The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

gout ant irastiott.

Her Majesty the Queen has passed the week at
Buckingham Palace.
Her Majesty on Thursday held a Drawing-room,
which was brilliantly attended.
Her Majesty held a Court on Wednesday, when
Earl Cc,wley, G.C.8., on his return on leave from
Paris, and Sir G Hamilton Seymour, on his return
from Vienna, had audiences of the Queen.

Yesterday her Majesty and the Court left town for
Aldershott. Her Majesty reviewed the troops there,
and passed the night at the Royal Pavilion.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is at
present enjoying a tour through the west of Ireland.
It is needless to say that the Prince is everywhere
received with the most heartfelt demonstrations of
loyalty and affection.

The Countess of Derby has issued cards fur a ball
at the official residence of the Prime Minister in
Downing street, on Wednesday, the nth of May.

lialittc AI.

A CABINET Corrrcri, was held on Saturday at the
official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
in Dawning-street. The Ministers present were:—
The Earl of Derby, the Lord Chancellor, the
Marquis of Salisbury, the Earl of Hardwicke, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Secretary Walpole,
the Earl of Nlalinesbury, Lord Stanley, General Peel,
Sir John Pakington, the Earl cf Ellenborongh,
the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, and Lord John
Manners.

EAST INDIA CO MPANT.—Lientenant-General Sir
George Pollock, G.C.B. Major-General Sir John
Robert Hussey Vivian, 8.C.8., and John Pollard
Willoughby, Esq., M.P., the three Directors nomi-
nated by the Crown, took the prescribed oath
and their seats, on the inst., as Directors of the
East India Company.
A CHURCH RATE DEPUTATION, headed by the Dube
of Marlborough, Lord Dungannon, the Hon. F.
Lyon, M.P.,&c., waited on Lord Derby on Munday last
to deprecate the passing of Str J. Trelawny's bill.
The Prime Minister, having beard the deputation,
said he intended to pursue the same course with
regard to church rates as hitherto, unless he
saw a solution which might be adopted without sacri.
ficing the main principle. He believed the feeling
was that both parties agreed in refusing to accept
anything like a compromise; one patty will have it
as at present, while another would have nothing less.
than its entire abolition. He should not, therefore,
depart from his present course until he had laits
down a solution which would not sacrifice the maim
principle of the question, but which would finally pat
an end to the struggle. He saw no such solution at
present as he should think fit to adopt, and until he
saw some such solution he should continue to oppose
any measure for the abolition of the rate which he
did not think was justifiable. Lord Derby then aug,
gested to the members of the deputation to adopt
system of voluntary commutation of church rates, to
give permission to parishes to buy the rate, era ig
other words, to give power to landholders to charge%
their estates with a certain sum annwaty to meet
thst object. He believed that if anything of that
kind could be worked it would form the basis of a
good principle. !kir. Packe, M.P., said he bad very
great pleasure in heating from Lord Derby a sugges-
tion for the voluntary commutabon of church rates.
After some further convert/Aim, Lord Derby said b%

believed it was true that the question of the abolition
of the rate was not one of amount, but rather one of a
political character. Viscount Dungannon said it
would give the greatest satisfaction when it was
known that such a declaration as they had that day
heard had been made on behalf of her Majesty's
Government—that the bill which had been intro-
duced to abolish the rate would not be allowed to
pass. Such a statement must create a strong mani-
festation of feeling as had scarcely ever been known
—and would greatly gratify not only the whole of
his lordship's supporters, but also the whole of the
clergy of the Established Church. The deputation
then retired.

BANQUET TO HIS EXCELLENCY
THE DUKE OF MALAKOFF.
His Excellency Marshal Pelissier, Duke de Mala-
koff, was entertained on Thursday evening by the
members of the United Service Club at a manificEnt
banquet at their Club-house in Pall-mall. Since the
visit of Marshal Soult to this country in 1838, when
that veteran of the French army came as Ambas-
sador Extraordinary to the coronation of the Queen,
no similar ovation has been given to the represen-
tative of a foreign sovereign such as the Duke of
Malakoff received on this occasion.

- His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
attended by his aide-de-camp, Lord Burghersh,
arrived shortly before eight o'clock, and was cordially
cheered by the people as he passed from his carriage.
Marshal the Duke of Malakoff, accompanied by
Lieutenant-Colonel Appeit and Commandant Duval,
aide-decamps to his Excellency, arrived punctually
at eight o'clock, and was ushered to the saloon, where
the members gave the distinguished guest a hearty
reception.
At a few minutes after eight the Duke of Cam-
bride and the Duke of Malakoff passed into the
banqueting-room, followed by the noble and gallant
officers, members and visitors of the club. The
banquet, which it is almost needless to remark was
of the most sumptuous description, was served in
the large coffee-room of the club. The Duke of
Cambridge presided on the occasion, supported by
the Duke of Malakoff.

At the second tables the following members
officiated aa vice•presidents :—Colonel W. Blois,
Lieutenant. General John Aitchison, Colonel Richard
T. Gilpin, Rear-Admiral Rodney Mundy, Rear•Ad-
rniral Lord George Paulett, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Westenra.

Covers were laid for 150 persons.
The visitors, in addition to the gallant Marshal,
were—Baron de Malaret, Madame Morincault, and
Comte de Jaucourt, of the French Embassy; Lieu-
tenant Colonel Appert and Commandant Duval,
Aides•de Camp to his Excellency ; and Lord
Burghers)), Aide de-Camp to his Royal Highness the
the Duke of Cambridge.
After dessert had been placed on the table, the
Duke of CasmninoE, as chairman, gave " The
Health of her Majesty," which was drunk with the
cu..tomary honours.
" The Health of the Emperor Napoleon 111. and
his illustrious Consort " was proposed by the Royal
Duke, and drunk amid warm applause. His Royal
Highness said he had himself a particular satisfac-
tion in proposing this toast, for if ever there was an
individual who had received marked attention from
his Imperial Majesty, he was that individual:—

He had had opportunities of conversing with the Em.
peror under all kinds of circumstances, and at moments of
entire privacy, and he could most conscientiously state
that every expression and every sentiment of his Imperial
Majesty was in consonance with the public opinions he
had expressed of the great value of the mutual alliance of
France and England. He for one attached great im-
portance to that alliance. He was deeply sensible of its
importance, whether In peace or war, and therefore
nothing gave him so much satisfaction as recording his
hope that this alliance might endure till the end of time.
Though there might be little differences of opinion—and
differences of opinion would arise in the management of
even the same political systems—he was confident that
alliance would continue, and fructuate to the good of the
universal world.

His Royal Highness concluded by proposing " The
Health of the Emperor and Empress of France,"
which was drunk• with great enthu.ia,sm.

His Excellency the Duke of MALAKOFF, when the
cheering had subsided, acknowledged the toast in
the following terms:—

Monseigneur et messieura, Le toast gas von, venez de
porter i l'Empereur et a l'lmperattice lour sera partieu-
lierement agriable; et, ma conviction se fonde pro.
fundament sur lea paroles sympathiques prononcees par
won Souverain quand j'ei eu l'hbrineur de me separer de
lui pour aborder les cotes de la vielle Angleterre.

His Royal Highness next propcsed "The Health
of his Excellency the Duke de Malakoff," a toast
received with loud and hearty cheers.
His EXCELLENCY, aho was received on rising with
renewed cheers, said :

Monseigneur et messieurs, Je sous sais nn gre infini
tits bienseillantes expressions que coos m'sdreseer, et je