The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-25 00:00:00

Vbe Court.

VISIT OF THE QUEEN TO TUNBRIDGE.
The Queen and Prince Albert left town at two
o'clock on Saturday afternoon fn Tunbridge Wells to pay a
visit to her Majesty the Queen Dowager. Her Majesty aid
his royal highness were attended by the Countess of Dean.
Lient.-Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, and Colonel Boa-
verb, The august party went in two carriages and four to
the Bricklayer's Arms station, travelled by a special train to
Tunbridge 'Wells, and visited the Queen Dowager at her
hotel.

Tee Queen, the Queen Dowager, and Prince Albert tack
a drive in an open carriage and tour.
At six o'clock her Majesty and Prince Albert took leave of
the Queen D4wevr, returned to town by e special train, and
arrived at Buckkghans Palace at 25 minutes put seven
o'clock.

THE GREAT WESTERN FIMIERIES.—A deputation
from the committee, consisting of Sir W. Ogilvie, of Car-
comic, Bart., Captain J. T. Benett, from Lloyd's, MOWS.
H. K. Bart, J. Sanders, J. Wilton, T. Felton, and J. Bar-
wise, and Mr. W. P. Metchim (secretary), bad an interview
with to. Bight Hon. H. Labonchere, on Saturday, at the
ales of the Board of Trade.

REMOVAL OE THE COURT TO 04BORNE.—It is sup-
posed the Court will remove to Osborne about the 2nd of
next month, and remain during the remaining part of the
month ; anti that the Queen, Prince Albert, and the royal
children will proceed in the Victeris and Albert royal yacht,
~boat the second week in August, for ficotland.—Hanis
Tekgraph.

APPOINTMENTS.—Robert Gangway WHogb, Esq.,
is appointed Second Paine Judge of the Supreme Court in
St. Lucia. Daniel Robertson, Efq., is appointed Colonial
Secretary for the Settlements in the Gambia. William
M'Keen, Beg ; to be a member of the Legklative C ouncil in
Nova Sootia. Thomas Todd, Esq., second paid Attache to
the British Embassy at St. Petersburg, is app inted second
paid Attaché at Vienna. Windsor Ilene's., Esq., unpaid
Attaché at Preis, is to be paid Attaché at Dresden, in place
of Mr. Bomar, appointed Secretary of Legation at Munich.—
Observer.

DEATII OF A DAUGIITER OF THE DUKE OF
SUTHEILL&ND.—The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland have
sustained a severe domestic calamity, by the sudden demise
of their youngest daughter, the Lady Alexandrine Levesen
Gower. The decemed child, about 18 months old, was
taken with convulsions in the course of Thursday Inorning
(he day after the nuptials of the Marquis of Stafford and
Miss Hay Mackerzie), and never afterwards rallied, and we
regret to state died within a few hours. This unexpected
bereavement has cast a heavy sioool over tho domestic
circle, and put an end to the antics• nted gaieties at Stafford-
house. Tim duke and duchess and family for the premnt
are at Cliefden-housv, near Maidenhead, wharo the malan-
choly event took place.

HOSPITAL OE ST. CROSS.—The progress made by
Mr. Hume in his important effort to obtain inquiry
into the affairs of this charity pOf 813611.11 so much in-
terest that we deem it advisable to place distinctly
before our readers how far it has advanced. On Thurs-
day last, Mr. flume moved an address to the Queen
to institute inquiry into the estates and affairs ef the
hospital. The house agreed to the addrese, and Lord
John Russel promised that the inquiry should be
made immediately. Mr. Ilume's notice of motion
had originally embraced an inquiry into the incomes
of the rectory of Southampton, of Alresford, and
other benefices held by the Earl of Guilford.
_This
pert of the address wasomitted is consequence of an
assurance that the commission for the division of
large perishes would immediately dirt et their atter.-
tion to the inquiry proposed by Mr. flume. We learn
that the Bishop of Winchester his already been before
the commission wiih reference to these benefices. We
shall watch Lord John Russell narrowly to see that
he keeps his promise to expedite the inquiry into the
affairs of St. Cross.

COMPULSORY PRE-PAYMENT OF LETTERS BY
STAMPS.—The announcement we made, on Saturday, that
the Postmaster-General had determined to close the pro-
vincial town receiving-11mm, against letters pre-p,id by
money, is most important, as exhibiting the policy of the
I'w'-office authorities to gradually compel the public to use
stamps in order to diminish the labour of their olliciah, and
thug save the national expenditure. All late letter fees, the
postage on all letters sent by midday, must, even now, be
pre-paid by stamps, and in a few days every one of the hun-
dreds of town receiving-h )uses in the kingdom will refuse all
letters, even these for foreign parts, unless they are pre-paid
by stamps.
Tint FISHMONGERS' COMPANY.—On Saturday the
ceremony of laying the foundation-atone of the new St.
Peter's Hospital at EuChill, Wandsworth (the ancient foun-
dation being about to be removed from Newington-butts),
took place with the customary solemnities. The prime
warden of this wealthy. civic company, accompanied by
wardens and court of assistants and a numerous party, pro-
ceeded from London bridge in the state barge for the new
pier at Wandsworth, and the usual ceremony was gone
through, the party embarking shortly alter one o'clock, and
returning to London-bridge soon after five o'clock, the band
of the Royal Artillery having been engaged to attend
throughout the day
TILE SIEGE OPERATIONS AT CHATHAM.—Grcat
preparations are being made at this port for the reception of
Prince Albert on Saturday next. At a meeting convened on
the requisition of a number of the inhabitants of Gillingham,
by the High Constable, on Friday evening last, for the pur-
pose of considering in what manner their loyalty might best
be shown on the visit of the Prince, it was resolved to erect
a triumphal arch at the entrance of Brompton. It is under-
stood that her Majesty and the Prince Consort will embark
in the Fairy on Saturday morning for Gravesend, where Sir
Frederic Smith's carriage (with Lord Darnlei 's troop of
yeomanry as an escort) will await the arrival of his Royal
Highness, who will come on in that vehicle to Chatham, and
after changing his dress at Government House proceed to
wit, ess the siege operations. These will be on a very, extensive
scale, and it is said will commence at tea a.m., and terminate
ab ,ut three p.m., and no tickets will be lulled en this occa-
sion, but the ground will be thrown open to all alike. Alter
the rev.ew hi. Royal Highness will return to Gravesend and
rejoin her Majesty, and the Fairy will proceed to Osborne.
HUMOURED 'VACANCY IN SOUTH HANTS.—Not-
withstanding the contradiction that has been given to a
rumour that Mr. Compton is about to resign his seat far this
division of the county, we have good reason for believing that
such is the intention of the honourable gentleman, and that
he is only waiting for a favourable opportunity, or, in other
words, to suit the convenience of his political friends, to carry
lis intention into effect. We therefore once more call upon
our friends to be upon the alert, and fully prepared for a
contingency of no very remote probability.—llants Inde-
pendent.
fIIK EFFECTS OP TUE DANISH BLOCKADE I.* fon
THE TRADE OP 111:1.1.-11U11 is still suffering from the con-
tinuance of this blockade a degree of mercantile depression
unprecedented during a number of years. Week after week
have the foreign correspondents of some of the daily journals
stultified themselves by reiterating on dies of the certainty
of an immediate suspension of hostilities. This fact renders
the repetition of the same statements within a day or two past
utterly valueless. Meanwhile our noble steamers are laid up,
as if it were the middle of winter ; the quays, at this season
of the year ge lly insufficient for the temporary disposal
of the bales landed upon them, now present vacant areas ;
and the hundreds of labourers ordinarily engaged in the
lading, unlading, er transhipping of cargoes, stand all the
day idle for the want of employment necessary to the support
of themselves and families, apart from parish relief. It has
been ascertained by actual inquiry, that there are upwards of
2,000 men out of work in this port at the present moment ;
and on these not fewer than 4,000 women and children are
dependent. During the put week we hese had neither
arrivals from, nor departures for, Hamburg; and the vessels
which were recently refused an entrance to the Elbe have
hod their cargoes unladen. Every day adds an incalculable
amount of individual distress, suffenng, and want to the
already vat aggregate with which the working claws in
Hull are now afflicted, and the baneful influence of which
is tepidly extending to the tradesmen and middle classes at
TAdreviser.
TUE ANCIENT MONUMENTS OF ROME. The
!Witty of Antiquaries of London, at a meeting held on
Thursday, and the British Aechir;logical Association, at a
meeting on Friday, unanimously adopted strong resolutions
sepses of regret at the threatened destruction of the
valuable works of ancient art preserved at Rome, in come-
creme of the bombardment of the city by the French. The
silence and apathy of England have, no doubt, prompted or
influenced the government of France to take one of the most
unfortunate steps to which she has yet ever been doomed
from that selfish ambition which saenfirs science, literature,
and the arts, to its gratification. Were other scientific
bodies to follow the worthy example just set them, Rome
might yet be saved. Let them meet, resolve, and send at
once copies of the resolutions to the French government.
EIGHT MEN KILLED AT ROXIIGROIL—On Wednes-
day an accident occurred at the railway-bridge now building
at Roxburgh, over the Teviot, on the line of the Kelso and
St. Boswell's branch af the Edinburgh and Hawiek Rail-
way. The bridge consists of a number of stone piers, all of
which are up to their intended height, and the arches are in
CORM of formation. The abutment on the north side of
the river, and the second pier from it, rest on each side of
a very deep quarry, out of which the stones to build the
bridge have been worked (this part of the structure not
being in the river) ; and between these there was an inter-
mediate pier, over which, at the time of the accident, rested
one of the large heavy travelling cranes used in lifting
blocks of stone and other weights ; the crane, however, as
we understand, did not rest upon the pier, but rested
upon a self-supporting service way. Between 6 and 6
o'c'ock eight men were on the crate, engaged in the work of
springing the two arches, and • number of others were work-
ing en the quarry beneath, a depth of from 80 to 90 feet;
when, without giving any warning, the pier in question gave
way with a sudden crash, precipitating the eigtit men, the
unfinished put of the arches, and the wooden framework
undernerth, into the abyss below, and burying those em-
ployed there in the ruins. &apical assistance was promptly
sent for, and the dead, as they were taken from the ruins,
and survivors who were in a state to be removed, were, after
being attended to, conveyed to their homes. Several of the
unfortunate men were shockingly mutilated. It was stated
that there are eight who were father kille I by the falling
rubbish, or who died soon after being taken out.