The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-01 00:00:00

Zbe Court.

Te Queen and Prince Albert honoured the Prin-
cess•s Theatre with their pnvence yesterday evening. The
my d suite consisted of the Countess of Demist, lion. Lucy
Kerr. Lord Elphindtone, Lord Alfred Paget, and Colonel
Bouverie.
Prince Albert rode out on horseback yesterday morning,
attended by Colonel Bouverie.
The Prince of Wales, attendedby Mr. Birch, took a drive
yesterday morning in an open carnage.
The Princess Royal, the l'rinee Alfred, and the younger
members of the royal family, took their .wcustomed pony
and walking exercise yesterday in the garden of Bucking-
ham Piduce.

The 31antuis of Brealdbane and Sir Roderick Murchison
had an interview with Lord Juhn Russell, at his official
residence in Downing-street, yesterday, and presented an
appeal from the British Association thy the Advancement of
Science in favour of a sufficient parliamentary grant to en-
sure within a reasonable time the completion of a map of
Scotland. The British Aasoeiation made a similar appeal
in 1831, when that body first visited Scotland, and yet a
sixtieth part only of that kingdom has been mapped in .the
intervening 16 years. The other members of the commit-
tee, the fluke of Amyl], Sir David Brewster, and Pmtissor
James Forbes, are in Scotland. The memorial was backed
by the cordial approval of the Dukes of Richmond, Rue-
cleuch, and Roxburgh, and by Lords Eglinton, Cawdor,
Minto, and many proprietors in Scotland.
Mr. Beale, Mr. J. Ellis, and Mr. Carter. a deputation
from the Midland Railway Company, transacted business,
yesterday, with the Railway Cuimuissioners, at the office of
the Board of Trade. Mr. Saunders and Mr. If unt, from
the Great Western Railway Company, also transacted busi- ;
new with the Railway Commissioners.
A deputation, including Mr. J. Gratrix and Mr. J. S.
Collins, haul an interview, yesterday, with the Commis-
sioners of Railways, at the office of the Board of Trade.
A deputation on the subject of the proposed repeal of the
certificate duty on attorneys, solicitors, proctors, and others,
consisting of Lord Robert Grosvenor, M.P., Mr. Charles
Cowan, M.P., Mr. Richard Harrison (president), and Mr.
Benjamin Austen and Mr. John Coverdale (members of
council of the Incorporated Law Society), and Mr. Robert
Manahan (secretary), had au interview with Lord John
Russell, at his official residence, in Downing-street, yester-
day.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
front the Governor of New South Wales.

The Rev. Robert Montgomery, minister of Percy
Chapel, preached a ~crmon at the church of St. Mary Wool-
noth, Lombard-street. on Sunday last, before the Lord
Mayor, the Sheriffs, and a crowded congregation, when a
liberal amount was collected on behalf of the Langbourn
Ward Charity Schools.

A WRIT FOR the SOUTHAMPTON ELECTION (sap
a correspondent) was sent to Winchester instead of to
Southampton, and did not reach the latter place until the
latter part of the day on Saturday, whereas it ought to
have reached in the morning. The officials interested in re-
ceiving the writ were in considerable consternation on ac-
count of this mishap. This is the third time the writ for the
Southampton election has been sent to the wrong town.
The cause of these mistakes seems to be owing to the fact
that the town of Southampton is a county of itself, and
Ilainpshire being called the county of Southampton in
official documents, of which county Winchester is the chief
town where the officials reside. documents therefore for the
sheriffs of the county of Southampton and for the town and
I, county of Southampton are continually misdirected. Not
long since an official document from the home-office, on
which " free pardon ' was written on the address, was deli-
vered to the Undersheriff at Southampton instead of to the
Cndersheritf at Winchester. As executions take place early
in the morning at Winchester, such a blunder might have
caused a free pardon to COMO too late to save a man from
being hanged.

- -
THE DUKE OF BRUNSWICK again attempted to erode
the Channel in the Victoria balloon yesterday, at flut-
ings. An immense number of spectators congregated
upon the Castle-hill, which overlooked the gasworks (where
the work of inflation was going oa), and in the valley there
was a crowd equally large. In addition to the out-door
beholders of the scene, a considerable portion of the in-
habitants of Hastings were able to witness the proceedings
from their windows. The wind prevailed from the north
and north-north-west having a westward tendency. and be-
coming somewhat light and variable at Mid-day. The day
was tine, and all seemed propitious. The gas was of ex-
cellent quality, but flowed in somewhat slowly.. After a
long delay the meter marked a flow of about 3,40 feet of
gas, and the supply was then stopped. The balloon, how-
ever, was still somewhat flaccid. At one o'clock Mr.
Charles Green proceeded to tit up his car. Ile had pro-
vided an apparatus for enabling him to skim over the water
at a tiled elevation. A gotta pereha line, above 200 feet
ti long, had three logs of wood secured to it at intervals near
its extremity. The grapnel was attached to two me-
tallic air vessels, sufficient to enable it to float upon the
water. Bladders of air were provided to be attached to
the grapnel line, to aid its floating. At length, after divers
trials to ascertain the buoyancy of the huge machine, tke
aeronautic captain pronounced all to be ready. 'The duke,
who went by the name of Mr. Smith, got into the car, the
balloon was released, and up went Mr. Green and his pas-
senger in admirable style, standing away to the south-east,
at a moderate pace, and remaining in sight for above half
an hour, the moment of flight being 23 minutes past one
o'clock. Soon after !caring the earth the balloon partially
. entered a cloud, but presently began to descend, and, when
last seen, was only at a slight elevation from the water.
The intention of Sir. Green was to let his logs and grapnel
float upon the sea, so that he might be able to maintain an
I uniform level without the loss of ballast or gas. Whe-
ther the aeronauts landed at Dieppe, Etaples, Boulogne, or
Calais, or took a we4erly direction for the German Ocean,
remains to be seen.
THE BIRKENHEAD DOCKS. —OPENING OF TUE'
MUNI/AV.-Mr. Abernethy has this
mom* commenced letting the water into the dock of 50
as!es,. ansi it is espected in a few days to be ready for
shipping.