The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-28 00:00:00

EAST SURREY.

The annual meeting of the members of this Associa-
tion took place on Tuesday. The blisidess of the day
commenced with a ploughing match. A great number
of the leading agriculturists of the district afterwards
sat down to an excellent dinner. Sir W. G. 11. Joliffe,
Bart., presided, and amongst the other gentlemen pre-
sent were Henry Kemble, Esq., M.P., E. Antrobus,
Esq., MP., G. R. Smith, Esq., C. Bleaden, Esq.,
Shuter, Esq., Thomas Keen, Esq., Sutherland,
Esq., Bcc.

Sir. G. R. SiurrH gave " Success to the East Surrey
Agricultural Association."—(Loud cheers.) He had
watched the progress of the institution with the most un-
feigned interest and pleasure, and it was exceedingly
gratifying to him to see the degree of progress and
popularity which it had made—(Hear, hear)—and those
who had witnessed the scenes connected with the
ploughing match of that day could not but have rejoiced
over the improved manners, deportment, and character
of the labouring classes of this district.—(Cheers.) It
was one of the most gratifying scenes he (Mr. Smith)
had ever witnessed, and gave ample proof of the utility
of institutions of this nature.

Mr. SHUTER begged leave to propose " The llealths
of the Members for the Eastern Division of the County
of Surrey.'—(Cheers.)
Mr. KEMBLE, M.P., thanked his friend Mr. Shater for
the manner in which he had spoken of his services as a
representative of the East Surrey constituency, and he
begged also to be allowed to return his acknowledgments
to the company for the very kind way in which they had
responded to the toast.—(Hear, hear.) He could assure
his friends that when he went in Parliament he enter-
tained certain fixed political sentiments, which he had
then explained to them : but he must, at the same time,
state that upon all questions his views had regard to
what he believed to be the general interests of the com-
munity.—(Bear, hear.) Though he had been generally
a supporter of her Majesty's present administration, it
had been his misfortune during the last session to have
occasion to vote against its views.—(Hear, hear.) But
he was determined to act with that independent spirit
which he felt, and with which ho had been invested
by his friends ; and he would never act with any set
of men in carrving out a principle which he deemed in-
consistent with that line of conduct in supporting which
he conceived he would be best discharging his duty
towards the general interests of the country.—(Cheers.)
Nothing required more attention on the part of the land-
lords and the farmers than the condition of the labourers
of the country, and he rejoiced in those institutions
throughout the country, which were calculated to bring
together the labourer and the farmer, who were formerly
separated too much to understand each other's interests,
and to promote the prosperity of both. The efforts of
these societies were, as he said before, made for the
good of all persons in the State ; they were not endea-
vouring, by giving rewards, to bribe labourers to the
discharge of their duty ; their object was to remind
them that their conduct had been creditable, and was
worthy of reward.—(Hear, hear.) Upon the profitable
employment of the labouring portion of the community,
and not upon charitable donations, the poorer classes
depended. They wished to be fed by their own honest
exertions ; and believing that upon that principle the
constitution of England was based—that by the honest
industry of the labourer the peace and prosperity of
Europe were maintained—he gave his most strenuous
support to this and all similar institutions.—(Cheers.)

IMPORTANT INQUIRY.—SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST
THE MASTER AND MATRON OF THE ETON UNION WORK-
HOUSE.—HEAVY CENSURE OF THE JURY.—On Wednes-
day Mr. T. Wakley, M.P., coroner, and a jury impan-
nelled on the 14th instant, at the One Tun public-house,
Old Brentford, resumed for the third time an inquiry
into the circumstances attendant upon the death of
Shaw, aged 22 years, whose thigh was severely frac-
tured by a fall of earth on the sth of August last, at
Slough, and was removed to the Eton Union Workhouse
at that place, where he died on the 12th instant. The
inquiry having excited a most intense interest throughout
the town and neighbourhood of Brentford, the inquest-
room was on each occasion crowded to excess. The
following verdict was returned :—" The deceased, John
Shaw, died from the mortal effects of a fracture of the
left thigh-bone, produced by accidental causes. In re-
turning a verdict of accidental death, the jury consider it
to be their duty to state that they are decidedly of opi-
nion that the refusal of the governor and matron of the
Eton Union Workhouse to allow any conversation to
pass between the afflicted man and his wife, sister, and
mother-in-law, except in the presence of a listener and a
spy upon their conduct, is a part only of a system of
moral treatment adopted towards the poor man which is
a disgrace and a scandal to a Christian country ; and
that the refusal to receive and give shelter to the wife
and other poor relations when they arrived at the Union
Workhouse at midnight, in a strange place, many miles
from home, to pay, as they thought, a last visit to a
husband, brother, and son, was, in the opinion of the
jury, an act of so cruel and inhuman a character, that any
person by whom such conduct could be perpetrated, is
altogether unfit to be intrusted with the care of the
poor."
Royal. ARSENAL, WOOLIVICIL—The number of
men required for the carriage and other departments of
the Royal Arsenal have now been obtained, and consi-
derable progress has been made with the ship-gun car-
riages ordered to be supplied to the advance ships at
the out ports, to keep them always ready in the event of
their services being required at short notice. There are
always a sufficient number of large guns ready for use
in the Royal Arsenal, and at all the out-ports, which,
within twenty-four hours' notice, could be mounted and
ready for service, and the facilities afforded by steam
conveyance places it in the power of the authorities to
concentrate them at any particular station, on very short
notice being given that they would be required.

WEDNESDAY MORNI;G, SErr. 25.--The perform-
ance of this morning may be regarded as an attempt
to rescue some of the music of Handel from neglect
and possible oblivion. That a writer who was constantly
compelled, for more than thirty years, to produce a
succession of operas or oratorios, written to poetry of
the highest or the lowest kind, for singers of European
fame or no fame at all, and to seek popularity at the
occasional expense of good taste, should exhibit the
effect of such influences in his compositions is not
very wonderful. But the result has been, that many
of them are as much forgotten as if they had never
existed. Of one entire, and that the largest class,
the oblivion was complete; for a revival of one of
Handel's Italian operas is a vision which probably
never floated across the mind of any living musician,
although these contain the songs which he wrote for
the best singers of his time. His secular dramatic
compositions are all doomed, with a single exception,
to the same fate, fur where, when, or how should
Hercules, Semele, Alexander Bales, or Alcides be
performed ? Unfitted alike fir the theatre and the
church, there is no chance of their revival, although
the first of these dramas may rank among its author's
most perfect works. And even of his oratorios there
is but one which could now be performed entire with
any chance of success. In fact, the Messiah only
is so performed. We must either, then, be satisfied
with disjointed fragments from these works, or they
must be regarded as a mine of musical wealth,
from which the pure and sterling ore may be selected
and recoined. The substitution of other libretti would,
in most cases, be a profitable exchange, since those
which Handel was content to adopt are, for the most
part, clumsily constructed and badly written. Of
some, Susanna for example, the subjects are indis-
creetly chosen—of many the language is feeble,
common-place, and often vulgar. The poet (so to
call him) has sunk the composer. The task of re-
constructing Samson was, on this account, an easy
one, since the original drama of Milton (which may
be said to unite the spirit of Hebrew poetry with the
classic dignity of the Greek tragedy) was presented
to the adapter, and was fully available for his pur-
pose. A succession of musical beauties, collected
from the copious store that Handel has bequeathed to
us, are now united to appropriate music, and a work
in which the sister arts meet in befitting union is pro-
duced. The main incidents of the drama are retained,
such especially as are fitted for musical expression,
and the successive scenes are completely realised to
the imagination. The announcement of the festival
in honour of Dagon opens the drama, and in the fol-
lowing scene Samson, Micah, and Manoah appear.
Here, in addition to the pathetic lament of Samson,
" Total eclipse," a song of great beauty is introduced
—" These sightless orbs no more." Hobbs, who sus-
tained the part of the Hebrew champion, sang these
with the feeling and gave to them the expression of a
true artist. The morning sacrifice of the Jews com-
mences with a hymn, solemn and majestic in the
highest degree. This is followed by a lovely quartet,
" Lord, thy all-commanding might," Samson's well-
known song, " Why does the God of Israel sleep ?"
and the chorus, " Immortal Lord of earth and skies."
In the second act Samson encounters Herapha, the
Philistine giant, and the scene is then removed to the
Temple of Dagon, where, after a march which an-
nounces the approach of the priests, the Pagan rites
begin. A song and duet of a festive character excite
the assembled multitude, who break into a chorus of
rude revelry and impious defiance. Samson is then
led in, guarded, and a shout of derision and triumph
follows. Herapha again reviles him, and then comes
the hero's concluding prayer, " 0 Lord, remember
me this once." The companions of Samson assembled
near the Temple of Dagon, hear the chorus in honour
of the pagan deity, and reply to it by asserting the
power ancrglory of Jehovah. Manoah's expression of
hope at his son's delivery is suddenly interrupted by
the crash of the Temple, through which the shrieks
and groans of the Philistines are heard. The third
act consists of the funeral obsequies of Samson.
Of the general merit of the oratorio there can
scarcely be two opinions. It comprises some of the
finest music that Handel ever wrote, and is, therefore,
beyond the reach of criticism. Many of the choruses
now woven into this work have been often sung in
separate and detached selections, such as " Immortal
Lord of earth and skies," and " See, the proud chief
advances," from Handel's Deborah. But the prin-
cipal introductions are the songs, which come from
those neglected sources of musical wealth, his Italian
operas. To these Handel himself had not unfrequent
recourse, and Dr. Arnold, in his compiled oratorio
Redemption, has largely and successfully availed him-
self of them. In fact, the only chance of hearing some
of Handel's best songs must be presented by such op-
portunities as these.
The oratorio was, with a few exceptions, admirably
a alone
not
sufficiently developed to sustain the pitch of the
voices, and the composition therefore suffered, but in
accompanies,
the the p
nwhymn,e r
of whichth
e
instrument org
was
general the choruses were sustained with precision
and spirit. The principal singers all appear to have
thoroughly studied their characters, and therefore sang
them with more than mere correctness. Hobbs, in
the difficult part of Samson, expressed the deep sorrow
and the remorse, as well as the stern dignity and un-
shaken trust, which checker Milton's portraiture of
the Jewish hero, with admirable truth and heartfelt
expression. Madame Caradori Allan infused into the
less arduous character—the Israelitish woman—
great sweetness and grace ; and Miss Williams, in
the Philistine woman, acquitted herself most credit-
ably. Weiss's fine voice told well in the songs of
Manoah, and Machin ably represented the Philistine
giant. A numerous and fashionable audience at-
tended the performance, and the deep attention with
which.it was received was a convincing proof of the
interest it excited.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

YORK, SErr. 25.—The first meeting of the General
Committee was held this afternoon at the Council
Chamber, in the Guildhall. The chair was taken by
the Right Hon. the Earl of Rosse, the President at
the last meeting at Cork, who was supported by the
Marquis of Northampton, Earl Fitzwilliam, the Earl
of Enniskillen, the Deans of Ely and Manchester,
Professor WThewell, the Master of Trinity ; the Rev.
W. Vernon Harcourt, the Rev. Dr. Scoresby, and
most of the leading members. On no previous oc-
casion was the attendance more numerous and efficient.

Colonel SAI3INE, the General Secretary, read a re-
port of the Council for the past year. In reference to
a recommendation of the General Committee at Cork,
meeting last year, an application had been made to
the Board of Ordnance requesting their aid in making
experiments with captive balloons, and from which
orders had been issued to the commandant at Wool-
wich to afford every facility for carrying out their
plans. Another recommendation to her Majesty's
Government respecting the Ordnance maps in Ire-
land now in progress had also been attended to. It
was to introduce a series of contour lines, which,
showing the elevation of the surface of the country,
would be useful to a variety of mechanical and engi-
neering purposes. Amongst other cases of their pro-
bable utility was that of subserving mining operations,
being instrumental in the formation of cheap roads and
the improvement of farms ; in facilitating drainage and
irrigation, and improving the sanatory condition of
towns ; in sinking Artesian wells, and expediting the
formation of roads railways, and canals, and other pur-
poses of public utility. If such were introduced now
by means of the large and efficient disposable staff
which the survey had at command, it would save a
great expense in the future special surveys for public
works and the undertakings of private enterprise.
The additional expense to be incurred would not ex-
ceed 10,0001., and it was suggested that the electro-
type manipulation might be easily adapted to the
purpose. An interview which a deputation from the
council had held with Sir G. Clerk on behalf of her
Majesty's Government, respecting the publication of
the results of Professor Forbes 's dredging in the
iEgean Sea, had also been succe=sful. Professor
Forbes, who had been appointed naturalist to the
Beagle surveying-ship, had in the course of those ob-
servations dredged those seas from the surface to a
depth of 130 fathoms in order to determine their
animal and vegetable inhabitants, for which purpose
Le had been aided by a grant of 1001. from the funds
of the Association. In his researches he bad dis-
covered 150 species of animals new to science, and as-
certained the existence of a greater number previously
unknown in that locality. The object of their appli-
cation to the Government was, that they would pub-
lish the results of these very valuable researches, so
that they should not be lost to the world, and Sir R
Pcel agreed that 500 copies should be printed by the
controller of the stationery, of which 50 should be pre-
sented to different libraries, both at home and abroad,
50 to Professor Forbes, to ba given to those who had
assisted in his researches, whilst the remainder
should be sold to the public at much below the cost
price. The treasurer had also received 1,0001. from
her Majesty's Treasury for the publication of La-

A vote of thanks to the Earl of Rosse, for presiding,
was proposed by the Marquis of Northampton, seconded
by Earl Fitzwilliam, and carried by acclamation, after
which the meeting adjourned to next Monday, when
the place of the next visit will be resolved upon.
There is a spirit of very lively anxiety in this city
on account of this visit. The attendance of visitors IS-,
already more numerous than was anticipated, and
their arrival has been welcomed by salutes from the
bells of the different churches during the day.
Amongst the members in the town, in addition to
those above mentioned on the various Committees, are
Lord Itanelagh, Hon. Captain F. Grey, Hon. B. R.
Lawley, General Austin, Rev. Dr. Bosworth, Pro-
fessor Oliver Byrne, Sir R. Steele, Mr. Griffiths,
Geologist of Ireland ; Mr. W. Jerdan, Dr. R. King,
Sir J. Simpson, Mr. R. J. Murchison, Mr. R. Hutton,
Mr. It. 11. Schombergck, &c.