The Press. — London, England, 1854-07-15 00:00:00

168 Shall this excellent reform be checked in mid career ? Shall the Board of Health be swept away, in spite of the above-cited evidences of its useful ness? Shall Mr. Chadwick be driven from office, after having done so much real service, and before doing the further services which still remain for him to render ? Lord Palmerston thinks not. That eminent states man, who has a clear perception of what is really be neficial to the country, and does not mistake the cla mour of class interests for the voice of the public at large, is for giving the Board of Health and Mr. Chadwick two years' further term of existence. With the " pluck" which characterises Lord Palmerston, and which makes him such a favourite in this coun try, he undertakes to be himself responsible to Par. liament for the measures of the men he backs, and at the same time to watch and control their pro. ceedings Lord Palmerston'S bill comes on for discussion next Tuesday. It is for Parliament and the Press to consider whether, weighing fairly the above stated services of the board, they will support Lord Pal merston's moderate proposal; or whether, making themselves the unconscious tools of an opposition which I have shown to be interested, they will reject the bill, cripple the board, and crush a useful public servant. I have the honour to be, sir, Sze., F. 0. WIRD. 12, Cork-street, Burlington-gardens, July 14, 1854. tip paw. OLYMPIC THEATRE. ANOTHER adaptation from a French original entitled Pas Jalouz has made its appearance in the bills of this theatre under the name of Perfect Confidence. The chief incidents upon which the plot turns arise from the disposition and temper of a certain Mr. Easy (Mr. Robson), who, pretending to have "per fect confidence" in his better-half, is in truth a most complete martyr to the torments of jealousy. This species of character is well suited to display Mr. Robson's peculiar excellences, inasmuch as it gives him the opportunity for introducing, in the midst of highly-laughable scenes, those outbursts of nervous passion which he knows so well how to portray. The situations of the piece, too, are very comic, es pecially one where the jealous husband is discovered to be concealed under a table by having his hand accidentally stamped upon by the supposed destroyer of his peace. Mr. Robson acted with great energy and ability, and announced the piece for repetition amidst the unanimous applause of the audience. The other characters were respectably sustained : our only cause for complaint is that the dresses were not designed and manufactured with the good taste which is in general so excellent a feature of the wardrobe department of this estab lishment. On Wednesday night, on the occasion of Mr. Wigan's benefit, The Jealous Wife, compressed into three acts, was produced, the parts of Mr. and Mrs. Oakley being sustained by Mr. and Mrs. Wigan. Notwithstanding the excessive familiarity of the public with this play, it was to all appearance witnessed with very great pleasure, and the sound, legitimate acting of the manager and his wife seemed to give much satisfaction to a densely-crowded au dience. Though it is hardly fair, perhaps, to criticise severely a representation which was at once a benefit and a first performance, we will take upon ourselves to say, because we consider it a compliment, that the best-rendered portions of Mr. Oakley's character were those of the most elevated cast. It is clear to our, perhaps erroneous, judgment that Mr. Wigan's talent shines most in impersonations of a high order, and that, if he should have the courage, industry, and health requisite to make the attempt, he is the only actor of the day who can hope to fill the void upon our stage created by the retirement of Mr. Macready. It may fairly be said that Mrs. Wigan's Mrs. Oakley took the audience by surprise. Granted as it now must be, that she is an actress of the first order, no one ever gave her credit for the ability she displayed in a class of part she is so little accus tomed to act. Her impersonation of Mrs. Oakley was distinguished by its intelligence and feeling, and in comparatively modern times we have not seen any superior representative of the character. Space will not allow us to say more than that Miss Marston looked positively lovely as Harriet, and that Mr. Emery was a good representative of the rough and honest Major Oakley. The play was well put upon the stage. Dusit. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. IT seems, in the natural course of events, that the management should produce Madame Viardot Garcia in Rossini's Otello, an opera which owes the reputation it has enjoyed mainly to the efforts of her father and sister, who in former days electrified their audiences THE PRESS. by the manner in which they rendered the parte of Desd,emona and her jealous husband. Since their retirement from the stage the opera has been pur suing a downward course in public estimation, and we much doubt whether it will ever resume its former popularity. The truth is, that in point of musical merit it is by no means one of Rossini's bast, and the libretto is so utterly worthless that talent of an order almost supernatural is necessary to carry it through without raising the laughter of the audience. Let not our readers think that we underrate Madame Viardot Garcia. By no means. We consider her (absente Jenny Lind), on the whole, the greatest female vocal artist of the day. But it is surely no offence to say that the part of Desdemona in this opera is not suited to display to advantage the power of her remarkable genius. Signor Tam berlik was a most efficient and energetic Otello, and Signor Lablache resumed his former part of Elmiro—the Brabantio of the Italian version. On Thursday last Madame Grisi and Signor Mario appeared together in Donizetti's La Favorita, an opera which, though a great favourite with what some journals would call the beau monde, has, we confess, but few attractions for our ears. Take away the scenery, unseen organ, and cavatina of the lover in the fourth act, and the opera will run a good chance of obtaining a prize for excessive dulness. Its success shows how much popular favour is the result of accident, for, in spite of its general want of merit, this opera, when given four or five times during a season, never fails to bring money to the treasury. Madame Grisi's last night and benefit is an nounced for the 7th of August. Her engagement seems to have put a stop to all novelty for this season at least.. FRENCH OPERA. Les Die mans de la Couronne has been the opera of this week. Mine. Cabel, though perhaps inferior to Mme. Anna Thillon, is a very charming representa• tive of the heroine, and was loudly applauded. The excellent music with which the opera abounds was highly relished by the audience. We regret to see that the present opera season is to close next week. Izrtign art, Siteraturt, k. CONSIDERABLE attention has been paid for four years past at the Museum of Natural History in Paris to the cultivation of a plant coming from China, and known under the name of Dioscorea Japonica. This plant, says the writer of a paper sent to the Central Agricultural [Society of France, may, by its size, weight, and hardy character, become exceedingly valuable as a substitute for the potato. Its tubercles, like those of the Jerusalem artichoke, resist in the open air the severest winter without sustaining any injury. Several specimens of these roots of very large size were presented in 1852 to the society, one of which, of a cylindrical form, was three feet in length ; another tubercle, presented in 1859, weighed three pounds, the former having been in the earth twenty months and the latter six teen. The flavour of this vegetable is more delicate than that of the potato. M. HORACE VERNET Las arrived in Constantinople in order to accompany the French army and illustrate its prowess with the same genius which has clothed the walls of Versailles with many a square yard of canvas, and given notoriety to the combats of the Algerian occupation. In the Turkish empire the genius of M. Vernet will have full play; and the importance which the impending combats will have in the eyes of the world are sufficient to animate an artist of less martial taste than the gifted French man. Horace Vernet is attached to the staff of Mar-hal St. Arnaud, and will follow the army in all its principal movements. M. de Tannyon, an eminent photographer, is attached in a like capacity. THE leading people in the spirit-rapping movement in the United States have been holding a convention at New York, and have formed themselves into a Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge. Governor Tallmadge (Wisconsin) is president of the association. _ THE telegraph line from Stockholm to Helsing borg is now ready, and is immediately to be in spected by the Government officials. There now only remains the laying down the wire over the Sound, to connect it with the Danish line at Elsi nore. No time will be lost in doing this, and the whole will probably be opened before the close of the present month. This will be of great consequence in military operations. DEATH OF MADAME SONTAG.—The New York papers announce the death of the Countess Rossi (Madame Sontag). which took place at Mexico on the 18th of June, while engaged on a professional tour. Madame Sontag was first taken sick on the 11th, on which evening she was announced to appear in Lucrezia Borgia. She was somewhat better on the 16th, but a relapse occurred, and she died on the 18th. Universal grief was manifested for her by the citizens of Mexico, and an immense number attended her funeral. The loss of the accomplished SATURDAY, vocalist will leave a melancholy void in the world of m usical art. Her career has been memorable , and its earliest beginnings are well remembered by those conversant with the progress of the lyric drama. It is nearly thirty years since she first sang at Devon shire-house, in the presence of a large party of con noisseurs, specially invited by the noble owner to listen to a singer of whose extraordinary attributes the world had heard so much, and whose praises were sung in Germany with an enthusiasm to which there had been no previous parallel. Henrietta Sontag conquered the dilettante of Great Britain as completely as she had done those of her own coun try, and the sway she held here, until the period of her marriage with the Count Rossi, was akin to that exercised in later days by Jenny Lind. Her return to the operatic stage, after years of retirement, was another epoch in the history of her life. Time had added to her excellences instead of deteriorating them, and her singing at her Majesty's Theatre during the latter rule of Mr. Lumley was marked by a brilliancy and finish which none ever surpassed, and few have been permitted to equal. Her career in the New World, announced from time to time by the transatlantic papers, has been but a continuation of the successes which attended her in Europe, and she was cut off in the full possession of those gra cious gifts the exercise of which had been the source of delight and enjoyment to thousands. So long and undamaged an experience in the wear and tear of an artistic vocation is wholly without precedent. The news of the decease of this admirable singer will be received with but one feeling of grief throughout Europe. To talent the most striking she united the utmost blamelessness of conduct. Her example in all the relations of life sheds lustre upon a profession which, unfortunately, possesses but too few instances of personal purity to recommend it. M. Eitssuzi, LAS CASES, the son of the celebrated companion of Napoleon during his captivity at St. Helena, died in Paris of cholera yesterday week. M, Las Cases was a member of the Senate. IN order that nothing of an unseemly nature shall occur during the exhibition of German industry, about to open at Munich, all Bavarian agents are ordered to refuse passports or vise to beggars, mountebanks, and comedians. The Moniteur announces that the imperial sub. commission for the French Exposition of 1855 has decided that the period originally fixed for the 15th of July current for the enregistering by the commit tees of the persons who desire to take part in the Exposition is prorogued to the 15th of August next. RARE COINS. THE sale of the rare and curious cabinet of coins col. lected by the late Mr. Cuff has recently taken place Quiet the superintendence of Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson. The lots ranged from the earliest period of the coinage in. Britain and its dependencies, and maintained high prices to the last. Among the most unique specimens, or those which excited the most eager competition, were a quarter. sovereign of Charles 1., pattern in gold, 271. 10s. ; half crown of the Commonwealth, pattern in silver, 241.; pattern shilling of the same, by Ramage, 201. 10s.; crown of Oliver Cromwell, 281.; a sixpence of the same, 951.; the famous petition crown of Charles 11., by Simon, 501. 10s.; the Reddite crown, 741.; proof of a shilling of Anne, in silver, fine and very rare, 141. Os. ; a pattern for a guinea of Anne, extremely rare, OIL ; pattern for a 51.-pound piece of George 111., by Pistrucoi, 201. Os. Among the Irish coins were—the Cork groat of Edward IV., lot. ; Mary, groat bust, crowned, reverse—harp and M. R. crowned, inscription, " Veritas Temporis Ma," 291. 10s. ; siege I money, Inchinquin sixpence, 101. 10s. ; ninepence, nine annulets within a circle, 271. The most valuable of all the specimens was, however, a gold piece of Charles 1., of which the Illustrated News relates the following curious commercial history :—" The largest sum ever given for a single coin was given at Mr. Cuffs sale, at Sotheby and Wilkinson's : 2001. were given—not for a Greek or a Roman coin, not for an Alexander or a Caesar, an Otho or an Oliver, but for a pattern piece in gold of King Charles I. of England. This highly-interest ing coin was intended, it is thought, for a 51. piece. hires never published. It bears the King's bust, to the left, bare. headed. Over his armour is a lace collar. Its history is curious. It was purchased by Lieutenant-Colonel Drum mond of the Rev. Mr. Commeline, of St. John's College, Cambridge, a collateral descendant of Bishop Juxon, to whom it was presented by Charles I. a little before his death. The bishop devised it by will to Mrs. Mary Gay ters, from whom it. descended to her granddaughter of the same name, who married the Rev. James Commeline, the grandfather of the Mr. Commeline from whom it was bought by Colonel Drummond. There is a still stranger story connected with it. Mr. Till, the late coin dealer in Russell-street, Covent-garden, bought it from Colonel Drummond for 501. He then offered it to the British Museum for SOL, but the trustees refused to pur chase, and it was immediately sold by Mr. Till to the late Mr Cuff for 801. That the present trustees lamented the short. sightedness of their predecessors is evident from the fact that the recognised agent of the Museum contended for it at thrice the sum the trustees might have had it for some twenty years ago. The public will naturally inquire for the name and rank of the romantic gentleman who gave 250/. for a single coin. We can answer the inquiry. The coin was bought by a dealer for Mr. Brown, of the eminent publish ing firm of Messrs. Longman, Brown, Green, and Long mane." s