The Press.
London, England, 1853-11-12 00:00:00

Onituart.

ADMIRAL CFIRTcTOPHER JOIIN TirItTIAMS 7•Tesrust
died on Saturday last, at Exmouth, at the advanced
age of 85 years. The gallant admiral had resided
for the last twenty years on his own property in that
part of Devonshire, and was universally venerated
for his benevolence to the humbler claims. He
entered the navy in January, 17m2, on board the
Juno frigate, and in June in the following year was
present in the action fought between Sir Edward
Hughes and M. de Sutfrein, off Cuddalore. While
still a midshipman, the deceased officer, travelling in
France, was at .:rnon iu 17P+9 ; and during an infente
the mob were about to hang a wealthy man, a Mon-
sieur Planter. The British middy, passing accident-
ally, inquired what they were going to do ; bring in
formed by some persons in the crowd, ho rushed
forward and expostulated at the inhuman act of the
frenzied populace, but was derided and pushed away.
Nothing daunted, and when the rope was already
round the neck of their victim, he once more sue
ceeded in getting to M. Planter, within a moment of
an ignominious death. He clung to hint with devoted
grasp, and reproached the assassins in their fury.
" They might as well hang one innocent man as
another, and if they hanged M. Planter they should
hang hint " The heroic act and the energetic
observation of the youthful Englishman appeased
the infuriated throng. He was carried about in
triumph as a brave fellow, and M. Planter's life was
saved by an instantaneous escape. The following is
an extract of the proves vcrbal of the General

09

Assembly, on January 13, 1790 :—" A innuerous
deputation of the principal inhabitants a the town
of Vernon (among whom was Mr. Neshani piv•
stinted themselves to the .Isseinl.l, to v‘i.tv.,4 did
interest in the cause of M. Mere*, anti how greatly
they were satisfied with his eontinet they availed
themselves likewise of this occasion to make known

to then► the young Fnglishmtin and hip► generous
prut•eetlings towards M. Planter. One of the mem-
bers of the Assembly then mounted the tribune, and,
Laving observed that in ancient Rome they decreed
a rive• crown to be given to him who %mot the life
of a eitieen, it was aubmitted that one might he
offered to Mr. Nesham, by the President, and Unit
there should be. at the same tune, offered to him a
uniform sword of the National Guard of Paris. At

• subsequent sitting, two days atteroards, the Pres" •
dent having announced that the civic crown and the
national sword deemed to Mr. Nesham were ready to
be presented, the young Englistimau was introduces)
to the committee. The President, in placing the
crown and giving him the sword, prenouticed (hie
discourse :—' Young stranger, you have merited
much from the capital of the French empire, in
saving, at the hazard of your life, a citizen who is
dear to it. The Assembly of the ltepreseutatives of
the Commons of Paris owe you their gratitude, and
they are now going to acquit themselves of it to you.
Following the example of the Senate of )tome, iu the
happy time, of its glory and liberty, they decree you
a mit. croon as the price of your virtue. They arm
you with this sword of the Notional Guard. It will
be the instrument of your courage—paw parents
will not be able to read without emotion the enserip•
tient of the generous aeuou for which you merited its
When, on your return uniting them, you receive the
paternal regards of your countrymen, you may tell
them that you have seen ou the river Seine a brave,
generous, but too long U1%141011,4 people, who have, iu
fine, conquered their liberty, and are delighted when
they find opportunity of recompensing virtue. You
may tell theta that free people are brothers ; that
Frenchmen uud Englishmen owe each other reci-
procal esteem: and that the object most worthy of
their ambit iiiii is to secure the happiness of man
" The proceedings were ordered to be prieted,
and distributed in the sixty districts. Admiral
Nesham received the war medal in isle, with two
be s for Camperdown and Martinique.
THE commercial world has been deprived of one of
its most enterprising and successful members by the
U death of Mr. ANIEL Comte, who, after having, ou
the previous evening, received and perused his busi•
ness letters from various parts of the OAR', WAS
found dead in his bed on the morning of the :ird in-
stant, at an hotel in Brighton. Mr. Cooper was a
mist extensive Sydney land proprietor, and may ho
regarded as a millitimeire connected with that putt of
cmr Australian dependencies. The initst valuable
hinds in the immediate vicinity of Sydney belonged
totem. These lands are comprised in what is 0461
lhu'i inelitiOestate,and termed an tine :I,OIIOIICM,
which arc now daily selling to the market gardener*
at the high price of 150/. per acre; to which may
be added the Point Piper estate, with its water
frontage, a prolierty forint:lly granted tAo Colonel
Piper. Some portions of this estate have lately been
disposed of at the price of 4011/. per acre. In the
enumeration of Mr. Cooper's possessions in the Molly
may be included the Royal Hotel—an establishment
as large as the London Tavern and the Albion in
Aldersgate-street put together; and his tine stores,
called the Waterloo Stores, which, in point of mag-
nitude, may be compared to the bolialiouse in
Leadenhall street. Ills acquisitions eiaaprehendad,
beyond these, several freeholds, innumerable berms
and other lands, which swell the amount of his Aus-
tralian wealth to an extent of which it wont'', in the
present rising combine' and growing importance of
the colony, he most difficult to form nit 4.4timate. Mr.
Cooper died at the by no means extreme age of about
sixty-tive, and, since ho commenced life with so
other sleek in trade thew the mutt indefatiguble in-
dustry, the proof is made apparent that, with perse-
verance and those other attributes which may be said
to be the essential basis of commercial prosperity,
mttch may he achieved even in a country which, at
the commencement of Mr. Cooper's career, had
scarcely been subject to the impress of the foot of
man. The deceased wits married, but died without
issue. Two of his nephews have somewhat recently
been united in marriage with the daughters of an
Australian capitalist of Birmingham, who had with-
drawn Irian the cottony. The latter also, who lied about
eighteen months since, was not only the holder of
very extensive town property and of the must superb
merchants' villas in the favourite retreat of Wool-
lomoloo, in the Olt irons of Splney, but had for the
last twelve years lawn profitably mmps' in business
operationa in the neighbourhood of Birmitighiun.
He had there been adding to his previously acquired
riches sonic hundreds of freehold.. This gentleman,
Mr. Wailful' Macdonald, is sell known to have died
very wealthy ; and, as the nephews of Mr. Cooper
succeed to his birtune iu virtue of their marriage, the
united accumulation secured by these two gentlemen
will be beim:thing enurniutte.

THE MINISTERIAL GREEN-ROOM.

The following circular was issued from Downing-street last week :—" The performers
engaged for the various r,;ics of Cabinet Ministers for the ensuing season will be good
enough to assemble in the greenroom, I►owning•street, on Tuesday, the ►+th inst., at two
p.m. precisely.—./. Itsiiell, State Manager."

ON Text:DAY afternoon the artists who received this intimation attended
with laudable punctuality, the only exception being in the case of the
gentleman at present engaged, somewhat out of his line, for domestic
drama, who arrived late. The object of the meeting was the distribu
tion of some of the principal parts which the performers in question
have undertaken to sustain in the Westminster Plays for the approach
ing season. We regret to state that the company did not appear in
the highest spirits ; and Mrs. Aberdeen, the old lady par excellence of
the political stage, was going about maundering drearily about some
engagement at an East-end theatre, of which she had just heard, and
which for some reason caused the poor old soul great annoyance.
She was heard to mutter that her friend the manager of a Northern
circuit had been cruelly used.

Mr. lterissu. briefly addressed the company, and said that the
day of opening was not yet fixed, but it would probably be earlier than
was contemplated ; but he advised that every one should at once begin
to study, in order to come well prepared, as audiences had become very
critical of bite, and disinclined to accept excuses.

Mr. PALM KasTox asked what it was intended to open ith ?
Mr. ItussEt.i. maid that an " occasional " piece, founded on an
Oriental spectacle, would probably be the earliest novelty, us there
had been a great many demands for it. But Mr. Palmerston would
have no part in this: the principal characters would be sustained by
himself, Mr. Clarendon, and Mrs. Aberdeen.
Mr. Pm.mt:rtoroN said that if it were damned ho should be happy
to come forward and apologise: they knew what he could do in this
line.

Mr. Russxu. said that bygones had better be bygones. Another
farce, called The Jeer Gies Stoekinys ; or, The Fleet in Greece, had not
been any great hit. But to business. Supposing the Oriental affair
went off well, they need not be in any great hurry with the next
piece. But they had so solemnly pledged themselves to the produc-
tion of The Constitution, with New Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations,
that he feared there was no escape. Ile admitted that the revival was
ill-timed, but there was no alternative. It would never do to let an
opposition management produce the piece. Therefore it had been
determined to make this the trump card of the season. The piece had
been in a great measure rewritten, the part of Finality had been cut
out, and an excellent part of a Schoolmaster put in.
Mr. 1/AI.M ERSTON : Clarendon plays the Schoolmaster, I suppose?
Mr. ltuston.t.: Why so, sir?
Mr. PALMERSTON : Because ho is so fond of Birch.

Mr. llussm.t. (sarcastically) : If you were half as funny on the stage
its on; you would be almost a good actor. Besides this, there were
other alterations. Mr. Nlolesworth had been very anxious to intro-
duce a feature which had succeeded at Madame Vestris' theatre and
elsewhere.

Mr. MOLVIWORTII : Yes ;—that a voice, pretending to be that of the
Public, should speak from a Box.

Mr. BURRELL: But there were reasons against this. The respect-
able part of the audience disliked such things as quackery ; and, at
any rate, they would not risk it at present.. But there would be
some capital claptraps about electioneering abuses, and a live baby
would be introduced and kissed, as an illustration of canvassing.
Mr. PALMERSTON : Mrs. Aberdeen to carry it, of course, in her
favourite character of Old Nurse. But who's to be baby?

Mr. Remit:Lt. : Argyll is the noisiest young ono we have among us.
To be sure ho doesn't exactly hide his talents in a napkin. Well,
then, we hope this will be a grand go, and carry us to the cud of the
season.

Mr. GLAtuvross But supposing—l only say supposing ; for I
don't know anything of the piece as it now stands—the eheral de bataille
breaks down, what do you mean to back it up with? You know, Mr.
Russell, you tried a piece on the same subject, and it was a disgraceful
failure. Now, I tell you fairly that. I cannot do, another season. what I
did last year. 1 can't afford it ; and I have duties which cannot be
given up.

Mr. Wool) : Wo must all put our shoulders to the wheel.
Mr. GLADSTONE : We were all putting all our shoulders to the wheels
for the last mouth of the season, and the result was the row we had,

SATURDAY,

at our own doors, with the cabs. If the great piece does not go, I
should say, shut up.
Mr. Russtu.: T did not mean to say anything about it ; but I'll
tell yon a secret. The piece shall go. I mean to produce it for my
own benefit, and to speak an address, reminding the town of the
number of years I have worked before them, of the great sensation I
made with my tragi-comedy, Reform, and of the splendid way I hare
at times supported the character of a Papist and of a Jew; and I shall
ask a generous British audience to let the sunshine of their smiles
fall upon the last effirrt of a devoted veteran, and kindle around his
sinking head the incandescent halo of their irradiating beneficence.
You know the business. (Applause.)

Mr. GRAHAM : I expected that dodge. It's very good—very good
indeed. And what ant I to have ? I wish you'd let Palmy and me
change parts. Do you mind, Palmerston?
Mr. PALMERstoN : No. But it's hardly worth your while, Graham.
There is only your favourite old bit;of going to the Post-office and
getting somebody else's letters and opening them. I should be glad
to give my part up. I want to play foreign characters.
Mr. Itemsm. : No, no ; you are too noisy in those. Yon are very
well placed as you are. Well, now, it seems that there is a deficiency
in female interest in our principal pieces. This will not do. The
women have saved us too often to be forgotten. We must have some-
thing fin• them. Graham has been turning his cruise aboard ship to
account, and has sent in a little piece which I think will be generally
liked : it is called The Cat, and is a sort of sequel to that thing of
Fitzroy's, Aggravated Amman*. This is entirely for the women, and is
safe. But there is another thing, about which I ant not so sure, a
notion of Molesworth's, called Woman's Vote. Ile wants it worked
into The Constitution. I fear it will not do; but we shall see. We shall
put you up, Gladstone, in the New Way to Pay Old Debts, in April.
Mr. GLA DSTONE I don't believe it brought much money this year.
Mr. Bussxm : No, it did not do much for the Treasury, but it was a
good deal talked about—City men came, if only to abuse it—and I
think the juggling business, and where you got into the stocks, was
all very clever. Wo shall do that, with The Camp at Chobham, which
Sidney Herbert must support, and we must revive The British Fleet
for Graham. As for Cranworth—(yreat laughter)--you may laugh, but
he makes up capitally, and his wig is immense. Cranny, don't you
be put down a crack. Bothell is writing something for you : he says,
in his goodnatured way, that he fears it is above your capabilities, but
you shall be tried again, though you did break down in The Convict,
and give Palmy the trouble of understudying the part. I don't know,
ladies and gentlemen, that I have much morn to say.
Mrs. ABERDEEN : I have. In this part of Twaddle, in the Oriental
piece, lam made to say, " You are a bear, sir, and not fit for ladies
society. I can't abear a. bear; which I can't." Now, I shall not say that
o please the author, or anybody.
Mr. RUSBELL : But why not, Abby dear? I don't see anything in
that. It's all single meaning; no Dublin thunder, as Power used
to sw.
Mrs. ABERDEEN : I have my own reasons, sir, and the lines must
be cut out. I think you might respect the sorrows of an elderly
female. ( Weeps.)

Mr. RVSSELL : 0, I'm sure we would not annoy you, my dear.
Come, come ! There—out they go. What shall we put in for a
change? Pain, you're quick at botching a hole; suggest something.
Mr. PALMERSTON: Lees look. 0, say, say, "Sir, get out ! I'd as
soon talk to old Nick."

Mrs. ABERDEEN: That, sir, is even more objectionable; and you
arc an unfeeling monster, that's what you are.
Mr. CLARENDON : I have it. Say, "Be off, sir, or I'll send the
housemaid after you with her Turk's-head broom." _ _

Mrs. ABERDEEN (in a rage): You're all in a conspiracy to insult a
poor lone old woman—and—there—there—(tears up part)—there goes
your piece for my share in it ! (Throws it at them.)
Mr. licssEm. (soothingly): Don't—don't—there's a good old soul !
Why, you arc always saying that any sort of peace is dear to you ; how
can you be so violent? There, the lines shall be left out, and you
shall have nothing to say, which is just what people will like. There,
now go home quietly, that's at good creature.
Mrs. ABERDEEN ( going out sorrowfully, and it la Mr. Rohm.): I
wish my friend .Mr. Nicholas was here. Ile would not see me put upon.
Mr. RussELl.: Everybody called for Thursday, at two.
Mr. GLADSTONE : But Argyll and I arc going to Windsor for the
day. Let us oft
Mr. Ill:mama. : Then you'll come up from Windsor. There are
plenty of trains. I'll fine you if you don't. (Aside.) I say—don't set
a bad example to the dull ones, because you happen to be a quick
study. If you knew what a funk lam in about thent you wouldn't.
As it is, we are in no end of a mess; but don't let us make matters
worse. (Aloud.) Once more, everybody called for Thursday, at two.