The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-23 00:00:00

ACCELERATION OF THE MAIL

The irre+u►arity in the arrival of our London mail still con-
tinues, owing to the contractors for horsing the mails from
London to the station-house at Birmingham not doing their
dut2, and the want of a proper arrangement with the Railway
Companies. The correct time for arriving in this city is
txvent:!-three minutes past nine o'clock, a. in. From the 27th
ult. to the 6th init. there was a slight improvement, which we
hailed as the presage of something grclter, the time of arrival
during that period averaging from thirty-nine to fifty-four mi-
nutes past nine o'clock, A.M. On Monday, the 9th inst., it
was forty-three minutespast ten o'clock, a m. ; and, from the
information of a passenger, we find that this was occasioned
by the late arrival of the mail-coaches from London at the
station-house at Birmingham on Sunday morning, the Sth
inst., by which the train was detained more than half an hour.
The Carlisle end Manchester mails were latt st of corning up.
I-knee the train did not move off till 317} minutes past seven
by the Railway clock —proceeded to Warrington, and was
there detained, as usual, 35 minutes.
We were in hopes that more attention would have been paid
to the memorial from the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and
Town-council of this city, to the Lords of her Majosty's
Treasury, in which Newton was shown to be the proper
point for the north mails to leave the railway—five minutes, in
place of thirty-five, to be sufficient for shifting the mail-bags
from the railway coaches to the mail coach—the station-house
at Birmingham to be the proper place for breakfasting ; and
more attention paid to the horsing of the mails from London
to Birmingham, making their arrivals at the station-house not
to exceed half-past six o'clock, A. IL, and a judicious arrange-
ment with the Directors of the Grand Junction Railway Com-
pany, and the London and Birmingham Railway Company ;
these, and reducing the detention at Carlisle to twenty
minutes, were the improvements sought for by this memorial,
so far back as the 30th of January ; yet nothing has been
done, and it would appear that nothing will be done, with-
out a simultaneous movement over the whole of Scotland, to
demand her just rights. Therefore, let the words be, " AGI-
TATE, AGITATE, AGITATI !" The trade, manufactures, and
agriculture of the country are sacrificed, for the want of re-
gular and speedy communication, which the state of the re-
venue for the last quarter clearly shows. Let us then be
united and firm, in having all the improvements on mail con-
veyance called for ; and, in addition, the time bills from Lon-
don to Edinburgh, and Glasgow direct, from which all deten-
tions and their causes will appear, and thus render it unne-
cessary to derive information from passengers. When the
mail is late it is always attributed to detention on the railway ;
but in this instance we have traced the fault to the contractors
for horsing the mail from London to Birmingham, and the
unwarrantable detention at Warrington. In so far as the
railway was concerned, they proceeded at an excellent steady
pace from Birmingham to Warrington. The London and Bir
mingham Railway was opened on the 9th instant ; now, there
fore, is the time for a general movement for carrying our irn
provements into effect, which would bring in our London mai
before 5 o'clock, A. at., and afford proportional benefit to al
other places north and west, whose mail bags come by that
conveyance.— Caledonian Mercury.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS

CENTENARY FESTIVAL.

The Annual Commemoration of the Royal Society of Musi-
cians would always be an event of unusual interest, because a
musical treat of the highest order is provided. The announce-
ment of such a festival, on a very splendid scale, attracted no
small attention, introducing as it did a most delightful novelty
in our public dinners, which, from the success and eclat attend-
ing the experiment of Friday night at Freemasons' Hall, will,
it is hoped, be often repeated. We allude to the presence of
ladies at the festive table, from which, by some absurd custom,
they, the fair portion of the creation, hare hitherto been ex-
cluded. Never did the Hall present a more beautiful appear-
ance than on this occasion, graced by the company of ele-
gantly-dressed women. There were six tables, and every al-
ternate seat had a " ladye fair," smiling and content in the
consciousness that she was aiding one of the best-conducted
societies in the metropolis, and contributing a mite to alleviate
the sorrows of the descendants of those who had so often de-
lighted us in their hour of prosperity.
The Noble Chairman for this year was Lord Burghersh. A
better and more appropriate choice could not have been made.
His Lordship takes a deep interest in the musical profession,
and to him arc we indebted for the establishment of the Royal
Academy, which has sent forth such eminent instrumentalists
and vocalists. The Noble Chairman was supported on his
right by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, the
Duchess of Richmond, Lady Fitzroy Somerset, Sir John
Campbell, Colonel Jones, &c. ; and on his left by Lady Burg-
hersh (Lady Patroness of the day), Hon. Mrs. Fane, Miss
Fitzroy Somerset, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Sir W. Clarke,
Colonel Eyre, Culling C. Smith, Esq., Sir Robert Cell, &c.
&c. Nearly four Hundred ladies and gentlemen, at half-past
5, sat down to dinner, although there was an opera at her Ma-
jesty's Theatre and a new opera at Drury Lane, which kept
away many professionals.
' After a sumptuous dinner, the Noble CHAIRMAN proposed
the health of " her Majesty the Queen," which, his Lordship
said, was a toast he was sure the company would receive with
an enthusiastic expression of loyalty and devotion. He had
the pleasure to announce that her Majesty had sent a munifi-
cent donation to the society of 301.
" God save the Queen," sung in chorus, accompanied by
the band.

The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Queen Dowager, and
other members of the Royal Family," and observed that he
could not propose this toast without alluding to one member
of that illustrious family, who honoured them with his com-
pany that day, his Royal Highness the Dake of Cambridge.
After an elegant eulogium of the public and private virtues of
his Royal Highness, the Noble Lord announced that the
Duke of Cambridge had that day contributed to the funds of
the institution a donation of 201., in addition to his annual
subscription, and that his Royal Highness had given him
permission to say that he would preside at the next anniversary
festival of the society. —(Cheering.) The health of her
Majesty the Queen Dowager was sure to meet with a cordial
welcome from them, for her Majesty had always been a zea-
lous friend of the society, and he had the satisfaction to
inform them that her Majesty had that day sent her annual
donation of 101. The toast was drank with great enthusiasm.
Tle applause was reiterated, when
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE rose. It was now twenty-five
years since he bad become a member of this society ; but it
had happened, unfortunately, that this was the first of their
festivals which he had been able to attend, having for twenty-
three years been absent from England at the time when they
were held. Nothing could afford him greater pleasure than
to take the chair at their festival next year, and to witness
then, as now, the continued and increasing prosperity of so
useful and meritorious an institution.—(Loud cheers.)
The glee of " The rose of the valley," the melody by the
late Mr. W. Reeve harmonised by Mr. W. Knyvett, was well
sung by Mrs. W. Knyvett, Messrs. Sale, Vaughan, and W.
Knyvett.
" The Army and Navy" and " The President and Vice-
President of the Society" were the next toasts.
The two fine marches composed expressly for the society
by Haydn and Winter were finely played, and Bishop's
charming, glee, " Blow gentle gales," as charmingly sung by
Mrs. Bishop, Miss M. B. Hawes, Messrs. Hawkins, Elliott,
and Bellamy, was rapturously encored.

The CIT;IRMAN proposed the toast of " The Ladies who
have honoured the festival with their presence."
Mr. Horsley's elegant glee of " Wake now, my love," was
then well sung by Mrs. Knyvett, Miss Hawes, Messrs. Sale,
Terrail, and. Vaughan; after which Mrs. Anderson and Mr.
Blagrove performed Benedict and De Beriot's concertante
duet on themes from La Sonnambula, in a style which drew
down unqualified approbation.
Mr. floaseEv, in proposing the toast of " The Noble Pre-
sident of the day," took occasion to congratulate the society
upon its progressive prosperity, to which the Noble Lord had
so largely contributed by his munificence and his exertions.
The Noble CHAIRMAN returned thanks.
A Centennial Ode, written expressly for the occasion, the
words by T. Dibdin, E3q., and the music by T. Rovedino,
was then sung.
After the dessert had been served, the second part consisted '
of T. Cooke's cantata, " The Shades of the Heroes," and
Bishop's exquisite round of " When the wind blows," which
alone would stamp his fame.
The toasts were--" The Royal Society of Musicians ;"
Prosperity to the new Musical and Choral Funds," and
" the various officers of the Institution."
Mr. HORSLEY proposed, and Lord BURGHERSII seconded, in
neat speeches, " The health of Mr. Parry, whose exertions
have been so indefatigable and unremitting for the Society."
Mr. PARRY returned thanks.

The enthusiasm of the meeting was not confined to outward
demonstrations. The donations and subscriptions were un-
usually liberal ; amongst which was her Majesty, 30/ ; the
Queen Dowager, 101 ; the Duke of Cambridge, 201. ; Sir
R. Gell, 10 guineas ; Lord Burghersh, 5 guineas, &c. ;

besides a list of annual subscribers. The gifts of the profes-
sionals were also generous. The house of Broadwood again
for 501. ; Collard, 50 guineas; Addison and Beale, la 10s ;
Thalberg, 101. 10s. ; Mrs. Anderson, 51. ss. ; the Proprietor
of thu Hanover-square-rooms, Si. 55., &c. &c. The company
separated after a most delightful entertainment.

The Quotidienne gives an extract from a letter
from the Prior of the Hospice on the Simplon, which men-
tions that at the beginning of March the road was buried
under an enormous mass of snow, which had rendered the
mountain impassable for upwards of a week, but that the tem-
perature was very mild for the season, since, at the elevation
of 6,200 feet the thermometer had never been more than 44
degrees below zero of Reaumer (the zero point of Fahren-
heit's scale). To the above the Quotidienne adds a letter of
the 20th ult., from the Prior of the Great St. Bernard, from
which we take the following We have had a most rigor-
ous winter. Five travellers have perished on our mountain.
We have found three, but the two others remain covered by an
avalanche. We have a great quantity of snow. Instead of
ascending twelve steps in order to enter our house, we have to
descend almost as many. We have not, however, had a pro-
portionate intensity of cold. Although our convent is the
most elevated spot in Europe, being 7,600 feet above the level
of the sea, the thermometer has never been lower than Hi
degrees below zero of Reaumur (about 6 of Fahrenheit)."

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 23, I S3B.

LAW INTELIGENCt.

VICE-CTIANCtij:OI.I' Al CO U T, Aißri 2I .

CRADQCR AND OTHERS.

SOCIETY FOE THE DIFFUSION OF USEFUL SteistzeLlaitnis BALD-

, - - .
In this 68Se, ii4lii.!l,-, Was tioi cOncluded on Slc4rf./.::," when
*e went to iireSS, the VICE-C,laNtELLoti Said the plain 3cn4e
and justice of the case requiriti4- it, take an order for the re-
ference. The rest of the motion was refused: