The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-29 00:00:00

MB. 8. C. HALL AT WILLIS'S ROOMS.

The ranks of those literary men who have made a
personal and facwto.face acquaintance with the public lam
night received an addition in the person of Mr H. C. Hall,
who, at Willis's Rooms, delivered a lecture on "The Authors
of the Age." It would be unfair to judge Mr. Hall by the
standard of Carlyle, Thackeray,and Dickens, his Freda:memo
as literary lecturers; he none of their advantages.
He is beet known to the pus Hess the editor of various annuals
and periodical publications; and his single original work was
performed in conjunction with his wile, a lady whom varied
talents, and the freshness and accuracy of whose descriptions
of Irish life, naturally induced the reading world to regard
her as the better-half not only of the conjugal state, but of
the joint publication. But that an intimate acquaintance
with the literary world of thirty-five yearn' standing has
given Mr. Hall a certain prestige wee evidenced by the ap-
pearance of Willis'. Rooms last evening, thronged u they
Mere with an audience numbering very many literary and
artistic celebrities, who received their veteran eoliaborateltr
with great warmth. The lecture itself is • semi-goseippieg,
aemi•critical fewest of various departed authors and autho-
resses, of more or lean tenon, with whom Mr. Hall had the
advantage of personal acquaintance. Amonici:e "great
light." treated of last night were Scott, a, Crab*
the two Montgomery., Moore, Lamb, Lock Barton,
Sydney Smith, Wordsworth, be. The character of Moors
was forcibly drawn: he was one with whom Mr. Hall Deana
really to have been on intimate tense, whom writings he
eulogised, and whoa private character be defended with ea
home seal and warmth which did him the highest credit.
Marty passages of the lecture were received with great
applener, and if the desks to look upon a celebrity be an
attraction, surely the neat beet thing to looking upon the
great original. themsel will be to pleat and listen to one
who has been the friend ves,
al all the great men and women of
the epoch.

MR. BARNUM'S LECTURE.—The Barnum furore
has by no means diminished at the West-end. Yesterday
evening the St. James's-hall was crowded to the roof, and
the professor's dissertation upon humbug and the illastrstive
jokes all went off with their venal fetal. This was especially
remarkable in the second portion, which consisted mainly of
Mr. pemseal madames, sod ortiolt, amnia% M
gave with more than ordinary humour and effect.
In order to show his gratitude fur the unwed
amount of public favour he has received, Mr. Bar-
num introduced yesterday evening two new features
Into his renteriainment. The first was a musical prodigy
from Hungary, who, upon an instrument of &bunt the mine
else as l'icetia celebrated whietle, produced a succession of
powerful and surprising musical effects. The little instru-
ment wed for this purpose teethed to be something like an
accordion spplied to the mouth, and evidently required con-
siderable dint in the performance, but the result was most
agreeable, and the player retired amid universal plaudits.
The second novelty was the debut on these boards of Mrs.
Howard l'aul, whom imitation of Mr. Sims Reeves, in
" Come into the Garden, Maud" is about the beet piece of
vocal mimicry that hos for many year. been prevented to the
London public. Taken eltogether the evening's entertain-
meat was an Immense advance upon that ,which we have
previonalythoticed.
INDIAN ARMY.—Yesterday a memoir was read at
the United Service Institution by Mr. HydeClaoke,onlndian
Military Defence. The object of the paper was to show that
in cousequence of the adaptation of the healthy hill regions
of India to European constitutions the military system should
henceforth be based on the occupation by English troops and
colonization Ly English settlers of these bill region., so that
India may be held by an English army instead of by a native
army in the tropical cities liable to revolt. Mr. Clarke
showed that the Himalayas, the Vindhyae, the °haute,
Neilgherriee, Shavaroys, and attached table Mode could sup-
port a large body of English settlers with an abundant sup-
ply of cheap 'native labour. He urged the exteneion of the
Madras line to the Nefigherries, of the Runtime 13,ngal Rail-
way to Darjeeling end Aseem, and other liumas an important
auxiliary measure. The bill region, so occupied would, he
pointed out, become a barrier sgainot the aggrereion of Ros-
si& by land, or of France by sea. The approximation ot the
Chinese frontier to Amain had now become important, ae
minims of Chinese immigrants might enter from that
quarter.
VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND PROMOTIONS IN
TIM Clem beevice.—Wm-offlos—There are vacancies in
this office for junior clerks. Commencing salary 1001. per
annum. Mr. John Roberts, a clerk of the first class, first
section, of the Wareitlice, is about to retire, after upward. of
fifty year.' service. Audit-effice—There is a vacaery in this
office for a junior clerk. Commencing salary 801. per annum.
Customs—An inspectorship of gaugers is about to become
'meant by the retirement on superannuation of Mr. Richard
Z. Troughton, senior inspector. There stens vacancies in the
Comptroller-General's Department, in consequence of the
recent promotion., &c. The nineteenth clerkship et the port
of Glasgow is vacant. Mr. William Henry Ilse king has
been appointed a landingwaiter in London; Mr. Edmund
Percy Barrow has been appointed clerk and marcher at
Domes& ; Mr. Robert Morrison has been proluorad from
second to first-class searcher at Greenock ; Mr. John Cleland
hes been promoted from third to teemed-clam searcher at
Greenock ; Mr. William Soon Elliot has been promoted from
fourth to third-class seercher at Greenock; Mr. Hugh Smith
Main has been promoted from fifth to foul th-clan searcher at
Greenock ; My John Russell has been promoted from sixth
to fifth-claps searcher at Greenock.—Cinl Service 6,l,t.ittc.
THE New INDIAN JUDOE.—Another admirable
appointment his been made by Lord Stanley—viz , that of
Yr. Joseph Arnould, to a vacant judgeship at Bombay.
Acts of this kind reflect high honour upon the Indian
government, for they dewocatrate the presence of stein
impartiality and keen discernment of character and capa-
bility. Diatiaguithed by a scholership, which even in them
d.ye is rare, and gifted with a mind of singular breadth—
. Mr. Amould possesses oleo the qualities rthieh give our
English literature its elegance and grace. He is one
of the beet writers in our anonymous journalism.
The appointment shows impartiality, for Mr. Arnould'a
pen has never turned (ruin the advocacy of liberal principles.
imp...hilly has he dorm good service in the cause of the
reform of the law. A work which he published in 1848, on
the subject of marine insurance, is the text-bock in that par-
ticular department ; but most of his contribution. have been
made under the form which prevails with the English press,
and which often renders the public debtors to unknown
authorities. When at Oxford, in 1834, Mr. Aenould
obtained the Newdegate prise, written on the female-
tion of the Duke of Wellington; and elm the first-
class degree in desks, in 1836. He hill a fellow-
ship in Wsdham College until his tuarria.re. He
became a candidate for one of three judgeelips fire
or six years ago, when several of the Judger, in-
cluding Lord Campbell, forwarded high teetimoneels in his
favour. These papers have remained in Cannon-row, and
Lord Stanley, at the first opportunity, has given them their
proper weight. Mr. Athould, amongst his other gift.,
enjoys that of writing very sweet poetry. He was entree-
, *ally dubbed the " Poet Laureate of the Home Circuit." It
mast not be supposed that he is any the les. a pound lawyer.
The teetimonieds referred to dip tee of any such suspicion,
I sad it is probable that Lord Stanley never herd of him in
' any other way than as a barrister of wide-epreed knowledge,
both of his profersitra and of the world.—Canibrnige lads-
i pendent.
EAST WORCESTERSHIRE ELECTION.—MT.
thrice, the liberal candidate, Is pursuing a successful can-
t Inlan ; he was to meet a number of the electors at Dudley hurt
night. Up to noon yesterday Mr. Pakingtou'e addreee was
; I not issued, although it le stated that he was canvambig on
; Thnnday.