The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-31 00:00:00

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WINDSOR, M..nc;t 3).
The following had the honour of dining with her
Majesty yesterday :—The Duchess of Kent, Princes., .%4,.
laide of Ilohenlohe, the Lady in Waning to the Bache.. of
Kent, the Baroness de Speth, Earl Granville, and cob:ad
the Hon. C. 11. Phipps.
The Queen and Prince drove out in an open rulings
yesterday afternoon, and again to-day. Colonel 11,.usitte
and Captain lion. Dudley de Itos were in attendance on
horseback.

Lord Watcrpark has succeeded Lord C.imoys, and Colonel
lion. Robert Boyle Major-Gen. Berkeley Drummond, as
Lord and 6 room in Waiting to her Majesty.
Hui Granville left the Castle this forenoon for London.
Sir James Graham has beau invited and is expected this
afternoon.

Mr. E. M. Anchi'xtla, Attorn4.oeneralof Newfoundland,
had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle yesterday at
the Colonial-odiee.—The Rev. Mr. So!ly had also an inter-
view with his Grace yesterday.
Mr. Hamilton Lindsay and Mr. Henry Wise, the chair-
man and managing director of the Eastern Aram, elago
Company, had an interview with the Eatt of Clarendon at
the Foreign-office yesterday.
The Prussian Minister had an interview with the Right
lion. Edward Cardwell yesterday at the Board of Trade.
Earl Granville, Lord President, returucd to town yester-
des from Windsor Cit Ale.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Governors of the Cape of 6,,0d Hope, the Mauri-
tius, and St. Helena.

LETTERS FOR THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIIPV.—LetterS
for any of the officers, seamen, and marines serving
in any of the ships now in the Arctic Seas, will
be forwarded by H.I.S. Phoenix, if sent to the
Admiralty on or before the ! Ith of April.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company (says a cor-
respondent) seriously contemplate giving up their
mail contracts.

Mr. Chisholm Anstcy, late M.P., has been ap-
pointed one of the Commissioners to revise the
statutes. The first meeting of the Commissioners
will be held to-morrow.

The result cf the medical examination :IS to the
state of mind of the convict Charles San Alers Oct being
deemed by Lord Palmerston of a nature to justify his lord•
ship in recommending her Majesty to exercise the royal
prerogative in his behalf, the law takes its eourse.—Glebe.

LORD DERBY'S ADMIRALTY BOARD AND
TUE ILL I)OCKYARD PATRONAGE.

Two parliamentary papers relating to this subject
were made public yesterday. The first consists of copies of
Admiralty circulars, issued in 1847 and 11449, relating to
dockyard promotions, and the correspondence between Sir
Baldwin Walker, the Surveyor of the Navy, and the Ad-
miralty, in reference to the resignation of his °dice by that
gallant officer last year. The circular of 1849 provided that
all vacancies in the dockyards should be tilled up through
the surveyor's department—candidates being chosen for
their skill and fitness, and nut from political motives. The
Admiralty Board of Lord Derby's government thought
proper to change this arrangement, whereupon Sir Baldwin
wrote the following letters :
Somerset house, 21st April, 1852.
Sir,—You having been pleased to inform use that
great dissatisfaction existed among your political friends
at the manner in which the promotions, &c., were made
in the dockyards, and that it was your intention, in conse-
quence, to cancel their lordships' circular of the g9th Sep-
tember, 1849, which directs that all papers respecting va-
cancics and promotions should be sent through the sur-
veyor to their lordships; and as the cancelling of this cir-
cular is the only step taken to remedy the evil you were
pleased to state existed, it can bear no other construction
than that of a censure on my conduct. 1 must therefore
beg to tender to their lordships my resignation ; for I can
no longer continue to bold the appointment of Surveyor of
the Navy with such an imputation on my character as that
of allowing political motives to infiuenee my submissions to
the board.—l h►ve,

"(Signed) B. W. WALKER.
Augustus Stafford, Esq., M.P., ftc., &c., &c.,
Secretary of the Admiralty.
Somerset House, May 10, 1552.
My Lord Duke,—l feel that I should be neglecting my
duty were I not to point out to your grace tha evil system
which hse been pursued of late, not only with respect to
my position as Surveyor of the Navy, but also with refer-
ence to the appointments and promotions in the dockyards.
Your grace is aware that the Secretary of the Admiralty
thought proper to cancel, without the knowledge of the
board, their lordships' circular of 20th September, 1519,
which directs that all papers respecting promotions and
vacancies in the dockyards should be sent through the sur-
veyor to their lordships ; this order of 1819 was only re-
verting to a system which had always been in force prior
to 1543, and which was then discontinued, 1 have reason to
believe, on personal grounds.
The abolition of a system which was found to work well
fur upwards of three years, causing an annual savinz of
130,0001. an the wages of the artificers of the dockyards in-
dependent of upwards of 60,0001. in the steam factories,
without impairing the efficiency of those establishments,
must be prejudicial to the public interest, and has tended
much to lower the position of the surveyor.
Now there is no one to control the establishments, 4cd
the annoyer can no longer be held responsible for the
estimates not being exceeded, or can he be auswerable for
the efficiency of those establiehments ; for the board's ad-
mirable circular of February, 1847, which directs that all
advancement in the dockyards shalt be for merit alone, has
been virtually thrown aside ; vacancies have been filled up
which were not necessary, and men advanced, not for
merit, but by political influence; and in one instance a
person has been promoted who is not competent to fill the
situation to which he has been appointed ; and that was
done without any reference having been made to the
superintendent of the yard.
Having stated thus much, I think it right to inform your
grace that I attribute the inconsiderate manner in which I
have been put aside by the Secretary of the Admiralty to
my unqualified refusal to depart from their lordships' cir-
cular of February, 1847, by lending myself to reeommend
men for advancement on political grounds.
In conclusion, I beg to assure you, my lord duke, that I
have made this statement from no personal motives, my
only wish being the public good, and that your grace's ad-
ministration should not be tarnished.
1 have, &c. (Signed) B. W. WALKER.
Hie Grace the Duke of Northumberland, &c.

Admiralty.
These letters were not to be found at the Admiralty, and
as regards the former one it was not brought before the
board at all. Coder these circumstances, Sir Baldwin
Walker supplied copies.
The other paper consists of a lengthy correspondence re-
lative to the appointment of Mr. James Wells to the office
of muter smith at Portsmouth Dockyard. Being recom-
mended by Sir Baldwin Walker, he was appointed to the
office on the 10th of September last, but on the Ist of Octo-
ber his appointment was cancelled, cad the master smith at
Chatham promoted in his place, for reasons which the re-
turns do net disclose. Mr. Wells has been reinstated by the
present Admiralty board.
A more decided expos,' of tory jobbing at the Admi-
ralty has perhaps never occurred before. It goes far to
complete the scandal which attached to the Derbyite admi-
nistration of our naval affairs by Lord Northumberland and
his political secretary, Mr. Stafford.

TWO HUNDRED FAMILIES PAUPERISED.