The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

DECEMBER 15, 1855• instruments in the orchestral parts of the concert, but M. Sainton's taste and delicacy procured him a hearty encore, to which he responded by repeating the con cluding passages. M. Alexander Billet's perform ance of the andante in the concerto in 1) was perfectly satisfactory, and highly applauded ; and the wildest and oddest of all Beethoven's scherzos, set off by contrast with its peaceful trio, wens met with a heartiness of applause which showed that its mingled eccentricity and beauty were thoroughly felt and understood. The great symphony in C minor, its strange unearthly opening movement—" Fate knock. .ing at the door," as its author described it—the in tense pathos of the andante, the fire and spirit of the allegro and allegro fugato, and the crowning triumph of the grand march, formed a fitting conclusion to a festival devoted to the works of the grandest musical geoius the world has ever seen. Y. Jullien's season concludes this evening, and he !has the satisfaction of feeling that his concerts this /ear, if they have proved more attractive and success Sul than usual, have at the same time as surely con xributed to raise and improve the musical taste of the people. His success is through no freak of the mil lion, .caught by flaming posters, it rests purely on his own merit, and is as soli .1 and substantial as it is well deserved. The usual Bal Masque takes place on Monday upon A scale unprecedented in splendour of arrangement. gimustintuts, &t. ItrLIKAAQUE AT DRURY-LANE THEATRE.—On Wed nesday night the enterprising lessee of this theatre opened this ancient temple of the drama to the lovers of midnight dance and revelry. Whether it is quite logical to talk about the " Million," and charge seven shillings and sixpence for tickets, may be a question, but the very large assemblage who danced on the boards of Old Drury until a very early hour, went away mightily contented with themselves, and with the arrangements made by Mr. Smith. The theatre was very tastefully decorated, and far more ample room allowed for the evolutions of eccentric dancers than heretofore, from the fact that the baud was suspended high in air upon an arched bridge, gaily lighted, and decked with dowers. The general .appearance of the place and company was as fan tastic and grotesque as is usual, but there was little 'individual ingenuity displayed in costume or cha racter. The great proportion of the male company •were only attired in morning and some in evening 'dress, and among the few who were in costume there was nothing startling or striking in effect. BYRON AND SHELLEY.—It has been told that Byron, seeing Shelley's name written in the Traveller's book at as inn near Chamouni, wrote opposite to in Greek, 4 ' Atheist—and Philanthropist." The fact is just the Treverse—Shelley's name was written there, and the words mentioned were written opposite to it; but 'Gerd Byron on seeing then, said, "This is very foo'hih—do:,you not think I shall do Shelley a service by scratching them out?" and he did scratch them out in the presence of the writer of these remarks. — Lord Broatikton's Travels in Albania. A NILE BOAT.—The Cambia was a dahaheeh, and `1 have been Co often asked since my return what ?kind of a thing it is for human beings to inhabit for some months together, that I shall venture, though it has been described by other travellers, to say a few words about it. it was about seventy feet long, twenty-six of which were occupied by the cabins, and the remainder by the deck. The kitchen stood half way along this des k, a broad, low sort of sentry box facing the bows, where the Reis And crew lived by the mainmast. Two steps led down into te cabins. The front one was the dining-room, well h fitted up • with divans and closets ; and this was my accustomed .den, its sides hung round with various implements .of use, and its corners stowed with books, writing materials, tool-box, &c. From a w indow over y B right shoulder, and by t he door on my left fro m nt, slways spread wide to the sunny deck, I commanded .either bank of the stream. The next cabin was .eleven feet wide by nine long, and had two divans from end to end on either sido by the windows. 'These, at night, and when closed round by mosquito curtains, were beds ; while in the daytime they were broad sofas, and raised so high that while lying on thiem you had the river under your eye. This cabin in the daytime, with a matting on the floor, and table and chairs, and books in the bookahelves, and naps, the whole woodwork freshly painted in blue a 'id white, was a pretty and bright room. Beyond th is cabin was a space for ablutions, and for the s t o wage 'of supernumerary objects, while beyond it was s third cabin. On the roof of the cabins, a large space,. were all the live stock in coops —turkeys, geese, chickens, a cheerful farmyar,i; and fastened at the isteni of the dahabeeh was a small skiff, very useful, And, indeed, necessary for sending ashore for daily s upplies of milk and other things from the t, besides for shooting• excursions after wild fowl, ai for pleasure trips.—Lowth's Wanderer in Arabia. THE PRESS. Corrtspoithutt. CRITICS ON THE CAMPAIGN. TO THE EDITOR OF "TIIt PRESS." Sir,—Statements respecting the conduct of the war frequently appear in the English papers which would be simply ludicrous, if it were not for the grave consideration that these absurdities are re ceived as axioms by a people proud of their enlight enment, and who believe tha►, because they have virtually the power to decide what course the Govern ment shall pursue, they must have also the ability to judge in what manner, and by whom, the great struggle in which we are engaged may best be carried on. I read in a leading article of the Times not many days ago two statements—(l) that the attack on the Redan on the Bth of September failed because our troops had to run over a space of two hundred yards, and (2) that we did not sap up to the ditch because we had not Sappers enough to do the work. It is to this second point that I wish to call your attention : the first assertion is not far from the truth. The French failed at the Malakoff on the 18th 3f June for a like reason. They had too far to run, and could not bring up their supports quick enough to hold the footing which a few brave fellows in front had gained. They took care to carry up their ap proaches close to the ditch before the attack of the Bth of September was made. Why, then, did we not do the same at the Redan? Not, certainly, for want of Sappers! I fear there is too much truth in that which Mr. Cobden writes to the Leeds Mercury—We are but a " Contingent" to the French army. Not. withstanding all the talk about the sacrifices English men are ready to make, fewer than thirty thousand of them are now under arms in the Crimea, whilst the French number much above a hundred thousand. But though we are a contingent, we cannot act iu that character. What would have been said if we had made only a false attack on the Redan in order to create a diversion? On account of our weakness, the French had undertaken the right attack at Inker mann, as well as the left at the town. They had pushed their approaches close up to the Malakoff, as well as to the Bastion du Mat (Flagstaff Battery), the two keys of the Russian position ; and the Redan was left to us. Why did we not push our approaches equally close, which alone would have enabled us to make an equally successful attack ? Not for the want of Sappers, but for a reason which a slight acquaintance with the science of fortification will furnish. In attacking a front of fortification, by far the shortest road for the besiegers would be to go straight up to the bastion ; but there are two works called " Raveling," which are placed so as to com mand the ground, and which must therefore be taken before any sap can be carried up to the bastion. Apply this to Sebastopol. Our approaches to the Redan must have been made upon a ridge of ground which is most completely swept on one side by the Malakoff, and on the other by the ll,stion du Mat and Barrack Batteries. These were therefore the two points of attack, and one of them should have fallen before our approaches were carried further ; but this could not be for political reasons. The sap was begun ; but the loss was so tremendous that it VMS soon abandoned. I am confident that if the besieging army had consisted of the soldiers of one nation, under one commander, a serious attack on the Redan wo uld not have been thought of. The Russians did net expect it, for they had no second line of defence there, as they had at other points, and they would not believe on the 18th of June that we ever expected to carry it. The English people have happily less opportunity of studying the science of war than other nations; and it appears that they have yet to learn that if they are determined to be a first-rate military power, their army also must be numerically equal to those of continental nations.—l am, sir, yours, &C., A FIELD OFFICER. Camp, Sebastopol, Nov. 24, 1855. THE ISSUE OF FLORINS. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir, —Will you be kind enough to give publicity to the wish so univerally felt, that a much larger num ber of florMs be issued, and that the old silver crowns and half crowns be at once called in ? The advan tages of this course are obvious, and are quite inde pendent of the question of decimal coinage.—Your o b e dient servant, Id. A. CANTAB. 1199 Doug illatlat anb titg itittligtart. FRIDAY EYZIHNO. ALTHOUGH the fluetuaticni in the values of Public Securities during the week has not averaged more than five-eighths per cent., the market has been active, notwithstanding that this is a period of the year whoa business men are making up their books and con tracting their operations. The movement has been mainly attributable to the continued rumours of peace. They have sustained quotations in the face of several adverse circumstances, and, although doubts are felt as to the ultimate intentions of the great German powers, considerable engagements have been made for the next month in the expectation that, by that time, they will be on the way to realisa tion. England and France are believed to Lave agreed upon the terms on which they will accept peace, while, under present circumstances, Russia is in a position to discuss them without the sense of national disaster which would render peace impos sible. The only apprehension is, lest the Western powers should demand terms implying political and territorial humiliation, programmes of which have appeared in Government organs. If such visionary objects are attempted, the present opportunity will be fatally lost, the moral support of Germany be ex tinguised, and the war be prolonged for an indefinite number of years, with the possible contingency of this country having to fight it out alone. The Money Market has been tight, and the pressure very serious, for, as returns begin to be made, it is found that the heavy rates charged for discounts not only minimise commercial profits, but that they react injuriously upon customers and consumers. Merchants and producers who rely on discounts to carry on their trades have to pay highly for accom modation—in some cases as high as nine and ten per cent.; they are, therefore, obliged to restrict their credits, and, as a necessary consequence, customers are limiting their orders. A practice of paying in cash is, by the force of circumstances, thus gradually springing up in some trades hitherto conducted on credit, owing solely to the excessive dearness of money. The transition is difficult, and not altogether without peril ; but the operation is silent and the principle sound. On the Stock Exchange money is now worth from 51 to 6 per cent. upon Government Securities. The discount houses have supplies equal to the demand, and they, as well as the Bank, are doing a profitable business. Money is taken at call at 5 per cent., but the best houses cannot borrow it in Lombard-street under 0 and 7 per cent. The demand for money has been affected by in stalments falling due upon the Turkish Four per Cent. Guaranteed Loen, and upon the English Sixteen Million Loan, amounting together to 2,350,0001. The Turkish instalment, which was fifteen per cent., or 750,0001., was paid to-day ; and that upon the English, which is ten per cent, or 1,600,0001., is due on Tuesday. Somewhat more eaie is expected after these payments. The present is the last. instalment upon the Sixteen Million Loan; and it is understood that a large proportion of it must be applied to the payment of the January dividends, as the Government balances in the Bunk are low. The Gazette of Tuesday contained an Order in Council authorising the Directors of the Bank of England, in accordance with the Bank Charter Act, to supply two thirds of the amount of notes circu lated by private bankers which from failure and withdrawals had lapsed. The total circulation thus extinguished is 7 12,623/. ; two.thirds of which is 475,0001., and this is the amount to be added to the issues of the Bank. When this operation is com pleted, the Bank Act may be said to be in perfect harmony with the intentions of the Legislature ; but the measure seems likely to be taken us a fresh starting-point for an agitation against the existing law. It is not yet known when the new issue will be made. Russia has opened a loan in 5 per cent Stock in Ber lin, Hamburg, and Amsterdam, fur nearly 8,00H0,00111am ., at 86; and the Scrip h as alread y been quoted at burg. No credit is attached to the rumours that pro vision will not be made for the payment of the interest on the present foreign debt. The announcement of the loan, however, caused a decline of nearly 31. in the Russian Five per C ents. ; and a report is current that the allied Governments will consider the opening of subscriptions at Berlin a breach of Prussian neu trality.