The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-10 00:00:00

AINNKIL W MR. LONGNALLOW.

Yesterday evening a dinner was given to
Psofessor Longfellow by Mr. Bierstadt, a distinguished
American artist, at the Langham Hotel, Portland-place.
The occasion was of a thoroughly international character,
and the attendance comprised some of the most distin-
guished man on both aides of the Atlantic. The entertain-
ment itself was a brilliant one, and nothing was wanting
to...ender it a fitting homage to the poet whose works
have become household words in England as well as in
America.

The list of thaw present included the Duke of Argyll, Admiral
Farnigut, Lord Aube, lewd Houghton, lewd 10iot, th• hWtit
Hon. W R.. Gladstone, M.P., Lieut.-O®. air Hope Grant, Hie
Knollya, Bir Henry 'Winer, Sir Robert Copier. Hie Henry
Thompson, Hr James Anderson, the UM. George Wakiegmve
Leslie, Mr. Benjamin Moran (Americen Charge d'Athuno)l.
Count Maffei (Italian Charge d'Affaires), the Blida lion FF
Cardwell, M.P., Mr. Loins, M.P., Mr. tyre W. raid, Mr.
Winthrop, Mr. Welkin, Mr. Coloridge, Q.C., the Right Hon. H. A. Bruce, M.P., Mr. T. It Potter, M.P., Ceiptam W. C.
Hann, Mr. T. N. Wesraelin, M.P., Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P.,
Mr. Dirket Foster Mr. K. M. Ward, ILA., Mr. 8. C. Hell,
Mr. Theinisa Ruches, M.P., Mr. Marks Mackay. Mr. S. A.
Hart,Mr. far. W. Choke, R.A., Mr. Jamb Ib'Wht, M.P.,
Mr. Buss. M.P., Mr. Halbert, M.P., Sir Edwin Landow, KA.,
Mr. Robert Browning. life John Himeon, the Rev. Dr lama-
fellow ibrother of the poet), Mr. T. Appleton, Mr. W. Appleton,
Mr. John Hell. Mr. Mosier, Mr. Borthwick, Mr. Howard Paul,
Mr. A. 11. Borah, Commander 11. B. Lowry, Mr. Otway, M.P.,
Mr. Morse (American Consul in London), Mr. Parke Godwin,
Bev. Br. Boners, Rev. De. Farrar, Mr. J.W. Pease, M.P., Wand
Pinky Andresen, Mr. George Melly, M.P. Shaw Lefever,
M.P., Mr. C. J. Monk, M.P., Colonel Ilainidoesan, M.P., Mr. J.
Platt, M.P., kr., to.
After the dinner, which was intended to be of a private
nature, there were loud calls for Mr. Gladstone, and the
right hon. gentleman ultimately responded to the urgent
demonstrations of the assembly,
Mr. GLAWFONE Paid he felt bound to say something in
consequence of the glorious past whioh the two countries
—England and the United States—posse/wed in common.
It became them to break through even the restrictions
which the authority et their respected host had imposed
upon them, and to give vent to those enthu-
siastic feelings which one and all entertained
on that interesting occasion. It was impossible to sit
at the social board with a man of Mr. Long-
fellow's world-wide fame without offering him
some tribute of admiration. Let thorn, therefore, simply
but cordially assure him that they were conscious of the
great honour which they did themselves in re-
, ',icing this great poet amongst them. There
was no doss of persons less able to do jus-
tice to un event of that kind than those whine
career destined them to trawl the toilsome and dusty road
of politics, and who were therefore too little sensible of
the influences which were brought to bear upon mankind
in general by the priest of the muses. Hut at the same
time they were not so wholly dead to the sentiments
which were naturally awakenedon an occasion of that kind
as not to be glad to render the tribute of hearty admiration
to one whom they must regard not only as a poet, but as
an American eitisen. (Cheers.) They rejoiced to re:og-
nise in Mr. Longfellow one of the distinguished brother-
hood of letters, whom they all delighted to honour, and
in whose writings they felt an especial interest whenever
any international event occurred to bring together repre-
sentatives of the literature of England and the United
States. The right hon. gentleman concluded by calling
upon the company to drink most heartily and cordially to
the health, happiness, and fame of Professor Longfellow.
(Loud and long-continued cheering.)
Mr. LONOFELLOW acknowledged the compliment with
great brevity, begging the company to accept his hearty
thanks for the generous welcome which had been accorded
to him. _

- The Duke of ARGYLL, in response to a general call, pro-
posed the healths of Admiral Farragut, of the United
States Navy, and Sir Hope Grant, of the British Army.
After a brief acknowledgment from those gentlemen,
The Rev. Mr. Cox proposed the health of Mr. Bieratadt,
who in one or two words acknowledged the compliment,
and the company then dispersed.
In the course of the evening Mr. J. L. Hatton and Mr.
Chaplin Henry supplied an appropriate musical entertain-
ment, and the latter gentleman' sang Mr. Longfellow's
"Village Blacksmith."
Mrs. Bierstadt and several other Who entered the
room before the close of the proceedings, and the former
received the congratulations of many of the guests.
A likeness of the distinguished poet was attached to
the bill of fare placed before the company ; and a small
oil picture, painted by Mr. Bienitadt, was attached to the
menu especially prepared for Mr. Longfellow himself, the
subject of it being the "Departure of Hiawatha," as de-
scribal in the concluding lines of the poem.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS Bad.—The select
committee of the House of Commons on this bill met
again yesterday, under the presidency of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, for the purpose of considering the
financial portion of the question. Mr. Merewether an-
nounced a substantial agreement between the promoters
of the bill and the following companies:—The Great
Northern of Scotland, the Great Northern, the Midland,
the London and North Western, the Great Eastern, the
Great Western, and the Glasgow and South Western.
Siinilar announcements were made by Mr. Denison and
other gentlemen on behalf of the North Eastern, the
South Eastern, the Bristol and Exeter, the Highland, and
the Caledonian Railway Companies. And on behalf of
the Electric Telegraph Companr, and the Anglo-American
and Atlantic Companies. Mr. 'Vernon Harcourt. who re-
presented Mr. Reuter's company, was the only counsel
left in opposition to the bill. The learned gen-
tleman said he must persist in his opposition
until it eould be satisfactorily explained why it happened
that, when other companies had been offered 20 years'
profits as the price at which their property and interests
were to be made over to the Post-office, that department
bad offered to his clients only one-half of these terms.
He claimed to me a copy of the agreements which had
been come to with the companies generally ; in default of
having which furnished to km, he feared he must ask for
an adjournment of the committee. The Chancellor of
the Exchequer suggested the further examination of Mr.
Scudamore as offering a possible solution of the difficulty
but it transpired, in the course of a long examination by
counsel andby members of the committee, that the witness
had no draft or tnpy of the agreement which had been
mimed into by the promoters bf the bill on the one hand
and the companies Who, to use Mr. Marcourri expression,
had been " bought off" on the other. The reason of ten
ycwrs' purchase only being offered to Mr. Reuter was the
pn.canousnees of the value and efficacy of submarine
cables, the average " life" of which was fifteen years.
Mr. Rodwell said that the promoters of the bill were per-
fectly willing to leave the termsol traader—and the ques-
tion was simply one of terms, for Mr. Renter was willing
to sell—to arbitration. Mr.Reelatteorewassexaminedatcon-
siderable length by Mr. Oomecn and other members of the
committee as to the method and the validity of his calcu-
lations of the financial and general result if the govern-
nient ainumedthe management and the proprietary of the
entire telegraphic service, and the committee adjourned at
four o'clock.

MR. MURPHY'S OBSCENE BOOKS.—On the 13th
of May last Mr. Murphy, the protestant lecturer, appeared
before the magistrates of Rochdale to show cause why
3,000 books, published for distribution and sale in that
borough, should not be destroyed under the Act 20 and 21
Victoria, c. 83, which is directed against the sale of obscene
books. The book profesem to give a report of a discussion
between Mr. Murphy and a Roman catholic, and is
entitled "The Depravity of the Priesthood and the Immo-
rality of the Confeassiosal." It contains numerous obscene
rtoiagrs, alleged to be translations from the writings of
Roman catholic, and was intended for circulation amongst
protestant*, and the police of Rochdale, believing it to
be read with avidity by young persons, on whose minds it
must exercise a pernicious influence, seised the 3,000
copies at the house of a Mr. Dickin. On the occasion re-
rrod to the magistrates condemned the books to he
deatrovecl, but notice of appeal was given, and on Wed-
nesday the case was argued at the Salford Quarter
Sessions. Mr. Edwards, barrister, in stating the mac for the
nspondints, said the objectionable paseages were quite
unneeetuary for the purposes of the controversy, and
some very indecent verses quoted were a fax and very
exaggerated translation of a Latin hexameter. Mr.
Milne, the chairman, observed that ho had read some
which ho thought would be very startling if
tra.o":7;hT
before the British public. Mr. Kidd and Dr.
Ponkhuret were counsel for the appellant, and Mr. Kidd
contended that it sheuld be shown there was an intention
to propagate immorality. The chairman said the act
said nothing about intention. After an argument of some
length the learned chairman said that he and his brother
magistrates, were quite of opinion that the justices of
Rochdale had acted rightly in ordering the publications
to he destroyed. It might be that those who published
such books thought they wore doing good in creating a
feeling against Roman catholies, but he was of opinion
they did ten times more harm. The decision of theßoch-
dale justice was therefore continued. Mr. Kidd asked
for a case for the Court of Queens Bench, but the appli-
cation was not granted.

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