The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-08 00:00:00

THE SUEZ CANAL COMPANY.

PARIS, MARCH 8.
The Emperor has consented to arbitrate in cer-
tain questions pending with the Suez Canal Com-
pany, referred to him for settlement by the Viceroy
of Egypt.
His Majesty has appointed a committee of fire
members to examine the questions at issue.

~.

FRAIf CL

PLRIS, 3LLI 8.

The Coectitelionesl of to-day, in an irtiele signed
by M. Limayrso, considers the assertions of the
inglish journals respecting the re-establishment of
the Holy Alliance to be at least exaggerated.
The writer dwells upon the diversity of interest.
between Austria, Prussia, and Buss* and con-
tinues :—" We do not say that this alliance does not
or will not exist, but we refuse to believe in its ex-
istence on the terms and conditions denounced by
the English press." Before judging of the triple
alliance M. Limayrac wishes to know if it really
exists, and upon what conditions.

0111112r11 ECPIIIIS.)

THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE ROLF HAASE
WITH THE PRUSSIAN BATTERIES.
COPENHAGEN, Ilmicu 3.
•

The following letter has been received from an
officer who was on board the Danish cupola ship,
the Rolf Krake, during the engagement with the
Prussian batteries at Egernsund. It says :

Nine days ago (Feb. 10) we left the made at Comeliness,
and sailed, in consort with the Osamu, to Sooderburg.
Our crew only came on board the morning of our departure.
The men were unpractised, and had rarely been under fire.
On the evening of the 17th we 'heard that we were next
morning to me what was to be done against a bridge which
the seamy had thrown scram at Stemmed, shortening the
route to Broagerland and the position at Dipped. At 7
a.m., on the 18th, we left Sonderburg, and steered for
Flensburg Bay. Yon know the limestones of the
Rolf !treks. She has two towers, each carrying two heavy
gum ; apertures at the top of the tower admit light and
air; mechanical arrangements allow of the ship being
lowered until her deck is only a few inches above the
surface.

We pared Holois without replying to the fire of
the battery stationed there, and took up the position
which had been designated. Here we anchored,
with oar broadside towards two fixed batteries aad
one moveable field battery, which opened upon us
• murderous fire with round shot, conical shell, and shrapnel.
A tongue of land prevented our seeing the bridge we had
been ordered to destroy. The enemy fired very well. Hie
fixed batteries were masked, and it ia therefore impossible
to say bow much damage we did him ; bat I nest • ample
of 'hells at a rifled gun that mined conical shell upon as
from the heights, and when shearing off bombarded • mill
and • house. We returned to Sonderbeirg after being en-
gaged one hour sad • half.

The Rolf Krake stood the trial welL She was hulled 66
times, each shot being of Resit sufficient to sink a wooden
ship. The towers were bit several times. Sixteen shots
went through the funnel, one through the steam pipe,
three through the foremast, one through the mainmast, two
through the miser, sod 60 to 70 through the bulwarks, small
boats, sails, and rigging. The deck is torn up in many places,
the tackle much iujurxd, the three boats penetrated, every
vulnerable point was hit, and I should like to have seen any
part of the deck where a man could have been stationed
without certainty of death. We calculate that about
5,6001ba. of iron were expended upon us, and you may sup-
pose that we contributed our share. The noise was deafen-
ing, produced as much by our fire sa the missiles of the
enemy, whose shells flew about in all directioos. One
which burst directly over the tower in which
I was stationed, sent in a shower of pieces,
which set fire to two mattresses, damaged my
frontispiece, grazed my leg, smashed my telescope, and pe-
netrated a eat lying by my side in half a dozen places,
am still deaf of one ear from the din, otherwise not
much hurt. One man in each tower was also slightly
wounded, and curiously enough each in the left cheek.

GALICIA AND ITALY.
VIENNA, MANCE 6.

Advicee from Galicia report the prevalence of
agitation in that province. Notwithstanding the
proclamation of the state of siege, the placards of
the National Polish government have been aflized
in the streets of Lemberg. Prince Sapieha has fled
to Galatz.

The government formally denies the repo' Is at-
tributing to it aggressive intentions against Italy.
Large numbers of troops are being concentrated in
the Tyrol and the provinces of Austria adjacent to
Italy, but solely, it is declared, for defensive pur-
poses. Archduke Leopold will inspect the fortifi-
cations of the Tyrol and the Quadrilateral at an
early date.

Orders have been sent to Trieste to fit out the
frigate Novara, which will be placed at the disposi-
tion of the Archduke Maximilian.

WEATHER REPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

TITINDAT. MARC[ IL S LL

111. Q.

I. 1 Y.

), MARCH 8, 1864.

4'

MUSIC.

MONDAY POPULAR CONCERT&

Th. concert of last night was a selection from
the works of various oaspossrs. The programme warn as
follows :

?A8! I.

Otiet, tor font violins, two ;lolos-ind two vio-
loncellos Meant:amain.
Bone,
_"AL I why don love r (Don Quixote),
Loninmollbserloodon Mactarren.
Bong (Le Monads dawn lord, Mi. rwoUsta °°lm°4*
nousla. Is Z Ilst, Op SI, .' Los Aden; TA
et le Maw,* tor *adorn, slow, Mr. Midas
HAM Badhoron.
PA= IL

Quartet, mC, Op at for ao violins, viols. and
violoncello (dlealed to Count Raeoumovrekl) Beethoven.
Boob" The Winter Bong," Madame Lemmata*
ngton
Bow, " Questi annotation" (El Seraglio), Mr
giggler Monet.
Trio, la 0, for pianoforte, violin, and violoncello Haydn.

Headship,ba's Ottetto wee oompomd at the age of fifteen,
and considered as a juvenile production is eertainly a won-
derful effort of genius. But with all our admiratioa for
Maideleeolui, we cannot, with some of ►is admiren, raised
this piece as ranking deservedly with his noblest imam
insotal oompoeitioas for the chamber.
vieuxtempa was the loading violin, sod be was worthily
supported by his subordinates, Mama. Rise, Wiener, Wat-
son, Webb, Bann, Daubed, and Roue, all of them able
and eminent performers. Their efforts to do justice to the
work were warmly applauded.
Madame Lommens-Sherrington mug Madurea's song
from Don Quixote charmingly, and was much applauded.
Of Bentley's air from Gomod's 4Sledecin makre lui, we
have only to say that it wee received not less warmly. The
hall was very full is every part.

DRAMA.

DRUkY•LANL

The new faros, entitled The Alabama, produced
at this theatre last evening, tern• out to be an old acquaint-
sac% being no other than Mr. J. C. Morton's cautical faros,
entitled The Spitfire, first performed, we believe, in 1838,
at Covent-garden, daring Mr. Maeready's management. The
piece, however, has not only "suffered • sea change," but •
land change also. The venue is altered from the Dolphin
Inn, Portsmouth, to the Confederate Arms, in some port
in the island of Cuba ; the psrleyvooing sailor is converted
into an Irishmen ; while the saucy English waits becomes
• negro servant, Joe. Finally, the substitution of the
saucy Alabama for her Majesty's sloop Spitfire, and the
conversion of • comic tobacconist into an English
tailor, who has emigrated to that tropical region,
complete the change from the spirit of 1838 to
that of 1864. Whether this experiment is destined to set •
new tuition of furbishing past dramatic e•ooeses we do sot
know, but the attempt in this instance was completely sue-
easeful. The entire fun of the piece turns on the humour
of Mr. Behoove, in the part of Mr. Christopher Clipper, the
emigrant tailor, who, pursuing ► runaway ward, Thisbe (Mies
Lydia Thompson), is compelled to go aboard the Alabama,
assume the command, and achieve a victory 'Galore lui, by
which the real captain is rescued from their enemy.
" The Fighting Philadelphia." The final situa-
tion, in which the terrified tailor, in cocked hat and
uniform, creeps through the sooty feu:natal the Alabama, just
shot down by the enemy, which is entirely new in the faros
in its present form, wound up the comic business with roars
of laughter. Mims Lydia Thompson's reappearance for the
first time this season, and her ever popular hornpipe, con-
tributed, of course, to the SUOMI of the farce.
The pantomime is now withdrawn, and Afinafred with
Mr. Phelps revived, with no appearance of flagging popu-
larity. The performances were commenced with the faros
of the Fear Moukrays, in which four aharectees were very
cleverly sustained by Master Percy Roselle, whom all who
have seen the pantomime will remember as the Old Man of
the Sea.