The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-02 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

The annual choral concert of Metropolitan
Schools took place yesterday in the Handel orchestra,
nearly 5,000 voices having been assembled, conducted by
Mr. G. W. Martin, of the National Choral Society, by
whom the various echools have been trained. The ma-
jority of the voioes consisted of these children, the others
being chiefly of members of the National Choral Society.
The singing of the children was remarkable for brightness
and purity of tone, correctness of intonation, and °beery-
&nos of the lights and shades of piano and forte. Several
hymns and secular tunes were sung, mostly harmonised
and arranged by Mr. Martin. The former pieces included
among others Luther's hymn ; the prayer from Auber's
Mnsaairtlo; the Russian hymn, and the Lutheran chorale,
" Ein' testa burg ist unser Gott." These, accompanied on
the organ by Mr. Boardman, were given with such ex-
pression and precision by the children (who all sing from
notes), as thoroughly to prove the efficiency of Mr.
Martin's system of training.

A public banquet and a service of plate were
given last evening at Willis's Rooms to the Hon. John
O'Shanaasy, late Chief Secretary of Victoria, prior to his
return to the colony. The dinner was most elegantly
served and the room handsomely decorated. The guests
numbered about 200, and amongst them were Mr. Chil-
ders, M.P. (in the chair), Sr J. Pakington M.P., Mr.
Adderley, M.P., Mr. W. E. Forster, 111. i., Mr. James
M'Ewan, Mr. Pim, M.P., Mr. M'Kenna' M.P., Lord
Alfred Churcbell, Sir C. Nicholson, Sir D. Cooper, and a
large number of colonists who had come to show their ad-
miration of the chief guest.
SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE.—A public breakfast
in connexion with this movement took place at the Free-
masons'-hall, yeasterday morning. In the absence of Lord
Cairns, the chair was taken by Mr. Denny, one of the vice-
presidents of the society. The Rev. Dr. Cether, the general
secretary, in giving an account of the working of the
society, stated that in many instances clergymen had been
induced to preach sermons periodically on the principles
advocated by it. Mr. Martin Sutton, of Reading, is the
course of some remarks, stated that during his career he
bad increased his givings from five to fifteen per cent., and
he would perhaps increase them still further. He would
long since have retired from business had it not been for
the luxury he derived from giving on the principle of sys-
tematic beneficence. Mr. Smithers also asserted his ad-
herence to the principles of the society, but was opposed to
giving more than one-tenth. The Rev. Mr. Jones, of
Dublin. and other gentlemen, also delivered addresses. In
the evening the seventh annual meeting was held at
Exeter-hall, under the chairmanship of Mr. M'Arthnr.
The Rev. Dr. Cother read the annual report, which dwelt
at considerable length upon the progress which the society
had made, and stated that the results which had been
attained, whilst moat encouraging, were by no means
equal to what had all along been contemplated by those
who had laboured in the enterprise. The income of the
society was 1,600/., of which 1,1001. was spent in working
expenses, aed the other 4001., which was especially sub-
scribed by Mr. Crossley and a few friends for that object,
was devoted to the payment of the agents of the society.
The Systematic Beneficence was, next to the Bible Society,
as great a cause as existed, and worthy of a larger
amount of support than it received. The meeting was
addressed by the Rev. Dr. Nolan, the Rev. Dr. Edmonds,
the Rev. Dr. Fraser, the Rev. R. C. Billings, the Rev.
Mr. Wilson, and others, after which the proceedings ter-
minated.

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DISPENSARY YOR SKIN DISEASES, 58, GREAT
MAnsoßouott-STREET, REGINT-sTRZET, W.—Two hun-
dred and thirteen patients were relieved at this dispensary
during the week ending April 27.
LONDON GENERAL OYNIBOS COMPANY (LIMITED),
—Traffic receipts for the week ending April 33, 12,0631.
19s. 2d.

The Evening Moniteur, in its bulletin, says :
" Consulted by the King of Holland relative to
Luxemburg, the cabinet of Berlin appealed to the j
treaties of 1839. France having without hesita-
tion declared herself willing to examine the stipu-
lations
of those treaties, she hastened to make
known that she was ready to proceed to do so in
concert with the other cabinets. England, Austria, I
and Russia offered her their good offices, which were
accepted,and notwishing to embarrass theaction of
those three Powers by taking an active part in the
negotiations, the French Government left to them
the care of broaching to Prussia a matter which, in
the eyes of France, is before all a question of
public right and the general interest."
The Etendard of this evening says :—" The King
of Holland officially convened a Conference on the
29th of April, and on the 30th all the Powers had
accepted the invitation." The France of this evening
says :—" The Conference will discuss two principal
points, viz., the evacuation of Luxemburg by the
Prussians, and the neutralization of the Grand
Duchy under the collective guarantee of the great
Powers. These essential pointslare nevertheless
not set down as the obligatory bases of the nego-
tiations. The Conference will open, therefore,
without a fixed programme." The news published
yesterday, that the Conference would meet on the
7th of May, is confirmed by most of this evening's
journals, including the Coustitutionnet, which con-
firms at the same time, in an article signed by M.
Boniface, the announcement that all the Powers
had acceded to the proposal for a Conference in
London.

BERLIN, Hey 1, Ey=lwo.

The semi-official Provincial Correspondence of this
evening says :—"The definite proposal for a Confe •
rence in London was made with the stated object
of averting future conflicts, of placing the continu-
ance of Luxemburg with Holland and the inviola-
bility of its territory under the express and more
secure guarantee of all the great Powers, and of
thereby affording Germany and Europe a compen-
sation for the right of garrisoning Luxemburg,
hitherto possessed by Prussia. Prussia and France
showed themselves willing to take part in confe-
rences on these bases. The formal invitations from
the British Government will probably be received,
one of the first days in May. The cessation of
armaments in France having been:ordered, Prussia
is able to desist from taking the precautionary
measures which previouallappeared to be imposed
upon her by the increasing gravity of the political
situation. It is to be hoped the next few days will
bring further confirmation of the prospects of'.
peace," The assertion of the & rsenzeihing of the
intended establishment of a fortified camp at Trevea
is authoritatively denied.

ITALY AND THE LUXEMBURG QUESTION.
FLORENCE, MAY 1.

In to-day's sitting of the Chambers, the Minister
of War presented a bill for the reorganisation of
the army.
The Italie of this evening asserts that England
has warmly congratulated the Italian government
on its co-operation in the negotiations for the pre-
servation of peace.

BERLIN, MAT 1.

BOMBAY, Aram 27.