The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

my pistols, shot myself, and I hope I shall soon die. I repeat
that Mrs. Williamson is in the family-way by me, and 1 had
written her several letters to which no answers had been re-
turned. I bought the pistols is Tottenham-court-road and the
balls and caps iu Oxford-street.
•

Three cartridges and some percussion-caps were
found upon the assassin. He positively refuses
to receive spiritual consolation from a Roman
Catholic priest, though professing that faith, but to
the Protestant chaplain of the hospital, as well as to
Mr. Vigurs, he has expressed his great sorrow for
the deed he has committed.
Buranelli is a widower, and has one daughter, a
child of three )ears old, living in Kent. He is him-
self only thirty-one years old.
It has been ascertained by inquiry at his lodgings
in Newman-street, that he bad been engaged in
writing until a very late hour on Saturday night.
He had suffered much from illness of late ; but is a
good-looking man with a pensive cast of countenance,
and wears a handsome moustache. Buranelli is ex-
pected to recover, and Mrs. Lambert is considered
to be out of danger.

A CIRCUMSTANCE of a most painful nature took
place at the Lyceum Theatre, Sunderland, on Satur-
day evening last, during the performance of a Christ-
mas pantomime called Paddy Carny and Ifolshee
Baum. The clown and pantaloon had been amusing
the audience by their antics, and were playing some
strange freaks in the kitchen scene, to the great
amusement of the spectators, when, placing them-
selves back to back, they commenced whirling round
together in that position ; suddenly the clown (Mr.
W. H. Grimani) was seized by an attack of illness
and fell ; he was immediately removed from the
stage and conveyed to his lodgings, where he shortly
afterwards expired. The deceased, who was fifty-five
years of age, was much respected by the company.

LORD STANLEY AT BLACKBURN.
AN inaugural meeting of the Blackburn Mechanics
Institution took place on the 4th. Lord Stanley was
unanimously called upon to preside, and his address
was received witL much applause. In the course of
his speech he said :
With regard to their means of supporting such an insti-
tution, the question admitted of a simple reply. They had
a populatiou of nearly 50,000 persons—a population which,
within the last twenty years, had nearly doubled in number.
He was told that the rateable annual value of pro2erty
there was, two years ago, about 100,0001., and that it had
since risen to 112,0001.; thus showing, not only the posses-
sion of a large amount of wealth, but also that that wealth
was steadily on the increase. And, as regarded the posi-
tion of the labouring population, he was informed ou the
best authority that the wages of high-skilled labourers
varied from 15s. to 18s. per week, which was about the
average price of that district, but half as much more than
wits paid in the agricultural districts of England.
There was no question, therefore, that the members of the
institution had the means of existing as an institution if
they thought proper. In the next place, what was the
necessity for the existence of such an institution? He
found, however, by evidence not absolutely conclusive, but
upon which he was inclined to rely, thet the amount con-
sumed in drink in Blackburn was about 4001. a day, or
rather more than 140,0001. per year. In that respect, their
condition was higher and better than that of many neigh-
bouring communities. (Cheers.) At the same time it
was evident that such a consumption--a consumption suf-
ficient to maintain four hundred public-houses and beer-
shops—was still a great anonialy. Amongst those present
who took an interest, and had shown a pecuniary interest
in the institution, were masters employing some 12,000 or
13,000 hands. He thought that was a proof that the insti-
tion was intended for the 9perative classes, and that it
would be supported both by the employer and the employed.
He would state in a few words the circumstances under
which they met. If it were possible, he would recommend the
establishment of a free lib -ray ; but if that were notpossible,
and he thought it was not—for it implied not only the pos-
session offends sufficient to establish, but also to maintain
it—if it were not possible to maintain such a library, as the
next best alternative be would recommend the library of the
institution to be thrown open to all parties who were not
members, on payment of a small charge. Look at Man-
chester; the free library in that town cost something like
12,0001.—it is free to all classes, and at all hours. He would
venture to say that no private individual in Manchester
hail in his library a collection of books half so valuable as
that which was brought together in the free library of that
town. We. in England were very much behindhand in
this matter. There was no large town in France that had
not also its collection of books, generally large, and pretty
well chosen. If they considered what was a well-attested
fact, that 50,000,000/. were spent annually in this country
on intoxicating drinks, and in Blackburn alone something
like 1 tO,OOO/., he would say that the sum required to estab-
lish a public free library, which would be open to all, and a
source of pleasure, into est, and instruction for years, was not
much more than the receipts at the public-bonses and beer-
shops of Blackburn for one single week. (Cheers.) Ho
was convinced that what had been done in Preston, Bolton,
and other towns, Blackburn would also be able to do. lie
looked back upon their past, and he found that even
amongst other industrial communities Blackburn had still
held a place. It was there, ninety years ago, the ingenuity
of Hargreaves added millions of wealth to the nation, and
shed a lustre on the place of his birth and his labours.
( Ureat cheering.) He was confident that they would not
let it be said that they were now resting upon their past

triiunphs and success. I am still more confident (his
loidslup continued) that you will not let it be said that,
amidst the bustle of business, and the excitement of com-
mercial competition, you have forgotten the higher and
more ennobling claims of human intelligence, and of moral
and mental progress.
The noble chairman resumed his seat amidst loud
applause.

£o tin Art, Xittrature, tEI.

THE PARIS PALAIS D'INDUSTRIE is to be handed
over by the contractors at the close of tee present
week to the imperial commissioners, who will at once
proceed to organise the various departments of the
forthcoming Industrial Exhibition with the utmost
activity. The prospect of the anticipated influx of
strangers has already excited strange hopes in the
minds of the Parisian lodginghouse-keepers and
and restaurateurs, and the rumours that the capital
will betexcessively crowded, and everything excessively
dear in May, next, are becoming every day more sub-
stantial. There is some fear expressed, indeed, that
the matter will be overdone as in London in 1851,
and between a surplusage of preparations sad an
exorbitant elevation of prices the visitors will get
alarmed and the providers lose the greater part
of their expected harvest. Meanwhile an ingenious
suggestion has been thrown out, that while the exhibi-
tion continues open the Imperial Commission should
appoint an English sub-commissioner to deliver daily
lectures to his countrymen on the art of living
cheaply in Paris.
THE COPYRIGHT CONVENTION, signed by the Go-
vernments of France and Spain, came into vigour on
the Ist of January, 1855.
PROFESSOR KISS, the sculptor of the " Amazon,"
has been appointed president of the Society for the
Advance of Art.
Tan FRENCH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES held its annual
sitting on Monday, and awarded prizes for astronomy
to Mr. March, attached to Bishop's observatory at
London; Mr. Hind, belonging to the same observa-
tory ; Mr. Ferguson, attached to the observatory of
Washington ; Hermann Goldschmidt, historical
painter; and M. Chacornac, attached to the obser-
vatory of Paris ; each of these persons having dis-
covered a small planet in 1854.
VIFUXTEMPS, the famous violinist, is appointed
director of the opera at Vienna, at a salary of 2,000
florins.
THE ALLEGED POSTHUMOUS WORK OY WALTER SCOTT
Still causes some talk in Paris. As a contemporary
suggests, the one indispensable step towards the
establishment of the authenticity of " Moredun," is
the subjecting of the MSS. to the inspection of
persons familiar with the handwriting of Sir Walter
Scott. There are many such in Edinburgh ; some
of the official colleagues, and more of the official sub-
ordinates of Sir Walter are alive. There is also Mr.
Cadell, the publisher of his collected works. Until
the MM. are allowed to undergo this ordeal, it is in
vain for M. Cabany to talk about the internal evidence
of the tale.
A LETTER FROM CONSTANTINOPLE, in the midst of its
warlike news, says,—" There is a very fair opera
here, to which everybody seems rushing nightly,
either to drown his cares in the Favorite and Barbieri
di Sieiglia, or to get through the evening, which
hangs very heavily on your hands after the indigestible
dinner you have eaten at
Ihe hotel—whose gastro-
nomic artist is invariably a Greek, with a patriotic
and strong predilection for grease in everything.
After such a repast you listen with pleasure to the
notes of Miss Alba in the rdle of Rosissa, who really
has a very good contralto, and pronounces the Italian
so well that you can hardly discover her Anglican
origin, which becomes as metamorphosed as her
name, which is " White."
A FESTIVAL AND PROCESSION in honour of the Ma-
donna has taken place in Naples. The procession
made the round of old Naples, returning, after
four hours' walking, to the spot from whence they
had started. Her Majesty and a large assemblage
of the Court were at the windows of the palace..
All Naples was out to witness this distinguished
act of royal devotion. His Majesty was so mach
overcome by his feelings, that he was frequently
seen to wipe away the tears which rolled down his
pions cheeks.
Au event has taken place which has put all the
foreigners in Naples on the qui wive. A third
orifice has been formed in Vesuvius. It is near
the top of the cone, and the opening is so clean
that the strata of the mountain may be seen to a
considerable depth.

The receipts of the theatres, balls, singing cafes,
and curiosities of Paris, in the month of December
last, were 1,225 750 f., which were 114,987 f. more
than in November. The total receipts of the year
were 19,409,061 f.