The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-28 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1853.

crony of Lord LONDONDERRY, when they are within five
hundred miles of each other; LONDONDERRY rarely dines
without referring in terms of eulogy almost extravagant
of NESSELRODE'S famous batterie de cuisine. The Count
has not so much duplicity as had TALLEYRAND ; he has
more caution—perhaps cunning than PALMERSTON. I
know and knew all three,—" The King. among them a' "
was old club-footed TALLEYRAND ; I never met him
except when he was in full dress, bespangled, soaped and
powdered to the eyes ; I am sure if that wily old man, with
his ugly screw-foot, had dressed in black, he would have
reminded me strongly of my boyish pictures of another
gentleman in sable hue, distinguished also by a peculiarity
in the pedals. Perhaps, in the category of diplomatists,
1 ought tohavementioned old METTERNICH; what splendid
wines that man used to have when ABERDEEN and I were
young, and ABERDEEN METTERNICH'S apprentice. But
touching NESSELRODE and his master's circular, which
has made some noise in the "clubs of London" during
the last few days. That circular is all ban's, and I will in
one sentence put the whole of what is called by some
donkeys the cams belli. NICHOLAS is Emperor of Russia,
and instructed his minister to write to the ambassadors of
Russia wherever it had relations, that the Emperor de-
sired to acknowledge himself the protector of 11,000,000
of Greek Christians scattered over Turkey and Russia.
No great harm this, one would think ; besides, he has had
something like the protectorate for a long time past.
Pooh ! There's nothing in it. Ain't there ? Give
NICHOLAS what he seeks through his circular, and these
eleven millions become as much his serfs as the stunted,
snub-nosed, beard.begrirnmed, oil-swallowing Calliban-
Cossacks.

Poor AlarnicE O'CONNELL, you will have seen, slipped
away suddenly the other day. ilAuitioe was not too
happy in his hearth for the last few years of his life, and
was sometimes liable to get excited ; he was walking
about a few hours before his death, apparently in his
usual state—as indeed he was. He had been in the habit
of soothing himself by taking morphine,—dangerous ex-
pedient for a man of his habits ; he had taken, it is con-
jectured, too much of the drug, and death followed hard
upon the draught. His son, and heir to Derrynane, is a
midshipman on board the Dauntless, of yellow fever re-
membrance. Sir JAMES GRAHAM, a day or two ago,
met an old friend of the O'CONNELL family, with whom
the baronet sympathized much, and desired the friend of
O'CONNELL to communicate with the trustees of the lad,
to the effect that he, Sir JAMES, would feel a great hap-
piness in promoting his views at the Admiralty. This
was not bad from the First Lord. Let us hope that Sir
JAMES GRAHAM will keep his word ; I have known him
to be twitted sometimes for an apparent want of recollec-
tion in similar cases.

(BENVENUTO CELLINI and HECTOR BERLIOZ—do not
laugh, gentles, at the association,—they are both distin-
guished names; the unsurpassed worker in gold, silver,
and ivory, CELLINI, out of whose matchless cups I have
quaffed Falernian, was a fit subject far the graceful plume
of HECTOR BERLIOZ, whose opera, in three acts, named
after the great artist, was produced at the Royal Italian
Opera, on Saturday night, before an audience, probably
the like of which was never seen within the walls of a
theatre. The house contained everybody of mark and
likelihood in the town, from the SOVEREIGN down to your
correspondent. Rank and title,—the star and the garter—
and oh, glorious equality ! needy men of genius—scho-
lars and musicians—all as happy, and apparently indepen-
dent, as the best of them. HECTOR BERLIOZ is unques-
tionably one of the most accomplished and voluble critics
of the day ; he is the musical man of the Debats ; and
herein is his proper office. As is usual, the baton was
conceded to him by COSTA, and on entering the orchestra
to conduct his work, he was received with a very hearty
welcome : seldom bestowed to such an extent in this aris-
tocratic assembly. BERLIOZ looked well, and though
red-hot from Paris, was quietly dressed. He has a re-
markable bead,—rather good ; his lips, if anything, are
rather too thin, but classically compressed ; his nose,—a
beak ; age. 45. The opera is divided into three acts : the ,
first and second having an overture, so to speak. With the
exception of GRISI and MARI°, all the members of the
distinguished corps were put in requisition to vindicate
the claims of BERLIOZ as a composer. All sang
well, and the orchestra was unison. As the opera pro-
ceeded, it made little way to the affections. Musical
skill,—contrapuntal,—tact, judgment, were apparent in
every bar,—genius was not. A gleam came now and
then, evanescent,—worse, reminding the ear of past im-
pressions. Where Ile pleased, BERLIOZ did not appear
to be original. In trying sometimes to avoid noise—
sound and fury—he became vapid, cold, and drowsy. The
instrumentation deserves praise, and the nice application
and free use of the wind instruments redeemed much of
baser matter. The opera was kindly received, more for
the sake of the author than the excellencies of his work.
Is musical genius, like the dramatic, defunct ? Each
succeeding new production sadly seems to affirm.
Since Ross's' wrote we have had nothing worth repeat-
ing; METERBEER'S operas are not Italian. Never were
greater executants on the Italian boards; would that they
bad better works to interpret. The season is now fast
drawing to a close ; the crowding in of subscription nights
on Mondays and Fridays, is a sure indication that five or
six nights more will see London dull enough. I believe
that the court will anticipate the close of the season a
fortnight earlier this year.

THE AMERICAN COTTON TRADE.-

EAST INDIA REFORM

FREEMEN OF LIVERPOOL,

You may shortly be called upon to exercise once more
that electoral privilege which the moat searching investi-
as amply shown you knew so well how to appre-
ciate, and nobly to exercise, at the last Election, in the
preservation of the principles of the Constitution and the
maintenance of the true interests of the Port. You
know by what party you were foully slandered and your
electoral rights attempted to be taken away ; and you will
bear this in mind when canvassers, with bated breath and
whispering humbleness, shall again venture to solicit your
votes for the effete cause of treacherous Liberalism. You
have yourselves nobly vindicated your character for
intelligence and independence ; you have shown that you
are equally above the delusion of false promises and more
tangible corruption ; and now that it has been amply
demonstrated that your strength rests in your defence of
Conservative principles, you should unite as one man in
opposing the Radicals, who would make the first use of
their power to deprive you of your Franchise. It is to the
Conservatives you owe your retention on the Burgess list
by the Reform Act ; the same party has ever resisted
your removal from it; and the late investigation has
proved that your bitterest enemies are those whose cuckoo
cry has always been for en extension of the Franchise, but
who, in your case, would diminish it. These are palpable
facts which ought never to be forgotten, and your remem-
brance of them will be shown whenever the Radicals shall
dare to contest the Representation of Liverpool.

THE HON. HENRY

THOMAS LIDDELL

ON 'CHANGE.
ADDRESS TO THE ELECTORS

LIVERPOOL ELECTION.

MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CON-
SERVATIVE CANDIDATES IN ST. PETER'S
WARD.

As they were now united

Mr. Liddell, he believed, would prove one of the best
members they had had for a long time. His explanation
of his vote on the Maynooth grant was exceedingly simple
and easily understood. He told them how Sir Robert
Peel had stated that the priests and the people of
Ireland were clamorous and discontented, and that,
perhaps, by increasing the grant and educating the peo-
ple, they would be made more loyal and peaceable.
By these representations, Mr. Liddell and others were
prevailed upon to vote for the increased grant. But the
result had not justified the anticipation : the Irish priestS
were neither more loyal nr more true, and so Mr. Liddell
thought he was fully justified in changing the opinion he
had then formed. Again, Mr. Liddell was neither a
Tractarian nor a Puseyite—he believed those words meant
precisely the same thing, (laughter ;) but he believed he
was a stout Church of England man. (Cheers.) He asked
the electors of St. Peter's Ward not to be gulled in an!
shape by their enemies. Those enemies might try to
divide them, but to defeat them they might as well try to
stem the current of the Mersey. (Loud cheers.) All
they had to do was to be united. They had thrashed
them before, and they'd thrash them again. (Loud cheers.)
As for the petitioners, they had virtually failed. He should
be very glad to hear that they had paid their debts. He
did not believe, though, that they had. (Laughter.) He
hoped they would give fight, but it appeared they had not
the requisite cash to sustain a contest. (Laughter.) Still,
he hoped they would have a contest ; their troops were all
in order, and he could tell the " Liberals" that, if there
was a battle, it would be like the battle of Waterloo.
(Laughter.) Waterloo gave to Europe a peace which had tasted
n years ; and if the "Liberals " came forward on this owl,
sion, he believed they would not have another contest in Liver-
pool for a long time to come. (Loud laughter.) The speaker
dilated, in an amusing strain, upon the purity of their oppo-
nents. Why, it appeared that, in that very ward, breakfast&
and grog (laughter) had been provided for the Radical voters,
while they (the Conservatives) had only given breakfast and
coffee. He had this from the best authority ; in fact, from one
person who had supplied the grog and the breakfasts. (Laugh-
ter.) " But, never mind," said Mr. Callis, "we can beat them
with grog or without grog; and all I ask is this —Do not split,
and we'll thrash them into atoms." The speaker sat down
amidst loud applause. _