The Sun. — 1865-03-22 (London, England)

HER MAJESTY.  WINDSOR CASTLE, March 21. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred returned to the Castle last evening from London. Lady Charlotte Locker and the Hon. Sir Fred. Bruce arrived at the Castle, and had the honour of dining with the Queen and the Royal family yesterday. Sir Frederick Bruce kissed hands and took leave, on his appointment as her Majesty's Minister to Washington.  Professor Hoffman had the honour of giving the first of a series of lectures on chemistry before her Majesty and their Royal Highnesses Prince Alfred, Princess Helena, Princess Louise, and Prince Leopold.  The Queen drove out this morning in a carriage and four, attended by Lady Augusta Stanley and the Hon. Florence Seymour. Her Royal Highness Princess Louise also took a carriage drive. The Earl of Lucan had an audience to-day, and kissed hands on receiving from her Majesty the Gold Stick as Colonel of the Ist Life Guards.  --,81.-- The Prince of Wales was present in the House of Lords last night.  The Princess of Wales took a carriage drive yes" terday.  Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge will give a grand dinner party on Monday next, at her residence at St. James's Palace, to celebrate the birthday of the Duke of Cambridge. _  The Duchess of Somerset and Lady Gwendoline St. Maur returned to the First Lord's official residence at the Admiralty yesterday, from Bulstrode Park, Bucks. The Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn and Lady Georgiana Hamilton are not expected to return home from the Continent till the week after Easter.  The Marquis of Bowmont has left the Clarendon Hotel for Floors.  The Marquis and Marchioness of Drogheda are shortly expected to arrive in town from Ireland for the season.  The Earl and Countess Grey are expected home from their tour in Italy about the 20th of the ensuing month.  The Earl Granville had a dinner party on Mon' day evening at his residence in Bruton-street.  The Earl and Countess Spencer returned to town yesterday, after a few days' stay at Althorp Hall, North" amptonshire. The noble earl and countess will enter' thin a large party at Althorp during the race meeting 6t Northampton. The Earl and Countess of Bessborough received a select party at dinner yesterday evening, at their house in Charles-street, Berkeley-square. The Earl and Countess of Minto have left Farrance's Hotel for their town residence in Eaton-square.  A Ball at Washington.  On the night of the 6th instant, the Loyal League galr° a grand ball at Washington, in honour of President Lil; coin. The company appears to have been a rather niLle" one. The New York Herald says :—" At half-past ten the presidential party was announced, and as they entered he bands bands struck up 'Hail to the Chief,' ana the company formed in lines, leading to the presidential platform. When they were seated dancing was resumed. Immediately an imniell6° crowd of curious people gathered in front of the platform' and tried to stare the presidential party out of countenant' This crowd was constantly reinforced, until it was almost impossible to get past the middle of the room. The President occupied his chair but a moment, gallantly relinquishing it to Mrs. Senator Harris, and falling back against the wall with the rest of the gentlemen on the platform. He was dressed rn evening costume, but with a black necktie, and looked boyishly delighted at the charming scene before hire. 3111; Lincoln remained seated in queenly state. She was dressed in white satin, richly embroidered, and wore a point lane shawl. Her necklace and earrings were of diaraonds• ger hair was arranged with a fall of curls and with silver °rya" ments and white artificial flowers. Her rounded arms and dimpled shoulders were displayed, and her face bore an elpression which assured all observers that she was the Wife of the President. There were numerous outrageOus ens" tumes to be seen. The faded wall flowers' were in veil: strong force. There was one lady who wore the dress of her grandmother, an old fashioned brocade with big knots of yellow ribbon, without any crinoline ; a nurcv ber of ladies in plain black silks, others in muslin delaines ; one with a brown merino dress, with a black cloth cloak and black hat ; one with a faded calico, evi: dently from Tennessee ; another with a carriage cloak. At least a dozen ladies wore bonnets more or less inappropriate to the festive scene. Several gentlemen elbowed their war through the crowd with stove pipe hats in hand, and wearing their winter overcoats, as though they expected snowstorm in the Arctic regions. There were gentlemen., with all manner of scarfs, bright and fancy colours, as well, as dingy black, displaying glittering pins of all manner of devices. And Johnson's plebeians outnumbered the aristocrats at least twenty to one. They threw shoddy and petroleum completely into the shade. The dancing of thee? people was marvellous. The men threw their legs ail:(111c; like the spokes of a wheel; the women hopped, skipped, an jumped about in a manner which would have made a Frencb dancing master commit suicide. They introduced the figures of a quadrille into the lancers, and a breakdown into ~„ quadrille. They appeared to think that every other dal; was a waltz, and acted accordingly. The gall*, twit, schottische, and varsovienne, the Danish and the roue were all Greek to them. They understood nothing but plain waltz and a plain quadrille, and appeared to thitle: that they were exhibiting the greatest science when tIV,, were kicking up the most dust. Those of the plebeians .1"; did not dance gathered around the doors of the suPPle rooms, and remained there from nine o'clock until time that the supper-room was opened. This gives a pretty accurate idea of their calibre. The President alle Mrs. Lincoln did not dance, nor did the grave ,s4coret, taries trip the light fantastic.' There was a coal' however. Vice Admiral Farragut, Major General B Congressman Arnold, and an attache: of .°llOOO the legations, danced the lancers together. the Buchanan, daughter of Commodore Buchanan, °f Boston Navy Yard, and Miss Wilson, of Chicago, Wer-034 this set. An admiring crowd surrounded the partY',,of they danced with a grace and spirit unequalled hro-d, others of the large company. As Andy Johnson Passvice gentleman remarked to a Radical senator that the ro, President, in his inaugural speech, had disgraced lailsPtieit and the country. "Well," said the senator, "We d• regret it, for he has no chance now for the Presiuet,iios He has killed himself off." Another gentleman added day, "Andy Johnson was not inebriated on inauguration to but had rehearsed. his speech to a lot of Tenneee'elge the night before." It was generally noticed thatwero President did not recognise Andy Johnson, nor, .„ the they seen together. In spite of the reports hers contrary, not one negro was a guest at the ball. IsTifwere of them were on hand as waiters, however, an f the on view in the outside halls. The retiring-roonan °,