The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-29 00:00:00

CANTERBURY HALL.

The Canterbury Music Hall in Lambeth, and
the Oxford Music Hall in Oxfordetreet, have recently
passed into the bands of a respectable joint stock company,
but as Mr. Morton, their founder, still retains a large
interest in then., and acts am their manager, the enter-
tainments are still marked by the lame tests and enterprise.
Music-halls are now as plentiful as blackberries, both in
town and country, and the capital invested in them has
reached an amount almost equal to that invested in the
regular theatres, but DOOO of these establishments have
improved Mr. Morton's " idea," while they have newly all
copied it. The Canterbury Hall wee opened in May, 18.32, with
a plan which has hese honestly and consistently adhered to.
The best music, fairly executed, was given to those audiences
who are generally called the " million," interspersed with
comic songs, and miscellaneous performances. If one half
of the entertainment was merely popular, provided by •
practical manager whose business was not that of • school-
muter, the other half was always of • very high order. Mr.
Morton may claim the credit of being the first man who
medal& Goimod's chief musical works known in this coun-
try, years before the opera-houses bad the courage to place
',mut upon the stage. Other opens—now familiar to the
public—have been first tried at the Canterbury and Oxford
hells, and the management has generally shown a leading
not • following spirit.

Several alterations have been made in the Canterbury
Music Hall which have evidently increased its powers of at•
traction. The great picture-gallery, filled with excellent
modern paiatiop, by the best artists, still remains, and DO
theatre in London has got such so elegant foyer ; but the old
singing platform in the hall baa been increased to the size of
• small dap, on which all the latest scientific spectacles are
given with marvellous effect and completeness. The "fairy
fountain" and the "ghost Musics " are shown in combina-
tion with very artistic scenery, Lad are iatroducei is a little
musical extravaganza, called Perfume and Pair Bouquet,
written by Mr. W. F. Vandervell. The Dircka and Pepper
invention, which has gone the round of most of our theatres,
and was very badly applied to the stage in Paris, has never had
more justice does to it than by Mr. Morton. AU the latest
improvements have been introduced, and the arrangements
are so complete, that a whole fairy ballet is made to appear
and disappear at will, sod to seem to dance in the midst of
chromatic fountains. The pantomime is well contrived—
• broadsword combat between • substance and a shadow
being very ingenious—and the musical aczompanimenta are
spirited. This spectacle has been given this week for the
first time, and it will doubtless hold its place even longer
then its predeassor, Prince Biou.nn.

We (Friend of India) 'nave received a letter from
"'satire correspondent acquainting us with the particulars
of ea interesting cue of widow marriage which took place
in Calcutta on the 2nd inst. The bridegroom was a law
•tudeot of the Presidency College, and the bride • widow
14 years ante, educated in the school attached to the Free
Church of Scotland Mission. Independent of its being •
widow marriage, which is itself of sufficiently rare occur.
reaps to be remarkable, it is noteworthy that the parties
were of different cutes, and that the ceremony wu per.
formed according to the ritual of the Brahmo Somaj. The
Indian Manor can thin "an unprecedented matrimonial
•lliseos," "an auspicious event," sad believe, that reform
is fast advancing to an " oaalaught on the relics of
Hinduism."

We understand that Mr. Costa, at the request
of her Majesty the Queen, has dedicated his oratorio of
Nauman, performed for the fleet time at the Birmingham
Festival, to the memory of the late Priem Consort, who, it
is said, took great littoral in the selection and treatment of
the theme Mr. Costa has so successfully handled.—Birst-
ingkass Daily Poe.
Etrc-ricof Pitosrecre ass Dretnr.—Everything
portends that there will be a severe rtraggle between the
cosenvatives and tbe liberals, both in the county tad city
of Dublin, at the text general election. No less than 2,000
coaservetives have been objected to by the Liberal Regis.intim Society, which is displaying • vigour that can only
arise from the strongest hopes of its party triumphing. It
is said that the funds to keep up this aggressive movement,
until the day of trial mimes, have been supplied by the Hoe.
Mr. White, who expects that his liberality will secure his
retain for one of the seats. A conservative journal lode
is Sir John Gray a second candidate for the county. "Mr.
Joyat, the agent of Lord Annaly, Colonel White's father,
will," it says, "sat ex spat with • Mr. Frederick
Hamilton for the rilel at the forthcoming revision. Mr.
Joynt ishrothwrialaw of Sir John Gray, proprietor of the
Prermaa's Journal; and this circumstance has given
additional currency to the report that Sir John Grey will
also be a candidate in the radical interest, and on the same
ticket with Colonel White. for the honour of reprenatieg
the acetrepoliticel county in perhanuost."