The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-14 00:00:00

JAPAN.

PARIS, Dr.c. 13.

The Paris papers publish news from Japan stat-
ing that the representatives of the European powers
had been received at Jeddo by the Grand Council
of the Empire, who gave them complete satisfaction.
The silk trade is to be freed frum all restrictions,
and the territory of the Prince of Nagato having
been confiscated by the Tycoon, the latter will pay
the indemnity demanded by the European powers.

A Turin correspondent, writing on Dec. 11,
eats :—" The law for the transfer of the capital to FIOrOIICO
was signed this morning by Victor Emmanuel. 1 have been
told that at the moment of putting his signature to the
royal decree tears came into the eyes of his Majesty, and
that the ministers could not help feeling moved. The Re
thilantuorno, though true to the last to the interesta of
Italy, could not forget that the city in which be was born
will be no longer the capital of that kingdom which chiefly
through his courage and devotion may now be reckoned
amongst the first of Europe."
FOREIGN-OFFICE, JUNE 30.—The Queen bag been
graciously pleased to appoint Henry William Heniaos,
Loc to be her Majesty's Consul at Buffalo.-oa:elte.
iNi., DIA-OFFICE, DEC. 10. —The Queen has beer.
graciously pleased to Dominate and appoint his highness
P'urztuul Diibued Resibbul ltgad Dowlut-i-Euglialits Rajah
Hanan Rajah ktundeer Raised...we of Kuppoorthulla.
and his ilighoess Maharaj.h Rushoo K.j Sang, &hada* of
Rewah, to be Knights of the Moat Exalted Order of the
Star of ledia.—Gautir.s_

...
THE ILLNIAS or Jill. LINDSAY, M.P.—We are
glad to learn that the inlets. of the boo. number for Sun-
derland is sot so dangerous aa it was represented to be by
some of our southern contemporaries. Mr. Lindsay, it
seems, had two paralytic strokes, but on Friday had re-
covered so far as to be able to make a partial use of hie
inn* and on Saturday, according to advice' received from
Brighton by some of his friends 111 Sunderland. he was re-
ported to be much better. The recovery of the Lou. gentle-
man is fully anticipated unless any relapse or recurrence of
the strokes should occur. But his friends fear that at soy
rate the unfortunate affliction wiU prevent hint from a
resumption of the past activity of his political Ida It woe
geoendly noticed during Mr. Lindsay's last visit to Sunder-
laud, on the occasion of the mayor's dinner, that he seemed
weak and in failing health.—Ntiriustir Citromick.

A German work, " Aus Paris," by Paul
Linda; is prohibited in France because it speaks
disrespectfully of "Chauvin,," by which term
are familiarly designated unintelligent and undis-
criminated admirers of the military glory of the
first empire.
The Presse says :

Time is • talk of a French "protectorate" of Tunis
to b• established in concert with other powers. If this
news is true. we deplore it—it would be • grave respon-
sibility for Fr►nce to assume and • serious derogation from
the principle of their intervention ; and yet it seems to us
that the policy of intervention has received checks enough
to open the eyes of diplomacy.

The Madrid journals say that the ministers have
been for a whole week hard at work drawing up the
Queen's Speech, lied find the task more difficult
than usual. The grave and delicate points with
which they have to deal are the St. Domingo
question, that of Peru, that of the press,
and last, not least, the finances. The recent re-
signation of M. Llorente, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, is not considered of much political import-
ance. He differed from his colleagues as to the
expediency of provoking a discussion by presenting
a new law ou the press ; but parted with
them on good terms, and received the Grand Cross
of Charles ILL His successor, M. Antonio Be-
navides, was Minister of the Interior in the A.rrazola
Cabinet, which called itself the "political historical
catholic" ministry. Marshal Narvaez has persuaded
the Queen to abolish ber private secretaryship, and
.5L Tenorea, a favourite who has long held the
of is dismissed. If this news is true, it is a
most important "palace revolution." Tenores was
all powerful with the Queen, and Narvaez must
now mean to wield the influence which be bad.
The directors of the Garden of Acclimatisation
have obtained permission to have a universal dug
show in May next, in that part of the Champs
ElysiSes next the river, known as Cours la Heine.
This locality being nearer to the centre of Paris
it is expected that the exhibition will be more
successful than the one of 1863, which, however,
I can certify was extremely interesting.
It is asserted that a widow named Vaudeville,
lately deceased at Planque, near Douai, was 105
years old, and that she leaves 19 children and 111
grandchildren.
There was a good deal of animation at the
Bourse in the latter part of the day. The bullion
in the Bank of France is understood to have de-
clined to the extent of five or six millions ; but
this is not a bad symptom. If it were otherwise as
New Year's-day draws near it would be a sure sign
that business was dull. Reute rose 10c. for cash,
and 15c. for account, closing at 661 r. 10c. and
&We. 20c. Mobilier rose ;fr. siOc. There is no
marked change in railway shares.

A CONCERT AT FLORENCE.

(nom ♦ ocausrosmom)
FLORENCE, Doc. 7.
. _ .

A grand vocal and instrumental concert was given
I at the Palazzo Binucdui, on Thursday last, in aid
of the poor who suffered by the recent inundations,
and was attended by a crowded and brilliant com-
pany of the Florentine aristocracy and the principal
foreign residents in the city. The Marchese
Maria Picoolomini, whose name and charming
talent the opera-going public of England have
certainly not forgotten, and Madame Albertini
Baucarde, an English ady, whose singing is also
remembered by the audiences of Her Majesty's
Theatre, and who has now become Italian by
marriage, generously contributed their valuable
services to the cause of charity, and were greatly
applauded and admired. But you will be glad to
bear that the highest vocal honours of the evening
were attained by a young fellow-countryman of
ours, who some two years since resigned an
appointment iu the Civil Service to seek his
fortune on the lyric stage. The profession of
the stage, and of the lyric stage wore particu-
larly, is one of many blanks, and of a few prizes
" beyond the dreams of avarice." It may be said
of that road to fame and fortune that it is a steep
and sudden ascent ; a road through brakes and
thorns and wildernesses of neglect and obscu-
rity, to au eminence crowned with flowers and
radiant with celebrity sod emcees. But a durable
success iu this career, as in all others, is not to be
achieved without a sustained effort of resistance to
temptations, of painstakius ambition, labour, and
self-denial, of which the world before the curtain,
who only see the success, know nothing. It is hit or
miss; and for a young English gentleman of good
education and position in society to miss the
highest place, is to fall to the lowest. Mr. Tom
Mohler has been handsomely endowed by Nature •
he has good looks, a tall and manly figure, a fraak
and easy bearing, and last not least, a pure tenor
voice, of a rich and rare quality, that reminds
Iu of Mario in his prime, and sometimes even of
übiui ; a voice at once virile and tender,
sweet, resonant, full. It is not a " robust" voice,
I am happy to say—(robust voices are as common
here as oustermougers in Tottenham-court-road)
—though strong enough, under good training, to till
the largest theatre ; but a graceful, flexible, suave,
spotataneow voice—a voice for which a Mozart or a
Rossini might have written before the present
"robust" generation of tenors bawled themselves to
pieces in revolutionary shouts and squalls. Mr.
Mohler has, it seems, been studying uuinterruptedly
for several mouths under the venerable Roman, and
his method of delivering the voice from the chest,
of taking breath. of graduating the transition from'
the lower to the higher part of the register, his