The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-20 00:00:00

TEE BRITISH POSTAL GUIDE.

January, 1857, has brought to us a new and greatly
improved sixpenny Postal Guide, such as we cannot but
recommend at once to the general public as a perfect
marvel of compilation. It comprises, in a pamphlet
form, within less than 200 pages octavo, all the informa-
tion capable of being grouped together, catalogued and
tabulated for instant reference—in regard to the working
of the complex machinery in our vast and ever-toiling
Post-office Establishment. The puolication, it should
be remarked, is issued quarterly by command of her
Majesty's Postmaster-General, under the personal in-
spection, of course (cela va sails dirt), of
Rowland Hill, the all-important Chief Secre-
tary. Whoever has acted in the present in-
stance, however, under Mr. Hill's scrutiny, in the
extraordinary labour of bringing together the mass of
attractive and valuable information compressed into
the narrow compass of this new and really remarkable
Guide-book, has revealed in so doing those evidencies of
industry, assiduity, and research, which are assuredly
the very best qualifications for any one acting immedi-
ately under such a Chief of such a Department ! " The
Right Man in the Right Place"—with the Right Man
again under him, I That is the ratural, and, indeed,
almost inevitable inference deducible from an examination
of this " British Postal Guide,"pp. 173, price fid., published
under the authority of the Duke of Argyll ; revised, or
rather supervised, by Rowland Hill, the Secretary ; and
printed by the official printers to the Queen's Most
Excellent Majesty, the Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode !
The Guide-book is subdivided, small as it is, into no
less than sixteen separate sections, beginning with a
list of the Chief Officers of the Department, and ending
with an ample and most comprehensive Index. The
one solitary section relating to the new " Postal Dis-
tricts," would be enough of itself to render any one
grateful for this sixpenny publication. Altogether it is

just precisely what was wanted, this British Postal
Cuide, for the purposes of instant reference and reliable
information.

SACRED HARMONIC S9CIETY.

Last evening a very large audience were attracted by
the performance of Mendel'ssohn's " Hymn of Praise"
and Mozart's " Requiem." These two wonderful com-
positions were executed with care and effect. The beau-
tiful introductory sinfonia to the "Hymn of Praise" was
performed in a manner that reflected great credit on the
orchestra, which, as uEuai, was under the efficient direc-
tion Gf M. Costa. The solo performers were Madame
Clara Novello, Mrs. Lockey, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr.
Thomas. Madame Cara Novello's beautiful voice was
heard to great effect, in the " Hymn of Praise," in the
air "All that have life and breath." A duet, sung by
Mrs. Lockey and Madame Novello, was rendered with
taste and expression. Mr. Sims Reeves displayed his
usual ability in the tenor part, the most remarkable
feature being the solo of " The sorrows of death." In
the second part, " The Requiem," the solo performers
were necessarily less conspicuous. The chorus through-
out was unusually successful. All lovers of classical
music are much indebted to this society for bringing the
works of the greatest masters so frequently before the
public. The performances last night would scarcely
seem so calculated to attract the unscientific, but never-
theless the hall was crowded.