The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-18 00:00:00

MR. PEABODY AND THE CITIZENS OF

LONDON.

The following is the address from the citizens of
London to Mr. Peabody, which we have already
referred to, and that gentleman's reply :

London, April 7.

To OWL= PIABODY, BBC.,—The undersigned banker
and merchants of the City of London, desire to have an
opportunity before your departure for America of ms
testing their sense of the great benefit you have conferred
on the poor of Loudon, and their respect for your personal
char►cter. They therefore beg the favour of you to name
a day when it would suit your convenience to meet them
at dinner for that purpose.

B. S. Phillips, Lord Mayor ; Baring Brothers and Co.,
Glyn, Mills Currie and Co., Anthony Gibbs and Sons,
Martin and co., Matheson and Co., Roberta, Lubbock.
and Co., Smith, Payne, and Smiths, Brown, Shipley,
and Co., Blyth, Green, and Co., J. S. Morgan and Co.,
Williams Derma, and Co., Heath and Co., N. IL
Rothschild and Sons, Finley, Hodgson, and Co., Barclay,
Bevan, Tritton, and Co., Frulding and Goscben, Frede-
rick Huth and Co., Crawford, Colvin, and Co., Dent,,
Palmer, and Co., C. de Marietta and Co., T. H. Brooking,
and Co., Coutts and Co., J. Henry Schroder and Co..
Sydney H. Waterlow, Alderman.
(Ninety-five other signatures follow.)

The Palace Hotel, Beekingham Gate, 46113.
Inunimpat 11he're6i&vet With &Were letithetioti

the communication which you have done me the honour to
forward to me, requesting my attendance at a parting en-
tertainment as the guest of the bankers and merchant; of
the City of London. It is with infinite gratification that
I recognise amongst the signatures to this invitation the
names of the most distinguished houses in Europe, and
those of men whose abilities and enterprise have mainly
contributed to elevate and sustain the high charac-
ter of British commerce throughout the world.
Next to the oonicionsness of having done my duty

according to my humble abilities, in the station in
which it has been the will of Providence to place me, and
to the distinction of having attracted the approbation of
those in high authority, I shall value this record of the
esteem and confidence of those amongst whom it has been
my good fortune to spend so large a portion of my life,
and for many of whom personally I entertain the warmest
feelings of regard. It is, therefore, with sincere regret
that I find myself compelled by considerations and cir-
cumstances attendant on my almost immediate departure
for the United States, to signify to you my incibility to
avail rayeelf of the honour so kindly intended for me-
With earnest wishes for your continued and increasing
prosperity, I am, with great respect, very faithfully yours.
(signed), Groacz PL&DODT. To the Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor, Messrs. Baring Brothers, and Co., Messrs. N. M.
Rothschild and Sons, and others.

CITY OP LONDON WORKING CLASSES
INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

Yesterday the closing ceremony of this exhibition,
which had remained open from the Gth of March with un-
interrupted success, took place. The Guildhall, which
looked exceedingly gay in its draperies and flags, setting
off to advantage the rich collection of industrial art
displayed along the stalls and upon the walls, Us
crowded, the majority of the occupiers of sesta being
of the gentler sax. The ceremony was preceded by
• selection of music, vocal and instrumental, under
the direction of Mr. H. Woodville, the principal
performers in the vocal branch being Mesdames
Ellen Bliss, A. Bliss, B. Greening, Kate Gordon, H.
Lee, and Mr. D. Newton ; the instrumentalists being
Herr Shubert and the band of the G division of police, con-
ducted by Mr. Lake, the bandmaster.
The Lord Mayor, who came in the usual civic state,
and proceeded in procession attended by the sword-bearer
and other officisls,and accompanied byMr. Geo. Peabody,whe
escorted the Lady Mayoress ; by Mr. P. Cazenove, Deputy
Charles Reed, Mr. White, and several other leading citi-
zens, having taken his seat as president of the meeting—
Mr. RANSAT, the honorary secretary, read the following
report.—" The aggregate admissions on payment during the
35 days have been 41,576. Upwards of 2,500 children of
the different ward and day schools have visited the exhi-
bition free. The number of prizes awarded by adjudicators
chosen by the exhibitors is 193, of which 99 are medals,
and 94 are honorary mentions. The total number of ex-
hibitors is 827, exhibiting 1,521 articles, 32 of which were
ineligible for prizes. No prizes have been given or awards
made but to the actual producers of the articles exhibited
in oonformity with role 4."
The LORD MATOR then called upon Mr. Peabody.
Mr. PEABODY (who was received with great cheering.
waving of handkerchiefs, and other demonstrations of re-
gard), said—Ladies and gentlemen,—l beg to acknowledge
with heartfelt gratitude the kind expressions which the
Lord Mayor has just uttered in my favour. (Hear, hear.)
I assure you no man can feel such language as he has used
towards me with more sensibility or more gratitude than I
do. (Hear, hear.) And I feel also extremely thankful
for and flattered by the kind manner in which you have
received those flattering remarks that have emanated from
my right honourable friend the Lord Mayor. (Cheers.)
Contrary to my expectation, I am able, on the eve of my
departure from these shores, to discharge a duty which
your kindness has called me to fulfil. (Hear, hear.)
Though a stranger to you and of another country, you were
pleased to intimate to me that my presence amongst you
this day would give you gratification—(cheers)—snd on
my part I am bound to say, that whilst 1 have been eon-
strained to decline many invitation' recently addressed to
me, I have reserved to myself with peculiar satisfaction
the opportunity of meeting the working men of London,
whose representatives you are—(hear, hear)--in the midst
of the scene of their honourable rivalry ale! the display of
their most meritorious achievements. (Cheers.) Such
successful competition as that which meets its due reward
this day must be productive of the highest advantage to
the people at large—lhear, hear)—and all clauses of the
community derive • benefit from the elevating tendency of
the persistent industry and skill displayed in the construc-
tion of these works of art, which are now about to receive
the token of public commendation. (Much cheering.)
Springing as I do from the people, and owning with
you the Anglo-Saxon stock, I unfeignedly rejoice in this
fresh evidence of the advancement of the industrial
classes in the dignity of labour—(hear, hear)--and in
those habits of self-reliance and honest independence,
which ennoble any people and afford the surest guarantee
of the true prosperity and moral greatness of any country.
(Hear, bear.) It is true that these prizes which 1 am about
to distribute are the just reward of your own personal
efforts, but I hope you will allow me to remind you, that
in receiving your certificate of undoubted merit, you
will accept it also as an acknowledgment made
by you in this century which will be repro-
ductive of good and redound to the advantage
of future generations, who must profit by your
laudable exertions in the field of scientific research and in
the open workshop of a nation's constructive skill. (Loud
cheers.) Should the Great Disposer of all events give to
me the happiness of returning to this country, 1 hope to
see the complete success of projects designed by me for
the permanent welfare of the deserving poor of this metro-
polia—(much cheering)—and I may then enjoy further
opportunites of intercourse with those in whose welfare
and happiness I have so great an interest. (Renewed
cheering.) The distribution of prizes then took place,
after which,
Mr. Reeves, the treasurer, expressed the pleasure it
afforded him to move a vote of thanks to Mr. Peabody for
his kindness in ofilciating on the occlude:).
The motion having been seconded, was put by the LORD
MATOR, and carried by acclamation.
Mr. PITABODY having returned thanks,
Mr. HEAD, chairman of the •rag committee, moved
a resolution of thanks to the Lord mayor, which
Mr. Muttn, who expressed his high appreciation of
his lordship as • personal friend and in every other capacity
in which he had met him, seconded.
The motion having been put and carried by acclamation
and with loud cheers,
The Loan MAYOR replied.
Thanks were afterwards voted to the Lady Mayoress fcr
the patiensge she had given to the exhibition, and the
proceedinp then terminated.

ROYAL HoliTicuvrtnAL Socirrr. —At the fort-
nightly meeting of this society, held yesterday, Mr. W.
Wilma Saunders, F.R.S., in the chair, a very inte • col-
lection of orchids was exhibited by Messrs. Veitch and Sons.
Cut specimens were exhibited of rhododendron Aucklandii
and eampylooarpa, the latter of which is indifferent to an 7
moderate degree of frost. Rhaphiole'eis ovate, which is
perfectly hardy, was also worthy of notaoe. Some observa-
tions were made on the cultivation of edible fungi by the
Rev. N. J. Bata, and Hr. Bateman made some obssr-
vations cm the orchids, he., exhibited.
HFifteen new
fellows were elected, and the Malmesbury orticultural
and Floral Society and the Royal Institution of Cornwall
were admitted.isto union.