The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-05 00:00:00

NAST LONDON ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the friends of this aaso-
dation, which has for its object the abatement of that class
of public offeiose which collate in acts of indecency, pro.
fsnenees, drunkenness, sad prostitution, was held yesterday
at the Boys Refuge, Commercial-street, Whitechapel ; the
Right Hoe. Lord Eseax in the chair. The report, which
woe read by the emetuy, referred to the uosatidactory
state of the law relating to the soppreeinoo of disorderly
houses, stating that the statute 25 Geo. 11., cap. 36, tended
to promote the suppression of those DULAOCCd, but its ma-
chinery was so cumbersome as to frustrate the very objects
I that it bad in view. and instead of fa nlitating promotions
Bin reality obstructed thenalby requiring that they should be
conducted by the parish constable only. The document then
proceeded to point out that notwithstanding many difficulties
with which the society had to Goateed, much quiet though
s►tisfactory work had been done by it since the last meeting.
1 During the last two months of the put year 19 brothels
situate in six different localities had been cleared (f their
occupant•. In courtesies, the committee appealed for
additional support, remarking that the existence of
the association had recently been threatened by want of
feeds, and that at the preset moment its operations were
much limited by s heavy debt which pressed upon it.
The chairmen, in moving the adoption of the
report, said that he should be &lad to attend •
deputation to the Home Secretary for the nurPree
of pointing out the defects of the statute relating
to the suppression of disorderly house, and he thought
might promise that the other twe societies to which he
belonged—via., the Associated Institution and the Society
for the Suppression of Vice—ehould be represented also.
The following resolution was thee unanimously carried
"That • deputation wait on the Home Secretary, foe the
purpose of pointing out the detects of the statute relating
to the suppression of disorderly houses (2L Geo. 2, cap, 36)1
whereby certain parishes are enabled to render it nugatory.'
Other resolutions approving of the objecta of the sasociatioe.
and pledging the meeting to give it pecuniary support,
haying been paned, the promediop were brought to a close
in the usual manner.

MR. ROBSON AT EDINBURGH. —We are sorry tO
note that on Saturday night Mr. Robison, in playing the
part of the burlesque Shylock, was several times hissed. In
one scene he had to simulate intoxication, and this he did
with admirable drollery sod fidelity. Certain stupid per-
sons in the gallery sod pit, however, evideutly incapable of
appreciating the humour of the performance, hissed him,
tinier the impression that the intoxication was not foigoed
but real Mr. Robson rebuked these dullards in suitable
language, tying. among other things, that did they know
he was suffering frontill.beedth, they would pity rather
than hiss him. We sympathies most heartily with
Mr. Robson, who has spent his whole life, even to
the detriment of his health, io the service of the public,
from whom be deserves the warmest gratitude for the many
hours of keen sejoyroset which he has afforded them. We
hope that an Edinburgh theatre will never again be dis-
graced by loch a humiliatingexhibition of offensive ignorance
en that displayed by an inferior section of the audience at
the Theatre Royal on Saturday. Mr. Robson 's per-
formances during the past fortnight have been a Douro, of
extreme pleasure to all who have witnessed them, and we
trust that it will not be long before be returns to us, with
renewed health and vigour, to gratify those who can appre-
ciate him, and to edema the blockheads who cannot.—
ldisebargh Courant.
THE COLISIECX AT ROME —Two things are roost
notable in the Coliseum : the awful desolation of the pre-
sent, and the saws with which you realise the past. Stand-
ing in the grass-grown arena, which the bright morning
sun bad coaxed into a melancholy smile, there came before
me. with a vivid and fearful distant-times, the whole same
as it was on some great festal day,—the myriads that lined
the mighty walla, a Bashing and palpitatice :nultitude, tier
above tier, far up into the deep blue aky ; and about me,
where 1 stood, the rush of chariot wheels, the gleaming
swords, the duet, the smoke, the blood, the terrible
spring of the lion—l could stead it no logger.
sad turned to leave the plus. This sou what I
saw in imagination. What I saw in reality was • few hag-
had-looking figures movies slowly from ooe to the other of
a few stone shrines ranged round the , and kissing
them with muttered preys,. It seems that by a sufficient
number of such gyrations you may escape the coneexpenoes
of almost any amount of sin. These are the oely gladiators
—these the only games—exhibited there now. Spectator
still look dowe upon them from the vast amphitheatre, in
multitudes countless as of old ; bat the multitudes an the
creeping plants, and waving trees, and tangled masses of
mournful vegetation, which feed and flourish on its decay.
Afecinillaa's Megisties for April.