The Week.

expressive of their intention of insisting on their observance , which was the course the Government of this country intended to adopt . As to the appointment of interveutors , lie was not in possession of sufficient information to enable him to speak definitely on that point at present . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . — The Moiiileur publishes a letter addressed by the Emperor of the French to the Minister of Marine , announcing that a treathas been signed with Englandwhich

y , authorises the French Government to engage labourers in India for the French colonies . The Emperor , therefore , orders the Minister of Marine to take measures for preventing the introduction of negroes from the African coast into the French colonies after July , 1862 , the date of which the treaty with England is to come into operation . In India and the French possessions in Africa , the Emperor announces that as many free labourers as the

French colonists require can henceforward be found . It would seem that the relations between the French and Russian Courts must be somewhat cooler than they have been . At all events a lithographed correspondence , which under semi-official superintendence transmits from Paris such news as it is ministerially deemed desirable to promulgate in the provinces , has been permitted to circulate or invent a report that demonstrations of discontent were openly made bthe audience when the Emperor Alexander visited

y the theatre at Moscow . It now appears that the ground on which the Emperor Francis Joseph refused to receive the address of the Hungarian Diet , was that the address was so framed as not to admit him to be King of Hungary . The Diet has consented to alter the preamble in such a way as to remove this objection , but it has made no change in the substance of the address , which remains as M . Dealt originally drew it . According to some of tho foreign papers , the Syndic of Turin has received from London a

letter signed by the Lord Mayor , ancl containing a list of English subscriptions to the monument to Count Cavour . Among the names are said to be those of Lord Palmerston , Lord John Russell , ancl other Ministers , many of the leading nobility , members of

Parliament , literary men , artists , naval and military officers , & c . The Italian Chamber has voted a fresh levy of 24 , 000 men , perhaps because the conscription in the Neapolitan and Sicilian provinces must have failed to produce the recruits required from those districts . The semi-official journal of Madrid says that there will be an interview betiveen the Emperor Napoleon and Queen Isabella , if the Emperor expresses a wish for one . The King of Greece is expected to arrive immediately at Trieste , on his way to visit his

family in Bavaria . —•—There is a collision at Bucharest between the Legislative Chamber and the Ministry . The former have passed a vote of want of confidence against the latter , for having permitted the circulation of a petition advocating the union of Moldavia and AVallachia , and not having presented the budget , & c . The people take part with the Government . INDIA . —By the Overland Mail we have intelligence from Bombay to to the 12 th ult ., and from Calcutta to the 3 rd ult . No event of

any striking interest had occurred since the dispatch of tbe last mail . Mr . Laing's state of health did not permit him to land at Penang , and the steamer Australian was to return with him to Calcutta , from whence , after settling some important public questions , he would return overland to England . The volunteering for Her Majesty ' s forces had been so successful that only 500 of the late company ' s troops have remained for local service . The famine was dying out , and future prospects were bright , rain having

fallen throughout the North-west provinces . There has been , a " ministerial crisis , " after an oriental fashion , in the native state of Bhawulpore , on the Indus . The Nawaub ' s troops attacked the house of his minister , who had garrisoned his dwelling with 250 men and two guns , and after a sharp fight the minister ancl his brothers perished sword in hand . The Nizam had declared his intention of dismissing bis chief minister , Salar Jung , who did much to maintain tranquility in Hyderabad and throughout the Nizam's territories during the great mutinies ; but the influence of the'British residents seems to have effected a reconciliation between the sovereign and his premier .

AMERICA . —By tbe arrival of the Arabia , we have received Boston journals to the 26 th ult . In a AVashington telegram , dated the 25 th , received at Boston , a broad contradiction is given to the report that the Southerners had made propositions for peace ; on the contrary , the Federal Government had received information that the rebels intended to prosecute the war with vigour . The Federalists , ! however according to a despatch in the New York Heraldbad resolved to defer offensive movements till after the

, meeting of Congress . Colonel Stone , it appears , had entered Harper's Ferry , and was prepared to hold it against the secessionists . The latter were erecting defensive works in the immediate neighbourhood of Fairfax Court House . A letter from Nova Scotia furnishes some interesting information respecting the discovery of gold in that colony . The gold fields appear to be ex-

The Week.

tensive , and to contain some rich veins , but they are not sufficiently productive to inundate the colony with adventurers . APRICA . —The news from the west coast of Africa is of very little interest . Mr . Foote , our consul at Lagos , died of fever shortly after the attack on Porto Novo . Eyo Honesty , King of Old Calabar , died on the 22 nd of May . The Falcon had captured a Boston slaver with 554 slaves on hoard . The weather on the coast was very dry , and the rivers empty .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

" A preliminary Prospectus of the English Opera Association , " has been issued . The list of the "Provisional Committee" is not altogether satisfactory . The scheme of a joint-stock company has not hitherto worked well for Music . Fi-iiulein Agnes Bury , who sang in London , it may be recollected , some years ago , has again arrived amongst us . She has appeared at the Lyceum operas as Marguerite iu " Les Huguenots" to the

Valentine of Mdlle . Tietjens . Difficulties have arisen ( German journals say ) which may prevent the production of Herr Wagner's " Tristan unci Ysolde" at Carlsruhe . ' There is to be music at Brussels , during the September annual festival , —directed by M . Fetis : —on the first clay a Beethoven Symphony ancl scraps from Handel's Oratories ; on the second , a concert of solo music , executed by Madame Lemmens-Sherrington , M . M . Lemmens , Aleuxtemps , ancl Servais ; all four Belgian artists .

Signor Pacini , now a veteran , having been born at Syracuse in 1796 , who has probably written more operas for the Italian stage than any man living , who still holds on there , ancl whose " Niobe " Rondo has made the tour of the world , and will keep his name remembered , is about to give another opera to Florence— "Belphegor . " It is announced that "The Colleen Bawn" will be withdrawn this evening , not because its attraction is on the wane , but because Mr . Boucicault has determined , and we think wisely , to stop its run for the present . The continuance , for a long period , in one part , is no doubt iniurous to the actor's health ; ancl it is but natural , under

the circumstances , that he should desire repose . At the same time , he has more than one company , at provincial theatres , acting his pla 3 , ancl from eoch of . them is in nightly receipt of profits . The amount of his winnings is stated at a figure that we scarcely like to endorse ; but that the sum is large , amounting to several thousand pounds , is universally agreed . The organization of the approaching musical festival at Brussels has been committed to M . Fetis . At the first concert there will

be a performance of one of Beethoven's Symphonies , besides selections from some of the oratorios of Handel ; in the second , solo | pieces will be introduced ; amongst others , MM . Vieuxtemps , ' ¦ Gervais , Lemmens , ancl Mdme . Sherrington . : A monster concert was lately given at Havannah , by Gottschalk , i the celebrated American pianist . Amongst the other novelties , was a Triumphal March for eighty trumpets ancl drums . .

The Allienamm mentions that for the Great Exhibition of next year there are likely to be a full orchestral ancl choral anthem , to range ( as regards length ) with Handel's "Zadok the Priest "orchestral pageant music , a procession , march for wind instruments , ancl a choral hymn for voices . The German ancl French composers mentioned ( M . Meyerbeer and M . Auber ) have accepted the commissions offered to take part in this ceremonial music , whicli must of necessity be within restricted limits . The step taken b

y the Commissioners is noticeable as the first of its kind made in this country for many a long year—since the anthems commanded for coronations , or recent more jirivate Court solemnities , hardly offer a parallel to this commission for musicians of the four great musical countries to represent their art at the AVorld's Fair of 1862 .

To Correspondent.

TO CORRESPONDENT .

A . L . O . —A lodgo should be consecrated m the third degree—but we do not think that the lodge would be held by the authorities to be irregularly constituted , because the ceremony was performed whilst the lodge was only open in the first degree . X . Y . Z . —Any Masonic , jeweller can give you the information . A YOUNG MASON will learn in due time—There is an old proverb that a still tongue makes a wise head .

P . G . AV . —In 1843 . OBSERVER . —The subject shall be attended to . AVe agree with you that it is quite time something was clone to render the property valuable .