The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1867.

the resulting force of the serial rebound that de-
stroyed the houses on the opposite side of the way.
But they knew that they were dealing with a
murderous instrument, and were putting to hazard
uncounted innocent lives.

We do not prejudge a case which will be tho-
roughly sifted ; but it would be affectation to
ignore the fact that the instinctive suspicion which
points to Fenian' as the perpetrators of the out-

rage is confirmed by circumstances. The hour at
which the explosion took place, was that in which
" Colonel" Bums usually took the air ; and
the wall which was blown down enclosed the yard
in which he walked. The Governor of the jail
had, however, on the day previous to the outrage,
changed both the hour and place of the pri-
soners' exercise. Jf the previous arrangement
had been adhered to, BURKK and CASEY
might have escaped. Until some other possible
motive for the attempt is suggested, the public
mind must inevitably believe that the liberation
of the suspected Fenians was its object.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)

Litt Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Dm 13.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Christian,
and attended by Lady Waterpark, drove out yesterday
siternoon, and honoured Major-General F. H. and Lady
Beady Seymour with a visit at Holly-grove. The equerry
in waiting was also in attendance.
Her Majesty walked in the grounds this morning, accom-
panied by Princess Louise.
Princess Beatrioe rode in the liomapark.
The Dean of Windsor and the Hon. Mrs. Wellesley had
the honour of dining with the Queen and the royal family
yesterday.
Mr. Theodore Martin arrived at the Castle yesterday,
and had also the honour of being invited.

A deputation from Kidbrooke, Lewisham Union, con-
sisting of the Rev. W. Woodman, M.A., Mr. J. B. Spen-
cer, Mr. John Moore, and Mr. D. Christopher, bad an in-
terview with the Earl of Devon, at the office of the Poor-
law Board, Whitehall, yesterday.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has
been passing this week at Buokenham-ball, Norfolk, with
the Earl and Countess of Dudley. The Prince and several
distinguished visitors have had good sport during the
week in the preserves on the estate. On Thursday even-
ing the Earl and Countess gave a ball, the company com-
prising, in addition to his Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales, the Earl and Countess of Tankerville, the Earl
and Countess of Leicester and the ladies Coke (two),
Viscount and Viscountess Royston, Sir W. Rogge, Bart,
M.P., the Hon. T. de Grey, M.P., the Hon. C. Vivian,
Major Grey, Mr. H. Chaplin, Sir Edmund and Lady Leon
and Miss Lacon, Viscount and Viscountess Chelsea, Sir
George, Lady, and Miss Nugent, Sir Willoughby and Lady
Jones, Lady A. Hervey and Miss Hervey, and a large
number of members of leading county families. The
Prince of Wales opened the ball with the Countess of
Dudley. Supper was served at one o'clock, and the festivi-
ties were prolonged until far into yesterday morning.

The Duke of Sutherland has passed through
town on his way to Trentham Hall, from visiting the Earl
and Countess of Dudley at Buckenham Hall, Norfolk.

The Bishop of Rochester and Hon. MIS. Claughton
have arrived at Himley Hall, Dudley, from town.

irtuott.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.

The five hundredth ooncert given by this society
in the large room of Exeter-hall took place last night,
when Mr. Costa's oratorio Nauman was performed.
The solos were assigned to Madame Lemmens-Sher-
rington, Madame Rudersdorff, fildlle. Dresdil (in con-
sequence of the indisposition of Madame Sainton-
Dolby), Mr. Cummings, Mr. M. Smith, and Mr. Bentley.
The soprano solos belonging to the character of Adah
were given with much refinement and expression by
Madame Sherrington, the air, "They shall be turned
back," and the beautiful prayer with chorus, " Maker
of every star," being especial instances of these quali-
ties. The subordinate soprano solos and recitatives
of the Shunamite woman, and her more important air,
" Look up my son," were given with much earnestness by
Madame Ruderthorff, who sang the same music on the
production of the oratorio at Birmingham. Millie.
Drasdil (who replaced Madame Sa'nton•Dolby at short
notice), it may be remembered, made a highly favourable
impression at the Norwich Festival of last year. This
young lady, who has a genuine contralto voice of sympa-
thetic quality, sings with much earnest feeling and pathos,
her delivery of, the beautiful air of the resuscitated child,
" I dreamt I was in' Heaven," last night meeting with
an unanimous encore. Mr. Santley's splendid declama-
tion and finished style in the music assigned to Elisna
was as admirable on this as oa the several other
occasions of his performance of music which has
been identified with him from the first hearing
of the oratorio ; his airs, " Arise 0 Lord,"
"The seed gall be prosperous," "Lament not thui'
(encored) ; and the dramatic " Invocation" scene, being
characterised by the best qualities of vocal art. Mr. Cum-
mings, in the arduous music given to Nauman, written for
and originally sung by Mr. Sims Reeves, sang like the
thoroughly prepared and efficient musician that he has so
frequently proved himself to be ; in the trying air " In-
voking death," displaying considerable declamatory
power. Mr. M. Smith was an efficient second tenor in the
concerted music and incidental recitative. The well-
known trio " Haste ! to Samaria," admirably sung
by Madame Sherrington, Mdlle. Draadil, and Mr.
Cummings, narrowly escaped the usual encore ;
which, however, the equally beautiful and more
important quartet, "Honour and glory," received.
The choruses were given with great power and
precision ; the impressive " Sanctus" being somewhat
marred by a refractory continuous note of the organ, pro-
longed by a mechanical accident technically terra' d
"cyphering." The hall was very full, and the applause
which greeted Mr. Costa on taking his place as con-
ductor and at the close of his work, together with the
general gratification apparent during the progress of the
oratorio, will render the occasion as agreeable to him as
the recollection of this five hundredth performance must
be to all those associated with an institution which
hu now attained so high a position as the Sacred Har-
monic Society.

CRYSTAL PALACR.—Madame Ruderadorff and
Mr. Vernon Rigby are the artistesat this afternoon's con-
cert. Schubert's symphony in C and the finale to Lorcley
are included in the programme.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.—Mr. James Guiver, the
treasurer of Drury-Lae Theatre, announces that his benefit
will take place on Monday, Dee. 16. The entertainments
will cousin of The Doge of Venice and The Lodi& Battle.

We hear Mr. Mapleaon has engaged the Lyceum
Theatre for operatic purposes after the termination of the
pantomime.—Mutical Standard.
To-morrow (Sunday) there will be an ordina-
tion in the chapel of King's College, London (adjoining
Somerset House), by the Lord Bishop of Labnan, who is
an associate of that college. Service will commence at 11
o'clock. The offertory will be devoted to the church in
Borneo.

Meetings of legitimists and clericals are taking
place in certain Parisian hotels. to plot the best means by
which they can aid the reactionist agents now working
in certain large towns of the peninsula for the return of
the exiled sovereigns. Several friends of the Neapolitan
Bourbons, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and the Dukes of
Modena and Parma, are making their appearance in Pails.
. _ .

The number of volunteers who have gone to the
support of the Pontifical throne brings up the effective of
the Papal army to about 11,000 moo, consisting of 3,500
Zonaves, 3,000 gendarmes, 1,500 of the legion, 1,000
native regiment, 1,500 foreign battalion, 300 dragoons, 80
artillery, and 120 engineers.

A meeting of the committee, appointed at the
meeting held in the cotton sale room on Tuesday last to
farther the formation of a cotton spinners' and manufac-
turers' exchange, was held yesterday afternoon, at the
Trevellyn Hotel, Manchester, under the presidency of
Mr. Richards, of Kirkham. Numerous expressions of
encouragement to persevere in their object were reported
from various districts, and from Manchester itself. A
sub-committee of three was appointed to confer with the
proprietors of various buildings, which in the opinion of
the committee seemed capable of affording temporary
.ftywmmarlatinm

WHITEHALL, DEC. 13.—The Queen has been
pleased to order a conga d'elire to pass the great seal of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, em-
powering the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of
Lichfield to elect a bishop of that see, the same being void
by the death of the Right Reverend Father in God Dr.
John Lonsdale, late bishop thereof ; and her Majesty has
also been pleased to recommend to the said dean and
chapter Dr. George Augustus Selwyn (now Bishop of New
Zealand) to be by them elected Bishop of the said see of
Lichfield.—Gazdk.

------- ----
WHITEHALL,— DEC. 12.—The Queen has been
pleased to present the Rev. Henry Grey Graham to the
church and pariah of Nenthorn, in the presbytery of Kelso,
and county of Berwick, vacant by the transportation of
the Rev. John Barclay to the parish of Old Kirkpatrick.—
Gazdte.

FOREIGN OFFICE, DEC. 9.—The Queen hag been
graciously pleased to appoint Joseph Hume Burnley, Iraq.,
now secretary to her Majesty's logation at the Hague, to
be her Majesty's charge d'affaires at Dresden. The Queen
bas also been pleened to approve of Mr. Thomas Kerr
Lynch all consul-general in London for hie Majesty the
Bhah of Pemba—dinette.

_ -
THE PALMERSTON &ATTE IN PALACE-YARD.—
A OOMMMMOR for the statue of Lord Palmerston, to be
erected near the houses of parliament, has been entrusted
by the committee of subscribers to Mr. Thomas Woolner.
The site which has been fixed upon is one of the finest in
London, being at the corner of the new enclosure in Palaoe-
yanl, immediately opposite the Peel monument. The
work is to consist of a single colossal figure, eight feet in
height, and is to be commenced immediately.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(raoit on (Ant

PARIS. FRIDAY Ramo.

The Libert4 mentions as latest gossip in the
lobbies a rumour which I have not hitherto
seen in print—that the general elections will
take place in January, 1868. It also states
that a decree fixing new electoral districts for
the next five years will appear in the Maui-
teur on Tuesday next. The precise day named
may be erroneous, but there is no doubt that
shortly, and probably very shortly before the elec-
tions, the existing electoral circumscription
_

will be broken up. The government has
a right to do it ; and it generally exercises the
right in such a manner as to throw the constitu-
encies into the greatest confusion possible, and
enhance the difficulties which the law puts in the
way of anything like reasonable and equitable con-
cert and deliberation in the choice of a candidate.
A writer recently commenting on this system,
said, " The government is not to be blamed
for resorting to such manteuvres ; but it is to be 4
pitied for feeling them necessary."
The Patric (which, however, is very often wrong)
says there is no truth in the rumours of a dissolu-
tion, and that it will, at all events, not take place
before March 31.

The • Franche Comte is prosecuted before the
correctional tribunal of Besancon for having
replied upon a "communicated note." It will be
a surprise upon the whole press of France if it
should be found guilty of such a charge. In
worse times than the present, when communiques
were first invented, the press, in its terror, re-
garded them as sacred things, which it was not
lawful to criticise. But after November, 1861,
when the press began to hold up its head, it was
found out that no laws gave " Monsieur Commu-
niquiS," who, it must be remembered is an
anonymous gentleman, the last word. The
papers are forced to insert any communi-
cation, however long, with which this voluntary
contributor may choose to enrich their columns ;
but of late they have not seldom answered the
official lecture inflicted upon them. M. Michel
Chevalier in particular has ferociously pulled to
piecesagreat many of M. Haussrnann's conanuniquis
to the Debat about the or.troi duties. Replies would
be more frequent and more vigorous were it not for
this consideration that Communique may go on ad
infinitum if he pleases, and his contributions,
though having the advantage of being gratuitous,
are seldom interesting reading.
The Superior Council of Public Instruction has
fully adopted M. Durny's plan for the finishing
education of girls which so stirs the bile of the
Bishop of Orleans. It is especially worthy of note
that this council numbers among its members five
prelates, one of whom is the Archbishop of Paris.
President Schneider persists in his refusal to be
chairman of the jury of honour to which the diffe-
rence between Viscount de Kerveguen and MM.
Havin and Gueroult is referred. It would be un-
pleasant to him, he says, to have anything to do
with an inquiry which must necessarily result in a
verdict against one or more members of the Corps
Legislatif. He recommends the parties to choose
three more arbitrators. The four deputies first
named have held a preliminary meeting, not as at
first reported, at M. Schneider's house, but in one
of the committee rooms. There is no probability
of a decision for some time to come.

A grand fairy spectacle, in the style of the old
Olympic revels called " Gulliver," which has been
long in preparation, was brought out last night at
the Thdatra Chatelet, with Mdlle. Schneider, of
Belle Helene and Duchess de Gerolstein celebrity,
for the principal actress. The rage for
theatrical novelty is so great in Paris that the suc-
cess of a first night is no guide whatever to the real
merits of a piece. English people with leisure will,
of course, like to see a French version of " Gulli-
ver's Travels." It soems there are a great number
of puppets to represent Lilliputians, and great
scenic effects, with the flying island of Laputa ; a
very pretty girl, who throws up not unfrequently
her horse's vizor, plays a leading Houhynym ; but
the most striking report of the evening is that
boxes cost 201., stalls 51., an uncomfortable extra
seat called a strapontin 21., and that as late as
midnight business was done in checks for the pit at
10fr.

At the Bourse the Bente more than recovered the
fall of yesterday, closing at 691 r. 80c. for cash, and
69fr. 65c. for account, with a rise of 30c. and 25c.
Italian rose 20c. Mobilier and Credit Foncier,
however, remain at the last quotations.
Italian news is in arrear, and all the Italian
papers are seized.