The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-06 00:00:00

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.

The performance of Blijah List evening drew one
of the largest assemblages we have ever seen in Exeter Hall.
This oratorio never fails to draw a crowded audience, for It
now rivals in attraction 77e Neenah itself; and ever since
its first production has been more and more attractive as it
has become better and better known to the English public.
It is to the English public, indeed, that it is better known
than to any other ; for Mendelssohn, like Handel, is much
better understood and appreciated by us than even by his
own countrymen.

Last night a greater than usual amount of vocal talent
was engaged in the performance. The part of Elijah wax
allotted to the young singer, Mr. Bentley, who has so rapidly
gained •• high rank in hie profession. Madame Clara
NN was the soprano; Mr. Sims Reeves (who seems
perfectly recovered from his recent revere illness) was the
tenor, and the contralto part was sung by Miss Dolby,
with the addition of Miss Palmer when a second
contralto was necessary. Mr. Santley, by his per-
formance on this occasion, lost none of the credit
which he had previously gained. Ile sang as purely and
beautifully u we expected he would do ; but still (as we had
also expected) the part was too arduous for him ; he was
unable to sustain throughout the grand and lofty tone which
the character of the inspired Prophet demands. In this re-
spect he fell short of Weiss, to whom, however, he was not
inferior as • singer ; but neither of them have come up to
the original representative of Elijah, Staudigl, who has not
been equalled by any of his iruccesurs. Madame Novell°,
Mies Dolby, and Reeves sang magnificently. The choruses
and concerted pieces were given with peat power and
beauty ; and the performance, on the whale, was effective
and satisfactory.

REIGATE ELECTION.

The nomination took place yesterday, in front of
the Town hall.

Sir henry liawlinson was proposed by Mr. P. Martin se
• thorough liberal,whose views on our Indian empire, though
much criticised, were wise and statesmanlike. Mr. Job
Apted seconded the nomination.
Tke Hon. W. J. Monson was nominated by Mr. G. C.
Richardson, as • liberal, and seconded by Mr. J. &cols.
Mr. F. West then proposed and Mr. Bonk brieffy
seconded the nomination of Mr. I)oulton.

Sir HENEY Rawtmeori first addressed the electors, but
he wee received with • good deal of disapprobation. He said
he WA in favour of the ballot, and thought church rates a
violation of religious equality. He would promote army re-
form. His opponents had twitted him upon his opinions
about India, and all he could say was, that they
Mould remember that he bad lived to the coun-
try for thirty years, and that many of those who
took exception to his views evidently knew very little about
the matter, and could hardly tell the difference between an
Indian and a Chinese. He had had the most familiar inter-
coms with the people of that country, and for a period of
three years, upon one oposaion, he did not hear a word of
English. He was aware that what he had said had attracted
some obloquy, but he would not retract a word of it, and time
would show whether he was right or wrong. He had bean
amend of framing views to meet the wishes of the govern-
ment, but be knew that what he proposed was mat die•
tasteful and obnoxious to the government, because it would
tend to diminish their ipatronage. He objected to their
scheme because it would giva them a much larger share of
patronage than they at present possessed, and which he did
not believe they would exegetes properly, and he was desirous
that every appointment in India should be open to public
competition.
The Hon. Mr. hfomeos next addressed the electors.
Hr. Dot LTON then spoke, advocating parliamentary re-
form. He remarked that if they bad vote by ballot at the
present election, Sir Henry &MUMS would not poll more
than 18 or 20 votes. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) He
had gone into house after house during his canvas, where the
electors had told him that they dared not vote as they bled.
(" Shame," and Mao of " Name, name.") He did not ex-
pect however, that Lord Palmerston would propose the
ballot.

The show of hands was in favour of Mr. Doukas, end the
polling takes piece to-day.

The E. A. COMMENCEMENT AT CAMBRIDGE.—
Kr. Blesser, now a Fellow of Queen's the Senior
Wrangler of this year, and First Smith's is •
North Briton, or In common parlance, a Beckham.. arm
born at ituthen, in Aberdeenshire, end no doubt had a good
hard Scotch training ; his Moeda, we believe, MAE rea at
Glasgow. Cambridge was not the first English University
he came to ; he entered himself at Kin's Collage, London,
in 1849, and graduated there in 1853, when he obtained the
highest mathematical prize. He then came to Queen's Col-
lege, Cambridge, where he matriculated in 1854. Queen's,
which had not had the Senior Wrangler since 1834, has now
had that honour two years running, and the members of that
college talk very stoutly of having the Senior next year also.
It is also most gratifying to observe, that in the list of
Wranglers, there are three natives of Cambridge, and singu-
larly enough, their urines appear in 11110061/011, thus :
11. Prior Trinity.
12. Lucas St. J0121'..
13. Hewitt Emmanuel. _ _ _

All three, we areMic;rtrieil, were educated at the Parse Grams
mar School in this town. —Canibridg e harp, mien t.
VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND PROMOTIONS,
IN THE CIVIL Szavice.—The Royal Household: The
office of one of the gentlemen of the Chapel Royal has become
vacant by the death of Mr. William Salmon.—Cu:
Mr. Andrew Burnett has been promoted from tide -survere
at Waterford to tide-surveyor at Plymouth; Mr. Witham
Hoyle has been promoted from assistant tide-surveyor at
Grimsby to tide-surveyor at Waterford; Mr. Oeo. Fuller has
been promoted from first-olsee tidewalter at Cork to asaiatant
tide-surveyor at Grin:dbl.—lnland Revenue Department
Excise Branch Mr. William R. Calvert, examiner, has
been appointed supervisor of Hanlon district, Belfast ool-
kedon ; Mr. John lellonald, °Hoer of Coldstream divialon,
Hjiggingten collect:Mu, has been appointed officer of Port
Ellen first division, Argyle collection, Coldstream division
belagdiacontinued. Mr. Alfred Michell, officer of
Fordintt-
bridge second division, Sarum collection, has, by be
mate of the 28th ult.,been appointed officer of Belfast fourth
division, Belfast consodon.—Rest Indies: Mr. C. B.
Seendsre him beam appointed principal assistant to the agent
Llenteasat-Oovsnor of the north-west provinces, end to
have charge of the Delhi and Paneeput district, with the ex-
ception of the Ramat Perrunnah ; Mr. W. Clifford has
been appointed a personal assistant to Mr. Saunders. Sir T.
J. Metcalfe, Bart., and Mr. C. J. H. Richards'', have been
appointed assistants to the agent Lieutenant-Governor of the
north-west proviace&—eiwil Service Gautte.
CROYDON Clinacti HATE.—On Tharsdny evening
a wall-attended and enthusiastic meeting west held in the
Lecture-hell, Croydon, to listen to an addreee by J. Carvell
Williams, F.sq., of London, on the subject of church rates.
The chair wee taken by The. Aloock, Req., M.P. for Bret
Surrey. The chairmen in his address expressed his hope, es
a churchman, that this unjust and unnecessaryimpost would
soon be totally abolished by act of parliament. Mr. William
then addressed the meeting, and in an able, effective, sad
humorous speech reviewed the principal points of the church-
, rata controversy. The lecture was arranged for by the
Local Church-rate Abolition Committee, who intend to
case a vigorous opposition to the levying of any more church
rates in this populous parish.