Public Amusements.

and as these either have been , or will be , selected by the officers of the society , the result cannot fail to be the engagement of a class of performers far superior in musical ability to those Avho took part in the former festivals . Ifc is expected by the close of this Aveek the Avhole of the engagements will have been completed .

The final choral rehearsals in London are appointed for Fridays , the Gth , 13 th , and 20 th June , to be held in the large hall , Exeter Hall . The great full rehearsal will take place at the Crystal Palace , on Saturday , 21 st June . At this , the AA-hole of the performers , both choral and instrumental , as Avell as the principal singers , will be present .

The " Alessiah" will be performed on the first ckvy , and "Israel in Egypt " on fche last day of the festival ; the intermediate day ( Wednesday ) , being devoted to a selection from Haiidel / s greatest Avorks , not included in the before named oratorios . The selection is not yet definitely arranged , 1 ufc it Avill comprise choruses from the " Dettingeii Te Dciun , " " Samson , " " Saul , " " JiAclas Maccabams , " ' "' Deborah , " " Solomon , " including the celebrated " Passion Chorus , " " Jeptha , " & c . A

novel feature in this clay ' s programme will be the introduction of selections from some of Handel ' s best knoAvn secular works ; among these Avill . be found " Haste thee . Nymph , " from " L'Allegro , " " Wretched Lovers , " from " Acis ancl Galatea , " "Tyrants , now no more shall dread , " from "Hercules , " "As from the poAver of sacred lays , " from " St . Cecilia's Ode , " interspersed Avith some of his best knoAvn solos . The entire orchestra will comprise a larger force than were

ever before assembled , numbering in all nearly 4000 performers . From the increased volume of tone Avhich must be brought out hy the erection of the great roof over the orchestra , there is no doubt AA'hatever that the effect produced will be beyond all conception , ivhile the clearness of the fugul passages , ancl the increased distinctness of the soft parts , ivill be as effective aud perceptible as in an ordinary concert room . As the festival Avill be held concurrently ivifch the great

agricultural show at Battersea-park , ancl during fche heyday of the shilling clays of the Exhibition , there is no doubt tlie concourse of visitors at the Crystal Palace on the days of the festival will bo immense .

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION . Air . Pepper , the able and talented director of this popular place of entertainment , over ou the search for attraction that , with novelty , Avill combine useful information and amusement , has added a neiv feature to the genera ! programme of the above establishment , ivhich cannot fail to afford universal satisfaction ancl impart a considerable amount of leasure . The addition is

p a " Panorama of Japan , " or , more correctly speaking , a scries of moving pictures , representing streets , palaces , tea gardens , and other public buildings in ancl around the capital city of the Japanese Empire , Jeddo ov Yeddo . Till within the last few years the immense empire of Japan—only known to us geographically as a cluster of islands in the North Pacific- —Avas virtually a sealed book . The gates of the Empire have been unbarred ,

and , instead of its being death for a stranger to enter , or a capital crime for a native to leave tho kingdom , we have not only entered into commercial relations AA'ith them , but their Sovereign lias despatched to our shores some of . his highest officers as ambassadors to our country . The interest iu all that relates to Japan at fche present moment is , consequently , very great , anel Ave know of nothing that will ive more general leasure than

g p the exhibition of the Japanese Panorama now on view at the Polytechnic . The interest afc the same time is intensified from the fact thafc the Avhole series of vieivs , covering 9000 feefc of cauA-ass , are tbe production of a native Japanese artist . It appears that a Captain Wilson , connected with the British Embassy at Yeddo , found an opportunity to take a series of photographic views of the city ancl suburbs . From these a native avtist

secretly—for it AA-as death to do ifc openly—painted the consecutive pictures that make up the set of the panorama . Certainly the exhibition is in every way unique , and if ifc ivere only to i-iew the exquisite model of a Japanese Temple , lighted up for Avorship , or to study the artist's mannerisms , suidi as representing all trees of one type ancl character , and other- —to our ideas—extraordinary perversions of taste , the entertainment must prove to the connoisseur a subject of interest and amusement .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —It is now staled thafc the marriage of the Princess Alice to Prince Louis of Hesse Darmstadt Avill take place on the 20 th of next month . IMPERIAL PAICLIA ^ IENT . —In the House of Lords on Thursday , fche 22 nd , the bill for giving a copyright in Avorks of art Avas read a second time after some little discussion . On

Friday , Lord Desart called attention to the prevalence of agrarian crime in Ireland , AA'hich he attributed to the denunciations of the ultramontane clergy . Lord Cork defended the priests from this charge , and submitted thafc these assassinations Avere the fruit of a misunderstanding on the part of tenants as to their interest in the land they occupied . Several bills AA'ere

advanced a stage . On Monday Lord Brougham pointed out Avhat he conceived to be an omission in the Anglo-American treaty for the suppression of the slave trade , but Earl Russell simply contented himself vr . th an expression of his confidence

in the sincerity of the United States' government ' s desire to co-operate Avith her Majesty ' s Government in putting doivn this inhuman traffic . Lord Clancarfcy moved for certain papers AA-hich Avould , in his opinion shoiv that tho Irish system of national education Avas a failure . The Bishop of Killaloe said he could never approve any scheme AA'hich AVOUUI render the schools

denominational , ancl that , he believed , was tho object aimed at | by the noble Earl . The motion A \ -as then agreed to . j On Tuesday , Lord Ebuvy moved the second reading of his bill ' for the abolition of tlie declaration required of all beneficed clergymen that they assent to everything contained in the Book of Common Prayer . The noble lord said his object was to get

rid of a test AA'hich prevented large numbers of conscientious men from taking orders in the Church of England . His measure would leave , ample safeguards against unsoundness of

doctrine ; it simply contemplated the repeal of an enactment AA'hich Avas directed against the Loiv Church or Puritan party . Lord Dnngannon moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months . The Bishop of London opposed the bill , on the ground that ifc proposed to interfere ivifch an act Avhich Avas the charter of the union between Church and State . The Bishop of

St . Davids also sprite against the measure , although he thought some less objectionable means might be devised for satisfying the scruples of the party represented by LordEbury . LordLyfctelton and Lord Shaftesbury having expressed their dissent from the view's of the author of the bill , Lord Russell saicl that , Avhile the present AA-, a period remarkable for individual inquiry and

independent judgment , he coulcl not but think that the bill Avent much too far , inasmuch as ifc proposed to abolish the only standard Avhich IIOAV existed in the Church . After some further discussion , the bill ivas ivifchdrawi ! . In the HOUSE OF COAMONS on Thursday , Alay 22 nd , Air .

Malcolm asked a scries ot questions m reference to a proposal of the British Columbia Overland Transit Company to take out 500 emigrants to that colony in five Aveeks for £ 42 each person . He asked Avhetbo- the Government had inquired into the matter , and whether they had considered the probability of the intending emigrants being starved between Montreal and British Columbia . AIv . C . Fortescue said the attention of the

Government had been called to the proposal . The number of emigrants going out , hoAvever , Avas only 100 , and they were strong young men . The Government therefore could not interfere . He did not anticipate that tlie emigrants ivould suffer so much as Mr . Alalcom seemed to think . Tho Government had nothing to clo with tho affair . In reply to Sir J . Pakington , Lord Palmerston said the Government did not intend to introduce any measure respecting church-rates . He appealed to the House whether