The Press. — 1853-09-24 (London, England)

THE STATISTICAL. CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS went off splendidly under the presidency of M. Quetelet, director of the Brussels Observatory. The Nice presidents were—M. Villerne, for France ; Farr, for England ; thernig, for Austria ; Dietoriis, for Prussia ; Mittermaier, for Baden; Akkersdyeth, for Holland ; Renton de la Satgra, for Spain ; and Bertini, for Italy. The other members were Messrs. Leone Lever ; Whewell, from Trinity College. Cambridge ; Southwood Smith, member of the Board of Health ; Babbage, &c. On Wednesday the Congress was honoured by the presence of the King of the Belgians and the Prince ; and in the evening the members of the Congress, to the number of lb°, as sembled at a dinner. On Thursday all the principal members of the Congress dined at the Court. JOHANNA WAGNER is performing with immense success at Munich. Next month she will sing Sophocles' Antigone and (Edipus. with music by Mendelssohn. It is the first time Mendelssohn's music to King adipus will have been performed in a Ger man theatre. The music used ull now was by Lac, ner.  SIIAKSPEATIE'S Antony and Cleopatra will be performed next winter at the Burg Theatre at Vienna. Tut: GRAND OPERA AT VIENNA was reopened with the Huguenots, after remaining closed for three months for the purposes of restoration. The opinions are very contradictory as to the decorations: some approve of the exclusive use of gold and white, others blame it : but all are of opinion that the ceiling or cupola is perfect. THE BELGIAN Moniteur announced some days ago the discovery of an important piece of history, the confession of Balthazar Gerard, the murderer of Prince William the Taciturn of Orange, written and signed by Gerard himself. The thing made some noise among the historians but the Stoats Courant. the Dutch 3louiteur. has considerably reduced the importance of the document by declaring that it is nothing else but a contemporaneous copy of the confession of Gerard, the contents of which are generally  known. l'utscx JOHN of SAXON' closel on September 1;. at Nuremberg, the Congress of Gennan Aram.°logists. All tlennan associations were represented, as well as England and Belgium. The number of members was 115. The nest meeting will take place in Iss-1 at Munster, in Westphalia. M. ALEXANDRE VON III'IIDoLDT accomplished his s4th year on the 13th. The illustrious philosopher is still in the full enjoyment of health and vigour. 1)R. KALISCIL the author of several popular farces. which always draw crowded houses, has produced a new one-act musical piece at the Berlin Kiinigstadter Theatre, entitled An Oriental Question. tiroebecker. the favourite comic actor, plays the part of the diplo_ matic hew, amidst bursts of laughter not over-complimentary to the distinguished body whom he represents.  SATURDAY,  THE PILE% ALEScE ('V DEsTlii • cTlif R FIRE% is AMERICA is diminished very much by the use what is known there as the steam lire-engine. In its form the machine is somewhat similar to a locomotive, throws upwards of a 200-feet jet, and about 200 barrels in an hour, iu from one to six streams of water. The engine way be put in operation in five minutes, requiring four men and four horses, and is calculated to do asmnch as wix of the ordinary handengines. At a late tire in Cincinnati, the engine discharged a cataract of 15,010 barrels of water in eight hours, and nothing hut this could have saved the entire square iu which the burning building was situated front destruction. A