The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-20 00:00:00

Cbe Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE. Arrii.l9.
The Queen, attended by Lady Augusta Stanley,
drove oat yitettrday afternoon.
Major•Ciseeral Bymour was in ariandases on honeback.
Prince Arthur, attended by Major laphinstone, left the
Castle for Greaswiel-park.
Princess Helena and Princess Louise, attended by Lady
Caroline Barrington, the Hon. Emily Cathcart, the Hon.
Luny LytleLton, and the Hon. Moritimer Backville West,
went to London yesterday afternoon, and were present at
the Philharmonic concert in Banoveraquars.
The Duchess of Wellington arrived at the Castle, and had
the honour of dining with the Quest, the King of the
Belgians, and the royal family.
The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Helena, walked
and drove in the grounds thin morning.
The King of the Belgian. took leave of her Majesty to-
day, and left Windsor Castle for Dover, en route to
Brussels.
Prince Alfred accompanied the King to London.

The Prineem Helena end Princess Louise, attended by
the Eon. Emily Cathcart, went to the railway station in
Windsor with his Majesty.
The King was attended by General Count de Noerkerkw
Dr. Koepl, the Earl of Caithness, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Du Plat.

Primo Alfred proceeded in the afteroom to Sandringham
Hall ea a visit to the Prioce of Wales, attended by Major
Cowell and Lieutenant Haig.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
&bellsl residence of the First Lord of the Treasury,
in Downing•street. The ministers present were Vis-
count Palmerston,the Lord Chancellor, Earl Gran-
ville, the Duke of Argyll, Sir George Grey, Earl
Russell, the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, Earl
De Grey, Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, the Duke of Somerset, the Right
Hon. T. Milner Gibson, Lord Stanley of Al-
derley, the Earl of Clarendon, and the Right Hon.
C. P. Villiers.

A deputation from the itoyal Society for the Protection
of Life fees Fire, introduced by Mr. Robert lianbury,
M.P., bad an interview with Sir George Grey, at the Home-
office, yesterday. The deputation consisted of Mr. Joshua
W. Butterworth, Mr. it. L. Middleman, and Mr. Sampson
Low, seo.
Despatches ware :waived yesterday at the Colonial-oftice
from the Governor of Canada. and from the Lord High
Commissioaer ot the lonian blends. Deepatehes were sent
to the Governors of Gibraltar, Malta, the Mauritim,Crylon.
Hong Kong, Lhasa, and the Australian Colonies.

REMOVAL or THE COURT TO OSBORNE.—ATrange-
meats were made yesterday for the departure of her Ma-
jesty and the royal family to Osborne, which it is expected
—if the weather (motion's fine and the wind suitable--will
Mks place to-day.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales are not expected to leave Sandringham for Marl-
borough Rouse before Saturday, the 30th inst., or Monday,
the let proximo.

AMENDED RESOLUTION OF THE CHANCELLOR
UP THE EXCHEQUER 0.. V THE FIRE INSUR-
ANCE DUTY.

In committee of ways and means the Chancellor
of the Exchequer now proposes to move the following
amended resolution :—" Fire Insurance Duty—That, in lieu
of the yearly per-tentage duty now chargeable for or in re-
spect of any insurance from loss or damage by fire only,
which shall be made or renewed on or after the 25th day
of June, 1864, of or upon any goods, wares, or merchandise,
being stock in trade, or of or upon any machinery, fixtures,
implements, or utensils need for the purpose of any manu-
facture or trade, there shall be charged and paid yearly •
duty at and after the rate of Is. GI. per annum
for every 1001. insured ; and when any such insur-
ance as aforesaid shall be made or renewed at any
time between the 22nd day of April, 1864, and the aid 27ith
day of June, for any period of time extending beyond the
said last-mentioned day, there shall be charged and paid for
and in respect of the time intervening between the making
or renewing of the said insurance and the said With day of
June, the yearly per tentage duty at and after the rate
'chargeable on the said 22d day of April, and for and in
respect of any subsequent period, including the said 2.:qh
day of Jou, the rate of duty chargeable acoording to this
resolution ; and no return or allowance of duty, except at
and after the last-mentioned rate, shall be made io respect
of time unexpired, or otherwise, on any such insurance u
aforesaid, which shall have been made or renewed before
the said 22nd day of April, 1864."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes to
nominate the following members as t►e select committee
on Government Annuities 818 :—The Chancellor of Use
Exchequer, Mr. &theme Estcourt, Mr. Milner Gibson,
Mr. Henley, Str Mint* Farquhar, Sir Stafford Northuots,
Mr. Honfall, Mr. Gamboa, Mr. Charles Turner, Mr.
Herbert, Mr. Habbsrd, Mr. H. B. Sheridan„ Mr. Ayrtoa,
Mr,Hodgkinsoa, and Mr. Paget.

Sir George Grey proposes to nominate the select
committee on Seat of Under• Secretary of State as follows :
Sir George Grey, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Attorney.
General, Sir Hugh Cairns, the Lod-Advocate, Mr. Hardy,
Mr. Attorney-General for Irelead, Sir William Heathcote,
Mr. Massey, Lord Robert Cecil, Mr. Bright, Mr. Serjesot
Kioglake, Mr. Hunt, and Mr. Dodsoo.

' The three Japanese Ambassadors accredited to
I the Court of the Tuileries arrived at Marseilles on Friday
last, and were received with the honours due to their rank.
Eight amines were placed at their disposal, is which they
were conveyed to the grand hotel, and as they passed Fort
St. John they were saluted with ten guns. An immense
crowd assembled to see the ambassadors pass along the
quay', and in the Cannibiere the street were lined with
the troops of the garrison. Shortly after their arrival at
the hotel they were visited by General d'Aurelle de Pala-
dines, commanding the military division, and by tho Mayor
of Marseilles. On Saturday the ambassadors returned the
visit of the authorities, and in the afternoon they visited
the Grand Theatre to see the comic opera performed of Si
feted* Rol, followed by the ballet of the d nto:onm
DOWNING-STREET, APIt/L 16.—The Queen has
been plasmodia appoint James Cormeck and ;slues Oliphant
Fraser. FAtIM, to be cuembis of the Legisbitive Council of
the island of Newfoundland. Her Majesty his also been
pleased to appoint Hugh Williams Austin, Fag., to be at.
,rotary to the governor in the island of Jamaies.—Gazefte.
LORD CH•I/BERLAIN'S OFFICE, APRIL 18.—
Notice is hereby gives, that the state apartments of
Windsor Castle will deepened to the public on and after
Monday, the 2.5 th instant

PRINCE ALFRED.—Wileiller or Ent it is true
that Prince Alfred, as Lord Brougham remarked at the late
Social Science Congress, is one of the Lest of prince.. he
has become an immense favourite among the Modern
Athenians, some of whom have gone the length of seeking
locks of Lis hair from the barber who usually hod
the honour of cropping his royal highness. Like
his elder brother, the prince is • Leavy smoker.
Notbiug, is fact, seems to please him better than a
good pipe of tobacco sod a chat with two or three
cheerful companions- He is also of • mechanical cast
of mind, and in his smoking room at Holyrond be
had fitted up a turning lathe, with which he was
in the habit of amusing himself by making neat little boxes
and other articles as presents for his visitors. In photo-
graphy he is remarkably proficient, having imbibed a strong
relish for it from his roothw, who is known Lobe emetically
conversant with the art, and to bare instructed her family
in its details. A photograph of the prince, taken by himself
• few days ago at Holvrood, now forms one of the chief
attractions in the salons of • fashiotroble and popular
artist here. I may further mention, ea facts which are not
generally known,
harmonium.that his royal highness is equally ex-
pert co the violin and harmonium. One incident
illustrating • highly favourable trait of the prison's cha-
racter must not he omitted. Some time ago, es will be re-
membered, one of his eves eat accidentally blaokeeed while
was playing at racket. The ball, it seems. had been
sung against him by IL student, who, of course, became
greatly annoyed, not to say alarmed, at the result of his
awkwardnees. The poor fellow manifested extreme and,
no doubt, sincere sorrow (or the occurrence, but bin de-
spondency gave place to hearty admiration when the prince
good Lumourally asked him to diaper at Holyrood
Palace next day, in order to lighten the tedium of his royal
highoese's temporary imprisonment. The invitation. I be-
lieve. was accepted.-6diiiburph CUrreapoadeni of St. An-
drws Gazette.

There is a tenement-house in New York city
having sizty-eight rooms, A by 10 feet. containing
families of one hoodrell and forty-four adults and on.
hundred and thirty-eight chddreu, elect. dogs, and forty.
three asta—Amern an paper.