The Press. — London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

452 for the way in which they had discharged their pleasant, but important duties, in connection with the festival." The toast was coupled with the names of Colonel Daniell, Lord John Chichester, and Captain Murray. Colonel DANIELL briefly returned thanks, and said that with the permission of tho chairman he would give as a toast to be drunk with all British sincerity, "L'Entente Cordiale." With this toast the festivities terminated, and the company adjourned to the cotfee•room, where coffee was served, and whence the guests departed as they chose. goart ans 4a4ton. The Queen of Portugal arrived at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon upon a visit to her Majesty the Queen. The Queen of Portugal on landing at Dover was received by the Earl of Sheffield, Lord in Waiting, and Major-General Wylde, Groom in Waiting to the Prince Consort. Her Majesty, accompanied by her father, the Prince of Hohenzollern, and her brother, Prince Leopold, and attended by her suite, travelled to London by a special train on the South-Eastern Railway. The Queen received the Queen of Portugal at the entrance of the Palace. Her Majesty was accompa. nied by the Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold, and the Princesses Alice, Hekna, and Louisa. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent was also present. The Portuguese Minister and the Countess de Lavradio, who received the Queen of Portugal at Dover, followed her Majesty to Buckingham Palace, with the Secretary and Attaches of the Legation. The Queen of Portugal, the Prince of Hohen zollern, and Prince Leopold, were conducted to one of the lower drawing rooms, where the ladies, the great officers of State, and the gentlemen of the Court were presented to the Queen of Portugal, and the ladies and gentlemen in the suite of the Queen of Portugal and the Prince of Hohenzollern were presented to the Queen and Prince Consort. Tho suite of the Queen of Portugal and the Prince of Hohenzollern comprises the Duchess of Terceira, Donna Maria de Souza Continho, Field-Marshal the Duke of Terceira, the Marquis of Ficalho, the Mar quis of Souza Holstein, Baron Stillfried, Baron hfocrkem, Major Von Alvensleben, and Lieutenant Count Finkenstein. After the presentations the Queen conducted her august visitor to her rooms. The Portuguese Minister and Countess de Lay radio left Buckingham Palace. Lady Macdonald, Lady in Waiting, the Earl of Sheffield, Lord in Waiting, and Major-General Wylde, Groom in Waiting to the Prince Consort, will be in attendance upon the Queen of Portugal during her stay in this country. Volitttal. CABINET Courtms were held on Saturday and Wednesday at theotheial residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Downing -street. The Ministers present were the Earl of Derby, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Salisbury, the Earl of Hardwicke, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Secretary Walpole, the Earl of Malmesbury, Lord Stanley, General Peel, Sir John Pakington, the Earl of Ellenborough, the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, and Lord John Manners. DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER ON THE MARRIAGE LAW.—On Tuesday afternoon a large and influential deputation waited upon the Premier, at his official residence in Downing-street, to represent the great social and moral evils resulting from the present state of the law regarding the invalidity of marriage with a deceased wife's sister, and to urge the neces sity for an alteration of the existing law. The deputation was introduced to the Premier by Viscount Bury, who also addressed his lordship, and was followed by Viscount Goderich, M.P., Mr. Akroyd, M.P., Mr. Freeman, Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P., Mr. Monckton Manes, M.P., Mr. Schneider, M.P., Mr. Coningham, M.P., the Mayor of Leeds, the Mayor of Sheffield, and Mr. Biggs, M.P. The Earl of Derby having listened to the deputation, said that, although no doubt there were very strong feelings in many quarters in favour of the alteration of the law, upon the balance of the difficulties and possible advantages and evils, the inclination of his own mind was not in accordance with the views which had been impressed upon him by the deputation. At the same time this question must be decided by the progress of public opinion ; and if the public opinion in favour of an alteration of the law was as strong and as general as the deputation seemed to think it was, that Public opinion would be sure to have its effect upon the House of Commons, and, ultimately, upon the House of Lords. His own opinion, he candidly stated, was, that it was a question of no political party, and he did not think it ought to be taken as a Government question. He, for his own part, would not exert any influence whatever over a single indi- THE PRESS, MAY 8, 1858. vidual in either house in opposition to the bill. Hie vote had hitherto been in opposition to the alteration of the law, but he should consider it., so far as the Government was concerned, a perfectly open ques tion both in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords. The deputation thanked his lord- ship fur his kind reception of them, and then with drew. MEETING OF LIBERAL MEMDER3 OF PARLIA MENT.—A meeting of Liberal members of Parliament, convened by cireular, was held at Westminster on Wednesday lo consider the state of the Liberal party. Mr. Headlam was in the chair, and there were WO gentlemen present. Mr. Bass ( Derby) moved and Mr. Baxter (Montrose) seconded the following resolution That this meeting cannot express satisfaction with the Governments that have heretufore relied upon the Liueral party, and that no future Government will b.; worthy of support which does not manifest earnest zeal and sin. cerity in promoting measures of improvement and reform. 'The resolution was unanimously adopted, as was also the next, moved by Mr. Clay (Hull) and .secanded by Mr. Forster ( ): That any Government wishing t) have the confidence of the Liberal party s h out! be estisblished on a wider basis. On the motion of Mr. Turner (Manchester), it was resolved that two gentlemen should be appointed t apprise Liberal and independent menibers of what was going forward—w aa, in fact, as whips. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. PUBLIC MEETINGS. CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIErY---Clie annual meet ing of this society was held on Teaslay in Exeter hail, the Earl of Chicnester in tae chair, with whom there were on the platform Lord Midleton, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rev. Dr. Cotton (Bishop designate of Calcutta), the Etev. Dr. M'Neile, the Rev. Hugh Stowell, the Rev. C. F. Childe, the Rev. D. Wilson, the Rev. Dr. Miller, the Rev. Dr. Marsh, and other clerical and lay supporters of the society. The noble chairman, in opening the proceedings, said the one great topic of interest to the society was India, where events had taken place which, while they afforded encouragement and stimulus to missionary work, ought to humble British Christians in the dust for their past neglect. Surely we ought to be more anxious than ever to spread the Gospel in India when we considered that the natives of that country were now, or shortly would be, prostrate at our feet, having received at the hand of God a righteous 'out tremendous punish ment for their sin. Even in a political and secular point of view the duty was paramount. The only hope of restoring the land to peace was the adoption of a kind and healing policy ; and there was no process of healing, no means of restoring peace and happiness, so effectual as the teaching of the doctrine f Christianity. The Rev. Henry Venn read the annual report, which announced a large increase ot• receipts in comparison with former years. The total ordinary income (including a donation of 10,0001. given by a single individual at the last annual meet ing) amounted to 130,7661. This amount was exclusive of the sum of 24,7171., which, up to the 31st of March last, had been raised as a special fund for India. The ordinary expenditure amounted to 129,3211., leasing a balance in hand of 1,444/. The local funds raised in the missions, and expended there upon the operations of the society, but inde pendently of the general fund, were estimated at 9,915/. ; so that the grand total of SLIMS received at home and abroad on account of the society's missions amounted to more than 160000/. The nein ber of the society's stations is 138, as compared with 136 last year. Number of clergymen—English, 128 ; foreigners, 30 ; natives and East Indians, 47 ; total, 225. European laymen, schoolmasters, lay agents, printers, ttc., 42 ; European female teachers i s exclu- SIVe of missionaries' wives), 13 ; native and country born catechists and teachers of all classes, 2,077. On the motion of the Bishop of London, seconded by Viscount Midletcn, the report was unanimously adopted. R NAL GENERAL DISPENSARY.—On Wednesday night a festival in aid of the funds of this institution was held at the Albion Tavern, Aldersgate•street, the Earl of Dartmouth presiding. Its services to the London poor have for very nearly a century been conspicuous, and especially during the cholera visita tion in 1854. Unfortunately, the institution is now in debt to the treasurer, Mr. John Wood, of Falcon street, Aldersgate, about 1,0001., and efforts are now being made to liquidate the obligation. At the festival on Wednesday night nearly 5001. was sub scribed, the chairman giving the sum of 501. The noble earl discharged the duties of the chair in an extremely genial manner, and recommended the chums of the charity on the wealthy with an earnest simplicity far more persuasive than more pretentious oratory. The musical part of the entertainment was the directed by Mr. J. L. Hatt on , an d the style in wilic Mr. Young sang the fin e a i r of " Good-be e ' h Sweet heart," at one part of th e evening, chrtned whole company. BRIT LS LI AND FOREION BIBLE SOCIETY. Tha annual meeting of this society was h eld on Wedne day in Exeter-hall. The c h a i r was taken by us - President, the Earl of Sh a f tes b ury, supported 1a the Marquis of Cholmo n d e l ey, Lord Henry Chol mondeley, Earl Ducie, Lord C. Russell, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Ripon, the Bishop of Car. lisle, the Bishop of Cashel, Canons Stowell, Cairns, and Miller, and several of th e l ea di ng Dissentin g ministers. Prayer havi n g b een offered by Mt. Bergue, one of the secretaries, and a passa ge o f Scripture read, the chairman, in opening the pro ceedings, referred to the l ate I n di an outbreak, as having afforded iu the fir s t i nstance a discouraging prospect to the society, but as now pr esent i ng an enlarged field for its operations, and urged upon the society's friends the circulation of the Word of God in all parts of India. They should be encouraged in doing this; by the fact that the presidencies in which the Bible was circulated were those which had been almost or entirely free from mutiny, while the greatest atrocities were perpetrated iu the petted Brahminioal Presidency of Bengal, where the circu lation of the Scriptures among the native troops was forbidden, and even the chaplain debarred from giving scriptural instruction, and where so much apparent ignorance of Christianity prevailed that a ready ear was lent to the assertion that they were to be converted to it by the diffusion among them of hogs lard, bears' grease, and other similar condiments. The report was then read, from which it appeared that the receipts of the year had exceeded those of any preceding year, excluding the special funds. The amount applicable to the general purposes of the society was 70,0401. 18s. 2d., and the amount re ceived for Bibles and restatnents 70,2671. 104. 111, making the total receipts from ordinary sources 149,308/. 7s. Id., being 11,5511. 12s. 21 more that in any former year. There had also been received fur the Chiuese New Testament Fund 1,3791.135.71, and 1,8861. 2s. 101, for the special fund for India, making a grand total of 152,5741. 3s. 81 The society had issued during the year from the home depot 076,563, and from the depots abroad 025,021 — total, 1,602,187 copies; an increase of 81,329 copies over the issues of any preceding year. The total ex penditure, amounting to 153,1171. 44.81, was 4,1361. in excess of the expenditure of previous years. The society was under engagements to the extent of 83,8 lti/. 17s. 4d. The meeting was then addressed by the Bishops of London and Ripon, Canon Stowell, the Rev. W. Cadman, the Hon. B. W. Noel, Dr. Cumming, and the Rev. W. Brock, who severally enforced the society's claims. UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.—On Wednesday a meet ing for the presentation of degrees, dm, at this Uni versity, took place at Burlington-house, Piccadilly. Lord Granville, the Chancellor of the University, presided, and there was a large attendance of ladies and gentlemen. After a report had been read by the registrar, detailing tae progress of the University during the course of the last academical year, Lord Granville addressed the company. He alluded with satistitetiou to the results which had been obtained from the establishment of the University of London,and expressed his opinion that some part of the increasing attention given to the education of all classes within the last few years, and which had led to great im provement, was owing to the impetus given by that University. He believed that a new epoch was open to the University, and that a glorious future was reserved fur it. The noble lord, referring to the extension of the honours of the University to those who had not heretofore enjoyed them, said the Senate had not been actuated in the slightest degree by any want of respect to the cause of public educa tionlT in this country. —a could say that, out o f thirteen scholars, no less than seven had risen from the middle class to the peerage. Those honours were not only a passport in life but a letter of credit; and, speaking as Chancellor of the University, he ventured also to remind them that the University had a claim upon them to maintain her honour and proclaim her utility. His lordship made some further remarks on the advantages of University education, and concluded by saying he trusted they would persevere, and derive from temporary failure an incentive to further exertion. The presentation h s to the Chancellor for degrees then took was succeeded by the presentation to the Chancell or of the successful candidates for scholarships, exhi bitions, medals, and prizes. place, which The Legislative Body bas been for some mouths occupied with a problem which has fairly puzzled French sagacity—how and by what inaclauery usurped titles could be checked. flie project at last i adopted is simply prohibitory of any aiteraiiou n a family name from what is inscribed ou the civil register of birth, under penalty of from I,oooi. to 10,000 f. This bill if now drawn out. As registers are kept in France with exemplary care, reference 10 them is always feasible.