The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-02 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S.

Oa Saturday Miss Stella Colas closed her engage-
ment at this house in the character of Juliet, and received a
warm and enthusiastic farewell, which was popular. sponta-
neous, tad undirected by the management. With her the
Shakespearian and modern classical French drama hundred
for awhile, and last night Mr. Vining returned to Preach
melodrama, by producing a version of Lee Pam. eat de Pori*,
prepared by Mr. Dion Soueicault, wider the title of The
Streets of London. The fact that this play is an adaptation
is stated in the bills with honesty which is unhappily rare
amongst managers and adapters. The original drams Les
'Gums de Paris is a long and somewhat sentimental
piece in seven acts by MM. Brisebane and Na,, in which
a bed banker playa a promieent part, and the real poor of
?aria hardly appear upon the scene. It was first produced
at the Ain,..igu Concivse, in Paris, in September, ISM, and
shortly after an English version appeared at the Surrey
Theatre, called Fraild and its Victims. This "unauthorised°
immolation aroused Mr. Charles Reedit, the English assignee
of the copyright under the international law, who took legal
proceedings, and some years after based his celebrated novel
of " Hard Cash," in All the Year Round, on the drama, with-
eat,as far as wean aware,ever acknowledging his obligations.
&nee the publication of " Hard Cash," the play has been
adapted by Mr. Boacieault for many provincial towns under
each local titles as The Poor of Liverpool, and the version
palmed at the Princess's Theatre last night with success is
said to be " authorised " by the assignee of the copyright.
TAc Streets of L.ndon is so much a play of the old Adel-
phi cast, and in parts bears so close a resemblance to the
socalled trampcntine drama, that many people will doubt-
less abject to the production of such a piece on the classical
boards of the Princess's. A manager, however, like Mr.
Vining, who ket pa his house open all the year round ;and seeks
the patronage of a London not a provincial audience, must
present his patrons with u mach variety as possible, and in
seeking for this novelty, he may be wise in not sacrificing his
material interests for an " idea."

The home vu fell, and the actors and the adapter, &c.,
Were all called before the curtain, although the performance
did net c.nclude until nearly midnight.

THE BISHOP OP LORDONS PrND.

Yesterday afternoon a general meeting of the
executive committee appointed to administer the Bishop of
London's Fnnd was held at the offices, in Pall•mall, for the
pr.rpose of receiving a report of the proceedings for the first
12 months, that is, to the close of what is called the London
nue%

The Bishop of lA:MON presided ' • and there were present
the Earl of Harriwby, Lord RadiMocit, Viscount &Woo,
Lord Ebury, Fen Grosvenor, M.P., the Hon. Arthur Kin.
Baird, M.P., Mr. J. G. Hubbard, M.P., Mr. J. Abel Smith,
M.P., Mr. F. S. Powell, M.P., Sir John Anson, Ban., Sr
T. W. Waller, Bark, Sir Edwin Pearson, Sir Walter
Farquhar, Bart, the Bev. Prebendary Burgess, the Rev.
W. D. Madman, the Rev. T. F. Storks, the Rev. Preben-
dary Blotufield, the Rev. William Cadman, the Rev. W.
Russell, the Rev. J. R. Rehear (President of Sion Colleen),
the Rev. Canon Boyd, the Rev. J. Bardaley, heart W. H.
Smith, A. Kekewich, J. G. Talbot, John Sperling. G. T.
Doacombe, A. Carrie, P. Camino's, W. Cotton, Sydney
Ledge, it. S. Faulcooer, Re.
The Right Rev. Paeure., in opening the proceedings,
mid it would be remembered that at the tint meeting,
which was held at Loodoahouse, there was some hesitation
as to the amount of money that should be asked for. They
thought to ask for 100,000/. in ten years, but providentially
that was overruled. He feared that if they had made that
fatal mistake people would have been satisfied with that, and
would have given nothing more. It was however suggested
at that meeting that 100,000(. should be asked for each of
the tee years, amounting to a million for the whole period.
Now, in little more than the first veer a sum of 75,000/. had
been actually paid to the fund out of the 100,000!. asked for,
leaving • &barmy of 25,000 i. It was of mires impose/e
for him to say whether their friends would be more generous
sad charitable next year and in future years. It erase simple
fact, from which they must draw their own conclusions,
that in the first year 75,0001. had been actually paid, and
that there were promises of payments by instalments to the
amount of 76,000!., tasking in all 151,000/. It must remain
to be se.-n, when their work wu more fully known, whether
the publiz would more folly appreciate the existing wants,
and would be more ready to assist in supplying them. I
There was no meson why they should be discouraged, but
Mill they might trust that the next year would be more
fruitful than that which went before it. At the same time
it was forced upon their attention that the 151,000!. re-
ceived or promised would be entiret a:la:Med by the work
which they had already taken in if they were to'
carry it on with the some vigour wi which they had
begun it for the next ten years. They had made
grants of capital sums for various purposes up to
31,9601., and they had pledged themselves to three societies
for living agents—clergy and Scripture readen—to the ex-
toot of 5,000 f. for ten years, making 50,0001. They had given
guarantees also for beteg *septa for the year, in addition, of
8.320/., which they hoped to continue in future years. In
the nther case they had given • pledge to continue therm If
the latter sums were continued for the tea years they would
amount to 93,2001. These sums added together would show
them tho nature of the work they had to do ; but looking to
the probability that in future yean they would receive a
great deal more than they had yet received, they had no
reason to be afraid that what they had done would lead to
any evil results. It must be remembered, too, that the
sums they bad promised, or immouraged other pumas to
expect, would Lot io all cases be required, because alter a
certain time their curates and missionaries would be de-
veloped into incumbeste, aid their salaries he hoped
paid by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. So, thee, it
could sot be raid that the administrators of the fund gad
boarded, because they bad promised so much ; nor could it
le said that they had been lavish ; for though expectations
held out more thaw had bum promised, the remainder
might fairly be expected from other quartets. The balance-
sheet then stood as follow, :—Reoeived and promised,
151,0001., of which 75,0001. had been actually paid ; 31,9601.
bad been given in capital sums for sites of various kinds,
Bad for missionary chapels sod churches ; 50,000/. actually
promised, and grants of 8,3201., which, if renewed for ten
years, would make &l,200!. Ile thought that state of things
scold not be looked upon as die:gunning, although it was a
Mate of thine, which obviously called for peat exertions
from all friends of the cause.

)L.7l".liZpitTri, the macre— ;my, read the
.report, which
entered tutu details on the points raised is the bishop's
speech.

'The Earl of HAREOWBY, in moving the adoption of the
report, said he thought the observations of the bishop on
the prompt condition of things was the truest pomade
representation of their success. They ought not to be
puffed up, sad they certainly ought not to be discouraged.
They had not reached the tenth pert of what they required,
at least not to be operated upon ; but considering the great
difficulty there was in putting in motion so large a machine,
it was tot to much minim that .hey had mad* ■ fresh dem►nd
successfully to that extent. He could not bat hope that
when they had been a little longer under weigh their work
would speak more eloquently to the hearts of the people
than any papers or statistics. He was much iodised to bops
that they would progressively get into new strata of society,
for there were ample resources if they could bat reach them.
Be placed much reliance upon the system of the offertory,
which at one time bad a bad sound, but which had now lost
its party character. He thought they should have local
committees and mutant appeals to the congregations of the
church. By these two mesas he trusted they would be able
to reach all dames of society.
Earl Gitonvircoa, M.P., in seconding the motion, said
there was something very satisfactory in the working of
local committees. He might mention uau invtance in the
local committee of him own di,trict, that a builder residing
at Bromoos had at once offered a site fora church.
The motion was unanimously adopted.
Some discussion on the roles for the future guidon., of
the committee, in which Lord Section, Prebendary Bur.
gess, Sir T. Waller, and other gentlemen took part, having
isished,

Mr. F. S. Powit.t., M.P., moved s vote of thanks to the
bishop, to whom he aid the diocese sad the church pee-
rally ought to be deeply grateful.
Sir E PIA 115031' secouded the motion, whirl wee carried
by seelanmtioss... . .

-The Bishop of LONDON briefly acknowledged the coespli.
=sat, repeatiag his thanks to the gentlemen who had so
eeergetically acted on the oornmittees.
The board then proceeded to make grant. in aid of seen
of the most spiritually destitute districts in the metropolitan
diocese.