The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-23 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 23, 1864:

the relief of the eye and the ease of traffic.
' Nothing can give these places the picturesque
beauty, or even the outward air of homely comfort,
which distinguishes so many English market towns.
As yet the public buildings are few, and of a bad
sort ; houses and shops are mean and grimy ;
neither the climate nor the price of land will sutler
the growth of bees and gardens, which elsewhere
bring town and country into such charming con-
tact. But they will, at least, be more fit to live
in ; and such beauty litl the circumstances of the
case admit may come presently. It is not too
much to say that by help of the Public Works
Act, Lancashire will do as much needful sanitary
work in three as without it would hardly have
been done in thirty years.
But then the factory operatives, for whom the
Act was to find work—what of them? We have
already stated our opinion that in this respect,
too, it is doing all, or nearly all, that was expected
of it by every sober-minded critic ; and that the
root of any disappointment that may exist may be
traced, not to real failure, but to overstrained anti-
cipation. A more important thing is to note that
no accusations of jobbery or malversation are
brought against the borrowers of the public money.
With singularly few exceptions the work/ are
judiciously selected and honestly executed. The
nation will get its money back on the stipulated terms,
and the borrowing towns will have more than the
money's worth. Even against Manchester all that
can be alleged is that the corporation saw and
seized upon the chance of a large loan upon easy
terms, and have not been very scrupulous as to ,
the implied condition ; no one says that the im-
provements upon which the money is spent are
not needed, or that anything has been wasted in
the purchase of the materials which absorb so large
a part of it. And if this is true, and the example
of Lancashire proves that public money can be
advantageously lent and honestly applied to such
purposes, why should not the Public Works Act be
made applicable to the whole kingdom? Such an
extension of its terms would at once remove any
lingering jealousy which may arise from the idea that
Lancashire towns are deriving a great local good
at the national charge, without always fulfilling the
condition with which the nation accompanied its
benevolence. It is well understood that these
loans cost the Government nothing—that the whole
affair is a financial transaction which pays its own
expenses. Surely there must be pottery villages
in Staffordshire, and hardware towns about Bir-
mingham, and valleys in Yorkshire where the
Public Works Act would amply pay for itself, not
only in money, but in the increased health and
comfort of the labouring population. If the cotton
famine indirectly conduces to lessen the Lanca-
shire death rate, it will only be one instance more
' of the way in which Divine Providence suffers no
evil to be unattended by at least a partly counter-
j veiling good.

Irbt (Noun.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. M.

The French Ambassador (Prince de Latour
d'Auvergne), the Viscount and Viscountees Sydney, the
Viscount and riseountess Palmerston, the Hot. Sir Frede-
rick Brace, and Lentenant-General Sir Richard dare,,
arrival at the Castle yesterday.
I The royal dinner party in the e►ening comprised the
Prince and Princes of Wales and Princess Helena, the
French Ambassador, Viscount and Viscountess Splncy,
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston, the Hon. Sir Frede-
rick Bruce, Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Airey, and the
ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting to her Alsjesty and the
Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Queen, accompanied by the Princess of Walea,
Princese Helena, and Princess Beatrice, drove out this
morning in a carriage and four, attended by Colonel the
Hon. A. Harding..
Her Majesty went to the Norfolk sad Flemish Farms and
inspected tho animals about to be exhibited at the cattle
show.

Risen Brunnow, the Russian Ambassador, had an audi-
ence of the Queen this afternoon, and presented General
Todleben to her Majesty.
Princess Louise, attended by the Hon. Mn. Bruce, walked
and drove in the grounds.
The Prince of Wales went 'out shooting, accompanied by
the Hon. Sir Frederick Bruce, and attended by Lord
Methuen and Major Teesdale.
Prince Arthur left the Castle this morning, and returned
to Greenwich Park, attended by Major Elphiostone.
The following visitors likewise left the Castle—the French
Ambassador, Viscount and Viscountess Sydney, Viscount
and Viscountess Palmerston, and Limit.. General Sir
Richard Airey.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury,
in Downing-street. The ministers present were
Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Sir
George Grey, Earl Russell, the Right Hon. Edward
Cardwell, Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, the Duke of Somerset, the Right
Hon. T. Milner Gibson, Lord Stanley of Alderley,
the Earl of Clarendon, and the Right Hon. C. P.
Villiers.

ARRIVAL OP THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OP
1 WALES IN THE METROPOLIS.-(THIS DAL)

This morning their Royal Highnesses the Prince
and Princess of Wales, accompanied by their infant son,
Prince Albert Victor, left Windsor Castle shortly after 10
o'clock, tea route foe London.
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales wore a blue
violet silk velvet dress and jacket, and white bonnet with
black lace and white feather. The infant prince, who was
carried in the arms of his nurse, rode in the saloon with
, his parents.

Their Royal Highnesses are expected to leave town for
Sandringham to-morrow.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge bad
la dinner party on Monday at Gloucester House expressly
to meet General Todleben, the distinguished Russian
[ engineer. The Duchess of Cambridge, his Excellency the
Rummies Ambassador, and a select party formed the circle.
Several military officers of high rank were not present on
ion account of their absence from London.

His Excellency the French Ambassador enter-
tained a select circle at dinner yesterday eveniug at the
Embassy at Albert-gate.

His Excellency the Prussian Ambassador comes
to town to-day from St. Leonardson-Ses, end, is cane-
queue cf an invitation from her Majesty, goes to Windsor
. Castle on • short visit to the queee.
At the late Durbar which was held by Sir John
' Lawrenoe in munificent tents pitched on • smooth plain
' outside the walls of Lahore, the Rajah of Jheeod was
dressed hi pure white muslin, gleaming all over with
diamonds and emeralds, and a yellow turban. The Ma-
i husjah of Patted', a very important personage, wore a
dress of rich lavender silk, but so overlaid with
emeralds and pearls that th a colour could hardly be
distinguished. The Maharajah of Cashmere and his
son, • boy of 10, were in white, with red and
yellow turbans, emeralds, and diamonds. One chief,
of great stature, appeared is black and gold with a green
turban ; another showed his true Sikh extraction by a robe
of pure yellow. The characters sad histories of these
' princes were as striking and varied as their apparel. There
youths two high priests of the Sikh notion, lineal de-
scendants of the very prophet who founded the state.
There was the very Sikh nobleman who, as the best horse-
man of his race, had led the charge against us at Chilliaa-
wallah. There was the noble Persian of the Kussilhash
tribe who had rescued the English prisoners from Cabal-
There was a little nabob, only seven years old, who behaved
with u much intelligence and composure as the most ex.
perienced ruler. One chieftain present was noted as the
handsomest man in the North-West, another as the wittiest,
a third as the heaviest—who was so large, indeed, tLat the
arms of his chair had to be cut off before he could be
seated. Not a state, not • dynasty, not • principality, not
lan office, not a dignity remained unrepresented in the

of Chalons, obtained it without difficulty, but not so
the Bishop of Perpignan. This prelate, on being called
on with his col cept. to declare if he believed in
the infallibility of the Pope, replied indeed affirma-
tively, bat with certain reserves, limiting himself to the
doctrine of the Gallican church, es expeonded by Baguet.
This answer did not satisfy the Viiiiollll, and the new
bishop has but little chance of being preconieed at Rome.
M. Sancho is said to be engaged in warmly supporting the
Bishop of Perpignan and the rights of the Gallium church.
The Revue des Deux blondes publishes the follow-
ing passage from a sermon by St. Jerome, which
might well have been written of Paris ladies of the
present day :

Ah ! I shall tell you who aro tho women that scandalise
Christians. They are them who daub their cheeks with
red, and their eyes with black—those whose plaster faces,
too white to be human, remind us of idols—those who
cannot shed a tear without its tracing i farrow on the
painted surface of their faces—those whims ripe years fail
to teach them that they are growing old—those whose head
drama are made up of other people's hair—those who
chalk wrinkles into the counterfeit presentment of youth,
and thee, who affect the demeanour of beahful maidens in
the presence of troops of grandchildren.

The Bourse, sustained by good reports of the state
of the Bank cellars both in France and England,
was firm, but without great activity. Rente rose
15c. for cash, and for account left off without
change at 65fr. 50. Mobilier rose 7fr. 50c. Rail-
ways were all from lfr. to 3fr. higher.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
(THIS DAY.)

EQUITY COURT.

THE MAYOR OP LONDO- W.-GOVIE2IOIIB Or ST. THOYAS'tI