The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-28 00:00:00

!be Court.

Tho Queen held a privy council and court yester-
day afternoon in Buckingham Palace. The council was
attended by Prince Albert, the Lord President, tl e Lord
Privy Seal, the First Lov: o! the Treasury, the Secretaries
of State for the Home, Foreign, and Colonial Departments,
the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Postmaster General,
the Lord Steward, the Master of the Horse, and the Groom
of the Stole to the Prince. At the council the Earl of Bess-
borough (Master of the Queen's Buckhoonds) and Mr. S. M.
Phillipps were, by cornmeal of the Queen, sworn of her
Majesty's privy council, and took their places at the board.
The Hon. W. Bathurst was the Clerk of the Council in
Waiting. The Queen gave audiences to Sir G. Grey,
the At arquis of Lansdowne, and Earl Grey. At the
court Lord Howden was presents i to the Queen en his
return from his minion to the Brasile, by Viscount Palmer-
ston. Sir H. Bulwer, K.C.8., was presented to her
Majesty by Viscount Palmerston, on his return from his
mission to the court of Spain. Mr. H. Southern was pre-
sented to the Queen by Viscount Palmerston to kiss hands,
and to take leave on proceeding as her Majesty's Minister
Plenipotentiary to Buena Ayres. Her Majesty also gave
audience to Lord John Russell. The court was attended
by Viscount Combermere, Gold Stick in Waiting, the
Treasurer of the Household, the Vice-Chamberlain, the
Comptroller of the Household, the Earl of Listowel, Lord
in Waiting, and Colonel the Han. N. Hood, Groom in
Waiting.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by
the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, and attended by
Colonel Buckley and Colonel Bouverie, honoured the Surrey
Zoological Gardens with a visit yesterday morning.
The Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, the Princess
Helena, and the Princess Louisa took their usual airings
yesterday.
The I)uchets of Cambridge and the Princess Mary
honoured the performance at t►e Royal Italian Opera House
with their presence yesterday evening.
'rho Chevalier Bunsen, Prussian minister, trans-
acted business yesterday at the Foreign-face.
A deputation, consisting of Mr. Izerman and Mr.
Tite, for the Blackwell Railway Company, and Mr. Belford
and Mr. Lyon, for the Regem's Canal Company, had an in-
terview yesterday with the Commissioners of Railways, at
their office in the Board of Trade.

(From last night's Gazette.)
FOREIGN-OFFICE, JUNE 26.-11 e Queen has been
pleased to appoint the Hon. H. G. Howard, now Secretary
to her Majesty's Legation at the Hague, to be Secretary to
her Majesty's Legation at Lisbon; also the Hon. 11. Elliot,
now First Paid Attaché to her Majesty's Legation at St.
Petersburg, to be Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at
the Hague.
DOWNING-STREET, JUNE 27.—The Queen has been
pleased to appoint H. C. Selby, Esq., to be her Majesty's
Advocate for the island of Ceylon.

Dtrnme ELEcriox CommirrEr..—The scrutiny was
continued, and five votes were struck off the sitting mem-
bers' majority.
THE LAW AMENDMENT. Yesterday afternoon a
public meeting of highly influential tradesmen in the City
of London add other places was held at the London Tavern,
for the purpose of adopting resolutions in favour of an altera-
tion in the law relating to the hiring of goods, and also to
consider the necessity of ;petitioning the legislature to ap-
point a public prosecutor. Mr. Collard, of the firm of Col-
lard and Collard, pianoforte manufacturers, Cheapside. was
called to the chair, in the absence of Mr. Alderman John-
son. Mr. T. a Beckett proposed the first resolution, and
pointed out the necessity of an alteration in the present law
relating to the hiring of goods. lie said if power was in-
vested in the magistrates to summons persons who retained
goods !ent on hire and they refused to deliver them up, a
warrant should be issued to compel them; it would give more
satisfaction to the community at large than the present law,
that of bringing an action far trove.. Several respectable
tradesmen addressed the meeting, end briefly illustrated the
frauds which had been committed upon them, the pre-
sent law preventing them havitig redress. Mr. Barter, of
St. Paul's Church ard, propos ad a resolution in favour of a
public prosecutor, which wad unanimously adopted by the
meeting. A committee was then formed to watch the pro-
gress of the rte''.''':•.s. A vote of thanks haring beau
raid to the ohs► ' 'he meeting separated.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BANKING COMPANT.—Yeg-
terday the seventh annual zneet:ng of proprietors was held
at the offices, 54, Old Broad•street. Mr. Derett, hf P., pre-
Sided. The secretary read the report, which was to the fol.
lowing effect ;
The extended emigration to South Anertmlia, and the omoequent
increase of its general commerce, still further promoted by the sue-
ceseful working of 'atom mind, have made the past year one of
great activity ; and have called into ready employment the entire
capital of this company, although scarcely sufficient time has elapsed
to realise the full profits to be expected therefrom. Dotting the past
year, program boa been mule in recovering doubtful debts (formerly
written off), and in realising securities taken In the earlier period of
the colony. The home debt of the South Australian Company hes
been wholly paid off, and the bunk's funds are being concentrated in
mete readily available for all the operation,. The summary of the
general profit and ion account is as follows, vex.: Amount of undi-
vided profits on Slat May, 1847, 11,6001. 19.. lid.; l,sa appro-
priated to preliminary expellees and reserve fund. 2,6001., leasing
9.0001. 19s. I Id.; amount formerly placed to contingent account,
being reserved from profita until the inlereot, &e., allowed to govern-
ment on lend fund account, had been debited at Adelaide,
1,0001.; net total of profits at Adelaide and London,
for 1847-8, after every deduction, including the amount
of the aforesaid Inter, et on the land fund, and all ex-
pewee of the charter of incorporation, 9,014/. ies.! 4d., making
19,015/.9a. 9d. ; from which deduct dividend and income lax, amount-
ing to 8,e181.19..; balance of undivided profile on 29th May, 101 l
being 10,1961, 10a. 3d. The directory ere unwilling to re-open the
preliminary expenses account, and have therefore preferred at once
debiting to charges accoont 1847-8, the whole cost of the charter, and
tearing melltoinery expense account undeimbed, rather than alter
it by crone entries. For this reason the preliminary expense. account
wilt omit the next balance, remain at 10,0001. Prom the foregoing
balance of net profit, viz., 10,1061. Ioe. 3d., the directors recommend
that 1,01)1. 135., or 10 per cent. (as by the charter and deed of eettle-
went), be added to the reserve fund, which will then be about 3,1001.,
and that from the balance a dividend ot 5 per cent- per annum, clear
of income tax, open the capital, be made payable half-yearly in July
and January next a. usual. The directors vacating by rotation are
N. Chippindale, Esq., and J. R. Todd, Em. The auditors, J. Brown,
Eq., and Latibroke, E.g., also retire pursuant to the charter and
deed of settlement; but all three gentlemen being eligible for re-elec-
tion, oft'er themselves accordingly.. In September last her Majesty'.
government granted the long-desired charter of incorporation, and
you now meet under its provision. It has been issued on term likely
to prove beneficial to the future ietereste of the Co-open). During
the year of unparallekd eommercial embarrassment, which has or.-
eurrul Mom the last mt eting, It mild scarcely be expected that this
bank should escape without some bud debts, and the court of directors
have had much additional trouble and anxiety in oonducting its
affairs; but they have pleasure in announcing that the company has
emergul cutely from eeveral operation. width threatened considerable
loss. The promeeta now are, that the cautious system of maaseement
under which the business is cOnOucied, and growich trade of the
colony, will mon yield larger returns for the capital of the company.
The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, made
some congratulatory remarks on the condition of the cum.
patty, notwithstanding the year of difficulty which they had
gone through.—Mr. G. F. Angie objected to the large
amcunt of epecie had by the Ralik in the colony, which he
conceived to be an excessive proportion, compared with their
note circulation of 17,0001.—The Chairman observed
that their general circulation was as much as
21,000/. Their specie had been gradually accumulating,
but he did not conceive i's amount to he much more than was
necessary. home conversation arose out of the remarks of a
proprietor who advocated the expediency of printing the
charter, which however the chairman did not consider an
advisable step, unless specially desired by the proprietors.
The document was open to the inspection of any shareholder
at the office—The report was adopted, the dividend egret d
to, and the retiring directors and auditors re elected. Some
cobs. plimentary votes concluded the proceedings.
NEWSVENDERS' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.—Last
evening the London newsmen, members of the above society,
held their ninth anniversary meeting, at Anderton's Hotel,
Fleet-str et ; James Harmer, Esq., the president, in the
chair.—The secretary read the report of the committee,
which stated that though the means of the society were gra-
dually progressing, still the number of members bore nu pr.:-
portion to the extent of the trade, nor to the increasing wants
of that body. The committee were happy to state that the
interest of the funded property alone was now sufficient to
provide for two pensioner. During the past year the stock
had been increased by 1001, making it now amount to 9501.
The meeting would that evening be called upon to elect one
pensioner upon the funds, there being but one candidate
eligible to fill the vacancy. On the motion of Mr. Telly the
report was adopted, after which the treasurer read the ba-
lance sheet. It appeared that the year's income, including
a balance of 571. from the previous year, amounted to
1401. 170. 2d., and the expenditure left a balance now in the
hands of the treasurer of 221. 8.. sd. This report, on the
motion of Mr. Hutton, was adopted, and the meeting then
proceeded with the election of officers. The five retiring
members of the committee were re-elected, and Messrs.
Miller, Coe, and Cook were appointed auditors, A pen-
sioner upon the funds was next elected, and thanks having
been voted to the chairman the meeting separated.
SUPPOSED INCENDIARISM IN THE ClTY.—Yester-
day a reward of lOW. was offered for the discovery of the
man who was seen to leave Mr. Barford's warehouse, No.
95, Wood street, Cheapside, on Sunday morning, the Mtn
inst., just as the premises burst out into a blaze, and which
it is inspected that he must have set fire to, the jury empan-
netted to investigate the affair having recorded their verdict
that the fire was not accidental.
FIRES.—IN SOUTHAMPTON-ROW. About two
o'clock yesterday morning a fire broke out in the house of
Mr. Wright, boot and shoe maker, Southampton-row,
Bloomsbury. The engines from the Brigade, West of Eng-
land, and County, soon attended, with Mr. Colt, the fore-
man of the former body, but the flames reached the buildings
adjoining, belonging to Mr. Brooch, draper, as also those
of Mr. Dyer, tobacconist. Mr. Wright's premises. +their,
dte , were ail destroys 1, and those of the other parties greatly
damaged. None of Mr. Wright's family were present, to
explain the calve of the fire. The parties are insured in the
Sun, Hand-in-Hand, and County Fire-offices.—Lose about
1,0001.—1 s CLERKENWELI.,—Yesterday morning a fire
broke out at No. 10, Corporation-row, Clerkenwell, at the
house of a general dealer, and from the discoveries made by
the Brigade authorities suspicion is entertained that some
vile incendiary had contemplated the destruction of the
premises. The flames when discovered were burning in the
front shop and back parlour, but, owing to the timely aid
afforded, the flames were confined to the lower portion of
the premises. The firemen afterwards found shavings par-
tially consumed, which had been steeped in spirits sod which
had such a mysterious appearance as to cause the brigade to
return the origin of the fire to the insurance offices as
suspicious.

3. flat this meeting pledgew itself to afford every support to the
National Miamian= for reforintng excise abuses in the monis it has
hitherto punned, trusting that it will not cease to um all legs,' sad
constitutional means, not only for haring the present obnoxious bill.
rejected, but for haring means adopted by which the repeated offidul
plectra may be est a mere mockery and dela-non, but to reality and
good faith may lud to an efficient and honest reform of the admitted
gnswances and abuses of the whole excise system.
A petition founded on the preceding resolutions
was adopted, and the proceedings terminated with a
vote of thanks to Mr. Charles Cowan, M.F., for his
active exertions in the cause of excise reform.
Mr. Charles Dickens and hie brother amateurs are
to visit Glasgow on the 18th of July • the time for
the Edinburgh performance has not been announced.
The cast appears to be the same as in Liverpool and
Manchester. lit aides Mrs. Cowden Clarke, the lady
performers are Misses Emmeline Montague, Anne
Romer, and Kenworthy. Nym is left blank, and pos-
sibly a Glasgow amateur may assume it.

COMMISSION BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF
Li ?MIT H iIOWS/lIRE —Captain .7 .Prinee to be major in the
73d or Berwickshite Regiment of Militia.

!VALES.

COMMISSION BY TUE LOllO LIEUTENANT OF
PEWBROKES11111.11:—It. Liew..llin, keg, to be deputy lieu-
tenant.

COMMISSION 131 t THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF
MONTOOKERYSH IRE .-Right H .n. Viscount Sraham to be
supernumerary mjor in the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry
Cavalry.