The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-24 00:00:00

State Concert,

By command of the Queen, a State Concert was
given last evening at Buckingham Palace, to which
a party of nearly 800 was invited.
'Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales, attended by the Countess of Morton. the
Hon. Mrs. E. Coke, the Marquis of Abercorn, Lord
Harris, Lord Alfred Hervey, the Hon. R. H.
Meade, and Major Teesdale, arrived at the Palace
from Marlborough House shortly before ten o'clock.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and Princess Mary, arrived from St. James's
Palace, attended by Lady Geraldine Somerset and
Colonel Home Purvis.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
arrived from Gloucester House, attended by Colonel
,
Tyrwhitt.

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Meek•
lenburg-Strelitz, arrived from St. James's Palace,
attended by Baron von Plesson.
Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Meek-
lenburg-Strelitz, and their Royal Highnesses the
Duke and Duchess of Montpensier, and the Prin-
cess Marie Isabelle, were prevented by indisposition
from being present.

His Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen,
and her Royal Highness the Princess of Leiningen,
were also prevented from attending the concert.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied
by their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam•
bridge and Princess Mary, the Duke of Cambridge,
and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, con-
ducted by the Lord Chamberlain and the other chief
officers of the Household, and attended by the Ladies
and Gentlemen in Waiting, entered the concert
room soon after ten o'clock.
The Marchioness of Ely officiated as Mistress of
the Robes for the Duchess of Wellington, who NV,S
too unwell to attend.

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales wore
a black tulle dress, with flounces of tulle and jet
ornaments, and a tunic trimmed with lace and jet.
Head dress, a tiara of jet, with jet ornaments. Her
Royal Highness also wore the Victoria and Albert
badge and the Portuguese Order of Isabella.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge
wore a black silk dress trimmed with flounces of
tulle, and covered with a deep lace tunic. Head
dress, a tiara of diamonds and pearls, with white
feathers; stomacher, necklace, and ear-rings, pearls
and diamonds.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary wora a
white satin dress, trimmed with tulle and satin
ribbon, covered with a tunic of Brussels lace. Head
dress, a diadem of diamonds and water-lilies.
Stomacher, necklace, and ear-rings of pearls and
diamonds.

Hie Royal Highness the Prince of Wales wore
;he uniform of a general officer, with the insignia

of the Order of the Garter and of the Star of India.

The Royal Body Guard of the Yeomen of the
Guard, with their officers, Lieut.-Colonel Cooke, the
Ensign, and Colonel Bourke, the Egon in Waiting,
were on duty at the Palace.
As soon as their Royal Highnesses the Prince
and Princess of Wales entered the saloon the con•
cart commenced.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, as
Fieid-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, held a levee
yesterday at the Horse Guards, About 120 officers
attended.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and Princess Mary arrived yesterday at their resi-
dence at St. James's Palace, from Cambridge Cot-
tage, Kew.
The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort have arrived
in town from Badminton, Gloucestershire.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Aileebury
arrived at their residence in Pall-mall yesterday,
from Tottenham Park, near Marlborough.
The Earl and Countess Russell, accompanied by
Lady Georgiana Russell and family, arrived at their
residence in Chesham-plece yesterday from Fein•
broke Lodge, Richmond.
Tile Earl and Countess of Winchilsea have
arrived at the St. George's Hotel.

The Earl of Carnarvon has returned to town from
visiting the Earl and Countess of Portsmouth.
The Countess M. de Pruchoff has arrived at
Long's Hotel.

Lord and Lady Londesborough entertained the
following company at dinner yesterday evening Lit
their residence in Grosvenor-place :—The Duke and
Duchess of Beaufort, Earl Anna-slay, Viscount and Vis-
countess Grey de Wilton, Sir Henry and Lady Sophia Des
Voaux, Colonel Hon. James and Mrs. Macdonald, Colonel
and Mrs Charles Baring, Hon. F. Calthorpe.
A ROYAL PRESENT FROM AUSTRALIA.—T he Cus'
toms' authorities at the port of Southampton received au
order from the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's
Treasury on Saturday sanctioning the delivery duty tree of
a magnificent gold casket, bearing an inscription to the
effect that it is a bridal gift from Lady Young and the
ladies of New Smith Wales to her Royal Highness tb°
Princess of Wales. It measures about Bin. in width by
about 4in. in depth and across, and is lined with rich velvet.
The casket is ornamented with wreaths of flowers, and OA
key represents an opossum on a tree, the whole being of
solid gold. The workmanship is most beautiful, and tb°
chasing very elaborate, the casket being altogether one of
surpassing richness and beauty. It is valued at £7OO, and
the duty upon it at 17s. per ounce, would amount to quite
Xlo4h.ut Thisam elegant Southampton ly
thepresentPeninsular
fthefom
and
antipodes
Oriental
was
toCompany's
steamship Delhi, which arrived there in the early part. of
last week with the Australian mails.

THE THAMES POLICE BOAT.-0 wing to the
rapid progress which is being made by Mr. Ritson, the
contractor for the Thames Embankment between Wate rico'
bridge and the eastern end of the Temple-gardens, the
Royalist, the Thames Police boat, which has been anchored
for some years past at the end of Norfolk-street, had
yesterday to shift her quarters lower down the river. The
Royalist is one of the vessels which went out to 11'8
Arctic regions in search of Sir John Franklin.
PARLIAMENTAAY DEPOSITS (1864.)—A return
" of the Amount invested in the Public Funds, Excheq;e64l.
Bills, and Cash, to the Account of the Accountant-Gc
ral, as Deposits on the Railway Bills presented to Perna'.
ment during the present Session," states that the anaolll‘
of cash deposited was £667,335 lfis 8d; Exchequer DO,
£578,800, and stock transferred, £5,076,754 is 7d; total,
£6,322,889 17s 3d.
f
SPREAD OF SPECULATION.—A correspondent - o
a Boston paper gives the following account of the
ladies of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York :--66 They wer°
all talking stocks. A parcel of young brokers live in in
house, and every evening they were sent over to the c°6t
hole' to execute the commissions of the ladies. I did 11°;.,
ask any of their husbands what they thought of °J.—
arrangement. A lady took me in tow, and we sailed (1003
the drawing-room, looking and listening to what was tel
done and said. ' Jenny,' said a very pretty *Toni°,
another, u
You'd better buy some Michigan Southern. -1-t,
sure to go up to 140.' Now, Lizzy,' replied her frene.:
6 It's no use for you to be bulling the market. I don't 1! A
lieve any such a thing.' 60h, you horrid bear, you,' retorai:
Lizzy, you've been selling short, you knew you haivreal
So we passed along, hearing conversation of this Fort
women who held stock-lists in their hands,
quired if their brokers had returned from the coalhole,
what they had done." If this be true, what are we NW: 6A'
to Are we about to turn into a nation of gamblers,
make a second Baden-Baden of New York? It' both teen
and eagerlytirLis
and matrons indulge in this dangerous game of beggar-oretil
neighbour, the next generation will come honestly
edly erect statues to Fortune or to Secretary Chase, in t
by a wholesale mania for throwing dice, and will un'duoscb:a
of to the heroes of the war.—.Aroo York raper.