The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-12 00:00:00

S N, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, ,SEPTEMBER 12, 186 a

'~Pa~.

hardly less audacious than that of the Moslems
themselves, the sinister and suspicious policy of

MADAME CLAIM 1V OV.ELLO'S

FAREWELL.

—the Muscovites ! The mere circumstance of that
RUSSlANprevisionby three months of the very con-
tingency which has now sprung from the Syrian
massacres, and which is now fully recognised by
all Europe, in the glare of those murderous con-
flagrations lit by the Druses, and spreading ra-
pidly from village to village, from the Lebanon to
Damascus—the mere fact of that RUSSIAN prevision
in April of what only came to pass in Syria to-
wards the end of midsummer, is of itself frightfully
suggestive, is obviously and hideously significant !
The "coincidence" (to call it by no other name)
comes as a timely reminder of that famous phrase
of M. nu LAMARTlNE—uttered years and years ago

The arrangements for the two great festival performances
of the " Messiah" and " Creation," at the Crystal Palace,
on Wednesday and Saturday, September 26 and 29, in
honour of Madame Novello'p retirement from public life,

are now so far completed, and the time is drawing so near,

that we will venture to direct the attention of our readers

to a " special notice" of this great English soprano. The
announcement that Madame Clara Novello is about to quit
the scene of all her triumphs and retire into private life, is
no longer a matter of uncertainty. The loss 9f one
great vocalist is almost invariably compensated by
the gain of another. If we trace the line of
the most distinguished oratorio singers within the last

sixty years, we shall find it consists of an uninterrupted
series. Mara was followed closely by Billington, Billington

by Stephens, Stephens by Paton, and Paton by Clara
Novello. In vain, however, do we look for a legitimate
successor of the last of this chain of celebrities. Clara
Novello's place in the concert-room is not likely to be filled

—that the slope of Russia is towards the East
The symbolical eagle of Russia has a keener seen
than any vulture for carrion afar off ! Six or seven
years ago it fixed a ravenous eye upon the Sick
Man in eager anticipation of his coming death !
Three months before the murderous Druses had
descended from their mountain strongholds to
ravage with fire and sword the then tranquil plains
of Syria,• the Russian eagle sniffed a prophetic
taint-in-the-air of those coming massacres ! While
the Christian Powers of Europe are together about
to distribute retribution among the pagan assassins
of the Lebanon—it will be well to keep a watchful
regard directed to the sinister policy emanating
from the imperial councils of St. Petersburg. The
tendency of that policy is now more unmistakeably
than ever directed eastwards—it is directed due
east to the acquisition'of territory, to the extension
of commerce, to the absorption of further millions
of subjects, no matter whether Turk or Chinese,
among the already sufficiently heterogeneous mass
of the 60,000,000 of its Muscovite population.
Another day we shall mark the latest stage in the
development of that policy in Chinese Tartary and
Manehooria. To-day we may content ourselves
with thus pointing an index-finger at that suspi-
cious foreknowledge by Russia in the spring of
events occurring in Syria only towards the end of
midsummer, events that have brought the Sick
Man of Turkey nearer and nearer to the time of
his inevitable dissolution.

up. When she departs the loss will be irremediable. Many
of our English singers can boast of considerable endow-
ments and first-rate capabilities, but not one is marked out

by that speciality of talent which throws around its pos-
sessor an attraction like a halo. Clara Novello's high

CHINA.

reputation is attributable to two particular causes—the
_ _

unrivalled quality of the voice, and a style and manner
which set her apart from all contemporaries. Perhaps
a more exquisite soprano was never heard. Such
sweetness, purity, and brilliancy in combination we
do not remember ; and the oldest living amateurs
only recal in the once-famous Banti, who flourished more
than half a century ago. In the upper notes, more espe-

cially, Clara Novello's voice is transcendant. The quality
of the organ is that of a silver bell exquisitely in tune, but
the upper part of the register has an ethereal effect, almost

apart from sound, and may, without impropriety, be likened
to "points of light." More powerful voices than Madame
Novello's may be heard, but not one which can reach the
ear at a greater distance, nor make the heart vibrate with
,keener emotions. Clara Novello was educated in the best
Italian school, and her style was founded on the best Italian
models. Although English-born, her method and manner
betoken nothing of an indigenous tuition. Her method of
producing the tone is perfect, her phrasing highly artistic
and natural, her taste irreproachable, and her management
of the voice supreme. No one, indeed, would take her
for an English singer, since of the English school she does
not possess one solitary vice. Madame Novello's style
and manner are entirely her own. In the interpretation
of sacred music more especially, she is indebted in nothing
to her predecessors or contemporaries. She owes nothing
to outward display, and has recource to no artificial allure-
ments. If she cannot produce her effects by legitimate
means, she seeks for no extraneous assistance. It is need-
less to describe the sensation she invariably creates in the
sacred concert room, and the influence she exercises ever
vast audiences. Everybody is acquainted with the artist's
power in this respect. Few, nevertheless, consider how sim-
ple are the means by which all is accomplished, and with
what little effort such grand results are achieved; or what
consummate art is employed to conceal all evidences of labour.
Her singing is rather a prayer than an appeal, the fervour
of which is deep and intense, and not exhibitive. With her
the singing is all in all, and not an accessory. When
listening to Clara Novello, breathing one of the heaven-
taught melodies of Handel, we can readily imagine the in-
spired Madonna pouring forth her plaint to heaven, or
lifting up her voice in quiet but irrepressible gratitude.
And how holy seems her song ! How calm and reposeful,
how suggestive of trust, as though earth were lost sight
of, and heaven alone in view. Never had religious feel-
ing so faithful an interpreter; never were faith, hope, and
charity recommended in richer and diviner accents. Why
an artist so rarely endowed, and in full possession of her
powers—for Clara Novello is still comparatively young—
should abandon fame, wealth, and the excitement of
popular applause, we cannot imagine. None who
heard Madame Novello last year in the great Handel
perforPances at the Crystal Palace, and marked the im-
pression she produced on the assembled thousands, singing
with more than wonted power and magnificence, could dream
that even then she was thinking about retiring into private
life, and in the midst of honour and renown laying aside
her wreaths and laurels ; anticipating rest and ease in some
remote corner far from the roar of the multitude, the envy
of rivals, the malignity of foes, the strife, the struggle of a
popular career, its disappointments and vexations--con-
comitants of an endeavour to please the fickle crowd. The
loss of such a singer as Clara Novello will be felt for many
a year, more particularly in our great temples devoted to
sacred music and at our provincial festivals. The
recollection, however, of what she has achieved
should not be allowed to die, but be kept alive;
if for no other purpose, to stimulate our native songstresses
to accomplish a career at once so brilliant and so honour-
able. At the first day's Festival (Wednesday, Sept. 26th),
Haydn's " Creation" will be performed, when Madame
Novello will sing the soprano part for the first and last
time at the Crystal Palace; and, although a work entirely
distinct in the character of the music to Handel's " Mes-
siah," still possesses all the beauties and grand effects
which warrant a great treat to all who attend on that occa-
sion. The instrumental performers will number about
200, and the chorus more than 2,000. Madame Novello
will be supported by Madame Sainton Dolby, Mr. Wilbye
Cooper, Mr. Santley, and Mr. 'Weiss. The whole of the
musical arrangements are undertaken by "The Vocal
Association," under the direction of their talented con-
ductor, M. Benedict. Previous to the performance of
"The Messiah," we purpose giving a further account of
this celebrated artist.

Levied.

AUSTRALIA.

GARIBALDI SPECIAL FUND.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

accidents.

SlR,—Will you permit us; through your columns,
to state to all gentlemen throughout the kingdom
who hold monies collected in the name, and for the
use of General Garibaldi, that they are hereby re-
quested to pay forthwith whatever money they hold
in hand, either to G. B. C. Leverson, Esq., Treasurer,
at the Office of the Committee, 8, Salisbury-street,
Strand, London, W.C. ; or to W. H. Ashurst, Esq.,
Solicitor, 6, Old Jewry, such being the General's
wish.--.-We are, &c.
PERCY WYNDHAM, Major.
WILLIAM DE ROHAN,
Naval Aide-de-Camp to Gen. Garibaldi.
EDWARD STYLES, Captain.
Committee-room, 8 Salisbury-street, Strand,
London, W.C., September 11.

PRIZE MONEY:

THE PASSENGERS ACT.—During the year 1859
13 prosecutions were instituted in this country for viola-
tions of the Passengers Act. Eleven were instituted at
Liverpool, lat Plymouth, and lat Glasgow. The largest
fine inflicted was £6O and costs, which was for a breach of
the 70th section ; another party was fined £5O, in default
of payment three months' imprisonment, for a breach of
the 66th and 70th sections ; another was fined £5 for breach
of 29th, and £lO on 31st section; one was imprisoned for
four months for breach of 83d section; another was fined
£5 for breach of same section ; another had two months'
imprisonment for ditto; three were fined £1 and costs for
breach of 75th section; two were fined ss. and costs for
breach of 79th section; and two were acquitted.
_ _ .

PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris
is about at par, and the short exchange on London
is 25.15 per LI sterling. On comparing these rates with the
English Mint price of £3 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standard
gold, it appears that gold is about 1-10th per
cent. dearer in Paris than in‘London. By advices from
Hamburg the price of gold is 4251 per mark, and the short
exchange on London is 13.41 per £1 sterling. Standard gold
at the English Mint price is therefore about 4-lOths per
cent. dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for bills at 60 days' sight
is about 110 per cent., which, when compared with the Mint
par between the two countries, shows that the exchange
is slightly in favour of England ; and, after making allow-
ance for charges of transport and difference of interest,
the present rate leaves a small profit on the importation of
gold from the United States.
NEW BISHOPRIC IN AUSTRALlA.—Arrangements
are in progress for the erection of a new bishopric in Aus-
tralia, the seat of which will be in all probability at Goul,
burn. The Bishop of Sydney, writing home on the subject,
states that the church lands there have become so valuable
as to afford a reasonable hope that a suitable endowment
and a proper cathedral may be secured.

DISPARITY OF THE SEXES IN VICTORIA- —Some
remarkable facts respecting the disparity of sexes in this
colony aro disclosed in the Census of 1857. Sir Henry
Barkly, the Governor, in noticing these facts, says iu a
despatch :—" It now appears that though considerable im-
provement in this respect took place between 1854 and 1857,
yet that the effective disproportion at the latter period was
far more serious than would be deducible from the fact of
there being 163 males to every 100 females in the entire
population. Since tabling the portion of it above the age of
20 years, there were no less than 217 males to that number,
the proportions below that age being pretty nearly equal.
There were 88,355 unmarried men of 20 years of age and
upwards to 12,545 unmarried women of corresponding ages,
or to raise the age of marriage for men to 21, and lower it to
15 for women, there was still an excess of 61,8.59 bachelors,
not to add 5,112 widowers; Even this comparison, how-
ever, fails to convey a full sense of the evil as it affects the
goldfields, where it appears that the percentage of unmar-
ried men is, to that to be found in the seaport towns, as 61
to 39; or, to state the case in another form, where the
bachelors are to the spinsters in the proportion of more than
20 to 1. There are, moreover, 8,096 married men chiefly in
the mining districts whose wives are not in the colony. It
has been alleged, during the agitation of the lend question,
that this state of things is attributable to the difficulty of
buying small allotments suited to agricultural purposes (for
the miner's right itself sanctions a certain area for resi-
dence) ; but this idea is not borne out by the figures, which
manifest an extraordinary disposition on the part of the
golddiggers, despite the unsettled nature of their pursuits,
to enter into matrimony. This may be judged from the
fact that only 9 per cent. of the women on the goldfields
above 20 are unmarried ; while in Great Britain the propor-
tion who marry under that age is only 21 per cent., 30 per
cent. of the girls between 15 and 20 are here married."
OPENING OF THE FREE GAELIC CHURCH, ROTHE-
SAY.-Our readers may remember that about two years ago
a disturbance took place at Rothesay, regarding the occu-
pation of the Free Gaelic Church by the Rev. Mr. Ander-
son, who was locked out of his place of worship, the alleged
reason being that he had introduced an English service at
one of the ordinary diets for worship on the Lord's Day.
The church was shortly after re-opened for the use of Mr.
Anderson by order of the Sheriff, who was compelled to read
the Riot Act on a Sabbath morning, in order to prevent a
breach of the peace! Aftor Mr. Anderson had again
occupied the church for some time, an action was raised in
the Court of Session to compel him to leave it on the ground
that it was originally built for Gaelic services ' • and the
minister and congregation, with a degree of public spirit
that does them credit, instead of entering upon an expen-
sive and protracted course of litigation, voluntarily left the
house of prayer in which they and their fathers had wor-
shipped, and at once made arrangements for the erection of
a new church on the Chapel-hill. The house having been
completed, was opened for public worship on Sabbath last,
when the services were conducted by the minister of the
church ; by the Rev. John M‘lienzie, Lochgilphead ; and
by the Rev. John M‘Doucrall, of Dundee. The forenoon
service was condie ted in Gaelic by Mr. Anderson and Mr.
M'Kenzie ; and in the:art erneon and evening Mr.lll‘Dougall
preached two eloquent sermons in English, which were
listened to with marked attention by crowded audiences.
The collections for the day amounted to the handsome sum
of £lOB 10s. 11d. The building, which is seated for 600, is
an elegant and commodious erection, and is surmounted by
a tasteful spire, which adds much to the architectural
beauty of the structure. As a proof of the esteem in which
the venerable pastor is held for his benevolent, self-deny-
ing, unostentatious labours in Rothesay during many
years, it may be mentioned that Christi_ans of all &moral-
nations have readily contributed to the erccticA, 9i Lig Aew
plgc 94' W9ratip,—G (asp wgctif

LATEST NEWS.

THE CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND
AUSTRALIAN MAILS.
The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office
The Massilia, with the above mails, arrived at
Marseilles at 10 a.m. yesterday.
Mails left for London at noon.
OUTWARD MAILS.
The Vectis, with the Bombay mails of the 3d
inst., arrived at Malta at 10 p.m. on the 7th, and
left on the Bth at 3 a.m. for Alexandria.
The Malta, with the London mail of the 20th
and 26th July, reached Galle on the 18th August
(three days early) en route for Calcutta.

SHANGHAE, JULY 17.

'The rebels have maintained their positions. The
allied troops are healthy. The Taku Forts are to
be attacked on the 20th July,
Lord Elgin and Baron Gros have arrived at
Pecheli.

Foreigners have visited the rebels and were cour-
teously received.
A new transit duty of 11 teals per bale is to be

JAPAN, JUNE 20.

All is quiet, and trade is progressing.
SINGAPORE, AUG. 5.
The Prussian ambassadors have arrived.
A great demonstration against the Indian in-
come-tax has been held.
The Sir Joshua Waddington has been totally
lost in Gasper Straits.

INDIA.
CALCUTTA, AUG. 11.
Mr. James Wilson, a member of the Council, is
dead.

SYDNEY, JULY 11.

A severe monetary crisis prevails, and several
failures have taken place. The total liabilities are
£120,000.

Severe storms have occasioned many shipping

MELBOURNE, JULY 25.

The troops have been repulsed at Waitara, and
retreated with the loss of 29 dead and 33 wounded.
Reinforcements were immediately sent.

The following are the departures of gold ships
since the last mail :—Blue Jacket, 31,378 ounces ;
Malta, 22,760 do.; Dover Castle, 57,130 do. ; Or-
well, 37,877 do. ; and Red Jacket, 38,129 do.
Business is stagnant.

TURIN, SEPT. 11, EVENING

The King received to-day a deputation from the
inhabitants of • Umbria and the Marches. His
Majesty accepted the protection which the deputa-
tion solicited, and orders have been given to the
Sardinian troops to enter those provinces by the
following proclamation :

" Soldiers !—You are about to enter the Marches
and Umbria in order to establish civil order in the
towns now desolated by misrule, and to give to the
people the liberty of expressing their own wishes.
You will not fight against the armies of any of the
Powers, but will free those unhappy Italian pro-
vinces from the bands of foreign adventurers
which infest them. You do not go to revenge in-
juries done to me and to Italy, but to prevent the
popular hatred from unloosing itself against the
oppressors of the country.
" By your example you will teach the people
forgiveness of offences, and Christian tolerance to
the man who compared the love of the Italian
Fatherland to Islamism.

" At peace with all the great Powers, and holding
myself aloof from any provocation, I intend to
rid Central Italy of one continual cause of trouble
and discord. I intend to respect the seat of the
Chief of the Church, to whom I am ever ready to
give, in accordance with the allied and friendly
Powers, all the guarantees of independence and
security which his misguided advisers have in vain
hoped to obtain for him from the fanaticism of the
wicked sect which conspires against my authority
and against the liberties of the nation.
" Soldiers ! I am accused of ambition ; yes, I
have one ambition, and it is to re-establish the
principles of moral order in Italy, and to preserve
Europe from the continual dangers of t evolution and
war."

BOLOGNA, SEPT. 11, EVENING

At Frossombrone the inhabitants in their struggle
for liberty were vanquished by the overpowering
numbers of the mercenary troops. The latter after
their victory renewed the massacres of Perugia.

This news has decided General Cialdini to cross
the Pontifical frontier.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY,

The Moniteur of to-day says :—" Their Majesties
met with a splendid reception at Toulon, and after
having attended the ball given in their honour
embarked for Nice."

The Constitutionnel contains the following :
" Some journals have prematurely announced the
return of Baron Brenier to France. Baron Brenier's
mission will only terminate when. the King shall
ave quitted his states."

PARIS, SEPT. I

The Patrie of this evening says :
"It is positively stated that an interview be-
tween the Emperors of Austria and Russia and the
Prince Regent will take place."
The Patrie also, contains the following :
" The Picdmontese have not yet entered the
Papal States. The reports concerning the revolu-
tionary movements in the Marches and Umbria are
exaggerated.
" It is asserted that the Austrian troops have
been concentrated on the extreme frontier of Vene-
tia, facing Modena and the Romagna."
The same journal announces that Baron Brenier,
the French Ambassador at Naples, is about to re-
turn to France.

VIENNA, SEPT. 11$

Whatever may take place in the States of the
Church, the attitude of Austria will be purely
defensive as long as her Italian frontiers are not
invaded. All military preparations which are
being made at present have no other object than
that of energetically repelling any eventual attack.

VIENNA, SEPT. 11.
In yesterday's sitting of the Reichsrath the budget
for the army and navy was agreed to.
Before the discussion of the budget for the Mini-
stry of the Interior, Count Rechberg protested
against the prevailing idea that the Ministry wished
to maintain a political system the abolition of which
was generally desired.
The Minister said that this supposition was per-
fectly incorrect, and he assured the members of the
council that all the Ministers were agreed upon the
necessity of entering the path of reform.

The Reichsrath resolved upon Adjouoling any