The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-07 00:00:00

COPY OF TILE FIFTH ARTICLE.

The department t f Venezuela being de facto out of the pale of
Constitutional obedience to the Executive Power Of the Republic,.
the Government is not responsible for the security of the persnas pr
property of foreigners residing in It, or who +nigh: go to retitle these
t.uring the present crisis.

A-Board of the Lords of the Treasury was held yester-
day at the Treasury Chambers, which was attended by
Viscount Lowther, lion. B. Paget, and Mr. M Naghtra,
L,,rila Commissioners of the Treasury.
The following is an extract of a private letter rcc.ired
yesterday :

BRUSSELS. OCT. 3.

- - -
The cause of the catasteophe at Ostend is still involved in
mystery t Government has not yet directed any inquiry to be COMP
on the spot by a Military Comntiasinn, as WAS expected• 'ihe
King's Attorney at Iltit;.;es hu been twice at Ostend to intern:•
gate, but discovered notitMg.
Ae a proof how much our Oovernment is favourably disposed
towards the Creek• cause, I can apprize you of the fact, thst one ci
the. King's brigs, the Hawk, stationed in the Levant, has taken
under cotAtny a vessel, commanded by a Captain Akkermaeot
which bailed some tune ago from Antwerp, with stores our the
Greeks, sent by the Hellenic Cott mittees of this country. She IS
bound to Smyrna, whence she will go to Napoli di Romania.
M. de Ceiba, appointed Ambassador I!:.xtraortlituiry to the
Court of Rome, to conclude a Concordat for the Netlictiar.dr, has
not yet set out on his journey. This de!ay gives rice to st,vral
rumours, which, however, deserve no particular notice, as they ha"
no foundation.

There has appeared, this morning, a new English newspapyr.
entitle:l Neal/ion 110:a;. The writer, a Alr. ti'sntircr, promo"
to ermine, it properly, aid hopes to suaced in hi. enterprizs. 21'cies
from lime', judging by the contents and the tize of tie paper,
is an imitation of Galigniini's Aftwenger. It will appear VOlO4 a
week.
We received yesterday Sierra Leone Go-xlies to the Sloth
June. Among the extracts which we have given from them
will be found some afflicting pr ofs of the pertinacity with
which the abhorred traffic in slaves is still wiled on wider
the French, Spanish, and Portgpitwe fie .s.
The Gaula de C'arihogena tkt Celomtia, of the 6th of
August, has been received;
it contains a decree, dated
April 18, 1825, regulating the teviitorial division of the
Republic, and also an official paper, dated Bogota, July
19, 1829), giving directions to the authorities in the diffaent
ports of the Republic to watch the proceedings of the fire-
' shipa, and making the intendants answerable for the pub-
I lication of any seditious writings or publications.

LNTTER Till•: SIXTH
TOOK
VII: CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF STAMPS,
TO
TILE BIGHT HON. T. WALLACE.

A: my Report upon the system of management at the
Swap Office In Edinburgh involved charges of actions im-
port sgainst the principal Officers of that department, it
was but reasonable to require that my statement should be
corroborated. In acceding, then fure, to the request,
whether of Lord Melville or of the Lord Advocate, that
another Commission of Inquiry slionld be sent down to
Scotlaud, the Lords of the Treasury acted in the spirit of
equity. It was but fairness to Mr. Bvmner, who has
been suspended, and to others whom my Report involved,
that they should have the benefit of a full and fair revision
of the charges alleged against them, that it might appear
whether they were made upon such sufficient grounds, as
'right warrant the judgment which, if true, they appeared
to call for. Through what influence this second Commis-
siou of Inquiry—in itself unoi‘j,cionable--consisting of
Svlies. Mr. Forbes, and Mr. Campbell, wu obtained,
may be collected from the following mange, in a letter
from the Head Distributor in Edinburgh (Mr. Hepburne),
to the Board :-
0 The Lend Adeotive informed me, that the Treamry are about
to send three gentlemen to mate a emend inquiry into this depart.
mew, and to mate a Report thrtrapon to his Majesty's Dram-
Lent. This will be very satisfatory testae u d what I have at we.
wet its tale the liberty to suggest to the Board is, to postpone doing
say thing (briber, in regard to the apixnpurtnt of new e...tb-diari-
boors, email the arrival of thou Covintissi,wers."
It was not. difficult to perceive from the tenor of this let-
ter, that the Officers in &hinburgh felt satisfied that they
had nothing to fear from the inquisitorial visit which they
were about to receive, and it will be seen that their pro-
phecy was amply fulfilled. The Reports, however, that
were drawn up by Messrs. Sykes and Forbes (far they were
not signed by Mr. Campbell), which were laid before the
Lords of the Treasury as the result of their inquiries,
were, in the same spirit of equity in which the Commission
Itself bad been acceded to, transmitted by their Lordships
to:he Commissioners of Stamps, for any observations upon
them which they might think it nee:ssary to sugg.st to
their Lordships consideration. It was in cens-quenee of
the Reports being thus transmitted, that the following re-
marks were offered upon ditto :

Stamp 9fF!..e. Feb. 13, 1632.

SIT Lotinv —As the information whirl; i olveined when coot-
,o.„i.nee by weir beed.hipe in the year 1818, to inquire into the
eort.!tact of 51r. Bremner, the Seßei or of Stamps, and into the ge.
nee; reeeneelicet of thee 1/tpertment. has, in the opinion of my
given me peculiar meet:. of forming a judgment on
many reticular, adverted to ha the Repvt of the Cotntui.sioner.
of 'equity, they hey: expressed a wish (an intimated to your Lord-
ships) that 1 alunild euhmit such remat'es us may occur to me in a
Irtat.ll/4 I:e;ant. If in so doing I appear to go a little nut of the
eatrennr. ceeee, ynelf Lordships will ascribe it to a oil:harries% no
my rent, Ceti sere ebscrvetions which 1 may make shined go be-
fore Fuer letehthies without they weight which the collective ali; te.
tune of the Board would swell to them. and that they may appear
so 'he julginent Or your lordship. unsupported by any other au-
thneny 111:ol they may derive from dint besting on the facts or
vestments to v.leeh they relate. If I have frequent occasion to
le opinion from the eistnnaisaionem of !Moir!. your Lord-
Mies sill do me the jaeldee to recollect, that I was deputed. as far
es it respects the S diePor'e Ikpartment, to iestitute the same
erre,: inv.ntigatioo. and that me statements stand diametrically
Sitemcl to !horse which are presented to your Lordships; and it
el, le be expeethl by the present Commintosere them-e.ters that I
etaleeveMeo satiety your lordships, that the nreount 1 had
jewSred was s erranted by inquiry, and supported by facie. Their
Veer; is in i're nature of a public document. If the offizial chi.
inter of Mr. Bremner, as there pronmmced upon, be correct, the
11-e;aion which I Live exereesed on the same subject must be wholly
founded. I have no w'hal that any unfavourable report of mine,
tinter nt Mr. Bremner or nt his Department, shoeld prove to be
tree, but I art ;metered is tbas, having it undeservedly rimed to
the sue iicion of being lapse.
That I mai arid extending those observathins to a greater
Irr.gth that is absolutely necessary, I have confined them to curse
precirulare to which it appears most essential to direct your Ltd.
ships' considerarion, retracting from the Report the passages WI.
tr,....:iati•ky referred to:—
•• Frost the examination of the pentane employed in this depart-
ment. and of the documents produced, as also from the concurrent
nn.nion of penone to WilOfft Mr. Bremner has been very well
rent,. we believe that he has executed the duties of his °Mee Pith
wee integrity, end that no charge can be made against him, either
of rAtO7:Wn or dislioneety."
I would here submit to your I.nniehips, that it is not by the te-
m.'s:tattoo of the pentane employed in the department itself that it
yr: be eepected to ascertain whether the business of that depart.
teem nos been well or ill COOdUCtell. It is not to be supposed that
either the principals or clerks will give evidence against themselves;
i. is obviously their interest to represent every thing in the beet
mil to emend all mismanagement. The Commiseinners of
ricuiry state, that they examined the documents produced, but
fop n.abe no mention of what these documents were; and they state
fueser, thet they lama their optnion of the integrity of .Ir. Brent-
arr's official tanduct from the concurrent opinion of persons to whom
!it. Bermeer has been very long known ; but they wholly omit to
sums the name of any person from whom such testimony was ob.
need. Neither your Lordship, therefore, roe the Coatd of
'"l.llPs, mitt jnlge of the weight which any such opinions nay de.
arne, and still less in any inquiry, whether the Solicitor of the
Steep office bad faithfully discharged his official duty ! ...Be-
came this can alone appear from in examination into the manage.
tent of hi i`t a question of filelityotitness, and efficiency,
n 5 a public ei!leef, add all testimony to private character Is hire
_ _ .

.....
It putt eeleilr occur to your I.lrlmhips that the persons who
t`e hrtt in.al.a of judging. and from nhom alone any practical
7. al-r, ounded opinion could W ointi,,cd on this head, were
u.: Goont.irdollers of Stamps, who, I Mubniit, ought to have been

rsernna tint consulted trlTut Mini whom no ;pinion has been
‘l, nor a alngle inquiry made. . _. .

If by Integrity is here meant upric'dncsa and accuracy in official
pecuniary transactions, the artmim:lon which the Commissioners
. a:e themaeres as compelled to make certainly fur..ishca no
cr"u•:d for that opinion. The Board can only judge whether a
cf!ic-r is a man of integri:y by hie fairly eccountior for the•
.

. _
.. .
9);1” 0, money h_ front time to time receives, and by finding that
3. n%lllne entry is made by him of all owns received, and of all
11 ""is paid, and that the vouchers pretelred of 11.'01 receipt and
7endii ors will, any time. show the exact balance in hand a lien
. weotint is nil 11 tor. But how iota the owe stand wil respect
Mr. Bremner?
••• We lee rtimpelted to sly that his accounts have not been, and
mrde,

mewing in July, MI& fur prosecutions on the Attorneys' Corti&
cite Duties, and amounts to no less a sum than 2,1771• Theme
duties were at that time very generally evaded; and very liege
arrears being due, it was thought right by the Solicitor, with th.:
andmba iol of the Lord Ad VOVIte, to enforce the p3ymeo: or them,
which could omy be effeeted hy raking provecuttons fur them
accordingly Intel) prosecutions about five hundred and twenty in
number, were rake I."

Hod inquiry beta made into the origin and conduct of this mass
of prosecution, it would have led to the disclosure of • syhtein of
managen,en• that would have sufficiently shown in what manner
the public btitiirc.a aria conducted in Mr. ttremner's office; it
would have appeared that ibese 520 proweutions were actually In.
stituted agaiost Writers of the Signet in Edinburgh, filasow,
Aberdeen. and elsewhere, wi:hout previously ascertaining whether
they had Takeo out their certificates annually, or not; but they
were all pr.accuted 4,i being ua,:yrtificated from
taw lint year of their realrective adiniesion, and they were left to
clear thennselves aet they could. This is panifest bum the docu-
ment limit, which contains these oro.ccutions, as well au front tie?
following copies of aii.wee, received to a circular letter, forwarded
since the present Report of the Coninde.imers of Inquiry was We-
livered. for the purpnee of ascertaining certain particulars connected
with the above piosecntions.

Dere tollow ueveral letters of complaint, confirmatory of the
above, from different Writers to the Signet, which, as they run to
mine 1-ngth, are omitted.]
of
are not the only feelers recelved, stating the came grounds
of annplaint. It will naturally occur to your Isordeltips to inquire,
how it could happen, that ratios should be prosecuted by the Soli.
citor of Stamps, as having aced without cerifitates, when cereifi-
cotes have been regularly taken out; and (what is toil more eves.
urdiaary), how it could happen that the Lord Advocate should
have awarded penalties, in cases where the offences charged had
never been committed, and ClNtsomently eteoil never 'rave been
proved. This. is a mode of cooducung the pulelic profteutiona, that
demanded examination on the spit:, since, whatever course of pro.
carding led to so uojastitiabte a result, it was of importance that
such tuesettres should be adopted. its mignt protect the mblia
against suer unauthorized proaasations he Notre.
Them keit hero( importio.ce. which is not noticed in the
port ; bat leo:kb, being in the knowledge of the Cointrobisionste,
ought to nave been pa-ticutarly adv wted to, which is the extra-
ordinary fact, of newly 9.0t0/. being awarded by thedlret Lord
Advocate, on thew poesecuttotte, iu the year 18114 to be recovered
from the reapective defaulters. It win surely essential to inquire
w'iy such a sues' of arrears wag permitted to accumulate, as to
make it neoessary for him to prosecute to the member of 329 Writers
to the Signe., and that, too, for ac iig ten, fiacea, and even in
ROM, instanen twenty years togeassively, without taking out certi-
ficates ? And fur her, haw much of this 9,0001. was to be con-
sidered as arrears of duty, and how much as penalty ? Whether
any part of this suer !Is% been amounted fur as arrear of duty, and
has the CroiMbell 1110 i% ty of the petialtis been paid over to the pro-
per officer ? Aid further, if only 2,0.101. liar been recovered, whit.
steps have been taken. since 1815, to re:over the oulatarteling ulcers
of 6,011111, and it can steps have been taken for thie purpose, on what
;pounds has the recovery of them been ebandoned ?
With respect tn 3lr. Bremner', having thus suffered these of-
fences against the stamp Aces to acettonulair, for which the prose-
cutions in the year lair, were instituted, it may be thus accounted
for. Mr. Bohan, his predecessor, and whose Deputy he had been
foe many years, died in 1813. Mr. Bremner was appointed to sue-
owed NM in 1814. And in 1313 these prosecutions are co timeoced,
for the recovery of penalties incurred yew after year, long previ-
oust, to Mr. Buchan'edeaffi, but foe which, had they been then pro-
socce.•ed, the duty, penalties, and costa recovere I must have been ac-
counted for to hint ; but tile ofFenotes were euffered to accumulate,
till Mr. 11r:inner became hinoolf Solicitor. area hence proceed thew
prosecutions in 1813. which, under one head of ditty alone, created
a 11111 of Costs amounting to 2.1771.
la the Appendix to the 112:port is Inserted an account of Mr.
Breinner's bills, from the 10th June, 1818, to the 11th Decem-
ber, 1818; in this account, as your Lordship, will perceive, the
amount of the bill for pr lacerations ia the Attorney's Certificate
Duty, is 2,1771. Us. 41., the amount tented to have been received
by Mr. Bremner is 231301. 10s., and the balance which is stated ss
due from hint is 6331. fit. lid. ; whereas the real fast is, and l) this
fact I would direct the scrims attention of your Lordships, that
the whole of this stint of 2,113111. 10s. so recovered under those pro.
secutious, is at this moment due Iran Mr. Bremner, he not
being entitled to deduct from it a single shilling of thle bill of
2.1771. Os. 4tl. The Act imposing the Certificate Duty directs that
penalties shall be recovered with full costs of suit, and the Board,
moreover, gate him specific dieections on this very point, as will
appear by the following extract from their Secretary's letter, dotted
Nov. El, 1815:
•• The Catnitoissioners approve of your having taken measures
tor eafereing payme.. t of the duties on .I!lorsteys Certyleates, and
desire you will do the same with regard to the Attorneys' Man-
dates; they also eestre, that the defeu;ters may be made to pay the
coals of the actions In onAqat against than, and that the outallies
may not be semitted without the knowledge and sanction of the
Board."

Now. in utter disregard of the provision of the Act, which ape-
cities, that the pen shies shall be recorded with full costs of suit. the
cams were privately referred to the Lord Advocate, and the penalties
reinteal or tetLuc‘d, without the knowledise or sanctioned the Board ;
ant Mt. firtrinTEr. ',About the slightest claim of right, takes the
whole amount of the arrears of ditty recovered, together wiih the
whole of the penalties, amounting to this mum of 2.3110/., width
ought to have been paid over to the Consolidated Fund, in payment
of thane very costs which it was his duty to Bute recovered against
the penalties, and for which at this moment he stands accountable.
It would hate been of advantage, had the Commissioners of In-
quiry, Messrs. &tykes and Forbes, 5u,..-grsted what steps it might
be proper to pursue in order to compel a faithful account to be de-
livered of nil duties, compositions, and penalties received, and of
vouchers for the due payment of the shares of penalties awarded to
the different in funned in each persecution.
I most far her observe, that it was not only the Attorneys'
Cer ihcate Duty, which had thus suffered to get into arrear, but
every other branch of Duty, the Mandate Duty, the Attorneys'
Ado ission Duty, the Duties on Inventories ( which in England Is
the Probate Duty). the Legacy Duty. the Duty on Nam, on
License, on Patent Medicines. the Pamphlet Duty, every other de-
scription of Duty, was in the same stite, notwithstanding the
abundant reports of arnetra in etti.h were regularly. transmitted
br the Inspector to Mr. Bremner, for prosecution, without effect.
'I he Commissioners might have obtained evidence of this. The
Inspector's Reports, and the Inspector himself, would have af-
forded informs ion sufficiently conclusive, and the examination of
the Mirth/. Solicitor, during Mr. Bremner's suspension, would
have prodiseed ample untimely to the same effect.
There is a circumstance connected with Mr. Bremner's neglect

in delivering his bills of costs, which scents to all for &Zola-
nation on the part of the Boleti, hr-esuse the Ilepirt Inys much
stress upon it as exculpatory of 31r. Bremner's delay; it relates to
the bill of costs from June, 1813, to July, 1014

Title account, an delivered to the Comptroller, was exa-
mined by him, and forwarded to London, for the approbation of
the Board, on the 12,111 June, MB . and rettuned by the Board
to the solicitor in August, 111111, with a direction to lay it and
the subsequent &mutat bet.re eve Deputy Remembrancer of
the Court of Exchequer. and the Auditor of the Court of Session."
This bill bti•ig detained so long by the Boa-d, seems, in the
opinion of the Comm'ssioncrs of Inquiry, to acquit Mr. Bremner of
all subsequent neglect I
With reprel to the subsequent bills, re do not think any on•
doe delay is bopetable to Mr. Arenvirr, for w!t.'lz the first remained
with the Cominisrioners ucsett!cd, wh. n he might be looking for a
statement of it, which would thus ascertain the correctness of the
charges made by him, and Ir^ a rule for makiog out the subsequent
bills, it wan natural for him to wait the auditing of the first bill
before he furnished any other."

This apology on the behalf of Mr. Bremner is quite inadmis-
sible; Mr. Brern”er was bound to deliver hii bills annually, and
the pretext fur disregarding this rule of office—that he waited for
the first bill being audited, before lie fumished any subsequent
bill—is quite unfounded. It was clearly Mr. Bremner's duly to
. . . .

•
tage of the public service, if he were invested with more simple
power in his awn department than he is permitted to exetelse at
present. He ought to be allowed to institute prosecutions in such
eases as he considers proper, without the necessity of always ap-
plying to the Board for advice, as it is due opinion that a local
knowledge of circumstances, to be acquired only on the spot, is
often of inurh int por•ance in determining nn the propriety of Insti-
tuting, or abstaining from institutim: pmsrcu•ions.'
IVostr, with regard to the power which the Solicitor poesesecs, it
Is folly adequate to every exigenor in which it can be made avail.
able to the public service. If a Solicitor of Stomps in Scotland
possess a due share of legal knowledge, combined with vigilant
superintendence and sound integrity, he possesses already as much
power as will enable him to exercise all these dualities to time ut-
most. That he ougl.l to he allowed to institute Fov.rotirtav in
such eases as lit conside:s proper, without the neeemisiir t.r :always
applying to the Board. is an opicion from which we (firer tnrta-
mentally. The irregularity which has been found to prevail to
such an extent in the Solietor's department, would certaii.ly not
induce the Board to place met department more beyond its control,
by giving him more ample power, but quite the reverse; and there-
fore it was, that, by a ►ecent order, no prosecutions were pernimted
to be instituted but under the Boird's direction— in the brat place.
that the public might not be harassed by prosceutions in
improper or trivial case? • and in the next place, that they might
know the actual number of prosecutions instituted, the penalties
awarded in each, the shores payable to informers ; and further, to
prevent all compromises, which, in prosecutions commencer! without
the Board's authority, might be concluded Without their know-
ledge.
It is the more remarkable that this increase of powerteliould he
recommended by the Cummit,mioncrs of Inquiry to be given to the
Solicitor, because, in a former part of this very Report, they state
Obit— _ .

Until July or Angus!, 1819. soon after Nlt..llremnt is re-in-
statement. the Solicitor always proceeded at his own iliserelion,
taking occasioaally the Of the Crown's Coen.el in cases
or difficulty ; Jie wiw, however, by express direction of the 800
lays ell cases before them, and institutes no proceeding without their
authority."
it war. clearly in be inferred from this. that the abuses which the
Maid pereetvid might he pratoised by suffering a solicitor to ins:i•
tote prosecutions unknown to Mini, and at his 'ova discretion, hied
led them to adopt the tenuity adverted to. Instead, tberefoot, of
extending the power to the solicitor, and re-investing him with that
authority to institute prosecutions which they had so recently with-
drawn, the Board would Lao rather disposed to consider by what
means the Solicitot'a Department in Scotland mild he brought un-
tier its still more intnicaliate superintendence, and whether regula-
tions might not be devhied which should make it impasaible that
the Solicitor should materially neglect the duties of hie office with-
out it being perceived, or commeice or conipromise prosecutionl,
without its being known, or recover the public money in any share,
without the Board having the means of bringing lam promptly
and explicitly toacconnt.
Mestere. Sykes and Forbes recommend that the offices of Soli-
citor of Stamps and Legacy Duties rhould be consolidated.
As it must be well known to them that the Marti had but very
recently separated these two offices, from a conviction that the pub.
lie duties of each would be more effectually discharged, and the
public revenue much better collected, it could hardly be expected
that this proposal could meek their concurrence; indeed, the oploio
itself must be considered as soniewhed premature, inasmuch as it
was formed and reported by Aleuts. Sykealand hurbep, before they
had made any inquiry into what were the duties of the Legacy
Ddpartmenc, and before the arrival of Mr. Campbell had a:fooled
them any opportunity of coast:king with him upon the subject.
The Commissioners of loquiry report it as their opinkm_.

" That a superior oflicer.to any at present in the department j
would be useful; but it would be chiefly as a check or control
over the Solicitor, or as an adviser with hint in the business of his
departtn: nt.'
Thera seems no ground to consider the proposed new appoint-
me It as in any manner necessary. It seems obvious that a Solicitor
of Stamps in Edinburgh can require no such check AT control as is
here suggested, but upon the supposition of his dishonesty; add with
this presumption against his character, he is unfit for the office;
nor can he require an adviser with him in the business of his
department, but on the ritrinsitinn of his incompetency, in
which case he is not qualified fur it. To recommend, more-
over, the appointment of an oiE er as a check or controul over
tie Solicitor, or as an adviser with him in the business of his
department, appears somewhat contradictory. If he is to act
as a Comptroller, it cannot be 11:s office to advise, nor as an
adviser to control ; and if the superior officer to be appointed may
act indifferently in either capscity, it is quite manifest that such an
appointment must be superfluous. Indeed, it seems Mivicus, that
the result of it would be, either wholly to sunersede the authority of
the Board in London, or greatly to impede the exerzise of it ; and by
:moving the responsibility from where it might. to rest, defeat the
intention of the Legislature, and embarrass the public service.
I has: the honour to be. my Lords,
Your Lordships' mist obedient lanant,
JAMES SEDI WICK, ClLdronts.
To the Right lion. the Lords CammissiJiiers of his
Majesty's Treastio.

BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

TII Vlt SDAY,OCT. 6.

Saint Philip's Church was this morning crowded at the
early hour of ten o'clock ; hundreds were sent back from
the doors, yet the nave, the galleries, the staircase, and
indeed every part—however inconvenient for sight or
sound—were thronged even to suffocation. The great
object of attraction was the " Messiah," which, though
far from a novelty to Etigli,ll ears, is yet the most popular
oratorio ever composed. Mr. Brahani opened the morn-
ing's performances with the recitative, " Comfort ye,
cm fort ye, my people;" and if yesterday we spoke rather
slightingly of one or two of his most ambitious attempts,
we can on this occasion afford him unqualified praise. Per-
haps it may be with singing (though comparatively a me-
chanical experiment), as it is with genius in other depart-
ments of mind, namely, that it is restless, uncertain, and
full of inequalities ; if so, Mr. Brabane stands proudly ac-
quitted of undue negligence on the one day, or of unex-
pected excellence on the other. The chorus which foi-
-1 lowed his air, " And the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed," was solemnly appropriate, terminating in a full
swell of majestic harmony, that, to adopt the striking
language of Milton, was enough to " create a soul under
the ribs of death." Mr. Bellamy sung " Thus saith the
Lord of Hosts," very creditably, hut the part should have
been assigned to Braliam. Mr. Phillips, in the spirited
recitative, " For behold darkness shall cover the earth,"
threw an air of grandeur into his voice, more particularly
' when he pronounced the word " darkness," exactly con-
fcernable to the spirit of Handel's conception. Indeed,
with the exception of Braliam in one or two of his choicest
bravuras, Mr. Phillips is the most dramatic vocalist we
have—the Kcan of song! " There were shepherds
abiding in the fields," was assigned to Miss Stephens,
tyliile Miss Paton warbled " Rejoice greatly, oh daughter
of Zion'!" in a manner that thrilled to the hearts of all
who heard her. Perhaps we might object to the rather
boisterous manner in which she gave the word " shout,"
applied to the daughter of Jerusalem ; but we are in no
humour to find fault, especially with the recollection of
such delight yet lingering vividly on our minds. Miss
Travis sang " Then shall the eyes of the blind be open-
ed," in a quiet impressive manner, with a subdued

I I