The Press. — London, England, 1856-02-23 00:00:00

- FEBRUARY 23, 1856. On Thursday the Lord Mayor of YORK, heading a numerous and influential deputation, waited upon Sir George Grey to express the feeling of the mee ting of Wednesday, against the proposed New Police Bill. The deputation having reached the Borne-office, were admitted to an interview with the Secretary of State. The Lord Mayor of York, on handing Sir George Grey copies of the resolutions agreed to on Wednesday, in forcible terms explained the reasons of the objections felt to the bill. It was an inroad on the principles of self-government, and an unconstitutional and dangerous interference of the Home-office with the local authorities : The deputations therefore, most earnestly requested Sir George Grey and the Government to withdraw this bill in tote. They would rather that he and the Government would openly take away their municipal charters ; they would rather that they openly repealed their municipal acts than indirectly destroyed their local independence, and left them merely a magni nominis umbra. Sir George Grey was much obliged to the deputation for furnishing him with an expression of their opinion. He thought the proper place to discuss the principles of the bill was the House of Commons. He could not withdraw the bill, and should therefore leave it to the house to decide. In reply to a ques tion Sir G. Grey said the vote would not be taken on lVednesday next. The deputation then shortly with drew, and proceeding to Herbert's Hotel, convened a meeting, and passed resolutions to use every effort to oppose and throw out the bill. The bill has also been discussed at the Lincoln and Bradford Town Councils, and at influential meet ings in every part of the country. Resoltuions con demning the measure have been on almost every occasion unanimously passed, and deputations ap pointed to proceed to London. ..•.•••••WI•o• Ittropolitan. THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS were enter tained at dinner by their chairman, at the Albion Tavern, on Monday evening. Amongst the company were the Lord Mayor, Sir B.Hall, M.P., Sir James Duke, M.P., Sir J. V. Shelley, M.P., Sir W. Clay, M.P., Mr. Ansley Pellatt, M.P., Mr. Montagu Chambers, M.P., Sir Charles Napier, M.P., Mr. Masterman, M.P., Mr. W. Williams, M.P. Among the responsors to the usual toasts were Major Lyon and Sir Charles Napier for " The Army and Navy," and Sir Benjamin Hall for " Her Majesty's Ministers." THE DIRECTORS OF THE EASTERN STEAM NAVIGA TION COMPANY, in their annual report, anticipate from the bankruptcy of Mr. Scott Russell no very serious difficulties in the completion of the Great Eastern, now building at Millwall. THE NEW OMNIBUS COMPANY, at their offices, West Strand, held an inspection on Saturday last, of van ous models for a new omnibus. Very few of the models were in any respect calculated to answer the objects of the company ; most of them were too heavy and clumsy, and nearly all were wanting in elegance of design. After the inspection of the models had taken place, the directors provided a collation for themselves and friends, at which Mr. Chadwick, chairman of the company, explained the objects they had in view. He said that the company were await mg the completion of their negotiations to work the whole of the omnibus traffic of the metropolis upon one general system of intercommunication. When this was accomrlished, a passenger from any part of London, by placing himself in the first omnibus pass ing, would be conveyed to whatever part of the metro polis or suburbs he might wish to reach, the omnibus into which he entered setting him down at that point of the line of intercommunication crossed by the omnibuses on their road to the place to which be was proceeding. This would be done at one fare, and, to prevent mistake or delay, a regular set of omnibus timetables would be published. At the starting pia 'es, and on certain central positions of the great omnibus routes, waiting-rooms would be provided for the convenience of the passengers, after the fashion of those at railwav-stations. New cross lines would be opened where the exigencies of passenger tra ffi c might seem toorequtre them, and short-distance omnibuses, at reduced fares, would be introduced where accumulation of traffic warranted the experi ment. A MEMORIAL TO THE LATE JOSEPH HUME was considered at a general meeting of the admirers of the lat e mem b er f or Montrose, held at Willis's rooms, St. James's, on Saturday last. The Earl Fortescue presided, and the Duke of S merset, Lord Panmure, the Earl Granville, Lord Robert Grosvenor, M.P. ; Viscount Ehrington, M.P.; Right Hon. E. Ellice, M.P. ; Sir B. Hall, Bart, M.P. ; Ewart, M.P.; Lord Hatherton, Sir J. Dake, Bart., M.P.; the Marquis of Breadalbane, and Sir De Lacy Evans, M.P. Sir Joshua Walmsfey, M.P., and Mr. Williams, M.P., addressed the meeting. It was agreed that the subscription should be limited to sums not exceeding 10/. A committee was appointed to carry out the objects of the meeting. Names were put down for nearly 2001. in amount before the pro ceedings terminated. * **, fa •••••••."1.1.,•11P94/11.v THE PRESS. THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S RETURNS show a mor• tality much below the avera g e. C a t arr h a l a ff ec ti ons prevail, and three deaths from influenza have been recorded. 1,036 deaths were registered in the week that. ended on Saturday, 16th February, or 115 less in number than the deaths in the previous week. Last week the births of 849 boys and 854 girls, in ail 1,703 children, were registered in London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1846-55 the average number was 1,517. THE EQUALISATION OF THE CITY POOR RATE was considered at a public meeting held on Wednes day evening at Anderton's hotel. Mr. Stevens, City surveyor, presided, and explained the object of the meeting, which was to obtain some equalisation of the poor rate paid by the City with those paid by other districts. Several gentlemen addressed the meeting, pointing out that in the eastern districts, where the poor abounded, the inhabitants were highly rated for their support, while the western districts of London scarcely contributed anything towards the support of the poor. Resolutions in ac cordance with the object of the meeting were passed, and a committee promised to carry them out. THE ROYAL GENERAL ANNUITY SOCIETY held its annual festival on Wednesday evening, at the London Tavern. Mr. W. S. Lindsay, as chairman, in his statement of the prospects of the society, said that the annuities of 2/. ss. to each man and it. 15s. to each woman had from want of means been re duced to 1/. 15s. and 1/. 4s. There were at present upon the funds of the society fifty-nine pensioners, including merchants, solicitors, widows and spinsters, &c., and he earnestly appealed to the public for sup port of so admirable an institution. THE EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING Of the Refuge for Destitute Children Institution was held on Wednes day, at the Music hall, Store street. From the returns it appeared that thirty boys and thirty.seven girls had been admitted during the past year, while the affairs of the society were in a most satisfac tory state. A BOARD OF TRADE return of wrecks off the sea coasts of the United Kingdom for the past yesr, shows a total of 1,141 vessels, of which 963 were English, 116 foreign, and eleven colonial ships. Of these 576 occurred off the east coast, 251 on the west, and 117 on the south coast of England ; 127 off the Irish coast, sixteen off the Scilly and Channel Islands, and thirty four off the northern islands. The number of lives lost was 469, against 1,549 of the year previous. THE JURIDICAL SocrETy held their first anniver sary meeting on Monday evening. The Solicitor- General, Sir R. Bethell, was to have delivered the annual address, but being detained by important business in the House of Commons, Mr. Wilcock, Q.C., was called to the chair. Nothing beyond pri• vale business was transacted during the evening. The Rev. F. D. Maurice was elected an hon. mem ber. The following gentlemen were elected officers of the society for the present year :—The office of president will either devolve upon Mr. Baron Bram. well or her Majesty's Solicitor-General. Vice-Presi dents, in addition to those elected last year, Mr Daniel, Q.C., Mr. Turner, Q.C., Lord Stanley, M.P., Forbes Winslow, M.D., 1).C.L., and Mr. Jebb. Obituarg. HIS GRACE HENRY CHARLES DUKE OF NORFOLK, K.G., F.R.S., Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Baron Fitzalan, Premier Duke and Hereditary Earl Mar shal of England, died, under an attack of paralysis, on Monday morning last, at Arundel Castle. His late Grace was born 12th of August, 1701, and married, 27th of December, 1814, Lady Charlotte Leveson Gower, by whom he had issue three sons and two daughters. At the general elections of '3O and '3l his Grace, as Earl of Surrey, was returned for Hors ham, being ,he first Roman Catholic who took the oaths and his seat in the House of Commons after the passing of the Roman Catholic Emancipation Act in 1820. In 1832 be was returned, in conjunction with Lord George Lennox, for the Western Division of Sussex, and continued its representative up to 1841, when his Grace was summoned by writ to the House of Lords, during the lifetime of his father, by the title of Baron Maltravers, and on the 16th of March, 1842, he succeeded to the dukedom, on the death of his father. His Grace had filled several offices in her Majesty's household. In July, 1839, he was appointed Treasurer of the Queen's house hold, and made a Privy Councillor. On Sir Rober Peel's retirement from office in July, 1846, he suc ceeded the Earl of Jersey as Master of the Horse, which office he held until the formation of the Earl of Derby's Ministry. On the Earl of Aberdeen taking office his Grace was made Lord Steward of the Household, but soon after, in December, 1853, relinquished that place to Earl Spencer. In politics his Grace was a Whig. He was highly in censed at the Papal aggression, which in some measure influenced his Grace's decision to renounce the Roman Catholic faith, and pas,s over to the Anglican Church. The deceased Duke is succeeded 179 in the dukedom and ancient family honours by his son Henry Granville, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, born Nov. 7, 1815, and married on the 19th of June, 1839, to Augusta Mary, daughter of Admiral Sir Edmund Lions, G.C.8., Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean fleet. The present duke, formerly in the Royal Horse Guards, retired from the army in 1837, and entered the House of Commons as repre sentative for Arundel, for which borough he has sat in several Parliaments. He has also sat for the city of Limerick for a few months. The Duke is a rigid Roman Catholic, and highly esteemed by the Romish clergy. Silt JOHN STODDART, KNT., D.C.L., late Chief Justice of Malta, and Judge of the Admiralty Court of that island, died, at the ripe age of eighty-four, on the 16th inst., at his residence, Brompton-square. At a meeting of the Law Amendment Society, on the following evening, Lord Brcugham, in announcing the death of this eminent person, took the opportu nity to pass a high eulogium on his extraordinary learning and his great and varied talents. MR. BRAHABI, the singer, of whom young and cld all possess some recollection, more or less, died on Sunday last. Born in 1774, after a career of un rivalled success, great misfortunes, and ultimate de pendence upon the affectionate care of his children, he had reached the advanced age of eighty-two. In 1787, under Leoni, Braham made his &hilt, at the Royalty Theatre, and, though but a child, sang with such taste and expression, that he excited the interest of Mr. Abraham Goldsmith, who took him by the hand, and ultimately bringing him out at Bath, ob tained for him the tuition of Rauzzini, the director of the concerts held in that city. To Rauzzini Brabam always acknowledged his obligations. In 1796 he made his appearance at Drury Lane, in Storace's opera of Mahmoud, and in the same year, with a rising reputation, young Braham obtained engagements as principal tenor at the Italian Opera-house and at the oratorio performances, where his magnificent de livery of the " Deeper and deeper still," in Handel's Jeptha, elevated him at once to high repute as a singer of sacred music. In 'O7 he started for Italy to com plete his education, and remained there till 1801, singing at the principal theatres. In 1801 he once more appeared in England, and then commenced his long career of success. The operas of Storace were revived, but Braham soon began himself to compose, and speedily produced The Cabinet, The Deril's Bridge, False Alarm, and other operas, with great success. The airs in these operas are simple, but full of melody ; and, as principal tenor, Braham threw into them such power, such feeling and pathos, and endless variety of expression, as carried the world with him at once. Not only did he compose his own operas, and sing them with such amazing success, but he wrote many occa sional songs, which obtained immense popularity. His " Death of Nelson " will be remembered by most people out of their teens. The intense energy, power, and animation he used to throw into that favorite song would bring down the house in tre mendous shouts of acclamation. Certainly of all English singers Brabam was at once the finest and the most popular—to the last—that thu English stage has ever seen, though in the theatre he sacrificed to the "gods" perhaps too much. As an oratorio singer he was unrivalled ; as the interpreter of the sublime conceptions of Handel he has never been equalled, and will never be surpassed. In 1836, atter having amassed a large fortune, he built the St. James's Theatre, and opened it as an opera house. But the speculation failed. Brabam was ruined, fled to America for some years, and, at a time of life when repose was needful to him, once more took to his profession for his bread. His latter years, however, were passed in comfort and ease by the kindness of his children, and he has et length died without seeing a competitor arise to bear off his honours or weaken his fame. ARAB WoilEN.—l have often heard that the Arab women are generally plain in features. I cannot by any means agree with th;s statement. I have now seen many of them in different places, and belong ing to different tribes, and in general I have found their features regular and even handsome. Their bodies are finely proportioned, and their carriage and walk easy and graceful. All of them have that rich black lustrous eye that is only seen in perfec tion in the East. The forehead is open and high, and the eyebrows beautifully arched. The mouth is well formed, with proudly-curved lines ; but this feature is universally disfigured by the custom of staining the under lip dark blue. The braided hair is almost quite covered by a black veil that hangs gracefully over the shoulders, the corner of which is frequently brought forward to cover the lower part of the face. The whole dress consists of a long loose blue robe of coarse calico. It is drawn closely round the throat, has wide, hanging sleeves, and swe eps the ground like a train when they walk. A profusion of bracelets of gold or silver adorn the ar ms, and large rings and drops bang from the ears ; but only a few of them wear the nose jewel.-- p or t er 's Five Years in Damascus.