The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-07 00:00:00

DRAMA.

sr. JAMES'S.

A alight comedy-farce in two acts, which doubt-
Ism owes its origin to some French source, but which has
been amusingly done into English by Mr. Maddisou Mor-
ton, was produced at this house last tight under the title of
Woodcock's Little Game. The plot, as rendered by the
adapter, has hardly sufficient weight to sustain two acts,
but the situations are diverting, the ilialogue in as light as
the morality of the piece, lad the acting—chiefly
in the hands of Mr. Charles Mathews and Mrs. Frank
Matthews—leaves nothing to be desired. There are several
complications in the story, slight as it is, which it would
only be wearisome to recount, and we may describe the plot
as turning upon the good old, well-used, mother-in-law pivot-
Mr. Woodcock is a middle-aged buck, who has been some-
what gay in his youth, and who marries a young wife to
settle down in peace and quietness. This laudable de-
sign is frustrated, for • time by the dominant will
of his mother-in-law, whose passion for excitement
has not been satisfied in early life, and by the
machinations of another lady friend, whose only object sp.
pears to be to taus him. After he has put himself in •
position in which he is able to lead his mother-in-law to
believe that nothing but a country life will save him from
becoming a gay man-about-town, he is allowed to have his
own way, and to retire to a pastoral retreat. Mr. Charles
Mathews is fitted with a character in this piece similar to
many which he tuts performed before—a character in which
many of the most admirable end solid qualities of
his acting are called into play. He moves amongst
the various personages of the farce ea a man occasionally
bewildered, but yet retaining • vast amount of 'elf-pones-
sift, and, as usual, in the most delightful and easy manner
possible, be takes the whole audience into his coafidence.
His " asides' and bye-play are as inimitable as ever, and his
face shows • perfect command of expression.
Mrs. Frank Matthews, as the mother-in-law, has equalled
(she could hardly surpass) all her former efforts in
an embodiment of this nature. No one now on
the stage can give such • forcible realisation of •
full-blooded, gushing, strong-minded, weak-minded female
as Mrs. Matthews, and her performance last night carried us
beck to those old Lyceum days when she so often appeared
in such characters. The little piece was well sustained in
its minor puts by Mr. H. J. Montague, Mr. Johustoue, Mr.
Chamberlain, Miss Wentworth, and Miss Fanny Hill—
the last lady making her first appearance at this theatre.
Mr. Montague will soon become one of our most gentlemanly
and effective representatives' of young met, and Miss Went-
worth shows a marked improvement in her acting. The
piece was successful.
Mr. Elketchley's excellent comedy, How will they get out
of it 1 still retains its photo in the bills, and is one of those
productions—unhappily too few—which can be seen several
times without creating wearinees.

THE REGISTRATIONS.

MIDDLESEX.
The court mill be held to-day at the Ceeti►ina, Breat-
hed.

CITY OF LONDON.

The result of the Clay's ilVaoll4 ii4hotiosholdere lit,
as supplied by the Liberal Association, was as follows :
CLAIMS. —Liberal, allowed, 8 ; diaalkrwed, 3. Oooaena•
tire, allowed. 2 ; disallowed, 8.
OBJECTIONS.— Liberal, sustained. 43 ; failed or withdrawn,
5. Conservative, sustained, 47 ; failed or ithdrawe, 18.
Double objections sustained, 24. lipitosed by the Barris-
ter, L

'RUTS Rac►sreenoN.—The result of the reel-
don of the list of voters of this county shows a liberal gain
of 262 votes.

THE SOUTH ST4 PPORDSHIRI COLLIERS'
STRIKE.

BIRMINGHAM, Oct. 6.
To-day a conference took place in this town
between Lord Leigh, the lord-lieutenant of the county,
and some 25 to 30 of the coal-marten, on the subject of the
colliers' strike. This was held at the Hen and Chickens
Hotel at noon, and lasted more than an hour. Lord Leigh
was accompanied by Colonel Mason, of the volunteers, and
amongst the principal coal-masters present were Mr.
William Mathews, Mr. John Harder-, Mr. William
Barrows, Am Lord Leigh's attention has been in various
ways directed to the strike ; amongst other, from
the circumstance of the district affected being so closely
contiguous to this town, and from the fact of its having been
deemed necessary to guard the Mores deposited at Bingley-
hall, belonging to the volunteer corps. Impressed with
the desirability of putting an end to the strike if
pos-
m-ble, Lord Leigh went to Dudley on y,
sad had an interview alai sonic of the delegate' of the
men • also with Mr. Frederic Smith, of the Priory Lord
Dudley's manager • and yesterday (Wedneeday) his lordship
had a further eerie, with the men in this town, at which
the circumstances oaenected with the strike were fully dis-
cussed. At twelve o'clock to-day his lordship met the coal-
masters, as above stated, a dozen of the colliers' delegates
being in waiting. Lord Leigh addressed the meeting at
some length and with much earnestness of manner. He
urged strongly the privations which so many. thousands of
the men and their fao.dies are enduring, besought
the employers to have regard to the station of the
meu as well as the adore of their employment,
and begged that a point might be conceded which would
be the means of putting a Mop to the calamitous state of
things now skisting in South StaffordsLire. Finally, his
lordship proposed that the men should have the opportu-
nity of returning to their work for a fortnight at der. 6d. par
day, on the uoderstandieg that at the expiration of that
time the Cd. per day extra. making Ss, should be granted.
A long discussion followed ; the result of it was that
although all present admitted the desirability of the strike
being broujlit to a termination there was an DDIDDDOWS
feeling against the proposition made by Lord Leigh. It was de-
clared to he impossible to accept it, with due regard to the
interests of dears& ; or io fact to make any concession what-
ever, it being held that to yield to the men in this matter
would be to open the dew to fresh demands on their part,
the end of which could not be foresees. The result was
that Lord Leigh's well-iotentioned mediation failed; indeed,
in the attitude in which the masters hays placed them-
selves, nothing else could have been expected. It was
stated in the course of the meeting that the strike will
soon be over. This morning the men have 'Tallied their
willingness to return to work in various parts of the dia.
%riot. It is only the well-paid delegates who advocate any
other cuntse.

THE EXPLOSH.N AT ERITH.—FENEALL OP THZ
VlCTlMS.—Yesterday afternoon the remains of George
Rayner, Thomas Hubbard, and John Yorke. who were
killed by the frightful explosion at Erith on Saturday last,
were removed from the Belvedere Terern, and interred at
the pariah churchyard, Erith. The funeral procession was
attended by several mounted police-constables and a con-
siderable number persons, and the arrangements were
carried out by Mr. Mason, of Plumetead. It has been
suggested to commence a subscription to raise a fund for the
purpose of affording tome remuneration to the soldiers at
Woolwich, through whose exertioes so inundation of the
river was prevented, and many of whom base their clothing
almost entirely destroyed and rendered useless.
THE FATAL EXPLOSION IN BETHX•L GREM--
An inquiry was held by Mr. Humphreys, coroner, last even-
ing, at the Lord Nelson tavern, Bethnal-greet', respecting
the death of Mr. James Morrie, aged 34 years, who was
killed by an ex plordoe. The catastrophe occurred at M
LeitchfOrd's match manufactory in Three Colt-lane, Beth-
nal-green, where upwards of MO hands are employed. Mr.
Robert Leitchford said that the deceased was a chemist.
and was manager to the 6rm. On Monday he employed
Walsall is the mixing room in amalgamating chloride of
potash sad oxide of antimony, together with powdereti
glass and Venetian red. The deceased did that himself in
order to preserve the secret of the exact proportions of the
chemicals used in making a particular description of match.
In the mixteg, which wee performed in a tie vessel and
with a tin scoop, the chloride of pots & exploded, so doubt
from the friction. The explosion blew the glass out of the
windows, and burnt some of the woodwork. The deceased
was fearfully injured about the face and hand., and be died
OS Wedneodav morning. When the workmen, alarmed by
the explosion'and • cry of " Fire," ran to the mixing roe m ;
they found the unfortunate deceased plunging about frail-
ties Iv in • Ram of flame. The jury retuned a verdict of
"Accidental death."

ACCIDENT ON THE STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON
RAILWAY.—nu Wedoeedsy, at DOOD, SO accident occurred to
a train of laden coal waggons, about five miles east of Dar-
lington. A train, consisting of upwards of eighty cluddron
waggons, was on ita way to the Middlesborough district, and
when near Fighting Cocks the wheel of the first i
broke, musing the other waggons to leap upon one a=
and rash down an embankment of considerable height
with terrible impetus. The adjoining fields for a great
distance around were instantly strewn with coal, coke,
broken wheel., and the shattered waggons, upwards of
seventy of which are now utterly useless. Both lines
wen blocked up for more than two hours. The telegraph
was also broken. The passergers in the Min which wee
due at the place of the accident about four or five minutes
alter is occurred, instead of arriving at Darlington at
12.35—tbe appointed time—did not get there till 2.ZiO, they
having to change into a special sent from Darlington. A
strong force of workmen were soon on the spot clearing
away the wreck, sod the traffic is now being worked on the
up line of rails for about two milea—a not easy matter,
the trill& being so immense. An estimate of the delay to
the replier working of the trains may he formed when we
state that not long after the accident happened nearly 1
twenty trains were standing on the down and a large
number oe the up. The kat is tins will a large item.
—Newcastle Chronicle.