The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-17
OUR LONDON LETTER.

Academy. and MtIIais as a Landscape
Painter-The Theatre Francais-An AM
gIo-AmerIcan Club-Crittca1 Position OF
the Gladstone Government -MatchnlRl<-
inx-The Licensing BiIl-The Joint Conn
nnission-LowelI's Last Volume-Ameri-
cans at Cambridge, Etc., ETC., Etc.
From oar O,Sn Correspondent
LONDON, May 2, 1871.
The International Exhibition of Fine Arts,
Selected Manufactures, and Music was opened
by the Prince of Wales yesterday with
good deal of trumpet-blowing, cannon-fring,
and 30 on, but the general public have SO
many more exciting things to occupy them
nowadays that the event has attracted mar
yellously slight attention. The one humorous
feature of the proceedings was the presenta-
tion of the provincial Mayors (who had all
received invitations to attend) to the Prince.
Many of these worthy gentlemen got into
unseemly confusion with their robes of state
on finding themselves in the presence of
ROYALTY, and one went so far as to measure
his length on the floor at MIR. Disraeli's feet.
But, after all, what is this international ex-
hibition you ask. Briefly, a show of some
yery good pictures-most of which have, how
ever, been often shown before-some ex-
quisite glass and porcelain, some silks and
woollen stuffs, and some of the invariable
machinery in motion, in some particularly
ugly brick annexes tackled on to the monstrous
Albert Hall. In the latter building there
are to be provided concerts, illustrative of
what Music can do, and at the other
end of the galleries Messrs. Spiers
& Pond, of worldwide fame, will set up an
American bar, where presume the mint
iulep and sherry -cobbler of this nineteenth
century will be exhibited in their highest
stage of development. Poor France had fully
intended to take leading place in the show,
and at her own charges erected handsome
courts for the display of her productions.
Their utter emptiness records a sad protest
against the numbing, paralyzing effects of
war.
Yesterday too, the Royal Academy opened
its doors and displayed its annual stock of
pictures Wonders will never cease. Here is
Millais exhibiting a EandScGpe!-and such
landscape, too. ''Chill October, most cap
tivating and thoughtful piece of rush-grown
water scenery, has taken all the critics by
storm, and all the dailies, from the ponderous
Times down to the half-penny Echo, are en-
thusiastic in their praise of the versatile
painters work. Mr.. Leighton is among US
again this summer, and shows some of that
marvellous coloring which is his forte Truly,
our Academy is, with all its shortcomings
and possible eccentricities, an institution to be
envied and cherished.
It has often been said that what's one mans
poison is anothers meat, and the proverb is
I III Gov of
goers. For some years past the presence of
rather miscellaneous company of French
players in one or other of the London
theatres during the summer months has grown
to be an expected element of ''the season."
but this year, owing to the reign of the Com
mune in Paris, we have no less than three
French companies among us, including the
renowned drtiStes of the Theatre Francois.
Yes, the Francaiss which ever since 1850 has
stayed at home, the acknowledged head of the
acting world and arbiter of French pronuncia-
ton, has come in these last days to earn it's
bread in clumsy barbarian England. Let us
take the gifts the gods provide, and thank
even the Commune for giving us glimpse
of Bressant and Favart in the Strand. Tar
tufe, Moliere's immortal Iartu6e, as played
by them last night, their opening night, was
q treat not to be forgotten.
1t deserves mention, as one mark among
many of the kindly feeling that is spreading
every day amongst us, that one Of our clubs,
which happens to have namesake in New
York, has spontaneously passed a resolution
offering the privileges of honorary member
ship to all and every the members of its
namesake. Why should there not be an Anglo
American club on the reciprocity system,
having (say) four houses, in London, Phila
delphia, New York, and Boston, membership
of any one of which should make one free o.
the other three?
1t will be a considerable help towards bette
communication between our two countries il
Mr.. Seely carries the resolutions which he il
to submit to the House of Commons thi
evening, to the effect that the postage be
tween England and America be reduced from
threepence to one penny. The House i
passing through such exciting times, though
that it has hardly time to attend to quie
postal improvements. Mr.. loves budget
proposing to put tax on matches, excite'
such general disapprobation that, after fur
nishing material for hundred obvious witt
cisms, about the number of females engaget
in matchmaking and the like, it had to b.
remodelled, and last night the conservative
formally gave battle to the substituted pro
posal of an additional twopence of incom
tax. The occasion was really critical, TO
the so-called Independent Liberals have beel
so frequently grinding their own private axe