The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-24 00:00:00

Dtama. DRUM' LANE THEATRE. -- Mr. ltnioke essayed a new character on Monday night, in a ti‘c-act play called The liethruthal. The play itself is beneath being 4.111 an American imitation, and therefore an exavueration. of some of the most glaring limbs of the Elizabethlui dramatists. But it affords Mr. Brooke an opportunity to display the power he elm wield iaer the merely physical attri butes of an actor, in the part of Marne. a miser, in whom the passion of avarice is combated by that of jealousy. The play has not been repeated. Otsmetc THEATRE.—Mr. Farren terminated his management of this theatre by a farewell benefit on Thursday. when he played Lord Ogleby 111 The Clan destine Marriage. sortiqn art, Vittraturt, &t. (leo timitc Lereakri - ar..—The French Minister of Public instruction has addressed a letter to Dr. Firmenich. of Berlin, thanking him for his zeal and exertion in the research of old French dialects and literature. Dr. Firmenich had formed a project to collect and publish a " Recueil general des l'as'sies claims de la France. - This work has now. by the t•olicitude of the French t;overnment. been entrusted to a eollllllission, at whose head Messrs. Ampere, Magnin, and P. Paris. The work promises to be very extensive, as lately a collection of French songs has heen uttered to the cotumission comprising as many as Imo volumes. PRoTESTANTISNI 1:114 , 41A/1 PoLANIL—The King at Pntssia has presented the Evangelical Reformed Congregation of Warsaw with a splendid copy of the Bible. M which the following inscription. in the King's hand, is recorded :—" Frederic Will.am, King of Prussia. to the Evangelic Reformed Church of Warsaw, in .1 lily. 1t453." Besides the fineness of the edition, the binding is richly ornamented with various jewels. Switzettevate—Srly PrPPORTINO POOR-HorsE !'OR CHILDREN.—The Swiss journals speak with especial commendation of an establishment at B of a.sle which is attached to a large silk manufactory this . About seventy children are here employed with the preparatory occupations of this trade. But they are net, as is the ease in other manufactories, sent home at night. They are mostly orphans, who are entirely maintained in the house. Besides the work of the manufactory. and the usual elementary school roc tine. they are also instructed in preparing their own food. making their hells, mending, Sc. A small farm and orchard are attached to the house, where, by yural occupati 111 l • the children are kept healthy and cheerful. Besides all this, the itta.ster puts to the credit of t very child who behaves well the annual sum of fifty francs; so, that after their three years of training, they may leave the establishment with a small capital of 150 f. The poverty of the humbler classes in se itzerhuid is often so great that orphans maintain themselves by collecting potato peels in the streets. of such also this establishment has been known to make useful and moral individuals. (mouse Poen - test. CARICATURE.S.—AN it appears that the Ametieans are siding with the Chinese patriot". furnishing them with arms and ammuni tion, it may be that the Government of the Emperor may 'revive some inspirations from the Courts of the absolutist powers. There were profusely circulated 'tome three or four months since, through most of the cities of China, hut especially by the criers of the police ounce of Shanghai, woodcuts npresenting the Imperial army besieging Nankin and Yang-Tshem- Fon. both in the occupation of the patriots. Thole wssslcuts are executed in the usual tinpersTes•tive minim r of Chinese designs ; and the only fact we may gather from them is that the imperialists pos sess but very few muskets, being mostly armed with lances and cutlasses. That, in a production corning from such a source. the Tartar armies are always represented view:Mug, is eas ily t o b e explained. tiuSSIAN LITERATURE.—Nt.w Won't ON BRETROWN. It is a well-promising feet that within the last two years a work on Mozart and Beethoven should have conic from the pen of a Russian author. That on Beethoven just published svo,, L e ip a i e) is the production of a rather high personage—States Councillor M. de Lenz—and it treats of Beethoven as a composer. as an artist and literary character. IT. The author. in allusion to the connection which existed between the great musician and the l'rinees Lichnowski and I liummowski. is inclined to value very high the Panslavic element active in the life of the great composer. CRYSTAL. PALACE: IM TIWIR ETHIC ANTI EDIVA TIONAL BEARINO.—The splendid crystal palace to be erected in the botanical garden of Munich. mi d w hich is to be only one-third smaller than that of Loudon in 1t45 1, will remain standing after having been used for its temporary purpose. That of Paris, now in a ilk way of progress for the exhibition of 1t44, will THE PRESS. be also permanent. Combined with thaw• now erect ing in England and on the Continent, as well as those likely to follow, a new era, not only in archi tecture but in the education of the people, by re ereation, will be achieved; the ultimate and final results of which may be many and of great import. Rl:stasis RALLIVATS AND ELECTRIC TELFAIRAIIIN.— Tim railway between Warsaw and St. Petertburg is io active construction, and will be ready in two years, when an uninterrupted line from the Russian capital to Marseilles, from the frost of the north to the orange groves of Provence, will be available. The electric telegraphs also are feet progressing: although, up to the present time, the message:: from Warsaw to St. Peteniburg are conveyed by light telegraphs, occupying the space of two hours between the two paoressoft Wfutos, the only British commissioner still left in America, will shortly leave New York for a tour through the British provinces, where he will deliver some addresses before agricultural associa tions. Yesterday tthe 23rd) he was to deliver his most important address at the agricultural fair of the State of New York. The subject was " The history, culture, and commercial aspects of flax." In his re cent tour through the western and north-western States of the Union, Professor Wilson has seen nearly half a million acres of the best flax in the world rotting in the field. It is enitivated only for the seed, in which only about one third of its value consists. An intelligent Englishman could not look on such a sight without feeling sad. The United States are paying the British islands 15 million dol lars a year for linen goods, and leaving more flax to rot into manure than the British empire can manu facture. England, on the other hand, imported last year o‘er 100,11(WO tons of flax front the north of Europe, chiefly from Russia. America paid 10,450,000 dollars for manufacturing that portion of it which she wanted. England's supply of raw material has come very near being cut off by recent political events. Whenever the pacific relations of England and ltinssia are seriously hazarded flax rises from WI. to 1301. per ton. THE STATISTICAL. CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS went off splendidly under the presidency of M. Quetelet, director of the Brussels Observatory. The Nice pre sidents were—M. Villerne, for France ; Farr, for England ; thernig, for Austria ; Dietoriis, for Prussia ; Mittermaier, for Baden; Akkersdyeth, for Holland ; Renton de la Satgra, for Spain ; and Ber tini, for Italy. The other members were Messrs. Leone Lever ; Whewell, from Trinity College. Cam bridge ; Southwood Smith, member of the Board of Health ; Babbage, &c. On Wednesday the Con gress was honoured by the presence of the King of the Belgians and the Prince ; and in the evening the members of the Congress, to the number of lb°, as sembled at a dinner. On Thursday all the principal members of the Congress dined at the Court. JOHANNA WAGNER is performing with immense success at Munich. Next month she will sing So phocles' Antigone and (Edipus. with music by Men delssohn. It is the first time Mendelssohn's music to King adipus will have been performed in a Ger man theatre. The music used ull now was by Lac, ner. SIIAKSPEATIE'S Antony and Cleopatra will be per formed next winter at the Burg Theatre at Vienna. Tut: GRAND OPERA AT VIENNA was reopened with the Huguenots, after remaining closed for three months for the purposes of restoration. The opinions are very contradictory as to the decorations: s ome ap prove of the exclusive use of gold and white, others blame it : but all are of opinion that the ceiling or cupola is perfect. THE BELGIAN Moniteur announced some days ago the discovery of an important piece of history, the confession of Balthazar Gerard, the murderer of Prince William the Taciturn of Orange, written and signed by Gerard himself. The thing made some noise among the historians but the Stoats Courant. the Dutch 3louiteur. has considerably reduced the importance of the document by declaring that it is nothing else but a contemporaneous copy of the con fession of Gerard, the contents of which are generally known. l'utscx JOHN of SAXON' closel on September 1;. at Nuremberg, the Congress of Gennan Aram.°lo gists. All tlennan associations were represented, as well as England and Belgium. The number of members was 115. The nest meeting will take place in Iss-1 at Munster, in Westphalia. M. ALEXANDRE VON III'IIDoLDT accomplished his s4th year on the 13th. The illustrious philosopher is still in the full enjoyment of health and vigour. 1)R. KALISCIL the author of several popular farces. which always draw crowded houses, has produced a new one-act musical piece at the Berlin Kiinigstadter Theatre, entitled An Oriental Question. tiroebecker. the favourite comic actor, plays the part of the diplo_ matic hew, amidst bursts of laughter not over-com plimentary to the distinguished body whom he represents. SATURDAY, THE PILE% ALEScE ('V DEsTlii • cTlif R FIRE% is AMERICA is diminished very much by the use what is known there as the steam lire-engine. In its form the machine is somewhat similar to a loco motive, throws upwards of a 200-feet jet, and about 200 barrels in an hour, iu from one to six streams of water. The engine way be put in operation in five minutes, requiring four men and four horses, and is calculated to do asmnch as wix of the ordinary hand engines. At a late tire in Cincinnati, the engine discharged a cataract of 15,010 barrels of water in eight hours, and nothing hut this could have saved the entire square iu which the burning building was situated front destruction. A PURI-WIER AT 6RATZ, iu SI) Tis, hall given to the world a biography of the late Marshal Haynau —that " immortal hero," as he is called in the adver tisement. 'the author is said to be a general of high reputation in the Austrian service, and the publisher affirms that the popularity of the work made a new edition necessary on the second day of sale. THE CiceroleAt. loeetNo MAentsr, as it i 4 called by its inventors, has had its performances exhibits,, during the week upon Kennington-common. As thus tried, five strong horses were attached to a small wooden frame, about six feet square, the centre of which consisted of a series of five iron cylinder-, each armed with 20 teeth of the consistence of an ordinary pickaxe, set in the position best calculated to enter the ground with the smallest amount of re sistance. Cast-iron scrapers affixed to the rear of the machine are intended to receive the clod of earth from the teeth, and complete its friability, but in the present instance goes very easy in the series of trials, and the action of the machine was so far left incom plete. The great objections to all implements of this character hitherto introduced arise from the irregu larity with which the iron diggers enter the ground, and the impracticability of turning the upper soil over so as to destroy the grass or wee:is growing upon the surface. The irregularity of depth produces a corresponding number of holes, into which all the drainage of the field necessarily discharges itself, and at these points seed sown would, as a matter of course, perish. The consequence of not effectually turning over the sod would be simply that after the first shower the grass or weeds scarified by the machine would spring up with increased fertility. and in a few days the surface of the ground would resume its original hardened state. The ground selected for the trial was calculated to test in the highest degree the powers of the machine. The ground was very hard, and its surface had not been disturbed for the last quarter of a century. But, although even this VMS broken up and almost completely destroyed. it is probable that, after the machine had traversed the same spot several times to and fro. the ground was still left in a condition that no practical agriculturist would approve or desire. Much of this imperfection may doubtless be attributed to the confessedly im perfect condition of the machine, and it is hoped that experience will suggest improvements of a nature calculated to ensure its practicability. There can be no greater boon to the agricultural community at this moment than the introduction of a machine which shall expedite and facilitate the tillage of the ground. The inventor of this machine is a Mr. Wilson. a native of Newry, who has had experience of agriculture in the Australian colonies. It is stated that the machine will be set to work at Tiptree-hall during the present autumn. THE EAST INDIA DIRECToRS have just commis sioned Mr. Noble, of Bruton-street, to execute a statue of the late Duke of Wellington in the finest marble. The figure of the hero will be in a military costume. and will represent him about the period of the battle of Waterloo. The statue is to be rather above life size. AN ENOLISH COMPANY has offered to establish a submarine telegraph between the lonian Islands and some point on the Austrian coast. Propositions on the subject have been made to the Austrian Cabinet. Should the telegraph be established, the news from he East would arrive two days sooner. Tut. TerAstr.Y have offered 2.01X 1 /. towards estab lishing the Lawson Observatory in the Midland Counties. Including the munificent donation of Mr. Leeson himself. the fund, with the tio‘ciiiment amounts to o.soo/.. leaving 3...iteti. to be cc ntributed before the Ist of October, in order to cam - out the design of the committee. THE STATEMENT which has been going the round of some of the paperi to the effect that a decimal silver coinage, to be issued at the commencement of next year, and bearing the date lss-1. is in progress at the Mint, is declared, upon authority, to be with out foundation. tcltsiasticaL rREFERIEF. T.S AND APPOINTNIENTA. The Rev. Edward try nge Townsend Daunt. )LA., to the Vk* rase of Stotheti's by Launceston. Cornwall. The Rev. Edward ranhele, M.A., w the Vicarage a 51. rhea', DI SAWA.