The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY. EVENING, JUNE 13, I_B6B.

THE HANDEL FES77VAL.

FULL HEHEARSAL YESTERDAY.

A splendid June day, .an immense assemblage,
and the great orchestra punctually filled in every
portion of its vast area with vocalists and instru-
mentalists to the number of four thousand, ushered
in the Third Grand Triennial Festival magnifi-
cently. Nothing could well have been more
wretchedly mis-man,ged, however, than the railway
arrangements for taking the visitors down from
Landon to Sydenham. The result was a scramble
for places at the last moment within the palace,
and that, too, in a very labyrinth, the devious
windings of which it was bewildering to traverse
leading often to a cul-de-sac, to much physical ex-
hausti,,n, and to no little mental irritation among
the majority. Finger-posts at the entrance doors,
directing the public generally to their appointed
places, would be a positive benefaction before the
first of the Three Grand Days (Monlay), shall
have arrived. We speak from our own personal
experience, the discovery of the scats allotted to
us being the result of prolonged search, after an
extraordinary trial of patience among those in our
immediate neighbourhood. At one o'clock pre-
cisely, the signal of inauguration was given by the
wand of the wizard, the baton of the field marshal,
Michael Costa, prince and paragon of Conductors.
The whole of the gigantic audience, answering in
the rise to their feet of the four thousand occupants
of the orchestra, rose at the pealing forth of the
opening words of &he National Anthem. But it was
with the commencement of the matchless " Halle-
lujah " that the true prelude of the whole of this
colossal celebration may be said, in truth, to have
commenced. Listening to it—
" The earth recedes, it disappeats—
Heaven opens to mine eyes ; my ears
With sounds seraphic ring!"
It was simply magnificent. At the close of the
selection from Saul, the " Dead March" was given
with wonderful and haunting effect, the impression
produced being actually less noticeable for its
overwhelming solemnity than for the plaintive
tenderness of its pathetic funereal beauty. Sims
Reeves was in unusually fine voice and, as ever,
acquitted himself to admiration. After the over-
ture from the " Occasional Oratorio" had been per-
formed with, in parts, startling power, the grand
chorus from Solomon, "May no rash intruder,"
won for itself a burst of enthusiastic applause. As
for the exquisite duet from Judas illaccabens—
" 0 lovely peace," it was listened to with hushed
attention, and rewarded as if with a thunder clap.
The delicious, warbling air from L'Allegro, " Sweet
Bird," in which the flute and voice alternately con-
, tend with and rival one another, having run—

In many a winding bout
Of linked sweetness long drawn out :
was followed by the large and massive chorus from
Alexander's Feast, "The many rend the skies,"
with the last choral crash of which the first part
of the full rehearsal was happily and most appro-
priately brought to a conclusion.
It was not until past four o'clock that the second
part commenced with the grand double chorus
from Deborah, " Immortal Lord." Madlle
Titiens then gave, with superb effect, "Pious Or-
gies," from Judas Maccabeus. The ever radiant
" Let the Bright Seraphim," from Samson, lost no-
thing of its magic splendour by its interpretation
through the silvery voice of Madlle. Carola, and
the golden trumpet-notes of Mr. Harper. Thanks
to Madame Sainton Dolby's delicious organ,
coupled with her admirable mastery of it, and the
aid of the most marvellous chorus and double
chorus in the world, the selection from Solomon
immediately following this, realized with a per-
fectly astounding majesty of effect and rolling
variations of sound, the alternate solo and choral
glories of " Music spread thy voice "—" Shake the
Dome "—" Draw the tear "—and " Thus rolling
surges." As if to vindicate the accuracy of its title
as a rehearsal, the performance of to-day was in-
terrupted at the commencement of the last-
mentioned air and chorus, and two or three times
during its progress by its master-conductor, who
was so little satisfied with the general result at the
conclusion, that he inexorably commanded its
repetition. Finally, as crowning the selection,
Madlle. Kellogg prefaced with the brilliant " 0
had I Jubal's Lyre," from Joshua, the triumphal
pomp and electrifying grandeur of that magnifi-
cent choral song of jubilation, " See the Conquer-
ing Hero Comes," from the same wonderful
oratorio. This sublime chorus was encored with a
sort of rapture—the one only encore of the day.
It was a song of triumph worthy of celebrating the
victory of Jupiter and the Gods over their enemies
the Titans. The whole Rehearsal was wound up
gloriously with a series of colossal choruses from
the Israel in Egypt—the Hail Stone Chorus - the
swarming of the flies and lice—the coming down of
the darkness, a " darkness which might be felt !"
It was sublime.
The audience was enormous for a 7s. Gd. day.
Admissions by season tickets, 13,554 ; ditto on pay-
ment, 5,043 ; total visitors, 18,597.

Trade to grant a certificate of abandonment to the North
Western and Charing-cross Railway, considering the re-
port of the joint committee of both Houses of Parliament
in favour of this lino?

Mr. CAVE said ho was not able to give a distinct answer,
as the time did not expire until the 24th of June. lie
could not say that the joint committee of both houses un-
reservedly recommended the making of the railway; it
was the opinion of the committee that unless three new
streets were made the bill ought not to be proceeded
with.

EX-GOVERNOR EYRE.

Colonel B. KNOX asked tho First Lord of the Treasury

if her Majesty's Govarnmont were of opinion that the Act
of Indemnity passed by the L Chamber of Ja-
maica, and confirmed by an Orier in Council of the Home
Government, was or was not a protection t..) Ex-Governor
Eyre for all acts done under martial law during the re-
bellion in the Island of Jamaica ; and, if no', will her Ma-
jesty's Government undertake to bring in a bill to protect
Governor Eyre from further prosecutions ?
Mr. DISRAELI said the highestlegal authorities had de-
clined to give an opinion as to the extent of the power of
the Act of Indemnity, and therefore he could not be ex-
pected to do so. With respect to the latter part ho had
to say that it was not the intention of the Government to
bring iu any such bill.

Colonel B. KNOX asked the right hon. gentleman if he
was aware that the late Government had consulted the
law offi,:ers of the Crown, whose opinion he had in his
pocket ?

Mr. DISRAELI did not refer merely to the late law
officers of the Crown when he said the highest legal autho-
rities had been consulted. (Hear, hear.)

.......46
LAW IN TELLIGE NC E.—This • Dv,

.__.4,- _

THE COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Before the Lord Chief J astice and a Speci. a 2 Jury.)
ACTION FOR LIBEL AGAINST TUE " TELE-
GRAPH."

This was an action to recover cpmpensztion in
damages against the proprietors of the bail w Tele-
graph for an alleged libel which appeared in the
columns of that journal. The defendants denied
the libel.

Mr. Sergeant Barry opened the case by stating,
that M. Risk Allah was a Turk belonging to
the Greek Church, and had been educated
as a surgeon ; was a man of very high attainments
and station ; he had been sent to the camp of Oma r
Pasika and distinguished himself in his professional
capacity. He afterwards was sent to England, and
there he met with a Miss Lewis, a lady possessed of
considerable property, and who had one nephew.
He married her, and she afterwards fell into
bad health at Paris. Risk Allah was tele-
graphed for from Constantinople, when he
found her very ill. She was ordered to Baden-
Baden, in Germ tny, and subsequently died at
Brussels. A great sensation was caused by her
death, and it was alleged that Risk Allah was ac-
cessory to it. He was brought before the tribunals,
there charged with m•irder and forgery. The lat-
ter charge was preferred on the supposition
that he had forged a will constituting him
guardian of the nephew, to whom 120,000
was left. The young man was subsequently
found shot, and Risk Allah was charged with
murder. He was acquitted of all charges, and it
was consi lerel that the boy had committed suicide.
At the time of the trial comments were made by the
foreign correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, which
Risk Allah alleged were libellous, and for these
having been inserted to his detriment the present
action was brought.

The case was proceeding when we went to press.

711 E BOILLI? EXPLOSION ON TILE
THAMES.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of Charles
Thomas and William Hewitt, firemen on board the
Pilot, steam tug, whose deaths were caused by the
explosion of one of the boilers of that vessel while
proceeding down the Thames, off Cliffe-point, on a
trial trip after repairs to the engine, on the 28th
of May, was held at the Town Hall, Gravesend,
yesterday, before Mr. E. A. Hilder, coroner for
the borough. Mr. Thomas Gray, assistant secre-
tary to the Board of Trade, was present
during the inquiry, also Mr. T. W. Traill
and Mr. S. W. Snowden, surveyors to the
Board. Mr. Sharland, solicitor, attended on be-
half of Mr. Buckland, the superintending engineer
under the contract for repairs. Richard Owen
Davis, the owner of the vessel, stated that the vessel
left the Terrace-pier at noon, with 28 persons on
board. Soon after the vessel started it was found
by the slow movement of the engine that there was
something wrong, and the attention of Mr. Buck-
, land, the engineer, was called to the circumstance.
In about 20 minutes, while passing Cliffe, one
of the boilers exploded, the two firemen being
in the engine-room at the time. 'Thomas was
got out and laid upon the deck. He was
much injured by scalding, but still alive. The
body of Hewitt was removed from the engine-room,
dead. Thomas expired at the Gravesend Infirmary
a few hours afterwards. Charles Buckland, the
superintending engineer, said he was not satisfied
with the state of the engine a day or two prior to
the trial trip, and expressed his dissatisfaction to the
contractor, who promised to make the necessary
alterations. Oa the day of the trial trip the engine
thumped a little, and as they proceeded the speed
decreased. He went below to ascertain the cause,
and found that the expansion throttle-valves had
closed, which shut in the steam. The contractor
undertook to remedy the defect by tying the valves
open, which was done. The gauge indicated a
pressure of 51b. only. While witness was engaged
pointing out to the engineer of the vessel that there
wrs something wrong the explosion occurred.
When he saw the boiler plate afterwards he formed
an opinion that the accident had occurred from an
over-pressure of steam. William Juniper Cooper,
the contractor, said that when they started on the
trial trip the indicator showed 151 b. pressure of
steam. The engine moved slowly, performing 20
revolutions a minute. It ought to have made 38.
Ile could not account for it. He tied the expan-
sion-valve open. The explosion occurred ten mi-
nutes afterwards. In cross-examination by Mr.
Snowden, the witness said that the stop-valves
were in order. The valves were weighted at 211 b.
the square inch. Alfred Thomas Mudd, engineer
to the Pilot, could only account for the explosion
by supposing that the stays of the boiler might
have been insufficient. William Reid, a boiler-
maker at Old Ford, Bow, stated that he ex-
amined the engine of the Pilot the day after the
explosion. He was not directed to do so by
any one. He found a rent in the bottom plate of
the boiler. The plate was much decayed. The boiler
was badly constructed. There was a want of stays.
He touched the valve outside. The Coroner said
that the witness had no right to interfere with the
engine at all. Thomas 'William Traill, Surveyor to
the Board of Trade, said he inspected the vessel
in question in conjunction with Mr. Snowden.
lie went on board on Thursday and was told that
some one had been there before by order of
the Board of Trade, which he knew was untrue.
He was of opinion that the communication-valves
had been shifted, and that the screw on the top of
the safety-valve of the port boiler had been recently
moved. 'lie did not think that the pressure would
have burst the boiler had both the safety-valves
acted properly ; at the same time he thought it was
an injudicious pressure to have them weighted at,
owing to the weakness of the furnaces. Had there
been a stay put in the furnaces the explosion, in his
opinion, might have been prevented, provided the
safety-valves had worked properly. Ile had tested the
gauge, and ascertained that it did not vary half a
pound at any point. He felt sure that the boiler
did not explode upon 41b. or Mb. pressure. The
valve must have been closed. Mr Snowden, the
other surveyor, fully corroborated the statement
of the last witness. The jury, after half an hour's
deliberation, returned a verdict of " Accidental
Death," to which was appended an expression of
regret at the unauthorized interference with the
engine by Mr. Reid. The coroner drew the atten-
tion of those present to a clause in the Merchant
Shipping Act, under which any person unduly
weighting a safety-valve rendered himself liable to
a penalty of £lOO.