The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-24 00:00:00

M A it C ii 04. t 852.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM TlT't MORNING. PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
TIMES.—The late Board of Admiralty has delivered
itself of a posthumous defence. With very considerable
confidence Admiral Berkeley rose in the House on Mon- e
day evening and performed the part of commentator on O.
the figures which the new Secretary recited. This re- Ti
warkable division of labour between those who pre- Ci
pared the estimates and those who adopt them, enabled m
the Gallant Member to discharge himself not only of
an exculpatory address, but of a severe invective
against his late censors in general, and the "public J 1
press" in particular. With a modest announcement that th
he proposed to " say something in favour of the late el
board," Admiral Berkeley reviewed, first, the case of the sei
Megaera; next, the subject of the " preserved meats;" Yt
thirdly, the performances of the Admiralty in the trans- in
port of troops to the Cape; and, finally, the general re- fie
sources of the navy as organized by the late board fer to
the purposes of national defence. With'what success he H
conducted his arenment we can soon qtialify the reader "e
for deciding. " I will NeWn," said admiral Berkeley, m
with the case of the Megsera." This "case,". as evil! of
be molly reoollected, was constituted by the notorious It
fact that the steamer in question not only broke down Cl
or became disabled between Dever and Plymouth, but b
was so laden as to make her-prospects- fur the voyage v
anything but desirable. And what, upon these points, i
was Admiral Berkeley's defenoel " I think." said. he,
that this has been satisfactorily settled by the late
First Lorll of the Admiralty, and Ido not think that
featly
fea more words'' if any, are necessary on the subject.
I conceive that the answers of my Right Hon. Friend has
butt:lc:4,l3oy disposed of the intautous stories which have
been invented about that vessel?' This is what Admiral.
Berkeley said about the Megtera—tbia and. no more. It
is a pity he should have forgotten that before a 'defend-
ant can gain a suit he has to convince-other-persons be-
bides himselt. If the Gallant Member really thought the
case "disposed of" in the opinion of, the country, it was
somewhat superfluous that he should. take it up again
to " begin with." If ho wished to impart his
own convictions to others, he should have done
something more than merely endorse the imperfect
:apology of a fellow defendent. The case, as we
'neve obierved, involved two points—first, the break-
down, and, secondly, the interior arraugements of the.
vessel. As tieere is no kind of doubt about the former
casualty, the latter must furnish the subject of Admiral
Berkeley's allusions in speaking of the " infamous
stories" in circulation. To some of these stories we
contributed considerable currency, and we are bound,
therefore, to maintain their credibility. It was alleged that
the vessel was so overladen and encumbered with heavy
ordnance stores as to present a scene of indescribable
confusion, and to make it highly improbable that the
troops could be lodged with reasonable comfort. Fur
these statements we relied, among other sources of in-
formation, on the communication of a corrpapondent
who published the evidence of his own senses with the
authority of hi. proper signature. The Rev. William
Boller, rector of the Holy Trinity, Dorchester, avowedly
actuated by motives of public duty, informed the country
through our columns that he had been an eye-witness of
the embarkation of the Rifle Brigade on board the Me-
geese; that " the store-room and stowage" (we quote
his own words) " were filled with Ordnance stores, so
that no place remained for the arrangement and proper
disposition of the baggage and belongings of the 700
soldiers;" that " Government, at the sacrifice
of men and officers' just claims to consideration, had
made the ship answer a purpose for which it was never
intended;" and that, in his belief, "much wanton and un-
necessary misery" must inevitably be inflicted on the
troops, even if the consequences did not involve the
" risk of life to England's best and bravest sons." These
were the facts positively and publicly stated by a gen-
tleman who witnessed the embarkation, and who, we
must presume, had some personal interest. in thus ascer-
taining the truth. We leave them to be compared with
Admiral Berkeley's second-hand apology, and to carry
their own weight, observing simply, that nothing is yet
known of the Megsera's ultimate performances, though
we are aware that her passage to Madeira corresponded
as nearly as poseible with her passage to Plymouth.
As regards the " break down" of the vessel, which Mr.
Buller described as "putting into Plymouth much dis-
abled, with a depth of water in her which her crew had
been engaeed the whole night pumping out," we re-
marked at the time that it would be unfair to make too
much of an accident, except in so far as it might exem-
plify a general condition when taken in combination
with other accidents of a similar kind. It was not
simply because the Megsera became disabled, but be-
cause other Government steamers had fared little better,
that attention was drawn to the fact. Our argument
was wholly derived from general results, as contrasted
with general and reasonable expectations. We observed
that whereas enormous sums had been lavished on the
completion of our steam marine, its first performances,
when put to actual test by the war at the Cape, had
been very unpromising. "It was said," asserts Admiral
Berkeley, " that the Admiralty were so ignorant of what
hey were about that they could not convey troops from
England to the Cape." Nothing of the sort was said.
What was said was, that considering the smallness of
the exigency as compared with the magnitude of our
establishments, the actual proceedings had been far from
satisfactory. We said that though steamers were only
required at intervals of two or three months to take 700
or 800 troops at a time, these voyages were seldom or
never well performed, and that the Vulcan had done
worse than the Megasru. It will be in everybody's re•
collection, indeed, that this vessel was reported to
have been absolutely lost, and in point of fact she is
again considerably overdue at this very moment. The
Hellespoat scree-steamer left the Cape on the 28th of
December and arrived at Plymouth on the 31st of
January; the Bosphorus lett on the 3d of February and
arrived on the 3i of the present month; the Windsor, a
sailing vessel of Mr. Green's, left on the 9th of January
and arrived also on the 7th in=t.; but the Vulcan,
though she left the Cape on the 2d of January, has not
made her appearance yet. It the requirements of a
Kafir war so tax our steam resources that one vessel
must be made to do the work of two, and all are left
behind by private merchantmen, what are we to expect
when heavier demands come upon us? This is the
question which was asked, but which Admiral Berke-
ley omitted to answer. With respect to the general
efficiency of our naval defences, Admiral Berkeley not
only asserted, but "staked his existence" on the fact
that " though the Admiralty did not make any fuss
about their proceedings, they could during all
the time of the outcry have covered the Chan-
nel from the North Foreland to the Channel
Islands with a fleet of steamers, within signal distance of
sach other, in the space of 24 hours." Such is the Gal-
lant Admiral's tardy declaration. We have not the
smallest desire to question a statement which will be
remarkably re-assuring to the country at large, and
which will doubtless be remembered to some effect in
the debate on ourdefences, but we really think the " late
Board" might have judiciously made a little more " fuss"
on this special occasion. We can only say at present
that not only the public, but the members of the service
itself, seem utterly unable to comprehend where this
fleet of steamers was to come from. Admiral Bowles,
though formerly in, office, "had not the least idea of
such a thing." Admiral Napier was evidently quite as
much in the dark. Yet, somehow or other, it seems
these invisible steamers, with their invisible engineers,
seamen, and gunners, and all warranted, we presume,
not to break down, were to start forth in scores at a
telegraphic signal. This is, indeed, a " naval reserve"
' worth talking about, and the more substantial the vision
is the better will the country be satisfied; but, as the
" late Board" kept the secret so very effectually, and
have only disclosed it gratuitously after all, they cannot
be surprised if the public take some time to " realize"
the fact.
HERALD.—There are some statements which pass
simply from their audacity. They make such a bold
onset, that the auditor is pushed some steps backward
before he has time to recollect himself. Of this class
was an assumption that several leaders of the new Oppo-
sition agreed to put forward in the first debate under the
new Administration in the Commons—an assumption,
the boldness of which was chiefly manifested in this—
that it took for granted that the present House of Com-
mons, being born in July, 1847, could have no know-
ledge of what took place in the previous House, between
May, 1846, and JuLts 1847. Let us .how what we mean
by citing two or three passages from three of the prin-
cipal speakers in that night's debate. To begin, then,
with Lord John Russell. The Noble Lord, in that de-
bate, used these words:—
" Tee Prime Minister says, I cannot propose mea-
sures to the present Parliament, because I should be in
a minority.' That is not an unusual position ; but Mi-
nisters who have said that have usually said, It is im-
possible,for me to propose those measures with any
prospect of success in the present Parliament. I must
advise the Crown to call another Parliament, and to
that Parliament I must submit the measures I think
right fur the country;' but the proposition of the Noble
Lord at the head of the Government, and the proposi-
tion of the Right Hon. Gentleman to-night, is this-
6We are in a minority we mean to conduct the whole
business of the country with that minority ; we mean o
go through the session, and when the session is over we
mean to exercise our own discretion whether we shall
dis
December,
Parliament or not—it may perhaps be dissolveds
in and then we shall propound the measure
we think necessary.'
"It appears to me, I own, that there is no constitu-
tional precedent, that there can be no constitutional pre-
cedent, for such conduct as this."
Next, Sir James Graham came to the_ .
Noble Lord's
aid, with an exactly similar statement. He said .
" I had the pleasure of' hearing the Noble Earl at the
head of the Government iu a late speech of bis, when
he said—, I know that I am in an undoubtedtherefore min
to or
the
ity
in the House of Commons, and I appeal
forbearance of the House.' I deny absolutely that in
the whole course of our Parliamentary history such an
admission was ever made by any Minister, or that any
such appeal for forbearance w
I challenge any one to point out ever asked.—(Cheers.)
any such admission, or
any such request, as that made by Lord Derby.—(Hear,,
bear.) I say that a due homage to the representative
system is at variance with such a request—(Hear, hear)
and that our representative system would be brought
into disrepute if a Government so situated continued in
office, or suffered Parliament to sit an hour longer than
was necessary to provide for the safety and defence of the
country."
And then, thirdly, came another ex-Minister, Mr.
Gladstone. He said:--
"If I have any fault to find with the Right Hon.
it is that he seems disposed to avoid
Gentleman's speech,
recognising that there is something improper and irre-
gular to the constitution in the existence of a Govern-
ment which is in a minority in the Commons."
And again:—
The point which I desire to bring before the House,
and on which I wish the discussion to be concentred, ife
that this House must obtain in form and substance an
assurance of the intention of the Government to advise
the Crown to dissolve Parliament as soon as the busi-

ness necessary for the circumstances of the moment shall
be dispatched., '
Nose here we have three men of the first class as poll-
Icisns agreeing in a statement which utterly " ignores"
i use a modern phrase) the whole Parliamentary history
1846-1847. In 1841 a new Parliament was summoned.
ie first thing it did was to dismiss the Melbourne
ibinet; and to carry Sir Robert Peel into office by a
_ajority of 91. That majority was subsequently a little
increlised, and it is a fact, altogether beyond dispute,
that in that Parliament, which sat from August, 1841, to
ulyi 1847, Lord John Russell could never reckon more
iani27o to 280 supporters; while the Conservatives,
lect .r 1 by the people expressly to put him out of office,
'ere above 360 in number. In June, 1846, Sir Robert
'eel having introdtieed a lamentable and fatal division
to he ranks of the Conservative party, was ejected
o office, by a momentary coalition, exactly similar
t at which has just overthrown Lord John Russell.
isLordship speaks with some bitterness of the Pro-
cti niits whor'-eoterl with Lord Palmerstpn on the
ili a question, and, thus . caused his ejecdou from
fie . It isrs,sonvlenient to him to forget that in
l 4 he himself mhileged to climb into office by a pre-
sel 'similar -votoij 'He pushe\ct Sir. Pi Bert. Peel from
a eat, sod regaiued the Premiership"for himself, by
iti g with 4rgcl,,(4eorgieAllentinck aaut the Protection
__ts, to destroy the Fee Trade Povernment of' Sir
Ri,..) at Peel. And now, forsooth, he makes it a
i cha 7e against some of the Protectionists that they pre-
ferr d Lord Palteeteten's, Militia Bill, to. his own!
l,
But lo return: Lord John Russell was sent for in
184 , preCisely as Lord D4by was sent for in 1852, be-
eau , the existing Ministry being ?verthrowv, this
Sovereign saw in him the best apparent hope of a new
G, Nernment. Hn accepted ufficea Had he a majority in
the douse of Commons? Nut for one single moment.
Yeti this never disturbed him. , He knew that he had
onl —as Lord Derby has now—some 260 or 280
ple ged'supporters in the Lower House. But this did not
il
Liis gq, him; for he calculated, and he had a right to cal-
culAte, that the remaining 360 or 370 Memhers world
nevtv combine, at least for the present, to throiv him out

of °pee.. He wait on safely,..but without- a majority.
He did not dissolve.. On the contrary, he carried Par-
liament all through the business of 1847, existing, all
the while, on the forbearance of the majority. In -a
word; he did then for more than twelve months that
very thing which he now says it is unconstitutional for
Lord Derby to think of doing for one-third part of the
time. Is it not strange that such statements as these
can be made—depending, evidently, on men's entire
forgetfulness of what occurred only five years ago ?
Every one, when reminded of the fact, can remember
perfectly well that a Whig Government existed in Eng-
land from June, 1846, to June, 1847 ; although during
the whole of that time there were not in the House of
Commons so many as 280 Whigs and Whig-Radicals
in the aggregate. And yet we are now told, by three
ex-Ministers in mat for a Government to
think of holding office for even three or four months
without having a majority in the House of Commons, is
" utterly opposed to the spirit of the Constitution!" So
say Lord John Russell, Sir James Graham, and Mr.
Gladstone. But what will men not say who have been
turned out of office, and are eager to get back again ?

.THE DUTIES OF DEMOCRACY."
The following is the last document issued by Maz-
zini under the above title, and addressed to the Con-
tinental Revolutionists :
" What ought to be at present the snot d'ordre, the
rallying cry of parties? All is comprised in one word—
Action—action, one, European, incessant, logical, bold,
and universal I Mere talkers have destroyed France; and
they will destroy Europe, if a holy reaction is not got up
against them. Thanks to such persons, we are now in
the time of the Lower Empire. By dint of discussing on
the future, we have abandoned the present to the first-
corner. By dint of substituting each his little sect, his
little system, his little organization of humanity, for the
great religion of democracy, for the common faith, for
the association of forces to make a conquest of the
position, we have thrown disorganization into the ranks.
The sacred phalanx which ought to press forward
always as a single man, drawing closer together at each
martyr's death, has become an assemblage of free corps,
a veritable camp of Wallestein, minus the genius of
the master. At the hour of attack, it fell to pieces on
the right and on the left, and was found scattered about
in little detachments everywhere, except in the heart
of the place. The enemy was one, discussing nothing,
but acting always, and it is not by arguing on
the best means of cutting and clipping human
kind to a fixed standard that the foe can be
dislodged. The time has come to speak the truth
plainly to our friends. They have done all the evil
possible to the best of causes; they would have killed it
by excess of love or by want of intelligence, if it was
not immortal. I accuse the socialists, and in particular
the leaders, of having falsified, mutilated, diminished
our grand idea, by imprisoning our law, common for all,
within absolute systems which usurp at the same time
power over the liberty of the individual, over the sove-
reignty of the country, and over the continuity of pro-
gress. I accused them of having aimed, in the name of
their paltry individuality, at giving positive solutions to
the problem of human life, before that life was able
to manifest itself in the plenitude of its capacity
under the action of these great electric currents
called revolutions. I accuse them of having at-
tempted to produce at a fixed time, from their weak or
diseased brains, an organization which cannot issue
except front the co•operation of all the human fa-
culties in notion, and of having substituted their so-
litary I for the collective I of Europe,' of having ,
spoken in the name of St. Simon, Fourier, Cabet, or
any other, there where the point was to destroy the re-
vealing agents for the profit of the continued revelations,
XL Lid to inscribe over the trout of the temple, God is God,
and Humanity is his Prophet!' Fur having forgotten Ac-
tion For having said;' What France owes to Europe is
the solution ot the organization of labour.' For having
.lighted the voice of such of her children as called on all
dissentient parties to organize themselves on a common
ground to bear the brunt ot battle—France has arrived,
by Rome, at the shame of Dec 2. The whole of demo-
cratic
Europe must now aid France in recovering her
position, as she formerly aided Europe. She must above
all advance, advance constantly, advance alone, to force
France to join her. The movement of France depends at
present on the movement of Europe; the movement of Tes-
sino and the insurrection of Sicily preceded the republic
of 1848. The European iniative at present belongs to the
first people which shall rise, not iu the name of a local
interest, but of a European principle. Should France
do so, may God and humanity bless France! Should
she not do so, let others do so! God has no chosen
people. Father of all, he is with all who are ready to
sacrifice themselves for the common weal. From the
alliance of nations must spring the initiative ;
and there is not, at the present time, a
single nation which, spontaneously rushing into the
arena, or in nobly re/stating, cannot raise the two-
thirds of Europe. The day in which the democracy
militant shall have a government, an impost, a common
ground, a plan, an ensemble of operations, it will have
conquered. Until then, let it resign itself to M. de
Maupas, Schwartzenberg, and Radetsky; let it resign
itself to shame, to the rod, to transportation, and to the
gibbet, and let it find its compensation in the perusal of
the political novels which its utopian dreamers are
always ready to write—they do not cost much trouble
to be written.
" March, 1852.

" JOSEPH MAZZINI,"

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—l have read Will surprise the report of the Com-
mission appointed by the Treasury to make inquiries on
the cost and applicability of the Crystal Palace.
The whole bearing of my evidence was iu favour of
the plan suggested by me, and admitted by the Commis-
sion to be the beat proposed, viz., to convert the Crys-
tal Palace into a winter garden; but the only portion of
my evidence which has been 'adverted to in the report
is a detached sentence, the meaning of which bar been
totally misunderstood.
It the opportunity which I requested, and which was
afforded to others, of making verbal corrections in my
printed evidence had been given me, I should have made
In
my
opinion, be this sentence clearer; but as it stands now, the sense
which has been attributed to it arises from a strange
misapprehension. I never would have recommended the
conversion of the palace into a winter garden, if I had
not felt convinced that it was for the public advantage,
even in an economical point of view.
Though, in my opinion, the cost of a new building on
the same scale as the present might be somewhat re-
duced, and its plan considerably improved, the mere ex-
pense of adapting what we have got to the purposes of a
winter garden bears no reasonable proportion to that of
erecting and filling up an edifice of the kind and size de
novo.
The destruction of the buildinagndWthheenrietafepruereneVeasi
,ne has
teh
ae
'eraeqzuoired for the'
been so nearly completed would,
wanton sacrifice of property,
report to
at tahleespsosesxipbeiliiiteye otfhicnonwstoruucpldtah)lbacge
necessary
misrepresentationou da y o
on
fthe y
evidence, Crystal ‘
foolishbut it'
In
the eves of the public to the
Vandalism which thelreport of the not only
onbilyinda
I have the honour to be your Commission sanctions.
moat obedientleeeof ' mservant;odern
JOSEPH PAXTON.

Devonshire-house, March 23.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
The public were on Dionday, for the first time, ads;
mated without charge inta'the interior of this inPmenitx,
preservation were well illustrated
building, and its popularity and the interest taken_
~ f
by the . hum'' '
people who availed themselves of the P mvilego thus
afforded by ntynat3t3ie3o7otoravcitsoiz.rs. Durinyg theeiodn,gi
The" ll seemed greatly
class from the peerage downwards, and aspecwie. many
yedthteoree:;ye
imprebsed with the grandeur of the
ght
had never beet, there before,
g and
n themtshtoe loWrdlie. :rn:
The site of the
PthaneilnoBsmt pro-
be heard eagerly P
minent objects of the her chief trophies of the
crystal fountain and of the other
all thus carefully indicated.
nave and transept were
themselves
on benches and quietly
Many seated vast yet regular proportions
contemplated . the
which,.vas
seenclei
elbEinitihnibitint
theiranred
unadornedobatructsioiains_
wonderful effect. The
ofto the
ee
invtieerwio,r,ana a very
sim-
plicity, have certainlyho area of the edifice from end
.to
lored and the troops of cbd-
horoughly exP 1 d
end wore t es le playing about sugg te how
dren and yOUDg 'MOP .
well so vast a covered space might be adapted
e,sily and
of .
galleries and the w
innocent recreation. Willis's grand
purposes __
for
organ nn • 'lig vestiges of
Glass Company are now the sole remaining .
d the immense mirrors of the Thames Plate
Exhibition. The retention of t
the Saturday last it
prove a considerable advantage. On
d to-
rmance rew
was played by Mr. Best, and the end induced a sale of
gether not less than 4,000 people,.he organ is likely to
1,200 catalogues. Now that the interior is empty, musio

is heard with much greater effect than formerly, and
the performance will be repeated on VI Tednesdays and
Saturdays until farther notice. The pt tblic ought not
to lose the opportunity now afforded them. of visiting the
Palace free of charge, and judging for tl iemselves how
far they are interested in its retention. 1,2 a few weeks
hence, unless they bestir themselves, it mill disappear
almost as suddenly as it arose, to be remetubered only
as a splendid vision—the phantasmagoria of human in_
dustry, in 1851.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
Somewhat later in the season than usual, but .welconse .
soon or late, comes the programme of her Majesty's ,
Theatre for the ensuing year. The summer which is _
before us hardly presents the same inducements to ma- -
nagerial ardour as those held out in the Great Exhibi-
tion year. We cau anticipate no swarms of foreigners
crowding across the Channel, nor, still more profitable,
'regions of ,-provincials flocking up to the metropolis from
ever, nook and corner of England, J.L'elund, and Scot-
lead.
ElPeziouvering tronbles, moteocer, threaten .to
some extent tamer the seaeon, and to break up the-gay
period when the West-end is crotvded, and all the sights
and all the sound. of Loudon tire in full swing; but we
are glad to perceive that Mr. Lumley dismayed by none
or these portents, and after all they may turn out to be
mere portents,, As. us usual in the
.field—vigorous and
energetic ,mie,inf.yere;, that he hassonectcd 411 old
troupe around him, with considerable and important ad-
ditton-:: and that he appears to be perfeetly_pr.s.per,d end
eager for the rustling campaign. k'or, after all, tier Ma-
jesty Thea,_re is theolo and-chosen home of Italian opera.
1.,s enceinte is full of association and reminiscence.
We couple it with all the great artistic retiowne of
It has seen the early "roar and the-early triumphs of
those notabilities of Italian snag who seem no longer
to be destined to awak6n its echoes; while the reeeir
tions of the ballets which it has given to the world—of
the queens of the dance who have sometimes reigned in
individual majesty—sometimes concluded a congress of
terpsichorean' sovereignty upon its 'hoards—are all
fraught with pleasurable sensations, which we may be
excused if we are glad to look forward to again. That
Her Majesty's Theatre has a powerful rival to contend
with, is, perhaps, as well for both establishments -as for
the 'public. Either management is-keiff on the qui iive.
An active and enterprising competition is necessitated.
The old beaten ways are felt to be -do longer sufficient
to fill either house. Novelty in matter and manner is
imperatively called for. Artists of continental reputa-
tion are rigorously demanded, and the result is that the
public and the art of dramatic music are equally beno-
fitted by competition and comparison.
The season of 1852 will, it is announced, commence on
Tuesday evening, the 30th of March. The repertoire for
the season will include the following brilliant list of
operas, to one and all of which the resources of the house
will oe awe to do lull justice:—
Don Giovanni Norma
Nozze di Figaro La Sonnambula
Il Alatrimonio Se- La Favorite
greto Il Barbiere
Lucia di Lammer- Semiramide
muir La Gazza eadra
Puritani Lucrezia Borgia
L'Elisir d'Amore Linda di Chamouni
Don Pasquale Otello
Cenerentola La Figlia del Beg-
Ernani gimento
I Due Foscari
Of novelties we have two classes—those positively
announced, and those conditionally promised. The first
category does not comprise more than two works, but
they will be found to contain the elements of great ar-
tistic interest, united in one case with those intrinsic
considerations which, although unconnected with pure
art, can hardly fail to excite a lively and natural degree
of anticipation. We refer to the production of a new
grand opera, Casilda, the composition of his Royal
Highness the Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, and the
brother of Prince Albert. This work, after having been
originally produced, as we believe, on the small but com-
plete stage of the Coburg Theatre, was transferred to
the more important boards of Vienna and Berlin, and
there enjoyed a success quite unconnected with the pe-
culiar circumstances of its origin. The reigning Duke
of Saxe Coburg and Gotha is by no means a tyro in
dramatic lyric composition. More than one of hid
operas are well known upon the German stage, and we
are glad to have an opportunity of judging for ourselves
a work which, whatever may be its artistic merits, and
we are assured on good authority that they are high, pos-
sesses other and peculiar claims to our notice. The an-
nouncement of the work will no doubt excite a consider-
able degree of curiosity and interest. We have seen
scattered notices of the opera in various continental mu-
sical papers, but without reproducing their judgments
shall wait for the opportunity of fairly deciding for our-
selves. For the excellence of the ordinary troupe, the
chorus, and the orchestra of the Ducal Theatre in the
little sovereignty of Saxe-Coburg, we can personally
vouch, having had opportunities of seeing both opera
and German tragedy performed on the boards of Coburg
sad Gotha.

Roberto Divers=
Il Giuramento
Guglielmo Tell
Torquato Taw
Tancredi
Roberto it Dia-
volo
Pietro l'Eromita
La Tempests
Florinda, and
II Prodigo

The second novelty positively promised is an opera,
not actually new, bat new to this country, by Flotow,
entitled Martha, and in which it is truly stated that
"Madame Sontag has obtained an additional triumph
to her many brilliant successes." Flotow is known in
this country, if we mistake not, only by one opera—his
Ame en Peine which was inefficiently performed some
seasons ago at the Princess's Theatre, but which, in-
adequate as the representation was, made a very con-
siderable impression. Flotow's characteristics are a
deep and feeling vein of melody, full of tenderness and
passion, and marked by piquancy and originality of
treatment, while his orchestral scoring is the work of a
consummate musician bringing a strong individuality of
taste to bear upon a thorough command of the resources
which he possesses. The opera ot Martha hiss, doubt-
less, bees written so as to develop the peculiar vocal
talents of its heroine—Madame Sontag—and as such
may be anticipated as a rich and stilling treat.
Among the conditional announcement is one that " an
opera by the great maestro, Meycrbeer, will be, most
probably, produced during the season, written expressly
for Madame Sontag." Of Meyerbeer's operas we can
never he said to be certain until the curtain actually rises
upon them. The ‘, great;ma,estro" is a very fastidious
personage, and, as he does not write for considerations
of personal advantage, he can always afford to keep back
his productions as long as he pleases, and that is some-
times a tolerably considerable time. However, we shall
be delighted in the present instance to hope for the beat;
and whether the hinted work be a re-touched version of
the long promised Camp of Silesia or a perfectly new
opera, the world will be Equally delighted to hail it.
Don Giovanni is promised, with a cast which will in.
elude Madame Sontag, Madame Cruvelli, and the new
comer, ot whom so much has been said and so much is to
be expected, Mademoiselle Wagner, from Vienna and
Berlin. Madame Sontag will, of course, be the Zerlina,
and Mademoiselle Wagner (as we conjecture) the Donna
Anna. With any distribution, however, including the
three names, the cast will be singularly strong.
Besides the actual works which we have mentioned as
to be produced for the first time, we are promised, in
general terms, " many novelties." The Saxe Cobourg
opera and Flotow's work are only particularized as to
be amongst the earliest.
The company includes all the principal names of last
,
year with important additions. Madame Sontag we have
mentioned. In herself sheieverla host, and:ever welcome, a
as bringing back the purest and moat brilliant style of
the purest and most brilliant days of the ItalianOper
.
Next to Sontag we find the name of Mme. Fiorentini an
con-
tralto, old favourite, who bas been lately winning golden
opinions in Italy, and who will betoceozrediitaeh kat n
strongly called up around her by her cordially
stwillelcome('
hieker
e sens•
back. Mdlle. Ida Bertrand will be, as before, the
tralto, and Mille. Sofia Cruvelli, flushed with heer
rdiesgiarneetorifumenpthhsu,smiaasmy btehan hexptec
of Fidelio, Norma, andatet clwhgielhy
dramatic u
Lucrezia, Borgia..
inter-
pretations
We have not heard her, but her Wagneris
to England, and we believe that
amongst the ladies Mdlle. the new corner.
fame has preceded her
othoemmNaenwdiGngermamanoaanrttistofa
interest.
energy. The debut will be
and will excite universal i we are to anticipate in
To the list of gentle dramatic talent, force, and
very anxiously anticipated,
find again s several additions have been
made. Gardoni returns
Calzolari---zil m
tinlagiliaCent soprano, with a
- g all the omi- •
notwithstanding all .
nova reports about his his state of health. With him we
Signor Pardini, Signor Melva ,
than three—Signab and Signor
Lablaches concludethe male company, not
including _ the list of
than are not less.
whom
old and well-known friends- The two
Ing the new comers of
al favourite duringil"
the last opera season at Paris—.
Sjgnor 8• • know nothing—and Signor
mum of whom we
Ferlotti, who has, we believe, been
‘,l34l,sini, a we' 11-known barytone from Italy. Signor
hie American tour. The above
ssenetti re-appears after
gers we must wait until
list calls for no lengthened comment. The known names
are well known. Fotrh
tehceonstrdiantional engagements is that
they Among'
come. • i the tenor, the conclusion of which
expected.
la stated to be daily
Of Signor Pieg r n'l '
The ballet was somewhat neglected last season, bat
13 be 9rrangsnients for the present year are promising and
rilliant, and include, not only several of the old favour-
tea ii,.s executants, but several novelties for them to dance _
aktdlle. Cerito has been engaged, and will appear,we
resume, early in the season; and Mille. Gay Stephens')
iwe take it, will open the campaign in a new Spanialt 4
vertissement, entitled El Duende, which will be per, I
formed on the opening evening. Another welcome ballet ~
engagement is that of Mdlle. Caroline Rosati. Among
the choregraphic Dii minorts we find the names of
Wiles. Rosa, Mathilde, Lamoureux, Emilie, and Pas.
cales. It seems yet uncertain whether Carlotta Grisi -
:Will return, bat her admirers will be pleased to learn
that " a proposal for an engagement of two months" has
also been forwaroed to the lady in question, who is now
a' St. Petersburgh, to commence at the termination of ,
ler present engagement at the Russian capital. A new
talian ballet, composed expressly for the theatre, is an_
isounced for immediately atter Easter. The composition
will, we presume, introduce Mdlle. Cerito.
The opening opera will be Maria de Rohan, intro- •
diming Signor Ferlotti. Mr. Balfe has, we believe, re-
turned, from Paris, where he went after the production'
progress.
1852, giving pro-
-461 his opera at Drury-lane, and the preliminary rehear.'
yls The
andcompeti
severe,tio competition between not!:
ohnoluys houses
express
linos
salel,
hueare atchtenni lly
commencesi ncourse
theof aettso
mise of divers events of interest, and of an active and
dbuous
hope that managerial tact and executive skill will be
properly appreciated, and fully
Itybeears'teaTd
rewarded, at whichever
,establishment they are displayed.

Died, on Fridv, 11rarch 19, at Gwern Vale House,
Brecknockshire, after a long illness, John GYnnev, Es+)
aged 72, deputy-lieutenant for Brecknockshire, also Justice
of the peace for the counties of Monmouth and Brecon. He
served throughout the Peninsular war as lieutenant in the-
14th Light Dragoons, being twice severely wounded, and"
was present in the three several engagements—namely, Sa-•
lamanca, Fuentes d'Onor, and Talavera—for which he re,,,
ceived a three-bar medal from her Gracious Maiestr.