The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-29 00:00:00

OLYMPIC.

A FAIRY extravaganza, the plot of which professes to
be taken from "L'Adroite Princesse," in "Lee Contes
de la Mere the," alias "Mother Goose," in the neat
verse with "rhymes as pat as butter," as Leigh Hunt
says, for which Mr. Pianche is so famous, forms the
" excellent substitute" for a pantomime at this
pleasant little theatre. King Gander (Mr. Emery)
being about to proceed to Palestine for the laudable
purpose of knocking on the head people entertaining
religious opinions opposed to his own, is desirous of
insuring the good behaviour of his three daughters,
Babilliarda (Miss T. Ternan), Idelfonza (Miss
Marston), and Finetta (Miss Julia St. George),
during his absence. His ministers being unable to
suggest anything satisfactory, Mother Goose pre-
sents him with three glass distaffs, one for each
of his daughters : every one of these distaffs pos-
sesses the remarkable property of coming to pieces
on the commission of the slightest peccadillo by its
owner, so that their preservation, of course, affords a
satisfactory certificate of " good conduct" in every
case. To make assurance still more certain, the
King confines the young ladies in a tower, the en-
trance to which is completely built up, provisions
being sent up to the inmates by means of a rope and
basket. Into this basket, however, Prince Rick-raft,
the elder son of Fogrunt, an ancient foe of Gander's,
manages to persuade Babilliarda to allow him to
enter, in the disguise of an old ballad-singer. The
consequences may be easily foreseen: he discovers
himself, the distaffs of Babilliarda and Idelfonza
"go to smash," and be commences an onslaught on
the affections of Finetta, in which, however, he is
completely foiled by the influence of Mother Goose,

1241'

and the lady's own remarkable discretion, aided by a
pretty strong personal dislike to the ill looking little
Prince himself. In the end Finetta, after the regular
number of narrow escapes, misinterpretations, and
alternations between utter despair and all but per-
fect felicity, marries Richcraft's younger brother,
who, as an unknown knight, has been the means of
saving the life of the great Gander himself in the
Holy Land.
Mr. Robson acts Prince Richcraft with that mix-
ture of burlesque and tragedy that has become
habitual to him. How he manages to survive the
tortures to which he is a constant victim, with only
a temporary lesion to his brains and his breeches as
the last result of all his ill-luck, passes our compre-
hension entirely, but such is the dramatic fact.
The parodies of different well-known bits from
Othello, Hamlet, Szc., give the actor ample oppor-
tunity for introducing some very good imitations of
the usual serious stage-versions of the original pas•
sages. Thus, where Prince Richcraft's wits give
way, overpowered by the combined effects of atumble
down a trap-door, a long rumble through a drain, and
a roll inside a spiked tub over a rather rocky district,
he bursts out into the " high rage" of Sir Giles Over-
reach with considerable effect : indeed, but for the
obvious fun of the matter, the intensity of the actor's
manner would render the whole scene almost tragic.
The most laughable piece of caricature, however, is
the imitation of that well-worried unfortunate, the
ghost in the Corsican Brothers, speaking a parody of
the speech of Hamlet's father. Burlesque could
hardly go further than this ; and when Mr. Robson
vanished from the scene, suddenly changing the
sDlemn slide sideways, with which the ghost's exit is
performed, into one of his odd kangaroo attitudes,
the enjoyment of the audience reached its highest
point, some enthusiasts in the higher regions voci-
ferously insisting on an encore.
The dialogue is neatly written, and the puns,
though not very new nor very numerous, are most of
them good and readily seen—a great excellence in the
pun theatrical, where the course of the dialogue hardly
allows time for consideration. There is, however,
too frequent a reiteration of old plays on words.
" The man who would make a pun would pick a pocket,"
said surly Dr. Johnson, and burlesque writers very
often verify the proposition by constantly picking the
pocket of some other person of the puns which they
palm off for their own. The author of "Aspen
Court" would have a statue erected to the man who
should tell a perfectly new story. If the value of the
reward deserved ought to be proportioned to the
rarity of the quality commemorated, the burlesque
writer who would make a perfectly new pun should
have a statue in every square in London. The
scenery was very pretty, and the dresses and other
appointments in excellent taste. Miss St. George
and Miss Ternan contributed very materially to the
agreeable impression left by the whole by their goo:I
singing, and Miss Marston by her good looks. The
piece was perfectly successful.

KILBL•RN'S VIEWS IN THE CRIMEA. -A series of
beautifully-executed photographs, including the in-
terior (of the Redan, the Malakoff, panoramas of
Sebastopol from the Itedan and Malakoff, &c., is at
present exhibiting at Mr. Kilburn's photographic-
rooms in Regent-street. As specimens of the art of
photography, they are far superior in clearness and
sharpness of outline, and fulness of detail, to those
specimens lately exhibited by Mr. Fenton. In many
instances, no doubt, the much greater proximity to
the objects represented which is now attainable, and
the absence of disturbing causes in the shape of
shot and shell, have contributed to the success of the
artist, but in the majority we imagine that greater
experience and carefulness have been the efficient
causes of the excellence of these highly interesting
pictures. The most successful of the series are
the views of the interior of the Russian works, the
details being reproduced with a fidelity and minute-
ness which brings the reality before the mind with
wonderful force and truth. The panoramic views of
the town are well worthy of study; for no verbal
description can give any adequate idea of the
frightful ruin and devastation in the southern side
of Sebastopol. A vast wilderness of' shattered walls,
torn and wrenched asunder as if by some tre-
mendous convulsion of nature, it fills even
the spectator of its photograph with a sense of
desolation which no words can possibly express.
But turn from one of these views to that of the
Cemetery on Cathcart's Hill, with its simple and
touching memorials—the well-known names are all
clearly legible in the photograph—and our natural
and irrepressible regret at the terrible effects of war
in the ruined town is forgotten in a moment, in our
sorrow for the noble hearts which have found their
last resting-place here, for the honoured lives of
public usefulness and gallant service which the
rude stones commemorate, thickly crowded over this
narrow strip of rugged soil. There is something in-
expressibly touching in this little picture, something
too which rouses a save indignatio, that even a
leisurely contemplation of the opposite silo of the

gallery, with its ruin and confusion, can very im-
perfectly satisfy. The gallery in which these valua-
ble photographs are to be seen—for they are hardly
visible at present—is inconveniently small, and the
want of proper light but ill-supplied by insufficient
gas. Surely such a collection deserves every pos-
sible advantage in the appointments and arrange-
ments which surround it; And we hope to see Mr.
Kilburn's views on some other occasion under more
favorable circumstances.

THE DIRECTORS OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE have
celebrated the present season by two concerts of
instrumental music, performed by the bands of the
Coldstream Guards, the Crystal Palace Company,
and the Royal Artillery. The bands, on Monday
and Wednesday, performed an excellent and varied
selection of music from the works of Mozart, Meyer-
beer, Verdi, Flotow, Auber, &c., separately, at eleven
o'clock at a quarter-past twelve, and at half-past
one, concluding each concert by an united per-
formance of all three bands at a quarter before
three. On Wednesday, in addition to the concert,
there was a fancy fair, and an illumination after
dusa.

Lours NAPOLEON AND En MOTHER.—The dethroned

Queen of Holland, Hortensia, whose son, Louis
Napoleon, visited me several times, appeared to me
a most attractive person. The Duchess of St. Leu
was, perhaps, somewhat theatrical in her demeanour,
but still charming, and showed herself in conversa-
tion as rich in heart as in mind ; and when Napoleon
was mentioned she spoke like one inspired. A rare
woman, well worthy to be a queen, and yet always
unhappy as one. On her wedding-day, in the full
bloom of youthful beauty, glittering in diamonds,
she gave, with secret tears, her band to an unloved
consort, lost her throne without a tear, but her
native land with deep pain, and afterwards, with yet
deeper, in her banishment, herbromising children;
and sunk, at last, bowed down by sorrow, to her
grave. Prince Louis Napoleon greatly won upon me
by his character and talents. But, like his mother,
a great and daring thought would easily inflame him
to self-forgetfulness. 1 saw him, for the last time,
in October, 1836, as he returned from the military
school of the Confederation at Thun. He pro-
;red

mised to pass the next day with me; I receh in-
stead a note from him, with the information that he
had had letters which obliged him to return imme-
diately. Ho was hastening to meet his misfortunes.
Some weeks later, be was a State prisoner, for his
share in the rising at Strasburg.—Heinriche Zsehokke.

THE POET OLDHAM ♦S A SCHOOL USHER.—
Oldham, shut up in his schoolroom, entirely un-
conscious of the sensation he had crested in the

great world of Fops'-alley and the coffee-houses, was
one day surprised, in the midst of his tasks, by
a visit from Rochester, Sedley, and Dorset, accom-
panied by other persons of celebrity, into whose
hands his verses had fallen. Mr. Shepherd, the
worthy master of the school, seeing Lord Rochester's
card, and thinking it quite impossible that such a
mark of distinction could be intended for his obscure
assistant, took the whole credit of the compliment
to himself, and, after carefully arranging his toilet,
went to receive his visitors. The scene that fol
lo Ned might have been put into one of Shadwell's
comedies. The old gentleman bad prepared a
speech for the occasion, expressing his high sense
of the honour conferred upon him, and modestly
deprecating his claims to so extraordinary a con-
,
descension, when Lord Dorset good-naturedly
I interposed, and informed him that the motive of
, the visit was to see his usher. By this time Mr.
, Shepherd had got into a little confusion in his
j speech, and was probably not unwilling to make his
, retreat, confessing, frankly enough, that he had
;, neither the wit nor the learning to qualify him for
such fine company. How it fared with the poet
when summoned to their presence is not related.—
Bell's Poetical Works of Oldham.

" MAY HANGING AWAIT You."—On the 21st of
December Admiral Dundas gave up the command of
the fleet, and returned to England. He was suc-
ceeded by Admiral Lyons, between whom and
Dundas a " signal " parting took place which will
long be remembered as a standing joke in the royal
navy. As Admiral Dundas quitted the fleets at
Kamiesch, the crews of
-both English and French

ships manned yards and gave him a parting cheer.
At the same moment, by the desire of Dundas, a
signal was run up to Sir E. Lyons, on board the
Agamemnon, "May success attend you," to which
Sir E. Lyons ordered to be hoisted in reply, " May
happiness await you." But though in real life hang-
ing and happiness are generally considered as having
no very close connection, in the signal code they are
remarkably alike. Unfortunately, in the hurry to
reply to Admiral Dundas, the flag for the former in-
stead of the latter word was hoisted, and, what was
worse, the stupid blunder was not discovered and
hauled down until the whole fleet had seen and read
it.—Woods' Campaign in the Crimea.

THE PRESS.

Fag atO glifitarg

Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.8., Com-
mander-in Chief at Plymouth, struck his flag on
board the Impregnable, Captain C. Wise, on Thursday
last, and proceeded on leave of absence. The duties
of the port devolve on Rear-Admiral Sir J. H. Plum-
ridge, K.C.8., ad interim.
Sir M. F. F. Berkeley, K.C.8., and Rear-Admiral
Henry Eden, paid a visit to Woolwich dockyard on
Monday afternoon, for the purpose of inspecting the
gun-boats. Their lordships went over those which
were ready for sea, and examined everything con-
nected with their fittings and accommodation.
Captain Sherard Osorne, who has so gallantly
distinguished himself during the operations in the
Sea of Azoff, and Captain Rowley Lambert, also dis-
tinguished for his services in that sea, have just
arrived in London from tie East.
The Baltic admirals are said to have received
orders from the Admiralty to strike their flags and
return on shore.
Major-General Sir William Herries, C. 8., K.C.H.,
Colonel 68th Regiment, is labouring under serious
illness.
The first battalion of the British Italian Legion,
1,000 strong, has marched from Chivasso to Novara,
where it will be stationed and drilled previous to its
being despatched to the seat of war. The second
battalion is now in course of formation at Chivasso.
Colonel Bead is unceasing in his activity and exer-
tions to get men, and it is believed that the Italian
Legion will be complete before spring.
Savings-banks in the army are established in
every regiment, under the presidency of the pay-
master. The last return, two years ago, showed
that there were about 10,000 depositors, representing
162,0001.
Rear-Admiral Frederick Jennings Thomas ex
pired on Wednesday last, at his residence, near
Southampton, at an advanced age. The gallant
veteran entered the navy at an early age, and was
midshipman on board the Prince of Wales in Calder's
action, and served under Nelson, as lieutenant of the
Spartiate, at Trafalgar. In 1811-12 he was second
in command of the Cadiz flotilla, and was at the
storming of twelve batteries, at the spiking or cap-
ture of several hundred pieces of ordnance, and cap
ture and destruction of 150 sail of vessels. The de-
ceased bad received the silver naval medal and one
clasp for his distinguished services afloat. His com-
mission bore date as follows :—Lieurenant, 14th Feb-

..... -.-
rnary, 1806 ; commander, 4th March, 1811 ; captain,
Bth December, 1819 ; and rear-admiral (retired), Ist
October, 1846.
The Army Works Corps is to be further increased.
The contemplated augmentation will consist of 4,000
drivers and 750 men,comprising persons of every trade,
but principally of masons, bricklayers, carpenters,
bakers, butchers, smiths, wheelwrights, collar-makers,
and excavators. There are at present ready for em-
barkation upwards of 300 men for this corps, who
only wait for vessels to convey them.
Her Majesty's ship Marlborough, 131, launched in
the summer, is to be commissioned at once. It is
believed that Captain Hutton, with his officers and
crew, will be turned over to her from the Neptune,l2o.
A court martial was held at Plymouth, on board
H.M.S. Impregnable, to try Mr. Alexander Crago
Yule, late paymaster of the Arachse, on the charge
of not making proper returns to the accountant-
general of the cash, clothing, and victualling accounts
of H.M.S. Salamander during the period that he was
acting-paymaster of that ship. The court, after
hearing the evidence, considered the charge proved,
and sentenced the prisoner to be placed at the bottom
of the list of paymasters.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.
Tuesday, Dec. 25.
BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED.—JoaN Thai's, Great•bridge

Stafford, timber merchant.
BANKRUPTS.—GusTkv BARE, Railway-place, Fenchurch-
street, City, merchant—JAS. WOODROTFE, White Lion, Leather-
lane, Holborn, licensed victualler—J-uitss '1 Honks MURRAY,
Lower James-street, Golden-square, pianoforte maker—JOSEPH
HENRY WErroan, Oxford-street, bookseller and stationer—
CHARLES SHARP, Albion-road East, Stoke Newington, wholesale
ironmonger—Monks llzywoon and JOHN HEYWOOD. Wood-
street, Cheapside, lace warehousemen —Taos. HENRY RYLAND,
Birmingham, wood turner—TinoTux SPRAY, Lenton, Notting-
ham, lace manufacturer—PATßlCK FARRELL, Broughton-works,
Salford, Lancaster, contractor —JOHN NEWSOME, Dewsbury,
York, woollen manunseturer—dknza W. GREGORY, Halifax,
grocer—Jona Pkrriasett, Bishop Wearmouth, Durham, builder
--JOHN RICHARDSON, jun., Cockermouth, Cumberland, common
brewer.

SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—Huou Rem, 4!..yr, account-
pIt—WM.CALDWELL, Coldstream, draper—Du s CLN MACLENNAN,
Inverness, soliettor—MATTHEW HENRY HUNT, Glasgow, whole-
sale woollen warehouseman. _ _

Friday, December 28.
BANKRUPTS.—JosEru FARMAN, Portobello-terrace, Not-
ting-hill, builder—GEOßGE FREDERIC CRAOOB, Cobourgdow,
Old Kent-road, wholesale fancy stationer—WlLLtot Enwowne,
Kidderminster, hosier—JOAN G HIIIWOOD PERKINS, ThrOglllor-
ton street, City, stockbroker—Moss DAVIDE!, Middle-row,
Holborn, winner aud bonnet salesman—GEOßGE TAYLOR,
Herby, silk manufacturer—TaowAs Jonas, DowlaUs, Merthyr
lydvll, grooer.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—MATTHEW HENRY Huur,
Glasgow, wholesale woollen warehousernan—itear.FataataiaYa,
Oalashie.t, merchant.

SATURDAY,

glants Tarktt an tit 3nitiligtna.

FRIDAY EYZNING.
TnE return of the Bauk of Engls.ad, published
to-night, for the week ending the 22nd inst., shows
the following changes in the position of that estab-
lishment compared with the returns for the preceding
week :

Decrease in Circulation £191,123
Increase in Public Deposits 016,313
Decrease in Other Deposits
Increase in Government Securities 139,821
Increase in Other Securities
Decrease of Bullion „ 324,593
Increase of Rest 14,305
Decrease of Reserve
Present circulation, exclusive of
Poet Bills 18,379,890
This return shows several important changes. The
decrease iu the circulation has now been continuous
for some weeks. The addition to the Public De-
posits is considerable; much of it is owing to the
payment of the final instalment of the Sixteen Mil-
lion Loan, which is partially brought into the present
account; besides which, it was to be expected that
with the low balances to the credit of the Govern-
ment the collectors of the various taxes would be
moved to increase their returns. The present
amount of the Governmentbevosits is 5,344,7531; in
the corresponding week last year they amounted to
0,500,4141. They are therefore nearly 1,200,0001.
less, and somewhere about a million and a half
below the sum usually provided in the week previous
to the dividends falling due. Under these circum-
stances it is highly probable that Deficiency Bills
must be resorted to, or sales of Stock made to realise
the necessary sum. The decrease in " Other De-
posits" is, in all probability, owing to payments
made in this country on account of the Turkish Loan,
a large portion of which is retained in the Bank. The
additions to the Government Securities would lead
to an inference that the Bank has been lending on
Stock; whilst the amount of the " Other Securities "
represents the extremely active demand which
prevailed during the week for discounts. The de-
crease in the stock of bullion is very large under
present circumstances; and it is worthy of notice
that its present aggregate is less than at any previous
period in the whole year. The diminution in the
Reserve is more moderate than might have been
expected; and this item continues to be well main-
tained. On the whole the return cannot be regarded
otherwise than unfavorable.
The business of the week has been partially inter-
' rupted by the festivities of the season ; whilst, as the
end of the year is at hand, there has been an indis-
position to enter into commercial or monetary
transactions for any except immediate wants. In
fact, people are taking time to consider the prospects
of the future before contracting engagements of con-
sequence. Hence the activity which marked the
business of last week has been suspended in the
present ; and consequently we have little, or rather
nothing, to say, beyond recording the fact of this
temporary lull.
The Money Market has, upon the whole, been ex-
ceedingly quiet. Much f the great demand which
prevailed last week was obviously caused by prepara-
tions for the present ; and hawing been then satisfied,
bankers and discounters have not since been much
pressed for accommodation. Yesterday they were
rather more called upon, particularly on paper from
the manufacturing districts of Lancashire and York-
shire, and to day the demand was resumed with some-
what mote urgency. There is no change in the
rates. On the Stock Exchange advances have been
made on Government Securities at six per cent., but
the prevailing rate may be said to be five and ahalf.
The imports of gold have been very small since
our last. The) have only amounted to 122,2281.,
being 100,0001. from the United States, 2,3871. from
the feninsula, and 19,8411. from Australia. Of the
arrival from the United States 80,000/. was for the
Continent, its ultimate deatination being said to be
Russia. Little more than 40,0001. therefore remains
in this country, and against this the exports must be
reckoned. They are, however, but small. The
prospect of immediate supplies of any magnitude
continues unfavorable. From Australia there are
no positive advices of shipments up to the 15th of
September, the latest date ; and the comparative ex-
changes still show that it is not profitable to bring
specie from the United States. It is true that in-
surances have been efiected in Liverpool upon cer-
tain amounts that are coming by the next And
succeeding packets; but this gold has been pur-
chased in New York at a premium, and none of it
is intended tv remain in this country. The greater
part will go to Holland. A large amount of silver,
probably 8,000,000 dollars, is expected by the West
India mail steamer due on Tuesday. The Donald
hl `Kaye arrived to-day from Melbourne, but it is not
yet known how much gold she has brought.
The prices of all descriptions of Public Securities
have been maintained with much steadiness. Con-