The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-06-19 00:00:00

THE STATE BALL,

Her Majesty reviewed the troops at Aldershott under
the command of Lieutenant-General Knollys, on Monday
afternoon, and again on Tuesday morning. The Queen
was accompanied by the Prince Consort, the Princess
Royal and Princess Alice, and the royal visitors now on
a visit to her Majesty. The royal, dinner party at
Aldershott, on Monday evening, included Lieutenant-
General Knollys, Major-General Sir R. Airey, Major-
General Baron Stuttenheim, commanding the British
Foreign Legion, Colonel Hutchinson, Colonel Crombie,
Colonel Napier, Colonel Harvey, Colonel Barker (Royal
Artillery), and Lieut.-Colonel Wardlaw, commanding
Royal Drag ions. Her Majesty and the royal party left
the Royal Pavilion at a quarter past eleven o'clock on
Tuesday morning, for Farnborough, travelled from that
station to Vauxhall by a special train on the South
Western Railway, and arrived at Buckingham Palace
at a quarter before one o'clock in five of the
Queen's carriages, escorted by a detachment of the
3rd Light Dragoons. Prince Albert presided in the
afternoon at a meeting of the Commission for Promoting
and Encouraging the Fine Arts in the rebuilding the
Palace of Westminster. The Countess de Neuilly and
the Duke and Duchess de Nemours paid a visit to the
Queen in the afternoon, and also visited the Regent of
Baden, and Prince Frederick William of Prussia at
Buckingham Palace. The Queen gave a state ball in
the evening at Buckingham Palace to a very numerous
party, comprising the Royal Family, royal foreign
visitors, the whole of the diplomatic corps, the ministers
and officers of state, the ladies and gentlemen of the
royal household, foreigners of distinction now in this
country, and a large party of the nobility and gentry.
About 2,000 invitations were issued. The Ball and
Concert Room, the Promenade Gallery, the Approach
Gallery, the New Ante-room, the State Dining-room,
Yellow Drawing-room, Saloon, White Drawing-room
Picture Gallery, and Green Drawing-room, were all
opened for this reception, and several of the suite were
tastefully decorated with rare and beautiful flowering
shrubs and plants, as were also the recesses of the Grand
Staircase. The Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers,
the Cabinet Ministers, the Officers of the Royal House-
hold, and those having the privileges of the entree,
entered the Palace by the Equerries' entrance in
Pimlico. The general company alighted at the Grand
Hall, and began to arrive soon after nine o'clock. Her
Majesty, the Prince Consort, the Princess Royal, with
the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary, the
Regent of Baden, Prince Frederick William of Prussia,
and the Duke of Cambridge left the White Drawing-
room, preceded by the Marquis of Breadalbane, K.T.,
Lord Chamberlain, and the other Officers of State, who
conducted her Majesty and the illustrious circle to the
Pall and Concert room, which her Majesty entered at
ten minutes before ten o'clock. The company from the
Picture Gallery and the State Saloons followed the
royal party. Her Majesty wore a dress of Indian muslin
embroidered iri gold sprigs and a broad gold
border in bouquets trimmed with bunches of red
cactus and green leaves, ornamented with diamonds.
The Queen's head-dress was formed of red
cactus, green leaves,' and diamonds. The Pincess
Royal wore a rich blue glace dress covered
with blue and white net, trimmed with bunches of
cherry blossom ; the body and sleeves trimmed to corre-
spond. Her royal highness's head-dress was composed
of cherry blossom. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a
dress of white silk with a triple flounce of point d'Alen-
con, each flounce edged with satin ribbon and white
marabout fringe. The corsage was trimmed to corre-
spond, and the stomacher covered with large sapphires
and diamonds. The necklace was diamonds. Her royal
highness's head-dress was formed of a pearl tiara and
lilac feathers. The Princess Mary of Cambridge wore a
white tulle dress with graduated bouffants from the top
to the bottom, over a rich white glace petticoat, trimmed
all over with bunches of corn flowers. The corsage and
sleeves trimmed to match, with bouquets and diamond
ornaments. The stomacher an I necklace diamonds. The
Princess's head-dress was composed of corn flowers and
diamond stars. After the first quadrille had been danced,
a waltz, " The R England " (H. Laurent), dedi-
cated to her Majesty the Queen, was played.

THE PosT•orrlCE AUTIIORITIES.— Again at the Post..
office last night the demand for postage stamps could not
be supplied, to the great annoyance and inconvenience
of our commercial community. It may be that the
insufficiency of the supply may arise from the pending
arrangements with Messrs. Bacon and Petch, the con-
tractors, for we observe that in the House of Commons
on Tuesday night the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in
reply to Mr. Whiteside, said that it had been deter-
mined to adhere to the same system, and that insttuc-
tions had been given to renew the contract, but coupled
with a condition that either party might determine it
if dissatisfied, on notice. It surely is censurable in the
authorities with whom the matter rests, to have pro
crastinated in effecting the arrangements until the stock
has become exhausted, as appears to be the case, and is
but another instance of the evils of routine.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.-It is stated (on the
authority of a private sourco of intelligence,) that the
Democratic Convention held at Cincinnati. has nomi-
nated Mr. James Buchannan, for President, and Nir. J.
C. Breckenridge, for Vice-president.

THE FOUND DUES PAID UNDER PROTEST.--ELSINORE,
June 17.—The treaty of commerce between Denmark
and the United States having expired on the 14th
inst., the first American vessel that has appeared
in the Sound since that event is the Sarah Bryant, Cap-
tain Gellerson, which arrived this day, bound from
Cronstadt to New York, with a cargo of Russian pro-
duce. She paid the Sound dues, but under protest.