Public Amusements.

the gentle Desdemona , and exhibited a delicate appreciation of the tenderness and devotion which have to be so prominently dep icted in the character ; whilst the Fmilia of Miss Atkinson can only once more be characterised as a performance meriting the wannest praise . The tragedy , placed on the stage with the fullest regard to the completeness of all the appointments ,

afforded the principal actors an opportunity through the evening of repeatedly receiving tributes of applause , and concluded amidst vigorous rounds of acclamation , which Mr . Phelps and Mrs . Herman Vezin , and Mr . Creswick and Miss Atkinson were personally called upon to appropriate . On Monday next " Cymbeline" will be produced , and from the splendid cast a i rare treat may be anticipated . i

ST . JAMES'S HALL . TUB WIZABD OF IUE JSOBTH . On Saturday afternoon the children from the Licensed Victuallers' School , accompanied by their band , visited St . James ' s Hall , on the invitation of Professor and Miss Anderson , as did also the children from Bancroft ' s Hospital , Westminster

( St . James's ) Offertory , St . Mary's Home , Grosvenor National , and St . Jude ' s , Whitechapel , to tbe number of 410 , and all appeared highly delighted with the professor , and his talented daughter's ever-popular performance . The same invitations have been sent by the Wizard to the principals of all the leading schools of the like description , and have been gratefully

aeceptod . Considering that Bro . Anderson is literally turning away money from the doors , he deserves great credit for this well-timed liberality to the young people , whose want of means would otherwise prevent them from enjoying this pleasant holiday . [ We hear that the children of the Masonic Schools have been invited for the 22 nd . ]

CRYSTAL PALACE CONCERTS . A new scries of winter concerts was worthily inaugurated on Saturday afternoon last at the Crystal Palace . The well-trained band of Hen- Manns did ample justice to Beethoven ' s glorious symphony in C minor , the "brisk dance" from Mr . Arthur Sullivan's cantata of " ICenilworth , " and Ambrose Thomas ' s

overture , "Le songe d ' unenuit d ' efce . " The symphony was of course the great feature in the programme , and so well appreciated was it by the audience that Mr . Manns will doubtless give a grand work of similar importance at each of the approaching concerts . Such a proceeding will infallibly tend to sustain the artistic dignity of the Crystal Palace , an institution which of late years

lias betrayed a somewhat perilous leaning towards an ad eaplandum style of entertainment . A new Italian Opera Company was creditably represented by three of its members , Signora Marietta Veralli ( encored in Rossini ' s " JS on piu mesta" ) , Signor Bertani , and Signoi- Agretti ; but the chief vocal honours of tho day were carried off by tbe

incomparable Viennese Lieders'ingerinn , Friiulein Liebhart . Her two songs , " The Cuckoo " and " Come , pretty one , " given with exquisite taste and a peculiarly sly humour , which perhaps can only be thoroughly felt by those intimate with the social characteristics of German life , were both rapturously redemauded , out the fair vocalist repeated only the first . A better commencement to the interesting " winter concerts " could scarcely have been made .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE CO-JET .- —The Queen and other members of the Royal famil y still continue in Scotland . The Prince aud Princess of wales , after having been magnificently fated in Sweden , have

returned to Denmark , and are expected iu England in the early part of next week . GESBEAI , HOME A EWS . —The mortality in London in the course of last week amounted to 1 , 263 persons , which is above the ten years' average . A large proportion of these deaths arise from diseases of the respiratory organs . The births

amounted to 1 , S 9 G , which is considerably above the average . The report of the proceedings of the Central Relief Committee will be received with anxious concern throughout thecottonmanu-^ . facturing districts . Since the last meeting of the Committee there has been a large increase of destitution among the factory population , and ifc is estimated that about 114 , 000 peasons are

now aided either by tbe guardians or the district relief committees . With respect to the future , Sir J . Kay-Shuttleworfch said he believed that the general opinion of the Central Executive Committee was that , " though the crisis they were

now meeting might increase in its gravity , and assume , perhaps , even a somewhat more alarming appearance in the course of a week or two , yet that ifc would not be prolonged—that they would have to meet successive crises , but that various periods of succession would be succeeded by periods in which the pressure would be relieved . " The fund at the disposal of

the Committee is now £ -210 , 000 , but Lord Derby and his colleagues are of opinion that , large as this suai may appear , it is not more than adequate to the most cautious expenditure , and district ; committees are recommended to exercise the utmost vigilance in the distribution of relief . Mr . B-nwlinson tells us that a good deal has been done under the Public Works Act ,

and that 13 , 000 men , whose families would number about 0 , 000 persons , might readily be provided with employment . Certain districts , however , he says , have not done their duty in this matter , and Sir J . Kay-Shufctleworfch said the Executive

Committee would expect that in districts to which grants were made there should be corresponding activity in using all the resources which tho local authorities had to meet the distress . A change has this week been made in Mr . Purdy ' s return of pauperism in the cotton districts , with the view of making the statement of the Poor-law Board coincide in its area of unions

with that represented in Mr . Maclure ' s monthly reports . The twenty-eight unions now returned exhibit another large increase of pauperism , 4 , 610 more persons having been relieved by the guardians this week . The principal increases occurred in the following unions , viz .: —Stockport , 910 ; Ashton-under-Lyne , 400 ; Preston , G 10 ; Blackburn , 510 ; Oldham , 490 ; Burnlev ,

430 ; Bury , 2 G 0 ; and Rochdale , 210 . Manchester shows no alteration . The out-relief has increased £ 392 , the total expended being- £ 2 , 778 . At the same time ifc is stated that 21 , 500 adult able-bodied paupers are upon the rates . It is stated that Lord Wodehouse , who has been appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , will be succeeded at the India-office by Lord

Dufferin . Lord Dufferin may have no special knowledge of Indian affairs , but he is a man of good ability and high culture , and is not without official experience . He accompanied Lord Russell on his ill-starred mission to Vienna , and a few years later , on tho outbreak of hostilities between the Drnse 3 and the Christians , he was sent out to Syria as her Majesty ' s Commissioner .

The Chancellor of the Exchequer visited Bolton on Tuesday , and was presented with an address by the corporation of that borough . In acknowledging the compliment , the right lion , gentleman dwelt upon the great progress which the country had made within the last quarter of a century , and said " he did not believe that 25 or 30 years of more effective and beneficial legislation were to be found in the history of any nation than the last 25 or 30 years of English legislation .