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Leader (1850-1860), 11th June 1859, Edition 2 of 3, Page 16, OUR MATERIEL. OF WAR IN DANGER. The St. ...

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      Pur Vast Trade, Our Flourishing Pursuits...

      to see millions of worthy people the playthings of a brainless head decorated with a bauble . France having a frontier of 200 miles next Piedmont , and Austria only about sixty , and the French people being excitable , and ruled by one who has none of what may be" styled the puddle of legitimacy in liis circulation ; that fluid alone ennobling the veins of the recent sovereign of Naples and the present Austrian ruler , according to some weak headed people , it was natural to expect that Piedmont ¦ would make the French nation disaffected , and that Napoleon "would have

      seen their free constitution with as much disapprobation as Austria , instead of winch he is in alliance with the contumacious Piedmontese . How this arises , and how the alliance is to be characterised , I have not space to detail , and must reserve it , having something to say upon the difference between a line of policy in union with reason and justice , and one which , disregarding both , hopes to profit , if only by the chapter of accidents . Paolo .

      724 The Leader. [Fine Arts, &C.

      724 THE LEADER . [ Fine Arts , & c .

      Our Materiel. Of War In Danger. The St. ...

      OUR MATERIEL . OF WAR IN DANGER . The St . ^ Martin ' s Hall meeting on national defences and rifle volunteers , summoned some nine weeks since , at which Sir Charles Napier presided , and for which the country was indebted to Mr . Alfred B . Richards , was followed by an immediate movement whieh has now grown into enthusiasm on the subject . So far so good . There is , however , an important supplementary need . The youth and manhood of the country are ready and willing to do their duty ; but will the rifles be ready , should an emergency , ere long , arise ? We have reason to believe that some of our own srunmakers are more

      ship reserve , upon which we have been taught to setgreat value , should an emergency arise . We have supported Mr . Lever in his great national , postal , and commercial undertaking at Galway , because we thought it worthy of support on . its own merits ; but we confess tliat we should alter ' our opinion of him if we thought him capable of becoming ^ a direct , or voluntary indirect instrument of parting with the strength and resources of this country ^ such a time and crisis . We admit that a shipowner labours under great difficulties if he can neither be chartered by nor sell to foreign countries , and is liable to be run offthe water by American ships .

      But we should blame the authorities even more , should it be found , at the hour of need , that we are without precisely those means , concerning the possession of which we have been so grandiosely congratulated by the Times and other journals , and which we undoubtedly might command , we they not insidiously stolen out of the country by foreign and rival States . On the subject of the Galway Line , we would say one word with reference to Sir James Graham ' s speech last night-Does the right hon . baronet venture to assert that if he were in power he would attempt to annul the grant , which he makes the subject of his ill-natured and incori'ect statements ? He knows that he

      could not , and would not . lie knows that Ireland would be in arms . He knows that no amount of Whig bribeiy would conciliate the Irish members or constituents , -whom he pretends are so base , and that he would , if once on the Treasury benches , never open his . lips against the Galway grant . Is , then , his conduct—or is it not —factious antagonism , of the most degraded kind ?

      intent upon violating the neutrality whieh lias been proclaimed , than fulfilling home contracts . Unquestionably , large quantities of improved arms have found their way , during the last few months , to France arid Sardinia . Of course , the great Austrian navy has a discretionary power to capture these , as well as English steam-ships , Welsh steam coal , and , possibly , provisions and horses ! At least we are ' pretty certain that the French , would do so were the case reversed , and were the Austrians being supplied by us with the materiel of our own strength .

      We are assured by a British steam-ship owner that a short time ago , he could not procure 300 tons of Welsh steam coal in the port of London . In the case of the Mauritius , can there be any doubt as to her fate , were she to be at this moment off Marseilles on her way to Trieste or Venice with com and other stores for Austria ? Mr . Bright probably sees no harm in supplying France with British goods . He sees nothing to dread in the tremendous steam naval armament of

      France , and her supplementary transport power . He -would not object to sell ships , guns , rifles , coal and all , especially if some cotton prints were included . Mr . Bright is the open advocate of reliance on the pacific intentions of the Emperor Napoleon . We remember how he became sponsor with Mr . Sturge for those of the late Emperor Nicholas . Wo see no reason to suspect the present Ministers of an undue leaning towards Austria . We presume that they have been more inclined to leave the strict observation of our

      neutrality t < i chance , lest they should provoke the insinuations of such men as Sir James Graham . We think ,, however , that both our own honour and safety are deeply concerned in preserving the neutrality of this country inviolate . Again , the proceedings of Spain should be carefully watched . Why is Spain increasing her navy at such a vnte ? Wljy has she refused to sign a treaty of alliance with Portugal P A short time ago we observed a communication in a daily

      contemporary , headed , "A Fleet in Peril , " whieh informed the public that a Manchester manufacturer , Mr . Thomas Howard , and M > . John Orrell Lever , M . P ., % ho enterprising projector of the Galway lin'c- j had just purchased , on speculation , eight magnificent' screw steamers , formerly bolonging to the European and American Company . We ourselves pointed the fact out to tho notice of our readers . Since then wo havo observed that the Spanish Government has purchased four large steamers belonging to a Liverpool company . We have not heard what is about to bo douu with the e ^ ght steam-ships of whieh we made mention 5 but w * j warn the Government and nation against parting with the materials of war , and especially our stoam-

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      Stream Should Be Intercepted In Their Co...

      stream should be intercepted in their course to his olfactories . He would hotter have exercised his pen during his hours of idleness in encouraging such displays , of patriotism as we hope tliis event may be traced to . We would fain see a statue to the author of ' * Waverley " erected by the bold Buccleuch also on his own land , beyond control of commit tees and commissioners . We should even like to seo the graven image of one Cromwell set up in Whitehall also , at the cost of a private citizen , for men of this and future times to admire and to think upon , without owing such a favour to the gracious condescension of the upper ten thousand . Society for the bnoouiiacikmmt or tub ! Finb Akts . —This society , which is gradually attaining very considerable importance , hold a conversazione

      The ex hibition of w o rks o f the Elder and Ancient M aster s , lent b y the members of the British Instituti o n , Pall Mall , is now open . It is peculiarly rich in works by Gainsborough- ^—a compliment to M . Silv e stre , thje French Imperial Fine Art Commissioner , whose recent lecture before the Society of Arts lias done much to revive interest in the works of the g re at painter , whom the French critic terms the father of modern English art . A STATUE of Xord Clive has been placed on a temporary pedestal on the grounds of the Duke of Buccleu c h , between the Whitehall railings and the debr i s of the mansion . It is a fine work , and supposing it to be the property of the peer

      abovenamed , and that he proposes to establish it permane ntly on its pr e s e nt site , we are disposed to honour him for his public spirit . The statue of the exclerk , statesman and conqueror should long ere this have decorated Xondon . Some superfine popinjay in the Council Office—it may be an employe , whose bile has been roused by recent call for " more scholarship , " or it may be a polite and popular past grand official in that department—has written to a contemporary , abusing the statue and the site in no measured terms . As a climax to his diatribe he actually hints a plaint that it comes between the Council Office and the River Thames . What a pity the salutary emanations from tliat' already foetid

      and so ea rnestl y by a large number of young men that it was evident some great and important change was at hand . After a concert of vocal and instrumental music , which included Gounod ' s " Meditation , " on one of Bach ' s fugues for violin CMdlle Hamler ) , pianoforte ( Mr . Gilbert ) , and harmonium ( Dr . Bennett Gilbert ) , and a variety of soli , allotted to Mme . Enderssohn , Miss Van Noorden , Miss Summerhayes , Mr . Patey , & c , Mr . Ellis read a valuable paper on the subject of the " Poetry of Art , " that is to say , on the poetic feeling as exhibited in true , art of e very kind . The rooms were full y and " fashionably attended . .

      yesterday evening , at the rooms , of the Architectural Association , in Conduit-street . Mr . II . Ottloy read a highly interesting paper on the Old Masters , illustrated by engravings from some of the most celebrated works of the great Italian and Flemish painters , and embracing the wholo history of pictorial art , from tho Byzantines and their immediate followers down to the Cnraccl > and again from tho decadence of the great school to the recent signs of a revival . The lecturer pointed out how , when religion ceased to be the prime motive of art , painting , as in the case of Rubens , was made a more vehicle for tho glorification of potentates , or , as in that of Wattoau , for the decoration of boudoirs . What the new mobile would bo it was impossible to foresee ; but art was just now boing cultivated so elnooroly

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      *^ ROYAL ITALIAX OPEKA , COVKNT GA 11 DP : X . The appearance last Thursday of Madame Pcneo as Zerlina , in th e " Don Giovanni , " should not pass without a word of remark , coup lod as it was with another event of interest , the " rentrC-e of Tamberlik . A number of encores , among which were "II niio Tesoro , " sung- sp l e ndidly b y the latter artist , by Mario , and "Vedrai Carino "by the former , and " Deh v ieni alia finestra " by Mario , prolonged the performance until past midnight . The cast was extremely strong , comprising the names above given , with Madame Grisi { Donna Anna ) , Mdlle . Marai ( ^ Donna Elvira ) , Signor Ronconi ( Leporelloi ) , and Signor T agliafico ( // Commeindatoi-e ) . T he house was crammed to the coiling , and the ens e mble —despite mutilations and transpositions offensive to ears hypercritical— : was superb . The performances of the present week have been the " IIuguenots , ' and " Martha , " and on Tuesday Madame Grisi appeared as JVorma . At the Italian Opera , Dri / rvX , axe , we have had the " Troyatore , " Madame Titiens as Leonora ; also the "Barber of Seville " and " Don Giovanni , " with the same casts as previously reported on . The opera revived on Thursday night at Drurylane : — "II Giuramento , " by Mercadante-r-does not contain any music of peculiar merit , but * much-that is pl ea sing , and which , althoug h not rising in any p la c e 'much above mediocrity , at any rate never falls below it . The plot of the opera , looked at as a dramatic work , is as bad as it can be , and confused beyond description ; but though this exercises an injurious effect upon the whole , it is a matter of very third-rate importance . Mdlle . G uarducci and Mdme . Weiser took the two princi pal femal e parts , and

      acquitted themselves admirably—the former lady executing some rather difficult music in the beg inning of the second act with the consummate skill for which she is so remarkable . The musical knowledge exhibited by both herself and Signor L . Graziani deserved much praise . A duet by Madlle . Guarducci and Mdme . Weiser , " Dolce conforta , " was very sweetly sung . Mdme . Weiser , indeed , througho u t the opera was in excellent voice , and sung most powerfully and effectively . Signor Fagotti only just escaped an encore in the beginning of the third act , where he sang a long solo with great effect . Several instrumental solos also are inlroduccd , a contrivance not altogether legitimate in an opera , though onethat on the violoncello , tras executed with great skill

      and fluency . The Vocal Association gave an undress concert on Wednesday evening * at tho St . James Hall . The vocal soloists were Mesdamos Abbot and l ' orrington , Misses Chvri JTruscr , Jessio Cole , and Gordon , and Mr . Slmrp . Mddle . Humler played one ot her delightful solos on the violin with her usual exquisite finish and modesty ; and Miss Green gave a prelude by Bach , and rondo by C . M . von Weber . Tho choral pieces—one or two were old favourites with tho society—wore creditably sung ; and bir Henry Bishop ' s ?« Sleep , gentle lady , " was , of course , not the least interesting feature of tho programme

      Mr . Horsloy conducted for . Mr . Jjonouict . Hit . ' Bknkvict ' s announcement of his Annual Monster Concert , nt St . James' Hall , on Monday next , wo should have pleasure in printing , ui tlio hope of attracting visitors to honour tins ammoic man and able musician , were it not of an excellence to forbid extract and of a length to defy insertion entire It embraces the names of Mosdnmos Unra Novollo , Lommens Sherrington ; Mdlles . Uunrducci and Sarolta , DosirCo Artot , with Hlgnon Mongmi , Badiali * Marini , Ludovico Gnuslunl , ltoiclmrdt , I * oi « lotti , Jules Stockhauscn , Jules Lofort , and banXW as vocalists . Leopold do Mcyor and Benedict will play on the piano ; 1 'iotti on tho violoncello j . wiom-j awski on the violin ; and tho Vocal Association will lend tho aid of its numerous choir in some ot tuoir hannlast morccaux . Tho beiUifwiare Ima our warm

      wishes for a full audience to onjoy tho banquet no has provided , one of whose most pit-using and novel features will bo found to bo 11 selection fVoiu Mcyoiboor ' s new opera f » J ^ o JAirikm do 1 'loormol .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 11, 1859, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11061859/page/16/