The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-18 00:00:00

MUSIC, cS.c.

PARIS, Saturday.—The old favourite, " I Puritani,"
was produced this week at the Italian Opera, with
Madame Steffenone, Mario, and Graziani. The prima
donna was decidedly successful in the role of Elvira, who,
with the tenor and baritone, formed a good cast. " I
Puritani" was well received, and will be repeated. The
public have made Madame Steffenone a pet at this
theatre, although she is seldom allowed to play. Madame
A.lboni, this week, filled the theatre a son benefice. The
Theatre-Lyrigne is so mnch in favour at the present
moment that places are engaged a week in advance. The
three grea t attractions are La Fanelionnette, La Reine Tora,ze,
and Oberon. The Parisians are certainly most liberal patrons
of music, if we may judge from the crowded appearance
of the lyrical theatres, the concerts, matinees, soirees,
auditions musicale, which take place night and day.
By the way, this week the Tuileries was not an exception.
There a grand concert was given, the Imperial invitations
being a little beyond a thousand. The programme showed
a sprinkling of Italian and French pieces ; and the artists
of both countries were chosen to execute the same. Madame
Borg hi Marne, Guedmard, and Madame limiters were the
vocalists. M. Blumanthal, a pianoforte player, who seeks
to please rather than surprise, was complimented by the
Emperor and Empress for his execution of an Italian
popular air, which he made the instrument sing
will a pathos truly wonderful. The concerts this
week have been too numerous to record, much
less attend. They have principally included the old
familiar names. A young lady of great promise. Madlle.
Delapierre, is however, an exception. She makes her
appearance for the first time this season in the Parisian
musical world. Madame Ristori's opening performance
is announced for the 2nd of April, at the Salle Ventadour,
as last year. They will continue to the end of May, when
the great tragedienne proceeds to London.
THE 'UNITED STATES CIRCUS."—This is the title of a
new place of public amusement which will shortly be
introduced into England, through the well-known spirit
and enterprise of our transatlantic friends. The British
public have frequently had occasion to admire the efforts
of America❑ equestrians, who have from time to time
visited this country. .Their success has agitated the pre-
sent undertaking. The new American circus, which is
under the direction of a celebrated equestrian manager, is
in course of being fitted up at New York. It will, when
completed, be transferred to a vessel chartered for the
purpose, and conveyed to Liverpool. The artists com-
prise some of the most celebrated, in their various depart.
ments, to be found in the United States. There will be a
stud of upwards of 100 horses, with magnificent tents,
machinery, and the other appliances. The circus is
expected to arrive at Liverpool in the early part of April,
where it will be first opened. The chief towns in the
United Rilrimdom are afterwards to be visited in succes-
sion. Such a phalanx of American talent will, doubtless,
receive from our countrymen that encouragement which
they are ever ready to extend to well directed ability and
enterprise.

CORONER'S COURT.—The coroner held inquests on the
bodies of the parties whose deaths, and the circumstances
connected therewith, were published in our pai,:er of yester-
day. There was nothing new in the evidence, and verdicts
in accordance with the facts were returned by the jury.
NEW LIBRARY AND MUSEIIM.—A private meeting was
held yesterday, in the Mayor's parlour, to initiate the
arrangements to celebrate the laying of the foundation
stone of the new Library and Museum, which is to be
constructed at the cost of W. Brown, M.P. A
general committee was appointed to take the matter in
hand, and to secure the presence of a number of distin-
guished guests, as well as to provide that the cele-
bration shall be of such a character as that the whole
of the local community can, in some measure, share in it.
It was originally proposed that a banquet should be held
in St. George's Ball in the evening, but it is now under-
stood that there will be a collation early in the afternoon
instead.

lAIPERIAL PA.RLIA.MENT.

[By the British and Irish Magnetic Telegraphi

HOUSE OF LORDS—TuEsDAY.

The Lord Chancellor took his seat at five o'clock.

Viscount Dungannon gav^ notice that on Thursday
next he should move that a copy of depositions taken
before the magistrates of Kilkenny, in the recent case of
alleged assault on the persons employed by the Irish
Church Mission Society, in which James Ryan was de-
fendant, he laid on the table.
Lord St. Leonards asked whether it was the intention
of the government in the course of next session of Par-
liament to bring in a bill to render persons guilty of a
breach of trust criminally liable. He considered the
present state of the 1-iw relating to trustees was most
❑nsatisfactory, as admitting of many cases of fraud on
widows and orphans, several of which had come under
his own notice. At the same time it was equally neces-
sary to have trustees protected in the legitimate discharge
of their duties.

The Lord Chancellor said that the government would
undertake to introduce such a bill, It was exceedingly
difficult to refine what constituted breaches of trust, and
therefore some cases equally criminal might perhaps be
omitted, but this would arise from the difficulties of the
case. However several eases of undoubted hardship would
be comprehended in the bill.

HOSTILITIES IN CIIINA.

Lord Hardwicke, in expressing his surprise that the
despatches respecting the late operations in China had
not been published, called attention to the news which
had appeared in the public journals respecting the
retirement of the British troops from Canton, and
asked whether those chiefs in N'shom we had placed so
much confidence, who were supposed to be so well in-
formed as to the character and power of the Chinese
authorities, and whom the Government were about to
supra with all the weight of the State, were men fit
!o undertake such important operations.
Earl Granville said that, as far as he was aware,
there was no objection whatever to the production of the
despatches. Ho really thought that Sir John Bowring
had been made to bear so much blame that it was not
necessary to lay upon him the charge of deficiency of
judgment in conducting naval operations, particularly
as all that had been done wa3 with the full concurrence
of the Admiral.

Earl Grey said, that when he had sent out instructions
with the sanction of the late Duke of Wellington, it was
the opinion of the cabinet not only that no subordinate
authority should decide whether a case for offensive war
had arisen, but if such a case had realty occurred, it was
the height of rashness to COWIII,3IICC hostilities so far
from home, because that only led to resistalce. That
was the only course calculated to prevent bloodshed on
the one hand, and on the other to save this country from
the risk of defeat and discredit.

The Customs Duties Bill, the Racehorse Duties Act
Amendment Bill, the Cinque Ports Hill, and the Pauper
Maintenance Bill, were read a second time.
The Commissioners of Supply (Scotland) Act, 1856 v
Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Income Tax Bill, the Indemnity Bill, the Copy-
hold and Inclosure Commissions Bill, the Extra Parochial
Ptaces Bill, and the Ecclesiasticai Jurisdiction Bill went
through committee.
The house adjourned at half-past six o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESDAY.
The Speaker took the chair at five o'clock.

PRIVATIt BILLS.

The following bills were read a second time and ordered
to be committed : Birkenhead District Gas and Water;
West London and Crystal Palace Railway.

CLIFFORD'S EIAT LOWERING GEAR

Admiral Walcott asked the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty whether the troop ships for China would be fitted
with means of lowering the boats in case of accident, the
plan referred to being known as Clifford's.
Admiral Berkeley said if he had been aware of the
question being-aled he would have brought down a list
of the ships fitted with that apparatus. The apparatus
worked exeeedilgly well, and he hoped it would be
universally adopted in the navy.