The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-22 00:00:00

be court.

OSBORNE. Dec. 21.
The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon with
Princess Helens.
Princess Louise also took ao airing, attended by Countess
Blucher.

On Friday and Saturday in the past week her Most
Gracious Majesty's bounty and gate alms to aged, blind, and
other meritorious poor, who bed been recommended by the
clergy in the various perishes and dutricta in and around
Loodon, were diati:buted at the Almonrpoffice, in Middle
Scotland-yard ; and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
in the current week the distnbutione were resumed in
anticipation of Chriatma-. These distributions were made—
under the directing care of the Lord Bishop of Orford
(Lord High Almoner) and the Rev. Dr. Jeif, D.D. (Sub.
Almoner—by Joseph Hanby, Esq., Secretary and Yeoman of
the Almon', in Ordinary.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne are
entertaining company at their neat in Wiltshire.

Lady Williame-Wynn gave birth to a daughter
yesterday at her resides°. iu St. James's-lamas.

Mrs. Anne Smyth, widow of Major IL C. Smyth,
of the Bengal Eogineers, and mother of Win. Mak/peace
Thaekeray, died on the 18th inst., at 8, Ooslow-gsTdens,
just a short year after her illustrious son.

On certain occasions ladies who present them-
selves at the French Court are expected to do so in trains
—manteaux de tour. Some have not complied with this
regulation ; and in a court where etiquette Is so severe,
and where the chamberlains, or masters of ceremonies,
Cr, so intelligent and so vigilant, such a violation, volun-
tary or otherwise, could not possibly be passed over. The
traisless wives of grand functionaries, of senators, and
deputies, could not well be refused admittance at the door,
or compelled to withdraw from the august presence when
they had reached it, hut an efficacious system of punish-
ment was adopted, after the most serious deliberation
namely, that ladies who have the ill luck to forget the
indispensable appendage, the manteau dc tour, will not be
honoured with an invitation to the imperial table. A
member of the upper home was much surpr;sed that his
card of invitation to dinner on a late occasion did not
comprise his fair half. Oa inqu,7 "i the proper quarter be
wee told the reams.

The Indirnelance Beige states that M. Conti,
Councillor of State, haa been appointed chief of the Em-
peror Napoleon's household in the plaoe of the late M.
Mocquard, and that M. Pietri baa been appointed private
secretary.

A letter from Naples, of the 17th. says that the
Grand Duke, presumptive heir to the Russian crown, is
about to pass a month there with Prime Humbert, and
that apartments have bean prepared for him in the royal
palace.

Some importance is attazhed at Paris to the
presence there of the four pe:ocipal representatives of
France at the great European courts. MM. Talleyrand sad
Benedetti are already there, and the arrival of MM. de la
Tour d'Ativerpe and Grammont is daily expected. This
meeting, it is said, has been brought about by the Emperor.
During the late cold weather the lakes of the
Bois de Boulogne were covered with wild ducks driven
from the north. These unexpected guests were hospitably
received by their more civilised kinsfolk, which seemed to
associate with them in the most cordial manner.

An old actor, Louis Kramer, has just died at
Geneva in a singular way. He was playing King Liar, and
in his szeitement swallowed a portion of his artificial beard,
which stuck in the windpipe sad choked him.

---
The Dublin Morning News boa written its own
obituary. The notice of the " diaeolution" or demise which
is to take place on the 31st instant I. eery ambiguously
worded, the only thing clear and intelligible being that the
Morning News will cease its publication on the 31st inst.
Hui Mssmrry's THEATBI6.—The Hellenic words
" Eidoe Asides" that appear in the simounmemut of the
pantomime to be produced at this house ou Boxing-sight
refer to a new invention by Mr. S. M►urice, whereby, it is
said, material beings are made visible sod invisible ustas•
tassousiy, without moving from the stage.