The Press. — London, England, 1856-06-21 00:00:00

Other resolutions were proposed by the Bishop of Colombo and Archdeacon Grant, who made earnest appeals for renewed efforts and assistance. The room was very fully attended. From a paper circulated in the meeting, it appears that there are now con gregations under the pastoral care of 2,965 clergy. men, of whom 461, stationed generally in the most destitute places, are assisted by the society. There have been established in the British colonies seven teen oolleges, in which clergymen are educated. To fourteen of these the society lends aid. In 1851 the society's expenditure was 04,143 i., and the demands on its resources increase year by year. LORD DALHOUSIE'S ACCEPTATION OF THE PENSION or 5,0001. A YEAR, lately conferred upon him by the East India Company, was read at the Quarterly Court on Wednesday. The noble lord, in his letter of acknowledgment, begged the chairman to express to the honourabie court his respectful expression of gratitude for the munificent reward. THE FRENCH INUNDATION RELIEF FUND has been headed by her Majesty and Prince Albert with sub scriptions of 1,0001. and 5001. respectively. Public meetings have been held in the provinces to raise subscriptions, and there is every anticipation that the fund will realise a handsome amount. A MEETING OF WESTMINSTER SCHOLARS took place on Thursday, to consider what memorial should be raised to the " Old Westminsters" who had fallen in the late war, and at the head of which the name of Lord Raglan appears. A committee was appointed to consider the most suitable form the memorial should take. AN INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION of articles manufac tured in the "reformatories and refuges " of the kingdom, was opened on Thursday at Willis's-rooms. Articles of every trade and handicraft—from cabinet work to dressmaking, down to agricultural produce from the Red-hill School—are exhibited ; while, in the principal room, many lads are to be seen working at their various trades. The exhibition is highly in teresting. Prince Albert, and the leading clergy and aristocracy, have honoured the exhibition with an inspection. THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS resumed, on Wednesday, the debate upon the "Engineers' Report," when the original motion of Mr. Carpmael, to adopt the report of the northern district, was carried by a large majority. The extension of Barking Creek as an out fall was agreed upon, and on a ruction that a depatation wait upon Government, to know whether their co-operation could be secured in reference to a plan for the embankment of the Thames, the debate was adjourned until Thursday next. Catswicx GROUNDS are to be sold, if 5,0001. cannot be obtained by the 24th of June, to pay off present encumbrances. 3,3001. have been already subscribed. 1,7001. alone are wanting to make up the sum. THE ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY held its second ex• hibition on Wednesday, in the Regent's-park. The gardens were attendediby mony persons of rank, in cluding the Countess de Neuilly and family, the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, the Marchioness of Clanricarde, Earls Waldegrave, Ellesmere, Cra ven, and many other lords and ladies; the Bishops of Winchester and St. Asaph, &c. Although the stove and greenhouse plants were not so numerous as on previous occasions, they were in fine condition, espe cially the pelargoniums. The fuchsias also were abundant and beautiful, presenting every variety of colour. The orchids were generally admired. The show of fruit was not large but of remarkable quality. In the course of the day the usual prizes were awarded to the successful competitors. THE WATER FETE AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. THE great fountains of the Crystal Palace were played for the first time in public on Wednesday in the presence of the Queen and upwards of 20,000 spectators. The day was fine ; the gardens were opened at noon, and from that hour till five p.m. an incessant stream of company by train and road poured into the Palace grounds. The Queen, accompanied by Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, the Royal Princesses, and her distinguished guests, arrived at the Palace soon atter five o'clock. Alight ing at the private entrance, her Majesty and suite passed through the Palace to the garden terrace, where three of the royal pony phaetons were in waiting to take the illustrious party round the grounds. As soon as her Majesty en tered her pony carriage the fountains on the upper terrace and the water temples overhanging the cas cades were set in motion. As the royal cortege crossed the gardens the successive ranges of fountains played, and by the time her Majesty had arrived at the lower terrace, the two large waterfalls and the fountains of the grand lower basins were added to the general display, and 120,0(X) gallons of water were sporting up from near 12,000 jets. It would be scarcely pos Bible to conceive a mere beautiful scene than that presented by the whole series of fountains at this moment. The great jets in the centre of the lower THVITiRtg l s. basins each sent up a volume of water to a height of nearly 200 feet, while around and beneath them spurted forth as baskets, lattice work, and in every variety of combination, myriads of streams—all con tributing to form a water picture of exquisite variety. There was, perhaps, ton much wind to secure a perfect display of the various designs, and the spray from some of the larger jets created no little consternation among the ladies crowded around the edges of the larger basins. Her Majesty suffered some inconvenience from this circumstance, and at one period was indebted to the gallantry of the Re gent of Baden for the protection of his overcoat. The royal party, however, made the circuit of the whole series at a foot-pace—the carriages now and then pausing to allow their illustrious occupants an opportunity of surveying the magnificent scene before them. Everywhere the Queen was received with the t nost enthusiasm. The fountains opened at twenty-five minutes after five o'clock, and played in full force for a period of forty minutes. The royal party left the Palace at seven o'clock, having occupied nearly two hours in their tour of in spection. The Water Fite of the 18th of June will certainly be long remembered as the most beautiful and suc cessful fete given at the Palace. The effect of such feathery masses of water thrown into the air to such a height, and falling in clouds of silvery spray, was unequalled by anything ever seen in Europe before. The water temples and cascades were not quite successful; the northern temple, owing to some defect, was not in full force, and the bronze fountains on the side of each step threw out too meagre a stream to harmonise wtth the general effect. The most beautiful feature of the whole display was when the sun, emerging from behind some heavy clouds, shot down his rays upon the scene, when on the opposite side of the fountains magnificent rainbows were thrown out, till the atmosphere seemed a mass of prismatic tints. On a perfectly calm day tha sight will be finer than on Wednesday. Every design then will be clearly traceable, while the centre jets will throw up their water to the full height of 280 feet ; on Wednesday they barely reached 200. A little sculpture about the lower basins would be an improvement; probably i; is intended at a future time. Connected with the water display, we may mention that the towers on each side of the Palace contain at the top of each tanks holding 2,000 tons of water, which supply the centre jets in the lower basin at a pressure on the mouth of 2621b5. to the square inch ; that the 0,500,000 gallons held in the reservoir at the n. rthern end of the Palace is used for the general supply; while an Artesian well 575 feet deep, two large reservoirs, and eight steam engines of thirty and forty horse-power, are provided to raise or return the water. During a fountain display this mass of fluid is constantly in motion, caused by the rush into the huge tanks of the supply, and the rush out of the waters into the lower basins. A sum of money as large, we believe, as that expended on the whole of the Crystal Palace and its internal decorations and works of art, has been expended in completing this magnificent system of water display. Vrnbintial. ARRIVAL OF GENERAL WILLIAMS, K.C.B. GENERAL WILLIAMS arrived at Dover on Monday, and was welcomed with an enthusiastic reception upon landing. Immediately on reaching the Ship Hotel the corporation presented a congratulatory address upon the return of the gallant general after his glorious defence of Kars. General Wtr.xasits replied, thanking the Msyor for the hunour, and expressing his gratitude to God for being restored safely to his own country. " In ad dressing an assemblage of my countrymen on landing upon British soil, I have more than one duty (said the gallant general) to perform:— The first is to allude to those brave men who surrounded me in the hour of extreme distress, who were indefatigable in discharging their duty under the trying circumstances in which they were placed, and who supported and cheered me under every difficulty. (Hear, hear.) They never once flagged in the performance of their duties, day or night. By day they were at their posts— at night they were the trenches. (Cheers.) But, while I feel the greatest pleasure in adverting to their glorious conduct, I have a melancholy duty to perform, and a tribute to pay to departed heroism and worth—to the memory of one of my brave companions, Captain Thompson. It was only the day before yesterday, while at Paris, that I heard of his severe illness, and little did I then think that the scenes of this world would soon close upon him. I had looked forward to visiting his mother's house and cheering him as he had so frequently cheered me. Unfortunately, unhappily, it has been ordered otherwise. The only con solation which can be offered to his widowed mother is, i . OATURPAY. that her lamented son died a glorious specimen of an Eng lish officer. (Cheers.) I can assure you that he was never daunted ; that when reduced to a skeleton by dire disease he was not prevented from doing his duty day or night. Poor Mrs. Thompson will have the consolation which has been the only consolation experienced by many mothers during the present war—they have given their sons to the service of their country ! And if the day comes when the repetition of this sacrifice shall be necessary, I believe there will be thcusands who will give up their off spring as readily as the mothers who are now weeping for the loss of theirs ; for woe to the nation that forgets the military art ! Woe to that nation —woe to that nation which heaps up riches, but which does not take the pre- caution to defend them ! ( Hear, hear.) I have passed through armed Europe, and I take this the earliest oppors tunny of uttering a warning to those who forget the mili tary art. The next duty was to recal the courage and disci pline of those brave Turks, under Selim Pacha, who supported him in every trying situation, and who, from the first moment of entering Kars to the last, were friends and counsellors:— I thank them (said General Williams) from this spot, and bear testimony to their valour, for it would have been impossible for the Turkish army to show more endurance and true courage than they did. (Loud cheers.) I have another duty to perform, in doing which I turn to our former enemies, now our friends, the Russians. When dire necessity obliged me to go into the camp of General Mouravieff, I went to a brave man, who received me with a kindness and a highmindedness I shall never cease to remember. An army irritated with dreadful losses and the other casualties of war received me when I went among them, not as an enemy, but as a comrade—received me not with the sktn•deep politeness displayed when two gentlemen meet, but with the politeness of the heart. General Monravieff is a man of the olden time. He is a stern man, but I believe that if there is an honest man on earth it is he. I have heard it said that a project has been debated in England having for its object the presentation of a testimonial of British esteem to General Monravieff. I can only say that he and his brave army have my greatest esteem. (Hear.) He not only received me kindly, but in the hour of sickness he visited me, and in all my inter course with him he acted as a brave and chivalrous man should act. In Kars he found a half starved, half clothed army. He fed and clothed them. Nor was he less attentive to the wants of those in whom the seeds of disease were sown, and in whom famine had more than half accomplished its deadly work. (Loud cheers.) I must also tell you that in passing through Russia, from one end of the empire to the other, I have experienced in no small degree the friendship and charm of Russian so• ciety. When I arrived at St. Petersburg the Emperor received me in so kind a manner that nothing could have exceeded it. (Hear, hear.) That kindness was again re• peated at Berlin, where no man could have been received with greater honour. The King of Prussia and the young Prince, who is at present in England, and who is soon to be allied to England by ties more close and binding than at present, met me at the head of the troops. and treated me with the greatest possible consideration. I return them my most sincere thanks from this British ground. (Cheers.) That kindness and consideration vouchsafed _in Russia and Germany was repeated in France : The day before yesterday (continued General Williams) I was presented to the Emperor, from whom some time since I had the distinguished honour of receiving the cross of Commander of the Legion of Honour 1 was sorry that, having sent it to England, I was unable to wear it upon my breast upon that occasion, and I expressed that regret to the Emperor and explained the reason, upon which his Majesty immediately rose from his seat and said, " I will get you another !" In a moment he brought me out the star of Grand Commander of the order, which he presented to me. (Loud cheers.) I felt that the act was towards the British nation—not towards me; it was totally unex pected and uncalled for. And now that I have arrived home among you, I feel that I am witnessing the happiest day of my life. (Cheers.) Mr. Mayor, ladies, and gentlemen, I thank you most heartily for your kind ex pressions, and for the consideration with which you have listened to me. At the conclusion of the speech the usual etiquette observed on such occasions was thrown aside, and, notwithstanding the presence of the ladies, a hearty cheer resounded through the apartment. Cheers were also given for Colonel Lake, Major Teesdale, Mr. Secretary Churchill, as well as " one cheer for the Russian general." The cheer was echoed from the outside of the hotel, in front of which an im mense crowd of persons had collected. Loud calls were also made for General Williams, who, on pre senting himself at the balcony hi company with the Mayor, was received with the enthusiastic cheers. The Mayor also begged Colonel Lake, Major Tees dale, and Mr. Secretary Churchill to present them selves at the window, and the cheering at each pre sentation was renewed. The shipping in the har bour and the principal houses in the vicinity were gaily decorated with flags. General Williams afterwards partook of a dejeuner with the authorities, provided at the Ship Hotel, and left for London by the two o'clock train. The gallant general was honoured by a command from her Ma jesty to he present at the State ball on Tuesday night, when, by the special desire of the Queen, he was presented to her Majesty by the Earl of Clarendon. ..• . • :; .). 1