The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

go C Court.

The Queen held a court and privy council at three
o'clock yesterday afternoon, at Buckingham Palace.
Before the council the Earl of Aberdeen had an audience
of her Majesty.
Lord John Russell had an audience of the Queen, and
resigned the seals of office as Principal Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs.
The Laird President had an audience of the Queen.
The privy council was attended by Prince Albert, the
Lord President, the Lard Privy Seal, the First Lord of the
Treasury, Lord John Russell, the Secretaries of State for
the Rome and Colonial Departments, the First Lord of the
Admiralty, the Secretary at War, the Lord Steward, the
Lord Chamberlain, and the Master of the Roue.
The Right lion. George, Earl of Clarendon, Knight cf
the most Noble Order of the Garter, was sworn out• of her
Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State (Foreign Affairs).
The ltight lion. Stapleton, Viscount Combermere, Knight
Grand Cram of the Order of the Bath, took the oaths as
Constable of the Tower of London.

The Hon. William Bathurst was Clerk of the Council in
waiting.
The Earl of Clarendon had an audience of the Queen,
and recolved front her Majesty his seals of office as Princi-
pal Secretory of Foreign Affairs.
Sir James Graham had an audience of her Id sjesty.
The Queen was attended by the Treasurer of the House-
hold, the Vice. Chamberlain, the Comptroller of the Hou,e-
hold, the Marquis of Anglesea, K.G., Gold Stick in Wait-
ing, Lord Elphinstone, G.C.111., Lord in Waiting, and Sir
Edward Bowater, Groom in Waiting.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the Mar-
chioness of Eiy, the Hon. Flora Macdonald, Lord Elplun-
stone, Lord Alfred Paget, and Lieut.-Colonel the lion. A.
Gordon, honoured the Lyceum 'theatre with their presence
last evening.
The Education Committee of the Queen's most honour-
able Privy Council had a meeting yesterday at the Privy
Council-office. Present—the Lord President, the E irl of
Abrrdeen, the Duko of Argyll, Lord John Russell, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Right Hun. Sidney
Herbert.

A deputation on the subject of the Great Grimsby Im-
provement Bill, bad an interview with Sir William Moles-
worth yesterday, at the office of Works and Public Build-
ings, A hitehall-place. The deputation consisted of the
Earl of Yarborough, Mr. Ileneage, M.P., Mr. Iteodel, Mr.
Bubb (Town Clerk of Grimsby), Mr. Radford, and Mr.
Charles Parkes.

A deputation on the subject of the Health of Towns Bill,
consisting of Mr. Edmund Thomson, Mayor of C:itherue,
and Mr. Edward Hodgson, of Clitherue, hail an interview
with Sir William Molesworth, yesterday. The deputation
was introduce d by Mr. M. Wilson, M.P. for Clitheroc.
Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board of Inland Re-
venue, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer yesterday at his official residence in Dowaing-
street.

A deputation from Bermondsey, on the subject of the
Bermondsey Regulation Act had an interview with Sir
William Molesworth yesterday, at the office of Works and
Public Buildings. The deputation consisted of Dr. Chaim
Mr. W. Lucy (churchwarden), Mr. W. Ramsey (chairman
of the Beard of Guardians), Mr. J. Barris (sidesman), Mr.
T. Criip, Mr. J. Coleman, Mr. J. Cos, Mr. H. Eking ton,
and Mr. B. Drew (vestry clerk.)

DEATH OF TIIE EARL OF BELPAST.-A corres-
pondent at Naples, February 12, writes The carnival
has ended, and we were looking forward with groat pleasure
to private theatricals as a delightful recreation for Lent,
when the sudden death of Lord Belfast, one of the dramatis
persona, put a stop to them. He went to the rehearsal of
Marion Heitman' (in which he was to act, at Mr. A.
Craven's) contrary to the injunctions of his medical attend-
ant, far his indisposition had all the symptoms of
measles. lie there caught cold, and died yesterday morning.
The Earl of Belfast was in his 26th year, and heir to the
Marquinte of Donegall."
DEATIt OP LADY COUTTS TROTTER.—Her lady-
ship, who died at Paris on Friday, was daughter of toe
Hon. Alexander Gordon Lord Rockville, one of the Scotch
Lords of Session, eon of William, Lord Aberdeen, and was
married to the lato Sir Coutts Trotter, Bart., in 1802. Her
ladyship bad issue four daughters, Mrs. James Lindsay,
Mrs. Gibbs C. Antrobus, the Countess of Albemarle, and
Miss Susan Trotter. Lord and Lady Albemarle arrived in
Paris a few days previous to her demise.

STATISTICAL SOCIETY.-RESUMED DISCUSSION ON
SHE Iseoxn Tax.—The discussion upon Mr. William
Farr's Paper on the Income Tax, read to the Statistical
Society on tho 17th of January (end reported in the
Kip ass of the 18th), was resumed last night, at a crowded
meeting of the member of the society. Lord Over-
stone again occupied the chair ; and among others present
were the Earl Granville, Mr. Babbage, Mr. Walter,
M.P., Mr. Sotheron, M.P., Dr. Twiss, Mr. Heywood,
M.P., Dr. Conolly, Mr. Warburton (ex-H.P. for Kendal),
the Chevalier Hebeler, and the Bight lion. Halt Mac-
kenzie. The debate, which was of a far more technical—
i.e., mathematical—character than on the former occasion,
was commenced, on the call of the chairman, by Mr.
Warburton, who took a view (in favour of the
present system) exactly opposite to that of Mr.
Farr—his argument consisting almost entirely of the
development of intricate mathematical and arithmetical
problems. His general argument was that, testing the ia-
come tax by " utility," the present system would produce
less unfairness than that suggested by the actuaries. He
considered that the doctrine of capitalising the income arid
the postulate (Mr. Farr's plan), as he showed it, that every
man was to pay the tax in perpetuity, in proportion to the
time elapsed since the imposition of the tax, were, in prac-
tice, equivalent proportions. One was the inevitable con-
elusion of the other. Mr. Farr had proceeded in his argu-
ment a good deal upon the assumption that this income tax
was to be regarded in the light of an insurance for the pro-
tection of property. But there was no parallel
whatever: an insurance was an investment with a
viewsto a future large return ; taxation was for protec-
tion from year to year. There was a parallel which might
be made between taxation for protection and those asso-
ciations which existed in Holland for the maintenance cf
barriers against sudden inroads of the sea; and if Mr. Farr
would inquire into the management of those confederations,
he would find that "capitalisation" was unheard of, but
that tenants paid during the term of their tenancy only,
and that what they paid per annum was deducted from the
yearly rent paid by the tenant. Dr. Guy offered some
suggestions in support of Dr. Warburton 's view, and Mr.
Newmarch followed, contending that the principle of our
fiscal system up to the imposition of the present
income tax had been exactly that which was now
urged by Mr. Farr and the actuaries—viz., that
of discriminating with respect to the means of the person
taxed, by as far as possible selecting ad valorem taxes, and,
as io the window tax, making huge exemptions.—Mr. JO-
licoe also replied to Mr. Warburton upon the technical
(actuary's) grounds ; and was followed by Mr. Hodge, also
an actuary, who declared himself an opponent of all income
taxes ; but offered, in great detail, his reasons for consider-
ing the present a fairer system than that advocated by Mr.
Farr.-81r. Neison defended Mr. Farr ; and after .fome few
remarks from Mr. Babbage, who reiterated his conviction
that the prcsimt system could not be improved upon, Mr.
Farr, exeu,iug himself on account of the late hour (amen
o'clock) from a full reply, answered some of the more pre.
minent assertions of Mr. \Verbal ton, and declared himself
of opinion that theic differences were the results of mire
misapprehensions ou both shim—The chairman tun
shortly addr,-., d the znecting, repeating his decided zi.:ws
in favour of tlia general practical justice of the income tax
in its existing akepr, and against the theories of the netua-
rich—The mcstmg then broke tp.