ELECTRIC TRU1GRAPH AT THE OPERA.
Ammon other exalted matrimonies, the daily journals announce that of the Royal Italian Opera to the Electric Telegraph. Wires are laid down for the convenience of subscribers and visitors of the opera, and actually enter into the luxuries of that establish- ment. At first one does not see what advantage can be derived from the introduction. Grid and Mario can electrify the audience sufficiently without the use of wires ; they may leave those to the Marionettes. But from what follows in the announcement, we understand that the telegraph is intended to put the loungers in the grand tier en rapport with the Houses of Parliament, the twelve Metropolitan railway stations, and the Continent. Thus public business—diplomacy perchance—can be conducted in the very lap of song : it is the perfection of modern practical science and luxury. "Reports from the Houses of Lords and Commons will be re- ceived in the theatre every half-hour, and oftener in the eases of divisions," &c. Let us survey a few of the conveniences offered by this arrangement. By favour of it, the popular Member of aristo- cratic training, who has the advantage of a rapid brougham and in- telligent servants, can spend the debate in the *rehouse and be ready for the Speaker's bell. Instead of listening to Mr. Hume or Sir John Pakington on some longwinded subject menacing the Ministry or ex-Ministry, he can listen to Tamberlik or Ronconi, and, thoroughly imbued with the merits of those orators—fortified by the arguments which they enforced with all the strength of counterpoint—he oan be carried down by his servants, and vote on the question which he has not heard. Relieved from the tedium of the debate, for instance, but duly inspired with dislike for that type of Low Church tract distributors the triumvirate that com- pass the life of the incomparable Mario in the Prophete the refined Member can be borne into the House to vote against ifr. Thomas Chambers's unpolite bill for inspecting conventual establishments. Or, having received the proper historical instruction by witnessing the harshness and disloyalty of the Roundheads in persecuting Queen Henrietta and driving Grisi to vocal mania in the Puritan?, he will be prepared to resist encroachments on the prerogative of the Crown.
But while he is at the opera, the fatigue of luxury itself in the shape of uninterrupted music will be enlivened by varieties. In the midst of the invocation to " Nume benefice," he can order supper ; and while Gennaro is undergoing the somewhat tiresome torments of poison, the fatigued listener may pleasantly receive the announcement that a charming friend has just made her arrival at the London Bridge station ; or the telegraph may waft the last scandal from the Tuileries or the last quotation of railway shares at the Bourse, or possibly some important instruction to go down to the House of Commons or of Lords and execute the will of his Majesty Napoleon III. in either of those august assemblies.
There appear to us to be wanting but two branches to the radia- tion which concentres in the operahouse,—but perhaps they are supplied, for it occurs to us that the daintiest bit of a petit souper is not always mentioned in the bill of fare : the two wants are, a line to the Crockford's of the present day; and a line to the Police- offices, whence the somewhat irregular exquisite, lounging in box or stall, may know whether embarrassing inquiries are made for him, and arrange his adieux accordingly. No doubt, a system so near perfection will not halt until perfection be perfected ; but it is a beautiful combination as it stands, this continpation of the elec- tric telegraph to the summit of Mount Parnassus, this crowning of song with the lightning of modern science.
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