The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-18 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen rode on horseback on Saturday morning,
attended by the Hon. Mary Bulteel, in the riding school
attached to Buckingham Palace.
Prince Albert rode on horseback, attended by his
Equerry in waiting.
Prince Arthur and the Princesses Helena and Louisa
took a carriage drive.
Her,l%.4ajesty, Prince Albert, with the Princess Royal
and Princess Alice, took a drive in the afternoon in an
open carriage and, four. Major-General Bouverie and
Captain Du Plat attended on horseback.
The Queen had a dinner party in the evening at Buck-
ingham Palace. The company included the Duchess of
Cambridge, the Princess Royal, the Princess Mary of
Cambridge, tho Turkish. Ambassador and Madame
Musurus, the Hanseatic Minister, the Marquis of Bread-
atbane, the Marquis of Lansdowne' the Earl and Coun-
tess Grey, the Countess Somers, Lord Paninure, Der-
vish Paella, Lieutenant-General Sir George Bowles,
and Baron Kneseback (in waiting to the Duchess of
Cambridge.
Her Majesty's private band attended after dinner in
the Palace, and performed the following pieces
verture—" Lucrezia" Marschner.
Selections—" L'Etoile du Nord"
Duo—" Jenny
Pelissier Marche

Yesterday the Queen and the Prince, with the Prince
of Wales, Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, and the
Princess Alice, the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court,
and the Domestic Household attended Divine Serviee in
tut) Private Chanel t Buckingham Palace. The Hon
and very Rev. the Dean of Windsor officiated.

A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at
the Foreign-office, Downing-street. It was attended by
Viscount Palmerston. the Lord Chancellor, the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, Ran Granville, th.) Earl of Harrow-
by, Sir George Grey, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Lord
Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles
Wood, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley
of Alderley, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the
Duke of Argyll. The. Council sat three hours and a
half.
Meetings of the Oxford University Commission were
held at No. 17, Great Queen-street, Westminster, on
Friday and Saturday last. The commissioners present
were the Earl of Hari'owliy, Mr. Justice Coleridge, the
Hon. E. Twisleton, the Dean of Wells, and Sir J. W.
Awdry, with the Secretaries.
Despatches from the Governors of the West India
Colonies, the Gambia, and the British Settlements on
the West Coast of Africa were received on Saturday at
the Colonial-office. Despatches were sent in the even-
ing to the Governor of the West India Colonies.

The Right Hon. the Speaker gave his second full-
dress Parliamentary banquet this session on Saturday,
at his temporary official mansion in Eaton-square. A
large party of members of the House of Commons dined
with the right hon. gentleman, including the right Hon.
B. Disraeli, the Right Hon. S. Walpole, the Right Hon.
Sir J. Pakington, Lord Stanley, Lord J. Mariners, Vis-
count Newport, Lord Claude Hamilton, the Right Hon.
J. Napier, the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, Sir William
Jolliffe' and others.
The Archbishop of York and the Hon. Mrs. Mus-
grave have arrived at their mansion in Belgrave-square,
om Bishopthorpe.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Kildare have arrived
in town from Ireland, having paid a short visit to the
Duke and Duchess of Sutherland at Trentham, en route
from Dublin.
The Countess of Cirnarvon has arrived at Howchin's
Hotel, St. James's-street.
The Count and. Countess Jarnac have arrived at Cla-
ridge's Hotel, Brook-street.
Viscount Wellesley has left the Clarendon for Dray.
cot-house, near Chippenham.
Lord Claude Hamilton, M.P., has arrived at Howchin's
Hotel, from Rome.
The Lady Cochrane gave birth to a daughter on Friday,
at Bedwell-park. Herts.
Colonel and Mrs. Clifton have arrived at their new
mansion, 31, Portman-square, for the season, from
Lytham Hall, Lancashire.
The Countess Dowager of Meath, and the Lady Maria
Meade, have arrived at Claridge's Hotel.
The Earl and Countess of Laneshorough have arrived
in town for the season.
Viscount Palmerston entertained at dinner, at his re-
sidence on the terrace, Piccadilly, on Saturday evening,
the following members of the House of Commons :
Viscount Raynham, Cul. L. Freestun, Mr. Antrobns,
Mr. Atherton, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Craufurd, Mr. Dun-
das, Mr. Pinney, Mr. Ellice, Mr. Scrope, Mr. Ewart,
Mr. Steel, Mr. Headlam, Mr. Hindley, Mr. Luce, Mr.
Morris, and Mr. Kirk.
Lord and Lady Olivia Ossulston arrived in town on
Saturday, from Hampshire.
Sir E. B. Lytton entertained at dinner, on Saturday
last, a distinguished party, amongst whom were the
Duke of Montrose, the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of
Derby, the Earl of Ellenborough, Lord Lyndhurst, Lord
Colchester, Lord Colville, the Marquis of Blandford,
the Earl of Eglinton, and Sir H. Bulwer, G.C.B.
POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH IRELAND.—A Treasury
minute, dated October 19, 1855, with a view to improve
the postal and passenger communication betwixt Eng-
land and Ireland, was published yesterday. My Lords
desired to know if. it were practicable, 1. For a mail
leaving London in the morning to arrive in Dublin in
time for the departure of the evening mails, and also
for a delivery in Dublin-the same night ? 2. For a mail
leaving London in the evening at its usual hour to reach
Dublin in time for the day mails from Dublin, and for a
convenient morning delivery in Dublin ? 3. For a mail
to leave Dublin in the morning, after tha arrival of the
night mails from the provinces, in time to reach London
for the departure of the night mails, and for a late de-
livery that night ? 4. For a mail to leave Dublin in the
evening, after business hours, and to arrive in Loudon in
time for an early delivery, and the day mails out of Lon-
don ? If such arrangements wore practicable, their
Lordships would be prepared to ',incur a considerable
expenditure in order to secure them ; in that case, in
the majority of instances, the Irish postal service both
ways would be advanced by periods varying from 6 to
12 hours, and in many cases, for business purposes, 24
hours woe Id be saved in replies, besides the most perfect
passenger accommodation being secured. It is assumed
that the maximums time occupied in the journey between
the two capitals would be 11 hours, and that arrange-
ments would be made for sorting letters on board. The
minute was ordered to be referred to the Postmaster-
General and the Chief Secretary of State for Ireland.