The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-24 00:00:00

GREAT CHORAL MEETING IN

EXETER HALL.

The members of Mr. Hullah's classes, to the number of
2,000, met last evening in Exeter Hall. The choral perform-
ances toqk place under the direction of Mr. Hullah himself.
The pieces selected were performed with great steadiness
and accuracy, and the improvement on the earlier perform-
ances of this many-voiced choir was marked. "admirably Har the
lark at heaven's gate sings," an air
adapted to illustrate the character of Wilhem's
method, was excellently given, and was, of course, encored.
The " Like to grass," by Jules Benedict, was admirably
given. The talented composer was himself present, and the
enthusiastic manner in which he was received was a deserved
tribute to his merits as a most talented musician, and a very
worthy man. Horsley's " Haymaker's Glee" was beautifully
sung, and never was " Rule Britannia" given with greater
effect than it was last evening. The performances of last
evening are an additional proof of the soundness of Wilhem'a
principles, and of the admirable method in which those prin-
ciples arc carried out by Mr. Hullah. The hall was crowded.
Among the fashionable and distinguished visitors on the
platform, wo observed the family of his Grace the Duke of
Sutherland, the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Norwich, the
Marquis of Cholmondeley, Marquis of Kildare, Earl of Gal-
loway, Lord Cloncurry, Lord Sondes, Lord Adare, Captain
and the Misses Codrington, Hon. R. Cavendish, Hon. Lady
Cockerell, Hon. Mrs. Rushout,Hon. Walter Ponsonby, Lady
Manners, Lady Fanny Howard, Lady C. Douglas, Lady
Campbell, Lady Elizabeth Clements, Lady Massey, J. P.
Kay Shuttleworth, Esq., Mrs. Davenport ; Donald M'Lean,
Esq., M.P. ; Dr. Todd, Captain Codrington, Horsley,
Mus. Bac. A numerous body of the clergy, from all parts of
the country, were likewise present.

FATAL ACCIDENT FROM GIINPOWDER.—Yesterday
Mr. Baker held an inquest at the London Hospital, on the
body of Edward Bardwell, aged 19, assistant to a maker of
fireworks, named Clitherow, living in Weaver-street, Beth-
nal-green. Mr. Clitherow stated that on the 7th inst. de-
ceased was engaged in bruising some damp gunpowder in an
iron mortar, having its bottom lined with lead. He had
put in the mortar half a pound of powder, though he had
been ordered to braise only very small quantities at a time.
Witness, hearing a sudden explosion, ran into a shed in the
yard in which deceased was at work, and found him lying
on his back dreadfully burned on the face and the upper part
of his person, and his clothes, as well as the shed, on fire.
The flames having been extinguished, deceased was taken
immediately to that hospital. Deceased's father said that
his son told him that he was bruising some combustible com-
position with a pestle and mortar, when attrition, caused by
some species of grit, produced the explosion. Mr. J. Maskew,
house-surgeon, said he saw deceased on his admission, and he
was severely burned in the face, neck, and arms. The usual
remedies were applied without effect, and deceased gradually
sank, and died on Sunday last.—Verdiet, " Accidental Death."
On Wednesday night Lady Peel held an assembly
at the family residence, in Whitehall-gardens. The Premier's
mansion was crowded to excess, for there were above six

hundred personages of rank and distinction present. Their
Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at-
tended by Baron Knesebeck and Baroness Alilefeldt, came
from the Ancient Concert about half-past eleven, to honour
her Ladyship by their company. The royal visitors remained
for nearly an hour. When retiring from the saloon, Sir
Robert and Lady Peel accompanied their illustrious guests
to their carriage.
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON EPSOM DOWNS.-011
Wednesday night last, between 8 and 9 o'clock, an accident
of a most frightful nature occurred to two gentlemen, who
were driving in a gig over Epsom Downs, in the direction of
London. It appears that the gentlemen, whose names we
understand to be Beaumont and Cox, and who reside at Hull,
in Yorkshire, were desirous, after the Derby race was over,
of driving over the downs, and having gone rather farther
away than was considered safe, they drove towards London
at a pretty brisk pace • but had not, however, proceeded more
than half a mile on the road, when the horse took fright at
some trifling noise, and started off at a fearful rate, precipi-
tating the younger of the two (Mr. Cox) with fearful violence
to the ground. Mr. Beaumont, who was driving, kept his
seat until the horse, suddenly turning round short in a diffe-
rent direction, upset the gig, and threw him out with still
greater violence. Mr. Cox, who soon recovered from the
shock, went in quest of his friend, whom he found a short
distance off, lying underneath the 'gig in an insensible state,
bleeding profusely from a wound in the head. He imme-
diately went to seek for assistance, and, after a short delay,
Mr. Beaumont was conveyed to Epsom, when medical aid
being procured, it was discovered that the severe injuries he
had received would prevent him being removed, and he now
lies there without the slightest hope being entertained of his
recovery. Up to yesterday afternoon no tidings had been
heard of the horse.
LYCEUM THEATRE.—The following distinguished
persons have visited this theatre during the week :—The
Duke of Leeds, Marquis of Worcester, the Earl and Countess
Beauchamp, Earl and Countess of Wemyss, Viscount and
Viscountess Canning, Countess of Aylesbury, Ladies Eliza-
beth Paul, Lord Braybrooke, Lord Carew, Lord E. Hill, Lord
Curzon, Lord Alexander Lennox, Lord Gardner, Lord Vivian,
Lord and Lady Jocelyn, Lord Lucan, Count and Countess de
Sternberg, Lady Hillsborough, Lord Carrington, Sir John
Guise and family, Lady Louisa Forbes, Hon. G. Howard,
Hon. George O'Callaghan, W. H. C. Plowden, Esq., Captain
Carlton, Captain Algernon Smith, Mr. Hume, Morgan:O'Con-
nell, Esq., M.P., Mr. Sheridan, Hon. Mrs. Norton, Captain
West, Captain Hart, the Misses Howard Vyse, Sir Richard
Bulkeley and Lady Phillips, Colonel Wildman, Col. Conyers,
Sir Harvey Bruce and Lady, Captain Pixly and family, Mr.
Peel, Captain Lock, and the Hon. F. Charteris.
THE ROBBERY AND MURDER IN RATCLIFF.
An inquest was held yesterday at the Town of Whitby
public-house in Wapping-wall, Lower Shadwell, before Mr.
Baker, Coroner, and a jury, on the body of Luke
MTlileiams,
aged fifty-eight, late landlord of the Chequers.__
me-
dical evidence given before Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Norton,
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at the Thames-police Court, on the examination ° t f thede Tex.
prisoners charged with the robbery and murder of
ceased, was repeated, and Ash, the mother of Mary Ann Ash
and Rosetta Bragger, now in custody, was likewise ex-
amined. Sufficient was elicited frebn her to prove that Wil-
liams had been robbed in the house, of which her daughters,
Nicholson, the milkman, and Richard Bragger, the husband
f Rosetta Bragger, were the inmates ; that the deceased
° complained of his loss, and that he was ill-used by Horsted,
the coal-whipper, and carried home in a state of insensibility.
At the ' conclusion of this woman's testimony Mr. Baker
again adjourned the inquest until Monday next.
TIIB CALEDONIAN BALL.—The several members of
our Royal family have been invited by the ladies patronesses
to honour this charitable ball by their presence. The Duke
of Wellington, who for a long series of years has dignified
the ball by his attendance, and all the Foreign Ministers and
their ladies, have likewise been invited, and no doubt will
be present. The Duchess of Sutherland, Duchess of Norfolk,i
Duchess of Roxburghe, Countess of Powis, Countess of Rose-
bery, Countess of Kinnoull, Lady Saltoun, Lady Emily Fo-
ley, and many of the ladies patronesses, met by appointment
on Tuesday', and the result of the conference was that an
additional issue of vouchers was made, as the demand for
the entree has been so great as to exceed, by some three
hundred, the applications of some previous years. Two bands
are engaged, and a considerable number of flowers, plants,
and exotics are to be supplied for the decoration in the ante,
waiting, and ball rooms.
COMPETING RAILWAYS TO EPSOM.—THE ATMO-
SPHERIC RAlLWAY.—Yesterday a Committee of the House
of Commons (Lord Howiek in the chair) decided upon
granting the Croydon Company's branch railway to Epsom,
and on rejecting that of the rival Company, the South-
Western. The great characteristic of this protracted con-
test is, that the Croydon Company propose to lay down a line
from Epsom to London (a length of twenty-one miles) on
the atmospheric system. Mr. William Cubitt, Mr. Brunel,
Mr. Samuda, Mr. Barry Gibbons, and other eminent engineers,
were examined for the atmospheric plan, and Mr. Robert
Stephenson against it. The subject has excited much inte-
rest in the scientific world; and the committee-room has been
crowded daily.
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