The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-24 00:00:00

Meyerbeer—A Character.

Among all those who have won an universal re•
putation in dramatic music, Meyerbeer was the most
timid, the moat insecure as to his own purposes,
with all his gigantic notions of effect. His operas
were not so much written as stuck together, bit by
bit, while the rehearsals of them were going on. If
a machinist under a paper cap crossed the stage,
and made some irreverent remark on the length of
this scene—or that other procession—the composer
shrank up, faltered, held council on the matter—
and after having been inexorable in his first pre-
tensions, conceded, with a humility which became
ignoble, in regard to the man under the paper cap.
He did not know what his effects were to be, or
where they were to be made, but went on trying,
contriving, and like the bird that builds a nest,
bringing, hero a straw—there a bit of wood—anon,
a fragment of wood or stone—and, in the end, build-
ing not so much a nest as a habitation for musical
drama. No stone was left unturned by him to procure
—one might better say to force—a success. It may
be questioned whether so skilful an artist ever
existed, who employed with so elaborate a patience
every machinery of compliment and cajolery as he
did. He prepared for the first representations of
his operas by paying money right and left, with an
anxiety humiliating to think of, and on a scale of
expense impossible to any other who had not an
ample private fortune. No ante-chamber was too
mean for hint to be willing to wait in it, pro-
vided the master of the house had the slightest
shred of influence on press or public. He shared
Sir Robert Walpole's opinion that every man has his
price, and would return to attempt and to tempt every
imaginable assistance with a pertinacity nothing
short of whimsical, but which was rather distressing
to be exposed to. The Boulevard des Italiens, a sort
of French Rialto for musical rumour, streamed with
tales of his expedients, months before his operas
Were painfully born. One year, said rumour, Meyer-
beer had been buying up all the stage organs, to
prevent his new organ effect being forestalled. There
Was a later tale how he had connived to the crip-
pling of the organ at the Grand Opera, when the
lame was to help a great scene in Nieodemeyri's
" Stradella." Another year, would come simmering
stories of pilot banquets after the fashion of Lucullus
(and well did Meyerbeer understood the art of
dining, till ill health, and with it hypochondria,
claimed him). He had no objection to bespeaking
opera books at munificent prices, from the men of
feuilleton, home or foreign, though it did not follow
that the books were to be set. I can speak to his
face of puzzled inquietude, when one of the
fraternity ventured to decline a commission for such
a piece of work—in its very purpose, and by its
very essence, unproducible. Though he harrassed
everyone during his rehearsals to the point of exas-
peration, by at first refusing the smallest concession,
when the hour of performance drew nigh he was
seised with a cowering terror, which would yield
or admit any change. Music lasting one hour and
a quarter was cut out of " Le Prophete" within a
very few weeks of its production :—and its great
situation—the one of facination, in the fourth or
Cathedral act, would have possibly shared the same
fate, had not Madame Viardot, the original Fides,
backed by Ary Scheffer (how all this comes back
like a thing of yesterday !), pleaded to be allowed to
show what could be represented by such an actress
in such a situation.—Dickens's " All the Year
Round."

MONEY MARKET

AND

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE,

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

The commercial community are now anxiously
hoping for another reduction on Thursday next in
the Bank of England minimum, and, as a matter
of course, there is very little business transacted in
the interim. The public are holding over their bills
in anticipation of the event, and the rates now
current are from 7 per cent. upwards. Capital is
abundant, gold has continued to flow into the Bank
of England, and as competition among the bill
brokers during the past fortnight has been excited,
the authorities cannot have had many applicants
for discount. Under all the circumstances, there-
fore, there seems great probability that the expected
alteration will be realised.

A further sum of £llO,OOO in bar gold was taken
into the Bank yesterday.
The 27th inst. has been appointed by the com-
mittee of the Stock Exchange for a special settle-
ment in the English scrip of the Mexican Loan,
which is to be included in the official list.

A call of £2 per share, payable on or before the
18th proximo, has been announced by the directors
of the Financial Corporation.
The letters of allotment of the Tavistock Iron
Works and Steel Ordnance Company (Limited), are
now ready.
The shareholders of the Bank of London held a
special meeting to-day, when the resolutions passed
on the 9th instant fur increasing the capital were
duly confirmed.

Daring the last few days a moderate amount of
business has been transacted in the Foreign and
Colonial Produce Markets. Sugars have been in
',air request at fall rates, while the dealings in coffee
aave been to an average extent without material
change as regards values. For rice, fruit, and spices
quotations have remained unchanged, and business
In the tallow market has been dull, but at steady
Prices.

The annual meeting of the National Bank was
held to day—Mr J. N. Al`Kenua in the chair. The
report, which was unanimously adopted, stated that
since the accounts were made up a dividend at the rate
Of £8 per cent. per annum, and an extra dividend of
164, per share, was paid in Feb. last; the amount
of undivided profits after these payments stood at
£129,174, 16s. 10d., as compared with £lO3 729
3s. 10d. of the previous year. The directors had
increased the capital from L 1,000,000 to £2,000,000
by the issue of 20,000 new shares, at a premium of
£25 per share to the old shareholders, and £3O per
share to the general public.

The General Contract Company is a new under-
taking just formed for constructing, maintaining,
and working of railways, manufacturing railway
plant and rolling stock for sale or hire, reclaiming
lands, building reservoirs, roads, bridges, docks,
harbours, piers, breakwaters, &c., &c. The direc-
tors have secured the business of the eminent con-
tractor, Mr. Rowland Brotherhood, who has agreed
to transfer the whole of his business to the com-
pany upon terms which may be considered as
favourable. The works, which are situated at the
Great Western Railway station at Chippenham,
together with the plant and existing contracts, are
to be taken at Et valuation, and one-third of the
amount ie to be paid in shares. The capital re-
quired is £1,000,000, but only half that amount is
to be called up in the first instance.
The English, S vedish, and Continental Financial
Company (Limited) require a capital of one million,
in 20,000 £5O shares, proposing a first issue of
10,000 shares, 2,500 of which are reserved for
Sweden. No call is to exceed AA Three months
to elapse between each call, and it is not intended to
call up more than 115 per share. The directors,
whose names will be found in another column, are
gentlemen of high standing in the commercial
'world, set forth the objects of the association as in-
tended to promote the development of the resources
of Sweden and Norway, and by thus applying the
subscribed capital they are of opinion that a large
field will be opened up for safe and profitable in.
vestment. In Norway and Sweden no such insti-
tution exists, consequently the vast forests, the in-
exhaustible mineral deposits, the agriculture, the
rising commerce of the country demand the finan-
cial aid which this company proposes to give.
After a close investigation, and looking at the
'narked success of the Enskilda Bank and similar
institutions, the directors are confident of a satis-
factory pecuniary result from the operations of the

company, which eventuality has been borne testi-
mony to by a distinguished official of the country.

Two O'CLOCK.

At Paris this morning, according to Renter's
telegram, the Three per Cent. Rentee were 66f. 75c.

Firm.

A few dealings in the English stocks this morn-
ing have occasioned an improvement of in the
Funds compared with yesterday. The continued
favourable prospect of monetary affairs has also im-
parted a firmer tone, and Consols are 911 2- for
money, and 90-1 Z, less the dividend, for the account.
The New Threes and Reduced Annuities are 89} ;
Exchequer Bills, 13s dis. ; India 5 per Cents., 1051 ;
Debentures, 981 ; En faced do., 104; and the Bonds,
24s die.

There has been a general improvement in the
Foreign Market, and business is moderately active,
Turkish 6 per Cents., 1862, are 701, 711 ; do., Con-
solide3, 4S 4 ; Mexican. 448 45k; do. New Loan,
Ito prem.; Greek, 231 Z-; Spanish Passive, 348-,;
Portuguese, 4S ; Russian Scrip, 3k 1, prem. ;
Swedish do., 1 to 2 prem ; and the Confederate
Loan, 65 67. _ _ .

Business in the Railway Share Market has con•
tinned very quiet, and there is little change of
importance to report as regards values.

Bank and Miscellaneous Shares also remain ex-
ceedingly inactive, but generally support previous
prices,

BRITISH FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK.
GOVERNMENT FUNDS.
3 per Cent. Console
Ditto Account, May 8
per Cent. Reduced
New 3 per Cent B9b
New 2i per Cent. Jan. 1891
Ditto 5 per Cent., Jan. 1873
Aanuities, 30 yrs, expire sth J an., 1880 —
Ditto for 30 yrs, expire sth April, 1885 —
Ditto (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug. 1908 —
March. June.
Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO, 24 & 3 per Cent. 13 dis
Ditto £5OO ..
Ditto £lOO and £200
Bank England Stk, 51 per Ct.
Ditto Account
INDI ILN GOVERNMENT SECURITIES.
India Stock, 10i per Cent., April 1874 217
Ditto 5 per Cent. July, 1870
Ditto Account
Ditto 4 per Cent., Oct. 1888..

Do -Certificates
Ditto Enfaced Paper, 4 per Cent .. 931
Ditto 5 per Cent., Jan. 1872 .. 104
Ditto 51 per Cent., May, 1879 —
Ditto Debentures, 4 per Ct., April 1861
_ Ditto ditto Aug., 1866 98k

Ditto BondsLl,ooo - . 24 die
Ditto under £1,000..
FORBIGN FUNDS—ONIC O'CLOOX.
Austrian Bonds, 5 per Cent
Ditto 1859

Brazilian 5 per Cent
Ditto 4i per Cent., 1852-58-60
Ditto 1863 —
Buenos Ayres 6 per Cent -

.. -
Ditto Account —
Chilian 6 per Cent —
Ditto 4} pet Cent —
Colombian 6 per Cent —
Cuba, 6 per Cent.
Danish 3 per Cent., 1825
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1864
Ditto Scrip £5O paid — pm
Equador New. Consolidated, 1 per Cent —
Egyptian 7 per Cent —

-]Ditto, Second Issue
Greek 5 per Cent., 1824-5, ex-Coupons 231
Ditto Account
Ditto Coupons —
Ditto Account lOl
Guatemala 6 per Cent. ..
Ditto, 1830 and 1859
[Winn a per Cent.(Maremmana Railway)
Nlexican 3 per Cent ....
Ditto Account 4si 41
Moorish Imperial 5 per Cent
New Granada
Ditto 2 per Cent. —
Ditto Deferred

Ditto Land Warrants (Hectares)
--
Peruvian 41 per Cent
. .

Ditto Acc-otinv... .... -.3 -
Ditto 3 pelt Cent. (Uribarren) —
Ditto 41 per Cent., 1862
Ditto Account ',MR
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853

Ditto Account
Ditto 3 per Cent., 1866, '7, '9, '6O, 62,'3
Ditto Account _ 48f

_
Russian 5 per Cent., 1822, I St —
Ditto 4t per Cent., 1850 —
Ditto 3 per Cent 1859
Ditto 5 per Cent, 1862 —
Ditto 1864 Scrip, £lO paid
Ditto Anglo-Dath.
Sardinian 5 per Cent .. —

Ditto Account —
Spanish 3 per Cent
Ditto Account
Ditto New Deferred

Ditto Account —
Ditto Passive
Ditto Account 34]

Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded _

Ditto Account ..
Swedish, 4 per Cent
Ditto Sonp, £2O paid Pm
Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854 —
Ditto Account —
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858
Ditto Account 6Bl 9 Si
Ditto, £IOO Bonds 731
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1862
Ditto Account .. 701
Ditto £lOO Bonds 7l} 70t
Ditto 1863
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent lOO/
Venezuela 3 per Cent.
Ditto Account —
Ditto 6 per Cent., 1862
Ditto Account s6a i
Ditto 6 per Cent, 1864
Ditto 11 per Cent
Dividends on the above payable in Lond .o.
Austrian, 5 per Cent., Ex. 10 Florins.
Belgian 41 per Cent., Ex. 25f... —
Dutch 21 per Cent., Ex. 12 Guil 64
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates
Italian, 5 per Cent,, 1861, Ex. 25 francs..
TWO O'CLOCK.
Console Money
Ditto Account .... 90t i s d