Scalier, lydar, P`ottardtbora, Jordan,
Wicldkx.mb. Meadows, Cathcart, Raymond, and Hine; Mires
Ilaworthy and Carlotta lactorah

IT. SAMOWII.
Thrs EVINON• A OOZY 0047PLL-4111NC.1 AXABIL : Or.
The Fah7 Mom* Matoborra, Dobson. and A•May
Miro N. Moorlowa
e,MaMorro, sad the Mini. Nelson.
—And UNDIZ TH.I 109L—Oonunomoo al 74.

BRITANNIA.
TIM ETEMM.OIII, LOT IN un. Nembunes I. Lane lull
Cranford.—Ertnebdannends by Merl Owen and Mr. Mulligan.
—And THE OLD MAID IN THE MINDING SHEET. Mira
N. Clayten.—Oammens Ile.

HIGH WATT AT lANDOAS ELMS.
TIM DAT —Morals& 41. 1M... Affirms. 0. 30s.
70-11011LOW—Ikeniss. eh. Oa Afternoon, 50. 26..

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 17.

A vritY singular Parliamentary episode has just
received a very singular explanation. Yesterday
morning the public read, not without a certain
sense of mystification, Lord Gatitrus.E's an-
nouncement
to the House of Lords that " a chal-
" lenge from the other House had been received
" in due form and accepted," explained and am-
plified as it was by the statement of the LORD
CaAricxxioa. " I will state," said the learned
lord, " the manner in which it occurred. As I
" was leaving the House, I had the honour to re-
" ceive from the Eiramois of the House of Com-
" mons a challenge. It came from the House of
" Commons to the House of Lords, and it was
" delivered to me. I accepted at once that chal-

" lenge on behalf of your lordahips, and returned I
" an answer that we would meet the Howe of
" Commons in honourable rivalry at any place, at

any time, and with any weapon." It was an
odd proceeding, one to be wondered at rather than
judged, at least pending further explanation.
Somebody had evidently wanted to do something
strange and striking, at all risks. It was difficult
to believe that the SPEAKER, always so sensible,
was at the bottom of this invitation ; but it was
certain that the LORD CHANCELLOR believed him
to have sanctioned it.
The SPRAYER has felt it necessary to disavow
the part ascribed to him. It is certain from the
explanations given last night in the House of
Commons that he had no intention of sending any
such message as has been described. In fact Mr.
BERNAL Osisoass was justified in speaking of the
whole affair as a hoax. With the Brest:Ws letter
to Lord Ewa° before us, it is easy to see how the
entanglement was brought about. The noble
Member for the Scottish Rifles must have the
credit of it. The SPEAKER says he cannot
doubt that it was Lord RiAmo who made
the communication to the LORD CHANCELLOR, and
adds that he heard of it " with amazement."
It seems that Lord Run% whose devotion to the
Bale movement is all-absorbing, had thought it
would be a good thing to get up a friendly rifle
contest between a number of members taken from
each House. To this there could be no possible
objection. Naturally enough he sought to secure
for it not only the distinguished patronage, bat the
imposing presence of the Right Honourable the
Brnexsa. But he appears to have set about the
business rather clumsily ; so, at least, we judge
from the authoritative account of the matter given
last night, and from the result. The SPILLERS
says, that on Tuesday night, at • time when he
was very much occupied with the proper busine-.]
of the House, Lord Etcwo went to him with • roll
of paper in his hand, stated that • rifle match
.between some members of the two Houses was
proposed, and asked the right hon. gentleman for
hisname. The SPEAKER says : "I answered that
" I was very busy, that I could not spare a moment
" to read the paper, nor did I see a single word it
" contained." It must be considered unfortu-
nate that Lord ELcito's engagements did not
permit him to seek an interview with the
SPRAYER a more seasonable time. The noble
lord, however, is not easily daunted, so he remained
by the Srzsitzs's chair pressing his request, and
the right hon. gentleman, using the freedom which
is common in the intercourse of gentlemen who
rely on one another's discretion, tried to get rid of
his importunity by a pleasantry. He says, " Wish-
" ing to dismiss the subject, I said in joke,
" the only part I could take would be to
" fire a shot with the LORD CHANCELLOR." If
the SPRAYER had not been so engrafted he would,
doubtless, have remembered the proverbial danger
of joking with a North Briton. This slight passing
jest was the sole foundation for the communication
which the Loan CHANCELLOR imagined he had
received from the SPRAYER, and the announcement
of which by that learned lord filled the right boll.
gentleman with amazement.
This incident would not have had the slightest
importance if it had not been mentioned is the
Houses of Parliament. Nobody inquires how the
noble and honourable members of these two distin-
guished clubs amuse themselves out of doors ; and
certainly we journalists, who must perforce devote
so much spare to the doings of the two Houses,
should not be forward to complain of anything cal-
culated to give life and spirit to their proceedings.
But even in the House of Commons there is ample
scope for wit within the limits of good taste and
decorum, and the present moment, when we are
in an especial manner open to the observation of
foreigners, and when a large portion of the popu-
lation is suffering under a severe calamity, seems
peculiarly unsuitable for the indulgence of witless
and unmeaning frolics.

Tai ALBERT MZZOZIAL ?Ifl!D. —The total
aossaat received op to yesterday aNseisooe is aid of the
Albert Memorial Feed me about 49,0601. Aracept the
ovotelbmikee Madrid daring the week WY aWm of 2101.
from Mass Hanes Brothers.
Tzurew Twiiir.—The ensuing Trinity Term will
eorareatee ea Terelsy, the 27th init. being this year five
days War Ihm MA year, arSieg from the extenvion at
YANgTorm into Ike Ordinary nnetioe.