The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-21 00:00:00

Vie Court.

--e--
OSBORNE, MARCR 20.
Prince Albert embarked in the Fairy, at 10 o'clock
in the morning, yesterday, and went to Portsmouth, mew
paned By the Prince of Leiningen, to inspect the new royal
yacht Victoria and Albert. The Prince afterwards weal
over the Portsmouth Bailors' Home.
Her Majesty embarked at Osborne Pier, at half-past 12
o'clock, and steamed into Portsmouth harbour, whin the
Prince re-embarked.
The royal yaeht then proceeded to Spithead, and pored
through the fleet lying at anchor there.
Captain Hall, MN., bad the honour of presenting to hee
Majes
ess ty, yesterday, two iron guns captured last summer a
Rekn.

A deputation from the Committee for the reduction of tks
duties on wine had an interview with the Chancellor of to
Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in Downing.
street. The deputation consisted of the following memben
of parliament, viz., Mr. Oliveira (chairman of the cow
mittee), Mr. Cobbold, Mr. Wickham Mr. Thomas Cham. •
bers, Mr. Gawps Thompson, Mr. Milligan, Mr. &pals,
Pellatt, Major Reed, Sir George Goodmao, Mr. Coma,
Mr. Kershaw, Mr. Pilkington, Mr. Crook, Mr. Swift, fig
James Anderson, Mr. Montage Chambers, Mr. John Mass
gregor, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Heywood, Mr. Kirk, Dr. Mite
shell, and Mr. Brady, and Messrs 11. Powoall, F. Sparrow,
H. M. F. Langton, Jeremiah Evans, the Rev. M. Share
man, and Mr. John M. Deere, Secretary.
A deputation, consisting of Sir Elkanah Armitage, Mr.
Alderman Bhuttleworth, Mr. Alderman Baocroft, and the
Town Clerk of Manchester, accompanied by the Right
Hon. T. Milner Gibson, Mr. Bright, M.P., Mr. Bro-
therton, M.P., end Mr. Kershaw, M.P., bad an interview
with Lord Stanley of Alderley yesterday, at the Board et
Trade.

A deputation from the Liverpool Clamber of Commute
and from the American Chamber of Commerce at Liverpool,
upon the snbject of the present unsatisfactory state of the
law relating to bills of lading of goods, had an interview
with Lord Stanley of Alderley on Monday. Toe depeta.
tion consisted of Messrs. Maxwell Hyslop, Francis Handl.
ton, George Maxwell, Wylie, and G. J. Duncan, mom-
panied by Mr. W. Brown, M.P., and Mr. Horefell, M.P.

The Patriotic Fund has now reached the sum of
one million sterling.

The Exhibition at 121, Pall-mall, in aid of the
Patriotic Fund, which will open next week, promises to be
of the most interesting kind ; for, besides very liberal don&
tions by many of the nobility of works by their own band;
it is now certain that the collection will be enriched with
artistic productions by members of the royal family. The
Priuceu Royal, the Prince of Wales, and the Princeum
Alice and Helena have already contributed some of their
own drawings.

Lord Erskine died on Monday last, at his house in
Sussex. The deceased peer commenced has diplonsaticlife
as Minister to the United Stater, at the beginning of the
present century, and be only retired from the same post, at
Muni* in 1813. Hie lordship is succeeded by his tided
'lwo, the Hon. Thomas Americus, now third Baron &Skill.).

As the Lord Chancellor was delivering judgment
yesterday afternoon in the House of Lords an immense
atone, which was being hauled up to the ventilator tower,
immediately over the house, fell with a fearful crash epos
the roof, almost immediately over his lordship. The acci-
dent occasioned his lordship and other members of the
house considerable uneasiness.

After hearing various obaervatione from a deputa-
tion who waited upon him yesterday, respecting the wine
duties, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said:—"lf Mr.
Oliveira's anticipation of the result of the Vienna Confer-
ences be realised, it would then be a question to discuss the
islicy of reducing the wine duties; but I need scarcely tell
you that at this moment, when the expenditure of the coon-
try considerably exceeds the revenue, it is not possible to
reduce not only the wins duties, but even other duties
to which stronger objections might be made. The wine
duty is a duty upon a luxury, upon an article not produced
in England. It is not, therefore, a p rotective duty. If a con-
siderable reduction in it were made, that would bring into
peril the duties on spirits and malt. The duty on spirits
exceeds 10,000,000/., and we can hardly look forward to any
time, not far distant, when we shall be able to :isk so large
a revenue. The malt duty is also exceedingly productive,
and if wine were to come in it would certainly dismiss both
spirits and beer. I have great difficulty in believing that
any wine sold at a few pence a bottle would not displace
spirits. For the present, at all events, this can scarcely be
considered a practical question. If Mr. Oliveira be right in
his anticipations, his motion may be a proper one to make
in the House of Commons (though I am afraid there would
be many competitors for any reduction that could be
made), but, I fear, it would require to be very sanguine
indeed to be able to look for Rey immediate reduction of
taxation at all." (A. laugh.)
Mr. Charles Dickens has consented to visit Ashford
to read his " Christmas Carol." on Tuesday next, for the
benefit of the South. Eastern Railway Mechanics' Institution.
Captain Barlow, the General Manager 01 the Railway, will
preside.
The Rev. Win. Chartres Safford, A. 8., has, on his
own petition as patron, been instituted by the Lord Bishop
of Gloucester and Bristol, to the rectory of Christ Church
with St. Ewen, in the city of Bristol, vacant by the death of
the Rev. John Strickland.
A letter from Rome of the 10th, in the Univers,
states that a Mr. Palmer, represented as a distinguished
man at Oxford, had a few days before read his recantation
of protestantiam, and been received into the Roman catholic
church.

TESTIMONIAL TO LORD DUDLEY STUART.

A meeting is to be held on Friday next, at 2
o'clock, at Willis's Rooms, Lord SILAPTISBURY in the
chair, for the purpose of raising a testimonial to the memory
of the late Lord Dudley Stuart. No better chairman could
be found for a more proper object. The deceased noble-
man's life had been devoted to works of philanthropy and
benevolence. His purse, his interest, hie abilities, and his
time, were always at the disposal of the oppressed and the
anfortunate. Richer men may have spent more money in
similar pursuits ; none ever bestowed on them greater per•
severance, or more indefatigable exertions. The merit of
hie notions was enhanced by the modesty which made him
almost blush if they happened to be known; and the per-
sons whom he served in various ways can never forget the
delicacy of feeling which enhanced the value of the service
performed. Lord Dudley Stuart had many clients, but he
had, also, many and sincere friends ; nor bad he any
enemies, even among his political opponents. Hatred is too
often generated by polities; but where the sincerity of an
opponent is unquestionable, even that pinion is disarmed.
The aristocracy may well be proud of Lord Dudley Stuart;
but that would be inadequate praise, if the people in gene-,
rid were not, also, proud of him as one of their fllow•
countrymen, identified with their nobler feelings and inde-
pendent sentiments. We hope that the meeting will be
well attended. It is due to the departed, axd due to the
living.

CRYSTAL PALACE. —BIIILIJNO DAL—TIMMY,
March 20. Admissions cm paymeot, 1,243 ; ditto by num
thlkets, 424; total, 1,667.