The Express.
London, England, 1858-01-01 00:00:00

THE PL4182191F AND VIOTOILA MCI MISSION'

SCHOOLS.

It may be remembered that the Bishop of London
lent June presided over a meeting at Rokeby-house, Strat-
ford, to promote the schools sad missionary establishments '
in Hallsville, new the Victoria Dock,. The bantling in
which one of the two schools fee establiahed was originally an
American bowling-alley, long, low, and narrow, and sar-
i rounded by one of the filthy open sewers which form the
characteristic of this piece. It was the resort of all the wont
character@ in that locality, when gambling, drunkenness,
broil% end profanity, wive more common than anything else.
" Yet out of this seething min of vice and immorality,"
says an official report, " the missionary clergy have already
gathered attentive congregations, and filled the temporary
school to overflowing. The children are obliged to sit and
stand by turns ; the discipline, teaching, and order in these
school might well be envied in more favoured places."
On Christmas Eve the children attending the Bowl-
ing-alley School were entertained with sea, cake,
and bread and butter, through the bounty of Miss Bur-
dett Coutes, the most liberal supporter of the Plaistow Mis-
sion. The Rev. Mr. Meyrick took the whole charge of the
entertainment, and his arrangements were admirable. The
Bowling-alley was fresh whitewashed and papered for the
occasion, and tastefully decorated with flowers. The cleanly
end orderly behaviour of the children elicited the warmest
encomiums of all present, and reflected the greatest credit
upon Mr. Gilbert, the talented master, and Mire Banks, the
indefatigable mistress. Mies Contts was accompanied by
Lady Falmouth. Mies Brown, and the Rev. T. F. Stooks! the
secretary of the London Diocesan Church Building Society,
which society has urchasd a rite in Belleville for the
W"new sad granted 2001. towards
ereetiaa. Thee guests were received by
the Rev. R. W. B. Marsh, the incumbent of the
parish, by the Rev. MIGIiOS Meyrick, the missionary clergy-
man appoiseed by the bishop to the cure of that part of Mr.
Marsh's district wherein the Yowling-alley is situated, and
by the Rev. H. Douglas, the missionary clergyman of the
district more immediately contiguous to the docks. There
were also present the Rey. A. J. Ram, vicar of West Ham
and Rural Dean; Antonio Brady, Esq., the originator of the
misidon ; the Rev. A. W. Mason, the secretary to the
mission ; and 60 or 60 other ladies and gentlemen. A lane
' free church near the dock gates is nearly finished, and Mr.
Douglas hopes to have service in it the first or second week
in the new per. The dock authorities have not only sub-
welted liberally bat have promised to have the dock gates
kept open daring the tiros of divine service, that the crews
of the ship may attend, to fix up printed notices
of the hours of service, and to supply them to
each ship on arriving. AU the seats will be flee.
Plans have been prepared by Masan. Banks and Barry, the
architects, for extensive schools, to be also used for short
torsion, until a permanent church can be built in Hal/a-
ville. An interesting fact connected with the Bowling-
alley is, that when the Rev. R. W. B. Marsh stepped in and
hired it, a colony of Mormon' was in treaty for it. On the
last night of the old year the parents of the school children,
and many other inhabitants of Hannille, were regaled in
the Bowling-elley with a substantial dinner of good old
English fare, aim through the bounty of Mies Burdett
Coatis. Our readers will be glad to hear that the Lord
Bishop of London has signified his intention of opening is
person the iron church, width Is an bat finished. His lord-
ship will preach in favour of the Plaistow Mission Fund, and
doe notice will be given by advertisement.