The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-18 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 18, 1867.

Ilitustc.
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NATIONAL CHORAL SOCIETY.

Jiulas Maccabaits was given by this society
last night—the solos by Madame Suchet-Champion, Miss
Palmer, Mr. Leigh Wilson, and Mr. Lewis Thomas. This
oratorio, which was one of the most successful of the com-
poser's works with the public of his own time, must
always continue in high esteem, on account of the many
noble choruses it contains, the grandeur of which stands
in strong contrast to some of the solos written in the con-
ventional operatic style of the period. Seldom has Han-
del attained a greater height of sublimity than
in some of the choral movements of Jude.. The
dignified lament of the opening chorus, the melodious
invocation, " 0 Father," with the following vigorous
fugue, "And grant a leader bold," the stirring choruses,
" Disdainful of danger," and " Lead on ;" the dramatic
effect of " Fall'n is the foe," the masterly counterpoint
in " Hear us, 0 Lord," and the grand fugal writing in the
chorus, " We worship God," are such as none but Bendel
(excepting, perhaps, his contemporary Bach) could have
produced. Against this, however, it must be admitted
that, to modern can, some of the solo pieces have an anti-
quieted and tedious effect, with their conventional second
part, and " Da cape " (now frequently from this cause
omitted in performance). There is no doubt that Handal,
with all his transcendent genius, did make concessions to
his public ; and these are evident in many of the solos of
his oratorios ; but scarcely ever in his choruses, where he
wrote untrammeled by any necessity for the display of
individual vocalisation. Israel in Egypt and the Messiah
are, perhaps, more exempt from this infusion of the ed
reptandera than any other of his oratorios. The per-
formance of Judas last night was generally efficient. The
chorus of this society is above the average, and would be
improved by being strengthened in the altos, which at
present are disproportionately weak, In a repe-
tition of the oratorio, /a little more attention might
be given to the unison passages at the commencement of
the chorus " Fall'n is the foe," which were somewhat un-
certain in intonation last night. The solos were carefully
and intelligently, if nut brilliantly, given—the best piece
of ,individual singing of the evening being Mr. Thomas's
" Arm, arm, ye brave," which was given with great power
of vocal declamation. Mr. Leigh Wilson gains somewhat in
force, but has much progress yet to make in style and re-
finement. His scale passages, too (those indispensable
bases for both vocal and instrumental execution) are capable
of much improvement. His principal airs, " Call forth thy
powers," and " Sound an alarm," were given with much
energy, and received with great applause, and the recep-
tion accorded to Mr. Wilson on this, as on former occa-
sions, was such as should stimulate him to a more earnest
study of the refinements of his art.

ALDERMAN SALOMON.% M.P., ON THE REFORM

QUESTION:
Last night, at eight o'clock, Mr. Alderman
Salmons, M.P., addressed a densely crowded public
meeting of electors and nun-electors of the borough of
Greenwich, at the Literary Institution, High-street, Dept-
ford. The proceedings were at various points of a moat
uproarious description, in consequence of the presence of
alarge body of members of the local Reform League and
other advocates of manhood suffrage, who took exception
to the alderman's views on the reform question. The chair
was taken by Mr. B. DUVAL, who briefly referred to the
objects of the meeting, and was then followed by Mr.
Alderman Salowons expressed his views on various
public questions, as at • previous meeting held at Green-
wich. He was in favour of a uniform rating for the whole
of the metnyolis, and considered that some legislation
was required to render the capital embarked in
railways and other great works more secure. With regard
to the reform question, he did not think that its settle-
ment would be promoted by the holding of noisy street
meetings and other objectionable means that had been
proposed. (Cries of " When you were here last year you
told us to make a noise about it," " Turncoat," &c.) Par-
liament was not to be intimidated, and the rzform ques-
tion mast be eanddered in an amicable spirit. (Cries at
" What about Lowe ?") Well, Mr. Lowe was a man of
great ability, and the working classes might be proud of
him. (Great uproar, and cries of "Heis a recreant.") He
was himself in favour of a comprehensive reform bill, but
did not go the length of registered manhood suffrage.
(Cries of "We must and will hsve it.") Well, they
might get it some time, but it would be at least twenty
years first. He would go as far as giving the
franchise to householders who paid taxes, and to
lodgers in certain cases, and should be glad
to accept • good bill whether from the liberals or the
tories. He quite believed that the government would in-
troduce • reform bill during the next cession. (Cries of
" They will go out of office," and great uproar.) In reply
to questions, Alderman Salornons said he was in favour of
the ballot, because it would lessen the expense of elections.
(Cries of " How about bribery ?") He was opposed to
bribery, and believed dust the ballot would tend to prevent
it. Ile had always found the unavoidable expense of elec-
tions to be rather heavy; and if they would be kind
enough to return him free he should be very glad to build
them a school or an institution of some kind at • cost of
2,000 f. A working man named Roberta addressed the
meeting at some length in favour of manhood suffrage,
and at the close of the proceedings, on the motion of
Mr. Norfolk, seconded by Mr. Marabout, • vote of con-
tinned confidence in Alderman Salomon' was adopted.

A conservative festival took place at Colchester
on Wednesday evening in honour of Colonel Learmonth
and Mr. E. K. Kerslake, the accepted conservative candi-
dates for the borough. The chair was occupied by Mr.
C. H. Hawkins, and there were between 600 and 700 per.
sons present. Both the candidates addressed she meetvg,
and experienced a very cordial reception. Mr. Kerslake
said he did not regard reform as a matter of paramount
importance, but it had been forced upon public attention,
and he had no doubt that it would be dealt with in a fair
and manly spirit. Neither of the candidates could give
any information as to the policy of the government with
regard to reform, but they stated that they entertained
every confidence in the present ministry.
A deputation from the Associated Trade Protec-
tion Societies of the United Kingdom, consisting of Mr.
Robert Wells, Hull ; Mr. R. Rissington, Leeds ; Mr. G.
T. Bathgete, Edinburgh ; Mr. J. Parsons, Bristol ; Mr.
A. Hardwick, Liverpool ; Mr. E. Hawkins, Manchester ;
and Mr. Hobert Mellon, Nottingham, had an interview
yesterday with the Attorney-General at his chambers
on the subject of the amendment of the bankruptcy law.
SOCIETY FOR THE EXHIBITION OF THE EINE
Aura.-Last evening an exhibition of photographs and
photographic appliances was held at the rooms of this
society, in Conduit-street. The walla were covered with
choice sipecin.ene, in various branches of art, contributed
14 Messrs. Calder, Hering, Herbert Watkins, the London
Stereoscopic Company, and others. Mr. H. Ottley read •
paper giving • popular account of the history and practice
of the art. A. discussion followed. The rooms were
fully attended.
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. -At the monthly general
meeting, held yesterday at the society's house in Hanover-
square, Mr. Robert Hudson, F.R.S., in the chair, Sir John
Harper Crewe, Bart., the Rev. Leslie Stephen, Dr. C. K.
Ord, 11. N., Mrs. A. S. Raitt, and Messrs. N. L. Austen,
IL Pryor, P. Thompson, W. C. Phillips, C. Roger, S. L.
Price, F. C. Ashworth, R. B. Lumley, and G. Summers
were elected fellows; and Professor Oscar Schmidt,
keeper of the museum of natural history at Gratz, a cor-
responding member of td e society. Fifteen new candi-
dates were proposed to be balloted for at the next monthly
general meeting in February.
THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY MEMORIAL TO THE
LATE LOBO PALBERSTON.-At a general meeting of the
subscribers to this memorial, held at Rooney yesterday
afternoon, the executive committee brought up • report
setting forth the sums they had received towards the ob-
ject, and recommending that the west-end windows of the
abbey church be filled with the best stained glass that can
be procured, and that the offer of the Right Hon. W.
Cowper be accepted, vie., to receive the sum contributed
for a statue, to be placed in the market-place at Ramsey,
and supplement it by such an amount es shall be required
to supply a first-class' statue. A vote of thanks having
been mused to the right hon. gentleman for his kindness
and liberality, which he acknowledged, Sir H. Verney,
M.l'., and others, addressed the meeting, and the report
was unanimously adopted.
Tits CATTLE PLAGUE.- -It appears from the
official return that during the week ending January 12th
three attacks of cattle plague are reported to have occurred
in Great Britain, being a decrease of seven on the previous
return. No fresh outbreaks of the disease took place in this
or in the week preceding. Twenty-eight healthy cattle were
slaughtered from having been in contact with infected
animals. The attacks reported are for the following petty
sessional division, viz. (Yorkshire, East Riding) South
Holderness, one deer, one cow, and one calf ; these
animals were all killed by order of the inspector. The
number of animals attacked since the commencement is
2.53,820, being one in every 19 of the estimated ordinary
stock of cattle ; and out of every 1,000 attacks whose
results have been reported, 962 animals perished.
CRYSTAL PALACE. Oxi Batimiso DAY.—
THURSDAY, JAN. 17.-Admissions on payment, 1,738;
ditto, by mason tiokata, 1,613. Total viaitora, 3,351.

TDB ACCIDENT IN THE REGENT ' PARK.

The aspect of the south-western corner of the
park yesterday presented an agreeable and striking
contrast to that of the previous day. Curiosity
appeared to have been satisfied, and there were
no multitudes of eye-straining spectators, no
struggles with police constables, no scrambling
over fences, no trespassing upon forbidden ground.
Indeed a stranger, ignorant of the terrible cala-
mity
which had so recently occurred, might well
have supposed that the gathering and packing
of the ice was the sole attraction for the
thin ranks of idlers who fringed the north and
south banks of the ornamental water. Soon after
daybreak a body of police took possession of the
inclosure, and distributed themselves around the
lake, but some time previous to their arrival the
bitter labour of dragging the centre of its muddy
bed had been quietly resumed by the ordinary
park keepers and their assistants. Steadily they pur-
sued their toil, spite of the keen frosty breeze • and
the early City omnibuses from St. John's-wood had
not yet passed Clarence-gate before a clear channel
had been cut through that part of the lake which
proved so fatal on Tuesday last. The remains of a
young man and a youth were soon afterwards re-
covered, and conveyed to the workhouse, where
they were subsequently recognised as being those
of Frederic Beer, paperhanger, 38, Roman-road,
Islington ; and Daniel North, aged 14, of fib, Wil-
stead-street, Somers-town. The grapnels continued
to be plied from some half-dozen boats, until the
moon was casting her beams upon the rippling
water, but no more victims could be found, and
shortly after dusk the work of searching was sus-
pended, and the park cleared by the police
without difficulty. The economic arrangement
'entered into with numerous gangs of industrious
and enterprising men and Ws of the humbler
grades of life, appears to have been most useful.
All day long every kind of conveyance, from
ender deal boxes and hand-barrows to shay-carts,
waggons, and vans, were being brought out of
obscurity to carry away the ice. So continuous
was the demand, and so vigorous the action of the
punters in getting the ice to shore, that long ore
darkness had set in the wide portion of the lake
was nearly free from the floating fragments,
d it was then plainly seen that there
been an ominous subsidence of the
ter. It is said that there are several per-
..

Lone missing who were known to have been on the
ice at the time of the disaster, and whose bodies

',have yet to be found. The dragging will therefore
be, no doubt, recommenced to-day, and there is
some talk of calling in the assistance of divers,
should it be found practicable. The number of
bodies recovered up to last night was 35.
Yesterday, at the meeting of the Marylebone
Vestry, the attention of the members was drawn to
the shocking calamity. After many remarks ex-
presaiveof deep regret had been made, Mr. Phillips
moved the following resolution : " That this
vestry desire to express their unqualified approba-
tion of the prompt energy and discretion displayed
by Mr. Douglas, the master of the workhouse, on
the occasion of the late lamentable catastrophe in
the lake in the Regent's-park on Tuesday last, the
15th inst. ; and also to acknowledge the great skill
and attention shown by Dr. Randall and Mr.
Fuller, the medical officers at the infirmary, to the
sufferers, as well as the great zeal and energy so
kindly exercised by Mr. Douglas, the master, and
the whole staff of the house." Mr. Tavener
seconded the motion. The Rev. C. J. P. Eyre im-
pressed upon the vestry the necessity of watching
the proceedings at the inquest, for the occasion
"night arise for them to show that they, as a body,
had represented to the government the desirability
of lessening the depth of the water. The vote was
then carried frith acclamation.