The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-21 00:00:00

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GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

I thank you for the liberal supplies which you
have voted for the public service.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMVN,

I have had great satisfaction in giving my assent
to a bill for amending the representation of the
people in Parliament. I earnestly trust that the

extensive and liberal measure which you have

passed may effect a durable settlement of a
question which has long engaged public attention ;
and that the large number of my subjects who will
be for the first time admitted to the exercise of the
elective franchise may, in the discharge of the
duties thereby devolved upon them, prove them-
selves worthy of the confidence which Parliament
has reposed in them.
It is gratifying to me to find that the lengthened
consideration which you have necessarily given to
this important question has not prevented four
entering on many subjects to which your attention
was directed at the commencement of the session,
and particularly to such as have immediate refer-
ence to the wellbeing of the industrial classes.
I have had especial pleasure in giving my assent
to bills for extending to various trades, with such
modifications as have been found necessary, the pro-
vhions of the Factory Acts, the success of which has
proved the possibility of combining effectual pro-
tection to the labour of women and children with a
due consideration for the interests of the trades im-
mediately concerned.
I confidently anticipate from the operation of the
present acts the same improvement in the physical,
social, and moral condition of the working classes,
which has been found to accompany the application
of the Acts to those trades to which they have
been hitherto confined.
The restraints alleged to be imposed on workmen
and their employers by trade unions and other as-
sociations appeared to me to call for inquiry; and the
revelations derived from the examinations before
the Commission, to which you gave your legislative
sanction, have disclosed a state of things which will
demand your most earnest attention.
The administration of the Poor Laws, which
generally has conferred great benefit on the com-
munity, and especially on the poor themselves, re-
quires constant supervision ; and I have readily
assented to a bill which, applied to the metropolis
alone, will tend to equalise the pressure of taxation
and improve the treatment of the sick poor, whose
condition will be greatly benefited by your well-
considered legislation.
The Bill for the regulation of the Merchant
Shipping contains important provisions calculated
to add to the health and comfort of those engaged
in the Mercantile Marine.
These and other valuable amendments of the Law
have been the result of your labours during the pre-
sent session ; and in returning to your homes you
will carry with you the gratifying consciousness that
your time and pains have not been misapplied,
and that they have resulted in a series of measures
which I hope, and earnestly pray, may contribute to
the welfare of the country, and the contentment
and happiness of my people.

CCSS.

- THE NAITY.,—It appears that at the commence-
ment of the spring of this yen' the number of vessels of
war employed on foreign and colonial service was as fol-
lows :—Mediterranean station, 20, of the aggregate burden
of 34,617 tons ; North America and the West Indies, 29,
of the aggregate burden of 34,827 tons ; south-east coast of
Africa, 9, of the aggregate burden of 7,647 tone.; tho East
Indies, 7, of the aggregate burden of 7,590 tons; the Cape
of Good Hope, 3, of tho aggregate burden of 3,078 tons;
West Coast of Africa station, 19, of the aggregate burden
of 15,179 tons ; the Pacific station, 14, of the aggregate
burden of 19,342 tons ; China station, 40, of the aggregate
burden of 30,246 tons; and Australian station, 6, of the
aggregate burden of 6,793 tons.
THE IRISH C ONSTAB ULARY.—A Parliamentary re-
turn, presented by the Government, gives an account of
the distribution of the sum of £2,000 voted by Parliament
for the purpose of rewarding certain members of the Irish
constabulary force, who, being under fire in defence of
their barracks against the Fenians, or in collisions outside
the barracks, particularly distinguished themselves by
their courage, gallantry, and fidelity. Three sub-inspec-
tors--R. Gardiner, D. F. Burke, and 0. Milling—received
£lOl each ; the head constable in charge at Kilmallock
received. £7O ; two other head-constables received £5O
each ; five constables in charge received £34 each ; one
acting constable iu charge, £22 ; nine constables £-20 each;
two acting constables, £lB each; 74 sub-constables £l5
each.
GROUSE AT NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL MARKETS.
—Yesterday morning the arrival of grouse from the moors
was much greater than could have been anticipated from
the accounts recently published of the prevalence of disease
amongst the birds. The prices also ruled extremely
moderate, good birds being offered at from is. 6d. to 35.,
though from ss. to 6s. each had been understood to be the
probable price before the unexpected plentiful supply
reached London.
CRYSTAL PALACE.—Yesterday was " Foresters'
Day" at the Crystal Palace, when tho memlibrs of the vari-
ous lodges, with their wives and families, were present in
immense numbers. A round of amusements was provided
and the weather was most favourable. The total number

of visitors was 59,522.
DREADFUL BOAT ACCIDENT.—GRIMSBY, Aug. 20.
—A pleasure boat, containing 12 excursionists, was cap-
sized in the Humber this afternoon, when 10 of them were
drowned. The bodies have not been recovered.

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HER MAJESTY, &c•

WINDSOR CASTLE, Aug. 20.

The Queen, accompanied by their Royal High-
nesses Princess Louise, Princess Beatrice, Prince
Leopold, drove in the grounds this morning.

DEPARTURE OF HER MAJESTY FOR
SCOTLAND.

Yesterday evening, shortly before 10 o'clock, her
Majesty the Queen, accompanied by their Royal

llighnesses Princess Louise, Princess Beatrice,
Prince Leopold, Prince and Princess Christian and
Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, left

Windsor Castle for Balmoral. The suite in at-
tendance included Lady Churchill, Lady Susan Mel-
ville, Lord Charles Fitzroy, Sir T. M. Biddulph,
Colonel Gordon, the Hon. Mrs. Gordon, &c. A
special train, consisting of an engine and 14 car-
riages, including the royal and six other double and
single saloons, was provided by the directors of the
London and North-Western Railway for the con-
veyance of the Queen to the North. Her Majesty's
saloon and the other carriages were richly furnished
and equipped, and the whole of the train was fitted
with the system of electric communication invented
by Mr. Marten, the company's electrician, who was
in attendance. The arrangements for the journey
were ably carried out by Mr. J. Grierson, the gene-
ral manager of the Great Western line, and Mr.
Cawkwell, general manager of the London and
North-Western Railway, assisted by Mr. Tyrrell, of
the former, and Mr. Charles Mason, of the latter
company. Mr. Alfred Higgins, divisional superin-
tendent of the Great Western Railway, was also
present. The Queen and suite on quitting the
Castle drove to the Windsor station of the Great
Western Railway, where they were received by the
various officials and attendants, and conducted to
their respective carriages. Her Majesty and her
Royal Highness Princess Louise occupied the royal
saloon, which was the seventh carriage from the
engine and in the centre of the train. The double
saloon at the rear of this was exclusively for the
use of their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess
Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and their in-
fant son with his two nurses. Prince Leopold, with
Mr. Duckworth and Colonel Gordon, sat in the next
saloon, the adjoining carriage being set apart for
Lady Churchill, Lady Susan Melville, Lord Charles
Fitzroy, and Sir T. M. Biddulph. Behind this was
a saloon for the Minister of State and railway direc-
tors, the Queen's four-gon and breaks bringing up

the rear. The care of the special, as far as Bushbur),
fell to Mr. J. Grierson, the general manager, and
Mr. Tyrrell, of the Great Western line, and over the
North-Western to Mr. W. Cawkwell, general
manager of the latter railway, and his assistant, Mr.
C. Mason, and Mr. Marten, the telegraphic super-
intendent. At Kelso her Majesty and the Royal
family will quit the train and proceed to Floors
Castle on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of 110%-
burgher with whom the (Queen will remain as a guest
till Friday night. Her Majesty will leave Kelso at
half-past 10 o'clock in the evening by the same
special train which brought her from Windsor. It
will reach Edinburgh, 52 miles from Kelso, at 12.26
a.m. on Saturday, and will pass through the station
at slow speed. The rate of travelling will then 1)0
quickened, and theLarbert station of the Caledonian
line will be reached at 1.28 a.m. Her Majesty will
travel either from Aboyne or Ballater by road to
Balmoral, which will be reached early in the dap•
The Queen is expected to return to Windsor about
the close of October.

Hereford Musical Festival.

---e-

lIEREFORD, Aug. 20.
The Festival opened this morning with great S"
The early service in the Cathedral, in the
musical part of which moat, if not all, the members
of the I hree Choirs took part, was attended by
very large congregation. The civic authorities were
there, in accordance with traditional custom, attire('
in their robes of office. The first lesson was I.o'l
by the Rev. Mr. Evans, Canon of the Cathedral:
the second by the Hon. George Herbert, Dean 01
Hereford. Dr. Wesley presided at the organ. The
musical service comprised chants from the well-
known Psalter edited by the Rev. Mr. Mercer. Oa
Anthem—from " Chronicles," chap. i., verse 29

(" Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel" —Was
long and elaborately constructed composition 131
the Rev. F. A. G. Ouseley, Mus. Doc. (Precentor
to the Cathedral). The sermon was preached by
the Dean, who took for text the Epistle to" Titus,
chapter i., verse 13—" To the pure all things are
pure." The substance of this discourse (which;
is not invariably the case) related exclusive'J
to the matter in hand. Without preliminary
the reverend preacher at once dealt with various
objections which, from time to time, 113143
been entertained by zealous and well-meaning Per-
sons against the festivals in general, and the eol"
ployment of the cathedral for the musical perform,
antes in particular. To the argument that musie4:
performances in the church are all wrong, he urged
that these festivals promote a taste for genuine,
,
sacred music, and at the same time assist the ends 01
charity, while, owing to recent arrangements, they
no longer interfere with daily service. To the are;
meat that the use of sacred subjects for the iner
purpose of artistic display was equally to be Ott;
demned, he replied that if poets and painters 'Ned
not only allowed but encouraged to illustrate snore.,
subjects by their art, he could see no reason
why musicians should be debarred from the 0131°,
privilege. He even believed that the presentation e,;
such themes through the aid of the " divine art,
very frequently proved more persuasive and We
sistible than any other medium of appeal —l33r(
pily instancing, as an example, the " Messiah
° °
Handel, and what ft had been the means of ael3.,ielfrt
ing. Against the last important objection, w3c
festivals tend to encourage dancing, feasting, 81::
he simply maintained that sin lies in the abus''f
not in the use, of such intrinsically inuc'eero,
diversions. The Dean's peroration was an et/of
(1
nest, animated, and eloquent appeal on behaliiio,
the fund for the widows and children. The 40
course had the recommendation of being both
Sb
and to the purpose. After the sermon, and no
the choir sang the Old 100th Psalm, in
the congregation heartily joined, a collection Is

made at the doors for the charity. 110
All we can say at present of the first perforill3"
of sacred music, which began at noon and ter the
nated some time after 3, is that it comprised tiv
overture to Spohr's "Last Judgment," followed
the same composer's 84th Psalm (Milton's versilei;
solos by Miss Edith Wynne, Madame
Whytock, Messrs. Montem Smith and Weiss ; tl'o
Sebastian Wesley's fine anthem, " Ascribe tint° -0
Lord" (solos by Mdlle. Titiens, Miss E. WiliA4,
Miss Julia Elton, and Madame Patey \Vbiti°-ot,
conducted by the composer; and last, not 'e
llandel's great Biblical oratorio, " Israel in Vele,
entire. In the oratorio the solo singers were .0".1.1110
litiens and Miss E.-Wynne (sopranos), gISS
it' 0)9
Elton and Madame Patey Whytock (contralto),
Messrs. Montem Smith and Sims Reeves (te°ool
Messrs. Weiss and Santley (basses). Mr. '°
ter)
hend Smith conducted, and Mr. Done (Wore°
presided at the organ. ig°
The first miscellaneous concert comes off to-13.1i0
in the Shire-hall, and Madame Lind-Goldsellllo,o
is to take part in the performance of Mende
I" Elijah" at the Cathedral to - morrow nterni°°.

TIIE CATTLE PLAGUE.—The Gazelle of laStiel-tit
contains two Orders in Council, dated tho 19th inst" n
el
five to the cattle plague. The first rescinds an order
the 29th of January last permitting cattle brought 11
from
Southampton
place out of the United Kingdom to and lain
e
b
h outhampton docks, in the port of Southanaptop, ill, to
thetow n and county of that name, to be removed by
Islington Cattle Market for the purpose of boia:thsol o
there for immediate slaughter. The second order 0., r,
19th inst. rescinds an order of the 11th of April la°l*fl-tDo
mitting cattle brought by sea from any place out .eD,
United Kingdom to and landed in the port 0f FlarWl ere
the county of Essex, to be removed by railwol,,rojel°
Islington Cattle Market for the purpose of being 01-
, or immediate slaughter.