The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 12, 1857.

act. This was the difference between the Mormonite
polvgamy and the Oriental system.
The congregation then indulged in some doggrel verses,
which they sung to the popular air of " Minnie," of the
words of which song their " psalm" was a wretched
parody.
Elder GEORGE READ then recited a piece about "The
Bishops Banquet," describing the good living of the right
rev. prelates—a recitation which was singularly malapropos
and in very bad taste, seeing that it was immediately fol•
lowed by the Mormonite "refreshments," apples and pears
on damp and dirty " waiters," with little cakes and biscuits,
which were stale and unsavoury. These were washed down
by copious draughts of pump water from large jugs.
Another ELDER then indulged in a " little harmony" about
" Sleepy Parsons," the chorus to which was—

Heigho! you sleepy parsons!
Ila! ha! ha! ha! what a lark!
After all your college learning
You will tiud you're in the dark.

The very reverend elder gave this song with much vigour
to the air of a weU•known nigger melody, " Oh Susannah,
don't yon cry for me," and he added to the effect by vigo-
rous slaps of his hands upon his stalwart thighs, after the
most approved fashion of the Ethiopian Serenaders. The
effort was very much relished by the audience, who loudly
applauded.
Sister PEARCE and several other sisters subsequently
sang.
An ELDER, with a strong Yankee brogue, advised ;be
sisters to sell off all their ornaments, which took them ad)
long every day to dust, and to put the money into the emi-
gration fund, to enable them to " gather out of Babylon"—
i. to leave this country for Utah.
The Apostle ORSON PRATT then gave the " Sisters "
some advice on the subject of marriage. He said that
marriage, if celebrated by the Mormon Church, which
alone had full authority, extended not only till death, but
throughout eternity. He urged them not to marry men
not Mormons, or else when they awoke in the Day of
Judgment they would find themselves without husbands,
and be obliged to remain single throughout eternity. This
he described to be a horrible eventuality, and propounded
the doctrine that a propagation of spirits would go on in a
future world just as the propagation of our species goes on
in this.

EzEA BENSON, another Apostle from the Salt Lake
Valley, addressed the audience in his shirt sleeves. His
speech was full of Yankee humour, rather coarse, but it
told well with the saints. He ,aid he felt " rust rate." He
referred to the subject of marriage, and to his own wives
and children whom he had left in Utah, and said he be-
lieved that all his wives would not apostatise, and that
therefore he would not be likely to undergo the misery of
remaining single in heaven. He described Brigham
Young as the best and holiest man in the world, and said
he did not wonder at the sisters falling in love with him.
Every good man, he said, ought to have more than one
wife. He said he would advise the editors who abused
them to consult their works, and they would find every-
thing "as light as taturs." He indulged in a variety of
jokes of the same class.
The proceedings terminated shortly after ten
o'clock.

Mn. SPURGEON attended a public meeting of his
friends and supporters, who had met him at Park-
street Chapel, on Monday last, for the purpose of
promoting the building of a large tabernacle for Mr.
Spurgeon. Mr. Spurgeon made a statement to the
meeting of the success which had attended the efforts
of the promoters of the scheme, and the position in
which matters at present stood. In doing so he
alluded to the services held in the Surrey-hall:—
" He would not pain their feelings by alluding to the
untoward circumstances attending their first meeting
at the Surrey Music-hall. It was a painful prelude
to a mcst magnificent result, and Satan never met
with a greater failure than he did in that attempt
at coercion. Had it not been for the lamentable
accident which took place on that occasion, so many
thousands would have never been brought within
the sound of the Gospel." Referring to the
want of a large building, Mr. Spurgeon said Sir S.
M. Peto had promised him 1001. donation when the
foundation-gone of such a building was laid, and
another 100/. when it was finished, besides a promise
of further assistance. As regarded funds, they had
in the bank a sum of 4,0001. towards the erection of
the building.

DR. LETHEBT, in his periodical sanitary return
for the last six weeks, reports the public, health to
" indicate an average condition."
WHAT TO DO WITH THE WASTE GROUND OF NEW
FARRINGDON-STREET was discussed on Wednesday, at
a meeting of the board of governors and directors
of the united parishes of St. Andrew, Holborn, and
St. George the Martyr, held at the boardroom,
Gray's-inn-lane, when the following resolution,
moved by Mr. Watson, was unanimously adopted
That a committee be appointed to wait upon the Board
of Works for this district, and for the district of Clerken-
well, to urge upon them the necessity of their pressing the
Corporation of the City of London to take active measures
to encourage the covering of the waste ground in Saffron-
hill, St. Sepulchre, and vicinity, as speedily as possible.
Mr. Watson stated, in the course of an address be
delivered on the occasion, that the act for making
the new street Was passed twenty years ago, and
when the Clerkenwell commissioners could not carry
it out it was transferred to the City, and an additional
tax laid upon coals to defray the cost, so that the