The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-23 00:00:00

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER-
be performed HANDEL'S ORATORIO, MESslAll. 23, will
Principal Vocal Performers—Madame Condon Alien. Mbh M. B.
Nowa, Mr. Mures. and Mr. 11. Phillipa
Ths Bawl and Morin will condst of shore 300 Portemers.
Tickets, 3a. each; Iteserved rests (in the arcs or WOW, may be
obtained of the principal Musiociellers; of Mr. Bewley, 33,
areas ; of Mr. lila, 102, Strand ; or of Mr. Mitchell, 39. awing-crow
THOMAS BREWER. Hen. See.

k_:__-
OYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.—
BY PERMISSION.—PROFF-setOß SCIICENBETN'S
the
differing from all other specimens meently before the pub-
lic, is lecturel 00, with other Exp!oure Compounds, by Dr. Ryan,
daily, at half-past Three; and on the Evenings of Mondays, Wednes-
days, and Milers. The principle of the ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
demonstrated daily by Pnifi.sor liathboireer, °specialty with refer-
ence to the new Patent of Mcmux Nott aid Gamble. By the Oxyhy-
ilrogai blicartempes are exhibited Specimens of the Diseased Potato, 1
showing the Lome, Cutting" of the Tubers, he., together with the
Destructive Instal. "unposed by A. Wove, Y.oq., 1.11.0., to be the
muse of the dinime. The Physluivmpe ; Diving F.xperiments ; Dis.
siding Views, by Smith, itc.—Adini,sson, 10.. Schools half-price.
An entire new and beautiful SERIES OF DISSOLVINO VIEWS
will be introduced at CIDUSTM AS, and the Institution will be open
on the evening of Saturday. t4e "IL ----------
gtunfris MODEITof—ANCIENT JERU-
SALEM. me In the days of our Redeemer—the labour of years—
tbe Bible and Jomphos —nearly 200 superficial feet —visited in
Dublin, Liverpool, tr., by at Imes 60,000 permank, 00lb/ding 1,000
elergyinen and 300 travellers to the Holy Lanit—Now in course of
inhibition at SIS, Piccadilly, from Eleven tilAl Fire Sevenevery till Ten.
Admi'lnef, Is. Children and Schools, Gd. lecitire hour in

MU SIC.—LONDON MECHANICS'
INSTITUTION, Seuthatnnton-buildings, Cluncery.lane.
GEOHCF. BUCKLAND, Fog., will lecture this evening, LlCeeMbef
Md. ea MUSICAL CHARACTER isrics, at halapist eight o'clock
HI
In the course of the lecture Mr. Dockland will introduce
the following popular sunga—The Standard Bearer—ln the Days that
have Wed —The Gambler's Wife -Bunt, Song, Young England. (An
Interval of Five Minutes.) The Maniac—Sally, Sally do not tarry—
What is vomiter mee—Tbe Meeting of the Waters--Buffo Song, Matri-
mony. Tickets for the present quarter area now issuing. it g,,
,
is. per quarter, with Is. Gd. entrance. gle lecture tickets, G
each, may be obtained en application a' the Library of the Institutions.
Sceretare.
COLOSSEUM. NEW ARRANGEMENT.
DIVISION OF PRICETA —The celebrated Panorama of
London and Museum, Is.; the Conatories. Swiss Cottage, Mont
Blanc, he., ; the stalactite Caverns.sem at Adelsberg, la. Prim
Cartoons on View, no extra charge.
EVENC..—Grand .rourenade, Museum of Sculpture, Conserva-
tories, Aviary, Swim Cottage, Mont Blanc, and Torrent, he., Is. the
Marvellous Panorama of London by Night, with Atmospheric Effects
every half hour, Is. extra; the Stalactite Caverns, Is. extra. The
whole brilliantly illuminated. Musk from two till dusk, and eignt
till half-past ten. Evening lousily tickets to see the whole for four
persons and upwards, Is. Gd. each person, may be had at the
iftlnesicum from ten till four, and at the principal music wambouses
and libraries. Children, day and evening, half price. Open front ten
till duet. and seven till half-past ten. The whole Exhibition designed
by Mr. W. Bradvrell.

LA:IIJILENT'S CAS----;--'INO, --ROYAL ADELAIDE
GALLERY.—Extroordinary Sumer" —Nightly Overliow.—The
gtaote for music and dancing has inducts! the proprietor to
ags all available talent, vocal, instrunumtal, and terpsichorean. The
wonders of the "modem republic," the LAN rum ETHIOPIAN SERE-
NADERg, have been secured, regarditee of coot, and will appear
THIS EVENING, Dee. 21. No emerge or pains will be spared to
render thrir entertainment m attractive at penible, Adiniseion, One
Philling. Doors open at Seven, eteamcnee at I Lilf•past, and terminate
at linlf-Pat Eie."4-----------
rrIiEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.--Great
SUCON4 of the new Original Drama of T 112: ROUND OF
WRONG and the new Comic Drama of MKT TELLING ; or, Novcl
Effects, EVERY NIGHT.
The new Comedy, in five acts, of LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP,
TO-NIGHT.
On 'Manley will be produced a new Christmas Fairy Extravaganza,
called THE INVISIBLE PRINCE.

-c-br Falregg.

MAILS.

The overland closed mall., tie ism Ries, to the Mediterranean,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hon t Kong, Re., will be made up on the
evening of the 24th December (to-morrow).
The reads for Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Madeira, Catlin, and Gibraltar,
will be made up on the morning of the 29th December.
The made for New South Wales, Van Diemen's land, and New
Lcalaml will be made up on the evening of the 31st December.
The West Jodi., mails, including those fur Mexico, Honduras, and
the Havannalt, will be made no on the morning of the 2nd January,
Tbv overland mails for Gibraltar, Malts, Geese, the lonian Islands,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hong-Kong, and China, via Southampton,
will be made up on the evening of the 2d January.
The mails for North America, Bermuda, and the United
States, will be male up on the evenlag of the 4th January.
The for the Brazil., the River Plate, Monte Video, Pernam.
Mao. Bahia, Ma kir*, and Buenos Ayres, will be dispatched on the
evening of the ith January.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.
We have received several letters of inquiry as to the proper charges to
be mate by London agents to their country correspondents, and by
newsmen to the public. To all the reply must be substantially the
mine. One engagement was with those who had paid their sub-
seription in advance; but, as we could not distinguish the pre-
pay mg ft mu those who took crtslit, and could not, therefore, regu-
late our issue without the risk of injustice, we resolved that every
newsman should receive up to the 2Sth January the same number of
copies which he had received prior to the 2Sth October. The whole
loss of the difference was borne by the proprietors—the whole gain ,
was given to the newsnum. What price, under these circumstances, ,
the London agent Mall charge hi, correspondent or the newsman
his customer, is a question we must leave the parties to decide for
themselves. Ail who had rind in advance are entitled to their
copies at the old subscription prier to the 20th January. We are
anxious to impress on all parties that what we say now or have ever
said. ass to price, prekunes payment in adrn to, and delivery by
hand or by ivat. If the submriber prefer taking credit, then no
matter grhcther the areal. he for qua hour, n day, or • altolvornouth,
the chalice is a matter for private arrangement with which the pro-
prietors have nothing to do. So with copies despatched by reprisal
railway trains. In this, as in everything, apecial service moat be
specially paid for. Thus much premised, we have only I. repeat
that If there be theleaat d Acuity in obtaining copies, the proprietors
will undertake to get all persona supplied who shall forward a Post-
other order, made payable to imam' SMITH, DAILY NEVId OVEICE,
Nl, hitr!riuro, London, at the rate of 19s. lid. for every three months.
•. Advertisements intended for The Erprese, London evening paper,
must be at the Office by Two o'clock on the day of publication.

RIGEL WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE.
Tins DAT. —Morning, 3 min. past 5; Afteinoon, 2 min. past 5.
To-Moscow—Homing, 41 min. past 5; Afternoon, 17 min. put b.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23.
THE knowledge that the army, its composition,
condition, and future improvement, have formed the
object of ministerial meditations, and that these medi-
tations have already borne fruit in the shape of ma-
tured plans of reform, has spread universal satisfac-
tion through the country, and will do so through the
empire.
What has as yet transpired on the subject is limited
to the announcements, that a medal will be granted
to the heroes of the Peninsular war, and that the
term of a soldier's engagement will be henceforth
limited to ten years. We shall take a future oppor-
tunity of recurring to the Peninsular medal, merely
hinting, for the present, that the grant of such decora-
tion to such men had become necessary, not so much
in their interest as in the interest of all wearers of
medals, present and future. The veterans of the Pen-
insula can communicate lustre by their contact ; we
doubt if they can now receive more than history and
the public respect have already largely, though
silently, bestowed.
The remodelling of the army is a more serious
question. All countries and governments have wade
far greater progress than we have, in assimilating the
soldier to the people, from which he springs. In all
countries, as the lower ranks rose in consideration and
respect, the soldier has risen with them. Not so with
us. He has been kept the helot that he ever was ;
and whilst our peasant class has certainly pro,,ressed in
knowledge and humane feeling and pride, the soldier
is still treated as a brute, to be driven by blows, with-
out being considered worthy or capable of premium or
promotion.
Let us say, for the credit of our ancestors, that we
of the present generation arc not the first to perceive
and protest against the depression of the soldier. Mr.
WYNDHAM long since insisted that enlistment should
be but for seven years, thereby leaving the soldier the
not distant prospect of re-becoming a freeman. As
enlistments, however, were for seven years or for a
life, one pound more in bounty to the recruit over-
anme the difference between seven years and twenty :
and an act usually committed in inebriety or despair,
was of course marked by folly.
It has now become a very great object to get
a better class of men for the army, than have hither-
to afforded the materials of enlistment. It is
indispensable indeed; for, unless this can be done, the
old system of discipline, the flogging and coercion,
must be either continued to the disgust of the popu-
lation, or suspended to the disorganisation of the
army. But this very flogging is one of the
many things, which disgust people with seeing
their sons in the ranks of the army. The length of
service is the other great objection; for by it the soldier
is, one may say, for ever lost to his family and friends.
A more limited term of service; the absence of cor-
poral punishment ; and the chance, however slight, but
still the fair chance of the well-educated, brave, honour-
able soldier rising from the ranks to become an officer :
these three things would at once elevate the army,
and open a temptation to the military spirit of young
men in humble and respectable life to follow their
inclination, and embrace a profession that was no
longer without its prizes and its pride.
We are very glad, not only to learn that our
military administration admits the justice of these
ideas, but that it acts upon them. There has, we
believe, been at least one promotion of a non-com-
missioned officer to be officer in every regiment en-
gaged in the battles on the Sutlej.
Another imperative necessity of the time, closely
connected with that of raising the condition of the
soldier, and the class from which he is recruited,
is the expediency of providing in some more
efficient manner for the national defence. We
are in no fear of war, notwithstanding all we
hear of our bad understanding with France.