The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-23 00:00:00

Witt Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE. MAT =.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise,
walked and drove in the grounds this morning.
Prince and Princess Christian visited the Queen at
Windsor Castle.

Princess Beatrice rode in the Home-park, and Prince
Leopold, attended by Mr. Legg, went out walking.
The Queen held a council to-day at a quarter before
three o'clock, ►t which were present the Duke of Marl-
borough, the Duke Buckingham, and Earl Cadogan.
The Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Buckingham
had audiences of the Queen.
Mr. Helps was clerk of the council.
Viscount Torrington and Colonel Hon. C. Lindsay, the
lord and groom in waiting, were in attendance.
Princess Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Barrington
and Colonel Hon. C. Lindsay, went to London last
evening, and honoured the performance at the Royal
Italian Opera with her prasence. Her royal highness
afterwards returned to Windsor Castle. The Hon. Mrs.
Wellesley had the honour of accompanying her royal
highness.
The Queen, with Princess Louise, Princess Beatrice, and
Prince Leopold, left the Castle at a quarter before 7 o'clock
this evening for Balmoral. The suite in attendance con-
sisted of the Dowager Duchess of Athol°, the Hon. Mrs.
Alexander Gordon, Lieut.-General Hon. C. Grey, Lord
Charles Fitzroy, Dr. Joiner, Mr. Legg, and Mr. SAIL
The Prince and Princess Christian and the infant prince,
attended by Lady Susan Melville, left Frogmare-house
and met the Queen at the railway station in Windsor, and
left with her Majesty for Scotland.
Mr. Engleheart attended their royal highnesses to the
railway station.
Countess Blucher left the Castle this morning.
The infant Prince Christian Victor was carried yester-
day at the ceremony of baptism by Mrs. Johnstone, the
monthly nuns, and was also attended by the bead nurse,
Mrs. Moffatt.

The, robe, mantle, and cap worn by the prince on the
occasion were of rich Irish lace over white satin, the gift
of the Queen.
Mr. Jabes Hughes, of Ryde, bad the honour of photo-
graphing the Queen, Princess Louise, Princess Beatrice,
and Prince Leopold, before her Majesty left Osborne.

At the council held yesterday by the Queen at Windsor
Castle, a proclamation was ordered to be issued relating to
to the Canadi.n Confederation.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday, at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Trea-
sury, in Downing-street. The Ministers pre-
sent were the Earl of Derby, the Lord Chancellor,
the Duke of Marlborough, the Earl of Malmesbury,
the Right Hon. Gathorne Hardy, Lord Stanley,
the Duke of Buckingham, Sir John Pskington, Sir
S. Northcote, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
Right Hon. H. T. L. Corry, the Duke of Rich-
mond, Lord J. Manners, Lord Naas, and the
Right Hon. Spencer H. Walpole.
A Committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Meet Ho-
nourable Privy Council sat yesterday at the Privy Council-
office, Whitehall, on the subject of the cattle plague. The
Lords present were the Duke of Richmond and Lord
Robert Montagu.
Sir George Bowyer, Bart., M.P., Mr. Casolani, of Malta,
and Mr. Fawcett, had an interview with the Chancellor of
the Exchequer yesterday respecting the water supply for
Malta.

Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governor of Malta.

The Right Hon. Gathorne Hardy, Secretary of State for
the Home Department, will give a banquet at his resi-
dence, No. 12, Grosvenor-crescent, on Saturday, to cele-
brate her Majesty's birthday.

His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Com-
manding-in-Chief will hold a levee at 1 o'clock on
Tuesday, the 28th inst.

The next dinner of the Cobden Club has been
fixed for Wednesday the 3rd of July, at the Star
and Garter Hotel, Richmond ; Earl Russell will
take the chair on the occasion.

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh
dined with Lord Henry G. Lennox on Tuesday evening,
at his lordship's official residence at the Admiralty, White-
hall. There were present the Duke d'Aumale, Maria
Marchioness of Aileabury, the Earl and Countess Spencer,
the Earl and Countess of Bessborough, the Countess of
Westmorland, Lord and Lady Cecilia Bingham, the Bishop
of Oxford, the Right Hon. the Chanoellor of the Exchequer,
and Lady Susan Vane Tempest. Later in the evening a
select party assembled, including the Duke of Leuchten-
berg, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Prince de Teets, Ac.

The Duke of Edinburgh will leave Clarence
House, St. James's, to-day for Paris, on his way to Mar-
seilles, where he will embark on board the Galatea for hie
cruise round the world. The duke is expected to be absent
for about two years. In the firs% instance his royal high-
ness will visit Bombay and the chief ports of our Indian
possessions, and then Pegs; after visiting Chins and Japan
he will go to Australia, and probably visit America on his
return home to England.

The spring general meeting of the National Rifle
Association will be held at Willis's Rooms on Thursday,
the 30th inst., at half-past 2 o'clock ; Field-Marshal his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge in the chair.

The festival of the choirs of St. Cross, near
Winchester, took place in the church of that famous hos-
pit►l on Tuesday. The choirs present were from Hurley,
Old Alresford, Upham, Bishopetoke, Ouslebury, Fairoak,
Morestead, Batley, St. Cross, Chilton, Candover, Crawley,
Twy ford, Ampfield, Headbourn, Worthy, Easton, Itchen
Stoke, St. Maurice, Ovington, St. Thomas, St. Peter
Cheesehill, St. Bartholomew Hyde, Winnall, and the
Tnining College; and numbering 350 persona. The
Bishop of Winchester and • large number of clergymen
attended the festival. The clergy and choirs dined in the
Hundred Men's Hall and cloisters of the hospital. The
bishop presided at the chief table.

M. Archer, the French qtrteier de pai.c who accom-
panied the Prince of Wales in his frequent visits to the
Exhibition, and prevented his royal highness from being et
any time inconveniently approached by the crowd, has been
presented by the Prince with a very handsome gold pin,
having the Prince's arms beautifully set in diamonds.

The bill for continuing the suspension of the
Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland comes on for a second
reading to-night, and will probably lead to a long
debate. The Irish members, it is said, intend to reive
discussion on the whole course of legislation adopted
towards that pert of the empire.
The shareholders of the London General Omni-
bus Company have been invited to to-operate with the
directors in checking the dishonesty of their servants. The
plan proposed is that the conductor on receiving the fares
shall register the number in a " way bill" placed in the
omnibus against the price of the said fare or fares, which
are thereon stated. The shareholders making use of the
company's omnibuses are asked to see that the conductors
comply with this regulation, and in ease of their neglecting
to do so, to inform the directors of the same. The plan
is expected to inerense the return. of the company, and is
already in operation on one line of route.

The opening of the New York state canals for
the season has taken place. According to the Pittsburgh
Commercial a scheme for uniting the lakes has been
brought forward by some parties who have offered to
undertake the building of the ship canal connecting the
lakes with the St. I*wrenoe :—" It will extend across
Canadian territory from Lake Huron to Lake Ontario, and
will cost an enormous sum of money ; but the advantages
to be derive' therefrom, and the immense amount of
freight that will seek t'sst channel of conveyance, will
render I, one of the most profitable undertakings ever at-
tempted in America."