The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-19 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess f,f Kent visited
the Queen early yesterday (the birthday of her Royal
Highness the Princess Louisa) at Buckingham Palace.
Lord John Russell had•an audience of her Majesty
yesterday.

His 'loyal Highness Prince Albcrt, attended by
Colonel Bouverie, honoured the Society of Arts in
the Adelpbi with a visit yesterday afternoon.
The Royal Family took their accustomed exercise
yesterday in the garden of Buckingham Palace.
The Queen had a dinner party at Buckingham
Palace. The company included her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Sutherland,
the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lady Fanny Howard,
Baroness de Speth, the Marquis and Marchioness of
Douro, the Dowager Lady Lyttleton, Sir George
Cowper, Captain Francis Seymour, and Mr. Birch.

The band of the Grenadier -Guards was in attendance
during dinner in the Palace, and performed the fol-
lowing pieces :

OveriUie, "Robert le Diable"
Terzetto, " Sous votre Binniere" (La
Prophete)
Polka, " The Cavalry"
Selection, "-Freischutz" Weber. ,

His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimar visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of
Kent yesterday at Clarence House, St. James's.
Sir Edward Buxton had an interview with Lord
John Russell yesterday.
Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board of Inland
Revenue, had an interview with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in
Downing-street.

The Earl of Carlisle had a dinner party on Satur-
day at his residence in Grosvenor-place. The com-
pany included the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl
and Countess Granville, Lord and Lady John Rus-
sell, Lord and Lady Overstone, Sir James and Lady
Graham, Mr. C Greville, Mr. Ord, Mr. Ogle, Mr.
Loch, Captain Peel, the Countess cf Carlisle, Lady
Mary Howard, and Mr. Charles Howard.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
OPENING FOR TRAFFIC OF THE BRITANNIA-

BRIDGE.
On Friday and Saturday Captain Simmons, the
Government Inspector for the Railway Commis-
sicners, made his official inspection of this great
structure, accompanied by Mr. Edwin Clark, the
resident engineer, and Mr. Hedworth Lee, the engi-
neering manager of the Chester and Holyhead: line,
when a series of experiments took place to ascertain
the law of deflection and the absolute structural
strength of the fabric. The experiments consisted in
observing the deflections under a series of successive
loads; the passing of three locomotives with a train
sufficient to cover each of the tubes through the
bridge at various speeds, and :the running of locomo-
tives and tenders, without trains, through at variable
rates of progress. The first experimental train was a
heavily laden one of coal-waggons weighing 240
tons, with three locomotive engines. This was
run through the tube at the rate of from 10 to 12
miles an hour, and the deflection, as taken by a de-
flectometer fixed in the centre tower, was scarcely
perceptible. This train was then drawn completely
over one of the tubes, and there left as a dead
weight, while Captain Simmons descended, and made a
minute inspection of the masonry, the rivetting,
plate-work, cellular top and bottom of the tubes,
rivetting, and other arrangements, which occupied
a considerable time. On returning to the tube the
deflection caused by the load was found to be about
three-fourths of an inch. Similar experiments made
in the other tubes exemplified the perfect success
that has attended the connexion of the four tubes to-
gether so as to form one continuous beam. As the
engines entered upon the small land tube the motion
due to their progressive weight was ascertainable in
every tube, even over to the further extremity of
1,560 feet in length. Locomotives were then passed
through as fast as practicable, but only at twenty
miles an hour, owing to the curves at either end.
The deflection was the fraction of an iach, and the
vibration scarcely perceptible. The experiments were
considered to be very satisfactory.
Yesterday the up• express from Holyhead, carrying
the snails and passengers from Ireland, and which ar-
rived at Euston-square exactly at eleven o'clock,
came " by" the tube at a saving of a full hour over
the usual transit. The subsequent trains, to and:fro,
also went through both ways. All the arrangements
for this work are now permanently complete, and the
floating of the twin tubes for the parallel line is oc-
cupying the attention of the engineers.
The directors of the Chester and Holyhead Com-
pany are now in communication with Sir George
Grey, to ascertain whether her Majesty and his Royal
Highness Prince Albert will permit the Prince of
Wales, on an early day in April, to be present at a
festival in celebration of the successful opening of the
great structure. The communication has been gra•
ciously received, and there is every expectation of its
being accepted.
RAILWAY BlLLS.—Yesterday the preambles of the
following hills were declared proved :—Exeter and
Credition Railway, for raising further capital and en-
largement of Cowley-bridge Station ; South-Eastern
Railway, for power to discontinue payment of interest
on calls ; Londonderry and Coleraine, and London-
derry and Ennhkillen ; Dublin and Belfast Junction
Railway.