The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-27 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY LITERARY

SOCIETY.

The annual concert given by the mewbera to
their friends took place on Tuesday evening last, in the
moms of the society, at the Paddington station. The entire
suite of room, most teetotally fitted for the ocesuion, were
thrown open, and presented a very gay and animated ap-
pearance, nearly six hundred visitors being present. The
artiste* were Mies Fitzwater, Mimi Emily Millar, Signor
Muechialli, and Mr. Chapple ; Mr. Haydn Harrison con.
ducting. Miss Catherine Thompson and Mr Artaud also
most kindly volunteered their services. Several part
wags and ems, isoludiog "0 Hills, 0 Vales," "O'er
Shepherd's Yips," " I love my love in the morning:
" The Wood Thrush," and " The Gipsies' Lashing Glee,"
were most effectively given, the test pains having
evidently been taken in the rob of the musk. Mien
Fitzwalter (soprano), • young lady of very great promise,
who has just made her debar in the musical world, sang
with esquisiki taste and feeling "Eily Mavourneen," from
the new opera of the Lily of Killarney. Mira E. Millar's
rich contralto notes, reminding us of Alboti's early days,
were heard to great effect in "II Segreto," and Lady
Dufferies song, " Katie's Letter." The young ladies ware
very effective in the dusta, "Sinter Elves," and "1 know a
Llauk." Mr. Chapels sang several ballads, and was moat
deservedly encored in each, and Signor Muacbialli (who was
suffering from a severe cold) rendered the music of the
Sounaniteda with great feeling. Miss Catherine Thompson,
• pupil of Sir Henry Smarts, played the andante and
rondo capriccios° of Mendelsaohu most sweetly, and was
listened to with the utmost attention. Mr. John Artaud,
who possesses a SIM baritone voice, gave Morini's song,
" The Basque Muleteer," with great power end effect, his
Meter kindly volunteering her services for the accompani-
ment. Mr. Haydn Harrison, on whom devolved the care
of the musical amusements, deserves great praise for the
masterly manner in which he accompanied the vocalists,
also for the two solos, viz., " The Last Rose of Summer,"
and airs from Traria*. The boo. secretary of the society,
Mr. Rennie, was indefatigable in doing the honours of the
evening to the muneroas goods who responded to the invi-
atioes of the member

Lwross on JAPAN.—Yesterday the Bishop of
Oxford presided at a lecture given by the Dr. Mervyn' on
Japan, in Willies-rooms. The object of lecture was not
simply to convey information respecting • wintry and
people until recently unknown, bat also to assist a fund to
enable the bewly-appuiuted chaplain to Japan to provide a
library and scientific apparatus for the use of the young
Japanme. The bishop expressed the gratification which the
sudience bud derived from the lecture, and also his hearty
approval of the object for which it was gives. The Bishop
of Honolulu. in moving the thanks of the meeting to the
right reverend chairman, spoke of the peculiar interest with
winch he bed listened to a spoke
respecting a country lying
not very remote from the scene of his own future labours,
rod Lissome of the ability with which the subject had beat
treated by the lecturer.
WARENOUSENCNI? AND CLULIN' SCHOOLD.—A
special general meeting of the subscribers to this institution
was held last evening at the Young Men's Christian Asmoia-
tion Rooms, Alderagateatreet, couvened upon a requisition of
the Board of Managerneot, for the purpose of considering a
report from the building committee upon the metiers of
the echool•building. Mr. Hewn presided. Mr. Imareece,
the secretary, read the report of the building committee,
which recommended that a building should be erected for
151 children, the estimated coot for which was 12,0001.,
exclusive of the purchase of the site. In support of this
report, it was stated that the treasurer of the building Ned
had already 7,0001. in hand, and 3,0001. was promised on
the day the lint stone should be laid. This re-
port, it appeared, was strongly, opposed by a minority
of the band of management, who contended that
the number of children to be provided for was
in excess of those likely to be admitted iota
the school, that the 11111UMMO was much under the
mirk, and that the she for the building was ill chosen.
After the report was reed, a long and weans! discussion
took place, and eventually an amendment was moved by
Mr. Read, and seconded by Mr. Allen, that the building
should be erected to acconunadate 120 children, at an esti-
mate of 10,0001. Another long discussion ensued upon the
amendment, which was terminated by Mr. Samuel Morley
proposing, as a compromise, that the expense fur the area-
' tion of the building should be limited to 12,000 t, and to
accommodate as many children as it could be made came-
Meat to hold. Ile offered this proposition es one of eon-
' ciliatimi and to prevent the necessity of a division. After
some further conversation' the report of the committee
and Mr. Read's arneedineatwere withdrawn, and Mr. Mor-
ley's proposal carried by &inhalation.

OXFORD LOCAL EXAMINATIoNS.

The Daily News appends the followiug remarks
to the letter of a correspondent upon the above subject :
" The red ground of complaint; as it appears to us, is
not that the University authorities distinguish between
those who offer the Holy Scriptures with the Pryer Book
and those who offer ooly the Holy Scripture• se subjects
on which they are ready to be examined, but that
they have gone out of their way to ranee a re-
cognition of the scriptural knowledge of the latter
in their certificate. Perhaps the University of Oxford
could hardly be expected to give • dissenter •
certificate that lie had " satisfied the 0111Shlin in the
rudiments of faith and religion," but then that form of
11.1113 does not seem indispensable—nor, indeed, does it
bent ...respond to the facto. For what the University
aserrisina by fits examination is neither the faith
net the religion of the candidate, but merely his
knowledge, and the testamar might with the greatest
propriety be confined to the attestation of its sufficiency.
It would then in its twofold form bear witness that
one class al boys had satisfied the examiners in know-
ledge of the sacred Scriptures, and another in know-
ledge of the Scriptures and the doctrines of the church
of Ragland. This, we believe, would satisfy all pasties ; at all
events it would save the University from the invidiousness al
dsaying fsithaad religion tosill who did nottake up thetniyar
Book. Ws have seen it suggested th►t inconvenient:is NV*,
arise if a sertificate of faith and religion were given to ping
dissenters, some of whom, it may be supposed, will in after
life exercise the Christian ministry among their co-religionists.
But it may be urged, on the other hand, that at presenithere
is nothing to prevent such a person from obtaining the tee-
tamur if he will only bring himself to regard the Prayer
Book as a subject to be got up like say other, as we have ma-
NO to know several have done. All danger of Moon-
venienee from this source would be averted if the Univer-
sity would adopt the course we have indicated, or eny other
dictated by equity. In the meantime, although dissenters
do not pt equal measure in these examinations, yet, as
we think we showed last week, their consciences are not
violated, and we would strongly advise them, for the sake
of their children and of the religious bodies of which it is
to be hoped they will become the strength and ornament,
to pause and reflect before they cut themselves off from an
institution for which, as a means and stimulus of education,
they have as yet no substitute."