The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-20 00:00:00

TEE INTERNATIONAL REFORMATORY

EXHIBITION.

OPENING CEREMONIAL.

The ceremony of opening this exhibition, at the Agri-
cultural Hall, Islington, took place yesterday by his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales.
____

The articles of exhibition were arranged on stalls erected
on either side of the hall, and on innumerable stalls in the
centre, and consisted principally of articles of wearing
apparel—plain and ornamental—iron and tin ware, mats,
carpets, rugs, furniture, and embroidery, sent from all
parts of the world : from Bade; Switzerland, Portugal,
Hanover, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States,
Prussia, Italy, France, Wurtomburg, Saxony, Ghent, Bel-
gium, Austria, St. Hubert's, and all the reformatory insti-
tutions in Great Britain.

At the end of the hall a chair of state was placed on a
raised dais for his Royal Highness, surrounded by others
for the more distinguished visitors, and a choice display of
flowers placed at the back of the chairs gave a very beau-
tiful appearance to the spot. On either side of the Great
Exhibition organ the boys and girls from the English re-
formatories were ranged, forming a choir of upwards of
1,000 voices.

The galleries were all occupied by stalls, the names of
the institutions or countries, contributing the articles,
being well displayed in white letters on a red ground.
The appearance of the hall, filled with a brilliant company,
principally of ladies, was very imposing. Amongst those
present were the Earl of Shaftesbury, Miss Burdet
Coutts, the Hon. W. Cowper, Mr. 3. A. Smith, M.P., Mr.
Tite, M.P., Mr. Cave, M.P., Hon. Mr. Kinnaird, M.P.,
Sir C. Fox, &c.

A very excellent selection of music, occupying the time
until the hour fixed for the arrival of his Royal Highness
(four o'clock), was executed by the band of the corps of
Commissionaires, and on the grand organ by the Rev. Mr.
J. Kempthorne, M.A., and precisely at the appointed hour,
just as the last sounds of the magnificent Hallelujah
Chorus were dying away, a flourish of trumpets an-
nounced the arrival within the building of his Royal
Highness and suite. The majority of the committee were
in attendance to receive his Royal Highness, and he was
then conducted to the dais, the Archbishop of Canterbury
walking on the Prince's right, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs
following on the left.
On the arrival of his Royal Highness at the dais in front
of the orchestra the vast assemblage of children sang the
National Anthem, and then the Earl of Shaftesbury ad-
vanced to the front, and presentedto the Prince an address,
who handed it to Gen. Knollys, on behalf of the Reformatory
and Refuge Union. The address entered at length into
the great benefits that had resulted to the industrious poor
by the founding of these institutions, and it expressed the
greatest pleasure that kindred establishments now existed
all over the world. It then went on to say, the boys and
girls, seen actually at work around us in some thirty dif-
ferent handicrafts, aro chiefly front institutions in our
busy towns, while there are many country schools
and asylums, occupied in gardening or agriculture,
which cannot so well exhibit the fruits of their
labour now in the spring time of the year. The
committee of the union believe that your Royal
Highness, as patron of our society, which is the centre of
300 British institutions, will graciously welcome these
numerous representatives from abroad, who, responding to
our invitation, have brought here from almost every part
of Europe, and from Africa and America, the evidences of
their interest in this peculiar field of Christian work.
The noble lord, on concluding the reading of the address,
handed it to the Prince, and,
His ROYAL HiGurcess replied as follows :
" Your Grace, your Excellency, my Lords, Ladies, and
Gentlemen,—l have gladly taken a part in the proceeding
of this day, and have complied with your request that I
should attend, as the patron of this society, with tho
greatest satisfaction. The benevolent purpose of this
exhibition cannot fail to be followed by the desired suc-
cess, and claims the co-operation of every one who has the
interests of the industrious poor at heart, and who desire to
forward the object which the Reformatory and Refuge
Union has in view, viz., industrial with moral training.
" The committee do me justice in believing that I cor-
dially sympathise in the welcome this society offers to
the representatives of foreign countries who have responded
to the invitations they have received by their presents and
contributions.

"In doing so they have borne testimony, in common
with ourselves, to the value of those international exhibi-
tions in promoting the growth of those Christian and kind
feelings towards each other which we ought to pray should
animate the whole of the nations of the world."

The children then sang the Old Hundredth Psalm, and
his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury then offered up
a prayer, at the conclusion of which the children sang a
piece of music entitled " Gotha," the music being the com-
position of his late Royal Highness the Prince Consort.

This portion of the ceremony having concluded, his
Royal Highness then advanced to the front of the dais and
exclaimed, in a loud voice, " I declare this Exhibition
open." The announcement was received with vociferous
cheering.

His Royal Highness then descended the dais, and was
conducted by the committee round the hall to inspect the
articles of which the exhibition was comprised. The works
from Wurtemburg attracted his royal highnesses attention,
and so did the extremely beautiful embroidery sent from
the British Syrian Industrial School. This contribution
consisted of cushions, purses, table-covers, and ladies' girdles
of velvet, upon which was worked devices of the most ex-
quisite design in gold thread. When the fearful massacres
in the Lebanon, and other parts of Syria, in 1860, placed
thousands of widows and orphans within the reach of
Christian sympathy, and an English lady, Mrs. Bowen
Thompson, hastened to raise the unhappy creatures
in their social position by instructing them in needle
work and other useful occupations, the benevolent ob-
ject prospered, and now a very remunerative return is
made, as Messrs. Howell and James, of Regent-street, have
undertaken the sale of the articles for the committee. A
contribution from a prison in Ghent excitedmuch curiosity,
as did the straw manufactures from Austria. The contri-
butions from the English reformatories were quite worthy
of the country—the various articles of useful wearing
apparel being made in a manner that distanced all compe-
tition. There were some very excellent specimens o
cabinet work, all of which reflected great credit on the
institutions sending them for exhibition.
The prince, having made a circuit of the building, took
leave of the committee, and on entering his carriage in the
Liverpool-road he was received with loud and great
cheering, amidst which the Prince and suite drove off to
Marlborough-house.

WEST LONDON WORKING-CLASSES INDUSTRIAL
ExtunrrioN.—Her Majesty the Queen has graciously an-
nounced, by letter of Sir Charles Phipps, her acceptance
of the office of Patroness of this Exhibition, and authoris-
ing the publishing her name as patroness.
It is rumoured that in the event of Lord Clarence
Paget being successfully opposed at Sandwich, his lordship
will succeed Sir Robert Smart in command of the Medi-
terranean station. —Army and Nary Gazette.
DEATH OF THE LORD-LIEUTENANT OF ESSEX.--
It is with deep regret we have to announce the
death at an early hour this morning, at Easton-lodge, of
Lord Viscount Maynard, the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex.
From age and illness this sad event has been for some time
anticipated. Our despatch announcing the death says:—
«
The much-esteemed Lord-Lieutenant and Vice-Admiral
of this county expired this morning at five minutes beforo
7 o'clock, to the great regret of the community of a widely
extended neighbourhood. His lordship having no male
01.
sheeqi: eCn was 9
Maynard,7 his son, having died in January last,
the title becomes extinct. He was born in 1786, and con-
years of age, and was the third viscount.'
His lordship married in 1810 the only daughter of the late
Mr. Reginald Rabett, of Bramfield-hall, Suffolk (she died
1857) ; succeeded his uncle in 1824. He was patron of six
livings. The pedigree is clearly traced to the Conquest,
and the family at first resided in Devonshire. The pre-
sent peer is descended from Sir Henry Maynard, secretary
to Lord Treasurer Burleigh, whose eldest son was created
a baron, which title became extinct with the sixth pos-
sessor. That peer, however, obtained another barony and
viscounty, with remainder to the late Viscount's grand-
father.—Chelragfind Chronicle.

HONORARY SUICIDE.--Recently the Emperor of
Japan had reason to be highly dissatisfied with one
of his officers, and sent him the renowned sabre. It is a sort
of honorary sword, very beautifully carved and finished.
As this officer held high rank, and had hitherto given his
prince every reason to be satisfied, the latter sent him, in
order to alleviate the effect of the message as far as pos-
sible, one of his own swords, set with diamonds, and se-
lected his prime minister as the bearer. The officer re-
ceived the present, and was well aware what it signified.
After reverently regarding the instrument of his punish •
ment, he quietly left his house, went to the port, go
aboard a French ship bound for Havre, and safel
Paris, where ho sold the sabre for 150,000 f
Mr. James Cameron has this day been promoted to be
Assistant Engineer of the First Class iu her Majesty's
Fleet, with seniority of 11th May, 1865.
neer in her Majesty's Fleet.
Mr. Edwin Gossage has this day Neu appointed Engi-