The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-18 00:00:00

The ball at the Mansion-house is now going on.

Their Royal Highnesses, accompanied by the Lord
Lieutenant and the Marchioness of Abereorn, the
Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Teck, attended by
a numerous suite, arrived about 11 o'clock, and
met with a warm reception both from a large '
crowd assembled outside, and from the brilliant
assemblage within. The ball was opened by the
Prince of Wales with the Lady Mayoress ; the
Lord Mayor dancing with the Princess. Their
royal highnesses left soon after supper, and were
loudly cheered by a large crowd, which had been
waiting for some time to witness their departure. I

TEE NEW MEAT AND POULTRY MARKEIT

AT SMITHFIELD.

The new market buildings at Smithfield are pro-'
• rapidly, awl it is hoped they will be ready
or occupation in the course of the present year.,
When that consummation is arrived at the metro-•
pulls will have one of the finest market places in
the world.
The site of the market is partly upon veritabld
Smithfield, seeing that it is skirted on its southern
aide by Long-lane, but some other land had also to
be purchased to obtain the necessary space, under
an act of parliament passed for the purpose. The
difficulties of the work were much increased by
the fact that the building was to be' erected ovdr
the goods station of the Great Western Railway,
and over the underground works of the Metro-
politan line. This rendered it necessari:* fall
back upon the plan so often resorted to In don
buildings—to build upon iron colufnna, lying
the usual multiplication of arches, brick walls, and
vault* in all directions, before the market proper
could be touched. .

The manner in which this huge market is to be
parcelled out seems to leave nothing to be desired.
There are to be 200 shops, each covering a space
of 37 feet by 15 feet, and of course it will be opea
for a man with an extensive business to secure two
or three allotments and convert them into one
11140 astablishmont. The rant of each shop is
1201. a year, which, considering the profits—the
untold profits—the butchers have been wringing
out of us lately, appears to be a reasonable sum,
and is in point of fact very reasonable, when, in
addition to the actual shop, there are • counting-
house, *back room, and a good sitting room upstairs.
The Markets Improvement Committee, indeed,
evinced an almost fatherly an :day as to the comforts
of the trade. The shops face the numerous
passages to which we have rtferreil, running from
north to south, that is to say from side to side.
The front shop in which the meat will be exposed
for sale is open to the main roof, but the premises
are designed so that after business the meat may
be removed into a beck room (" back front " is
the usual term) and enclosed for the night within
steel revolving shutters. Behind this little meat-
i prison there is a comfortably appointed octuuting-•
house, and above this, reached by stairs, the re is a
I retiring or sitting room, to which the tired
I owner may withdraw to enjoy a quiet siesta under
a kind of sub-roof, which has been placed between
him and the main roofing. The class of persons by
whom this building is to be used was consulted
before the contracts were issued, and the desirable-
ness of a private apartment of this description was
unanimously insisted upon. It is hardly necessary
to add that nothing will be wanting in the matter
of water for cleansing, and general accommodation
for casual visitors to the market. The fo-:r CV r*
ners of the building are to be set spelt for refresh-
; ments, and we believe an attempt is to be made to
I provide wholesome meat and drinks in a style
and at rates that will be an example to other
places of public resort. Bars for the sale of
spirituous hquors will be fitted up upon the ground
floor, while above there will be coffee-roomy, sup-
plied with some, at any rate, of the daily news-
papers. In central and convenient places thin
0 will be post office* and telegraph stations, end
whatever appliances the exigencies of the trade slay
Irequire, or the miscellaneous wants of the pukka
demand, will not be omitted. It is quite early to
speak of the opinign of the public as to the metqls
of the new market, but we may safely say that Ilbr.
Horace Jones's design has given general satiailte-
non and that Messrs. Browne and Robinson, the
. contractors, are doing their work as English buiders
i ought to do it.
I; There is every prospect of the new meat market
proving as great a success and as great a coa-
-1 venience as the sister cattle establishmeiit'tin
Islington. Although Smithfield as it was up( to
the period when parliament had to interfere mid
insist upon the abolition of the whole thing, bad
become a nuisance in itself, and a source of inopn-
venience and danger to nearly every street in
City, there were not lacking those who foretold
ruin and disaster if there was any interferenbe.
;In every respect the Metropolitan Cattle Market
1 has answered the expectations formed regardttig
it, and the increase of business there sines Prises
; Albert opened it in June, lebb, is almost herein-
ble. The already too crowded thoroughfareai of
the City were at once relieved, and business
men *ere able to conduct their operatlims
comfortably and better than before. Equal
advantages must follow the opening of Ake
Smithfield Meat Market. Newgato-street wilbfbe
none the worse for coming to be like ono viol
butcher's tray, and meat and poultry will, be,qpld
in none the leas quantities, or at any greater . •
advantege, by being offered for sale
under, one •
modious roof, where the seller will be able' to do
justice to himself, and the buyer will be elati to
I spend his money with some amount of physical
`comfort. s

-- - -
ADMIRALTY, APRIL n.—APPOIIITMENTIL—Nind
Cadets seealaated : Metikase X. Wodebome, Freak**
t co:eita X. Stokes. Gleams D. Herra7. Otoreallbet•
t. Muriel a D.Wiall lard Jahatteae, mad the 7.
W Orfaretoa.
LE tor the 'Vtari...o9altitetla, •Pefirlell
aisposlher; Jr. N.
te gee Crlage ; Arsadell Smith, to tll,
daeoba H. Homey, La charm to the Alva ;
I. Vealia eltarge, to the Dwarf ; and Clerk .I;L.T.
Name to the Royal Oak. I
Neuralgia and rheumatism can be osinbs
Barrios's Mosaic Flesh and Nola brush* • , swim Ica. :Ma
cook of an perfumers and eleatleta. Peaptiets yea
tka. Wholinale, R. Horeadan and Rona, 1, Gm' mussamsan•
Wad, M., tad 93 and te. Olwreett. 1.c.--taitvtl

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