The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-17 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.

AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, during the past week, such ama-
teurs of well-represented dramatic pieces of mere amusement
as chose to attend, had ample opportunity of gratification in
the performances of M. Levassor and his able assistants, who
represented a series of comic dramas, and cleverly enacted
parodies on pieces of established reputation. M. Levassor
is an actor of great and versatile talent, which has been culti-
vated with praiseworthy and successful assiduity. In several
of the pieces he sustained more characters than one, and de-
lighted his audience with the rapidity of his changes, and the
entire vraisemblance of his impersonations. His style is
polished, graceful, and easy, and the quiet simplicity of his
really earnest deportment takes his representations almost out
of the range of histrionic effort, and places his appearance more
on a par with the refined suavity of elevated social life. In dis-
playing the characteristics of a man of breeding and refine-
ment, he exhibits the steady equipoise of manner observable in
the educated gentleman—he is at once firm and unobtrusive—
easy, without being familiar—dignified without hauteur. As
a comic actor, he was scarcely, if at all, less successful : now
displaying bursts of fun, and anon giving effect to a stream of
quiet, gentle, and refined huinour of the most fascinating order.
In Mad'lle. Zupire, he had an able and judicious aide. This
lady is an admirable specimen of the accomplished French
comedienne. Always self-possessed and graceful, she treads
the stage as she would the floor of a drawing-room, and while
never losing sight of the actress, she, in every phase of her
performance, keeps the lady present to the eye of the specta-
tor. She sings, too, with much taste and expression, and adds
the charm of a refined ease of deportment to a handsome figure,
and a countenance full of characteristic emotion. Md'lle.
Pascal and Mons. Vezian further contributed by their talents
and the quiet exercise of their varied skill to enhance the
value of these beautiful performances.—At this theatre it will
be perceived Mr. Charles Matthews commences an engage-
ment for six nights on Monday next.
AT TIM ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE the performances
have been graced by the appearance of a debutante, in the
person of Miss Blanche Fane, who, along with the accom-
plished comedian, Mr. Ranger, has been playing in a round of
favourite English comedies. This young lady is about to
make her curtsey on the boards of the Haymarket, prepara-
tory to which she has taken a brief engagement here. In
person she is rather .petite, although well formed and of an
easy carriage; her countenance is pleasing, and finely suscep-
tible of varied expression. In stage deportment she is natural
and easy, and is possessed of a lively play of features. In.
several of the characters which she has enacted, she has 'dis-
played a good—indeed an excellent appreciation of 'the 'part
alloted to her, and has been gay and sportive without an
effort—sedate and theughtful without being heavily didactic.
As Lady Peazle, lt the "School for Scandal," Which she
played on Wednesday, and repeated on Friday, -she 'exhibited.
a great deal of right feeling, and gave an 'excellent repre-
sentation of the giddy thoughtlessness and inconsiderate
vivacity of imptdsive emotion. The part of Sir Peter was ad-
mirably sustained by Mr. Ranger, and most of the other cha-
racters were respectably filled up. The 'Ludy Sneerwell of
Mrs. J. Walton would have lost nothing of its interest or, effi-
ciency if she had had time to render herself moderately
familiar With the dialogue, As Charles Surface, Mr.
Loraine appeared to rather more advantage than usual.
Pratras OPERAS Ix LrvanrooL.--It 'is rumoured that
arrangements have been made fora series of Italian operatic
performances in this town, to take place in t'he course of the
ensuing autumn, which, forcompleteness and efficiency, will
surpass any previously witnessed in Liverpool, and be little
inferior to those given in 'the metropolis. The principal ar-
tistes of the Royal Italian Opera are it is-said engaged, inclea-
ing,Gardini and Tamberlik as tenor, Tagliafico, &c., bassi,
Bosco, Garcia, Rudersdorf, Didi4e, &c„:an prime donne. The
chorus and band will also be complete, and the properties and
dresses the same as at Covent-garden. The operas to be-giyen
will, we believe, consist of several new to the Liverpool public,
including Verdi's A'of irceutre Trovatore,' which has
been so successful in London this season.

NEXT session cf Parliament, it is said, a bill wilrbe intro-
duced making Liverpool and Birkenhead one municipality.
THE CIVIL -Senvier IN LIVERPOOL : APPOINTMENTS.—
Mr. Hugh Campbell has been appointed an extraveigher in
the Customs department of this-port. In the Inland Revenue
department, Mr. John Dodd, ilEcise-officer, has been appointed
to Holywell Third Ride, North Wales Collection.
ABOUT three months ago a gentleman sent a diamond break-
pin to Mr. Charles Wells, jeweller, Bold-street, to' be repaired,
and on being returned it was found that paste had been sub-
stituted forthe diamond. The man who had repaired the pin
absconded,,and no trace of the missing diamondwas discovered
until last week, when it was taken to Mr.'Wells' shop by a
young woman, who offered it for sale. She'was given' into
custody, and has been remanded until the police can make in-
quiries.
SHOUT TIME IN MlLLs.—The meetings convened in Pres-
ton last week and the preceding week, to-consider the' pro-
priety of working- short time in cotton factories, were 'not
attended by many millowners, there being• a general feeling
that in such a question-each manufacturer -should be' left to
act as his inclination or interest led him, rather than join • in
any combination. Welearn, however,' that the state of the
tradeis.such that it is net improbable that-several mills will
soon rim four days a meek, there being- a -general impression
that such a course can alone effect any lieneficial .change
either in the Liverpool or Manchester markets.—Prestorz
Chronicle.
DEPA'RTURE OF AUSTRALIAN Slttra.-To-morrow the
Royal Mail packet clipper ship Shalimar, belonging to Messrs.
Pilkington and Wilson's celebrated " White Star" Line,
go into the river, and she will, without fail, sail on Friday
next, the 20th inst. She has already on board nearly all her
'cargo, and she will carry out about 320 -passengers. i Her
mails will close in London on Thursday 'evening ; but in
Liverpool letters will be received; with late fees, to within an
hour cr two of the vessel's sailing. The 'Conway, belonging
to the " Black •Ball" Line, sailed on Thursday last, for Hobart
Town; with a full cargo aud a large compliment of passengers.
The Biobio, belonging to the same company, will probably
sail this week for Sydney. The James Baines is the next mail-
packet after the Shalimar, for Melbourne, on the sth August.
The Bomerang, 'frith the Australian mails;is expectedin about
a week.from Melbourne. Messrs. Gibbs, .:Bright, and Co.,
have their clipper ship.'Albatross on the berth for Melbourne.
Messrs. Pilkington and Wilson are in hourly expectation of
the arrival of the Redqacket.
WAR ,MOVEMENTS AT THIS PORT.—The South American
and • General Steam Navigation Company's screw-steamer
Imperatriz, 1,800 tons, Captain Cox, arrived in the Mersey
on Wednesday night, from Portsmouth, 'at • which port she
landed invalids from thereat of war. She is in the Sandon
Graving Dock, getting .a thorough, overhaul. Her horse
fittings have been taken 'down, and she is being prepared to
receive infantry. She will he ready in about a week, when
she will embark the. 56th Foot, consisting of 33 officers and
889 rank ,and file. The Admiralty troop-steamer Resolute,.
Transport No. 214, arrived here on Saturday, to remedy,
some slight defects in, her new machinery. The Cunard
screw-steamer Emu, Transport No. 74, ,arrived here on
Sunday morning, bringing Capt. Wickham, 38rd Regiment,
wounded in. he Crimea; the Syrian Archbishop of India, and
a number of dock-yard artificers from the Black Sea. .The
steamer City of Aberdeen Ss hourly expected here from
Portsmouth, to embark detachments of the
.2nd Dragoon
Guards and-the 17th Lancers for the Crimea. .Three large
batches of naval volunteers were sent up to London last week,
and another will be despatcheato-night. It is believed that
a trial of Naysmith's large wrought-iron gun wiil take place
on the North Shore in a few days.
ONE or THE GREATEST. PLAOITES OF LIFE.--Mary Trainer,
a rather good looking servant gin!, was charged at the Police-
court, yesterday, with robbing her mistress, Mrs. Keegan, of
Upper Canning-street, with whom she had lived about five
weeks. A gentleman who lodges at the house] said : —That
about half-past five o'clock a few mornings ago, he heard a
loud ring at the door, but paid no ~attention to it. Shortly
after he heard another ring, and in going down stairs he .saw
a policeman at the door, who. said that he had noticed the girl
sitting up during the night, and finding the door open lie sus-
pected she had run (way, and so he rang the bell. This was
found to be' true, her. bed in the kitchen had not been laid
upon, and several littl&things were missing. Inspector Horne
said that he was informed of the robbery, and traced the girl
to a house in Gascoigae-street, where lie found a large box.
She then took him to a, shop in Waterloo-road, where he found
a band-box, and at her la/other's, in Crosslaall-street, he found
another box belonging to' her. All these contained property
stolor from Mrs. Keegan,consisting of a dress, pockethand,
kerchiefs, shoes, boots, gloves,.&e. A person from the shop in
Waterloo-road said that the prisoner asked her misses to have
her box;there, as she was going to sail for America in a day or
two. The plaintiff did not press the charge, as the girl had
previously borne a good diameter, and the latter got off
with two -months' imprisonment.
CLEVER-CAPTURE OF DAUM& THIEVES.—James Mitchell
and Owen Hall, two unmistakeable rogues in appearance, and
Thomas Fowler, a better-looking man, rather respectably
dressed, were brought up at
,the Police-court, yesterday.
Detective-officer Povey stated that, in consequence of the
numerous robberies from houses whose occupants are "gone
to market" or "out for the summer;" he and lif!Culloch were
sent out on particular duty on Saturday morning. About
half-past ten o'clock they saw Mitchell and Hall " dodging"
about a house in Egerton-street, which was robbed ,that
morning. They were well disguised, and Mitchell was carry-
ing a black stuff bag. After trying both ,the front and back
doors of that house, they (the officers) saw them go lo the
house of the schoolmaster of St. James' Schools, near Parlia-
ment-street, and try that. The officers then posted them,
selves amongst the shrubs of St. James's Mount, where
they had a distinct view of the rogues' manoeuvres. After
seeing enough to satisfy them that there was "something in
the wind," the detectives made a " descent" Posey suc-
eeeded in pouncing upon Hall, but M'Culloch had a chase
after Mitchell through several streets, and the latter was
captured in 'St. George's-square, by Inspector Murphy, who
happened to be there, as he said "quite promiscuous,"
on other business. Povey took Hall into a public-house
in Tithebarn-street, and searched him. He found an enor-
mous bunch of skeleton keys, a screw driver, and other
housebreaking implements. One of the keys fits the door of
a house in Windsor-street, robbed last week of about £lOO
worth of property, and the chisel fitted the marks in both the
drawers and wardrobes that had been opened in it. Another
key fitted a house where £4O worth of property was taken
a few days ago ; another the front door of the house of the
schoolmaster already referred to ; and another key fitted the
back door of the house of Captain J. N. Forbes (so well-known
for his Australian voyages), at No. 98, Windsor-street, which
was "marked" to be robbed that night. Detective Carlisle
searched Hall's lodgings, at 14, Lawrence-street, where he
found two more skeleton keys, concealed in a piece of paper, at
the top of a cupboard. At Mitchell's lodgings in Gerard-
street, a gold stud was found, similar to a set stolen from the
house in Egerton-street ,on Saturday morning. The black
bag which he was carrying, contained a shawl as " a blind,"
in case of an awkward inquiry, One or two female witnesses
were called, who identified both prisoners as persons whom
they had seen lurking about the houses robbed on the day of
the occurrences. Inspector Murphy said that after he had
consigned Mitchell to the Police-office, in Dale-street,
he came out and saw Fowler standing near the door, as
if interested in the fate of the prisoners. He seized
him suddenly, and found in his pockets a gold watch-
case and pawn tickets for two gold watches, probably stolen at
the races, and of which he could give no satisfactory account.
Mr. Bluck, attorney, who appeared for the prisoners, asked
Murphy if he did not know that Fowler was a watchmaker ?
Murphy : Aye, and something more. (Laughter.) He has
stolen watches. Povey produced the " implements" found
upon the psis o ners. Mr. Bluck : Do you call those skeleton
keys ? Pore : Yes, and very good ones, too. Mr. Bluck : ,
They are very rusty. Povey : Perhaps, they haven't been
much in practice lately. (Laughter.) Mr. Blink : And are
they not used by other persons besides the prisoners ? Povey :
No. Whitesmiths use them- for a particular purpose some-
times. The prisoners were all remanded, as Inspector Murphy
said he had no doubt he could obtain further evidence.