ENGLISH NEWS.

We gather some scraps of late English news from the Melbourne papers received per this week's arrivals. They extend to the 25th of May, and were brought by the ships "Sea" aud " Ballengeich."

On Monday evening, Kay 19th, the Queen gave a State Ball at Buckingham Palace, to a most brilliant Court, the invitations exceeding 2,100. The Queen intends to give a third state ball in the month of June next; and, for the encouragement of trade, her Majesty has resolved that it shall be a fancy ball. The costume will be full dress of the court of King Charles 11., from the Restoration, in 1660, to 1655. The choice of dress will not be limited to this country, but will include the court costumes of that period of other European countries.

On the 20th, the Government balance sheet for the year ending oth April last was printed. On the sth April last year the balances in the Exchequer were .£8,754,939 15s. llfd., and on the sth ult. they were £7,379,671 16s. 9|d. The excess of income over the expenditure in the year was £2,926,181 2s. 4d.

On the 15th May, in the House of Commons, Lord John Russell made his expected statement on the reduction in official salaries. The Junior Lords of the Treasury are reduced from £1,200 per annum, to £1,000; the two secretaries from £2,500 to £2,000. The office of the Paymaster of the Forces is to he united with that of the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, causing- a saving of £500. The Junior Lords of the Admiralty are reduced from £1,200 to £1,000. The Lord Chancellor from £12,000 to jglO^OO • the Master of the Kolls from £7,000 to £6,000 • the Ambassador at Paris from £10,000 to £8000. All this did not satisfy Mr. Cobden, and rather more than satisfied Lord Palmei-ston, who was loud in his lamentation on the desecration of British diplomatic hospitality. Monday the 12th was wasted in the Commons by a series of those freaks always in the power of a turbulent majority. The progress of the -Ecclesiastical Titles Assumption Bill through committee was stopped by a consideration which the Speaker himself confessed to be a formidable one, and of which the Miuistry, declaring that they had already duly considered it, evi-dently-stood in some dread. There is a standing order by which all questions pertaining to religion must be first introduced by a committee of the whole house. The doubt was, whether the Ecclesiastical Tithes Bill was a question of religion or not. This is a matter of definition about which people might wrangle for ages, without coming to a satisfactory conclusion. I he Opposition asserted that the bill was aimed directly at the religion of the Roman Catholics: the Ministry and its supporters, that its reference was in no way to spiritualities, but solely and entirely to temporal management. One Irish member moved the adjournment of the debate—another, the adjournment of the house —and a third, the adjournment of the debate again. This continued till tlie evenino- was rrf StiV mltbequestion adjourned till Thursday I he bill pursued its slow course not through but into committee on the 15th and 16th. Durin°the former evening every effort seemed made tS protract the event, the Irish members adopting all manner of expedients to linger out the time before coming to a division. Among other contrivances the plan was adopted, it is said under the advice of Mr. Baddeley, to read the prayer of every separate petition presented against the bill. In this performance Mr. John O Comiell occupied nearly half an hour, and Mr. Reynolds IS minutes. Altogether two hours were gained, or lost, by this notable device Last night a new pretext for delay was successtally tried, ihe committee was formed and then adjourned to Monday, on the pretext that it was necessary to reprint the bill as amended— the amendments consisting of the excision of two clauses. Lord John Russell conceded the point, knowing well that he should have got nothing by fighting for it.

The bill brought in by Mr. Hutt and Mr Adderley to make property situate in any colenv or possession of her Majesty a qualification for a seat m Parliament, recites 2 Viet, c 48, and says, that it is expedient to alter the enactments of the said act so far as they relate to the situation of the real or personal estate necessary for the qualification of members of Parliament, and to render the possession of property, real or'pe--sonal, wheresoever situate within any of the

colonies, or any of the territories under the government of the East India Company, or any other possessions of her Majesty, equally available for a qualification to serve in Parliament ass the possession of real or personal property situate within the United Kingdom of Great Britain or Ireland, and the bill proposes accordingly that this should be done.

Parliament had sanctioned the imposition of the Income Tax for only one year longer. During one week, twice as many Frenchmen landed in England as Napoleon ever intended to bring. The Grand Army was never likely to have exceeded 150 thousand on tbe shores of Kent, whereas 270,000 passports are said to have been issued to the departments alone, Paris being a separate contributor.

In the Obituary we notice the name of the Earl of Cottenham, late Lord High Chancellor o£ England, at Lucca.

The Derby Stakes at Epsom had been run for on the 21st May, and won by Sir J. Hawley's " Teddington," " Marlborougk Brook" being second, "Neasham" third, and "■ Hernandez" fourth ; thirty-three started ; " Teddington " was the favourite at starting 3to 1. The Oaks was run for on the 23rd, and won by Lord Stanley's "Iris," "Misserima" being- second, and " Hesse Homburgh," third, fifteen started.

The Case of W. B. Barbeb.—-The grievances of this unfortunate gentlemen, who, it will be remembered, was transported with Fletcher for will forgery, and afterwards pardoned, was brought before Lord Campbell in the Queen's Bench by Mr. Roebuck, Q.C., who moved for a rule, calling upon the Incorporated Law Society to shew cause why Mr. Barber should not renew his certificate as an attorney. Lord Campbell declined to hear any but new matter; and Mr. Roebuck stated his case so as to come within that limitation. His Lordship reserved hisjudgment. The Arctic Expedition at Aberdeen.— The" Prince Albert" is getting ready with all possible despatch to renew the search for Sir John Franklin. Lady Franklin has gone down to Aberdeen, where the vessel is fitting out, and is expected to remain some time in Scotland. M. Bellot, of the French Marine, whose volunteer of services for an Arctic expedition was announced a few days ago, arrived from Paris on Saturday morning, and hastened across to join the "Prince Albert" at Aberdeen. M. Bellot, Knight of the Legion of Honour, is a distinguished officer in the French service.

We quote from the Illustrated London Neivs, May 24, the following sketch of the progress of the Industrial Palace:—

" The Exhibition still lords it over all other attractions. One hears, sees, speaks, thinks of little else ; and to all appearance it must have run a "dead heat" with the " Derby," for on that memorable day, the numbers appeared as undiminished as ever. How far the larger crowds of next week will diminish the interest of the present crowds, remains to be seen, but the probabilities are, that the two days devoted to crowns and half-crowns will not be eclipsed in numbers by those devoted to shillings, since the curiosity of season tickets alone is anything but satisfied. With Russia, just out of the ice of the Baltic, and about to make its display in the space so long vacant; with unpacked silks and velvets from Lyons, and plate, bronzes, and bijouterie from Paris, and another importation into the almost vacant space of the United States, there seems quite enough of novelty to come to make pleasure-seekers, loungers, and gossips of all sorts, as intent upon the forthcoming, as they have been on the present glories of display. Eoyalty is as regular and as punctual to early hours as at the beginning, perhaps more so, and unless the lieges mend their manners, we may aticipate that the matutinal appearance of Her Majesty will take place even earlier than hitherto, m order to avoid the annoyance to which, on two or three occasions during the past week, the Jxoyal party have been subjected. Financially the Exhibition promises to be a triumph of no ordinary character, and its Chancellor of the Exchequer may calculate upon an almost alarming surplus. The receipts are upwards of 100,000*. already. The daily admissions generally net some 2,000/. at the lowest point, and in some instances much more On Tuesday, the 20th, the receipts reached the sum of 3360/. 15.9. for single day admissions, whilst the season tickets realised 350/. 14s. ; thus making the day's receipts a total of 371 11. 95.1 As to the season tickets, the demand within this

few days has been almost as great as ever but at last symptoms of a falling off have manifested,,* themselves, yet some circumstances may again arise to give them another " run" in the market

The exciting topic amongst the exhibitors during the past fortnight, has been the consti-; tution and decision of the juries. There is an intensity about this which shows how earnestly the inventors, manufacturers, and workers have entered into the spirit of the contest of excellence in which they have been engaged. After much careful consideration and selection, the juries have beenjcarefully constituted., and it is not too much to say that, in all probability, th"fey are composed of the best men of their respective I departments in Europe, both as regards knowledge and standing. A council of chairmen has been formed. These represent the thirty classes into which the Exhibition is divided, a jury being appointed for each class. The meetings of this body were preliminary to those of the several juries, and modes of action and principles of award were settled thereat. On Monday, the 12th instant, the general body of the jurors met in the Eoyal Commission JSoom at the building, and probably a similar body of men were.never gathered together in one spot at the same time, certainly not with the same purpose, as they were on this occasion collected—that of doing honour to the talent to the skill, and industry, not merely of one country, but of the whole world. Since that day they have been actively, but very quietly engaged in pursuing their labours, under the direction and with the assistance of the gentlemen appointed to this special and highly important and honourable service. The juries being divided into groups, according to the nature of the productions upon which they are called to adjudicate, a deputy commissioner is appointed to each group, with a special commissioner and secretary to attend to the general working. The thirty classes are divided into five groups, thus —Group A, four jnries for raw materials; Group B, six juries for machinery ; Group C, ten juries lor testing fabrics; Groups D and E, eight juries for hardware, furniture, &c.; Group F, two juries for miscellaneous manufactures and fine arts:

Of course, all the proceedings are * private and confidential.' Here and there in the building- may be seen groups of gentlemen carefully examining the articles exhibited, spreading broad cloth on tables, holding fabrics up to the light; and, doubtless, many of the ladies think that, amongst other wonders of the place, the gentlemen have taken to ' shopping' on their own account. All this goes on silently, and without bustle. Police prevent the too near intrusion of the visitors, and with books to record opinions, the jurors pass, by a species of magic, from place to place, enter where they like, how they like, and when they like. They touch and handle, too—which make so many fair fingers tingle with excitement. In short these jurymen seem a more privileged body than even the Royal Commissioners or Executive Committee themselves. They take whom they please into the Exhibition, ask them all manner of questions, examine and cross-examine exhibitors, and dive into the very recesses of the whole matter, and that without let or hindrance from anybody. Happy jurors! except that your work is more than plentiful, and your task as difficult a one as can be imagined, since you are expected to achieve the triumph of realising the anticipations, and recognizing the transcendant merits of about 15,000 people, each of whom expects, of course, a reward suitable to his own estimation of his own talents..... , -..-. • • =

The educational movement in connection w'i'Ja the^ Exhibition, is progressing. Professor Gowper's genial expositions to his pupils of King's College, have given a hint in the right direction, and the business of the juries once over, several of the gentlemen who have been most actively engaged in the arrangement, will probably be found as actively engaged in explaining^ their worth to those visitors -who take sufficient interest in the details of natural productions, machinery, and manufactures, to attend meetings for that purpose. Professor Ansted leads the way, with a course of eight leclectures on mineralogy and mining operations. These are to be delivered every Friday and Saturday, until the completion of the course, between the hours of nine and twelve. The class is to be limited to 150 members, and every facility for illustration and study will be afforded. Professor Cowper has also announced a course on machinery, in connection with King's College, ad-

mitting all members of colleges at a reduced rate. Professor Maskelene comes up from Oxford with the members attending his class, so that we may now anticipate that the Crystal Palace will be an University of the arts and sciences as applied to the every-day utilities of life.

The festivities connected with the Exhibition follow each other in rapid succession. The dinner of the sculptors to Kiss was an entertainment as significant as delightful. The banquet at Richmond to the foreign commissioners, was an equally interesting event, on a more extended scale. The guests were feted, boated, toasted, awd put into the very best possible humour with themselves and all around ; and there are few of these gentlemen who will not go home, when the time arrives, with a very distinct notion that Englishmen are decidedly improving, and that there are certainly some hopes that we may at least reach such a state of civilization as to prefer French cookery to our own."