The Sun. — London, England, 1854-03-25 00:00:00

"flit IT.A.LtAN 0 PERA.—Covent Garden. 1 ILI) —Season 18.54.—The Directors beg leave most respectfully to intorm the Nobility, Gentry, Su hscrilicrs, and the Public, that the Season will commence on Y, March 30th, 1854, being a Subscription night, in lieu of Tuesday, March 28. Tha Directors have the honour to present the Prospectus of the Eighth Season of the Royal Italian Opera, and trust it will be consi dered kg their Subscribers to he an evidence of their continued efforts to carry out the original design of this great Lyrical Establishment. The prospects of the forthcoming Season are of unusual interest, and the Directors feel inured that the Subscribers and the Pnblic will share with themselves the feelings of gratification at the arrange ments which they have succeeded in inakin4. It will be seen that that great artiste, Madame Viardot, after an absence of three years, will return once more to shed lustre on the representations of the Theatre. Mademoiselle Sophie Cruvelo, whose eminent talents are already so highly esteemed in this country, will appear for the first time at the Royal Italian Opera. Signor Lablache will also, for the first time, lend his powerful aid in supporting the efforts of the Directors, and will enable them to produce many of the most popular works with arnost attractive caste of characters. In addition, Made moiselle Marai, a young Artiste of great promise, who has already made very successful debuts both at Saint Petersburg and Vienna, will appear for the first time in England ; also Signor Susini, for the first time at the Royal Italian Opera. hfadtle. Bosio, who, during the past winter has acquired fresh laurels in the French capital, continues her engagement. Those un rivalled Artistes, Signor Mario, Signor Ronconi, and Signor Tam berlik, together with Signori Tagliafico, Polonini, Luchesi. Stigelit, &c. who have so long assisted t o ma i n t a i n t h e reputation o f C ove nt Garden, have been re-engaged, while the Directors still have the advantage of the invaluable services of Signor Costa. The above assemblage of the most eminent Artistes in Europe will render the Caste of Characters in the Operas Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, I Puritard, Fidelio, Il Matrimouio Seg preced rated. retti, quite un- The forthcoming season, however, brings with it one subject of re gret, viz., the retirement from the lyric stage of a lady who for many years has been one of its brightest ornaments. Towards the end of July Madame Giulia Grisi will make her last appearance before an Eng.ish audience. It has probably never before fallen to the lot of any candidate for public favour to sustain, far 21 successive SeaSoll , , the highest anti most ardour characters of the Lyric Drama, and most certainly never with such unanimous c,mmendations as have been tineasnigly be stowed on Madame Grist. _ _ _ The Dir:ctors are eonvinced that not only will the Subscribers of the Royal Italian Opera, as well as the musical amateurs of the me tropolis, participate in their sentiments on this occasion ; but they feel sure that the retirement of Madame, Grist will cause one general feeling of deep regret in the minds of all those who take any interest in the musical affairs of this country. . . It is the wish of Madame Grist, during this her la s t engagement, to repeat those impersonations in which it has been her good fortnue to obtain her greatest successes, and it will accordingly be the care of the directors to contribute every possible eclat to these performances, relying with the greatest couhdehce that the subscribers, the patrons of the opera, and the public, will on these occasions still extend to their long-favoured Artiste the cheering influence of their countenance and support. The Repertoire of the Royal Italian Opera now comprises FORTY TWO OPERAS, the whole being complete with Costumes, Scenery, and Decorations. During the Season, of the following Operas, Three will positively be produced : _ . LA VESLALE • •• „ •. Spontini. (Is lately performed at the Academie Royale, at Paris), the principal part by Mademoiselle SOPHIE CREWEL LI. LE DOMINO NOIR . ................ • Anber. DON SEBASTIAN ....... • . • . .• ••• • • • Donizetti. MATILDA DI SHABRAN •••••• • •• • " • Rossini. DON PASQUALE • • ••• • Donizetti. OBERON •• • •• • • •••• • • • •.• • .. Weber. The Engagements for th e present Season are : SOPRANI. Madame GRIST, (Being most positively her last Engagement in England.) Madame VI AR DOT, (Her First Appearance these Three Years.) Mademoiselle MARAI, (From the Imperial Theatres of St. Petersburg and Vienna, her First Appearance in England.) Mademoiselle ALBIN'. Mademoiselle ANGELINA BOSIO, and Mademoiselle SOPHIE CRUVELLI, (Ller First Appearance at the Royal Italian Opera.) CONTRALTO. Mademoiselle NANTIER DIDIER. SECONDE DONNE. Mademoiselle COTTI, and Mademoiselle BELLINI. TE.NORI. Signor MARIO. Signor STIGELLI, Signor SOLDI, Signor LUGI MEI, Signor LUCHESI, and Signor TAMBERLIK. BASSI BARITONI. Signor RONCONI, and Signor FORTONI, (His First Appearance at the Royal Italian Opera) BASSO PROFONDI. Signor LABL ACHE, (His First Appearance at the Royal Italian Opera.) Signor TAGLIAFICO, Signor GREGORIO, Signor POLONINI. Monsieur ZELGER, and Signor sCSINI. (MS First Appearance at the Royal Italian Opera.) The Orchestra and Chorus will be on the same scale of efficiency as heretofore. DIRECTOR OF THE MUSIC, COMPOSER AND CONDUCTOR, Mr. COSTA. The Military Band will be wider the superintence of Mr. ( lODF RE Y. Maestro al Plano ....... Chorus Master •. ••••••• • • • • • • • Mr. SMITHSON. Prompter • • .... •• •• ••••••. - • • .. Signor MONTERASI. ..................................Signor MAGGIONI. ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE BALLET. Mademoiselle BATTALINI, Mademoiselle A STORL• Mademoiselle ELIZA NEIIR, (Their First Appearances In England,) Mademoiselle SANTI, Mademoiselle ESPER, and Mademoiselle PLUNKETT. Maitre de Ballet Mous. Desnlaces. Leader of the Ballet tl r. Alfred Mellon. Director of the Mise.en-Scene .... Mr. A. Ilarris. Scenic Artist ....... ......... Mr. williarn Beverley. Costnmiere •• .• Madame Marzio. Decorator Machloist ........... •••• .. • ..... Mr. Allen. The Box Office is open from 11 to 5 o'clock. Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden, March, 1851. THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE.- Mr. E. T. Sail CH, Lessee, has the honour to announce that he has placed the above- named National Establishment at the ser vice of the FUND in AID of the FAMILIES of th,, EXPEDITION ARY ARMY. In pursuance of this desirable object, a FANCY FAIR will he held on the 13th and lath of April, under the follow ing Royal and distinguished p.ttronage : Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kcrit Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Glocester Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary of Cambridge The Right Hon. the Lady Mayoress Her Grace the Duchess of Hamilton Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort Her Grace the Duchess of Montrose Her Graze the Duchess of Inverness Her Grace the Duchess of Somerset Her Grace the Duchess of Richmoial The Most Noble the Marchioness of Londonderry The Most Noble the 'Marchioness of Blandforil Tne Most Noble the Marchioness of Aylesbury The Right Hon. the Countess of Chesterfield The Right Hon. the Countess of Kinnoul The Right Hon. the Countess of Glengall The Right Hon. the Countess of Ressborough The Right Hon. the Countess of Derby The Right Hon. the Countess of Shelburne The Right Hon. the Countess of Wilton The Right Hon. the Countess of Desart The Right Hon. the Countess of Donoughmore The Right Hon. the Viscountess Palmerston The Right Hon. the Viscountess Maidstone The Right Hon. the Viscountess Newport Lady Sophia Des-Vteux Lady Colville Lady Raglan The Hon. Miss Anson Mrs. Disraeli Mrs. J. Stanley. Every appointment and appearance of the Theatre will be called into requisition on this important and interesting occasion ; decora tions are preparing. The pit will be covered for promenade, and an efficient band provided for the execution of choice and new original music. Ladies desirous of aiding by their presence this benevolent demonstration are respectfully reminded that they should make early application for stalls. A book is now open in the lobby of the grand entrance to receive contributions in the shape of articles intended for sale on the occasion. THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE. Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith. Last Week of Mr.' G. V. BROOKE'S Engagement previous to his sailing for California and Australia. TIIIS EVENING, Marten 25, Will he performed the Tragedy of HAMLET. Characters by Mr. G. V. Brooke, T. Mead, and G. Bennett; Mrs. Vickery, and Miss Featherstone. -.titer which, a Grand LiuEr DIVERTIS3E3IENT,I. THEATRE ROYAL. HAYMARKET. Under the management of Mr. Buckstone. THIS EVENING, MARCH 25, Will be performed a new comic drama, called RINELAGIL Characters by Messrs. Vandenhoff, W. Farren, Buckstone, Tilbury, stud Rogers; Miss Reynolds, Mrs. Fitzwilliam, &c. After which, WILLIICIND AND HYS DINAR. Supported by Messrs. Buckstone and Corri ; Miss Louisa Howard, Mrs. Fitz wil nam. and Mrs. Caulfield. H ARLEQUIN which, the opening S cenes o f th e PA NTOMIME, called "ARLEQUIN AND THE THREE BEARS; or, Little Silverhair and the Fairies. LYCEUM THEATRE. tinder the Management of Madame Vestris. THIS EVENING, Maacg 25, Wiu Y Messrr be THIS WANTED, A SHE-WOLF . Characters b thaades Mathews, F. 3latlicws, and Baker; 34iss Oliver. To be followed by A CHARMING WIDOW. Concludin g With NUMBER ONE ROUND THE CORNER. After i.os A TIME which ' the v TLIER PopulaE WERE TWO Fairy Extrava KEgNancli. za, entitled Character ONCs by E Messrs. Itoabz, Matt hews, and Bl an d ; M a d ame V estris, Misses se. George, 14"int°n* blazon, Martindale, Ellis, Wadham, and Foote. THEATRX ItOYAL ADELPIII. Proprietor, 3lr. 13. Webster.—Dlrectress, -Madame Celeste. THIS EVENIX G . ~ -.Ascii 25, Will be perforinzd TiW_O_LOy,Sie ,yo sa , A LIFE. Supported by Messrs. C. Selby, Leigi►ll3l.uralatt'ettZilri Webster, Keeley, and 0. Smith ; Miss Woolgar a 1 n SERfOlls 51e. m,,,,. To conclude with ' rd . F.' Murray. Par y sel --" 4 * Characters by Leigh 3lessrs. B. Webster, Fanny Maskell, le ' and Keeley ; Mrs. L. m iue , woolgar, and Laidlaw, and Mrs. Murray, Keeley. ROYAL OLYMPIC THEkTRt . Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan. THIS EVE'NIN'G, MARca 25, hul be performed THE WR.ONTi. ROX. StlpporteA by me , Aitted Wigan and Robinson ; Miss I'. llor.en, Miss wynaham:r:i Cruse E. Turner. To be followed / - .3 , TO OBLIGE RE .N - SON - . Supnorted I.y At essrs Emery, Hobson, and Leslie; Mrs. Stirlin; an 1 Mis; Wynnirtrn. To be followed by THE FIRS NI (4 IT. Charac to IN by Messrs. Alfred Wigan, Leslie, Franks, Hat wood Coope:, aml Vincent ; Atisj I'. Horton, and Miss Wyndham. STRAND THEATRE. 1119:, Uwe, Mr. F. W. illcruft.—Directress, Miss Rebecca Isaacs THIS EVENING, Meacir 25, Will be presented RUSSIAN TYRANNY; or, The Fatal Snow- ItTin. followed by PADDY SHOOTING THE MOON . . Aftfr Which, THE BLUE JACKETS. To conclude with THE CORKONIAN BROTHERS. p a ddy and aim M ulligan (the Brothers), Mr. G. Hodson. IL Stalls, 53.; o ozes, 31.; Pit, 13. 6d; Gallery, Gd.; Pri vale BoxeS, Gd., to be had of Mr. dilcroft, 15, ;few Bonthstr set. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of Mr. CHARLES KEAN. THIS EVENING, Miami 25, Will he performed A STORM IN A TEA-CUP. Principal cha racters by Mr. and Mrs. W. Lacy. . Supported To be followed by THE MARRIED UNMARRIED by Messrs. W. Lacy. Ryder, and Cathcart; and Misses Heath and Murray. After which, AWAY WITH MELANCHOLY. Characters by Messrs. Meadows, D. Fisher, and Saker ; and Misses Murray and Daly. To conclude with DEAF AS A POST. ASTLEY'S EUROPE'S 'NATIONAL AMPHITHEATRE. Lessee anti Manager, Mr. William Cooke. THIS EVENING, MARCH 25, As during the week, will be presented the new, grand, and romantic spectacle entitled THE WOODMAN'S HORSE ; or, The False Knight—the Woodman's Horse by the pet steed, Beauty, expressly trained by Mr. William Cooke. After which, the incomparable Scenes of the ARENA. To conclude with BESS OF THE BELL. Box-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W West. HIGH WATER AT LOUD lON BRIDGE. Tats Dev —Morning 27 min.after 11 Evening 0 min.e.ft. 0 ro-Mcratow- -Morning 4 tnin.aiter 12 I Evening 36 nain.aft. 12 THE WEATHER.—SIM OFFICE, MARCH 25. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 51—highest since noon yesterday. 3S—lowe6t this morning and during the night. 49—this day at noon. BAROMETER, 30'10. WIND, W.S.W.—Strong breeze, and cloudy weather. ....,,, 4 e4 -,-, a , I LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1854. perhaps in both of those seas simultaneously. GOD grant that the long-dreaded conflict, once begun, may be terminated as rapidly as satisfac torily. "An Englishman's House is his Castle." It may be so ; but the owner must occasionally, for public purposes, submit to a slight interference with his privileges. An interference against which no well-disposed person could object-- and which would not be resisted by men en gaged in legitimate pursuits. The cry of un due intrusion will never be raised by those whose actions could bear investigation. It is only criminals that would object to domiciliary visits, the sole object whereof was the prevention or punishment of crime. The principle of the law, the very foundation of the rights of pro perty, teaches us that a man " must so use his own as not to interfere with the comforts or enjoyments of others," and any private right or privilege that interferes with the general welfare must be unhesitatingly surrendered. The Attorney General has wisely availed him self of these principles, in the admirable measure for the Suppression of Gambling Houses, which, on Tuesday evening, he introduced to the House of Commons. We cannot suppose that the pro position of the Right Honourable and Learned Gentleman will meet with any serious oppo sition. It seems wall calculated to achieve the object in view, and to finally close the door of these dens of iniquity, which have been pro perly denominated "Hells," and which have led to the destruction of many promising youths, and of the well-founded hopes of anxious parents. It would have been far better to have allowed the dangerous and demoralising practice to have been followed openly and without restriction than to have sanctioned the habitual and notorious vio lation of the law. The very publicity would have prevented the mal-practices that existed in many of the establishments, to which mystery lent a charm. Any person inclined to indulge in the " forbidden luxury," found plenty of men of gentlemanly manners, and unexceptionable ap pearance, ready to assist at his initiation—who were, perhaps, equally ready to receive a per centage on the sums which he may have lost in his dangerous experiments. " Rooks" and " Pigeons" abounded in every direction. Some, who having lost all that they possessed, were ready to act as " decoy ducks" to other victims, and to participate in the plunder obtained from new gulls--while other " fast young men" were ready to inoculate their fellows with the virus of the disease that has uprooted many flourishing stocks, and reduced to beggary, perchance to infamy, numerous respectable and once distinguished families. Between knaves and fools plenty of victims were to be found to be sacrificed at the shrine of Mammon victims who, after a brief career, joined the ranks of the tempters—prepared to involve others in ruin simi lar to that which had blasted their own prospects, and destroyed their sense of honour and honesty. There was, then, no difficulty for any person pos sessed of the only qualification required—plenty of money. The portals flew open at his approach. The janitors made profound obeisance as he passed. Every luxury was supplied (gratuitously) in un , restricted abundance. The richest viands tempted his appetite—tthe most expensive wines excited the passions, and induced the reckless gambling that followed. All these things could not be sup plied for nothing. If the parties did not pay directly, they did so indirectly. Men would not engage in an infamous occupation, and bear a lavish expenditure, unless certain of large profits, and if the " pull of the table" was not sufficient for that purpose, there were few keepers of such establishments who were not prepared to " make assurance doubly sure," which, from the mystery and secrecy necessarily observed, was easily ac complished. The existing state of affairs was even more prejudicial than if the " alluring vice" were practised openly in the broad light of day, in place of in carefully guarded apartments at the " witching" hour of night. It might be supposed that the laws already in force would be sufficient to put down the dan gerous practice. Very stringent enactments were passed for the punishment of the keepers and all the players. The police were authorised to force their way into any suspected house, and to bring every person therein before a Magistrate, by whom—if implements of gaming were discovered— they could be summarily convicted, and sentenced to severe punishment. But all these provisions proved unavailing. The hell-keepers drove coaches and six through all the enactments. The enor mous profits of their nefarious occupations enabled them to buy off any evidence that might be ob tained, or, as it was termed, "to square it" with the prosecutors, many of whom were bribed with por tions of the money which they themselves had previously lost. They were thus secured against every danger, save of detection by the police, and that difficulty was soon conquered. Unscrupulous men, possessed of unlimited resources, can over come most impediments. The precaution adopted was the construction of barricades, so powerful that they could not be broken down by any available force, which might, as the Attorney-General re marked, " even afford a lesson to the Board of Ordnance." During the time consumed in getting rid of this obstruction, every implement of gaming —all that could warrant a conviction—was re moved or destroyed. The parties found in the house were taken before the Magistrate, to whom they gave fictitious names and addresses, so that exposure was avoided, and by whom they were necessarily discharged forthwith ; and the law be came a source of ridicule to its habitual violaters ; from constant impunity, it became " The perch, and not the terror, " of these birds of prey. an ythes eAttorney-General legitimate proposes b e difficultyTrequired b y makingfor defences that h purpose, ur t pa o ot s meete,could p r not facie evidence of illegal gaming, so as to cast upon the parties implicated the onus of rebutting the presumption. The fact of having these de fences at all is also made a substantive offence against the owners and occupiers of these esta blishments, rendering them liable to punishment. The giving a false name by any person present will also subject the party to a fine or short imprisonment, so that there will be no chance of avoiding the exposure so much dreaded by the victims. Besides these, the Ma gistrate will be authorised to select those to be proceeded against, calling the others as witnesses. Such are the provisions of this excellent bill, pro visions that will, we have no doubt, prove as effective as those last year aimed against the " betting-office" nuisance, and thus remove one of the deepest reproaches of the nation, and a source of terror and dismay to many families. Russia has virtually refused compliance with the peremptory demand of France and England for the immediate evacuation of the Principalities. Virtually refused—because the CZAR declines to give any reply whatsoever to the ultimatum of the Western Powers, according to the notification made to the British Consul at St. Petersburg on the 19th instant by Count NESSELRODE. A tele graphic intimation to this effect was received: last evening in Paris, stating that on that same day, the 24th of March, an English courier had passed through Berlin bearing this virtual refusal, on the part of the Russian AUTOCRAT with all speed to his Government. After all his vain-glorious bluster ing about giving an answer to the ultimatum in six minutes, the Emperor NICHOLAS gives no answer at all—his silence having for its object of course the yet further prolongation of the time which must necessarily elapse before the actual comm ence ment of hostilities. Now, so far as any occur rence involving the deplorable necessity of a general war can be so, this is well. It is well, for inasmuch as the course pursued at this last junc ture by the AUTOCRAT relieves the public mind from any further uncertainty. It is well, for in asmuch too as it enables the Administrators of France and England to put everything at once in readiness for the energetic beginning of the struggle directly the season has sufficiently advanced to admit of the safe navigation of the Black Sea by the combined fleet under Admirals DUNDAS and HAMELIN, and of the Baltic by the combined fleet, under the command of Admirals NAPIER and DESCRENES. That desirable moment is now rapidly approaching. The arrival of the middle of April will have opened both seas to our naval armaments. Consequently there is just the reasonable interval before us to enable the Allies of Turkey to forward the final in structions to the maritime Commanders-in-Chief in one direction at Beycos, and in the other at Copenhagen. Those instructions, it cannot any longer be doubted, will be to adopt the most resolute proceedings for the speedy settle ment of the dread alternative at issue—the triumph of Russian Barbarism, or the com plete, and decisive, and overwhelming victory of the champions of modern civilisation. The providence of Ministers, both at Paris and at London, has happily afforded. the latter cause the advantage of every national preparation. Squad rons of extraordinary force have already in this way been despatched betimes to the Euxine and to th 3 Baltic —of such warlike capacity, in fact, that the most recently organised of these vast armaments, the one committed to the guidance of the hero of Acre consists of a fleet carrying more than one thousand three hundred guns, in vessels of war propelled by steam of upwards of nine thousand horse-power, and manned by more than ten thousand of our gallant sailors. Armed in this manner, allied both by sea and by land with her mighty neighbour across the Channel, entering upon the conflict in the name of justice, in defence of the weak, in , vindication of honour and of truth, and of the I glory of all civilising influences, England may, I not without some reasonable confidence, look for- , - ward with all encouraging hopes to the ultimate consequences of the great battle upon which she is at this moment about to adventure. Englishmen, we may say unanimously, are in favour of this war against the Russian AUTOCRAT. France is allied in the same cause, cordially and actively allied with England. Justice is on their side, truth is on their side, honour, right, and magnanimity. If Russia has been enabled by the lapse of time consequent upon these abortive nego tiations to prepare for the encounter, the same advantage has been presented by the same inter val to France and England—and of that advan tage the Western Allies of Turkey have to the full availed themselves. Insomuch has this been the case, that we may aver - without exaggeration, that never were the two countries more completely armed against their enemies—the avowal has reference alike, more over, to the maritime and military departments of the public service--to ships and battalions, to cavalry and infantry, to the ordnance and the commissariat, to valour and patriotism, to disci pline and general organisation. Superior to Russia in the justice of their cause and in the perfection of their warlike arrange ments, France and England have another and a very notable advantage over their huge antagonist. They have a more ample, and a more reliable, and a more creditable supply of the sinews of war— meaning money. Is it not notorious that the CZAR has been compelled to obtain pecuniary supplies for the payment of the expenses incurred by his struggle with Turkey, aided by the twogreat est Powers of Christendom by a forced loan, that is to say, by funds accumulated through a wholesale and direct robbery of the Russian population ? And is it not equally well known that France and England have, at once, readily, and as it were spontaneously furnished the "wherewithal" to their Governments respectively ? Why in the British House of Commons the Income Tax—the most obnoxious of all the Taxes—was immediately doubled for the next half-year, at the suggestion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and without a murmur from the Opposition ! While among our neighbours what have we not witnessed in, the way of a kindred enthusiasm, in the way of patriotic support to the Imperial Government ? Why, then, in France as in Russia a loan was demanded from the population ; but while in Russia it was a forced loan, in France the loan was voluntary ! A voluntary loan of 250,000,000 francs—the contributions to which loan, by the way, have already so far exceeded the demand that they have reached the enormous total of 400,000,000 francs ! Justly—beholding all these things justly may we assert that France and England never were before so fully prepared for an encounter with their great antagonist. That encounter is now in evitable. Inevitable we have believed it to be from the very commencement, and have assorted as much again, and yet again through every step of these dreadfully protracted negotiations. But inevitable it is seen to be by the whole world-including the long-suffering and long saalguine French an d English Go vernmen t s. The lati ma t um having been virtually repulsed by the refusal of the CZAR to give any answer whatsotwer to the peremptory demand therein sub mitted Jo him by the Western Powers for the immediate- evacuation of the Principalities-- the signal of conflict must very soon becomo audible, either is the Ewan() or in the Baltic, or Commodore Sir Charles and the Hon. Lady 11 1 tham embark, with their suite, on the 4th of the ensuing month, on board the Queen of the South steamer, for Melbourne, where Sir Charles will assume the govern. ment of the colony of Victoria. The Earl and Countess Howe, the ladies Curzon, and ' the Hon. F re d er i c k Curzon, have arrived in South Audley-street f rom Gopsall Hall. The Hon. Major Curzon, of the Grenadier Guards, who has been serving on the staff at th e C ape, is shortly expected to return to this country with Sir George Cathcart, who comes to England to assume his duties as Adjutant-General of the Forces. The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort and youthful family, who are staying at Badminton Park, where his Grace and party are following the pleasures of the chase, come to Berkeley-square at the close of the ensuing month. M,ONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, TWO O'CLOCK. The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were estimated at 4,000 bales, all to the trade. The market closed heavily. Railway Shares were dull and heavy. The state of the produce markets is thus com mented on by Messrs. H. W. Jewesbury and Co. : " We have again to report a general flatness in the foreign and colonial produce markets, which, considering the serious aspect, and more certain prospect of war that the Eastern Question has for some time assumed, is only what must have been expected. The demand for produce has been exceedingly limited, and where holders have de termined to realise, they have been obliged to accept lower prices ; the exceptions to this state of things are articles of Russian produce, and those which come into consumption with them. Hemp of all descriptions has advanced mate rially in price, and higher rates still are demanded. Salt petre has also improved in value, as the prospects of peace have declined. The deliveries from the warehouses con tinue large and satisfactory for home use and for export ; they also rather exceed expectation than otherwise. The importations for the month have been considerable, but the stocks generally do not show any material alteration. Dyes and dyeing materials have experienced the same want of demand as other articles, and at the late public sales prices have ruled in favour of the buyers, particularly fur cochineal and the lower qualities of lac dye. The finer qua lities of lac dye being comparatively scarce, maintain their value, as also does indigo, but the extent of sales made is very trifling. From the continental produce markets the late accounts report the same want of demand and general flatness as has , been experienced in our own. In the cotton manufacturing districts there has been a falling off in the demand both for export and home use, and prices are rather easier. The woollen districts have also been under the same influence, and very little business has been done, but prices are without alteration." The following is an account of the Liverpool wool market, by Messrs. Browne, Hunter, and Co. : " The inactivity in the wool market which prevailed at the date of our last circular still continues, which is attri butable to the dull state of trade in the manufacturing districts, but with the exception of English wools and long descriptions, there is no change in value to notice. The East India wool brought forward in London at the eud of last month sold well. The large Government con tracts for army clothing, and the demand for blankets, carpets, &c., gave an impetus to this description of wool, and an advance of d. to ld. per lb. was realised, above the rates obtained there in January last. The China wools are still very unevenly packed, and much mixed with un washed ; and it is of great importance that this serious drawback should be remedied, for until this wool is sent over well washed and properly packed the full value can not be realised. The sales consisted of 2,224 bales East India, and 477 bales China, which sold at the following prices :—East India, fine white 12d. to 131 d., good 10d. to 110., low to middling Bd, to 9d.; yellow, low to middling 6d. to 7d., good to fine Bd. to 101; pieces, 3d. to 5d.; China, fair to good 7d. to sid , middling 7d. per lb. About 5,000 bales of East India will be brought to auction here on the 29th instant." Upon the Russia trade Messrs. T. J. Smith and Charles make the following observations : " Our friends must be guarded against drawing the hasty conclusion that, in consequence of the decision of our Government, any quantity of tallow will find its way to England from Russia during the present year. This is most improbable-Ist, because, as we showed on the 3d inst., it is physically impossible to b r i ng an y cons id era bl e quatity of goods overland ; and it must be remembered that there are other descriptions of Russian produce that would bear, better than tallow, the serious expenses of such a route ; 2d, because the utmost uncertainty prevails as to the political course Prussia may take in the coming struggle, and, should she ultimately determine in favour of Russia, British property in era/4841G would be placed in great jeopardy—a consideration that will deter many mer chants from embarking in so hazardous a trade ; 3dly, supposing that the neutrality of Prussia could be relied on, and that it were possible to bring overland any large quan tity of Russian produce, it is doubtful whether the people of this country and of France would long tolerate so obvi ous an evasion of a blockade, maintained at an enormous expense, and by which evasion Russia would be enabled to carry on the war with British capital." The reduction in the amount of bullion held by the Bank of England during the week to the 18th inst. was very large, although not quite equal to that which took place in the previous week. The nest return will probably show a falling off of arnaller amount, as the gold imported by the steamer Sydney from Australia will have served partly to meet the export demand. The circulation is rather smaller on account of an increase in the deposits. The loans and discounts were largely increased, an indication of the pressure, and so far explanatory of the impression that the min,invoia charge might be raised. Compared with the previous week, the changes are as follows :--ag Active circulation Decrease Bullion Decrease Rest £20,783,850 230,575 14,822,839 573,846 3,730,877 12,649 3,678,817 779,220 11,305,383 417,987 1,128,507 2,075 11,844,700 Increase Public Deposits Increase Other Deposits Increase Seven-Day and other Bills Increase Government Securi;,ies Increase Other Securities.. Increase.. 96,972 14,512,895 1,458,240 Notes unemployed Decrease.... 7,278,665 347,990 The official statement of the Turkish loan was issued yesterday afternoon by Messrs. N. M. Roths childs and Sons. The exact amount, it appears, is 2,727,4001., and Monday will be the last day for applications. There must be 15 per cent. paid upon allotment, 10 per cent. a month aftowards, and 20 per cent. in the three succeeding months, and the drawings for the redemption will take place half yearly. There was yesterday afternoon a slight improve ment in the rates for bills of exchange upon the principal continental cities. Paris, 90 days, was taken at 25 271 to 321 ; Trieste, at 13 40 to 50 ; Hamburg, 13 5 to 51 ; and Amsterdam, 11 15 to 151. Bar silver is at ss. igd. per ounce, Spanish pillar dollars are ss. sd. to ss. 7d., and Mexican and South American ss. Old. Thip exportation of gold from London direct dur ing the week to Thursday last was large, being 8761 ounces, and 50001., all for the continent, and of silver 193,357 ounces, all for the continent, and 1061. to Sierra Leone. The English Funds have not recovered from the lower point to which they receded yesterday before the close of business. Consols have been 871 to 88 for transfer and account, the determination of Rus sia not to give any answer to the summons of the Western Powers being fully anticipated. Exchequer Rills are par to 2s. prem. Foreign securities have been quite neglected, and are merely nominal. Spanish New Deferred have been 17i; Russia n 5 p er C en t s . a r e 84 ; and Dutch 21. per Cents. 521. Railway shares are rather more elastic, as some of the parties who sold on speculation are buying back to realise their profit. The French lines have been much the same. HAMMERSMITH.—THE POOR-LAW REMOVAL BILL.— A large and influential meeting of the vestry of the parish of Hammersmith was held on the 23d inst., to consider Mr. Baines' new Poor-Law Settlement Amend ment Bill, when, upon the motion of Mr. Galbraith seconded by Mr, Brown, it was resolved to petition against the bill, and to be heard in support of the peti tion should the bill be sent to a committee of the house. The petition was presented last night by Mr. Hors man, M.P. Pa vies are still heavy. O r i en t a l Bank and London The shares of the Mi n i ng , B an k, an d La n d Coin- Joint Stock are cheaper; also British American Land. BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.—CLOSING PRICES, ( Prom the Official List.) Business done. 3 per Cent, Consols Annuities B7i 8 7i Consols for Account 18th April B7i 8 7i Exchoquor Bills, 2d. 21000 £5OO 2 p 2 d 2 p Small 3 p par PRICE OP FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY. NUMEROUS AND EXTENSIVE ROBBERlES.—Yesterday information was received by the police that 21, New street, Covent-garden, had been plundered of 1281. in gold, 1501. in silver, 2 101. and 1 51. Bank of England notes; also, 24, Tottenham-court-road, of 1401. in cash; also, the Cloudesley Arms, Cloudesley-place, Liverpool road, Islington, of a tin cash-box, containing 501. in gold, a 101. and a 51. Bank of England notes ; also, from St. Mark's College, Chelsea, a quantity of jewellery, value 70/. ; also, from the Windmill Tavern, Upper Ground street, Blackfriars-road, jewellery, value 30/., 111. in gold, and 61. in silver ; and from 7, Gloucester-terrace, Regent's-park, silver plate, marked "J. E 8.," of the value of 1501. _ ----- --- Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £St B4 x d Ditto 4i per Cent 73 Spanish Bonds, 3 per Cent 3si 5 Spanish*New Deferred, 3 per Cent. l7,} Dividends on the above payable in London. Dutch Exchange, 2i per Cent. 12 Gull s2f 3.} TWO O'CLOCK. Consols B7l 3 Ditto April Account B7f 3 TICE SUN, .BOWL/ON, SATVRDAY EVENING', MARCH i@LIC LATEST FOREIGN NEWS. COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the Prin cess Royal, and attended by the Countess of Mount- Edgcumbe and Colonel the Hon. Charles Grey, went to Marlborough -house yesterday afternoon, and inspected the Museum of Practical Art. Prince Albert, with the Prince of Wales, rode on horse back in the afternoon, attended by Viscount Torrington. The Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty yesterday at Buckingham Palace. Prince Arthur, and the Princesses Helena and Louisa, visited the Zoological-gardens in the Regent's-park. Mrs. Oliver (member of the New Society of Painters in Watercolours) had the honour of submitting to her Ma jesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert the collection of sketches in Italy, the Pyrenees, and on the Rhine, of the late W. Oliver. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by the Princess Royal, honoured the perform.. ance of Mozart's Requiem, by the Sacred Harmonic Society, at Exeter-hall last evening, with their presence. The Queen and Prince were attended by the Countess of Mount- Edgcumbe, the Hon. Matilda Paget, the Hon. Mary Sey mour, Earl Spencer (Lord Steward), the Marquis of Bread albane (Lord Chamberlain), Lord de Ta.bloy, Viscount Tor rington, Sir Edward Bowater, Colonel Wylde, and Colonel the Hon. Charles Grey. A deputation from the township of Crumpsall, near Manchester, had an interview with the General Board of Health at their offices, Whitehall. The deputation con sisted of Messrs. William Slater, Joseph Simpson, and Robert Whyatt, and were accompanied and introduced by Mr. William Brown, M.P., Mr. John Cheetham, M.P., and Mr. J. M. Cobbett, M.P. Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial office, from the Governors of Hongkong, Ceylon, Gibral tar, and Malta. Despatches were sent yesterday to the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, the Go vernor of Malta, and the Governor of Canada. THE WAR IN THE EAST, IMPORTANT FROM ST. PETERSBURG. REFUSAL OF THE CZAR TO RETURN AN ANSWER TO THE ANGLO-FRENCH ULTI MATUM. The Times gives the following despatch of yesterday's date from its correspondent at Berlin : "Count Nesselrode has communicated to the English and French Consuls that the Emperor will give no an swer at all to their joint summons." Another despatch from St. Petersburg of the same date, says : " Russia has acknowledged the neutrality of Sweden, " There is no change in the Danish Ministry. " The Diet was to be closed on the 24th." The Hamburg Correspondent has the following According to advices from St. Petersburg, which arrived here on the 16th inst., the Russian Government proposes publishing various documents on the Eastern question. Among the documents destined for publica tion are some letters written by Prince Albert." It is believed in certain political circles here (says the Paris correspondent of the Times, in his letter of yester day's date) that the intelligence received from Vienna within the past few days is not very satisfactory. There is perhaps no single fact, or no series of facts, alleged against that Cabinet, but it is certain that in the diplomatic correspondence or conversations which have passed between the respective ministers, there occur observations, comments, demands of expla nations, and conditions which give ground for suspicion as to the sincerity and firmness of Austria under circum stances like the present, when the only chance of safety lies in the adoption of a marked and unequivocal line of policy. These symptoms have appeared if not for the first time, certainly more strongly within the last fortnight, and the efforts of this Government to force the Cabinet of Vienna to give a distinct explana tion of her intentions with reference to Russia have not, it would appear, been as successful as was hoped. The fault is attributed to Prussia, not perhaps so much from the influence she possesses over Austria as from fear of the latter that if she were deeply engaged with the Western Powers, her rival, by holding aloof, would profit by her comparatively free position to advance her own views in Germany. But whatever be the cause, a good deal of discontent is observable at the conduct of Austria, and I have reason to believe that her own am bassador in Paris is as little satisfied with it as the French Government. The Patrie publishes a letter from Erzeroum, of the 2d inst., announcing that the Secretary of State, Bazi lewski, one of the attach& of the Russian Legation at Teheran, had passed through that city on his way to St. Petersburg. He was said to be charged with a private mission. It was reported at Erzeroum that Russian in fluence had experienced a last check in Persia, and that notwithstanding the menaces addressed to the Shah, that Sovereign had formally refused to attack Turkey. Accounts from Odessa, of the sth inst., mention the arrival of Prince Woronzow at Sebastopol, for the pur pose of inspecting the fortifications of the place. The Belgian Government has called the attention of the armourers of Liege to the serious consequences that might result for them, if, in the present circumstances, they sold arms to Russia, as it was not doubtful that England and France, either by their cruisers or other means, would intercept them on the way. They would expose themselves to the same danger if they attempted to send arms to the Greek insurgents, the transit of weapons of war through Germany being prohibited. The steam-frigate Asmod6e has arrived with de spatches for the Government from Constantinople, which she left on the 14th inst. Their contents have not transpired. The ship-of -the-line Duperre came out of dock to-day ; she will shortly sail for Brest to join the fleet fitting out for the Baltic. The equinoctial gales have set in with great violence; it has been blowing strong from the west all day. A letter from St. Petersburgh of the 12th, in the Frankfort Journal, says :—"la consequence of the northern, western, and eastern provinces of Russia being placed in a state of war, the Commanders-in-Chief are taking measures to put the provinces and ports which may be exposed to an attack by sea, in a state of defence. All the inhabitants on the coast have been warned that they will have to watch over the safety of their property and families, should the town which they inhabit be bombarded by the English and French ves sels. Reports arrive from the interior of the empire relative to the solemn publication of the Imperial manifesto announcing to the people the cessation of diplo matic relations between Russia and the Western Powers. That publication was accompanied in the cathedral of Moscow by thanksgiving, for the victories already gained. The ceremony took place in presence of the civil and military authorities. The Gulfs of Bothnia and of Finland are still frozen over. It is said that 30,000 persons are employed in cutting the ice in this latter. General Ermentoff has received orders to proceed to the Crimea with 12,000 men to occupy Kaffa and several points of the Black Sea, and in general to watch the south-west coast from Sebastopol to Kaffa. The march of General Tscheodajeff's corps to Bessarabia continues. By the Ist of May the active army in the Principalities will amount to 200,000 men, admirably equipped. A corps of reserve has been concentrated, it is said, in Wolhynia, .under the command of Gen. Schinelnikoff, Governor of Zitornir. Men under 45 years of age cannot now obtain passports to cross the frontiers." It appears by the letters from Berlin of the 21st that a warns opposition to the bill for a loan will be mani fested in the Second Chamber of the Prussian States, unless the Government should give a more satisfactory account of the policy which it intends to adopt on the Eastern question, than that recently given by M. de Manteuffel. The Committee on the bill have declared that they will not vote the loan unless more satisfactory information be given to the country. A letter from Dantzic, 18th, says :—" The Chamber of Commerce of this city has decided on sending a me morial to the King, in which it will point out the disas trous consequences to which the country will be exposed if it does not unite itself on the side of the Western Powers." THE BALTIC. A letter from fort Friedrichsort of March 21, says : " The name of that station will often recur in the diary of the Baltic expedition. The British squadron on its arrival is to anchor to the right and left of Fort Friedrich sort. A packet of letters for the admiral, which has been sent by the British consul in Hamburg, is now waiting his arrival in Kiel. Friedrichsort is situated in the Duchy of Schleswig, not far from the Eider Canal, which serves as a boundary between that duchy and Holstein. It can still accommodate a garrison of four hundred, but at present there are only nineteen soldiers—a detachment from a Danish infantry regiment in the town of Schleswig. Fort Friedrichsort was of considerable strength a century ago, when it was constructed. It is partly sheltered from the sea by some undulating heights, applicable for masked batteries, and if well supported by others on the opposite side of what is called the harbour of Kiel, but which, more properly speaking, is a gulf of the Baltic, it would com mand the mouth of that gulf. I n fact, during the late sanguinary war between Denmark and Schleswig-Hol stein, Fort Friedrichsort was held by the " patriots" or " insurgent," who had also batteries on two points opposite, and the result was that the Danish ves sels cruising about the mouth of the gulf did not ven ture to force the passage. At present the fort has little or no pretensions to any strength. Its arsenal has been pulled down since the suppression of the insurrection ; its ammunition and store rooms are "unfurnished ;" its moats and mounds are neglected; its clock both strikes and goes wrong ; its sun dial has fallen into an oblique position ; and as for what was once the powder magazine, you may smoke a Havannah as unconcernedly in it as if you were on a Rhenish steam-boat, or in a student's bier haus in Heidel berg. Besides mine host of the Wirthshaus at Fort Fried richsort, there are but few other civilians in the fort—a tailor, a shoemaker, a carpenter, a gardener, and a messenger as well as a clergyman and schoolmaster. They all form ap parently a very happy family. They are in fact entirely thrown on their own resources ; for there is no village or houses immediately near, and in winter the fort is very seldom visited by strangers ; so seldom, indeed, that your corres pondent had the honour of receiving military salutes shortly after crossing the drawbridge. The gate of the fort is closed at 8 p.m., so that from that hour till six this morning he was a species of prisoner of state Before half past nine last night all the inhabitants, civilians and all, were in bed, and the only light visible was the one in my chamber, where I remained for hours listening very un willingly to the furious gusts, partly accompanied by hail, w hich came from the turbulent Baltic." CONSTANTINOPLE. A letter from Constantinople of the 9th March says : " I can assure you, from the most positive source, that Omer Pacha, the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman army on the Danube. sent in his resignation on the dismissal of Mehemet AR Pacha, the late Minister of War. He ex pressed his dissatisfaction at seeing a man removed from the War-office with whom he was on such good understand ing, and to whose co-operation the army owed so much. It was for this reason that Chekib Effendi, accompanied by his son Arifi Bey, was sent on a mission to Schumla, to deliver to Omer Pacha the sword of honour which the Sultan had decreed to him, and to announce to him that his Imperial master had thought fit to appoint him to the highest military post in the empire. " General Agiz Pacha arrived here last week from Schumla, to support Omer Pacha's resignation ; but Chekib Effendi, who returned on Monday last, has succeeded in persuading Omer Pacha to accept the new honours con ferred on him by the Sultan, and to remain at his po s t. " Lieutenant-General Sir John Burgoyne, accompanied by the Hon. Lieutenant Wrottesley, and some other offi cers of the engineer's staff, who have come up from the Dardanelles, leaves to-day for Varna and Schumla, by her Britannic Majesty's steamer Caradoc. Miss Burgoyne is also of the party. . _ " The day before yesterday, the French steamer Asmo dee arrived at Constantinople from the Pirxus. She brought a copy of the note presented to the King of Greece by the representatives of England and France at Athens, with re ference to the late events that have occurred. I learn from a good source that this note is couched in very strong terms —indeed, that it menaces Greece with an Anglo-French occupation. " Colonel Ardent, of the French engineers, and his aide de-camp, left for Schumla on Tuesday. " Her Britannic Majesty's steamer Banshee, with de spatches for the British ambass a d or and aniria tbs, arrived here yesterday morning. Last week the Turkish Government intimated to the Russian subjects who are staying here under Austrian pro tection, that the term of six months accorded to them was drawing to a close, only twenty days yet remaining, and that they must consequently make up their minds and prepare for departure. bl, do Bruck, the Austrian into', nuncio, sent It a demand to the Porte, in the name of several Russian merchants here, for a further prolonga tion. The prohibition by the Russian Government of the export of grain from Odessa will produce most unfortunate consequences. There are no less than four hundred vessels at Odessa waiting to take in car goes, which will now remain idle; independent of which, the large supplies of corn heaped up there will be spoilt. Greaefears of mercantile failures are entertained here in consequence of this resolution. Turkey has also prohibited the export of corn, These measures will be severely felt throughout Europe. As regards the latter, it may be said to have been resolved in self-defence. With immense armies on foot, and large forces coming, provisions are necessary. For the last six months the prices of every thing have greatly increased, and Constantinople is half as dear again as it was before the war. " The night before last a council was held at the Porte, which lasted until four in the morning. Yesterday, after the arrival of the Banshee, the ambassadors of England and France had a conference with Reschid Pacha, which lasted four hours. It is believed that the ambassadors re ceived very important instructions and full powers by the Banshee. It is said that the following propositions were laid before the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs : " 'l. The Porte to hind itself for the future never to treat with Russia without the intervention of the Western Powers. " 2. To ameliorate the condition of the Christian popu lation of the Ottoman empire in order to prevent the re currence of such events as the insurrection on the'Grecian frontiers, and to paralyze the efforts of the enemies of the empire towards causing insurrectional movements in the provinces. The distribution of the Anglo-French forces which are coming out to be left to the Sultan, to whose aid they are being sent, and who will have the faculty of placing them in those parts of his empire where he consi ders their presence most necessary and useful." A special and separate treaty is to be drawn up, and will comprise the four following points : " 1. The abolition_of the poll-tax. " 2. Admission of Christians as witnesses before the Turkish tribunals. "3. The right of possessing freehold property in Turs key without regard to nation or religion. `4 To accord civil rights to the Christians, i, e., to admit them to civil and administrative offices, and into the army, the same as Mohamedans." As regards the possession of property in Turkey, it will not be out of place to remark that a change in this respect is most necessary. At the present moment a vast amount of property is held under other names. Centuries ago, when the Turks conquered this country, certain parts were allotted to the Christians, in which they could possess property. These allotments were not great. Since then the Christian population has increased immensely, so that they have positively no room ; and owing to the law, they cannot build elsewhere, not possessing the right of property. Independent of these circumstances, there are numerous other conside rations connected with the possession of property in Turkey which demand reform, but which it were useless here to enumerate. It is also useless to observe that the stipulation of such a treaty would be a new era in the hiss tory of the Turkish empire, and the foundation-stone to the spread of civilisation and progress in the East. " We are looking out for the first British and French troops-800 men are said to have already arrived at Malta. The combined British and French squadrons are lying quietly at Beycos, in the Bosphorus." FRANCE. A despatch from Marseilles says that three divisions of the expeditionary army will have probably embarked by the end of the month, and that the fourth will follow in the first days of April. It is thought that the French will stop at Gallipoli, and that the English will establish themselves in the Gulf of Enos. After a short time for repose, the Anglo- French army will be despatched either to Adrianople or to the Crimea. They are preparing at Marseilles a grand fete for the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Napoleon. It is said that the subscriptions to the National Loan reach the amount of 400,000,000 f. A house has failed in Paris for 2,500,000 f. Other houses are spoken of as likely to suspend their pay ments before many days are over. The Chamber of Commerce of Nantes, having ad dressed a letter to the Minister of the Marine, calling his attention to the danger to which the mercantile ma rine will be exposed when war is declared, not only from Russian vessels of war but from privateers, the Minister has replied, assuring the Chamber that the most ener getic measures have been already taken to protect the French flag in every sea, and in which the English crui zers will also co-operate. _ All the securities again fell yesterday on the Bourse. The Three per Cents. opened at 64f. 5c., declined 63f. 70c., and recovered to 63f. 95c., the closing price for the end of the month ; the Four-and-a Half per Cents. closed at 90f. 45c. ; Orleans Railway Shares, 1,067 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 845 f. ; Great Northern, 717 f. 50c. ; Strasburg, 696 f. 25c. ; New Shares, 527 f. 50c. ; Lyons to Paris, 791 f. 25c. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 655 f.; Western of France, 575 f. ; Bordeaux to Cette, 517 f. 50c.; Great Central of France, 408 f. 75. ; Lyons to Geneva, 430 f. ; Bank of Credit Mobilier, 525 f. THE FRENCH EXPEDITION TO THE EAST. A letter from Toulon, dated March the 21st, says : The preparations for the expedition are progressing, al though the town is so quiet that many casual visitors are heard to observe " there is no appearance of prepa rations here for war." Not so in the interior of the arsenal and the dockyard, where thousands of operatives are labouring early and late in fitting out ships for sea, or in fabricating instruments of destruction. Outside the town, another movement is going forward. The Champ de Mars is filled every afternoon with detach ments of Infantry of Marine, and the 74th Regiment of the Line (both under orders for foreign service), practising the various manoeuvres which in a short . time, no doubt they will have to perform with more ef fect in presence of a foreign enemy. Other detachments of the same corps every day practice firing at a target with ball cartridge, in which they have attained a high degree of proficiency, to judge from the riddled state of the targets after their practice is concluded. In the meantime Admiral Bruat is riot idle. Some hundreds of the crew of the Montebello, the Admiral's flag-ship, ' are every day landed and drilled as light infantry. They are armed with rifles and poignard bayonets, like the Chasseurs of Vincennes. They are so perfectly disci plined that in case it may become necessary to land sea men they will be able to afford effective assistance to the expeditionary corps. The volunteers for foreign service from the 57th Regi ment of the line, who arrived here from the department of the Upper Alps, have been incorporated with the 74th Regiment. Colonel Breton, on receiving them, addressed them in the following terms : " Soldiers of the 57th,—You are welcome amongst us. The 74th are happy and proud to open their ranks to you, for they are certain to find in you those noble sentiments of duty, of discipline, and of devotedness to the Emperor which animate them in so high a degree, and which con stitute their force and their glory. During the difficult circumstances which present themselves we shall no doubt have good and bad days to pass together, but the re collection of the great interests of France which we are called to the honour of defending, and the desire to prove ourselves worthy of that honour, assure me that I shall find you equal to your glorious mission. Soldiers of the 57th, let us join in one rallying cry of Vive i'Empereur." The soldiers responded in the most enthusiastic man ner, and, having repeatedly cried, " Vive l'Empereur,' they added "one cheer more" for the Colonel. The only troops arrived here within the last two days are a battery of artillery and 33 conscripts from Bor deaux for the 74th, undercharge of two non-commissioned officers of the 34th. They were 26 days on their march. ITALY. The Parlaniento of Turin, of the 21st inst., quotes the following, dated Genoa, 20th :—"Although the precise tenor of the Russian ukase, with regard to the prohibi tion to export grain, is well known, the price of corn has considerably fallen in our market. This result is at tributed to the simultaneous arrival of upwards of 30 vessels latlistt with that article, during the last two days in our harbour. The news from Leghorn and Mar seilles announce a similar depression produced by the same cause. Several vessels freighted for the East by the French Government have already sailed for Toulon." "We are enabled," says the Corriere Mercantile, of Genoa, of the 20th, " to state that the French Govern ment has not, as reported, forbidden its agents to freight other vessels in our harbour for the conveyance of troops to the East. Such an order was not given by the Go vernment, but its principal agent in Paris, wishing to ascertain exactly the number of vessels already freighted, had written to his correspondent at Genoa not to freight others until further orders. That agent has since sent directions to engage a number of the largest vessels for the conveyance of cavalry." FATAL ACCIDENT AT A THEATRE. —On Sunday, February the 26th, during the performance at the French Theatre, New Orleans, two galleries, which were set apart for persons of colour, fell, owing to the iron rods by which these galleries were suspended from the roof giving way. Th e suspen di ng ro d s had been substituted for iron columns, supporting the galleries, owing to the columns obstructing the view of the stage from the dress circle ! There were only 84 persons in the two galleries, and, as the fall was a gradual one, most persons in the dress circle had time to escape. The iron rods broke near the roof, and the galleries then sank some three feet ; but, as there was an additional support to these galleries from iron bars from the wall, it prevented the destruction of hun dreds of lives. Many of the negroes were precipi tated into the pit, and all the chairs from the galleries were showered down upon the people in the parquett, yet the loss was very small, and there were but few persons injured, and most of them very slightly. Florian Malus, a clerk in a notary's-offioe, was instantly killed by being struck on the head by one of the iron bars, and Fergus Toledano, a youth 14 years of age, was also killed. There were no negroes killed. As all our places of amusement, are crowded on a Sunday night, and the Orleans Theatre has always a good share of the multitude, it is truly surprising how many escaped with their lives.—New Orleans paper. NOTTINGHAM WEEKLY TRADE REPORT, MARCH 2 3 . —The stagnation in the lace trade is not altogether unseasonable, seeing that the fag ends of the .Ame rican spring t ra d e on ly now re main ; and it. orders not 4for until next month that the expectation of d shipment in June can be entertained. The business doing is not, however, complained of. than usually satisfactory it is true, from the great uncertainty that attends its continuance. But the period must be close at hand when an alteration for the better will take place. Early next month the wholesale houses will bestir themselves to have good displays around them for their country customers, and, as the stocks are known to be low, they must come to the manufacturers and purchase. Dullness has over taken and considerably affected the hosiery trade, although very sanguine hopes are entertained of the de. mand in the American market. Some of the buyers have already arrived, and are cautiously inquiring what stook)) are (milting iu 911 r warohouses, THE WAR IN THE EAST'. On Monday Sir Charles Napier was at Copenhagen ; on Tuesday letters for the gallant admiral forwarded by the Bri tish Consul in Hamburgh, reached Kiel, and were to await his arrival, there. Were any confirmation necessary of the statement that Kiel Sound is to be the second stage of out Baltic fleet, as Wingo Sound was its first, this latter fact would afford it. We may, therefore, expect hourly to hear that the bulk of the first divisio n o f th e fleet under Sir Charles Napier is anchored off Fort Frederick, while the out-strag glers are ploughing the waters of the Sound and the Belts. The next stage will in all likelihood be a longer one. The first decided operation of the fleet will probably be the occupation of the great island of Aland, off which there is good holding ground and tolerable shelter. A pretty strong' garrison has been maintained in that island by Russia, but the works are totally inadequate to resist the weight of metal the British fleet, with its French auxiliaries, can bring to bear upon them. The naval forces of the allied powers, once in possession of this important station, will effectually com mand the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland. On the part of the Czar there is a mighty, bustling note of preparation on shore. The best points tenable by troops are receiving strong reinforcements; and if the news from St. Petersburg, Revel, and Riga, can be credited, he is doing his , utmost to persuade the inhabitants of the Baltic, provinces that the English are a sort of Ogres, their admiral being the worst of the lot. With the lodging house keepers and trades men of Revel—the Brighton of St. Petersburg—he may suc ceed, but the rest of the occupants of the Baltic provinces know better. Of course they will remove from all places likely to be the scenes of actual fighting—but simply to get out of the way of shot and shell, not from any mistrust of the English. With all this alacrity of defensive preparation the Czar tarries long with his reply to the last peremptory sum mons of the British Government. That reply indeed is mo mentarily expected. Couriers are held in readiness to start for the Levant and the Baltic as soon as it is received. An unfavourable reply will be immediately followed by an appeal to Parliament by the Queen. All yesterday the answer, was looked for, and ere we go to press it may have arrived. But the Czar may send no distinct answer. He may abide by his shuffling policy of delaying—may affect to refuse to reply on the plea that there is no British Minister at St. Petersburg with whom he can communicate. This game will be transparent; it will be played on the assumption that the Allied Powers will still allow him to daily and waste time as hitherto—will not strike a blow till they have had further parley ; and thus he may calculate on postponing the evil day of fighting, and strengthening his hold on the Danubian Prin cipalities. But surely France and England will not be so in fatuated as to waste the brief northern summer in waiting till the Czar pleases to declare explicitly whether he will be honest or not. It will be little short of lunacy, after the fleet has anchored off Aland, to allow one unne cessary moment to elapse before earnest steps are com menced. What the Governments of France and England have in contemplation it is of course impossible to conjecture ; but what they have not in contemplation seems pretty obvi ous. Cronstadt, though strong, must nevertheless fall if seri ously attacked by the combined fleets ; but its capture would be of little value, unless as a first step towards the occupa tion of St. Petersburg. That would, however, require a' strong military force, and the omission of this element ow' board the ships sent to the Baltic seems to indicate that the: Czar's capital is not, in the first instance at least, to be menaced. In the presence of the strong naval force of the allies thatt will soon rendezvous at Aland, however, there is another means of sensibly crippling the Russian Government in the north. It must be kept inmind that to the north of the parallel' of latitude of Novgorod, all the territories appertaining to the Russians have been acquired by conquest. Northward and westward of St. Petersburg the Russian element in her popu lation becomes rapidly less prartonce and influential. This holds true to a considerable extent even in the Russianised provinces of Olonetz and Archangel, but indisputably in Fin land and the German Duchies. The original occupants of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and of the Russian territories north of Novgorod, Kazan, and Tobolsk, and as far east as the Jenisei, appear to have been all tribes of the Finnish race. In Sweden, and Norwaty, and Finland these abori gines fled before, or mingled their blood with, or became tri butary to, the Swedes and Norwegians ; to the eastward of. Finland, and north of a line drawn from the mouth of the Neva to Tobolsk, they succumbed in like manner to the Russians. In the German Duchies, now subject to Russia, the ascendancy of the Germanic race was established by the Teutonic knights and the Hanseatic towns; before these pro vinces passed under the Russian sceptre, they were divided between Sweden and Poland, but by both these powers the German nationality was respected. The three predominant nationalities in the region we have been passing in review— the three types of civilisation that have preponderated in them are, the Scandinavian (Swedish and Norwegian) in SCan- - dinavia and Finland ; the Germanic in Estonia, Liefland, and . Carlaud ; the Russian in the countries to the east and south east. Wherever the Scandinavian Germanic civilisation or nationalities are in the ascendant, Protestantism, with its accompaniments—more rational and purely spiritual views of religion—and aspirations after civil liberty were intro duced at an early period, and have struck deep root. In Sweden and Norway the work was promoted by the struggles of either people for national independence ; in the German Duchies by the influence of the Hanseatic towns, and of the free nobles (or knights) impatient of clerical domina tion. In the Russian provinces, the merciless sub jugation and destruction of Novgorod extinguished the free spirit which had been awakened by connections with the Hanseatic League ; and the zealous patronage of a merely ritual and thought-repressing church, by the Goverlnments of Moscow and Petersburg, has contri buted to keep the mass of the people at the very lowest! point of intelligence and morals possible in a country' presided over by rulers who have made some advance in civilisation. The most persevering and unscrupulous efforts have been made by the Russian Government of late years to reduce the intelligent and self-respecting populations of Fin-- land and the German Duchies to the low Russian standards of religion, morals, and knowledge and love of civil rights. Corruption, intimidation, exclusion of foreign literatures all conceivable means have been resorted to. As yet the taint of Russianism is not widely diffused or eradicable, though it is rapidly spreading. In Finland there are upwards of 100,000 Swedes doggedly clinging to their nationality, and the Finnish population sympathises with them ; in the German Duchies the educated and wealthy class is (with the exception of Govern ment officials) intensely German. Now, in countries where the feeling of the intelligent, the educated, the enterprising, are so decidedly antagonistic to Russianism, were the principal strongholds by the allied forces, there can be little doubt that the inhabitants at large would be well disposed to assert their independence. These pinions, plucked from the wing of the Russian eagle, would effectually mar its flight for the future ; would annul all its usurpations north of Poland since the days of Peter the Great. How to dispose of the provinces would bo best indicated by the . circumstances attendant on their disruption from Russia. The warning example of Belgium and Holland is a preg nant lesson to consult the wishes of the people them selves, and not to attempt to fuse incompatible nationalities into one by foreign compulsion. Finland would probably wish to re-unite itself to Sweden—from which it has been so recently torn ; the German Duchies may possibly be influ enced even yet by a traditionary remembrance of their former connexion with Sweden, and the conviction that Sweden is the power most favourably situated to support them against Russian aggression. Wheu Stockholm was the capital of Sweden, Finland and the German Provinces now subject to Russia, it was the centre of a powerful empire. As the place of government for Swedes, Fins, and the inhabitants of these Germanic provinces, all stamped with the common character of Protestantism, and aspirations after Parliamen tary government, Stockholm might again become the seat of a Government able to hold Russia in check. But to accom plish this disirable end must be the work of these populations themselves ; the allies can only afford them an opportunity to commence it. In intimate connexion with these considerations is the actual position of the Swedish Government. Russia is said, after much reluctant delay, to have recognised its neutrality. Let us see that this neutrality is honestly and effectively carried out, in so far as the allies, and especially Great Britain, are concerned. The question of protection for our Orkney and other northern fisheries, mooted last night in the House of Com mons, has a close bearing upon it. At A rchangel there are a few ships of war ; there is also a rather numerous mercantile navy, and it may enter the head of the Czar to issue letters of marque. Now the northern districts of Norway are almost exclusively supplied with provisions (especially with meal and flour) from the Russian ports in the White Sea : and in consideration of this, exten sive privileges have been conceded to Russian fishing and merchant vessels in the northern Norwegian ports. The admirable anchorages on the west coast of the Scandinavian peninsula, among the fiords betwoen Drontheim and the North Cape, must not be allowed to become stations where Russian cruisers and licensed pirates may lie in wait to pounce upon our northern fishermen ; perhaps to make bucaneering descents on our northern coasts. Sir James Graham and the • Admiralty will of course see to this.—Daily News. MINING INTELLIGENCE. (From the Mining Journal of this day. It has sometimes happened in a particularly dull season ' like the present, when money has become "tight" and scarce, and the general public, guided too often by that most uncertain of barometers--the funds—vacillate between the hopes of peace and war, and keep their money in reserve, that some good discovery in a mine has enlivened the hearts of adventurers, and caused excitement in the market for shares ; so that, whilst other securities were flat and falling, mines were in the ascendant. This, however, cannot be said of the last few months ; lodes have maintained a most perfect indifference to change, excepting for the worse; and although the love of 20 per cent. still causes a slight demand for some of the dividend mines, there is no disguising the fact that many of the speculative mines, even with fair prospects, and such as would in ordinary times have commanded good premiums, are now quite unsaleable, unless at merely nominal prices. Tho fear of a panic has been the means of creating one in this description of stock. The dealers, finding that shares were forced for s a l e waiting . in all directions a short time since, held aloof from buyi ng ; always . follows in the in good and now they can, and are, p p i i c i ki ce n s f and up q s u_ h i a . e . r t e ly s progressive mines at absurdly low the reaction which, sooner or later, wake of times like the present. War, if it comes in earnest, must ' however it may affect Government securities,t,tinevitably raise the price of metals to an e xtent . la . will greatly b ene fit the determination which appears to mining property ; whilst o n of totally in Cornwall, - suspending some of have been come to the mines which do not hold out ' sufficient p ro spects of suc cess, will ease the , calls," which have b een f or some months a serious drawback to speculation, and al so cheapen labour, materials, and machinery.Market—Bar Silver, containing gold (all In the Bullion lb. to b 5 gra in the e paid for), 58. 2d, per oz. gold above 'thout old Bar Silver w- 17 1 standard. g , ss. lid, per oz. standard. Gold, 775. Bar 90. to 7 s. OAd. per oz. standard. Spanish Doubloon's 78s. 6d. per oz. Columbian Doubloons, 775. 6d, per oz. Fine Cake Silver, 66id , per oz. The Gold Mining Share Market this week, in sympathy with t h e general heaviness of the Stock Exchange, has shown a decided downward tendency. Even the stocks most in favour have suffered, and for many descriptions quotations are merely nominal. On the whole, in the total absence of demand, this market continues to wear a very unfavourable appearance. The accounts from the Australian gold dig gings are important, inasmuch that they corroborate previous reports, that at the present there is no defi ciency in the yield of gold. A falling off has been ob served in several places, but this has been amply commensura,ted by the increased yield at other localities. The price of gold dust in California was 17 dols. 45c. Coal and hardware were in demand, but other articles in general were at a discount. The American companies working gold mines in California appear to be progressing favourably, and making returns ; the English associations, it would appear, are making experi ments, constantly sending the returns of assays, but never showing any actual results ; and it is a question to be con sidered by the shareholders, whether the whole capital of the several associations will not be absorbed by these tri vialities ? After two years' supposed working the public have a r ght to expect more than mere assays, which may have been made from " slogging stones," and the local superintendents of these companies should endeavour to set themselves right with their proprietary. In miscellaneous shares the market has been heavy, and laud shares have experienced a counts:l . olu fall, ,~;,'.~ The 1 lazing additio remove will be first an their ec recomn right ox lieved most p excepti would of two But tl just to 1 say that we lister work. vigour, were Mi Formes, to single first api bass voi of an c " Tuba emphasi previous Formes applause Mr. C he must Lobgesal of last works a. On re as tical I kfEl