The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-05 00:00:00

Tirk EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 5, 1863.

DRAMA.

PRINCESS'S.

The aeries of farewell performances by Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Keen, which have been announced for some
time at this theatre, was opened last night with the tragedy
of Hank& The undying interest of the play, the popu-
larity of the performers, and the desire felt to give a
hearty God-speed to two old friends of the public, drew
together a crowded and enthusiastic audience ; and the re-
ception accorded to both Mr. and Mrs. Keen was warm and
genuine.
The Hamlet of Mr. Charles Kean ha. long passed
through the fiery ordeal of criticism ; and it cornea before
as once more with all its merits and faults unaltered.
Like most other conceptions of the same actor, it wants
nothing that study and industry can give it; it is the
Hamlet that the oldest playgoer has been familiar with
from his childhood—the Hamlet that beams upon us from
the canvas in our national picture gallery ; the Hamlet of
custom and stage tradition. It is not a "creation," but a
good, even, consistent reading of the part, and no attempts
are made in it to startle us by heretical innovations. It
is the black-haired Hamlet, in fact, as distinguished from
the flaxen-headed Hamlet, and in full of that spirit and de-
termination which shine through all Mr. Keen's portrai-
ture*.

Mn. Charles Haut played the unthankful part of the
Queen with her usual can and judgment; and Mr. May-
nard made the equally unthankful part of the King more
unthankfr, by droning his bead like a wax figure at
a barber's. Miss Chapman, as Ophelis, was weak in
the earlier portions of the play, but her mad seen* was
performed with great pathetic power. Mr. Fitajames
made a respectable Polonius, and Mr. G. Belmore a good,
bat somewhat hurried first gravedigger ; ■nd Lianas,
Horatio, and the ghost, were all carefully rendered by
Messrs. J. F. Cathcart, J. Everett, and Henry Manton.
The fittings of the play were meagre and shabby, and the
greatest foe to " upholstery" must hays wished for a little
more splendour.
Mr. Charles Keen appears to-night' as Othello, and to-
morrow as Louis XI., one of his most effective cha-
racters.

shrink from exposing themselves to the cold •
draughts of the Crystal Palace in the month of
April. The result of all this is that in practice
only three or four men do the work ; and it is
impossible for them to give more than a
cursory examination to the multitude of *pic-
tures brought before them. The reform required
is that, either by the additiou of experienod
artists named by the government, or by some other
means, a competent and sufficiently numerous jury
should be assured. A jury of some kind is un-
doubtedly necessary in the interests of art and the
cultivation of public taste. The experiment of an
indiscriminate exhibition was tried by the repub-
lican government of 1848, and did not answer at
aIL The artists, almost with one voice, called for
the re-establishment of a jury. You will see by
the Moniteur that the exhibition of rejected pic-
tures does not open till May 15. Whether these
pictures will be numbered, and a catalogue made
of them, is a question yet auh judiee. The first
impression of the authorities appears to have been
against these accessories. But it is urged, and it
seems to me with great reason, that the Emperor's
intention would be frustrated, and that the
public would be deprived of the means of
judging of the merits of the pictures rejected by
the jury, if there were to be no catalogues.
I have had a look at the universal dog show to-
day. The classification is not yet complete, and I
saw some British dog-fanciers who complained that
fresh specimens are being constantly admitted, in
breach of the advertised arrangements and to the
detriment of those who arrived punctually. There
is a large collection of poodles and pet& several
pointers and retrievers, a great many English bull-
dogs, some large dogs of the Danish breed, very
fine Newfoundland, particularly those belonging
to the Duke of Brunswick, and some of the
curious little Chinese dogs which the natives eat.
I did not see any greyhounds

CHURCH MISSIONARY socuirr.—(THlS DAY.)

The annual meeting of this society was held this
morning, at Exeter-ball ; the Earl of CLHCHROTZR in the
chair, supported by the Bishops of Rochester, Carlisle, Syd-
ney, and Melbourne, Mr. A. Kinnaird, M.P. • Cap-
tain Maude, R.N., and • large body of the mkropo-
limn and provincial clergy, completely filling the plat-
form. The area of the ball was much crowded.
Prayer having been offered up by the Rev. Mr. Venn,
The CHAIRMAN said without desiring to anticipate the re-
ports they were about to hear, be could not help drawing
the attention of the meeting to the fact that there was this
Tear a deficiency in the funds of the eociety,sod he estmestly
Implored the friends of the church to make every effort
during the mining year to repair this evil, and not to allow
the successful progress of the society to be arrested.
The Rev. JOHN VENN thou read the report of the com-
mittee for the year, which was of great length, embracing
the operations of the society throughout the world, which
oo the whole had been very eaooewfal. The details respect-
ing the miesious to Africa, especially to the territories of
the King of Dahomey, were of • very interesting character.
In India great progress was being made, the mission stations
have increased considerably in number, and the converts to
Christianity in proportion. Upwards of 950,000!. per annum
is now contributed to Christian missions in India by the
resident European Christians in that country. In China
the mission work has been much interrupted, owing to the
war raging between the Taipingites and Imperialists. In
New Zealand, North Western America, Ceylon, Mauritius,
and Mediterratiaan, the minion work has been more or less
successful, affording on the whole much encouragement.
The report then proceeded to advert to the diminished
income of the society for the past year, and
concluded with • strong appeal to the friends of the church
for elditional aid. The financial statement showrd that
the total income for the year 1862 had been 131,2171., being
about 7,0C31. less than that received during the preceding
year, which had arisen partly from • decrease in lepr es,
aud Partly from a falling off in the receipts from district
associations, owing principally, it was believed, to the dis-
tressed state of the manufacturing districts. The expendi-
ture had amounted to the sum of 136,4001., which had not
only absorbed the balance left on last year, but leaves a de.
ficiescy of 2,4001.
The Bishop of SYDNEY moved the adoption of the
re-
port. In doing so he desired to acknowledge that this
society was deeply indebted to the London Missionary
Society for introducing the truth of Christianity into the
kingdom of Madsgaacar, and thus preparing the way there
fur the missionaries of this society. He hoped the mission-
aries of each society would always act hsimoniously to-
gether and not allow religions differences to mar their
efforts.

The Rev. JAY= BABDBLET seconded the adoption of the
report, which was unanimously agreed to.
The Bishops of Girlish, sod Melbourne, and several
ministers, afterwards addressci the meeting, which con-
cluded with prayer and a collection.