The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-23 00:00:00

THE _HANDEL COMMEMORATION.

The' Dettingen Te Deum" formed the first part of yes-
terday's performance. The second part was devoted to
selections from " Belshazzar," " Saul," and " Samson."
From "Belshazzar," the recitative, "Rejoice, my coun-
trymen," and the chorus, " Sing, 0 ye heavens," were
give', and Mr. Weiss delivered the former with the greatest
force and feeling. The selection from Saul" consisted
of the well-known chorus, "Envy, eldest born of Hell,"
and the equally well-known " Dead March." The selec-

tion from " Samson" consisted of five pieces, including the
air, "Return, 0 God of Hosts," which was most beauti-
fully given by Miss Dolby ; and in the splendid air, " Let
the Bright Seraphim," the singing of. Madame Novello
and playing of Mr. Harper were everything that could be
desired. The other selections from " Samson" consisted of
three choruses, the best executed of which was " Let
their celestial concerts."

Selections from " Judas Maccabmus" formed the third
and concluding part of the performances. " Sound an
alarm," was most splendidly rendered by Mr. Sims Reeves.
The selection concluded with " See, the conquering hero
comes," the trio in which was admirably sung by Mesdames
Novello and Rudersdorff and Miss Dolby.

It maybe interesting to our readers to give the following
statistics respecting the present festival and that of 1857 :

1857.
Saturday (Rehearsal)

Monday (Messiah)
Wednesday (Judas Maccabaus)* 11,649
Friday (Israel in Egypt) ' 17,292

48,414

1859.

Saturday (Rehearsal)
_ _

Monday (Messiah)
Wednesday (Te Deum and Selection) 18,000
Friday (Israel in Egypt)

54,789

Thus it will be observed that, without reckoning Friday
—which is pretty sure to bring the largest attendance of
the four—the number of visitors is already more than 6,000
in excess of the sum total of 1857•

The Queen and the Court, and the King of the Belgians,
are to be present to-morrow. _

The most pressing representations have been made to the
directors of the desirability of continuing the festival for
another day, but we are requested to state that they find it
impassible to arrange this, and therefoie the festival will
positively close with the performance of "Israel in Egypt"
to-morrow.

* Her Majesty the Queen present.

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Majesty the Queen held a Court yesterday afternoon
at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke of Montrose, K.T., had an audience of the
Queen, and delivered to her Majesty his seals of office as
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
The Right Hon. Sir George Grey, Bart., G.C.8., had an
audience of the Queen, was sworn into office as Chancellor
of the Duchy and County Palatine of Lancaster, and re-
ceived from her Majesty his seals of office. Mr. F. D.
Danvers, Clerk of the Council and Registrar of the Duchy,
attended.

The Queen gave last evening a concert, to which a party
of 360 were invited. the following vocalists assisted :
Mesdames Titiens, Novello, Pyne, Didiee, and Meyer;
Signori Gardoni, Reeves, Belletti, Zolger, and Ronconi.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge, the
Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburgh-Strelitt, the
Princess Mary, and the Duke of Cambridge, arrived at
Buckingham Palace at a quarter before ten o'clock.

ARRIVAL OF THE KING OF THE BELGIANS.--
DOVER, Wednesday.—His Majesty the King of the Bel
gians arrived at Dover this morning at half-past 12 o'clock,
in the Belgian Government steamer Emerald, Captain
Hood, and escorted by the Topaze, Captain Picard. On
landing his Majesty was received by Lord Raglan and
General Wylde, of the Queen's Household. His Excellency
M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Ambassador, and M. Del-
fosse, Charge d'Affaires, were also in attendance. A guard
of honour of the 32d regiment, the head-quarters of which
gallant regiment, the heroes of Lucknow, are expected to
arrive in this garrison in the course of a few days, was
drawn up on the landing place to receive his Majesty on
his debarkation. His Majesty dined at Birmingham's Im-
perial Lord Warden Hotel, and left for the South-Eastern
Railway, for Buckingham Palace, at 3.30. The Royal
train was in charge of Mr. J. P. Knight, the superinten-
dent of the South-Eastern Railway, and the arrangements
at the Dover station, which were of the usually efficient
character, were under the direction of the superintendent
of the station, Mr. E. T. Way. His Majesty was accom-
panied by his Royal Highness the Count de Flandres,
Colonel Count de Moerkerke, General Lahure, Minister of
Marine ; and Colonel Burnell, Aide-de-camp to the Count
de Flandres. A Royal salute was fired from the heights'
battery on his Majesty stepping on shore, and again upon
the train leaving for the Bricklayers' Arms. The Royal
train arrived at the Bricklayers' Arms at a quarter to six,
and his Majesty was there received by the Hon. James
Byng, Chairman of the South-Eastern Railway Company,
several of the directors, and Mr. C. W. Eborall, general
manager.

CRYSTAL PALACE.--THE HANDEL FESTIVAL.—
The most pressing representations have been made to the
directors of the desirability of continuing the Festival for
another day, but we are requested to state that they find it
impossible to arrange this, and therefore the Festival will
positively close with the performance of " Israel in Egypt'
to-morrow. Handel Festival.—Second day, Te Deum.—
Wednesday, June 22, total visitors, 17,664.
The Atlantic Royal Mail Steam Navigation
Company's ship Adelaide, carrying her Majesty's mails,
will sail from Galway for St. John's, Newfoundland, and
New York, on Saturday, June 25. Mail closes in London
on Friday evening at six o'clock.
With reference to the announcement yesterday in
The Sun that the works of the Suez Canal have been sud-
denly suspended by order of the Viceroy of Egypt, and
that the reason assigned is the absence of the firman of
the Porte at Constantinople, the following statement is of-
fered :—" According to the terms of the concession granted
by the Viceroy the duty of obtaining the firman rested with
the Viceroy and not with M. de Lesseps or the company,
who contend that the arrangement subsisting was with the
Viceroy only, who, if he intended protesting at all, should
not have encouraged and sanctioned the commencement of
the works, and then have suddenly ordered their discon-
tinuance. It appears that three vessels laden with materiel
for the works were permitted to enter Egypt free of duty,
by order of his Highness, and that the Viceroy openly faci-
litated in every way the operations of M. de Lesseps and
the engineers in Egypt. The present step is, therefore,
attributed to the exercise of British Government influence,
the particulars of which are shortly to transpire."

We quote the following paragraph from the Herts
Guardian; but Mr. Cowper not having accepted office,
there will be no new election for the borough. It is gene-
rally supposed in the neighbourhood that the threatened
contest deterred that honourable gentleman from joining
the Palmerston Ministry :—"The Borough.—On Saturday
last a handbill was issued stating that Mr. Cowper would
probably take office, and asking the electors to make no
rash promises of their votes, for he would be opposed. It
is highly desirable for many reasons that the strength of
political parties should be fairly tested at a single election.
Mr. R. Dimsdale will be the Conservative candidate ; and
the long connection of his family with Hertford, his supe-
rior abilities, the attention he gives to all matters affecting
the various interests of the borough, and lastly, and not
least, the manner in which the trade of Hertford is patro-
nised by Essendon-place, are all cogent reasons why he
should be heartily supported; but when we add that he is
a thoroughly staunch Conservative, a devoted adherent of
Lord Derby, that he is in the prime of life, ready and
anxious to devote his best energies to the public service—
we have said enough to recommend Mr. Dimsdale to the
support of all who do not desire to see Hertford degene-
rate into a mere pocket borough." ,
MR. BRIGHT's DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST
THE MINISTRY.—The Manchester Examiner of yesterday
(Mr. Bright's provincial organ) says :—" In 'looking over
the list of the new Ministry one name will occur to every
one as conspicuous by its absence ;' we refer, of course, to
Mr. Bright. His claims to a place in the Cabinet, judged
solely by his political abilities and the weight of his per
sonal character, are so obvious and indisputable, that some
mystery is supposed to rest upon his exclusion. To set
misapprehension at rest we deem it advisable to state
that there is no mystery at all about the matter.
He has not been asked to take office, and we believe
that no fact could be more in unison with his per-
sonal inclinations ; but why this course has been
adopted towards one whose Parliamentary influence is so
great, whose pre-eminent services to the cause of Reform
are acknowledged on all sides, and who, if any member of
the section of the Liberal party to which he belongs were to
be admitted to office, had certainly a prior claim—this is a
question more interesting than difficult of solution. Such
things have, doubtless, an inner as well as an outer history,
but the whole case may be easily comprehended, without
descending to recondite surmises. That Mr. Bright's po-
litical principles were not deemed an insuperable bar to
office is obvious from the selection of Mr. M. Gibson and
Mr. Cobden, whose views are identical with his own. The
objection is a small one. Mr. Bright, by his eloquent ad-
vocacy of great truths, has had the insufferable misfortune
to render himself personally obnoxious to a few proud and
feeble oligarchs, whose influence is mighty in the
serener heights of aristocratic Whiggism, and not
unfelt perhaps at Court ; and to' their intrigues,
incessant and bitter, he is indebted for the
privilege of remaining unattached. What could be more
natural ? Exclusion from office on such grounds is the best
tribute which could be paid to his, abilities and his political
worth. We have only to add that if the necessities of the
Cabinet, and the desire to retain power, compel them to co-
operate with' Lord John 'Russell in fulfilling the just ex-
pectation of the Liberal party, then it will undoubtedly re-
ceive the support of the country, and the independent party
in Parliament ; but if the same dishonest intrigues which
have characterised the admission into the highest places in
the Cabinet of incompetent men, and the known secret
opposition to the more liberal policy of Lord John Russell
of a portion of those who have already violated their deli-
berate pledges, should ultimately prevail, thon we may rest
assured that there will be a speedy end of Lord Palmerston's
Administration, and tht reign of Whig incompetency will
be awed for ever."