The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

Coati nub lastion.

HER MAJESTY held a Privy Council yesterday
(Friday) afternoon at Buckingham Palace. The
Queen had a dinner party on Wednesday, and on
Tuesday and Thursday visited the Princess's and
Olympic Theatres.
Accoaniso to present arrangements the Court will
arrive at Windsor Castle for their usual Easter sojourn
on Thursday next, the 113th inst.
Prima ALBERT left London on Wednesday morn-
ing by the South-Western Railway for Farnborough,
to inspect the proposed site presented by Mr. Gibson
for the Wellington College. The Prince was accom-
panied by the Earl of Derby, the Rev. Mr. Gleig, and the
Hon. W. P. Talbot. His Royal Highness returned to
Buckingham Palace at two o'clock.
M. CLAUDET attended at Buckingham Palace on
Wednesday with his dagueereotype apparatus, for the
purpose of taking a portrait of her Majesty for the
stereoscope.
His Serene Highness the Prince Victor of Hohen-
lohe Langenburg arrived at Buckingham Palace on
Wednesday on a visit to the Queen.
A LETTER from her Majesty to the Marchioness of
Westminster, condoling with her ladyship on her
late melancholy bereavement, was written on Wt dnes-
day, and despatched from Buckingham Palace on that
day. It reached Eaton-hall on Saturday, having
been " mis-sent" to Flint. It was at first supposed
that this most unpleasant mistake was imputable to
the negligence or oversight of the employis at the
Chester post-office, and a searching investigation was
instituted. The result of the inquiry has fully exone-
rated the officials here, the royal missive having been
" mis-sent " to Flint from the General Post office in
London.—Cheater Chronicle.
THE COUNTESS OF CLARENDON gave her third as-
sembly this season on Wednesday, at the official re-
sidence of the Foreign Secretary, Downing-street. It
was honoured with a most numerous and brilliant
attendance. The diplomatic corps were present
almost without an exception.
THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE DUNE OF PORTLAND took
place on Monday, when the remains of the deceased
peer were consigned to their last resting-place in the
Cavendish vault in the parish church of Bolsover,
Derbyshire. The present duke has notbeen enabled
to leave London, in consequence of indisposition, but
it is understood that he has expressed his willingness
to concede all the benefits and privileges to the de-
pendents upon the estate granted by his late father.
GENERAL DANIEL F. O'LEARY, her Britannic
Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary at Bogota, died on
the 24th of February, in a fit of apoplexy, after four
hours' illness.

V olitital an Ottani.

THE BOARD OF TRADE Rwrunws for the month
ending March 5 were issued on Monday, and present
unmistakable tokens of the effects produced upon
commerce by the anticipations of war. The result
is nevertheless somewhat more encouraging than
might have been anticipated under the circum-
stances, and in relation to so complicated and deli-
cate an organisation as that of the British trading
system
The total declared value of the exports of British and
Irish produce and manufactures, including only the
"enumerated articles," during the month and two months,
is as follows :
For the Month. For Two Months.
1854 16,617,438 C 12,480,526
1853 6,272,649 12,604,490
1852 6,353,552 10,175,333
Including the " unenumerated articles" (recently intro-
duced by a new arrangement of the official return), the
month's exports this year are raised to 7,502,9121., and
those of the two months to 14,195,4541. Among the lead-
ing items of export we find that cotton manufactures,
which figured in the return for March, 1853, at 2,192,1691.,
have fallen in the present return to 1,961,6071. Metals,
on the other hand, together with hardware, cutlery, and
other articles known as Birmingham manufactures, show
• considerable advance. With the exception of cottons,
which, as they firm the greatest of our manufactures, are
at the same time the most sensitive to any political or mo-
netary disturbance, all the chief items in the statement
exhibit a greater or less increase over the figures for the
corresponding month on the average of two previous years.
In woollens, metals (chiefly iron), haberdashery and mil-
linery (including all kinds of ready-made clothing for Aus-
tralia and elsewhere), hardwares and cutlery, coals, and
machinery and millwork, the upward tendency is particu-
larly remarkable. The influence of the Australian demand
continues to be strongly exhibited in many of these arti-
cles of export. 'The chief feature shown in the returns
of articles imported is the large decrease in the consump-
tion of tea, from 3,951,9971 b. in 1853 to 2,728,4601 b. in
1864. This decline, however, is fully accounted for
by the fact that this month (April) a further remis-
sion of duty is to take place. Foreign corn and flour
are still being largely used, to make up the deficiency
in our harvest. As a partial substitute for bread, the con-
sumption of rice also increases. The falling off in the use
of currants is the natural consequence of the failure of the
crop and enhancement of price. In wines there is a con-

sithrable increase; and tobacco also shows an upward

tendency.
The shipping returns for the month show a large in-
crease in the arrivals and departures to and from all coun-
tries, as compared with the corresponding month of last
year. At that period, however, the activity of the ports of
London and Liverpool was considerably checked by the
continued detention of vessels in Australia. With regard
to the coasting trade, the returns show that the tonnage
entered inward was 1,0.55,382 in the month ending March
5, 1852 ; 865,017 in 1853 ; and 1,041,077 in 1854. The
clearances outward were 985,418 tons in March, 1852 ;
891,413 in 1853 ; and 990,705 in 1854. A tendency for
steam-vessels to supersede &ailiug-ships in the coasting
trade continues to be exhibited.

358,148
88,374
65,913
47,430
382,634
59,000
143,888

1,145,382
219,591
224,053

1,589,026

103,970