The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-04 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

Last evening Fidelio was performed for the third time
this season. Madlle. Jenny Ney has now become ac-
quainted with her audience, and she last night dis-
played capabilities both as a singer and actress which
must have surprised her most ardent admirers. The
music allotted to the part of Leonora is not that which
exactly suits such a voice as Madffe. Ney's, but she
gave it with extraordinary effect. To Madile. Marai's
version we can again award the highest praise. Last
night her Majesty honoured the performance of
Beethoven's immortal work with her presence. It must
he gratifying to the lovers of art to find classic music thus
specially patronised by her Majesty, and we trust that eo
iliustrions an example may be followed, as it ought to
be, by all who have any pretension to good taste.
The house was crowded.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert also honoured the
performance with his presence last evening. The Queen
and the Prince were accompanied by her Royal High-
ness the Princess Royal, and their Serene Highnesses the
Princesses Adelaide and Feodore and Princess Victor
of Hohenlobe. The Royal suite consisted of the
Countess 'of Desart, Lord Dufferin, General Buckley,
and Captain Du Plat. Among the fashionable company
attending the theatre we remarked the Duchess of Wel-
lington and Lady Emily Hay, the Duchess of Montrose,
the Marchionessof Ailesbury, the Marquis of Bath, the
Countess of Clarendon, Frances Countess Waldegrave,
the Earl of Cardigan, the Earl of Beauchamp and Lady
Georgiana Lygon, Earl Cowper, the Earl of Gifford,
Viscount and Viscountess Malden, Viscount Castle-
rosse, M.P., Viscountess Goderich and Miss Vyne,
Viscount and Lady Emily Dungarvon, Viscount Chelsea,
M.P., Lady Suffield, Lady Maria Coventry, Lady Laura
Mevrick and the Misses Meyrick, Lord Mitford, Lady
Dufferin, Lord Charles Wellesley. Lady Hall, Hon. Mr.
Liddell ani the Hon. Miss Liddell, Lord Edward
Thynne, Major-General the Hon. H. Cavendish, Hon.
Mrs. Rowley, Hon. G. W. Miller, Sir George Womb-
well, Sir Kingston and Lady James, 'Sir Henry Meux,
M.P., Captain De Horsey, Captain Nicholson, Mr.
Baring, Miss Burdett Coutts. Mr. Hubert de Bergh,
Mr. Brsiti,ock, Mr, Norman Macdonald, Mr. Craven,
Mr. J. Ca% too, Mr. A. K. Oom, Mrs. Ogle Hunt, Mr.
Autro bus, &c.

LIT,EI?AIa A SSOCIATION OF THE
FRI.ENPS OF POLAND.

The annual meeting of this association was held, yes-
:,erday afternoon at the Sussex-chambers, in Duke street,
St. James's. The chair was filled by the Marquis of
Breadalbane, and among the company present were ob--
sei ved the Earl of Harrington, Lord Kinnaird, the Earl
of Zerland, Mr. M. Mikes, M.P., Mr. J. Abel Smith,
M P., Prince Ladislas Czartoryski. Captain Towns-
bend, R.N., M.P., Mr. D. Urquhart, &c. The busi-
ness of the meeting commenced with the reading of the
report for the past year ; from which it • appears that
lectures have been delivered in various parts of the
kingdom proposing the re-establishment of a Polish
kingdom, with the view of enlisting public
feeling in favour of the scheme, the effect of
which lectures has already been made manifest by
the presentation of numerous petitions to the House
of Commons for the restoration of Poland. The report
then alluded to the formation of a Polish legion, and
the great aid which the Poles have rendered to the cause
of Turkey aiid the allies. The council have the pleasure
to state that considerable assistance has been afforded
by the English Government iu sending out Poles to
serve in the Cossack cavalry regimeets in the Turkish
service, and it appears that 250 Polish prisoners of
war confined in England have lately been despatched
to Shurnla, at their own request, to enter the second
regiment of Turkish Cussacke. The report went on
to lament the decease of their tried friends, the late
Lord Dudley Stuart, Lord Beaumont, Lord Jocelyn,
and Sir R. Heron, entering into many details with
regard to the last journey of Lord Dudley to Sweden
and the north of Europe. The number of Polish
refugees now in this- country is stated to amount to
753, whose conduct, under severe privations, is reported
to have been most exemplary. The total expenditure of
the past year amounted to 1,745/., including the sum of
1,1531. for relief alone, and the balance in hand amounts
to 3691. Lord Kinnaird then rose and moved the
adoption of the report in a short but appropriate speech,
in which ho commented upon its various paragraphs,
and bore testimony to the excellent conduct of the
Poles, and their disinterested attachment to their be-
loved country. The noble lord expressed.a very decided
opinion as regards the necessity of establishing the
Polish kingdom, as a barrier against Russian aggression
—a necesity which was being felt daily more and more
by the people of England, and in which Austria, if she
knew her (ran interests, would be the first to concur.
The motion was seconded by the Rev. Dr. Worthington,
and carried Wm dis. The Earl of Harrington then
moved a resolution expressive of the profound sorrow
felt by the meeting, and the friends of Poland generally,
at the irreparabla loss of Lord Dudley Stuart, which was
seconded by Mr. Monc's ton M lines, M.P., and supported,
in shoat speeches, by Prince Ladislas Cxtrteryski and
M. Pu'z.lcy. The resolution was carried by acclama-.
Lion. A third resolution, advocating the necessity of re-
eqtahlishing Poland as an independent State, and a bar-
ri-r against Russian aggression, was..anoved by Mr. J.
r.lce afterwards
o.
the
M.P., seconded by Mr. E. Beales, and
general purpo‘es of the society, and the meeting did not
was held a beaa.ifal banner was displayed, which w.as to
ae.L4'l:l:bit7gel:elle:.rBdl:ll:ll.injit:alhi',lirfilateUlillYn.o resolutions.
C4Plhanesrste:lPlee Incohmefsu rwherewtileerrea the meeting
be sent the same evening to the Polish contingent in ,the
Turkish army. We also noticed an
"Elegy on the
•ath of Lord D. Stuart," front the pen of Mr. J. C.
Fergu
1)

THE EMPEROR'S VISIT TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE.---H's
Ercelleney the French Ambassador, in the name of his
M,jesty the Emperor Napoleon 111., has presented Sir
JiNephPaxtln with a gold snuff-box, beautifully mounted
and having the Imperial cipher set in brilliants.