The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-29 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

• --
A quarterly general court of proprietors was held
yest<taay. Mr. 1tt.,,4+ Lt. Ewe in the th .ir.

Tar ni.Cutr, of lAAt e •urt wcre re 01

Mr. :WI-UW.IN T•,e I . mnee th..t r atl
tore Wrung to) Niter Alt Monad, wh•cit his taken place
between the Indian and home governmrn:r, of a date sub-
sequent to February, 1353, be laid before the court of pro-
prietor:, when
The CHAIRMAN said that he bad great pleasure in stat-
ing, that there was no objection to the laying of the cor-
respondence before the court of proprie'ors, because he
hoped that when the papers were read the hin proprietor
would he greatly gratified with their contents. (Hear.)
Mr. St'LLIVAN asked that the letter, or extracts of the
letter, read by Mr. Mills on the 21st of Juno last, rel►ting
to the Arneers of Sciatic., might also be presented.
The CuAIanAN Said that there was PO objection to lay-
ing the letter in question before the court.
Mr. Mcliticor asked for the production of papers and
correspondence in refer( nee to the case of the Indian Steam
Navigation Company and their claims for compensation.
The CHAIRMAN said that there was no objection to the
production of the papers, and a motion to that effect was
agreed to.
Captain Lear moved fur the production of the cones-
poadenee which set forth the ground on which Messrs.
Grant and Legget were removed from the SuJder Court of
Bombay.
No proprietor having seconded the motion it fell to the
ground ; but Captain Lain gave notice that he would renew
the motion at the next court.

Mr. JONRiI moved that it be referred to the committee
on bye laws to devise some better system than ezisted at
present for giving information to the proprietors on the
position and transactions of the company.
The CHAIRMAN submitted that it would be better to
give notice of a metiun on a subject which involved so
great a chino. With regard to giving information, the
Court of Directors never objected to the production of
papers which might throw light on any particular subject.
Mr. Jones having p ' din his motion, it was put by
the Chairman, when only our hand was raised in its
support.
The court then adjourned.

MUSIC'.

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SOUTHWARK LITERARY INSTITUTION.

Limit evening a lecture was given at this institu-
tion by Mrs. Grosvenor, "Oa the Italian School of Music,
as compared with the Melodies of the United Kingdom,
with Illustration.." This lady was previously unknown to
us, but she is evidently a practised performer, and has con-
siderable talent. lice appearance and manners are very
prepo ',sting, and her whole entertainment was exceedingly
agreeable. Her lecture was sufficiently blight—little more
than a thresd on which she strung her vocal pearls; but it
was delivered with animation and elegance. Her purpose
seemed to be to establish a sort of thesis that the Italian
music, being the product of art and mechanism, is inferior
to the national ballads of our own country, which are in-
spired by nature. In support of this untenable proposition
the fair lecturer made some wild assertions—among other
things affirming broadly that Italy his always been
destitute of national music !—the truth being, that
the indigenous music of Italy has for ages been
the richest, the most various, ana the most beautiful
in the world. She illustrated her proposition, too, by sing-
ing only onc Italian song, a paltry thing by Nicolini, an oh-
MIN model n composer, while her Irish, Scotch, and Eng-
lish ballads were all of them gems. As a vocal performer,
Mrs. Grosvenor has much merit ; as a ballad singer, indeed,
we have stluom heard her superior. She has a mezzo-
soprano voice, of extraordinary richness and power, singe
beautifully in tune, even without accompaniment, and has
that warmth and geniality of manner which never fails to
engage the sympathies of the listener. We were charmed
with the Irish ballad " Gracaeleree," with " The Lase of
Gowrie," and with Dibdia's line song "The Sailor's Re-
turn," all of which were received with thunders of applause.
Her Italian singing was not so good, it lacked finish and
clearness of articulation. Her vocation is evidently ballad
singing; and were she in her entertainments to adhere
entirely to this style, we do not know any ens who could
make them more pleasing and interesting.