The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

court Ant las4ton.

Her Majesty and the Royal Family are at Windsor.
The u,ual bounty and alms have beendistributed
during the week.

His Excellency Ferouk Khan, Persian Envoy
Extraordinary, has received an audience of leave
from her Majesty the Queen, and has paid farewell
visits to their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of
Cambridge and the Princess Mary, and to their
Excellencies the French and the Turkish Ambassa-
dors.

The Duke and Duchess of Wellington will pass
the Christmas holidays at Hatfield-house.
The Right Hon. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli
have left town for Hughendon.
The Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., and Mrs.
Herbert are entertaining a succession of company
at Wilton•house.

VWlcal.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FAST INDIA

CO M PAN Y.
THE Globe of Monday writes,—" We are enabled to
confirm the following annouucetunt, which appears
in the Times' City article:—
It is understood the FAst India Company have receiveil
formal notice that it is the intention of the Government
to bring in a Bill for the abolition of the idoublo govern-
ment.

The announcement is substantially correct ; the
Chairman has received an intimation that it is the
intention of Lord Pahnerston's Cabinet to introduce
a bill for bringing the administration of India under
the direct government of the queen. The intimation
canuot have surprised any one. For some time Fast

the whole tendency of public opinion has set in the
direction of this zesolve. Independently of many
reasons for dispensing with whatever can occasion
hindrance in the administration of India hence-
forward, it may be reasonably anticipated that the
introduction of improvements will be facilitated by
the direct action of the supreme Government. And
not the least advantage, after the recent events, will
be the moral effect of the proclamation in India
itself that it is the Sovereign of the British Empire
who rules. The announcement following on the
heels of those which have already been made will
show how far Lord Palinerston's Government seeks
to shelter itself under (Hays, or prefers to accept
with promptitude and decision the responsibilities
which the interests of the country devolve upon it"
At the Quarterly Court held on Wednesday the
Chairman said :

I have to inform the court that the deputy chairman
and myself saw Lord Palmerston by appointment on
Saturday morning last, and he communicated to us that it
is the inten'iou of her Majesty's Government to propose
to Parliament when it meets at the beginning of next year
a bill to place the government of the Queen's East India
dominions under the direct authority of the Crown.
In further reply to Mr. Sergeant Gazelee, the
Chairman said the court expected to receive a written
communication from the Government on the sub-
ject of the plan to be proposed, and as soon as that
was received, it would be placed before the pro-
prietors.
An interesting statement also was made by the
Chairman with reference to the moneys recently
raised in this coantry. Mr. Mangles said :—" I have
had a question put to me by Mr. Mackenzie, who
wishes to know what is the amount of silver bullion
sent to India by the East India Company between
the Ist of August and the sth of December, and on
what terms that bullion has been raised. I beg to
state that the amount of bullion conveyed to India at
the urgent requisition of the Government of India
between the dates specified is 752,701/., which was
purchased at various prices—namely, 613 d., 613 d.,
593 1., and 593 d. The bullion was purchased in the
market ":

Mr. MACKENZIE said nothing could be more injudi-
cious than raising a loan in this country at six per cent.
when they had an open loon in India at five per cent. As
the interest of money in India was always much higher
than in this country. to give six per cent. here would at
once prevent any chance of getting any money in India to
meet the Government requirements. He begged to ask
whether six per cent. was not given by the Government?
The CHAIRMAN : The money was raised for the general
purposes of India at six per cent.
Mr. MACKENZIE : Whatever money is required for India
ought to be raised in India alone.
The CHAIRMAN : An urgent requisition was made to us,
and we should have betrayed our trust towards the Govern•
ment of India if we had neglected to comply with that re-
quisition. They wanted the money to enable them to carry
on the operations of the Government and also to carry on
the war, and it was our bounden duty to comply with their
request.

CoNvocerrox was further prorogued last week
until the sth Feb., 1858.
A FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE has bees published
relative to the question at issue between Lord Derby
and Mr. Vernon Smith. In answer to inquiries
from the India Board, with respect to Mr. Anderson's
statements, Mr. Howell, one of the directors of
the Peninsular and Oriental Company, states that no
one in the office of the company remembers any such
message as was referred to being sent to his office;
and Mr. Allan, another of the directors, gives his
version of the origin of the story—that, "in the
cours3 of one of the interviews" which he had
" with the authorities of the India-house as regarded
the details of the plan for the conveyance of troops
via Egypt," it was mentioned that a communi-
cation, "whether verbal or written I cannot call to
mind," had been received at the India-house from
the Board of Control, "at least so I understand it,"
inquiring as to the practicability of making the
overland route available for transport of troops to
India. "On returning to my office," continues Mr.
Allan, " I casually mentioned the circumstance to
my colleagues as somewhat singular that such in-
formation should be sought after we bad been already
considering the necessary arrangen'ents to be made
for carrying into effect the transport of troops via
Egypt." Mr. Vernon Smith then inquires of Mr.
Mangles, M.P., as Chairman of the India Board,
whether any one at the India house could have any
authority for the story Mr. Mangles replies that
no one at the India-house could have had "any
authority or ground" for conveying to the offices of
the Peninsular and Oriental Company an impression
that the negotiations with that company had been
carried on without the knowledge of the India Board,
or that the president, after the necessary arrange-
ments had been considered, with the sanction of the
board, " inquired as to the practicability of making
the overland route available.
MIL, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS TOLLEXACHE has been
appointed Treasurer the Kent Comity Voarte, 133
the room of the late Mr. Coppock.