The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-03 00:00:00

THE SPEAKERSHIP.

To the Editor of the Greenock Advertiser.
SlR,—Having observed that do.:,'ats existed in many quarters
as to the time and mode of choosing a Speaker for the House
of Commons, I have made it my business to ascertain these
points, and find the following to be the practice.
A new Parli?.'inent is opened by Commission on the very day
it is sultinr;ned for, and those Commoners only who have been
sworn in previous to going before the Commissioners are en-
'titled to choose a Speaker to be presented on the following day
to the King for his approbation. Thus very little latitude is
allowed for the essential ceremony of being sworn in, which is
one great cause of the attendance at the choosing of a Speaker
being generally so much smaller than on hearing the King's
Speech, and voting the address on it—another, and the main
cause, however, is, that the opposition, necessarily composed
of discordant ingredients, seldom muster strong on the occa-
sion of choosing a Speaker, while the Ministerial benches,
especially when occupied by Tories, as well as those filled by
their adherents, are sure to present an array of their whole
forces in apple-pie order, ready to speak, vote, or be silent
according to the well arranged tactics and to the commando
issued to that most obedient phalanx.
The usual order of things will be changed, it is thought,
on the approaching occasion. The conduct and partizanship
of the late Speaker have been so extremely conspicuous and
decided, as to lead to the belief that his admitted qualification
for the office he has so long filled will not screr,n him from a
contest for his re-election—which contest,shnld it take place,
will present an outline of the strength of the contending par-
ties, although by no means equal to that which may be ex-
pected on the address—provided 'it shall be framed so as to
contain any thing tangible by the opposition, which Sir
Robert Peel will
it is one of the Prolnialy endeavour to provide against, as
niaxims of this very cautious Tory to put
a string
of ';,ere nothings into the mouth of Royalty, by
way of 'insuring the tinsel eclat of the support of that
"r;e class of politicians who delight to bask in minis-
terial sunshine, or want nothing better than an excuse to
escape from the performance of their duty, and be ea.
titled to fawn on the powers that be. But as no man can
fairly judge of the arguments which may be brought forward
respecting a change of the Speaker in times like the present,
without being in his place as a sworn-in Member of the House
of Commons on the 19th day of February ; and as every Mem-
ber who has been elected by a liberal constituency will be ex-
pected by them to hear and decide on that important question,
it will be well for the liberal press to promulgate this doctrine
for the benefit of new Members, as well as for those who are
lukewarm, ignorant, or designing. It may here very safely be
asserted that accurate lists of the names of all Members, whe-
ther present or absent, will be published in black and red ink,
and circulated over the Three Kingdoms, so that constituen-
cies may at once know their men, should the disobedient Com-
mons be dismissed unceremoniously at a moment's notice.

For my own part, I have kept my word of giving my three
votes for three Members firmly pledged to oust the Wellington
and Peel Administration ; and shall tuke good care to reserve
the use of these at next election, as every true Reformer will
likewise do, until we shall have seen how the present House
of Commons shall conduct itself in the choice of a Speaker,
—and in removing from the service of the King, those men
who have long since, and for ever, lost the confidence of the
people.
As this may be the last time I shall have the pleasure of
addressing you before I proceed to take my seat in Parlia-
ment, I beg leave to mention, for the information of the in-
habitants of Greenock, that I will use my best endeavours for
having the attendance and votes of the Members of the people's
House officially published for their use ; and, in the mean-
time, do all I can to effect this by any other method, until the
people's servants shall no longer be afraid or ashamed to allow
the people to be indisputably and officially informed of all their
doings.—l remain, Sir,
Kelly, Jan. 28, 1835.

Your obedient Servant,
ROBERT WALLACE.

THE VOCAL SOCIETY.

SECOND CONCERT.
The marked superiority which discovers itself in the selec-
tion of the music now performed at these subscription con-
certs, even when compared with their former schemes, affords
a strong presumption of a corresrbnding improvement in the
public taste. The Vocal St'iciety, from its commencement,
has enjoyed the good fort..ane of being directed by gentlemen
who have been desir-,us of progressively creating a just re-
gard in their b' firers for the classical productions of writers of
all countries, and more especially of their own. By adhering
to this -,Jian they have consulted the real interests of their pro.
1t lion, and have contributed to raise the standard of excel-
lence, which it has hitherto obtained in similar associations-
The second concert of the season was held on Monday even-
ing-, at the Hanover-square Rooms. The scheme consisted
of a selection from Handel, Parcel, Boyce. and Haydn, in the
choral style ; a quartet and chorus from that long neglected,
but immortal opera, " The Idomeneo" of Mozart ; four glees,
by Battishall, Webb, Stafford, Smith, and Elliott ; two madri-
gals, one by Pizzoni, the other by Morley, (a favourite com-
poser of Queen Elizabeth); duet, by Sphor ; song, by Han-
del ; aria, by Rossini ; and cavatina, by Webb. Boyce's an-
them, " 0 give thanks," is too well known, and justly appre-
ciated to require further notice ; and the same remark will
apply,' to the choruses of Handel, Haydn, and Parcel. The
opera of " Idomeneo" was esteemed by its composer as
a chef d'ceurre; and in fact worked up, in other composi-
tions, some of the exquisite melodies with which it abounds.
While the star of such writers as Donizetti, Vaccaij, and Pa-
cini, is in the ascendant at the King's Theatre, it is vain to ex-
pect that the strains of Mozart will often be heard there. Hap-
pily the Italian stage in London has preserved the " Don Gio-
vanni " from oblivion. The quartet is a delicious morccau,
full of melody, and the instruments are disposed in Mozart's
happiest style. In mentioning the glees, we cannot pass by
the name of Battishall, who was the Mozart of the vocal com-
posers of this country ; the beautiful dispersion of his parts,
and the elegance and variety of his melody, proclaim him one
of the first of glee-writers. The duet of Spohr was taken
from the Opera of " Faust," which, next to the " Don Gio-
vanni " of Mozart, is the grandest specimen of operatic compo-
sition. Few would have ventured to pourtray the mighty con-
ceptions of Goethe ; and Spohr, of living musicians, has alone
been found equal to the task. The duet occurs early in the
opera, and is the life-like expression of the pure affection
of two beings, suddenly hurried into the excesses of a passion
of whose previous existence they are unconscious--when
Faust, like Romeo, first
" —Stole immortal blessing from her lips,
" Who, even in pure and vestal modesty,
" Did blush, as thinking their own kisses sin."
The composition is one of the most soul touching melodies,
—wedded to harmony the most refined. We should have
classed the motett for eight voices ny 'Mendelsohn, with the
non-descript efforts which are annually published under
the imposing title of " Gresham Priv: Compositions," which
bear the same resemblance to 11-,e pure specimens of old
Church music, as the nonsens,- verses of an Eton lad to the
odes of Horace, or eclogues of Virgil. " The Madrigals" were
well performed ; and the light and shade of the alternate
pianos and fortes exquisitely managed. Mr. Hobbs was
justly encored i Webbe's Cavatina." The accompaniments,
however, re:ainded us of the Act music to be met with at the
grand 'neatrical exhibitions held in honour of the feast of
St Bartholomew in Smithfield-market; and the part assigned
to the horn could only be paralleled by the exquisite harmony
of the guards of his Majesty's mails as they successively vanish
from St. Martin's-le-Grand. Mr. Bennett sang with great
effect " The Aria," from the Torvaldo c Dorliska of Rossini,
which is an excellent specimen of this composer's style.
Master Howe did Mr. E. Taylor's " Fairy Song" more than
justice. We know not whether the author, or the gentleman
who accompanied, be entitled to the credit of the symphonies ;
they were distinguished by all the freedom from rythm which
the most unlicensed fancy could desire. The instrumental
composition of the evening was a quintet of Mozart, performed
by Willman, T. Cooke, Daniels, Mountain, and Lindley. It
was the greatest treat of the Concert; and the author'', beau-
tiful ideas were admirably expressed.

ALBIJAIB.—A well-known literary gentleman, as
much celebrated for his readiness at repartee as for his funny
stories, was summoned one morning to receive within his own
hands, and from the perfumed glove of a fashionable footman,
the album of Lady F— C.—, with her Ladyship's com-
pliments, and she would feel obliged by Mr. C—'s writing
in it. " You may leave the book," replied the wag, " but tell
your mistress that my price is 201. in half an hour." The
servant paid the money, which we are sorry, for the sake of
literature, the author retained, and often boasts it was the best
day's work he ever did. A very worthy youth once sent his
album all the way to the Lakes, per coach, for the honour of
contribution from the Poet Laureat. His contribution was
given thus :
" Robert Southey is my name,
And England is my nation ;
Keswick is my dwelling-place.
And Albums are—my very great detestation.'
—Court Journal.