The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-18 00:00:00

MUSIC.

On Monday evening was given, at St. James's
Hall, under the direction of Mr. Henry Leslie, a
Concert of English Songs and Glees, a kind of per-
formance which always has a wonderful power of
attraction for the public at large ; and, as on this
occasion, the attraction was increased by the ap-
pearance of such stars as Sims Reeves and Madame
Sherrington, together with the lesser luminaries of
Miss Edwards, Miss Whytock, Mr. Cummings, and
others more or less known to fame, it need hardly
be said that the hall was crowded in every part.
The performances of the solo singers were varied,
first, by two pieces on the harp by Mr. Thomas, and
two on the trumpet by Mr. Brinley Richards ; and
secondly, and not least, by some splendid singing
on the part of that well-known body Of male singers
the Orpheus Glee Union. Mr. Horsley's celebrated
glee, "By Clio's Arbour," and Mr. Hatton's " When
evening twilight," left nothing to be desired either
in the music or style of performance. Mr. Fielding's
beautifully pure alto voice coming out in the former
with charming effect. The other pieces allotted to
them were equally well sung, but the music was far
less worthy of the pains bestowed upon it, always
excepting Webbe's far-famed "Would you know
my Clio's charms ?" which was sung with infinite
ease and humour, and elicited an encore, amidst im-
mense applause. We only wish these gentlemen had
given us Calcott's " Queen of the Valley," as they
well know how to give it ; for this we could readily
have parted with Messrs. Cousins' and Cooke's
I glees, not to speak of Spofforth's now common and
rather vulgar piece. While in the critical vein, we
cannot but remark that there seemed to us some-
what of a contrast throughout between the cha-
racter of the music and the high class of perfor-
mance ; nor do we think that either Mr. Reeves or
Madame Sherrington had quite justice done them in
this respect. And yet, surely, if there is abundance
of gocd music to choose from anywhere it is in the
department of " English Songs and Glees." On
the whole, however, the concert was a very enjoy-
able one, and we should be very glad to hear of
others on a similar plan.

We perceive that Mr. Leslie gives one of his con-
certs proper on the 27th. The " dish" is a most
" dainty one," as appears from the programme
already printed, and we cordially invite our readers
to the entertainment. Santley, Leigh Wilson, and
Miss Schiller are to be the soloists.

TAKING THE VEIL.—An interesting ceremony
took place on Sunday at Conflans, close to Paris, in the
principal establishment of the Sacrd Cceur, when Madlle.
de M6rode, the youngest sister of the dountess de Monts-
lambert, took the veil. Mgr. de M6rode, ex Minister of
Arms to the Pope, had come from Rome to preside at the
solemnity. All the members of the Montalembert family
were present.
RETORT POLITE TO MR. LAYARD.—MT. Caven-
dish Bentinck writes to a contemporary :--" Sir—ln your
report of Mr. Layard's speech delivered last night (Tues-
day) on the Reform Bill, I find the following sentence :
If the hon. member for Whitehaven, who made so much
noise, came down to answer him, it would be far preferable
to those interruptions.' I have the honour to inform you
that I wao :tot in the house during the earlier portion of
the Under Secretary's speech, when he most erroneously
referred to rao as having interrupted him."

- '
RAY
%tog Ltt-
( /.1
DU rt etrin r

HER MAJESTY•

OSBORNE. TuesestderdaY
.aY•
The Queen walked in the grounds y
morning, accompanied by Princess Helena and
Princess Louise, and drove out in the afternoon'
accompanied by Princess Helena, Princess Louise,
and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein.
His Serene Highness Prince Christian of
Schleswig-Holstein arrived at Osborne yesterdai,
from London, attended by Lieut.-Colonel Fla'
who met him at Calais by her Majesty's conunali
d

The Russian Embassy.
In consequence of the, happily, abortive attempt
on the life of the Emperor of Russia, during the
forenoon of yesterday his Excellency the Russia-11
Ambassador and Baroness Brunnow received nu-
merous calls at Chesham House. The whole of the
Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary resident
in London called at the embassy during the day
To-day there will be Divine service at the Russian,
Chapel in Welbeck-street, to offer up prayers of
thanksgiving at the escape of his Imperial gaiestl.

•
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of ales are expected to arrive at Marlborough _House
or about Wednesday next, from Sandringham for
the season.
The Marchioness of Sligo had a dancing Part!
last evening at her residence in Mansfield-street, Cavendish'
square, which was very numerously attended.
The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol and lkirs"
Ellicott have arrived at 1, Park-crescent, for the
mentary season. 'ls'o
The Earl of Bantry has arrived at Thom,
Hotel, Berkeley-square, from his seat in Ireland.
have
Viicount and Viscountess Powerscourt
W
arrived at 37, Grosvenor-square, for the season. o'o
Lord and Lady Dacre have arrived at Th°111"
Hotel, from The Hoo, their seat in Hertfordshire.
Baroness de Clifford returned to her residence
on Carlton-house-terrace, yesterday, from Brighton.
The Earl and Countess of Albemarle and Lacy
c.
Augusta Koppel have arrived at No. 3, Lowndes-sqol
The Earl and Countess of Yarborough, NO° 1330
arrived in Paris from Nice, are expected to return
early in May.

LONDON ORPHAN ASYLUM.

Last evening the fifty-third anniversary festival
of this institution took place at the London Tayerot
Bishopsgate-street—the Duke of Wellington
fe
Pre-
siding. Amongst the company present were !nal
.
gentlemen well known in the City of London
more esPet;
theirm advocacy of charitable objects, and
any of the excellent institution whose interepso
were now to be advanced. The position and prerth
of the charity was explained in a statementputlefron
by the managers, which said that the first by
months of the past year passed over with little iveiii
of especial remark, hut in the early part of IsTeY,ec;
ber the institution was visited with a severe all'ed
'
of typhoid fever. More than 200 children suffer it
and the disease proved fatal in fifteen cases.
seems to be generally conceded that more 0,0,
voil
must be provided, and the question of culargi ti
the present building has necessarily engaged at-
the
tention ; but looking to the probability- o'. ~t 3
being soon surrounded by small teneglecii
and a dense population —to the aPPreand
of factories of an injurious nature ---
the
to
the exorbitant price of the adjoining land'
brea
a
managers, after much consideration, have reelter
to purchase a suitable portion of land at gre`ail,
distance from London, yet easily accessible 11 r..is,
way, at once to erect thereon a school for the girls,
and on such a plan as would admit ultimatelYoo
the erection of the entire establishment on the sThre,
spot, should circumstances ever necessitate theeo
moval of the boys from Clapton. Such a sci 'hod
would enable the board to carry out the cherish
plan of separating the younger from the elder bQ it
by the formation of a junior boys' school---Orge
will be admitted that boys from 7 to 11 years °f111.5
are scarcely fit to associate with boys from 11 to
art
—and would afford the requisite relief in every ,1)1.
of the existing building. The scheme for the or,
mation of a separate habitation for the girls is n°l2,
new one ; it was propounded so far back as l'i:
It had at that time the hearty approval and COl:-.;,
currence of the late Duke of Wellington, and i'Lge
meeting over which his grace presided a fund ,I'oo
opened, called the " Wellington Fund," and £47co,
was collected for the purpose. Circumstances but
vented the prosecution of the plan at the time' er 11
the managers feel that the sum could be proposal
applied towards the new building. The PrePloo
has commended itself to the judgment of those,_io
have taken a kind and liberal interest in the
silet;3o
of the institution. Since the last general we ‘,013
q •
77 orphans have left the asylum ; 16 have ale
in April from rheumatic fever, and 15 since N.e.Ttet:lcl.
ber from enteric fever, and 80 have been adwi the
total OW
At the present time there are 468 orphans.under 'ber
protection of the charity, making the t ~,-,64.
benefited since the formation of the charit toastv of
the or
The Duke of Wellington, in proposing
the evening, stated that an orphan asylum IvaSinost
doubtedly of all charities that which was th resent.
worthy of benevolent consideration ; and the port,
institution was especially deserving of sie.cica
considering that the child was not only pr°vli,ut
therein with the means of living at the time, "of
was enabled hereafter to contend in the 'Attie. et
life. On this occasion the governors had one °l3;Jeed,
to secure. In the year 1842 a fund was 1.3'6-oe
called the Wellington Fund, the sugge,stion bcooo
that of his great father. On that occasion i's'i,l
was collected in aid of that fund, and the Prinble
sum had been invested, but he believed ths",io.
accumulated interest had not been interfered 110/5, ;
For many years the society
but during the last year considerable Wu° ss of
went on presPereti pa
occurred among the children, and in the pr°gre
go'
modern science it had been decided that the
too
vernors had been perhaps too charitable--
Nos
hence to serve as many children as possible;
.0,355
hence the school had been overcrowded. illi.og-
therefore proposed that the object of the Wejos
ton Fund (which was to erect a school for the iris
separate from that of the boys) should be earinecl
into effect ; and when that end should be att.hapiej- th
there would be ample space for promoting the ''': re-
of all the inmates. The aid of the public Iv% to
quired towards the enlargement of the fuLl'il to
enable the governors to purchase land on Wbie nea
erect the building contemplated ; and it was 13',:4-to.
that this appeal would be liberally respondeu the
The healthy and interesting appearance of ;thg
children, as they passed round the room Prelftecl
to the delivery of the noble duke's address, ocec,
attrsr,
very general admiration ; and not the least
tive feature in this portion of the evening's euptere-
tainment consisted in the fact that the little sere'
mony took place to a march accompaniment/ Pi, of
formed on the pianoforte with much skill by accompaniment/`
the girls in the school. The noble chairman's sPeolt
was received with great enthusiasm, and the re,ioo.
of the evening's festivities was that a subscri2;oo,
list was read, amounting in all to about )f the
£1,900 of which was contributed by members °""
Stock Exchange.
...

WHAT CONSTITUTES THE £7 RENTAL QUAL"j 3iii
TlON.—Some doubt still appears to be felt by 1/1(0,10
as to the exact scope'of the Government proposal of of
in reference to the £7 householders. Mr. W. Rowl4Vo•
Gateshead, having been in communication with 51c„lot.0
Hutt upon this point, the latter forwarded his constiL7toe
letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and in due ei°lloet
Mr. Rowland received the following reply, hvii -lb
11'
at rest all uncertainty :—" 11, Downing-street, "gtC:l:to
April 9, 1866. Sir,—ln reply to your letter of the tho
Sir W. Hutt, relating to the £7 rental cluelificatiou,
to
Chancellor of the Exchequer instructs me to 5111 tht c le-
qualification must be as the £lO qualification now 16 four
sivo of all usual tenant's rates and taxes.-1 ata.ol.'ll4ol'
obedient servant, STEPHEN E. GLADSTONE. Mr•
land, 6, St. Cuthbert's-terrace, Benshaw, Gatesheei.
.ROYAL DRAMATIC CoLLEGE.--Tbe second
co
Cooke anniversary banquet is announced to take Prl, oa
Surrey, e):,
the Central Hall of the college at MayburY7
Monday next, the, 23d inst., when the author's ryu
tled the
the title of the successful drama which latelY _„iji
prize left by the will of the late T. P. Cooke,. the
publicly announced. The dinner will be suppliedsol. the
well-known firm of Messrs. Spiers and Peed; of •
musical arrangements will be under the direction_
iiingsbury, Esq. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each, exclusive 01 '