Public Amusements.

from the great transept to the basement , so that the crowds assembled at the Palace on clays when the great fountains are played , and other popular occasions , may escape from the building to the gardens , ancl vice versa , without the pressure and inconvenience so often complained of . The enormous roof over the Great Handel Orchestra is being rapidly proceeded with for the great musical celebration to be held during the coining season . Competent acoustical authorities predict with

certainty that while the volume of sound will ha enormously increased , the quality and clearness of the music will he still more greatly improved . The demand for seats for the coming Festival being already considerably in excess of the Festivals of 1857 and 1859 , contracts have been entered into for many thousands of cane-bottomed chairs for reserved seats ancl other places . A limited number of Half-Guinea Tickets for the

Festival will be issued on the 23 rd of April . The Exhibitors' department has received , ancl is daily receiving , very extensive additions . The carriage department has been considerably enlarged , notwithstanding which it is difficult to accommodate all who apply for space . Great exertions are being made to have the Palace as fresh and as pleasing in appearance as possible by the opening of the International Exhibition , that

foreigners and provincial visitors may have the opportunity of contrasting it not alone with the present International Exhibition , but with its predecessor in Hyde Park , in 1851 . Those who attended the 1851 Exhibition may he well reminded , at tins time that the present Crystal Palace received vast additions when it was re-erected at Sydenham . In the 1851 building the naves were fiat-roofed , in place of being arched from end to end , and were considerably less lofty than they now arc .

The great transept is also nearly as large again as the transept ofthe 1851 Exhibition ; an additional story was also added to the garden front of the Palace , and this , coupled with the magnificent site upon which the Palace is placed , overlooking some of the most varied and beautiful English scenery , gives it advantages

of the highest order , and must tend to make it the great place of popular resort for the millions drawn to London by tlie International Exhibition . Great care and preparation are being bestowed on the gardens within ancl without the Palace . Hanging baskets by the score have been suspended along each side of the nave ; the flowerbeds ancl walks on the terraces are being renovated and prepared for the season with the greatest activity . The brilliant display

of flowers in the upper gardens last year was the theme of such general eulogium , that all concerned are more than usually anxious that their reputation shall be fully maintained during the coming season . The Directors , having in view the anticipated great influx of visitors during the next six months , have decided upon issuing only one class of season tickets , viz ., at One Guinea each—a

liberality which will doubtless be attended hy its full reward . They will be shortly ready for issue . The first great day of the season will be on Good Friday , when Sims Reeves , Madame Riuiersdorff , and other vocalists , will appear in a concert of sacred music . " To afford full opportunity for visitors arriving and departing , the doors , of the Palace will be opened at Nine o'clock , and the Palace be lighted

up in the evening . As on Good Friday last year 50 , 'J 12 persons visited the Palace , when Sims Reeves also appeared , a great day may be anticipated . On Easter Monday , Tuesday , and Wednesday , Blondin—who is engaged by the Lord Mayor for a juvenile entertainment in the Egyptian Hall on the following evening—will go through a series of his high rope and low rope performances . For the latter purpose the handsome stage used for the Christinas

Festivities , will be made available . Blondin , who is bound down by engagement to appear nowhere else in London than at the Crystal Palace , will give a few performances during the Exhibition season , and thus strangers to the Metropolis will have the opportunity for witnessing his unrivalled exhibitions .

AVeimer , says a letter from that place , does not forget that she has merited the surname of the " Athens of Germany . " The artistical riches which that city contains are , from the want of sufficient and suitable space , divided and dispersed in a manner which is very prejudicial to them . A bill will , therefore , it is expected , be presented by the Government to the Diet , demanding a grant of 60 , 000 crowns for the construction of a museum . The adoption of this measure is considered as so certain that Dr . Schuchard is already spoken of as the future director of this national establishment .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

The Florentine journals are filled with enthusiastic accounts ofthe debut of a new prima donna , in the Theatre Delle Pergola of Florence . The new soprano is Signora Giovannina Stella , a lady 21 years of age , and endowed , according to the journals of Florence , with singular attractions of face and figure . The journals are unanimous in predicting a splendid career for the young singer . Signora Stella is described by one of the journals as having an exquisite voice of the true soprano quality , of a

tone at once peculiarly sweet ancl powerful , a style perfectly trained in the best schools , and a dramatic power which bespeaks the genuine artist . Herr Ernst's many friends ( and never had musician warmer ones ) will be glad to hear that late accounts from the South of France speak of his health as iu some small degree amended , so as to enable him , without discomfort , to proceed with compositions in hand , Of these we hope to hear ' something more

definite ere long . Mr . F . C . Burnaiid ' s extravaganza of " Fair Rosamond , " will be the Easter novelty at the Olympic . Mr . H . J , Byron is engaged in preparing a new entertainment for Mr . and Mrs . Charles Matthews . The Easter pieces at the Theatre Royal , New Adelphi , will be , " The A ampire " ( a revival ) and "The Cricket on the Hearth " ( a reconstruction ) both bMr . Boucicault .

, y At the Princess's , a five-act drama , from the joint pens of M . Fechter ancl Mr . Edmund Yates , called , " The Golden Dagger , " will be produced on Easter Monday . Mr . W . Brough , the author of " Perseus and Andromeda , " has a fairy extravaganza in preparation at St . James ' s , for Easter .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Her Majesty and the younger branches of the Royal Family continue at Osborne . IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . —In the HOUSE OE LORDS on Thursday , the 3 rd inst ., the Duke of Somerset , in reply to a question from Lord Hardwioke , stated that in the course of the present year we should have ten armour-cased ships afloat , while that number would be increased next year by five or six . On

Friday Lord Normanby reverted to the alleged military proclamation issued in Southern Italy , but was met with the rejoinder from Earl Russell that , while there was reason , to believe that the documents referred to had been , drawn up without authority , ifc was absurd to attempt to males Her Majesty ' s Ministers responsible for the acts , or alleged acts , of the Italian government . In replto a question from Earl

y Stanhope , Lord Granville stated that tho re- " revised code " would be laid on the table before the House adjourned for the Easter recess . Lord Kinnaird called attention to the increased , severity of the Russian rule in Poland , referring more particularly to the torture alleged to have been employed for the purpose of extorting evidence from M . A . Zamoyslci . Lord Russell said the rumoured torture of M . Zamoyski was denied

by the Russian authorities , and he ueclmed to go into the general question of the state of Poland . Lord Stratford de Redcliffe believed that friendly representations might be mi . de to the Russian government with good effect . On Monday Lord Clarendon , as president of the Public Schools Commission , stated , in reply to a question from Lord Campbell , that while it would be undesirable to make military drill compulsory in the public schools , tho Commissioners would give the subject

careful consideration . Four of the batch of titlcs-to-land bills , introduced by tbe Lord Lord Chancellor , Lord Chelmsford , and other Law Lords , passed through committee ; and three other measures—the Industrial Schools Act ( 1861 ) Amendment Bill , the Whipping Bill , and the Pier and Harbour Act Amendment Bill were advanced a stage . a stage . In the HOUSE OE COMMONS on Thursday , the 3 rd , Mr . Gladstone made his financial statement . He stated that the

actual expenditure for the past year was £ 70 , 838 , 000 , ancl the revenue £ 09 , 674 , 479 , showing a deficit of about £ 1 , 160 , 000 . Taking things as they stand at present , the right hon . gentleman estimated that the revenue for next year would produce £ 70 , 190 , 000 , the estimated expenditure being £ 70 , 040 , 000 . This would leave him in possession of a surplus of £ 150 , 000 j but ho proposes a commutation of the hop duty , which would involve a loss of £ 45 , 000 , and a reduction of the duty on playing cards from Is . to 3 d . per pack . He further proposed to apply to