The Press. — London, England, 1854-04-22 00:00:00

372 THE : MINISTERIAL GREEN-ROOM GOSSIP. THE Coalitic n managers of the Westminster Theatre have been placed in a condition of embarrassment, owing to the failure of so many of their late productions, and the early withdrawals thereby necessitated. We believe that they hardly know what to open with after Easter, but it is probable that Alma Mater; or, the Collegians—a long affair, which was produced with no great success and played to very thin audiences last season—will be the piice de resistance for the present. The managers will endeavour to make shift with this, and one or two other stopgaps, until they are furnished with something more exciting by Mr. Napier and Mr. Dundas, whose services have been enlisted for nautical drama. Upon the success of these gentlemen they depend for their very existence, and, should they be even temporarily disappointed, it is far from impossible that the management may pass into other hands. There is a clap-trap farce, called The Oath, in rehearsal. The subject has been treated several times, but always without success—if one House has tolerated the affair, the next has condemned it—but there is some novelty of treatment, we hear, in the present version ; , and the part of a Jew, which has hitherto been offensively prominent, sis now subordinated. We cannot say that the author's name inspires us with much confidence, or that we anticipate a different fate for his work from the fate of its predecessors. The melancholy failure of The New School of Reform has caused many disputes and recriminations among the managing committee. The author, Mr. Russell, continued to maintain to the last that it was a good piece, and that, though the public showed great indifference towards it, they approved it, and that it ought to have been kept in the bills. But the books, it seems, show that only eleven inquiries after it were made at the box-office, and of these only four were made in friendly language. The writer, however, with an author's habitual love for his worst work, perseveres, and has extorted a sort of pledge from his colleagues that, if they retain the management, the piece, with some alterations, shall be put up again next season. Mr. Temple and one or two others are understood to have objected to the affair, as going into too low life, and also to the clumsy construction, which hurries to a catastrophe by no means acceptable to the public. Mr. Moles worth found another fault, that it was not calculated to please the masses, and he desired to introduce a startling feature—a ball in the dark. But this was resisted on the ground of public morality. A piece of extravagance, called Bank! City ! Bank !—by Mr. Gladstone—was, it may be remembered, condemned at the close of the last season ; but it has taken its place in the repertoire of the management, and will be put forth again, with some lengthy additions which the author has made—in order, he says, to render it more com prehensible. The interest of this piece cannot be called slight, inas much as it turns upon a species of robbery effected in the dashing Rob ert Macairo style. An old lady residing in Threadneedle-street is the victim, and there is good comedy in the efforts of the plunderers to persuade the poor old soul that whether she has her money, or whether it is handed over to somebod3 , else, it is all the same. The prin- cipal character (played by the author) makes a proposal to her which is entertaining from its audacity. He assures her that she will be just as able to lend assistance to her humble neighbours whether she has her money or not; but she cannot see that; so he explains that all he has to do is to follow a rich gentleman, called Bull, and demand his purse, whenever the lady wants cash. She cannot agree that this is right, and there is some showy language in the scene. But the affair is certainly immoral, and we hope that it will be so regarded by the public, and classed with The Beggar's Opera and Jack Sheppard. The melodrama of The English Pauper was also a failure, but from a different cause, for much of the affair was really good, and was received with strong approbation by the best part of the audience. But when it was found that in order to please certain supporters of the management a low Irish part was to be engrafted upon a subject with which it had no connection whatever, while it was introduced in such a manner as to confuse the piece, so that the public really did not know what was before them, or what was meant, much dissatisfaction was shown. It was suggested to the management that the work should be postponed for reconsideration; but this was refused. At last, however, the supporters in question were sought to RESS. SATURDAY, be propitiated by the promise of an Irish jig and a Scotch hornpipe, to come after the original piece. This did not satisfy them, and so the managers petulantly shelved the piece, and put up in its stead that hackneyed thing, The Committee. We hear of squabbles in the company, and rumour speaks of secessions as probable, especially in the case of that veteran delineator of crabbed old women, Goody Gordon, who is a great laudatrix teinporis acti, and detests the naval and military business which the public now run after. The old lady was desirous that the managers should set their faces against such affairs, declaring that she did not care what price was paid for a piece, but she would have no firing of guns. However, public opinion has been too strong for her, and she will possibly take her leave of the stage in The Exile of Siberia. Mr. Russell, who has lately gained laurels in sentimental business, is not satisfied with his colleagues, but he likes leading business, and will not willingly retire. Mr. Temple is said to be disgusted at having been asked to play a part of no great pretension in Home, Sweet Home, and insists upon having that of Richelieu cast to him. The Coalition managers are not, as will be seen, in a very promising condition, but they must open on Thursday next, and we shall look with some curiosity for their bills. We hear that there has been some attempt at a new ventilation of the theatre during the recess, whereby the dusty clouds, hitherto such a nuisance, may be avoided. Whether it has succeeded or not, we understand that Mr. Gladstone means to come out with an " occasional" extravaganza called Dean With the Dust. THE BURIAL OF LORD JOHN'S BILL. Not a sigh was heard, nor a funeral note, As the bill to its ending was hurried ; Not a member was called on to cheer or to vote, — For the bill was but born to be buried. He buried it darkly, at dead of the night, The House to his purposes turning; By the struggling smile of the Northern Knight, And the cheek of Sir WILLIAM burning. Slowly and sadly he laid it down, With a brief and a broken story ; A tear he shed, and he moaned a moan, Then left it alone in its glory.] No useless coughing could clear his breast, No promise or precedent bound him ; He ruefully stood as a mark for jest, With his coat reversed around him. When sadly his heavy task was done, And the clock struck the hour of adjourning, And they heard the carriages one by one The corners rumblingly turning, Coldly they talk of his bill that is gone, And o'er his new hash they upbraid him ; But little we rock, since he's left it alone, Of the reasons or fears that swayed him. A. MR. BRIGHT jokingly says in his Manchester letter that all the Ministers have misled the public, except Lord ABERDEEN. What an unnecessary exculpation! Why, not even the PRESS ever accused his Lordship of having deceived any one, except his "friend" in the North. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENTS.—A lady requests us to explain the meaning of " Bulls " and " Bears," so frequently used in the City article of newspapers. At present it clearly has reference to Russia and England. ,fir