The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-01 00:00:00

THE COURT.

THE DItAWINGHOOM.
The Qoeen held a drawing-room at two o'clock yes-
terday a:unman, in B'. Jswes's Pelee,. Her Di 'jury and j
Prince Albert, attended by the my I waiie, arriv.-st Its ,
Buckingham Palace, escorted by • detachment of the Royal
Reg :IS. 14 to Horse Guards.
Her R Highness the Deduce of Catabf.defi arrived,
secompsnied by with. 11,501 Highnesses the Hereditary
Grand Duke nod Grand Mechem of Mecklenburg Btrelits, •
and attended by lady Anaemia Ceditean, Mr. Wines I Mild-
aa.y, and Ma) .a 8 rybens. Hie It.)at fl Rhona Prince
Cie rge attend d the drawing-recto. His Royal Highness
Prince Wary of the Netherlands was also main.
Her llejest)'• Corps of G.ntlearta.st-Aram were on duty
in the state-rooms, and also in the thrtrogo im
In attendance on the Queens and Os Philtre were the
Viscountess C tuning, the M-rehi.mess of Douro, and the
Coniston Wadi, ladies of the bodensmher; Hon. Miss
Cavendish, Hon. Miss Kerr, Run. Mum Murray, Hon.
Miss Ldy Ca line fttim rs Cocks, Hon.
Miss !lanky, and Hon. Miss Putt, maids of ho-
ntwe • Hon. Mn. Assoc,Hon Mrs. Brand, and the
HO4l:M,s. Genus Campbell, Woken of the Bedchamber ;
thy Lord Seward, the L tad Chamberlain, the Mater of the
H.Me• the Groom of the Steel.- to the Prince, th• Tressurer
of the Household. the Vice.Chinsberiain the Comptroller
of the Household; the E srl of L stow .I, L ,rd in Wai.ing ;
Viscount Clinfen, Lord i Wsiung to the Prince ; Lieut.-
Colonel the Hon C B. Phipps, 'Private 8 eretary to the
Prince ; Mr R. Ormsby Sir., Groom in Waiting ; Captain
Francis Eieytn .ter Groom in Waiwan to the Ptillee ; General
Weave, Equerry In Waiting ; Lint..C.lon. I the Hon.
Ate:ander (Virden, Equerry is 'Waiting to the Prince ; and
the Page. of H moor in
The Queen wore • white satin train, trimmed with
bouquets ul cure flowers and tulle, ant ornamented with
diamonds. The p-ttieost was white satin, trimmed in the
same way. Her 'Maj..sty's head dress was formed of feathers
sod • wreath et !wen fl owns and diamonds. The chute

sate was of Spnlfirds manufecture.
Her R Highness the Da has. of Cambridge wore •
petticoat of white glace trimmed with Mussel lace, the
stomach., of emeralds of the largest eine, and diamonds; the
train was of the richest white satin trimmed to curnepond.
Her Royal Highneo wore. splendid tiara of diamond., with
feathers and lace lappets. Tee necklace end earrings were
brilliants and emeralds.
Her Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duchies of
Mecklenburg &refits wore • train of light Win odic orbit
embroideri d with silver end border, d round the edges with
a rooleau of silver bullion; the stomach,r was adorned with
large pearls and brilliants. The p, Waist was of lace over
whits ratio. Her Royal Highness wore a magnifirnei
diadem of diamonds and large pearls. The necklace was
formed of pearls.
The diplomatic circle were introduced, when the following
presentations to her Majesty the Queen and his R. yal High-
ness the Prince Albert took place:
By the Hanoverian Minker—Count Ferdinand Harden-
berg, Equerry to his Majesty the King of Hanover.
By the Mi eater from the United Suttee—Mr. C. A. Han-
ingot, Envoy Extraordinary and Mini ter Plenipotentiary
of the Uaitent States at Berne. Mr. Gale. Seaton, &crater)
if the United Sates Legation at Frankfort.
By the Minister from the Niftnerlitada—Admiral Law,
Colonel Eigot, and Lieutenant Van Rapper& is the ante of
his Royal Highness Prince Henry. Captain Van da Brocke
(of the iyal Netherlands Navy), Fir-t Li tannest Beheld s
(of the Wry& Netherlands Navy), and Second Lieutenant
Kreekel (of the Royal Nether). .ds Navy).
By the Sardinian Minister—Count Conestabils, an Italian
nobleman.
By the Austrian Minister—Count Gustavo. Betthyany,
Attaché to the Austrian Legation ; Trine: Richard Metter
aids.
The diplomatic circle was attended by Idehmed Pacba,
Ottoman Aolosoidor, Cabouly Mend', First Secretary,
and Sun Bay, Second Beer , of the embus, ; if •
Belgian Minion! and Madan* Van de Weyer, M. Eugene
de Gerlaehe, Attaehe to he Legation ; the Bavarian Minir
tor and Rumness de Cato; M. Moreno, Buenos A) rein
Minister, and Ca stain Mimeo, Seco try of Legation ; the
P ratlmilees ?disaster and Vl...annual de Moncorvo. the
Chevalier de &twin, First Secretary, and le Chevalier Pam
de Sorer Attache to the Legation ; the Russian M Meter
and Baroness de Brunnow, M Alerandi •is B•ig, First
Seen ary allegation; Conn de Kielmanmegite, Hanoverian
Minister; the Prowl in Minister and MA... Bunsen, the
Brazilian Minister and Madame Lisb 'a, L Chevalier J. M.
de Souza Lidos, le Chevalier Pinto Pei: its, and M. J. T.
de Amish, Attachés to the Legati n ; Count de Reventlow,
Denise Minister ; the American Mined r end Mrs. Bancroft,
and Mr. Broach. ad, Secretary of Legation ; Count
S thieneelpeaninck, the Netherlands Minister, ant 8411/11
de Stratenus, Consei ler do Li station; Baron de Rebut's°,
Swedish Minister; Senor Mol ne, Costa Rica Minister ;
Marquis de Scull, Sardinian Minister ; Marquis d'Azeglio,
Baron Isola, and Count Corti, Secretaries of U oration ; the
' Austrian Mines, and Countess Collated., and Baron Wy-
denhrink, Secretary of Legation ; M. de Montherot, Chargé
d'Affaires de France, M. Breuil, Seczetary.ot the Embassy ;
Viscount Palmerton, G.O 8., her lisp sty's principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Viscountess Pal-
, merston, and Col. the Hon. Sir Edward Cwt, K.C.H., her
Majesty's Muter of the Ceremonies.
The general circle wee attended by the Postmaster-
' General, the Captain of the lion. Corps of Gantt• men at-
Arms, the Captain of the Yeomen Guard, Lord Denman,
Chief Janine of the Court of Queen's Bench; the Marquis
of Londonderry, Gold Stick in Waling; the Vice-Chancellor
Wigton, Sir Mathew Wyatt, ideutenant et the Hon. Corps
of Gentlemen-a•-Arms; Bir Go orge Lee, Lieutenant of the
Yeomen Guard ; the Lard Maaor, Lard Alfred Paget, Clerk
Marshal ; Chevalier Hebeler, their Prussian and Wenem-
berg Majesty's Costal General ; Mr. J. B. Heath, Sardinian
Consul General; Mr. D. Harms; Standard Bearer of the Hon.
C rps of Gantlemen.at•Arms; Mr. Alderman and Sheriff
Finn's, Mr. Si., riff Goodhue, Captain Sir Gorge A. W.st-
phal, R.N., Aiiles-de•Camo in Waiting; Major Stephens.
Equerry in Waiting on her Royal Ili. toms tne Duchess of
Cambridge; Captain Carling, Adjutant of the lion. Corps
of Gentlemen-at-Arms; Colonel Fi seaurice, Adjutant of
the Yeomen Guard ; By Seymoer Sadler, Been in Waiting;
Sir Benjamin Smith, C.B. ; Mr. Edward Hobhouse, Gentle-
man Usher in Waiting upon her Majesty ; Colonel Sir Fre-
deric Smith, K.H., Gentleman Usher to the Privy Chamber;
Mr. A. Blackwood, Groom of the Privy Chamber ; Sir John
Sunnis, Bart., Gentles's& Usher in Waiting to the Queen;
Liant..Colostiel Diggle. Usher to her Majesty ;
Captain G. C. Blake, It N. Gentleman Usher to his Royal
Highness Prince Albert in Waiting ; Colonel Bentii.ck,
"oldness= Guards, Field Meer in Brigade Wailing.

MEI MAJESTY'S TerAnta.—The QINYE and His
Highness Prince Anon hoorayed the performance-
!ltußier llejasty's Theatre yrstarday (Thanday) swung
with their presents.

PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAM
NAVIGATION COMPANY.

Yesterday the half-yearly meeting of this company
took place at the offices in Lewienhall-strett, for the purpose
of receiving the report of the direction and declaring a divi-
dend for the half-year ending the 31st March, 1649 ; Jamie
Mallllsol4, Esq., M.P., in the chair.
Toe report stated that the result of the otrepany's opera-
' tions warranted the recommending a diestarstion of the unal
dividend of 4 per cent. for the half year ending March 31.
No washy had happened to the fleet dudes the last twelve
months. The prommt Thom of laypt, Abbas Paha, to
whom Sir Jobs Phis had pressoded ma a mission on behalf
of the eseepey, bad acquiemed in Tarioue sugges-
does made to him he the 'osprey( meet of the
transit anapaests for the overland route through
that country, end had authorised the directors to
seder for hie empount ens additional steam vessel, for the
Nile, to be fitted with all the improved sentrimodation
which esperimies sweets: also two paddle-wheel steamers
hr the Mahmindish Canal. These canal boats will be de-
voted to the sionnyanee of passengers may, and the baggage
will be named in Mere by mask hosts. Thin ewe
stemma will be a most important addition mei=
moat to the asset transit, which hes hitherto hem
the most inconvenient part of the journey, and they will sr
gerhapy be fitted is the meet commodlese moan, end
sent out with the utmost despeesh. • small owner, new
building at Bailee. will shortly be plead et nem, kr the
embarkation and leaks. of ___em
lei hump Sam
the India steamers. wheat will be ef peat
loomfort end emneelenes. A eme, logeseutren
t
has already hese effected in the hales end embeeketien of
pemehters and taggege at Alseendlis, eel commodious
eleedwases have also been motel then, and at the Me&
easedielt Canal. The eeemismel eillealties end delays at
Midi will, ia Mere, be would by the iateaded weed=
011017 end 11060ffltilite there ; but, in most owe, she
sem eleemere win pme through the locks, and poi
alsepide the line steseesee, end the Amide from see to I
thenhee will this be molly and eseemdsady sleeted. The
of the anal is to be Improved by deepening, for
Besides.bres ininerieddralirpteramelehelameets, othn
ers ere taw is "mnisritigatut
have already been resently Paned. The mate I
Feriall
ea. between Cairo and Sues, ha been art;
and is divided into 16 stations at ends el
wifth sea aow be changed in from 'eight to teal
telmetee. whereas formerly this operation uoally
oc
espied hens twenty to thirty minutes. The whole
diseases, from the Nile (my Coln) to the Bed See,
ems sew be performed in eamfornble Tebiel/4, in from 16 to
16 keen, of which about 10 boars are oecapted in sauna
travelling on the reed, and the remaining portion in the rues
takes at meals, d: 0., and fa changing harem.
la their bat sandal report the directors stated the basis
of a proposal which, In answer to a public advertisement in-
viting senders, they had submitted to her M.jesty's govern-
esses for establishing a monthly postal communtratioa by
nem vends biters n Singapore and Sydeey. It appears
that perdu who were oomph& Its endsieouriag te hem a
isses7ps ealso4loa samitted propel& to the goverameet for the
NM No decision se to the Ild•blisbauks of the
trimmunicadon has yet been mole btrows br
the govensment,
_end the directors have bees khemed that
the Parties ~es to have withdrawn their prepesel, mad
have sbeedemed gay further attempts to main& the re-
igned
The=limmtio by government et the eseveyeam of
die beam* Or the lona Men which depsned from South-
engem oaths ef she math, wen noticed in the last
emered sepet-Miiir vemephelher of dissatisfaction which
this dienteemsemme of the ion
ooesaiosed, par-
timidly at lbe Bombay Presidency, as mediated by the
veins seemertals test kelt gig quarter, together with the
by the dhows Ihet this cosepasy possessed the
tarlde
iemersot only remaylag the evil complained of but also
of rising an imputes improvement, sad a very lazy re-,
hada in the evens@ of the Bombay breath of the nits