The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-17 00:00:00

VW Court.

The Queen held a court at one o'clock yesterday
afternoon, for the reception of an addreu on the throne
from the Convocation of the Clergy of the province of Can-
terbury.
The members of the Convocation arrived at Buckingham
Palace at a quarter before oae o'clock, and were conducted
to the Green Drawing room, the clergy appearing In their
convocation robes.

—Her IsigjUty being seated on her throne, Prince Albert
standing by her side, the Convocation was ushered to the
Throne-room by Sir William Martins and Mr. Henry Gre-
ying, the Gentlemen Ushers in Waiting.
Her Majesty was attended by the Duchess of Suther-
land, Mistress of the Robes ; the Marchioness of Ely, Lady
in Wallies ; the Earl of Aberdeen, K.T., First Lord of
the Treasury; Viscount Palmerston, G.C.R , Secretary of
State for the Hems Department; the Marquis of Lans-
downe, K.G. ; Earl Granville, Lord President; the Duke
of Argyll, Lord Privy Seal ; the Duke of Newcastle, Secre-
tary of State for the Colonies; the Right Hon. William E.
Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer ; Sir William
Molesworth, Chief Commissioner of Works and Public
Buildings; the Duke of Norfolk, K.G., Lord Steward; the
Marquis of Breadalbane, K.T., Lord Chamberlain ; the
Duke of Wellington, Muter of the Hone ; Viscount Com-
bermere, G.C.8., Gold Stick in Waiting; Lord Foley,
Captain of the Hon. Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms ;
Viscount Sydney, Captain of the Yeomen of the
Gaud ; the Earl of Sulgrave, Treasurer of the Household ;
Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice-Chamberlain ; Lord Drumlanrig,
Comptroller of the Household ; Lord Rivers, Lord in Wait-
, ins ; Sir Edward Bowater, Groom in Waiting; Col. F. H.
Seymour, Groom of the Robes ; Col. Bouverie, Silver Stick
in Waiting; Lord Alfred Paget (Clerk-Marshal), Equerry
in Waiting ; Col. Colville, Field Officer in Brigade Waiting ;
and Messrs. George Gordon Macpherson and Henry Farqu-
harson, Pages of:Honour in Waiting.
Prince Albert was attended by Lord George Lennox, Lord
in Waiti ; Col. Wylde, Groom in Waiting; and Lieut.-
Colonel Hon. Alexander Gordon, Equerry is Waiting.
The members of the Convocation entered in the following
order :—The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rev. John
Thomas, Chaplain to his Grace ; Dr. Travers Twiss, the
Vicar General of the province of Canterbury Francis Hart
Dyke, Esq., Registrar; Felix Koyvett, Esq., Apparitur-
General ; the Bishops of London, Winchteter, Salisbury.
Oxford, Chichester, Llandaff, Peterborough, and Worces-
ter; the Rev. Dr. Peacock, Dean of Ely, Prolocutor; and
a numerous body of members of the Convocation, including
the Rev. Dr. Wilson, Archdeacon Harrison, rchdeacon
Hale, Rev. John Jackson, Rev. Dr. Russell, Lord
Says and Sele, Rev. Dr. Wordsworth, the Dean
of Worcester, the Dean of Norwich, the Deaa of Bristol,
Rev. Mr. hiejendie, Rev. Dr. Spry, the Dean of Win-
chester, Archdeacon Denison, the Archdeacon of Bath, the
Rev. John Yardley, Rev. J. Hutchinson, Rev. Henry
Arthur Woodgate, Sc.
The Archbishop of Canterbury having advanced near the
Queen, read the address, and kneeling presented it to her
Majesty.
he Queen returned the following most gracious answer :
" I receive with cordial satisfaction the assurances of
your loyal and affectionate attachment to my throne and
per?'
It is my earnest desire t 3 promote the welfare and hap-
piness of all classes ot my subjects, by continuing to them
the blessings of puce abroad, and by assisting to extend at
home the holy influence of religion, which is the only sure
foundation on which national prosperity can permanently
rest.

" I thank you for the sympathy which you have ex-
pressed in my sorrow for the recent lois of the most distin-
guished of my subjects, and I appreciate the value which
you attach to that high sense of duty by which he was in-
variably inspired.
" I rely with confidence on your assurances of your de-
sire to preserve harmony in the Church, and to increase its
efficiency, veluie maintaining its doctrines and my supre-
macy unimpaired ; and I pray that the blessing of God
may attend your endeavours to extend widely, throughout
all classes of my people, the inestimable benefit of pure and
deeply-felt religion.'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Rev. Dr. Pea-
cock, Dean of Ely,the Prolocutor, had the honour of kissing
hands, and the clergy then retired from the propene* of the
Sovereign.
The lion. Corps of Gentlemen at Arms were on duty
under the command of the Right lion. the Captain, the
Lieutenant, Sir James Tyler, the Standard Bearer, Major
Harmer, and Joseph Skip Lloyd, Esq., Clerk of the
Cheque, and Adjutant. The Sub-Officers Lieut.-Colonel
Nevill and Major Cooke were also present.
Her Malady's Body Guard of Yeomen of the Guard was
also on duty in the Palace, under the command of Captain
Phibbs, the Exon in Waiting, Sir George Lee, the Lieute-
nant, was also present.
A Guard of Honour of the Soots Fusileer Guards, with
the band of the regiment, was on duty on the Palace
lawn.

Her Majesty gave audiences to the Earl of Aberdeen and
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert honoured the Haymarket
Theatre with their presence last evening. The royal suite
consisted of the Marchioness of Ely, the Hon. Caroline
Cavendish, Lord Rivers, Lord Allred Paget, and Lieut.-
Colonel the Hon. A. Gordon.

A Deputation from the Borough of Finsbury, on the sub-
ject of Albert Park, had an interview with the Earl of
Aberdeen yesterday, a; his official residenee, in Downing-
street. The deputation consisted of the Right Hon. Lord
Robert Grosvenor, M.P. the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor,
M.P., Sir James Duke, flirt., M.P., Mr. Thomas Slingsby
Dunoombe, M.P. Mr. John Biederman M.P., Mr. Wm.
Tyler., Mr. J. J. Dowries, Mr. John Barnett, and Mr. James
Lloyd.
A. deputation on the subject of the Darlington and Bar-
nard Castle; Railway Bill had an Interview with the Right
Hon. E. Cardwell and Lord Stanley of Alderley, yester-
day, at the Beard of Trade. The deputation consisted of
Mr. Joseph Pease ; Mr. Richardson, solicitor ; Mr. Durn-
ford, parliamentary agent and Mr. Bouch, engineer.
Sir Charles Fox had an interview with Viesount Palmer-
ston yesterday at the Home-office. Mr. Alston had also an
interview with the noble viscount.
A deputation, consisting of the Earl of Burlington, Lord
Monteagle, Mr. Warburton, and Mr. Lefevre, had an inter-
view with the Earl of Aberdeen yesterday at his official resi-
dence in Downing-street.
Mr. Wodehouse, M.P., had an interview with the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer yesterday at his official residence in
Downing-street.
Despatches were sent from the Colonial-office yesterday
to the Governors of the West India Islands.

THE STAR OF BRUNSWICK ON THE DECLINE.—
The l'aris correspondent of a contemporary says : " The
Duke of Brunswick, who has been 'utonwhing the na-
tives' in Paris by the blaze of diamond stars, crosses, &c.,
with which he decorates hie person, and the variety of wigs
with which be ornaments his occiput, has met with a sad
mishap. At the ball given by the Senate to the Emperor
and Empress, he appeared in all his usual splendour, but on
his return home he made the awful discovery that his most
magnificent diamond star, valued at 70,000 f. (2,8001.), had
Leen cut from his out, anti had, of course, vanished. The
dirt.ctors of the hall Annoanced that seve. al jewels which
were lost at the ball had been found, and might bo claimed
by their owucrst but the star of his serene highness was not
among the nuisber—it h..s set for ever."

THE WRECK OF TILE QUEEN VICTORIA.

ABOUT SEVENTY LIVES LOST.

DtBLIN, Fan. 16.
The melancholy lose of the Queen Victoria steam•
ship, which took place yesterday morning, at the en-
trance to Dublin Bay, and was attended with so
fearful a loss of human life, lass spread an air of the
deepest gloom over the city, and is the only subject
of conversation on all sides. The particulars of the
calamitous shipwreck, as ha. as they can be collected,
are as follows, the exact number of lives lost not,
however, being yet ascertained.
The Queen Victoria, Captain Church commander,
belonging to the City of Dublin Steam Packet Com-
pany, started from Liverpool, for Dublin, at half-
past three o'clock on Monday afternoon, with a
general cargo, and a crew and passengers amounting
altogether, it is supposed, to about 120 persons. Ot
these 12 were cabin passengers, and about 00
steerage and deck passengers, the latter including a
large number of cattle-dealers, returning from the
Liverpool market. 'f he Queen Victoria was a first-
class vessel, and a few years ago had been employed
carrying the mails between Kingstown and Holy-
head. Captain Church was an officer of great ex-
perience, high iu the confidence of his employers,
and had been more than 20 years in the service.
The following details I take from the Freenwn's
Journal:

From the moment the vessel left the dock at Liverpool
up to half-past 1 o'clock yesterday morning all went well ;
the wind was N.E., the weather favourable, and she was
making a rapid and easy passage, but about that hour some
heavy falls of snow took place, which retarded her progress
• little. No material abatemeut, however, took place in
her speed, and about 2 o'clock the first mate and some of
the passengers perceived the li ish Light. An anxious look
out was kept for the Bailey Light, and, we understand,
that for • few minutes they did see it, but the snow coming
down in a heavy, dense, impenetrable cloud, completely shut
out the view. Under these circumstances, the obvious
course was to have slackened speed, and whether
this was effected to any extent or not, we are
at present without any distinct or satisfactory information,
some asserting that the vessel continued to go at full
speed, and others that her "way" had been considerably
reduced. However this may be, it is unfortunately but tno
clear that the land was hugged too closely, and the first
intimation those who happened to be on deck had of their
impending danger was a hurried and agitsted cry from the
first mate to stop the vessel. The mate, who was the
look-out at the starboard bow, was horrified to perceive,
looming dimly through the snow-cloud, at a distant. of not
more tan twenty yards, the dark and rugged cliffs of
Howth, a little to the north of the Bailey Light. He im-
mediately gave the order to stop, but it was too late, aid
the next instant the doomed vessel went headlong upon the
rock with • fearful and appalling crash. The captaiu was
instantly upon deck, and gave orders to reverse the en-
gines. This was done, and the vessel bring released from
the rocks backed out into deep water, when, fia.ding that
she was rapidly sinking, the captain attempted to run her
ashore. In the meantime a scene of the most melancholy
and heart-rending description ensued.
The cabin passengers were, of course, in bed, and, being
awakened by the shuck of the collision, rushed half-dressed,
and some almost in a state of nudity, upon the deck, when,
to their horror, they found the ship fast going down. The
steerage passengers, affrighted and dismayed, were running
in wild confusion about the deck, vainly seeking for some
mode of escape ; husbands were looking for their wives,
wives were clinging to their husbands ; and mothers clasping
their helpless children to their breasts, were uttering im-
passioued prayers to h for succour and for mercy. The
dark waves dashing round the vessel, the snow falling in
thick IMAM, "making darkness visible," the supplications
for help, the frenzied shrieks of despair, and the fear-
ful confusion that prevailed on board the unfortunate
ship, all combined to constituto a scene of the most
agonising and appalling character—enough to unnerve
the stoutest heart—and which will ever remain engraven
upon the memories of those who were fortunate
enough to survive it. The captain, the first mate,
and the other officers preserved their presence of
mind, and endeavoured to keep order, so that the passen-
gers and crow might have a better opportunity of effecting
their escape; but such was the alarm and excitement, and
so short the period that elapsed between the collision and
the final destruction of the vessel, that their efforts proved
quite unavailing. The confusion increased every moment, the
cries for assistance became louder and louder, and a general
rush was made towards the ship's 'mate.

The starboard quarter-bo.t Was immeelistely filled by a
number of the wretched passengers; but in the hurry and
confusion of the mo.nent, proper care was not taken to se
cure the roper, and the great weight caused the boat to slip
from het davitts into the sea, when she instantly swamped,
and all in her perished. The larboard quarter-boat was
then lowered, fortunately with more success. It contained
17Ipersons, including Mr. Duffy, Queen's-square, Mr. Walsh,
of Athy (Kildare), and Mr. Charles Ralph, shipowner,
of Wicklow—of whose humane and courageous con-
duct we cannot speak too highly. On reaching the water,
however, it was found the but was leaking fast, and must
have gone down in a short time were it not for the coolness
end presence of mind of a young lad, who, having searched
with his hand, found that the plug.hole was open, and im-
mediately thrust his fingers into it. At this time the boat
war almost immediately under the side of the sinking ship,
the bulwarks of which were crowded with the passengers,
whom the captain was seen endeavouring I. quiet and
pacify. Some of them, however, leaped into the sea, and
were instantly drowned. Mr. Walsh, whom we have men-
tioned as being in the boat, saw his wife clinging to some
of the wood-work of the vessel, and called upon her to leap
down, but Mr. Ralph cried out " For God's sake don't
jump down, or you will surely be drowned—hold on, and
we will return for you in a few minutes." They had no
idea at that moment that the vessel was so near her final
destruction, but in a few minutes afterwards she went down
bodily, bow foremost, and the uufortunate lady, and nearly
all whe remained on board, were lost.
Up to the very latest moment the captain was seen upon
the deck endeavouring to calm the agitation of the passen-
gers, and to direct their exertions into the proper channel
for the preservation of their lives ; and it is supposed that
when the vessel took her final plunge he went down with
her, together with the first and second mates, who clung to
their ship to the last. In the meantime the boat, which
could not hold another person, shoved off; the water was
baled out with a hat, and Mr. Ralph and a young man-of-
war's man named Kegg, being the only persons that could
row, seined the oars, and, atter severe exertion, ultimately
succeeded in landing fourteen persons on the rocks about
half a mile below the wreck. Undeterred by the danger
of the enterprise, and intent only on gggggg as many lives
as possible, Ralph, Kegg, and the young lad who
still continued to stop the plug-hole with his finger,
rowed back to the scene of the disaster, when they
found the Queen Victoria had gone down, her masts alone
being visible above the water. Twelve or fourteen persons
were clinging to those with all the tenacity of despair.
Ralph and his companions took five off the foremast, and
were proceeding to relieve those upon the mainmast from
their perilous position, when the steward of the Queen Vic.
tons, who was one oithem, cried out "Don't mind us, my
dear fellow, the boats of the Roscommon will pick us up.
On turning round Ralph perceived at a short distance the
Rosoommon steamer, the boats of which had already picked
up several persons, and were proceeding as fast as possible
to render further assistance. It appears that the Roscom-
mon, chartered by the Chester and Holyhead Railway Com-
pany, was proceeding from Dublin to Holyhead with a ge-
neral cargo, when the commander, Capt. Brown, observed
four red lights in the direction of the Bally Lighthouse. This
being rather unusual, he conferred with his mate, Mr. Davis,
on the subject, and at length resolved to make for the light.
They soon arrived at the wreck, and the snow having by
this time ceased, they at once perceived what had happened.
The boats of the Roscommon were lowered without delay,
end proceeded to the wreck, where they took off the men
who were clinging to the mainmast, and rescued others who
were then struggling in the water. A little child was picked
up, its body yet warm, and the signs of life faintly visible ;
but all efforts to restore animation failed. Mr. Ralph, and
those whom be bad saved and landed on the rocks, were
also picked up by the Roscommon's boats, and the greatest
attention was shown to the sufferers on board that vessel. All
of them bad suffered intensely from the wet, cold, and
fatigue which they had endured, and many were reduced to
the lowest state of mental and physical prostration, About
45 persons were rescued in this manner, of whom seven
were females, and they were safely landed at Kingstown
yesterday morning by the captain of the Roscommon.
They were at once placed under the care of the police, who
did everything in their power to minister to their neces-
sities, in which they were most kindly and humanely as-
sisted by many of the inhabitants of Kingstown. It
will be seen that the entire number saved amounts to
fifty-three, of whom we are informed twenty belonged to
the crew.
When the Queen Victoria first struck, about ten or
twelve of the passengers and crew scrambled over her bows
upon the rocks, and eight of them succeeded in obtaining
a footing. They were afterwards brought by the police
into the town of Howth, and from thence forwarded by
railway to Dublin, where they arrived in a most deplorable
condition from exhaustion and exposure.

The moment intelligence of the event reached Kingstown
Mr. Howell, the acting secretary of the City of Dublin
Steam Packet Company, who resides in that town, pro-
ceeded to take measures for recovering the bodies of those
who had been drowned, and any property which might be
found floating in the vicinity of tha wreck. The Iron Duke
(Captain Griffiths) arrived at Kingstown from Liverpool,
about half-past ten, and was immediately ordered off by
Mr. Howell to the scene of the catastrophe. The son of the
unfortunate captain of the Queen Victoria is the third mate
of the Iron Duke, and when he heard of the wreck, and the
supposed loss of his father, the poor fellow became almost
distracted with grief. While the Iron Duke was away No.
4 pilot boat came into Kingstown harbour with the
body of a woman, poorly dressed, which wu found at a
short distance from the place where the vessel had
struck. About half-past one the Iron Duke returned to
Kingstown, having on board the body of a middle-aged
woman and a child about thfte er four years of age, which
were picked up about two miles from }Eolith. The bodies
were deposited in a small house in connexion with the har-
bour, and several polieetn:n pEced in charge of them. The
dead mothers and their chddi en presented a most pitiable and
affecting spectacle; the features of the children were placid
and composed, hut the arms wi re bent :owards the head,
and their little hands tightly cloiched, indicating the ago-

sties of their last struggle betore death had released term
from their sufferings. M. Henry Davis, ono of the county
coroners, went down to Kingstown yesterday, and mode
arrangements for the holding of an inquest on these bodies
this day. It is to be hoped that this inquiry will elicit the
full particulars of this deplorable disaster.
When the Iron Duke had reached the spot where the ill-
' fated vessel had gone down, nothing was to be seen but her
funnel, ten feet of which was then above water, part of the
mainmast and foremast, a quantity of floating spars, and some
trifling articles of clothing which had belonged to the passen-
gers or crew. A life-buoy, a sailor's jacket and sou'- wester,
several small baskets which had evidently contained pro-
visions, and a leather hat case, were atnenget the art:cies
picked up by the boats of the Iron Duke, in the hot case
there was a number of letters addressed to WM. Henry
Kegg, direct:d to vessels at the Cape of Good Hope, or
other naval stations on tho coast of Africa. They were
superscribed in a female hand, and were doubtless the let-
ters of a mother, or a sister, or of oue perhaps unconnected
by blood, but not less dear, which the young seaman had
carefully preserved. We are glad to say that Wm. Kegg
is among the save'., and he it was who, with Mr. Ralph,
behaved so heroically in again venturing out, niter having
reached the land, in order to save the lives of his fellew-
sufferers. A small wooden box was also picked up, con-
taining a common coloured lithograph rudely framed ; the
host appeared to have been prized open, the other coot. ors,
whatever they were, abstracted, and the box thrown
into the sea again. In the course of tho day Mr. H 'cell
despatched the Prince Albert steamer from the North-
wall for the purpose of reconnoitering the scene t f the
wreck, and endeavouring to save property. We believe no
property of sny value was eecovered, and the Prince Albert
in returning merely br aught away some of the running gear
and tackle of the ship.
The number of people who were on board the Queen Vic-
toria or the names of these who perished cannot be aicer-
tarried until the arrival of a vinyl from Liverpool which
shall leave that port after tire intelligence of this deplorable
calamity shall have reached there.
The following are the names of the eight persons who
escaped by getting upon the rocks at Howth : John Wil-
liams, second engineer ; Patrick Dunne, fireman ; Charles
Mangan, seaman; I'. O'Brien, passenger ; Joha Bendon,
passenger; Matthew Ws:hire, passenger, 3, Shelbottrue-
pl tee ; Joseph Salmon, passenger, Bth company first Bat-
talion Royal Artillery; James Bermingham, passenger,
Glenmore, King's County.
We yesterday evening (six o'clock) visited the scene of
this melancholy disaster. The ill-fated vessel lies bow on
to the rock at the foot of the Bailey Light-house, the point
of the bowsprit just touching the rock, and the fore and
mainmast visible above water. The funnel has fallen over
and sunk. The place where the ship struck is called the
Broken Hatchets, and is about three or four hundred
yards to the north of the Bailey Light-house. Alter strik-
ing she was immediately backed out to sea, with the inten-
tion (it is supposed) of running into Dublin ; bat when
rounding the Bailey Light-house she filled and sank. The
keeper of the lighthouse stated that he was awakened about
a quarter to three o'clock by the cries of the unfortunate
people on board, which are described to have been heart-
rending in the extreme, and with some exertions he suc-
ceeded in saving eight of tl.em who had clambered on the
rocks.

None of the bodies have yet come ashore at Howth.
It ia probable that this tragic event would not have taken
place if there were ► fog-bell at the Bailey Light-house. We
have been informed that the one which was formerly at the
Howth harbour was some eighteen years since removed to
Kingstown. Some years ago a steam-ship, with the late
/dr. O'Connell on board, struck very near the same place.
She, however, got off, and reached her port in safety. Mr.
O'Connell represeated to the Ballast Board the desirability
of having a fog-bell placed at the light-house, without,
however, the desired effect, as the place has been permitted
to remain in its present imperfect state.