Public Amusements.

orange tropocolum . The intervening circular beds have each in their centre a tall huma ; elegans , surrounded by various geraniums and blue lobelias . The numerous marble vases on the terraces are filled principally with scarlet geraniums , the slopes around and within the rosary being also brilliant with geraniums , calceolorias , verbenas , tropceolums , & c . This description may appear somewhat technicalbut as at this

, season of the year much attention is bestowed on the decoration of gardens , it may not be without service to those who' desire to cultivate the brilliant and beautiful effects of varied flower-beds to direct attention to those at the Crystal Palace , which certainly at no former period were ever more deserving special notice .

MADAME TASSAUD'S . Nothing can surpass , in brilliancy and tone of colour , richness of material , ancl purity of design , the dresses captured at the taking of the Summer Palace at Pekin , which , at no inconsiderable cost , M . Tussaud has procured from the captors , and which now form one of the principal attractions to the well-known Baker-street Gallery . It is difficult to describe such things , but as it is no difficulty for anybodto go and see themthere is little necessit

y , y to complain . The manufacturers of Lyons have , it is believed , the best claim to perfection in their art , and some things have been produced in this country entitled to great praise ; but they are clearly inferior to these Chinese silks , both in design ancl in texture . The most gorgeous ancl magnificent effects are produced , yet the mode of treatment of the colours has prevented all that in most hands would have beeu tawdry . They are well worth a visit .

LYCEUM THEATRE . Mr . E . Falconer , who is known as an author chiefly by his attractive comedy of " Extremes , " and as an actor mainly by his clever performance of Danny Mann , in Mr . Boucicanlt's famous drama of "The Colleen Bawn , "has again taken the Lyceum Theatre , of which it will be remembered that he was lessee some few years since ; and on Monday he opened the house for an autumnal season , Mr . Falconer has got together a very effective companyto which

, some of the best dramatic corps in London have furnished contingents ; and though it must be confessed that the period of the year is not the most favourable to theatrical speculations , zeal , skill , and energy will effect great things ; ancl in London a good play well acted , will attract remunerative audiences at any season . Of the latter fact there was gratifying evidence on Monday evening , when , notwithstanding the warmth ofthe weather , so conducive to out-of-door amusements , the manager had the satisfaction of

finding that a very numerous audience assembled to witness fche first performance of a new and original comedy of his own construction , bearing the irresistible title of " AVotnan ; or Love against the World . " The play , the story of which is very romantic , and calls to mind some of the more salient features of a marriage case in real life which recently excited much interest in the public mind , was listened to throughout with equal pleasure ancl attention , ancl that , on its conclusion , the applause was long , hearty , and unanimous .

The author , too , was loudly called for and enthusiastically cheered , The leading characters were sustained with great spirit and effect by Mrs . Charles Young , Miss Murray , Mr . Herman Vezin , Mr . AValter Lacy , Mr . Addison , Mr . G . Spencer , and Mr . Joseph Robins . The entertainments concluded with Mr . Oxenford's ballet farce of " Magic Toys , " iu which Miss Lydia Thompson merited the praise bestowed by AVerter the Sorrowful upon his Charlotte , of " dancing with all her heart and soul , and as if she hacl been born for nothing else . "

CREMORNE GARDENS . AVe last week recorded the unsuccessful attempt ot the Female Blondin to cross the river at Battersea on a tight-rope . The defect of the rope winch caused the failure having been remedied , the lady on Monday evening renewed the attempt , and accomplished the apparently arduous ancl dangerous feat wifch the utmost ease and with perfect success . There was , of course , an immense number of persons assembled to witness this exhibition , so significant of one phase of our nineteenth century civilization . The journey was performed in about seven minutes .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

The second German meeting of musicians ancl musical composers , which was held at AVeiman , from the 4 th to the Sth inst ., was attended by about 1000 persons , great numbers of whom were from Leipsig . A torchlight procession took place in honour of Herr Richard Wagner , who was present . A five act drama , by M . T . Colley Grattan , is now ready for - publication .

The Week,

THE WEEK ,

THE COURT . —Prince Alfred arrived at Liverpool from North America , by the Arabia , on Saturday night . His Royal Highness at once proceeded to town , en route for Osborne . The Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia took their departure for Berlin on Friday , and on Saturday the King of Sweden and Prince Oscar bade adieu to London , and left for the Continent . The Queen left Osborne on Wednesday morning for Ireland . She is accompanied by her husband , Prince Alfred , and the Princesses Alice aud HelenaThe Royal partreached Holhead at the

. y y time fixed , and left for Kingston at a quarter-past seven p . m ., arriving shortly after ten . Hor Majesty landed on Thursday morning , and proceeded to Dublin , having met with a most enthusiastic reception . The other children of the Queen , with the exception of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal , left , en route for Scotland , where they will await the arrival of the Queen . GENERAL HOME NEWS . — -During last week the rate of mortality in the metropolis showed a slight increase over the preceding weekthe

, numbers being 1257 . The births of 1699 children were recorded in the same period—889 boys and 810 girls . The temperature of the air is worthy of note from the great height it attained , reaching one day to 138 ' 8 ° in the sun , ancl 89 ' 9 ° in the shade , the mean being 65 ' 3 . The barometer averaged 29 ' 762 inches . A West of England paper , professing to speak on good authority , says that the vacant bishopric of Durham has been offered to and accepted hy Dr . Baring , Bishop of Gloucester ancl Bristol . Mr . Frederick Peel has had a pleasant meeting

with a body of his constituents . On Monday between 700 and 800 of the people of Bury paid the right hon . gentleman a visit at his seat in Warwickshire , where a cordial and hospitable reception awaited them . Mr . Peel addressed his Lancashire friends in a brief speech , but no allusion whatever ivas made to tha political questions of the day .- ——The National Association for Promoting Social Science commenced its fifth congress on Wednesday , the 13 th inst ., the place of meeting for the present year being the ital of the sister isle . Iu the evening Lord Broughamas

cap , president , pronounced his inaugural address . Touching on all the diversity of subjects embraced within the wide circumference of the society ' s horizon , the venerable president reviewed the progress of the past , and lighted up the path of the future by many sagacious hints from his eminently practical mind . M . Chevalier , President of the Trade and International Law Section delivered his address on Saturday . It is scarcely necessary to say that this eminent economist enlarged on the blessings of and free tradeancl availed himself of the oxjportunifcy

peace , to defend the commercial treaty , in the negociation of which he played so important a part . In the course of his observations , he stated that a similar treaty will shortly be concluded between France and Italy . In connection with this meeting , the University of Dublin has conferred the honorary degree of LL . D on Sir J . G . S . Lef ' evre , Sir James Emerson Tennent , ancl M . Chevalier , the eminent French economist . An

application was niado on Monday to the magistrates of Manchester for a dramatic licence for the Free Trade Hall . The " vested interests " of the proprietors of the two regular theatres were strongly urged , but their AVorships , after a short consultation , granted the application . Notice of appeal was given on behalf of the proprietors of the Theatre Royal and the Queen ' s Theatre . AVe have to report three shocking cases of death from violence—the victim in each instance being a woman . The first and most terrible of these crimes was committed at Fen Ditton , near Cambridon Saturday nihtA man named Thomas

ge , g . young Harvey , irritated by the disposition of some property left by his father , butchered his aged mother in the presence of her brother and a female friend . The murderer having belaboured his mother until life was extinct , turned upon the two witnesses of his unnatural crime , and assailed them with the fury of a madman , inflicting such injuries upon the woman that she is not expected to survive . Harvey then made his escape , and has not been heard of since . At East Everloy , AVilts , tho wife of a gamekeeper was found dead near her own house on Sunday afternoon . Her throat cut

was , and her neck and the lower portion of her face presented marks of strangulation . Her husband was absent from home afc the time , and the police arc said to be on the track of two men who were seen going towards the house an hour or two before the body was discovered . The third case occurred in Manchester on Monday . A man , named Duckworth , quarrelled with his wife , whom he accused of having pawned his clothes , in order to satisfy hef craving for drink . He states that he struck her a blowancl that she fell ancl died almost immediatel Death

, y . resulted from a fracture of the skull , ancl Duckworth was yesterday committed for trial on the charge of manslaughter . We have also to record a singular murder of one boy by another . It took place at Birkenhead . The two boys , one of nine and the other a little younger , were at play ; a quarrel arose , when the younger of tho two pulled out a knife , and thrust it into the neck of his playmate . The jugular vein was severed , and death followed quickly . The youthful murderer is in custody . r At the Liverpool assizeson SaturdayJohn AVarbui'tona foreman mason

, , , , was charged with the wilful murder of Ellen Garside , at Castleton , in the month of April last . The deceased was a married woman , and had left her hnsband to live with the prisoner , but afterwards returned home . Having however again left home , she was lost sight of for a few days , when the body was discovered in a canal . The grounds for suspecting the prisoner to be concerned in the death of the unhappy woman were that ho had been rescued while struggling in the water near the spot where the bodwas foundand the cries of a woman in distress had been heard by

y ; several persons at that time . Other circumstances also tended to confirm the suspicion of guilt . AVhen the case for the prosecution was closed his lordship decided that thoro was no case to go to the jury , ancl the prisoner was accordingly acquitted . Captain Wilson , formerly of the ship Express , which traded between Liverpool and the West Coast of Africa ,