The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-26 00:00:00

CITY GIRIBALDI COMMITTEE,

A special meeting of the City Garibaldi Committee was
held yesterday at the London Tavern, for the promotion of
the testimonial fund to General Garibaldi, and for the pur-
pose of taking in;o consideration the suppression by the
police of the Garibaldi meeting on Primrose-hill on Satur-
day last. Mr. Edmond Beales occupied the chair, and
among those present were Mr W. Lawson, M.P., Mr P.
Taylor, M.P., Mr S. Morley, Professor Beesley, Messrs.
We her, Stapleton, Richardson, Common Councilmen, &c.
Mr P. TAYLOR, M.P., said Mr Lawsoa and himself had
just left the House of Commons, among the independent
members of which, of all shades of opinion, there was but
one opinion as to the impropriety of the conduct of the police
on Saturday last. Mr H. Lewis, the member for Maryle-
bone, had that afternoon questioned Sir G. Grey on the
subject, and the Home Secretary disclaimed all knowledge
of the transaction. Neither himself, he said, nor Sir R.
Mayne had given any orders to the police about the meet-
ing, and he supposed they had acted on their general in,
structions to present any meeting likely to lead to a
breach of the peace. He (Mr. Taylor) felt the liberty
of the subject was in peril. He felt strongly about the
matter; but should like to have a statement from their
chairman, who htd also been chairman of the meeting
which had been suppressed, before he could decide what
steps, in conjunction with other members of Parliament,
should be taken in the matter. Sir G. Grey had stated
that the accounts in the papers were incorrect, and that
only one inspector and two or three constables were present
when the meeting was stopped.
The CHAIRMAN said the accounts which had appeared in
the papers were substantially correct, and whoever had been
Sir G. Grey's informant had reported falsely. More than a
dozen policemen accompanied the inspector, who ordered
him to desist from speaking, and large bodies of constables
were making their way up to the top of the hill, where the
meeting was being held. The interference of the police was
a gross violation of public liberty, and had any riot ensued
the police alone would have been responsible. He had ad-
dressed a letter to Sir R. Mayne, stating the full particulars,
and it would deper,cl upon the reply of that functionary
what further steps he should take.
Messrs. Hartwell, Whitelocke, Sheen, Taylor, and Wain-
wright confirmed a 1 that the chairman had stated, Thera
were several hundred policemen on and about the hill, be-
sides a strong body in reserve. From personal observation,
they were prepareo to state that the reports in the papers
had been rather under than over stated.

Messrs, Morley, Nicholay, Rogers, Webber, Richardson
and others thought if this conduct of the police were tole-
rated there would be an end to the liberty of public meeting.
There must he some understanding from Sir G. Grey defin-
ing the powers of the police, o: he must be held responsible
for their illegality,

Mr, P. TAYLOR, M.P., said they might depend upon it he
and other members with whom he acted would not allow
the illegal act of the police in suppressing a peaceable and
orderly meeting to be slurred over, Some one should be
made responsible.

It was ultimately resolved that a deputation be appointed
from the committee, to act in concert with the Working
Men's Committee, in waiting upon Sir G. Grey, upon the
subject, to protest against the illegal act of Saturday and ob-
tain guarantees for the future; and also that a petition be
presented to the House of Commons praying for a full in•
quiry into the matter, The feeling against the conduct of the
police among all parties in the room,whichwas muchcrowded,
was quite unanimous. An address was then brought up
from the Finance Committee, to be issued to the public,
solicited subscription to the testimonial fund. During the
discussion on this address the chairman, Mr Nicholay, and
other members said they had seen Garibaldi at Cliefden on
Sunday. He had assured them he was in perfect health,
and that the cause of his departure must be attributed to
other causes. It was the duty of the people to insist upon
the mystery involving his hurried departure being aleared

Mr IticilinDsolcatated that after all cxpensos connected
with the demonstration had been paid a sum of £3OO remained
on hand to form the nucleus of the Testimonial Fund.

The address was then agreed to, and after the transaction
of some routine business the meeting adjourned.

Stratford-on-Avon Tercentenary Festival,

STRATFORD-ON-AVON, Monday Evening.

Dr. Wordsworth,
the Bishop of St. Andrew's,
who preached the tercentenary sermon yesterday
afternoon, in the church of the Holy Trinity, took
his text from Psalms exiv., v. 10—" All Thy works
shall praise Thee, 0
Lord ; and Thy saints shall
bless Thee." Like the Archbishop's sermon in the
morning, it was a regular theological lecture on
Shakspere, studded with Shaksperian quotations.
Both discourses have given the greatest satisfac•
tion. Oa account of, the ancienl feud between
the Church and the Stage, some apprehended that
the Bishops would have shirked the express men-
tion of Shakspere, and dwelt upon the resto-
ration of the chancel in general terms, But they
both fairly grappled with the subject which was
prominent in the minds of their congregations, and,
with a little wholesome warning against idolatry,
or, as Mr. Carlyle would term it, " hero-worship,"
have been as eulogistic with respect to the bard as
the
most ardent Shaksperian could desire. If the
illustrious occupant of the tomb in the chancel could
have Watched in spirit over the proceedings, how
astounded would he have been to have found him-
self the subject of two panegyrical sermons preached
by high dignitaries of the Church
When the " Immortal Memory of Shakspere" was
proposed by
Lord Carlisle at the banquet on Satur-
day it was drunk, as you have already seen, not in
solemn silence, but as the noble President suggested,
" with the reverential love and the admiring fervour
due to the day and the man"—that is to say, with the
noisiest enthusiasm. This, I may observe, was an
innovation on former usage. The memory of
Shakspere, as of a
person deceased, was drunk in
solemn silence at the festivals of 1827 and 1830,
but the change is, I think, judicious. When we
celebrate the 300th anniversary of a man's birthday
we are certainly reflecting rather on the immor-
tality of hie fame than on the termination of his
mortal career.
Two telegrams have been received by the Mayor
of Stratford from Russia, showing how widely spread
is the interest taken in Shakspere's birthday. One
of these is from the Rector of the University of
Moscow, stating that, in consideration of the great
influence of Shakspere on the literature and stage
of Russia, the tercentenary of his birthday is duly
celebrated in the ancient capital of Muscovy, and
congratulating the Mayor on the arrival of the
auspicious day. The other, which was read at the
banquet, was from the Society of the Amateurs
of Dramatic Art" at Moscow, and was to a similar
purport.
The eloquent speech of Professor Max Muller on
privately presenting the address at the Town-hall
has already been published. I may observe here that
on this occasion Dr. Muller was accompanied by
Dr. Leitner, professor of Arabic at King's College,
London, wha read the translation of the address at
the banquet. Herr Heinrich Brockhaus, who ap-
peared as one of the German deputation, is the
celebrated publisher of Leipsic.
ATE': .s S Reeves,antly
The great event of this morning was the perform.
e
ante of " The Messiah" in the Pavilion, by Mdme.
Pmar. re
Georgepa, p
Madameerr e Laura Air Baxter,patey: Mr.
and Sims
and a band and chorus of 500 performers. The
chorus w as selected from the Festival Chnral Society

and Amateur Harmonic Society, Birmingham; the
Sacred Harmonic Society, London ; the Festival
Choral Society, Worcester; and Holy Trinity
Church, Stratford•on-Avon. The orchestra num-
bered 120 instrumentalists, Mr. Blagrove being the
leader and Mr. Harper playing the trumpet solo.
The Sacred Harmonic Society of London has be-
haved with great liberality, sending down, entirely
at its own expense, 50 picked members of its chorus.
Madame Laura Baxter might also be regarded as a
benefactress, for she undertook the music assigned
to her at a very short notice, on account of the in-
disposition of Madame Sainton-Dolby, of which
the committee did not receive intelligence until
the eleventh hour.

The "Messiah" went off admirably. A larger
assemblage of voices has often been heard, but
the magnificent choruses could scarcely have been
executed with greater vigour and precision. Mr.
Sims Reeves, recovered from his indisposition, was
in excellent voice, and sang to perfection, " Com-
fort ye my people," and " Thou shalt break them
with a rod of iron." The consummate execution
of Madlle. Parepa, the steady artistic singing of
Mr. San tley, the powerful organ of Madame Laura
Baxter were thoroughly appreciated by a most at-
tentive audience, and under the masterly conduct
of Mr. Alfred Mellon, the vast musical machine
moved on without hitch or impediment.
It might be objected that there is little appa.
rent connexion between Shakspere and Handel's
" Messiah," and that the performance of the latter
is, therefore, somewhat but of place at a Shak-
spereian festival. But it is always to be borne in
mind that among the literary admirers of Shak-
spere are many persons who, from various reasons,
would not choose to attend theatrical performanoes,
and that in an universal collection it is as well to
consult the greatest number of tastes. Besides, the
work which the English place at the head cf musi-
cal classics may be reasonably thought worthy of
with the chief classic of English literature. At the
Garrick Jubilee of 1769 the oratorio of " Judith"
was performed.
In all the arrangements hitherto made the con.
venience of the public has been completely studied
and nothing like confusion, bustle, or raisundcr-
derstanding has yet occurred. Much is due in this
respect to Mr. Headland, who has been appointed
general manager to the festival.

This evering there will be a musical performance
more immediately connected with the object of the
festival—namely, a miscellanecus concert asso-
ciated with the works of Shakspere.