The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-05 00:00:00

[STAMPED, ld. ADDITIONAL.]

with umbrellas and a moving mass of dripping
people that no portion of the pavement could be
discerned. Nothing, however, seems to check the
spirit of the hour. The sales of toys and trifles
goes on with increasing rapidity, the cries of the
stall-keepers augment with the rain, most of the
theatres have let every available place, tke bureau
for the sale of tickets is full of eager applicants,
and the bon-bon warehouses put out new forms of
temptation for the passer-by. One thing is strik-
ing to an English visitor—he meets comparatively
few of his country people, but comes across
Americans at every turn. That admirable
" philosopher of the breakfast table " who
wrote, " when good Americans die they go to
Paris," would be gratified were he here now, for
from the Grand Hotel down to the smallest of the
better caf4s you meet thew pioneers of transatlantic
civilisation. An amateur gambling exchange, where
these excitement-loving strangers meet before
dinner, is one of the amusing features of the place.
After trying several theatres in vain, I succeeded
in obtaining a seat at the Palais Royal on New
Year's-eve. Here there has been no change of
performance nor interpolation in compliment to the
new year. Le Maisom Neure, in which a charming
married lady invites a would-be lover to her bed-
chamber, and because his demeanour is not suffi-
ciently tender tries to stupify him with an opiate,
of which he takes an overdose and dies on the
floor, upon which the unconscious husband comes
in and seats himself on a sofa which the wife has
wheeled over the dead body, was held to be suffi-
ciently seasonable even for the new year. Admirable
acting, exquisite toilets, furniture, trappings, and
scenery in perfect taste, and an unconcealed current
of gross immorality, make up this play, which has
been severely handled by Parisian critics.
The evening was fine, but cold and raw, and the
Boulevard cafes, open all night, did a roaring busi-
ness. Outside races between the ladies and gen-
tlemen who had supped, and bon-bon flinging from
the open windows to the passers-by, cries for Ga-
ribaldi's Hymn from the itinerant musicians'
boisterous patrons went on until the small hours
became large again. The streets never regained
their ordinary quiet throughout the night, and
it was not until New Year's morning had broken
sharp and clear that the waiters, whose term of
duty had commenced at midnight, felt their
labours to be at an end. The license of carnival
time, to which this unusual sanction to late
hours was due, took a fresh and more painful
form on New Year's-day. In addition to the merry
crowds who jostled, laughed, and struggled before
the shops and stalls, were the beggars, who availing
themselves of the privilege accorded by the State,
plied their wretched calling with dismal vigour.
Every half-dozen yards along the gayest thorough-
fares were ragged children, or deformed or crippled
men and women, who whined vociferously, or sung
horrible chants, or played on dreadful instruments.
What these people do throughout the year, how
those unable to work are helped, and on what
principle mendicancy is encouraged at certain fes-
tivals and sternly suppressed at other times, are
questions bearing on the great problem of pau-
perism, and how it can be dealt with best, and are
well worthy of close and patient study.
The garcons offering at the cafes, each customer
receiving an orange en papillotte, or a choice of
cigars decorated with ribbons, like a raw recruit, is
another of the compliments of the season. Pour
le lour de I'u,,, smiles the active fellow who
brings you coffee or changes your dish at dinner,
and in few cases, indeed, does ho fail to reap a
practical reward. Present-giving and compliment-
paying, compliment-paying and present-giving form
the grave business of the hour, to which all yields
place save pleasure. It becomes more and more
difficult to realise that one is only a few hours
from a prosaic, hardworking race, who leave toys
and playthings to their children, and to whom
another new year is rather a hard, stubborn fact
than otherwise. In the evening of New Year's-day
came a slight fall of snow, which increased in the
night, and it is now ankle-deep in mud and half-
thawed snow, with the largo moist flakes still
falling.

THE KING OF PRUSSIA AND THE ARMY.
BERLIN, Jae. 2.
Upon presentation to King William, at Potsdam,
qray, of the testimonial offered to his Majesty
. Prussian army, his Royal Highness the
Crown Prince delivered the following speech :
Most illustrious and most gracious King and Lord of
War,—Your Majesty's faithful army greets you to-day as
the anniversary of that upon which King Frederick Wil-
limn 'IL, of blessed memory, received you sixty years ago
into the ranks of the Prussian army, clothing you in the
soldier's garb. The fateful time of our fatherland's
need soon gave more serious meaning to that uni-
form, then conferred upon the boy in accordance
with an ancient custom of our royal house.
For it was a difficult and hard time in which your Majesty
commenced your military career, and difficult and hard
was the training the army of our fatherland was destined
to undergo. But our strength grew with the greatness of
our adversary. Prussia's people became Prussia's army,
and when your Majesty, in the beginning of your youth,
went forth with God for kin.. and fatherland into that
great contest, you learned to know and appreciate the high
value of our new military institutions, and the full
strength of a faithful, enthusiastic people in arms. Your
Majesty was enabled to gain that honourable distinction
of the soldier, unfortunately constantly growing rarer,
and upon which the generation of the present day looks
with admiring reverence and respeetfullove. In the period of
peace which followed that gnat war, your Majesty la-
boured untiringly at the soldierly education of our youth-
at the development of our forces. When, after long repose,
war, for the nrst time, broke out near us, you, in person,
led the troops our royal brother sent out to restore tot-
tering order in ' countries. With rapid and decisive
strokes yourpersonal guidance succeeded in accomplishing
the desired object in the rho' test possible time. It is true
that in the great contests at the commencement of
our century your Majesty. had seen the conquering
strength of our army institutions coins brilliantly
forth from trial. Yet it could not escape your atten-
tive care and uninterrupted occupation with the army that
those institutions, like all human things, required
development and extension. Thus we are indebted
first of all to your Majesty that our army, while faith-
fully adhering to tried tradition in the Prussian school and
strict discipline, yet absorbed into its armament, deve-
lopment, and organisation, everything new, as soon as
its efficiency was made clear. When your Majesty then
ascended the throne of your ancestors, the fall benefit of
your royal power was bestowed upon the army, and in it
upon the entire fatherland. All sons of the country
capable of bearing arms were again introduced into the
army ; your Majesty placed in their hands the best
weapons in Europe, and thus allowed the soldier trained
and exercised in farms to develops by excellent
guidance into an independent man—a man who
was able, three years ago, to give brilliant proofs
of his efficiency in contest with the climate and
a brave and well-fortified enemy, but who could
not have more successfully, more enthusiastically, more
devotedly offered his lord and master the reward of
his exertions and labours than in the great and memorable
war of the year that has just elapsed. After a scarcely
interrupted fifty years' peace, your Majesty led the army
against a valiant enemy, accustomed to war and com-
manded by tried generals, and gained victory after victory
in rapid and never anticipated succession. It was this
war in which, with the army and through the army, your
entire people gave you its thanks for the timely develop-
ment of our warlike institutions, superintended by your
Majesty. For that is the fine trait distinguishing us
Prussian, above other nations that with us there is no
distinction between people and army, but that
both are one. Thus your faithful people thanked
you, as the army understood how to fight valiantly
under the rye and the command of its sovereign,
to bleed manfully, to die resigned, and, wherever it fought,
to conquer. Where such thanks have been paid, we may
fairly hesitate to point to a humble work of human hands,
which is to serve as a symbol of the gratitude of the army
to its leader. But as a symbol we beg your Majesty in-
dulgently to accept our offering, for we need indulgence
I. venturing, as soldiers, to lay • gift at the feet of our
king. We do so, however, adding one heartfelt wish that
cannot be misinterpreted, uttered by an army glad with
victory to its sovereign. Our wish is that, after bringing
you back from a difficult contest crowned with triumph,
Ood will grant your Majesty many, many years of peaceful I
mien.
•

Pure salt in abundance has been found in south-
westeru Kansas. One report says it completely coven the
ground, tor:inns a crust, and can be shovelled up by cart-

[TWOPENCE

THE METROPOLITAN BOARD or WORNS.

The ordinary weekly meeting of this board was
held yesterday at the of 8, Spring-gardens; Sir JOHN
THWAITEY in the chair.

A report was brought up from the Finance Committee
reporting " that they have directed the sum of 100,0001.,
now receivable from the Bank of England on account of
the loan of 616,0001., to be placed to the credit of the
following accounts, viz., Holborn Improvement. 26,0001.;
Main Sewers (covering over, 10,000/. ; Whitechapel im-
provement, 14,0001. ; and recommending that the mortgages
for securing the repayment of such advances be approved
and sealed by the board."
The following report was presented by Captain Shaw,
Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade :—" I have the honour to
present the following report of the London fires of 1866 :
The total number of calls received during the year has
been 1,643. Of these 103 were false alarms, 102 proved to
be only chimney alarms, and 1338 were fires) of which 328
resulted in serious damage, and 1,012 in slight damage.
The fires of 1866 compared with those of 1865, show a
decrease of 164, but compared with the average of the last
33 yes years there is an increase of 457. I append several
classified tables with particulars of trades, causes,
These lists do not include trilling damages by fires, which
were not sufficiently important to require the attendance
of firemen, neither do they include the ordinary calls for
chimneys on fire, the proportion of serious to slight
damage in 1866-326 to I,ol2—hears a most favourable
comparison to that of the previous year, 512 to 990,
and there can be very little doubt that as the krigade
becomes developed the flainsge done by fires in London
may be still further reduced. Mess propositions will be
better understood) calculated in percentages as follows,
viz.:-1565, 34 serious, 66 slight ; 1866, 23 serious, 75
slight. Our list of casualties for the year (36) is as usual
large, but so lug as the work is done u at present no di-
minution of accidents can be expected. Them have been
2 deaths, 157 cum of ordinary illness, and 36 wounds,
making a total of 196 cases during the year. The board
has made an addition during the year of 4 large land steam
engines, 8 small land lire-engines, 4 seven-inch manual
engines, 27 six inch manual engines, 6 manual engines
under au inches, 22 stations, and 101 emen. The changes
which have taken place during the past year, in consequence
of the increase of the establishment, have involved heavy
labour in addition to the ordinary duties, but all ranks have
done their utmost to assist in carrying out the orders of
the board. The condition of the brigade with regard to
discipline and general efficiency is perfectly satisfactory."
Mr. RICHARD-iON said it was stated in the public papa's
that the fire at the Crystal Palace broke out at two o'clock
on Sunday afternoon, and it was further stated that none
of the fire brigade engines arrived there until half-past 4,
two hours and a halt after the fire had broken out. There
was no doubt that as the Crystal Palace stood on the
boundary of their southern district, it was difficult to reach,
but as a representative of one of those southern districts,
he wished to call attention to the subject, to ascertain if
there had been any undue delay in their engines getting
to the fire. He should therefore move that Captain Shaw
be instructed to report to the Fire Brigade Committee
how soon the engines arrived at the fire, whether there
was any undue delay in doing so, and whether there was
any defect in the means of communicating with them, so
that they might be able to provide for such defects in
future._

The CHAIRMAN said that Captain Shaw was present, and
was prepared to make a statement upon the subject.
Captain SHAW said that the statement of Mr. Richard.
son was quite correct, and he found that the fire broke out
at 2 o'clock. At 3.20 a mounted messenger came to the
Waterloo-station, and from there to the Watling-
street,
much about the same tins) another messenger arrived
at the Horseferry-road-station, and was there placed in
the hands of the engineer, the latter intelligence having
come to Mr. Forbes, the general manager of the London.
Chatham, and Dover Railway, who had sent it by hand.
At about 25 minutes past 3 seven steam engines, with 72
men, were got ready and sent off, but in consequence of
the distance and some delay that occurred in their pro-
gress, he thought that they did not get efficiently to
work until half-past 4. When ho arrived there about
220 feet of the north end near the ground was destroyed,
and at the end it was burning on both sides. There were
some engines belonging to the Crystal Palace Company of
both the low and high pressure, and although they were in
excellent working, they were not equal in power to the
engines of the brigade.
Mr. RICHARDSON said from the answer of Captain Shaw
be found that there had been no neglect on the part of
the Fire Brigade, but still it seemed to him that there
was something wrong when it required one hour and
twenty minutes to get s communication from the Crystal
Palace to Watling-street, when that fire could be seen at
a long distance. He should therefore move that the sub-
ject be referred to the Fire Brigade Committee for consi-
deration and report.
Mr. BRUSH FIELD seconded the motion, which was carried.
In answer to a question by Mr. Shaw, Captain SHAW
said that during the seven years he had been connected
with the fire brigade no amateur fireman had ever had
control over the fire brigade engines, and there was not
the slightest ground for such a statement.
Mr. J. W. Batmarrre (the chief engineer) presented a
long report upon the suhject of the progress of the Themes
Embankment.
Alter the usual routine business the board adjourned.

EVICTED TENANTS. AID ASSOCIATION.—Lord
Derby has consented to receive a deputation on the subject
of metropolitan overcrowding from the Evicted Tenants'
Aid Association, in the course of next week, and the fol-
lowing are expected to take part in the proceedings :
Right Hon. G. J. Cowbell, M.P. ; Hon. Captain Gros-
venor, M.P. ; W. T. M. Torrens, M.P. ; Mr. Aldermaa
Lusk, M.P. ; F. A. Taylor, M.P.; Wm. Hardwick.,
M.D., deputy coroner; George Cruikshank, General
Mason, Rev. James Jackson, ILA., St. Sepulchre's; Rev.
G. S. Drew, LA., incumbent St. Barnabas, Kensington ;
Rev. J. G. Cromwell, M.A., principal St. Mark's College.
Chelsea ; Rev. R. Long, incumbent Sc. Simon's, Chelsea ;
Rev. C. G. Scott, R. N. Fowler, Henry Huth, S. C. Hall,
F.S.A. ; Rev. Th. Menials, rector French Protestant
Church, W. ; Professor Henry Letheby, F.L.S.
Josias Alexander, Jabez Hogg, F.L.B. ; J. S. S. Hopwood,
chairman St. Andrew's Board of Guardians ; J. H.Stallard,
M.B. : Robert Bruce, N.D. ; John Oxenford, W. G.Wille„
R. T. Humphreys, John A. Herand, Sc. A preliminary
conference to consider the question and settle the form of
proceedings will take place at the Inns of Court Hotel,
Holborn, at 2 o'clock on Monday, and is open to any noble-
man or gentleman who will previously send in his card
to the honorary secretary, Mr. Linnans Banks.

THE QUEKLTT CLUB.—This is a society of
amateur microscopists, who hold periodical meetings for
the purpose of mutual instruction ; and it would appear
really to meet a felt want, for it already numbers 200
members. Last night the president and committee gave
a public conversazione ; and notwithstanding the piercing
cold it was attended by a crowd of ladies and gentlemen.
Tbe tables were covered with microscopes, and a very
large number of beautiful objects were exhibited. The
well-known firma of Powell and Lealand, Rosa, and Smith
sad Beck showed some of the choicest of their intim.
ments. Messrs. Powell and Lealand, who are famous for
their high powers, brought • 16th-inch lens, which magni-
fies about 1,000 diameters; but they were not able to
exhibit their chef &macre, the focal distance of which is
only the fiftieth of an inch, and the power 2,500 dia-
meters—an absolute freedom from vibration being a
necessary condition to its successful use. Amongst the
many diagrams which adorned the walls, a set lent by
Inland Revenue department deserved some attention.
They consisted of intensely magnified drawings of various
articles of commerce, which the commissioners have had
executed presumably with an eye to the adulterators.
A group of exquisitely painted botanical drawings, by
natives of India, also attracted much notice.
Sr. JAMES'S PALACE, JAN. I.—The Queen has
been pleased to appoint the Rev. Stopford Augustus
Brooke to be one of the honorary chaplains in ordinary to
her Majeety.—Gotatc.
The death is announced of the Rev. Henry Clis-
sold, M.A. who was for many years one of the leaders of
the evangelical party in the chunk. lis was educated at
Exeter College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. degree in
1818. In 1830 he was presented by Lord Lyndhurst, who
was then Lord Chancellor, tothe rectory of Chelmondistoet„
Suffolk, and held the benefit.* for 25 years. He was for •
period of 33 years minister of Stockwell Episcopal Chapel,
Lambeth, holding it during a portion of the time with hie
Suffolk rectory. He was the author of several religious
works.
The Rev. Charles Walker Mnlony has been
licensed to the curacy of St. George with St. Mary Mag-
dalen, Canterbury ; the Rev. Henry Lloyd Russell, to the
cure of St. Andrew, Deal. The Rev. Charles John Ken•
ward Shaw, M.A. ha been instituted to the vicarage of
Newington, near Hythe ; and the Rev. W. John Brewer,
M.A., has been collated to the vicarage of Farninghatu,
all in the county of Kent and diocese of Canterbury.
Some hundreds of persons were blocking up Rt.
Paul's-churchyard yesterday afternoon, attracted by the
of the cross and ball that crown the cathedral.
reim seemed u if they were red hot, and gleamed out
through the fog in the clearestoutlines. This supernatural
effect was DO doubt produced by the sun shining upon the
frozen snow and hoar with which the ball and WOW were
covered.