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

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

Last evening Ficlelio was performed for the third time
this season. Madlie. 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 vcice as Madile. 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
be gratifying to the lovers of art to find classic music thus
specially patronied by her Majesty, and w•e trust that FO
illustrious 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 wit h his presence last evening. The Queen
and the Prince were accompanied by her Royal High-
ness the Pri❑cess Royal, and their Serene Highnesses the
Princesses Adelaide and Feodore and Princess Victor
of Hohenlohe. The Royal suite c insisted of the
Countess of Desart, Lord Dufferin, General Backley,
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 Marchioness of Ailesbuty, the Marquis of Bath, the
Countess of Clarendon, Frances Countess Waldegrave,
the Earl of Cardigan. the Earl of Beauchamp and La:ly
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 EniilyDungarvon, Viscount Chelsea,
M.P., Lady Suffield, Lady Maria Coventry, Lady Laura
Meyriek and the Misses Meyrick, Lord Mitford, Lady
Dufferin, Lord Charles Wellesley. Lady hail, Hon. Mr.
Liddell an 1 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. Bentinck, Mr. Norman Macdonald, Mr. Craven,
Mr. J. Clayton, Mr. A. K. Oom, Mrs. Ogle Hunt, Mr.
Antrobus, &c.

LITERARY ASSOCIATION OF THE
FRIENDS OF POLAND.

The annual meeting of this association was held, yes-
terday 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-
served the Earl of Harrington, Lord Kinnaird, the Earl
of Zetland, Mr. M. Milnes, M.P., Mr. J. Abel Smith,
M P., Prince Ladislas Czartoryski, Captain Towns-
hend, 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 and the all'es. The council have the pleasure
to state that considerable assistance has been afforded
by the gnglish Government in sending out Poles to
serve in the Cossack cavalry regiments in the Turkish
service, and it appears that 250 Polish prisoners of
war confined in England have lately been despatched
to Shumla, at their own request, to enter the second
regiment of Turkish Cossacks. 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 6.ecemplary. The total expenditure of
the past year amounted to 1,745/. incleding the sum of
1,1531. for relief alone, and the alance in hand amounts
to 3691. Lord Kinenaird then rose and moved the
adoption of the report in a short but appropriate speech,
in which he comme rated upon its various paragraphs,
and bore testimony to the excellent conduct of the
Poles, and their disf.nterested attachment to their be-
loved country. The noble lord expressed a very decided
opinion as regards i .he necessity of establishing the
Polish kingdom, as a barrier against Russian aggression
—a necesity which wa s being felt daily more and more
by the people of England, and in which Austria, if she
knew her own interests' would be the first to concur.
The motion was seco teded by the Rev. Dr. Worthington,
and carried nem die. The Earl of Harrington then
moved a resolution ; expressive of the profound sorrow
felt by the meeting, a rid the friend. of Poland generally,
at the irreparable o ;of Lord Dudley Stuart, which was
seconded by Mr. Mon ek ton Milnes, M.P., and supported,
in shoat speeches, by Prince Ladislas Czartoryski and
M. Puizsley. Tile re rs elution was carried by acclama-
tion. A third resolute on, advocating the necessity of re-
eatahlish:ng Poland as an independent State, and a bar-
rier against Ros4an a, ;cession, was moved by Mr. J.
Abel Smith, M.P., ee eoreled by Mr. E. Beales, and
carried unanimously. Other speeches were afterwards
made, and resolution 3 passed in furtherance of the
general purpoeee of the society, and the meeting did not
adjourn till a latewas liehi iful banner wa4 displayed, which was to
hr . In the room where the meeting
he sent the seine ev enin g to the Polish contingent in the
Turkish army.
We a.:so noticed an "Elegy on the
Death of Lord D. Stuart," from the pen of Mr. J. C.
rergueon.

THE EMPEROR'S 7iISIT TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE.--Hlq
Excaency the Frf ,neh Ambassador, in the name of hl4
Majesty the Emperor Napoleon 111., has presented Sir
Joseph Paxtom with a gold snuff-box, beautifully moUilted
and having tbqlmperial cipher set in brilliants.