The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-10 00:00:00

GREAT HANDEL FESTIVAL.

The Festival Orchest-a is now exposed to view in it;
entire extent. Nothing short of a visit can give a due
idea of its grandeur. If the space of Exeter-ball were
filled lengthways with a series of semicircular benchss
towering high above the roof, it would convey but an
inadequate idea of the extent of the orchestra, which alone
far exceeds the area of any music hell in the country. A
beautiful effect has been produced by colouring the
ranges of benches blue, the division of each seat being
brought nut with a white line. A oonsiderable improve-
ment has been effected by the removal of the floor of the
galleries immediately in front of the orchestra, an unim-
peded view of which can now be gained from any of the
thousands of 103. 6d. unreserved tickets which it has
been determined shall be issued. A private trial of the
great organ took placeon Monday night before Mr. Cos a;
the result was gratifying i❑ the extreme, the gigantic
instrument answering to the touch, and giving out the
tone with wonderful force. It was stated by Mr. Scott
Russell, who happened to be present, that its
powerful not.:,s were distinctly heard in the vi lage of
Sydenham, a distance of nearly a mile. The police regu-
lations issued yesterday by the authority of Sir Richard
Mayne will, it is anticipated, prevent the least obstruc•
tion on the roads leading to the Palace, and enable visit
ors to sat down by either the north or south transt pts
without any difficulty. The interest excited by the lee.
tival abroad and in distant parts of the country is very
great. Calculations entered into by the committee slow
that of the tickets purchased (already considerably ex-
ceeding in amount the entire expenses of the Festival)
more than three-fourths have been sent out of London,
many of the purchasers coming from great distances
abroad, or remote districts in this country, to attend the
Festival. As, in order to permit due provision of seats,
barriers, stewards, &c., to be male, the admission to
the Palace will be by tickets only, a notification has
been issued, earnestly recommending intending visitors
to save themselves trouble and confusion at the railway
or entrance by securing tickets beforehand—a caution
not to be despised when the magnitude of the whole of
the arrangements is taken into consideration.

COURT OF ALDERMEN.—At rneetir°, of the Court
yesterday, the resignation by Alderman Eagleton of his
gown, on account of severe indi,position, that will pre-
vent his attending to business, was tendered and ac-
nEpted.
AUSTRALIAN INlins.—lt was stated last week that

there would be no Australian mail via Egypt despatched
this month on the 12th inst. from Southampton, in con-
sequence of the break down of the Oneida. Yesterday
the Postmaster•Gener 1.1 gave notice that the Australian
mail will be despatched from Liverpool on the night of
the 16th inFt., by the steamer Ewen, via the Cape of
Good Hope. Notice was sits given yesterday by the
Postmaster-General that maili for the ewe of G•~nd
Hope will be despatched by the steam transp..rts Mau-
ritius and Cleopatra, which are expected to leave Ports-
mouth on the 14th.

THE MAINE LIQUOR LAw.—A conference of ministers
of religion from various parts of tha country aveinbled
yesterday at the Town-ball, Manchester, to devise mea-
sures for aiding the Maine Liquor Law movement. The
sittings are to continue for several day., and are to be
followed by a public meeting at the Free Trade-hall on
Thursday. The conference was attended yesterday
by 300 persons, and the Rev. Dr. M•Korrow was
€l-,cted provisional chairman, and. afterwards a com-
mittee of management was appointed, and the Rev. G
T. Fox, incumbent of St. Nicholas' Church, Durham,
was appointed permanent chairman. Letters were read
flora various ministers regretting their inability to a,
tend, and a paper was read by the chaplain of tlo
Northampton Gaol speaking of the sad effects that in-
toxicating drinks have on the people. It is exp2cte;l
that the conference will adopt an address to the Queen
on the subject.