The Express.
London, England, 1849-02-28 00:00:00

Vbe Court.

The Queen and Prince Albert took a carriage drive
yesterday, and visited the Queen Dowager, at the Priory,
Stamm. Her lkflps•y and hu Royal Highness were
attended brLady Portman, Colonel the Hon. C. Grey, and
Colonel Seymour.
The royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace yes-
terday included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Count
fichimmelpenninek, the Netherlands minister; Count Col-
loredo, the Austrian minister ; the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, Lady Augusta Cadogan, lady in waiting on the
Duchess cf Cambridge ; the Marquis and Marchioness of
Salisbury, the Marquis of Anglesey and Lady Adelaide
Paget, Viscount and Viseounters Mahon, Lord and Lady
Eddisbury, Lord G. Lennox, and Mr. E. Mildmay, equerry
in waiting on the Duke of Cambridge.
Her Majesty's private band was in attendance at
Buckingham Palace on Monday evening, and played the
following pieces :
Overtore—..Haydite" Aube,.
Quartatto—.. It Turco in Delia," RosainL
Blntonla (No. 9)

A deputation of 80 gentlemen, headed by Mr.
Hodges, M.P. f,r West Kent, had an interview respecting
the hop duty with Lord John Rowell and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer yesterday at the official residence of the noble
lord in Downing-street.
A deputation, consistirg of the Rev. F. Kitchin
(Stone), the Rev. J. Livesey (Sheffield), and the Rev. F.
Wade (Kidagrove, Stafford), bad an interview with Sir G.
Grey yesterday at the Home-office.
The Brazilian minister transacted business yester-
day at the Foreign-office.
The Chevalier Bunten had an interview with Lord
John Russell yesterday.
The Earl of liarrowby had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday at the Colonial-office.
Lord Burlington had an interview yesterday with
Sir George Grey. Sir William clay and Mr. Rumbold had
also interviews yesterday with the right hon. baronet.
A deputation consisting of Mr. C. B. Adderley,
N P., Lord Braekley, M.P., Lord Lewisham, M.P., Mr.
Joseph Napier, hI.P., the Rev. F. Wade, the Rev. J.
Linsey, the Hey. J. 8n d, and the Rev. F. Kitchin, had
an Interview yesterday with Lord John Russell.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer had a parliamen-
tary dinner party yesterday at his official residence in Down-
ing-street. The compsny included Lord Dudley Stuart,
Lord Duncan, Sir William Somerville, Mr. John Elliott,
Mr. Reynolds, Sir IL Ferguson, Mr. C. Clemente, Mr.
Moffatt, Sir P. Nugent, Mr. Hodges, Mr. Fox. Mr. McGee-
metWilliam Clay, Lord Nugent, Mr. McCullagh, Lord
Hill, and Mr. Rios.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governor of Ceylon.
The Marchioness of Lansdowne had an evening
party yesterday at Lanadowne-house.

(From last night's Gazette.)
BT. JAMES'S-PALACE, FEB. 22.—The Queen was
this day pleased to confer the honour of Knighthood upon
George Anderson, Eq (Jovernor of the Mauritius.
FOILEION.OFFICE, FEE. 24.—The Queen has been
pleased to approve of Mr. Christian Ludwig Meyer, as Con-
sul, at Port Adelaide, in South Australia, for his Majesty the
King of Hanover.
Caown-Orncs, FEE. 26.—Member returned to
serve in this present parliament—For the eeunty of Done-
gal : Thomas Cnnelly, of CUS' in the said county, Big , in
the room of E. M. Conolly, Esq., deemed.

COMMITTEE OF THE COMMONS ON THE

IRISH POOR LAW.

The committee was engaged the whole of yesterday
examining Mr. Power, assistant poor-law commies' loner in
Ireland. An honourable member of the committee took up
an hour and a half examining Mr. Power on matters compa-
ratively unimportant, if not, indeed, irrelevant. In reply to
some questions pat by. Mr. Moneell, Mr. Power stated that
it was his decided *pin= that power should be given to sell
the land for the TIP" and also that to excuse the payment
of rates would be most inadvisable and pernicious.
Mr. Power's examination was not concluded when the
committee adjourned, but to-morrow (when they sit
again) Mr. Griffiths, one of the commiaioners of the Board '
of Works, is to be examined. This gentleman has been sum-
moned to give evidence respecting the Tannins= of property
on which the rates are laid. Mr. Griffiths is wanted in Ire-
land, and therefore his evidence is to be taken rather out of
order, and as intercalary to the examination of another
witness. _ . •

The tendency of some of the evidence already taken by
this committee is rather to weaken than rxengthen several
of the views entertained by government. Irqm the rambling
and episodical style in which many of the members examine,
it may fairly b., doubted whethcrmuch profit will be derived
from their labours.