The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-25

INK BAL MASQtk In NEW fORK.-The Git
tie Napoleon" Of the Opera, Mr.. Ullmsn, has
issued his proclamation for the first bal nsasouf
at the Academy of Music, to take place about
the middle of next month. The tailors, the
nuodsstss and the costumers have already sent out
their circulars In relation to the fancy dresses
to be worn on the great occasion, and patterns
of the masks and dominoes are on exhibition at
the Academy The orchestra is to include one
hundred and fifty performers, and L to be di-
rected by Ausard, the king of the quadrilies,
who has been 20 often carried in triumph on the
shoulders Of his Partisan subjects
There have been masquerades before. Those
at the old Park theatre were the best; but,
alas, for the rsvages of time, the persons who
participated In the revels Of that day prefer the
nreeide TO the ballroom, and port to polkaa But
even the makers Of twenty or thirty years ago
received but faint idea of the spleudor of a
masquerade ball after the Paris fashion. Those
only who have been at the Grand Opera dur
ing the Carnival, who have seen the Rue LIE
pelletier, the Boulevard des Italiens the Pas
sage de rOpera, and all the adjoining streets
foE half mile round blazing with torches re-
sounding with .teur de joe and glttering
with dukes, dkbardeurs, shepherdesses and coun-
teeses dressed in every variety Of costume, from
the period of Charlemagne up to that Of Louis
XVI, can have any idea of the brilliancy of the
scene nat Il there presented Such bal masqs<
as that of the N.ndi Grus in Paris, is an event
in ones lifetime.
And now we are to have Partisan mssque-
rade in New York. The regulations ore the
same as those of the Imperial Grand Opera,
only the ladies are to be masked, and they are
not admitted unless attended by . gentleman
who is not masked. The ladies may wear fancy
costumes or the large silk cloak, covering the
whole dress, and called the domino. Gentle
men may appear in fancy costumes or plain
clothes, as they elect; and the same liberty is
given to the ladies, so that the affair will COM
bine all the best features of the bal n,asqv<, the
bal costume and the bal pars-without being ex
cludvely one or the other. The regulations
will prevent the admission of any improper
persons, and the "best society" may patronize
the affair without soiling the hem of Its domino.
The novelty of the affair, the distinguished
patronage already given to it, the zeal of the
manager in putting it before the public, and
the appearance of Musard himself to direct it.,
has made the ball a prominent topic Of town
talk. In the Fifth avenue and other fashion
able quarters it has almost swamped the alb
sorbing subject of the religious revivals; and
the young demoiselles are dying to have Lent
over, so that they may be free to settle the vexed
questions as to costumes or dominoes; to decide
what pattern of mask they shall adopt, and to
select the victims for the batteries of wit which
they intend to deploy under cover. These are
all grave questions, and it Is cheering to know
that they are being debated with proper regard
to their weight and importance.
The excitement about the bal naasqus has
spread beyond New York. The people in Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, Baltimore and other places
in the interior, being quite well aware that the
balmasqut is metropolitan luxury, and there
fore that they cannot hope to have one, are
making arrangements to come here and share in
it. Washington will send a great diplomatic
delegation, and the members of Congress,
having saved the country, will rest from their
labors and refresh themselves with the gay
scene at the Academy. The prospect is that
the bal ~asqut will be the most novel, curious,
unique, amusing, exciting and piqusnt affair
ever gotten up in this metropolis Everybody
is on the qh ,fve for ii. 1t is the newest topic
of the day, and will for the time wipe out
everything else, even the prayer meetings.
SroPPAGE OF THE ALxsHoUsE GRoo BILL
The Governors of the Almshouse have resolved
70 stop their own grog. The proceeding will
be classed by some side by side with the disin-
terested self denial of Timoleon and Washing
ton; while to others it will merely appear that
the Governors, like prudent, sensible men of the
world, have desired to enforce upon themselves
o season Of fasting and abstinence, in order to
get over the effects Of their recent dcbauches
According to the official returns, we find the
consumption Of the last six months to have
been -
say yvs potuee
Wines sos, say 30 dozen
mnskey'''. .'''..''.'..'..''... lol say 90 gAnons
ooV, say loV poxcs
Patriotic as the motives Of the Governors I'M
doubtedly we're, one cannot wonder really, at
their desiring, for their own good, to return to
cold water regime after such six months work
as this. And what must be thought of the ap-
petite Of that Governor who stood out alone
against his colleagues, and refused to have bis
grog cut off? Gargantua must have been a fool
to him
In short while, the Governors will have re-
covered their health, and spirits, and appetites,
and then no doubt the consumption of brandy
wine, wfAskey and segars will be renewed
They will in oil probability be paid for as drugs
and medicines for suffering patients. We all
know the medical properties Of brandy, wine