The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-17 00:00:00

THE CAPE MAIL.

The mail steamer Norseman arrived at Plymouth
yesterday with the above mail and 123 passengers.
She left the Cape on the 15th ult., St. Helena on the
23rd, and Ascension on the 27th.
The new Cape Parliament was not expected to
meet before September. The postponement of the
session had arisen out of the Act of Annexation of
British Kaffraria, and the nomination of the four
new members of the Assembly for that district was
to take place on the 27th March. As soon as that
election was decided British Kaffraria was to be
formally incorporated with Cape colony, and the
arrangements for the election of six new members
of the council for the western and eastern districts
would be proceeded with.
The drought had everywhere broken up, and
copious rains had fallen all over the colony. The
colonists were looking forward to a prosperous
farming and better prospects generally.
Business was showing signs of improvement, and
the commercial difficulties of the Eastern Province
had been overcome.
The distress among the working classes had
almost entirely disappeared from the Western Dis-
trict, but there were still some complaints at Fort
Elizabeth. The war between the Free State and
the Basutos was still lingering on.
The Free State Parliament had formally decided
in favour of rejecting the offer of mediation made
by his Excellency Sir P. E. Wodehouse. At Natal
an active paper war was continued upon the Co-
lenso controversy.
The Rev. A. Tonnesen, Dr. Colenso's adherent,
had had his salary from the Society for the Propa-
gation of the Gospel discontinued.

Tax GUILDHALL EXHIBITION. -CLOAING CERS-
NONT.-A meeting of the committee of management was
held last night in the Guildhall, to complete the arrange-
ments to be observed on the occasion of the closing ceremo-
nial which takes place this afternoon. As already an-
nounced, Mr. George Peabody will officiate in the distribu-
tion of prises to the exhibitors—the Lord Mayor presiding
on the occasion. There will be music from half-past 2 till
4 p.m., when the Lord Mayor will introduce Mr. Peabody
the band playing " Hail Colombia. The secretaryxl
then read the report, after which the presentation, of
prises will tithe place, foflowed by " Auld 'Lang Sy by
the band and chorus. A vote of thanks will then be
posed to the Lord Mayor and Mr. Peabody, succeeded Es
prayer and doxologg—the proceedinp terminating
the " National Anthem." There win be a musical per-
formance in the evening, and at 10 o'clock the doors of the
exhibition will Snell: does.

ISTAIIPID, Id. ADDMOHAL.I

Olusstc.

--a--
PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
The third concert of the season took place last
evening at the Hanover-square ROOllll.
PROGRAMME.
PART I.

Overture (3etrysathe) . --. ..
Weber.
Air "On mighty pens" 'Creation`, Fraulent
L'brich, Karamersangerin to the King of
Hanover
Concerto, Violin, Herr Straw .. Mozart.
Aria, " Deh vied" ,Le Nome di Figaro`, Fran-
kin librich Monet.
Symphony in C Minor Beethoven.
-- --

.
PART U.
Overture The Isles of Fingal)
Under, Trattleln llbrlch Mendelsohn and Torbert.
March OW:moat)
Conductor—Professor Sterndale Bennett.
- -

This concert was shorter than usual, the directors having
departed from their usual custom of giving two symphonies.
But there was no lack of orchestral music of the very
highest order. The unrivalled symphony in C minor, the
greatest of all Beethoven'. works, without excepting his
later and larger production, the ninth or choral sym-
phony, was played most magnificently, and made the '
usual impression on the audience. Mozart's violin concerto
wan a performance of the greatest interest. It is a work
hitherto unknown in this country, and there was probably
not a single individual in the room who ever heard it
.hialiire. Herr Straus had the merit, not only
of playing it exquisitely, but of bringing it to
the knowledge of the English public, for it was
brought by him from Germany, where it bad remained
almost unknown ever since Mozart's own day, though none
of his orchestral works are snore worthy of beinepre-
served. It is a most charming composition, consisting of
three movements : an allegro, an andante cantabile, and a
rondo. Every movement is in the illustrious author's hap-
piest vein ; admirably adapted to the character and powers
of the violin, full of flowing, graceful, and expressive me-
lodies and brilliant passages in the clear and simple style of
which Mozart was so great a master. Herr Straus's perform-
ance of it was most masterly—equally remarkable for tone,
execution, taste, and feeling. Every movement was
enriched by him with • cadenza, composed (we
presume) by himself; exceedingly ingenious and masterly,
though, if we might venture a remark on so fine a per-
formance, they were perhaps too elaborate and protr►cted.
The overture to " Euryanthe," as it always is at these
concerts, was a blaze of splendour; and the picturesque
character of Mendelssohn's famous piece of musiosl paint-
ing was most admirably preserved by the fine orchestra

end eir able conductor.
Bias. Übrich, to whom the vocal portion of the music
was committed, made a most successful debut. She is
from Hanover, where she holds the position of court
singer, and now visits England for the first time. She is
an artist of a very high order ; gifted with a rich and
beautiful voice, and the attainments of an accomplished
singer of the German school. She executed the various
pieces mentioned in the programme in a pure and clerical
style ; and in all of them was warmly applauded.

Drama.
ADELPHI.

A lively little operetta, by M. Offenbach, much
like those four-character pieces with " entertainment"
changes of dress, produced with so much success by Mr.
and Mrs. German Reed, was placed upon the stage at this
house last night under the title of Crying Aims and
Laughing Johnny-6 literal translation of the original
title. The plot is simply a vehicle for that sparkling
music which has made the composer's name popular
throughout Europe, and the structure of the piece is sug-
gestive of those musical farces which used to b. called
operas in the days of Thalia= Two lovers who are left
is posseuion of a mill which is to be sold under certain
conditions do their best to defeat the selfish schemes of
an old farmer who wishes to buy the property, and succeed
in a very amusing, if not in a very probable manner. The
farmer is played by Mr. Toole, the young mistress of the
mill by Mrs. A. Mellon, the lover by Mr. Eburne, and the
farmer's son by Miss Furtardo. Mr. Toole bass an oppor-
tunitytin the course of the piece of displaying the graceful
humour as a female which he displayed in Dinornit ; Miss
Furtardo is neat, bright, and sparkling as a boy, with
several gay songs and one dance ; Mrs. A. Mellon's versati-
lit is asdelightful as ever in the two characters allotted
toper ; and Mr. Eburne is very useful as the lover. The
musical ehortoomings of the Adelphi company are only
shown in the concerted pieces, and these are in a great
measure bidden by M. Riviere's excellent band, the best
' theatrical band in London. The scenery is pretty, the
action, though slight, never flags, and the trifle belongs to
a class of pieces which, in aU probability, before long, will
supplant burlesque on the metropolitan stage.

THEATRICAL LICENSEMI TT EE. S AND REGULATIONS
COM

This select government committee met for the
third time yesterday to take evidence on the existing state
of the law affecting theatres and other public entertain-
ments. The Right Hon. G. J. Goschen occupied the chair,
and the witnesses examined were Sir R. Mayne, the Hon.
Mr. Norton, and Mr. Strange, of the Alhambra. The
committee had got themselves into • difficulty
through taking hearsay evidence from Mr. Pownall
at a former sitting, and some time was wasted in
proving the groundlessness of certain statements made by
that witness. Sir Richard Mayne's evidence was liberal
and sensible. He is in favour of a broad system of Been.
sing with power to check indecency, and thinks that the
drama would elevate music-halls and their audiences,
that few faults can be found with any of our present public
amusements, and that it is good that people of all
classes, and of all morals and habits, should be
amused. The Hon. Mr. Norton is in favour of the
Lord Chamberlain's regulations forbidding drinking and
smoking in the auditorium, and an extension of dramatic
licenses to the so-ealled music halls. Thin witness,
when pressed by Mr. Locke, M.P., was unable to say what
greater harm there was in taking refreshment at a theatre,
comfortably at a table, than uncomfortably from a potboy
or an orange woman in the pit, and was wholly
unable to define what is and what is not
the " legitimate drama. " Mr. Strange's evidence was
confined to the chief features of his own property—the
Alhambra. He stated that it represents a capital of
100,0001., employs about 320 persons of both sexes, pays in
wages from 4301. to 4101. a week, has increased the wages
of ballet-girls at least 20 per cent., and attracts about 3,000
visitors every night, who pay an average admission fee of 1
one shilling, and expend about sixpence in drink,
eatables, and cigars. He further stated that the
attendance of loose women was not encouraged, that
it never exceeded 3 per cent. of the visitors, that there
were no private rooms (dispeaing of a groundless statement
made by Mr. Pownall), and only one private box,
that large numbers of the working classes patronised the
entertainment, that he worked under four licenses, had
fourteen constables besides the police to preserve order,
and should save 3,0001. a year in working expenses if only
allowed to represent light comic operas in place of giving
opera tic selection. ILA examination was adjourned until
nextklrriday.

Tag GOVERNMENT REFORM BILL. --Cleticessa-
green was last night the scene of another open-air demon-
stration in favour of the government Reform Bill, a great
crowd of working men attending, and Mr. Lucraft, cabinet-
maker, again presiding over the proceedings from a van
drawn up in the centre of the green. He announced that
it was intended to hold these meetings every Monday
evening until the bill was passed or rejected. Mr. Hen-
' riette, tailor, proposed the following resolution, viz.:—
" That this meeting receives with the greatest satis-
faction the assurance of her Majesty's goverment
that they will stand or fall by the measovure of
reform introduced into the Commons' house of parliament,
and hereby pledges itself to give the governmintits earnest
snppport.' Mr. J. Finlan, french polisher, in
this resolution, declared that the speech whichwirtha
delivered in the House of Commons, on Friday evening,
mainpletelT represented the feelings of working me
adndresse upon
this question. The resolution was carried, and s
were delivered by several other working men, the speak-
ing being continued long after dark. A meeting was held
at Truro on Friday evening, at which resolutions were
adopted in favour of the government Reform Bill. Several
influential gentlemen of the county—including Mr.
Robartes, M.P., and Mr. Bridges Willyame—gave their
adhesion to the bill as being an honed and valuable
measure, although not so comprehensive as they could
have desired. A large and influential meeting of electors
on and non-electors was held on Friday evening, in the Town-
ball, Stratford-on-Avon. The meeting was called ha mai-
ianee with a requisition to the nixiiLLltmoltitiens In
favour of the bill were nnaninieuelz
ROYAL Fags HOSPITAL, IiRAY'S IWM-110AD.
The number of patients relieved at this hospital during the
week ending April 14, was 4,062, of which 1,072 were new
MOM

[TWOPENCE

NATIONAL SUNDAY LEAGUE.

The annual meeting of this league, which has for
He object the op • of the British Museum, National
Gallery, and other public institutions on Sundays, was held
last evening at St. Martin's-hall ; sir J. WALMBLLY in the
chair.
The report, which was reed by the secretary, Mr. R. M.
Monism, stated that the desideratum sought by the com-
mittee was only a question of time. The committee felt
that the time was near at hand, sad that the working men
generally had this conviction was shown in the large in-
crease of shilling members, the large attendance at the
meetings of the lesgue, the intensity of feeling and
resolve, and the sacrifice of time and personal
interests for the promotion of the cause. Parlia-
mentary action was alone needed to bring forth
such a demonstration from the people as must be convinc-
ing, and for this the first steps would be taken so soon as
the second raiding of the Reform Bill gave the opportunity.
The St. Marti' 'shall " Sunday evenuip for the people"
gave unmistakeable proofs of the great requirement of
tellectual recreation such as they provided. Some thou-
sands of persons more than the hall could hold came
nightl , and the lectures by Professor Huxley on " The
Des• ty of Improving National Knowledge ;" bjhrStri.
John Bowling on Religious Progress outside the
tan Pale ;" by Dr. Carpenter on " The Antiquity of
Man ;" and by Dr. Hodgson on " Many Members
but one Body," had been all great sammaes.
The Sabbatarians had however endeavoured to put a Alp
I. the movement, and legal proceeding. under the Aet
Geo. 111. had been taken. Vise emotive of the league had
I however hill faith that the " Sunday evenings" were neither,
" a debate enures of Maly &alphas try unlearned and
incomnt persons," nor " an entertainment or Mule-
went "within the meaning of the act. Should counsel's
opinion be against them it was proposed to place as
amendment of the act in the hands of members
of parliament, in the trust that parliament would
not allow the rational and intellectual pursuits of
the people to be interfered with. It was felt
desirable to place the management of the " Sunday
evenings" distinct from the league, and a special execu-
tive, with a separate fund, was therefore appointed,
though embracing all the strength and support of the
committee of the league therein. The Crystal Palace
directors had kindly consented to a Sunday at the Palace,
the tickets being issued by trade societies and organised
bodies of working men, 200 of which societies, with their
families, numbering in all some 10,000, enjoyed the beauty
of the place and the fine weather on the 27th of August.
The email Palace had been also open on Sunday,
Sept. 3 for shareholders' friends. On Sunday, July
30, the lair number of persons that ever entered the
gardens of ew assembled there in response to an invita-
tion given by Mr. Baxter Langley on the part of the league.
The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, said
he bad net the slightest doubt as to the ultimate MOONS
of the league. Mr. H. J. Slack seconded the resolution,
which was supported by Dr. It. W. PerStt, Mr. Baxter
Langley, and other gentlemen, and unanimously agreed to.
A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceed-
ings.