The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-13 00:00:00

army of British art workmen would find their skill
and ingenuity wonderfully increased by employing
those leisure moments and winter evenings, which
might not otherwise be so profitably spent, in these
extraneous labours of love. Vast, indeed, was that
army. That exhibition, he believed, had for the first
time called forth that array of provincial as well as
metropolitan art-workmanship ; and it was most
gratifying to know that in the opinion of the adju-
dicators some of the most meritorious designs had
emanated from provincial towns. Another impor-
tant consideration connected with these exhibitions
was the additional zest they communicated to the
pleasures of the domestic hearth and the social circle.
They could easily picture to themselves many a long
winter night occupied by a father, a husband, a bro-
ther, or a son over his labour of love, the progress
or which was watched, many of those present knew
how fondly and proudly, by the wife, the daughter,
the sister, or the parents, who speculated hopefully
on the place which some little article—a unit in a
great whole—might hereafter occupy in a collection
like the present. Nor did the beneficial influence of
these exhibitions stop there. The half million and
more persons who had lately visited that noble hall
were composed not exclusively, but mainly of work-
people, with their wives and families. Therefore he
might safely say that the domestic influence exer-
cised by these exhibitions was not confined to the
immediate circle in which it was created. Again, let
them mark how, around these productions of the
working men, had been grouped the charms of music
and the various branches of knowledge which were
to be acquired from the lectures that had been deli-
vered. Thus they saw bow one thing, small
perhaps in its inception, might lead to great
and varied results, and they might, moreover,
gather from the results of these undertakings en-
couragement for the future. The report of the
adjudicators had told them what was reasonably
to have been expected, that perfection had not
yet been attained—(a laugh) ; but at all events there
was enough excellence shown to stimulate every ex-
hibitor to go on and prosper in future years. Again,
that Exhibition had been visited with interest and
delight by many men and women of all classes, and
he saw in it one link the more added to the golden
chain which should bind together all sections of that
great community. (Cheers.) In these days, when
so much was said and written to disintegrate society,
let them take heart and hope from witnessing the
triumphant success of that great Industrial Exhibi-
tion. (Cheers.) And great as had been the benefit
derived from that Exhibition, considerable as had
been the pleasure, the recreation, and instruction
afforded there during the last ten weeks, let them
take away from that which might otherwise be a
somewhat sad closing ceremonial the consoling
thought that in the future in their various spheres
they would derive fresh encouragement for works
of that magnificent character, and carry home with
them aspirations, sentiments of mutual forbearance,
brotherly kindness, and an enlarged humanity to
cheer their hearths and warm their hearts under the
snows of winter, and to burst into virgin flowcrsand
Christian fruits beneath the suns and the fires of
Pentecost. (Loud cheers.) The noble lord con-
cluded by thanking the adjudicators and exhibitors,
on behalf of the committee, for their co-operation,
and then declared the Exhibition formally closed.
Au appropriate prayer having been offered, the
choir sang Kent's anthem " Blessed be thou," and a
vote of thanks to the chairman was passed by ac-
clamation. In acknowledging the compliment,
Lord J. MANNERS said that about a quarter of a
century ago, when he began to regard himself as a
working man, he recollected at the close of one of
those arduous Parliamentary campaigns which re-
sulted in the triumph of the Ten Hours Bill, attending
a meeting which, with the exception of the present
one, was certainly the most numerous meeting at
which he bad ever been present, in the Free Trade-
hall at Manchester. There they celebrated in the
heartiest manner the successful termination of
that protracted struggle, and he well remembered
that throughout its progress it was alleged by those
who opposed the abridgment of the hours of labour
that the work people of this country, if they ob-
tained that boon, would not use it in the way that
its advocates asserted they would do. Well, years
had rolled by since then, and there, in that Exhibi-
tion, as well as in many other displays, innumerable
proofs had been given of the soundness of the views
held by himself and his friends on that point, and
it was now an established fact that the working
people of this country, to whatever class they be-
longed, would make a good not a bad use of those
leisure moments which might be secured to them,
whether by means of legislative enactments, or
through the improved regulations of trade.
The noble lord then invoked three cheers for the
council, the adjudicators, the exhibitors, &c., which
were given very heartily by the whole assemblage ;
and after one or two formal resolutions, the diver-
sified ceremonial was at length brought to a close
by a further musical performance.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, Nov. 7.—Since I last wrote I have re-
ceived a few particulars as to the cruise of the squa-
dron, the return of which 1 have already an-
nounced. Since its departure from Malta on the
25th June the squadron has visited Patras, whence
the Commander-in-Chief detached himself in the
Psyche, to call at Constantinople and various places
in the Levant. The squadron left Patras on the
27th August, arrived at Syracuse and Augusta on
the 9th Sept., left those ports on the 24th, arrived
at Cagliari on the 28th, left that port on the 30th,
and arrived at Port Mahon on the 2d Oct., where
it had to perform 10 days quarantine, the Balearic
islands having placed that term on arrivals from all
ports out of Spain. After remaining at Port Mahon
till the 23d of October, the squadron weighed
anchor and sailed for the coast of Sicily (Lord
Clarence Paget having in the meantime been joined
by Lady Clarence Paget and family), and anchored
off the island of Favignana on the 26th of Octo-
ber, leaving that anchorage on the 31st for
Malta. Many other places were in the original programme, but the Admiral was prevented visiting
them on account of the obstructions of quarantine.
While cruising for a fortnightin the neighbourhood
e
of the lonian Islands, the time there,
as well as sub-
sequently on passage from port to po'rt, was usefully
employed in experimental sailing, steaming,and
gunnery exercises, in all of which the
various ships
ships
are in a high state of efficiency, thanks in a great
measure for this to the Commander-in-Chief's dis-
creet regulations in respect to avoiding excessive
exercise in the midday sun, and substituting the
cool hours of morning and evening for this purpose
a forbearance fully appreciated by the crews, and
has tended to produce an excellent spirit of emula-
tion among all on board. It may be observed that
Lord Clarence Paget appears to have made himself
very popular with both officers and men without
having relaxed in the slightest degree that strict dis-
cipline
so essential in a fleet. Clean bills of health
have been issued from Marseilles since the 4th inst.,
and it is consequently expected that the quarantine
here on arrivals will be reduced from 15 to seven
days, and soon probably taken off entirely. The
cholera has also ceased at Genoa and Naples, but
continues to spread in Sicily. By the mail arrived
yesterday we learn that it was increasing at Catania,
and is committing great ravages in Palermo and the
neighbouring country. Strict local quarantines are
enforced in such towns as have as yet escaped.
Letters from Constantinople of the 31st ult. say
that all quarantine has been abolished there on ar-
rivals from ports in the Black Sea, but that ar-
rivals from England are still subject to 24 hours
detention in the Dardanelles. The following no-
tice has been promulgated by the Malta Govern-
ment :—" Information having been received that
cattle murrain existed in the district of Bona, the
Malta Government has directed that the importa-
tion of cattle from Algeria be prohibited from the
22d inst. until further orders ; and the introduc-
tion of wool, hides, skins,. horns, bones, and
hoofs from Algeria shall not be permitted until sub-
jedted to the usual sanitary measures under the di-
rection of the physician of the Lazaretto."
Her Majesty's surveying vessel Sylvia, 5 guns,
commissioned on the 12th ult. by Commander E.
W. Brooker at Woolwich, sailed from Greenhithe
after the adjustment of compasses yesterday, under