The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-24 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S BIRTHDAY.

This day, being the 47th anniversary of her
Majesty's birthday, was celebrated in the customary man-
ner. At 8 o'clock the royal standard was hoisted at the
Tower, the General Post-office, Somerset-house, the Admi-
ralty, and other government offices. The national flag was
also displayed on the towers of the royal parish '
churches of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, St. John and
St. Margaret, Westminster ; and St. Mary Abbotts,
Kensington. The bells of the metropolitan churches rung
forth peals at intervals during the day. The vessels in the
river and the docks were dressed with flags from their
trucks to the water's edge. At 10 o'clock an inspection of
the Household Infantry, who wore the new clothing, took
place on the parade, St. James's Park, in front of the
Horse Guards, the bands being in attendance ; the
Guards for the duties of the day were "trooped" previous
tobeing marched to their respective posts; auddouble royal
salutes were fired from the l'ark and Tower guns. The
royal tradesmen will dine together this evening as usual.

_
The occasion was also celebrated with every honour
in Windsor. At 7 o'clock this morning the bells of
St. George'a Chapel and the parish church of St,
John commenced ringing merry peals, which were oonti.
nued throughout the day at intervals. Must of the prin-
cipal tradesmen and the royal purveyors in the town deco-
rated the fronts of their houses and places of business with
Hags and banners. Royal salutes of 21 guns were tired at
Windsor, and from the Royal Adelaide frigate and Fort
Belvedere, Virginia Water.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of \Vales honoured Lord and Lady Foley by their company
at dinner last evening, at the noble lord and lady's resi-
dence in Crosvenor-square. A select and distinguished
circle had the honour to meet their royal highucases.
After dinner Lady Foley had a dance, at which about 300
of the leading members of society assembled.
The Earl and Countess of Clarendon returned to
town on Tuesday from staying a few days with the Right
Hon. Chichester Fortescue, M.P., and Frances Countess
Wildegrave, at Strawberry Hill, Twickenham.
LaiTy Moleswurth entertained at dinner last
evening—The Duke and Duchess of Manchester, Lady
Susan Vane Tempest, Earl SumerA, Viscount Lismore,
Lord and Lady Stanley of Ablerley, the Right Hon. C. P.
Villiers, M.P Lord Harris, Baron and Baroness
Ferdinand do Rothschild, Mr. Alfred Montgomery, and
Mr. Delane.

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer and Mrs. and Miss Gladstone returned to town
yesterday from visiting Sir Walter and Lady James at
their seat in Kent.

Ilia Excellency General Webb, United States
Envoy Eitraordimuy and Minister Plenipotentiary to
Brazil, Mrs. Webb, and family have arrived at Fenton's
Hotel.

Yesterday Lady Adine Cowper laid the first
stone of the new tower and spire of St. Paul's Church,
Bedford, in the presence of a large and brilliant assem.
blage of the leading families of the county, including the
Lord Lieutenant (Earl Cowper), Lady Wensleydale, Lady
Isabella Whitbread, Lady Antrim, Mr. S. Whitbread,
Lieut.. Colonel Stuart, M.P., and Mr. Thomas Bar-
nard. The Lady Adine Cowper was presented with the
silver trowel with which she performed the ceremony.
Subsequently the company adjourned to the Bedford
Rooms, where they had luncheon, the Mayor of the
Borough (Mr. Nash) presiding. The estimated cost of the
enlargement and restoration of the church is 9,000!., or
thereabouts, and the following are among the largest
subscriptions :—The Duke of Bedford, 1,000/. ; Mr. Thomas
Barnard, 5001. ; Mr. Talbot Barnard, 5001. ; Mr. W. H.
Whitbread, 300/. Mr. Palgrave is the architect.
His Excellency Pin-Tu-Tin, the Chinese Corn-
. missioner, accompanied by Kwang-ying, Fun7-yib Tib-
ming, Yeu-Hwuy, Major Brine, R.E., Mr. Hart, Mr.
Bohm, secretary, and M. de Champs, interpreter, had an
interview yestenlay afternoon with the Earl of Clarendon,
K.G., at the Foreign-office. They afterwanls paid their
I respects to Mr. E. Hammond. the fader Secretary for
Foreign Affairs, and visited the Royal Academy.
The Church Congress at York will be held on the
9th, 10th, and 11th of October, under the presidency of
the Archbishop of York. The Archbishop of Canterbury
has consented to preach the sermon. The Bishops of
Oxford, Ripon, and Gloucester and Bristol; the Earls of
Harrowby and Devon, and Earl Nelson ; the Attorney-
' General, the Queen's Advocate, with some other distin-
guished laymen, are expected to read papers. Communi-
cations should be addressed to the honorary secretaries at
York, the Revs. Canon Trevor, E. Fox, and W. A. Wight-
man.

The twenty-ninth annual conference of delegates
of Mechanics' Institutes associated with the Yorkshire
Union was held at Halifax, yesterday, under the
presidency of Mr. Baines, M.P. The report pre-
sented showed that there are 112 institutes in the
union, and more than 20,000 members. It was re-
solved that the next meeting should be held at Castleford•
At the soirée in the evening, the Rev. Lord S. Godolphin
Osborne presided, and addresses were delivered by Lord
F. Cavendish, Mr. Akroyd, DLF., Mr. Baines, M.P.,
and other gentlemen.

On Tuesday evening the conservatives of Tewkev-
bury celebrated their recent electioneering triumph by a
grand dinner in honour of Sir E. Lechmerc, the successful
candidate. A large number of members of parliament
were present. The principal topic of the speakers was the
Redistribution of Seats Bill. The speech of Sir John
Pakington dwelt at some length on what he considered the
whig proclivities of the measure ; and the whole tone of
the meeting was one of opposition to the bill. Another
conservative dinner was held the same evening at Lichfield
to commemorate the return of Colonel Dyott.
It appears from a parliamentary return issued
to-day that the boroughs of England and Wales having a
population of leas than 10,000 and more than 8,000, sc.
cording to the last census, are—Reigate, Poole, Lewes,
Frome, Windsor, Christchurch, Shaftesbury, Tavistock,
Wilton, Helston, Chipping Wycombe, Rye, Halton, Chi-
chester, Stamford, Guildford, and Haverfordwest(distaict).