NEWS OF THE WEEK.
• THE ninety-first birthday of the German Emperor (born March 22nd, 1797) was kept in Berlin on Tuesday with grand ceremonial, and genuine popular rejoicings. Eighty-five Princes, representing all the Courts of Europe, offered their felicitations in the Empress's apartments; the State dinner was on so vast a scale that the Times' correspondent drove miles to avoid the carriages, and the hotels were choked with the crowds of grandees "in attendance" upon Highnesses of all denominations. The people assembled in enormous crowds, the torchlight processions resembled rivers of fire, and the illuminations were universal, and bat for the snow, which was implacably disloyal, would have been unprecedented in magnificence and effect. Berlin naturally exults in a gala which makes her precedence in Europe visible to her own eyes ; but the feeling expressed towards the old Sovereign by his people was most genuine, and even the German Princes forgave his ascendency in con- sideration of his history and his age. The Emperor bore the ceremonials well, standing through them all; but he made no speech, issued no proclamation, and hinted at peace, if at all, only by a warm reception of Count Sehonvaloff, who is known to be on the peaceful side.
