The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

3, 1853. the portrait of Ruben% by himself, of his last wife, and of the beautiful Helena Ferment. Tan BULL-FIGHTS AT BriessEis do not appear likely to achieve much success. The first repro seutation was a complete fiasco, due principally to the restrictions which the animal-protecting police had imposed upon the toreadors, leaving to them no other means of excitement but their red unities and the natural savageness of the bulls which were im ported from Spain. At the second performance the sport had more interest. Five times the bull sprang over the barrier and threatened the lift' of his teaser, but the concourse of spectators was already so re duced that the impresario was obliged considerably to reduce his prices, which had at first been fixed at an extravagant rate. AFTER the failure in succession of three managers of the Paris Italian Opera a fourth has appeared, and sonic happy accidents give promise of a splentled success to his reign. The new manager is Colonel ltagani, an Italian gentleman, to whom the Govern ment has given a concession for nine years. M. llagani is not only a colonel of the empire, but is well known in the musical world. Ile is the widower of the celebrated Madame (irassini, the aunt of the still more famous Madame Julia Grisi of the present day. He is actively employed in getting up a com pany, and has already secured M. Mario and Mine. tirisi for the first four mouths of his season. They would have been forced to proceed to America in December ' to fulfil an engagement in that country. but, luckily for the Parisians, it is ascertained that the new theatre in course of construction at New York, and in which they are to make their debut, will not be ready, at soonest, till the middle of February. M. Hawaii has also secured the services of M. Tam burini, and of his son-in-law, M. liardoni. Ile is negotiating with Madame Aihoni, who, nitwit!' standing her recent change of state, and consequent retirement from the stage, is willing to interrupt the honeymoon for the consideration of 1,000 francs per night, paid in advance, with a guarantee that she shall be called on to sing eight times each month of the season, and the previous deposit of the whole amount of her salary for the season in the hands of a banker. JENNY LIND, now Madame Goldschmid, has re cently given birth to a son. NEVER was that magnificent opera-house, the San Carlo, at Naples, in so deplorable a condition. The police prohibit almost the whole library of modern operas, because in nearly all the libretti something may be found which offends royalty : Verdi's Rigo -9 letto for example, is not allowed for this reason ; an d Norma is banished on account of religion. The result is, the theatre which witnessed the production of all the great works of Rossini, liellni, and Doni i.etti, has sunk down to a second-rate opera-house. The few new operas of merit produced in Naples during the last two years are—Don Chem), by De (liosa ; La Precauzioni and Elena di Tolosa, by ; Statira and J'ioletta, by Mercadante. These operas have been played, more or less, all over Italy, but they are not likely to get to London or I 'ails. _ _ LA SCALA at Milan has lately witnessed II Chi, a new work by Paeini, and a successful opera by Rossi ; but this once-famed theatre is fast on the decline. The company is generally made up of second-rate artists, and the house would be closed at once but for Government support. THE LAST GREAT MUSICAL EVENT AT ROME has , been the production of an oratorio by Rainionili, which occupied three nights, and is said to be a great classical work. AT GENOA a new master, Lints, has given with success his Edita di Lanus. The libretto was writ ten by the celebrated itomani (of Beßini memory ), for which he received 1,500 south—the largest sum, perhaps, ever paid for the words of an opera. Vcitio is writing two new operas, King Lear and Hamlet ; and Mereadante is engaged oil a work founded upon the legend of Ondine. AsinateA seems now the great purchaser or hirer of musical talent in the Italian market. Already agents are in Italy from the United States, foniiing companies and scrambling for prime dam., to whom they offer little fortunes, and princely attendance, it' they will sing to the merchants of New York as well as to the Court of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias. Supply and demand always keep ing up a fair correspondence, the natural consequence of this rage for music is that many Americans are now in Italy, living in small dirty back rooms, with a pianoforte, practising solfeggiox, with the intention of becoming singers of Italian opera. In Naples an American lady, Mrs. Escott, "haws" every night at the Nuovo, and has really succeeded. Italy is, in deed, crowded with French and English musical stu dents—tenori, soprani, and bassi—adopting Italian names, and trying to sing di petto, instead of di gola or di nano, as we do in England or France. ONE OF THE CELEBRATED " CALORIC ENGINES . ' has been sent by Mr. Ericsson to Havre, where it has been tasted and reported upon bylthe French Aca demy. The investigation was entrusted to N. THE PRESS. Coombe, President of the Academy, and M. Rivat, Professor of thetnistr) it the EVOIP des Mines. The tiovernment also sent as stweeittl commission to I lam , of naval officers MI engineer". to malts a report on the subject. These reports are not yet published. but the result is known as having been must favour able, in spite of the imperfect condition of the ma. chine sent to France. The principles of Eriesson's invention are somewhat similar to those of Davy'm lamp, namely, that gas at a high temperature passing through a ntetallic tissue loses the greater plat of its calorie. But what was not het. diseovereil, and what Ericsson tanned, was, that this metal''c cloth retains its heat, and communicates it to a new cuffent of gas arriving front tut opposite direction. This has b een fally d ee m e d i ii flit a ffi rma ti ve by the ex _ !torments made in presence of the commissioners_ The second point to ascertain was the intensity of the resistance which the air meets with in traversing the metallic cloth. The great mathematical eaten's _ .• tion is not yet published, but it is known t) u this resistanee will not be more than one f o rti e th of an at mosphere. The quantity of coal burned is about alb. ism steam horso-power per hour. A 'Atm": looktnii-ot.Ass 111As1•racTony tntGablished in Denmark tat Ilailerslev. One of the proprietors, Herr Weber, has construeted an linty 'titans and eomplicated machine which polishes the plates with wonderful rapidity. The plates cam be products" up to about twel‘o feet in lougth, and brelititil in proportion. THE Cot• Nett. of the I T itiversity of Cracow has pro posed that the lectures shall heneeforth be delivered in the (tone m, instead of in the Polish. language. This proposal has been accepted by the Schools of Law and Philosophy, whilo the School of Medicine declared itself incompetent tAb 411‘eillt. the 41110.4i0n. TIIE Iito%EItNIIENT hats joined Lieutenant Mattry's movement. and will assist, all moreltant captains who enll4S the Atha die in drawing up the meteorological jonrnals he requirs. After being examintsl by tho Academy of Seit'itct6s, the results will be forwarded to I Aeut onant Mallory. THE AUSTRIAN GENERAL OF ORDNANcI:, Chevalier de Sehtinahls, has just itublimittsl a work entitled 6' Biography of Baron Julius volt !triplet', lay one of his companions in arms." )bituar!. DEATH OF SIR CHARLES N /WIER. Tea " Item of Seinde" died on Monday last, at his seat near Ports. 1111 l tt bowed seventy one. Frew .'dicers have pissed throng). a career of service so prolonged, so various, and so glorious es that of the de.pasetl general. Entering the army at nn early age, he may be said to have passed nearly time whole of a hew life in incessant activity—tighting, while war lasted, sometimes as a commissioned .'hirer, sometimes as a volunteer, serving by sea and land, and exchanging. when called upon, the ditties of a warrior f..r Ih./se of the negotiator, the diplomatist, and the adminis. tmtor; and, when nothing out of deem seemed to demand the exercise of his indomitable energies, devoting himself, with chametATistic impetuosity . , ti the task of remodelling the wither', and reforming the morale, of the British army. From the copious biographies given by our daily contemporaries (of which the um-naive. written by his brother, Sir William Napier, is the principal source) we extract the most interesting details. Charles James Napier, the son of Col. Napier, was born at whit e b a it, L ou don, o n the Both of Ang.e.t, 114 . 2, but was removed very early to Ireland-4e Caatletown, in the county of Kildare. Bere he re li relived his eilneatien, at the hands of his father, until, before he attained his twelfth year, he received, on the :{lst of January, 11704, an ensign's commission in the 22iel Regiment of Foot ; and on the Mth o f May tollowing he was gazettol a lieutenant. Four years after, young Napier saw his first serviee as aide de camp to Sir UM's during the Irish rebellion of VS. llis regiment still keeping in Ireland, where it Wall recruited, he was called out On the neellKinn of the Emmett plot and insurreetion, and the paling soldier had a seelnid time the oppertimity of seeing the horrors of civil war. Towards the end of 1M0:I he ..btaitusl his company, and exelianged into the 5011 1 . Baying been appointed to at majority .a. the 211th of May, I.4at, he commented this regiment during the terrible retreat on Conuma under Sir John Moore, mid during the fatal battle in which that gifted leader fell. Nlaji.r Napier was himself wounded in five plates in that battle, and mole prisoner. The 42nd an. l 50th hail attacked and driven the French out of a village called Flvina, and Sir John Moon' had scut a battalion of linarols to reinforce the regi. ments in :continuing the a 41% met.. The 4.2n01, how ever, taking the Gremuliers for a relief, partially fell back, leasing the 50th fighting in some disorder arnong4t mined houses and garden walls. At this moment the French, having been powerfnlly rein forced, athenceil in an overwhelming charge, driving back the !nth into the village. In the retreat Maica Starhope, a nephew of Mr. Pitt, was killed, and Major Napier desperately wounded and made pntioner. lie is described am advancing over 'woken ground. armed with a musket, and calling on him men to follow him. Three of the four who obeyed him fell in the attempt, the fourth wits wounded. and the rest hung back. Napier was in the act of help ing the wounded man when he wax struck by a musket 11311, which 'nuke one of this shank bones. Throwing down his musket, he ale. hobbling along, leaning on his saitol, alien a Enbuchniiiii ran his bayonet into his hack. The hurt, however, nut being serious, Alajsir Napier turned round and slis sullied his assailauit, now supported by several of his comrades, about the major galhusUv Need until ho c was knoked downby tbe butt•enil of a musket, and was *heat to be despatched outright, when a Fnineli drummer interims' and dragged him out sit the issi be. Soult received his priestlier with kindness, proonreil for him the iiiiissisary medical olsonstnall'e,. his reeovery iliamissed hint, with perimatosin to go to Englimil on issersolis. This ite l a generosity was iiroliably noised by the close of the campaign, which was terminated by the battle of Corim& The belief in the meinitime was pn.v lent in England that llajor Napier hail been killed, I and he cme' his friends in mourning, and his proia‘rty being udnninixlenul tn. In Isll Major Napier wax again in the Peninsula, Its a volunteer, and present at the battle of the C ott , where he hail two horses shot under him ; but elusive(' unhurt. At 1111$1100, 11110 of this fought bade. of ow war, he was not P.S. 1 .11 1141111te, Teeing shot. in the Puce, having his jaw briskets and his eye ilkjltrett. lusisl tuodirul itos:snattlice not ap 'tearing to he at hand, Sir Chiules actually role to bishisii, a ilistinlee 111111'1. 1111111 a illttliblool and hail the ball ibvtnieteil from whew it hall worked itself to, behind his ear. Ile rissovereil woo enough to take It share tit tile light of Fuentes sit niore, and et the s e cond siege of Ilaslajisz. during this time, in hate, 11 . 411, he was proattitett to the rank of Houle mutt colonel. Itssintining in England for a bri e f int ervsl, I !olonel Napier returned to utilise service on a new element. In ISM he elllhatat‘ol on a fighting cruise off the Chesapeake, capturing Anielicius vessels 111111 111111i111g 1 . 11 . 1111 0 11 t 1101414 . 11L4 1111011 them CORMS. Onee again returning to England) in 11415, Colonel Napier missed Waterloo, but au-rived as a volunteer thins' slays after the battle. bask lout in the storming of the t.:ambray, and accompanied the army to Paris. After the pores, t!olonl.1 Napier enjoyed an ititzbrval of retirement and repose. In 1el:1, however, he served en the foreign staff, and in the following yisu• wets 11111110 liovensor Cephalonia. Tsai saw him major general, ma u l the ne'\t year he was appointed tll Cl l llllll9llll the 111111tIlt) 11141'11% of the noirili lot England. In ISII, however, a wider field opened Ixefnrs+ him, upon his being appointed to esaiinianol the army in Here he mein attraeted attention by ti m e essinmenetiment of that. career of military reform for which he has heroine so celebrated. At the mug gievtiun of the Earl 'if Ellssibs sr' nigh, Sir 4 !harlot drew up the plan of Mt Atightinistan eampaign. It was on too extensive t-eale to Is. nolsortell ; neeonn • plioslotool monnio practical reforms in break hug flown the pit jttiliees of the seissys in favour of the matchlock lover the timmket,m4l tirraigettul the tilisiird custom o f lorrn Wing every English soldier upon the march with a chest, four of which formed the loud of a camel. Departing fer Seinsle, Sir Charles went Ise Neu to the month of the Indus, Had arrived at Kiimichee, where he suffered si severe injoiry from the exploision of a 'Whet. Selfish , wa.,, sit that time, in a very slits ordered 14 01011 is in, awl I trit kit influents, miteli weakesied by the slisse•ters el Calm' and linzfiee, by the tittachm of the hill Itel, , sselice, the defeat a col England, and the isoshilesl pesition of I itineral Nutt, besieged in t'atishillar. 'tut Sir Charles write, " Dan ger from their warfare, I ran see none. 1 can heat all tit:. prieces in Seinile." Ilia first step, however. wits slitilsamitie one of waiting upon the Ames re :st I I Alter this he proceeded to Sukkitr, sued hums. csinimenceil Isis operations. lie Said be wlonld I'l'lllllP the Ameere to all his quest policy or a tenible war, and lie kept his word. arranging his plans for the campaign— settling Isis points of defuses and selecting hie points of attack, but still negotiating with the Anieers--Sir Charles at len; th lassught midterm to a head. lie was overmatched. At 31eassee there were st lit is mei' in entrenched i focal i. 41 s V.,01M1 111141, While Sir Charles load but ..:,sl,ll trusts in all, supoys awl English. Leaving, however, let the present, the Antes troops uurulJe stets, he pushed through a wild country to a furtilleatten railed Emaimi fibur, no European had ever seen, anal which he ultimately remised with Jiffy cavalry, two howitzers, and :1641 Irish infantry. A hostile army—teu times the number of the lltitish— hung 11111111 his flank, but dill not venture to attack him. The fortification was reached—a place with walls anti towers yerfeetly Impregnable, but deserted; Mahoinmed Khan, one of the Atneers who had iv. treated tiers, having tled from it with his army and treasury, heating all his sts 'p.m and gunpowder behind 1