The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 26, 1864

AHT.WOB.KAIANSHIP EXHIBITION.

The Society of Arta having offered to distribute
prises for art-workmanship on Saturday, there wan s private
view of articles which had been sent in for oompetition.
The council of the society, seeing that there was a growing
desire on the part of art-workmen to come forward and
Compete for honours in their several handicrafts, appointed
• committee in March, 1863, to consider and report what
prises the society should offer for the encouragement of
art-workmanship applicable to manufactures, and on the

recommendation of that committee it mu decided to offer
prizes for the successful rendering or modelling in terra-
cotta, piaster and wax, repousse work in any metal ; ham.
meted work in iron, brass, or copper; carving on ivory;
ehasing in metal, enamel painting on metal, gold or copper ;
printing on porcelain ; inlays in wood, marqueterie or bah],
ivory, or metal ; engraving on glare, and embroidery. The
denim' were furnished by artists of great reputation, to
be translated into the various modes of workmanship, The
attempt was so snoosseful last year that the society was
encouraged to repeat it this year, and hence the present
exhibition. The specimens of workmanship amount to
nearly a hundred, and are arranged into two divisions, the first
comprising works executed in earring on marble, stone, or
wood and ivory, chasing in bronze, etching and engraving on
metal, decorative painting, cameo cutting, wall mosaics,
gem engraving, Az., and thee" are executed from prescribed
designs. Thescoooddivisionoonsistsof works in woodcarving
without prescribed designs. Aa • whole, the articles exhibited
are remarkable for completeness of detail and finish, and
present excellent specimens of special handicraft. Amongst
them may be noticed a carving in stone of a Boy and Dolphin,
by Lennor. Raphael's Three Graces, in reponsU work,
ands workof the same kind, in metal, after a Flemish salver,
by Septirars Bamford. These good specimens of hammered
work in braes, and painting on porcelain, and the wall
masks after Bettini, of Milan, are noticeable, as is some
bookbinding after an Italian specimen. The wood carving
is finely manipulated, and comprises human figures in alto
or bas-relief, animal., and natural foliage, fruit and flowers,
which latter are disposed in designs for chimney pieces,.
freizee, and panels. The exhibition will no doubt tend to
advance the object which the society have in view.

CHRISTMAS WEEK AT THE RAILWAYS.
--*--

The whole of the past week has been one of
hard labour and of almost herculean exertion at several
metropolitan termini. Game, geese, turkeys, sausages.
pork pies, and other rural delicacies have been all that
time Sowing into Loudon in a manner perfectly astonish-
ing, patting such a strain upon the staff and appliances
of each company as to almost nentraliae any profit which
they may derive from it. It would be tedious tosuunierate
the particular arrangements at each station. It will be
sufficient to say that the progress of sorting and delivery
is identical with that pursued at the Post-office in regard
to the letters which arrive by each mail, and that the loss
or the misplacing of a parcel is the exception.
The immense supply of turkeys and geese treat
Norfolk and Suffolk to the London markets, to
goose clubs, and in the shape of presenta to private friends,
has forced upon the Great Eastern Company the employ-
ment of 300 horses, 170 vehicles, and 200 men, in addition
to the number ordinarily employed. The men Sr. divided
into two gangs, one of which works by day, the other by
night. At the South Eastern they have ooly to employ 4 ad-
ditional hands and 2 horses. It is not, however, that the
men of Kent or the Kentish men are not as generous totheir
London friends as are the inhabitants of the Eastern counties,
for one of them last week soot u many as 24 pheasants to a
friend. The line, in fact, taps the good-nature of only one
county, whereas the Great Eastern goes through the heart
of at least half a dozen. At the Brighton the extra staff and
plant are 12 men, 9 horses, and 5 vans. At the South
Waiters& they have bad to a:11 into their service the aid of
15 extra men and 30 extra horses, and to make their col-
lecting carts delivery vans. At the London, Chatham, and
Dover there has also been an extra strain upon their ordi-
nary staff ; but the remarks we have made in regard to the
South Eastern are applicable to its rival. At the Great
Western the extra strain is measured by 70 horses, 40 mu,
and 15 vans. This is coofioed to the parcels department
solely, for ell the consignments to the markets ars dealt
with in the goods department. At the North Western
they have had, too, a large additional staff of men and boys.
In the sorting shed alone they have had a corps of 16 at
work night and day, and 48 men to conduct and superintend
the process of delivery, in which they have had to employ 15
extra carts, stwo-horse vans, sod 4 omnibuses. At the Great
Northern the extra force consisted of 3 clerks, 4 porters, 3
carts, and 6 horses.-06serrer.

ACCIDENT ON THE SOTTH DEVON RAILWAY.—
PLTDOUTE, SCNDAT.—The mail train from London due at
Plymouth at 5.25 this morning, while running through the
Kingebridge-road station at 6 o'clock, camein collision with
• goods train from Plymouth, which was being shunted se
to a siding. The tail of the goods train projected on to the
down hoe, and was struck by the first second class carriage
of the mail train. The ends of two compartments of the
carriage were torn, off, and two of the goods trucks were
damaged. The passengers escaped with a few contusions,
excepting one gentleman, but it is hoped that be is not
severely injured, The mail train was two hours late in
consequence of Christmas business. The accident blocked
up the line for four hours more, and the mails were not de-
livered till the afternoon,

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH WESTERN
RAILWAT.—OD Saturday afterooon • melancholy accident
occurred at the Richmond statics, of the London and South
Western Railway. While the up goods train was being
shunted • young man, William Venus, • goods porter,
jumped off the break van to slip the carriages just at the
moment when the 4.45 p.m. express down train from
Waterloo, which does not stop till it arrives at Feltham,
rushed through the station. The poor fellow was caught
by the train and tbrowo down, the wheels of the carnage*
passing over his legs and frightfully mutilating them. He
was removed to the porters' room, when medical assistance
was at once called in. and it was found necessary to amputate
one of his legs. In spite, however, of every attention,
Venue continued gradually to sink till about half. past 8
o'clock in the evening, when he died. The deceased, who
was married, and about Li rears of age, bad recently been
moved from the Twickenham to the Richmond station.
CHRISTMAS-DAY IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCRES.—In most of the Roman catholic churches of
London there was midnight mass at 12 o'clock on Saturday
night. In some church*s one of Mozart's masses was song,
with the addition of Christmas hymns. At the Italian
church, in Hattoo•gardee, the music was very fine. The
Imperial Mass of HaOn was sung at Moarfields church,
which was crowded. In the same church at eleven o'clock
yesterday, Mozart's Twelfth Mau was sung with the Date
sonitunt of Costa, the Vidertmt omit.. of Haydn, and
Mendelsohn, "March of the Levites." A letter was read
from Cardinal Wiseman regretting that he could not be, as
usual, present, and seeding the Pontifical blessing to the
congregation, with whom be hoped to be on an early occasion.

- - -
CHRISTMAS AMONG THE DEAF AND DEMB.—Yes-
terday being Christmu-day, the anniversary dinner to the
poorer members of the congregation of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel among the Deaf and Dumb in
London came off at the Sussex Hotel, Bouverie-street,
Fleet.street, where an excellent and substantial dinner was
provided for some 150 of the deaf and dumb of all ages, both
male and female. Mr. Matthew Barns, the deaf and dumb
pastor of the congregation sitting at Shaftesibury.bsll, Alders-
gate-street, occupied the chair, occupied the chair, sup-
ported by Mr. Jennings and other members of the com-
mittee. Mr. Burns acted as interpreter. The funds necessary
for the dinner have been raised by • committee of broom.
lent ladies and gentlemen. Aooordieg to the last census
returns for is 1. the number of deaf and dumb in the
metropolitan district wu 1,519, aed blind 2,635. Of the
deaf end dumb in Logsdon, Southwark contains the highest
and the lowest numbers, there being 334 is the perish of
Si. George's. Southwark, and 9 in St. °lsms's, Southwark.
The City of London contains 43, East London 34, and West
London parish 23. The return chows that of the 12, t 53
deaf and dumb in England, Scotland, and Wales, only 7b3
reached the age of 1.10.
DISORACIFEL CONDUCT IN A CHURCH. At the
St. Augustine Petty Sessions, Canterbury, on Saturday,
a young rose, about 1$ years of age, named John Nicholls,
was charged with misbehaviour in the pariah church of
Seasalter, near Whitstable. surf with disturbing the oft-
gregation on Sunday, the 11th inst. The defendant is respect.
ably connected, his node bring one of the churchwardens.
The information was laid by Mr. C. H. Nicholls. church-
warden (the uncle of the defendant), who said there had
been a great deal of misconduct is the church, which it was
determined to put a stop to. Police-constable Bates stated
that, in coesequence of the service being frequently inter.
rupted and the congregation disturbed, at Seemlier Church,
the Rev. Mr. Morris desired him to attend the service oe
Sunday afternoons and evenings. On Sunday week he saw
the defendant misconduct himself. The defendant stooped
down and annoyed a little girl in am adjoining pew by
taking hold of her legs under the seat. He also got a lot
of peas and keptsbootiog them across the church at people.
His conduct was so bad that the °Soar was obliged to
turn him out. He had been turned out for similar con.
duct once or twice before. Bete, further stated that the
defendant was one of a large number of boys, shoat 200
altogether, who attended the service on Sunday evening I
and behaved in a most disgraceful manner. They amused
themselves by throwing nutshells, tobacco pipes, pieces of
piper. &c., at emir other and at other members of the
congregation as well. He (Betas) and the sexton turned 42
althorn out oes Sunday evening. Mr. Mackay said he
never heard of anything snore diegraosful than the conduct
described by the policeman, and the magistrates bad been
considering whether they ought not to mod the &leeriest
to prima without giving him the option of paying a flee.
They had, however, decided oely to flee him 24 sad costs ;
but it was the fall determination of the bench that, in the
emote, either he or any of his companions being brought
before the court for a similar offence, tamed them to prisms.

THE CHRISTMAS AMUSEMENTS.

OHRD3TMAS ZVI.

-- -
Again we are called upon to put aside our poli-
tics for a brief space, and to do little more than
record the features of our annual merry-making.
Once upon a time, as the old story-books say, the
dish of pantomime and burlesque was always asso-
ciated with Christmas pudding, snowballing, and
worsted comforters ; but now these things have
changed, like many others. Burlesque holds its
ground from year's end to year's end, and panto-
mime has often shown a disposition to imitate its
twin brother. Entertainments which were origi-
nally make-shifts have now become the permanent
attractions at certain theatres, and have furnished
many "remarkable cases of longevity " to dramatic
annals.

The compilers of the Biographic Dramatica, in
the introduction to that useful work, speak in no
very respectful terms of pantomime. "No sooner,"
they say, alluding to the years 1714-15, "were
dramatic performances permitted at two theatres
(Lincoln's-inn-fields and Drury-lane) than the
manager of the weaker company was obliged to
have recourse to foreign aid, and to oppose his
antagonists with other weapons than the merits of
his actors, or the excellence of the pieces repre-
sented by them. The performers who were
under Mr. Rich's direction were so much in-
ferior to those at Drury-lane, that the latter
carried away all the applause and favour of
the town. In this distress the genius of
the new manager suggested to him a
species of entertainment which has always been
considered as contemptible, but which at the same
time has been ever followed and encouraged. Pan-
tomimes were now brought forward ; and, as sound
and show bad in the last century obtained a victory
over sense and reason, the same event would have
followed again if the company at Drury-lane had
not, from the experience of past times, thought it
advisable to adopt the same measures. The fer-
tility of Mr. Rich's invention in these exotic enter-
tainmeuts, and the excellence of his own' per-
formance is them, must be ever acknowledged."
This year our theatrical managers have not
altogether followed Mr. John Rich's example,
as burlesque, and not pantomime— if we
except the local theatres—is unquestionably
in the ascendant. Her Majesty's Theatre is
a new convert to pantomimic revelry, and
Drury-lane and Covent-garden still strive to main-
tain their ancient reputation as pantomimic
houses, but the Haymarket, the Olympic, the
St. James's, the Strand, and the New Royalty,
have all produced burlesques. Even the Lyceum,
which, since it has been under Mr. Fechter's
management, has persistently turned its back upon
everything bearing the aspect of a so-called Christ-
mas piece, Las this year become English and neigh-
bourly with a slight extravaganza. The Princess's
has produced a combination of these entertainments
in the shape of a piece written by two new authors,
and called a " Pantomimic Extravaganza."
One wholesome function of Christmas panto-
mimes and burlesques is to satirize the follies of
the past year, and amongst these latter the recent
rope-tying mania has come in for its fair share of
castigation. At the same time, to show us that
satirists are as mortal as the persons they satirize,
these pieces generally bring their own special
manias with them. This year the prevailing rage
seems to be for one-legged clowns, and "go it you
cripples," must be rather a favourite managerial
motto. Donato, "the original one-legged pheno-
-1
menon," is engaged for Covent-gardeu, a
"graceful and e one-legged clown " appears at
Her Majesty's beatre, and Drury-lane has got a
" talented one-legged dancer." As to the music-
halls, many of them are already provided with
a similar eccentric attraction, and one-legged
men may be said to be much in demand
at fancy prices. We believe we are betray-
ing no trade secret when we say that Donato
—the original " phenomenon"—gets a Lord Chan-
cellor's wages, and if his success should be as great
as his managers pay fir, we may expect soon to bee
a ballet company of Greenwich and Chelsea pen-
sioners. Donato's first appearance in this country
will be in a law court, as two managers—Mr. Morton
and Mr. Gye—are contending forthe phenomenon.
Both parties are confident of victory, and while Mr.
Gye says that Mr. Morton has engaged the wrong
Donato, Mr. Morton says the right Donato has nut
a " leg to stand upon." One of the Vice-Chancel-
lor's will have to settle the dispute this morning by
granting or refusing an injunction.
The practice of producing pantomimes on Christ-
mas Ere is on the increase, and, as we presume that
managers know their own business best, we have
nothing to say against the system. We merely re-
port the entertainments of Saturday night with
Christmas amiability.

Forest shows us the first stags of the journey undertaken
by the adventurous youths. Popinjay 1 the first to
arrive, bat being intercepted by Mother Shipton, he is
mint to the right about, when his way should have been
over the left. Hugh Myddelton thee arrives, weary and
disheartened, seeks rest on a favoured bank, and in a dream
it is made known to him how the enchantment of
Hooded can be dissolved, and he resumes his journey
determined to "win or die." The following assns discloses
the Sylvan Retreat of Aqua and the Wood Nymphs. After
the ballet, Popinjay appears, but is speedily put to flight by
the wood nymphs, whose examination is too ekes to be
agreeable. Hugh Myddelton is more fortunate. He calls
aloud for Haaelsef, when the crystal stream is at once dis-
closed, and the bailiff's daughter is seen in close attendance
thereon. Hugh and Haseleaf fall in love with each other,
bet their joys interrupted by Aqua, who informs them
that much remains to be done before the machinations of
Mother Shipton can be effectively overcome. Hugh is com•
mended to proceed to court sod make known to the king
the important secret he has discovered. Afterwards, he
is to demand from the bailiff the band of his daughter. St,
John's Gate, Clerkenwell, is next disclosed, with the bailiff
and Grumbolino awaiting the return of Popinjay. Hugh
Myddelton appears and an nouncee the discovery of the stream,
but the bailiff treats him as an impostor, and orders him to be
oonveysd to the deepest dungeon in Islington. The next
110111111 is The Hall of Mirrors in the bailiff's palace. Howlea6
having followed her lover, finds herself for the fiat time in
her life in the haunts of man. Perplexed and delighted
with what she beholds, she approaches a large mirror, and
is startled by the reflection of her own form in the glass. This
redectiou dissolves the last link in the spells of Mother
Shipton, as the magic stream followed itheeleaf from the
enchanted forest, and became the property of mortals so
soon as the girl beheld her face in a glass. The bailiff re-
cognises his long•lost daughter, and grateful for the services
rendered by Hugh Myddeltos, orders that youth to be set
at liberty. It is found, however, th►t &triton has sac•
ceeded in conveying him to her cavern, and be is on the
eve of being sacrificed, when, by the aid of Aqua and her
active satellite, Telegram, the bailiff and his followers are
guided to the spot, and a happy change is effected to the
glittering scene of the transformation.

The pantomimic menes are very good, and the clown—Mr.
Buck— is it favourite at Ishugton. The ballet is tastefully
arranged, and real water—au old feature at this house—is
introduced with great judgment by Mr. Broadfoot.