The Express.
London, England, 1862-04-26 00:00:00

to retire from the office of Civil Service Commie-

gamer, and that the Hon. Edward Twistleton and
the Right Hon. Sir Edmund W. Head, K.C.8.,
have been appointed Commialionera.
Dears or TIM Kati or Promoim—A tele.
gram was received last eight from Paris, announcing the
death of the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, who ex.

pined at his residenoe in that capital at noon yesterday, after
a abort and sever* illness. The Marquis and lfarelticesee of
kileebury reached Paris on Wednieday last from TotMbam•
park, Vi ilia, having hem summoned by *sentence Mama
of the auk and were with him at his dimolutka. The de.
awed earl was the only son of George Anemias, eleventh
earl, by his fint marriage with Elisabeth, sexed daughter
of Mr. Topham ileauclerk, and wan born 19th September,
1791. His lordship married, 17th August, 1814, the Pria-
m's Ootavia Spinelli, daughter of the Duke of Lorine, and
widow of Prince Rubari of Sicily. He succeeded to the
family honours sad large esimsu an the death of hie father,
in October, 1827. The deceased nobleman was Hereditary
Visitor of Jesus College, Oxford. and High Steward of

Wilton. In default of lima the earldom devolves upon
hie nephew, George Hobert Oha:lee, the youthful Lord
Herbert, eldest son of the We lamented Lord Harbert of
Lea (Sidney Herbert), sow la Mr nth year.
MEYER/MLR AND Allllll6.—Her Majesty's COM.

minimum far the International Exhibition Of 1662 having

sent special invitations to Heyerbeer and Auer to be pre-
sent at the opening ceremonial on the lit of May, when the
overture of the former and the march of the latter will be

performed under Mr. Costa's directions, lifeyeriteor has as
eepted the invitation, and will arrive in Lowden this day
(Eatarday) ; Anber, who, 60 years ago, was • clerk at •
wipe merchant's in the metropolia, has never visited Eng-

Lad sines that period, and being sinmr in his 814 year, is
unable to undertake the fatigues of the journey, and has

been compelled to decline the honour of the invitation.
Meyerbeer, who is in excellent health, will arrive from
Berlin in time to see his Prophete and Dinorah at the
Royal Italian Opera.
We (Gardeners' Chroniek) learn with great isatia-
tonics that the Marquis of Lansdowne has appointed to
the highly rerponsible post of steward of the Bowood
estates, in Wiltshire, his most intelligent and experienoed
gardener, Mr. Spencer, who also retains the garden manage.
meet.

We (Cambridge Independent) regret to hear that
the health of the noble Lord-Lieutenant of this county is '
sot oonsidered in • satisfactory st►te, and that snow
gttently his lordship sod the Countess of Bardwicke purpose
spending some time at the German baths, proceeding re
Moisday next to Aix-la-Chapelle.
We read in the Gazette of Bankruptcy:—" It is
stated that Mr. Roupell, late M.P. for Lambeth, whose
unsocond n 1 building speculations have, it is understood,
principally contributed to involve him in his present Mil-
eulties, has offered his creditors • composition of Is. W.

la the posed."
The relative merits of iron ships and fixed forts
is discussed in a letter to one of his constituents by Sir S.
M. Peto. He contends that the recent experiments at Shoe-
baryons afford additional arguments against fixed fortifica-
tions and In favour of floating batteries. He doubts, how.
ever, the utility of oonverting wooden ships into such floating
batteries, and urges, as the least expensive in the end, the
oonstroction of " iron ships of marina size to mount
large guns in central batteries, protected by shields and
fitted also to act as rams by the aid of powerful machi-
nery."
Last evening the annual soirée of the Photographic
Society of London was celebrated at King's College, Strand,
under the auspices of the Lout Chief Baron, Mr. Fox
Talbot, the councils of various learned societies, and many
of the most distinguished .promoters of the photographic
art. . . .

A useful little pocket volume, containing a list
of upwards of 30,000 cab fares to and from all parts of Lon-
don and the Exhibition, has just been issued by Messrs.
Boulaton and Wright, by the authority of the Commis•
sioners of Police. The directions are printed in English,
French. and German, and will prove of considerable
service.

In the fourth volume of Earl Stanhope's "Life
of Pitt" is an account of Pitt's last illness, derived from the
papers at Woburn Abbey, and drawn up by the Hon. Jas.
H. Stanhope, who was present in the room when he died.
The handwriting was far from good, and Earl Stanhope read
in it the last words of Mr. Pitt as follows :—" Oh, my
country ! how I love my country !" As such the words have
been published, but his lordship has again examined the
original paper, and is now fully convinced that "leave" is
the real reading. The last words of Mr. Pitt, as an ear-
witness has recorded them, were, therefore, " Oh, my
country 1 how I kart my country," referring to the disas-
trous state of the continental war produced by the battle of
Austerlitz. - _ -

-------
The meetings of scientific societies for the en-
suing week are :—Monday.—Actuaries, 7, "Future Rate of
Interest," Mr. Newmarch ; Architect, 8 ; Geopaphisel,
Tuesday.—Zoologio•l, 1, Anniversary ; Antiquaries, 2,
Anniversary ; Civil Engineers, 8, " Reclaiming Lands from
Seas and Estuaries," Mr. OM= and Mr. Meier ; "Sea
'Dykes of Sleevig and Holstein," Mr. Paton ; Royal Insti-
tution, 4, "Ancient Art," Mr. Newton. Wednesday.—
Society of Arta, 8, " Silk Department of Exhibition, Flo.
rem, 1861," Mr. Winkwortb. Thursday.—UODOWS, 8,
"Habits of Females of Genus Orgyis," Mr. Statutes ;
Chemical, 8 ; Royal, Bi,"Terminations of the Nerves in
Muscles," Professor Batiks, ; Royal Institution, 2, Annual
Meeting. Friday.—Horticultural, Election of Fellows ;
Archseological institute, 4 ; Royal Institution, 8, "The
Exhibitions," Mr. Milne'. Saturday.—Asiatic, 3; Royal
Institution, 3, "Agricultural Chemistry," Professor An-
demo*.

The comic opera by M. Berlioz—written by
for the inauguration of the theatre at Baden, rapidly ap-
proaching completiou—is bead on Shakspeare's AU'e Well
that Bede Well.
The Queen Dowager of Prussia has printed the
arannesipt prayers of King Frederick William IV., and
distributed a number of copies among her royal relatives
by way of Prater gift. To the public at large this royal
manual of devotion is not yet accessible.
The Count de Sere, formerly a peer of France
and President of the Royal Court of Paris, but who resigned
in 1830, has jus died, aged 82.
The ceremony of inaugurating the statue erected
to the memory of Ary Sohcoffer, at Dordrecht, in Holland,
his native place, is fixed for the Bth of next month.
The Diet of the Grand Duchy of Baden has at
present before It a bill for the emancipation of the Jews.
Similar bills were dammed in 1859 and 1860, and postponed
till a more favourable moment.
' Some Prussian naval officers have during the
week bas. la rammanication with the Admiralty, with a
view of parelisslaa a certain number of our sailing men-of-
war. "There will be no difficulty on the subject," says the i
Amy sad Navy Gazette, "ea we have a large fleet from
which they will be able to pick sad choose."
New LEGAL MEMBER OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL
Or INDIA.—Mr. Henry Sumter Maine, LL.D., the reader
I.:ruden3e and civil law at the Middle Temple, bu
the Sloe of legal member of the Supreme Council
.:,rUaTitt.. Mr. Maim was offered this appointment upon
the promotion of Sir SWIMS Pennock to the Chief Justice.
ship of Bengal, but in eamegualee of ill-health he was
oompellad to give a alma T'he late Mr. Ritchie, at the
time adroatelemeral, then resolved the appointment ; but,
in ocasequenes of his premature death, a sewed
has oosured. Mr. Kans. wlatee health has boss r
W
i
sisre
has sow ammeterl the appotsharat, sod Sir Clarke l
has bad the opportunity of promoting toe patios of great
sail asehasst a gentleman whose ability as as sea
sehobr and learned jurist has keg bum ap•
W the lbehereity of °substage, sad by the pre-
emies of aphid' be was a member. Mr. limas esalmently
diatiagolehoil bawd! at Osalindge, when for wall Yews
he hell the •••• of Begins Profaner of ova Low ; nod,
both as ea WINE ma Jeri*. be Is well entitled to the hist
ages to wide la hoe bees oppolvated—Post.
Tai Scrim& —Oa Moaday sight last eight of
the stew Owl Memel Waging to Ile Amerkan
IMow fdemisr anived la ea pmeengers on
baud Kam Dana sad N'lver's sditerisnam steamer
Mends,