The Express.
London, England, 1862-01-30 00:00:00

We have received a proof programme of the
arrangements for this festival, on which so much
expectatiou hangs. Resery lug the secondary portions
of the arrangements for more deliberate considera-
tion, we proceed to notice some of its main fee-'
tares. The performances will extend over three
worries MEG RAYS.) days—June 23, 25, and 27—and will consist of
AfeepiaA, a Selection, and Israel in Egypt. They
PXSSI A. will again be under the control of Mr. Costa. The
ST. PETERSBURG, Jaw. 29. competition of the orchestra will be improved by
The assembly of the nobles was opened yester-
: an increase of the larger stringed instruments, and
day by General Suvarrov, the Governor-General, also by the use of a number of serpents and large-
who in his speech on the occasion said :—" The tubed brass instrumeuta, which give the lower
welfare of the nobility is not possible unless a : notes in a full round manner, so as to secure a suf-
claw alliance exists between them and the Emperor. &lent body of full deep and middle tune. It
is
It is the wish of the Emperor that the nobility intended to cover the great orchestra with
should maintain their privileged position. But it is an arched roof of enormous span. It
was found at the last festival that too much
only by the throne remaining established on a firmspace over head caused the sounds to travel irregu-
basis, that the nobility can preserve their influence, larly, so that complex passages in the choral pieces
and be able to solve the important questions which I occasionally became maimed. A similar result
have yet to be settled." Iwas observed at St. Paul's Cathedral, at the per-
formance of the Messiah there lest January.
In conclusion, the Governor promised to give his
Although in a few situations the music was effec-
support tothose wishes of the nobility which might tie.. ia the
_rester pQstiuß it
i ha advalffeemen to the common welfare.
Trorn-tha one warelering Zoe_ t e cum an
being reverberated below, that great difficulty was
experienced in keeping the orchestra together, the
experience of the performers being that they
PETEMBURG" JAL 29' had rarely felt so much difficulty in fall-
The Journal de St. Petersburg of to-day pub- lug in with the " swing" of the orchestra.
fishes a note dated the Mat inat., and addressed by The sides of the orchestra, we learn, will be about
Prince Gortcbakoff to Baron Stoeckel, Russian sixty feet high, or nearly the same as the Birming-
ambeasador at Washington, which stated that the ham Town-hall, one of the very best buildings for
in this country. The central part of the
Emperor has with deep satisfaction seen his musicantici-
orthestra will be exactly 100 feet high, as too great
pations confirmed by the determination of the
height is by no means desirable. Wooden cross-
Federal Government to deliver up Messrs. Mason tie girders being carried across, in the form of an
and Slidell. arch, rising about 40 feet in a clear span of. 216
The Emperor hopes that the same wisdom and feet, the underside will be filled in with tie-brmingai
moderation will guide the steps of the Federal lined with well-seasoned ineieli-boarding, hound
closely together by ingenious appliances, until the
po Lc ; and expresses
Government in its interior li
whole st&ace becomes as hard and as resonant as
his conviction that the Federal Government will, in a drum-bead. "It need scarcely be pointed eeti
carrying out that policy, place itself above popular that to carry over a roof of this character is no
passions. small or inexpensive undertaking ; but as it is
The Emperor also states that he should with great naquestiouable that this addition to the great or-
chestra will render it as unrivalled
for its resonance
satisfaction see the Union reconstituted by coucilia-
as it will be unequalled for its capacity—and thus
tory measures, as the maintenance of American make the Centre Transept of the Crystal Palace
power influences in a considerable degree the unapproachable as a locale for a great choral fee-
general political equilibrium. tival—it has been determined to carry it out."
The price of tickets is a subject which we are
told has received the most careful attention, with a
view to place the festival within reach of that
large class whom means preclude high payments.
Rapid for the pecuniary success of an under-
taking, however, 112 which so enormous an outlay
will necessarily be incurred, renders it impossible
to fix the ate of tickets giving the right to special
accommodation lower than in 1857 or 1859. The
improvements in the orchestra, however, will now
enable a much larger number of visitors to hear all
portions of the music much better than on former
occasions ; and thee, while affording to the holders
of reserved tickets the full accommodation so
much commended at the former festivals,
additional space will be at the command of
the directors for appropriation subsequently.
A blank plan accompanies the programme, by means'
of which visitors will be able to select seats.
Persons preferring seats in any particular block
are recommended to apply for em as early as
possible after the opening of the subscription books
on the 3rd of March. Even the Crystal Palace,
with its vast apace, has limits of accommodation
which cannot be exceeded. This caution is the
more requisite because of the large increase to the
number of visitors to London for the International
Exhibition—which at the time of the festival will
be in full operation—coupled with the great num-
ber of names already registered as applicants for
the earliest intimation of the issue of tickets.

THE FRENCH EXPEDITION TO MEXICO.

P.41.R15, Jett. 29.
Advice, received here from Toulon, Brest, and
Cherbourg state that the troops who were embark-
ing at those ports would have for Vera Crux ou the
29th, 30th, and 31st inst. respectively.

PARIS, Jai. 26.