The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-16 00:00:00

POLAND.

The following circular has been addressed by the
military governor of the Palatinate of Angustowo
to the military commandants of his districts :

March 5, 1864, No. 654.
From information I have received it appears that in Gali-
cia, Posen, and eastern Prussia, insurgent bands are being
formed, and that evil-thinking persons contemplate an ir-
ruption into the kingdom of Poland in the middle of March.
Wishing to preserve the country from new misfortunes, I
hereby direct you strictly to cart y out the instructions of the
commander-in-chief of the country of May 24 last, as also
the additional ones already communicated to you by me.

I further direct-
1. That all persons seized with arms in their hands be
brought before a court martial, and sentenced to be shot
within 24 hours. You are charged with executing the sen-
tences of the tribunals.

2. That all burgesses, magistrates of villages. nobles,
foresters,and under-foresters, in the event of insurgentbands
making their appearance, 'mmediately give information of
the same to the nearest military commandant, either in per-
son or through their messengers. Should it appear that
such information has not been given, or if the messenger
has been so sent as to throw him in the way of the insurgents,
or, finally, if it should appear that the information has come
too late, and that notwithstanding all the efforts of the
troops the insurgents escape punishment, the guilty are to
be immediately arrested and tried by court-martial.
3. If in any village a murder is committed by the
gendarmes, and the fact of such murder is confirmed, the
whole of the property of the landowners, tenants, or their
employes, is to be burnt, their land sequestrated, and them-
selves made personally responsible. If the peasants have
been guilty of the murder, the whole village is to be burnt.
4. All proprietors, tenants, and peasants who could have
captured insurgents and have not done so are equally made
.esponsible.

5. should any individual, or person employed by him,
give carts, money, clothing, or provisions to the insurgents
on their requisition, he is to be immediately arrested, and
his property sequestrated.

G. If insurgents pass through a village, and the village
authorities or some of the peasants do not inform the Go-
vernment authorities, or if the insurgents get carts in the
village, the authorities and the guilty persons are to be ar-
rested, and the whole village fined from five to ten roubles
per chimney.

7. From the 27th March all persons, with their employes,
are to remain in their houses, and the issue of passports is
to be suspended. Only those persons who are personally
known to you as supporters of the Government are to be
allowed passports.

Every person without a passport signed and certified by
the military authorities shall pay 25 roubles for the first
time he is caught, 100 for the second, and is to be arrested
on the third. The period for which the passport is available
is to be stated at the time of its issue. Military command-
ants of sub-districts have the right of issuing passports for
seven days only,

8. I have observed that in many villages there are no
guards, and in others they perform their duties negligently.
I, therefore, again direct you to order the peasants to esta-
blish guards. It is the duty of military commandants of
sub-districts to inform the peasants what passports are
really genuine. I beg that you will inform every one of
this circular, that no one may plead ignorance, and also
that you will make no concessions, as I ha'e decided to
•
omit no measures for pacifying the country. In order, how-
ever, to protect the persons and property of those who are
unfavourable to the robbers against new misfortunes, I
direct 3ou impress upon the troops under your command
the necessity for increased vigilence, and to send as often
as possible bodies of horse cud foot to examine the localities
belonging to your district.
I trust the troops will preserve order and continue to
establish peace in the country, and thereby deserve your
approval.

(Signed) LieuN-Ganeral BAKLANOW.

A CONSPICUOUS EXCEPTION.—The following
letter has been addressed to the editor of the 7imes:
—"Sir,—ln reference to the statement in your paper of this
day, under the head of General Garibaldi,' that the Pen.
insular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's board
of directors had passed a complimentary resolution, con-
ceding of a free passage to the General and suite, unani-
mously,' I shall be extremely obliged by your inserting
this declaration, that I, for one of the directors present,
desired that my vote to the contrary effect might, at all
events, be recorded.—l have the honour to be, &c., Count
DZ TORRE•I)I4Z, 21, Devonshire-place, W., April 12,"

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Vitali and Giuglini in " Marta,"

Flotow's sprightly four act opera "Marta" was
given at Her Majesty's Theatre on Thursday even-
ing to a very meagre but apparently a highly de-
lighted audience. The extraordinary attractions
drawing the bulk of the fashionable world to the
great rival establishment in Covent Garden, that
same evening, accounted completely for the thin
attendance. While the exhilerant charm of the gay,
vivacious music of Flotow accounted no less com-
pletely for the admiration, again yet and again ex-
pressed throughout the night by those who were in
attendance, there, at Her Majesty's. The four lovers
in this fantastic opera were, it should be said at
once, admirably well distributed among four of the
principal "stars" this season at Mr. Mapelson's
establishment. Two of these four (i. e. the two male
singers) being conspicuous among the accustomed
favourites at Her Majesty's—the other two (1. e. the
two female singers) being accessions this year to the
old attractions of the company. Signor Guiglini's
Lionel, the London public are already acquainted
witb, yet never did he pourtray the character more
charmingly than on Thursday evening. Mr.
Santley's Plumkett, it should be said, on the con-
trary, was witnessed, then, for the first time, that
being the first appearance of that gifted artist
in the character. Aud, as an accomplished musician,
endowed by nature with a noble voice, no less than
as a capital actor, whose very appearance is
greatly in his favour, Mr. Santley on Thursday
produced an impression as satisfactory, we
should imagine, as he himself could in reason
have wished or anticipated. As for the Martha of
Madlle. Vitali, it seemed to us, by reason, perhaps,
of the girlish frivolity of the part, precisely adapted
to the young cantatrice, and therefore one in which
she could be listened to with the utmost satisfac •
tion. Added to this, it should be said that the
Nancy of Madlle. Bettelheim afforded that recent
debutante the opportunity yet wanting to her for
the setting off, by a pretty and picturesque costume,
of her charming appearance, and for the display,
throughout the score of Flotow, of the remarkable
compass of her rich and resonant contralto. Be-
sides the artistes already mentioned another to
whom the only remaining character of any
importance in the opera had been allotted
(for " Marta" it will be remembered has no
more than five leading dramatis person for its
four acts) yet requires to be particularized. And
more especially does this other singer require
to be so particularized, for the simple reason that
his, Signor Mazzetti's, appearance on Thursday
evening in " Marta" was his debut as Lord Tristano.
That part, however, is so utterly nonsensical as to
afford him, neither as Singer nor as actor, the opportu-
nity of making anything at all like a sensation, or
even an impression. We must wait, therefore,
until he shall have bad some such opportunity
before venturing to pronounce an opinion as
to Signor Mazzetti's capabilities. While we say
this of the character of Lord Tristano, we
should in reason say identically the same of all the
characters, of the whole of the plot, of this musically
pretty and graceful, but dramatically absurd and
ridiculous opera of " Marta." In the story of it,
in the characters working out that its story, the
libretto, we would say, is simply and utterly non-
sensical. Librettos generally are, of course, far re-
moved, as a rule, from the rank of intellectual per-
formances. Bat the libretto of " Marta," just frankly
let us say it at once, bears away the palm from all
others by the very excess of its feeble and silly ex-
travagance. It is, for all the world,as if the outline of
a plot, intended originally for the ballet-master,
had by some ludicrous mistake, fallen into the hands
of the musical composer. And as if the latter,
accepting the sketch (intended for the bal.
let-master) as if seriously designed for himself,
M. Flotow had thereupon set this preposterous
story in an extremely graceful . and ingenious
score—the wretchedest of little flies in the most
translucent of amber—all this of course during a
period, for M. Flotow, of profound hallucina-
tion. Has any one ever seriously thought this,
we wonder—about" Marta!" Wnat—among other
things—the period, the locality, the personages, the
incidents of this ridiculous opera really import !
England is the country supposed to be peopled by
those exceeding absurdities : to wit Plumkett,
Martha, and the rest of them. The particular
locality in England, where the scene lies is
situated not a hundred miles away from us here
in London, neither in the direction of the Land's
End nor of John o'Groat's—but at Richmond !
Not Richmond in Yorkshire, but Richmond within
easy view—it should be said within extremely easy
view—of *Windsor Castle. So close to it, indeed,

that the Castle (not the hotel but the palace) seems
to be actually in Richmond. "The Queen,"
moreover, is repeatedly referred to in the course
of the opera—has a very important part in-
deed to play (behind the scenes) in the working
out of the plot. But whether Queen Victoria,
or Queen Elizabeth, or Queen Boadicea, is left
entirely to our imagination. The " Period,"

t should be observed, is in no way arbitrarily

"fixed." We can settle down at any point in the
centuries, past, present, or for that matter,
future, that we may please to select. The plot
of the story may be told in a very few words indeed

—almost in a sentence. A frolic is entered upon
by one of the Maids of Honour, or Ladies
in waiting at the Court of the Queen of
England—this frolickeome Lady-Courtier being
the Lady Henrietta, who goes masquerading as
a servant girl, under the name of Martha, to
the village fair or mop at Richmond. Going thither
with her vivacious companion, Nancy, and with
that absurd Tristano—the two latter also, in their
costumes, masquerading ! Here, at the village fair,
a couple of farmers hire Nancy and Martha as their
maid servants—the (bass) Farmer, Plumkett—such
a name for an English farmer!--a sort of a fantastic
combination between " Plunkett," a tame net
unfamiliar on this side of the Channel, and " plum
cake"—and the (tenor) Farmer, Lionel. This last
mentioned, that is Lionel, turning out, before the
story is finished, to be—(quite as much to his own
surprise as to everybody else's)—of all people in the
world—the Earl of Derby! A ring that he has worn

(we presume an expanding ring) ever since his
infancy revealing the fact, when it comes to be
shewn to the Queen (as already said " behind the
scenes")—namely, this very astounding fact that
Farmer Lionel is really and truly, somehow or
another, the Earl of Derby. Whereapon—shall we
confess it—we have a sense of chagrin, as the
curtain falls at the close of the - last act, a
certain inerradicableTregret that, by some other
novel stage device (say a strawberry mark) the other
Farmer (Plumkett) has not, for his part, turned
out to be—Viscount Palmerston. However—as it is
—here, in " Marta," are good thing enough to

render us grateful, without greedily wishing
thus for more ! Yet, oven as it is, while
we are luxuriating in the enjoyment of
these good things, we can't for the life of us
help wondering, rather curiously, what possilLe

period of our social state, here in England,
could have been floating through the mind of M.
Flotow,or rather of the ingenious poet who furnished
him with his outrageously absurd libretto—what

conceivable period could have been referred to,
when even " an idiot " of a servant could announce a
nobleman thus "as a lord and peer of England,
a baronet and great squire"—" Sir Tristan di
Mickleford, d'lnghilterra pari e lord, e gran
scudiero !" However—we are in the veriest fairy
land of absurdity all the while we are sitting look-
ing at, or listening to, these four acts of " Marta."
And so—let poet and musician have their way
completely—while our English villagers caper
in pink tights to the prettiest dance-music !
Farmer Plumkett, in red velved breeches, sing.
ing a glorious drinking song, in Italian of
course, about beer " grata a ber"—Mr. Santley
giving it superbly on Thursday and gaining
thereby a ringing encore! Farmer Lionel
going out of his mini in a scarlet fez and peril-
coloured drawers and a shell-jacket, while warbling
over a flower of Martha's to the tune (literally)—
and, by the way, this borrowed melody is the love-
liest in the whole opera—ot " The Last Rose of
Summer !" Guiglini sang deliciously, however, on
1-1-Eday—ti-.e audience appearing to be delighted
with " Marta," plot rind all ! And so, in spite of
Lae thin hour: (col s'i'quent on GAribAidi's atf'aeiiog

most of the " cream" of the Upper Ten Thousand
to the rival opera at Covent Garden) everyone pre-
smt on Thursday night at hfr Majesty appebrad
to be charmed with the whole performance.

rankr
ginirt
10

HER MAJESTY.

-.-
WINDSOR CASTLE, April 15.
The Queen went oat twice to-day for a short ride
in the grounds.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, attended by
Lieutenant Haig, went to London, and returned 10
the afternoon.
Prince Arthur, attended by Major Elphinstone,
left the Castle for Greenwich-park.
The Hon. Emily Cathcart and the Hon. Luoi
Lyttelton have succeeded the Hon. Caroline Caven-
dish and the Hon. Emma Las3elles as Maids of
Honour.

Postponement of the Queen's Reception.
%Yo are requested to state that her Majesty the
Queen is obliged to postpone the Reception at
Buckingham Palace, announced to take place this
day, in consequence of neuralgia in the face, from
which her Majesty has beensuffering acutely dura
the week.

THE PRINCE OF WALE AND THE JOCKEY CIO'
—The remarks which we made last week may have
prepared many of our readers for the announcement of the
Prince of \V ales's election to the Jockey Club. A becora'
ing reticence, which we trust never to transgress, forbade
any more distinct allusion to the hopes we must all have
entertained, and induced us merely to comment upon the
extreme satisfaction with which such a step would be viewed
by all who have the interests of racing at heart. NO'
when official reserve is broken, we can venture to indulge is
congratulations to the Earl of Coventry upon the fact that
the auspicious introduction of the Heir to the Throne to the
ranks of the Jockey Club formed the last and crowning act
of his three years' stewardship, Elected into a body, within
whose narrow limits the inquirer will find the names of the
past and present Premiers of England, the leader of the
House of Lords, and more than twenty noblemen and
gentlemen who have been either Cabinet Ministers or held
high office under the Crown, the Prince feels a natural
pleasure in returning the courtesies he has invariably ll'
ceived from the Club, and adding to his already well-earned
popularity. We are in a position, however, to state that
the present event must not be locked upon as conveying the
idea that his Royal Highness will take any active part in
racing, as the Prince has no intention whatever of keeping
racehorses.—Sporting Gazette.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, attended by
his equerry, Lieutenant Haig, yesterday honoured the
stitute of Painters in Water-colours by an inspection of
their 30th annual exhibition.
Their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Helena
and Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Barrington, paid 8
visit to the ex 'Queen, Marie Amelie, at Claremont, yester'
day afternoon.
His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador and
the Countess Apponyi entertained the Earl and Countee6
Russell and Lady Georgiana Russell, his Excellency the
Belgian Minister and Madame Van de Weyer, his Excel'
lency the Portuguese Minister, the Countess (Frances)
Waldegravo and the Right Hon. Chichester Fortescuer
Viscount Chelsea, Viscount Sudley, Viscount Wimpll4,
Count Kalnoky, Prince Ysenburg, Prince Paul Eaterhaat
and Count Alexander Apponyi at dinner on ThuradSY
evening, at Chandos House.
His Excellency the Count Kleczkowski, French
Ambassador at Pekin, with the Countess Kleczkowski (neg
Tudor) and family, have arrived at the Brunswick Hotel,
Jermyn-street.
The Duchess of Somerset and Lady Gwendolio
St. Maur arrived at the First Lord of the Admiralty's ef6'
cial residence at Whitehall yesterday, after passing a Ovi
weeks in Paris,

The Duke of Newcastle is going on favourably.
His grace has regained his appetite, and appears to have
recovered his strength.
Prince Dmitry Soltykoff has left Long's Hotel.
The Marquis of Bristol and Ladies Hervey have
arrived at the family mansion in St. James's-square frola
Brighton.
The Earl and Countess Nelson and family hail
arrived at 14, Portland-place, for the season.
Lard and Lady Colcb.ester received at dinner
yesterday evening, at their residence in Berkeley-square,
Lord West, Lord Redesdaie and Hon. Miss Mitfordt
Dowager Lady S.ielley, Colonel and Lady Jane Dallas, Sir
Walter and Lady Caroline Stirling, &c.
Lord and Lady De Lisle and Dudley have
arrived at the St. George's Hotel.
Lcrd and Lady Londesborough are shortly e7'
petted at their house in Grosvenor place, from Grimstoll
Park, for the season.
Lady Annaly had an evening party yesterday AG
her mansion in Belgrave-square.
Sir Thomas liesketh, Bart., M.P., has left
Long's Hotel for his seat in Lancashire.
Sir Philip Duncombe, Bart., and Lady Dun•
combs have left the St. George's Hotel.