The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00

14t f)rama.

OLYMPIC THEATRE,
As amusing little farce, Fighting by Proxy, was
revived on Thursday at this house with success. A
London tradesman, with his wife and daughter, is
on a tour in Belgium. The latter has three pre-
tenders to her hand—two fellow-tradesmen, one
favoured by the father, the other by the mother,
and the third, a gallant captain, favoured by the
lady herself. From this Ann Page situation she is
rescued—like the original—by cheating both the
obnoxious suitors. A friend of the captain, who
acts the part of the theatrical valet, gets up a quarrel
between them, forces them into a duel, under-
takes to fight on proxy for each, and, after firing off a
couple of pistols, persuades each that he has killed the
other. In consequence they both take fright, and
leave the field clear for the captain. Each, be-
lieving the other dead, is stowed away in a cupboard
in the same room : they encounter each other in the
dark, and an opportunity for a good effect was offered
which we are somewhat surprised the author should
have lost. They only shake hands. The fun con-
sists in the terror of the two rivals, given with
great spirit by Messrs. Robson and H. Wigan. The
piece, as we have said, amused the audience: it might
have been better, as Mr. George Primrose's cousin
would say, if the author had taken more pains, and,
we may add, if the actors had taken less.

The Lyceum Theatre closed suddenly on Monday,
and the performances, we are told, will remain sus-
pended " until further notice."

Trip art, sittralutt, ix.

A CURIOUS EXPERIMENT was made last week at
Paris in the basin of the garden of the Palais Royal
in the presence of a numerous crowd of spectators.
A glass globe containing a certain liquid was thrown
into the water and then broken by means of a pole.
The liquid immediately spread itself over the sur-
face of the water, caught fire, and continued to burn
with an intense flame for fifty-six seconds, throwing
out a thick smoke. The basin looked us if it was all
on fire. This strange result is due to researches
which have been for some time past making by M.
Niepce de Saint Victor, Commandant of the Louvre,
whose name is already well known in connection
with important scientific discoveries; General Picot,
Commandant of the Palais Royal, author of learned
works on artillery, attack and defence of fortified
places, itc.; and M. Fontaine. By the mixture of
different chemical substances, these gentleman have
succeeded in composing a liquid which is not costly,
and which takes fire spontaneously in coming in con-
tact with water. The importance of such a discovery
in the hands of those who attack or defend a place,
and particularly in a naval combat, may be readily
conceived.

SMUGGLING Ix NEW3PAPERS is carried on very
briskly in Warsaw, and pays very well. The prices
fetched by recent anti-Russian papers, with " inte-
resting" news, are spoken of as ridiculously high.
The official papers are of course of a Russian hue ;
others, while refraining from expressing Russian
sympathies, reprint such scanty supplies of informa-
tion as the censor leaves unblacked or uncut out.
The Prussian sources of information are the Russian
organs abroad, the Neuel'reussiache Zeitung (Kreux),
Augsburger Allgenteine Zeitung, &c. These papers
are allowed to be exposed in public places. Now and
then an Austrian paper is to be met with, but hardly
ever an English one.

..fir ~.d

452

IT is expecteA that the electric telegraph which is
to run from Madrid to the French frontier will
be completed as far as Saragossa by the month of
June. It is proposed also to establish a line from
Saragossa to Barcelona.
THE FRENCH MINISTER ON THE INTERIOR has en.
tered into agreements with two companies for build-
ing houses for workmen in Paris and Lille. Small
houses are to be built in Paris, which may be pur-
chased by the tenant by the payment of rent for ten
years, and the company, in consideration of a grant
from the State, undertakes to receive only four per
cent. upon its capital. This arrangement will, with.
out doubt, greatly increase the popularity of the
Emperor among the working classes.
THE AMERICAN CRYSTAL. PALACE appears to have
been, commercially speaking, a heavy failure. The
indebtedness of the association is about 170,000 dole.
The loss on the Exhibition is estimated, from the Ist
of January last to the 9th of March instant, at a little
over 19,000 dole., or about 134 dols. per day. It
appears, therefore, that the company has sunk its
whole capital, 489,000 dole. ; all its receipts, about
380,000 dots.; and is in debt 170,0(X) dole.: total,
1,089,0(X) dols. Against which it has the Crystal
Palace building, insured for 91,000 dols., Kiss's
Amazon, &c.
THE Anossuna RAILWAY was opened on the Ist
inst. to the public as far as Ulm. An uninterrupted
line now exists between Munich and Paris, Calais,
and Havre.

Item', the celebrated Prussian sculptor, accom-
panied by M. Schadow, president of the Society of
Arts, has proceeded to Italy, partly for the benefit of
his health, and partly for the selection of blocks of
marble at Cararra, necessary for some of the splendid
works he has in hand.

THE PARIS Cour Impl,riale has given a judgment
of considerable interest to printsellers and sculptors.
It is to the effect that statues and statuettes cannot
be copied by photographical means without the con-
sent of the authors and proprietors. Several trades-
men who had taken on themselves to reproduce
statues in this way were condemned to pay damages
to different plaintiffs varying from 100 f. to 500 f.

attitsiastkal.

PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS.
The Rev. William Clarke Weleford, M.A., to the Rectory of
Stltford, near Bath.
The Rev. G. 0. S. Pigott, 8.A., to the Rectory of Kingston
Seymour, near Axbridge, Somerset.
The Rev. Theodore Percival Wilson, M.A., to the Incumbency
of Bardsley, near Ashton-under•Lyne, Lancashire.
The Rev. John Woodhouse, 8.A., to the Curacy of Goosnargh,
near Preston.
The Rev. William Locook, 8.A., to the Vicarage of East Had-
don, near Northampton.
The Rev. H. A. Dance, 8.A., to the Curacy of Heyford, North-
amptonshire.
The Rev. William Peete Musgrave, M.A., to the Rectory of
Etton, near Beverley, Yorkshire.
Tee Rev. A. 1). Shaw, M.A., to the Rectory of Brancepeth,
near Durham.
The Rev. George De Cruchy, 8.A., to the Rectory of Little
Bealings, near Woodbridge, Suffolk.
The Bev. David Williams, 8.A., to the Rectory of Llyawen,
near Hay, in the county of Brecknock.
The Rev. J. Carter, to the Curacy of St. John's Church, Para-
matte, New South Wales.
The Ref. Maurice de Burgh, M.A., to the Chaplaincy of the
City of Limerick Gaol.
The Rev. Charles Allen, M.A., to the Incumbency of St. Paul's
Churoh, Belfast.
The Rev. Dlgby Walsh, M.A., to the Chaplaincy of Chichester
union workhouse. _ _ _ _ _

The Rev. John Tulloch is appointed Principal of St. Mary's
College, Bt. Andrew's.
The Rev. John Park to the Living of St. Andrew's.
The Rev. Sanderson Robins, M.A., to the Rectory of St. James's,
Dover.

The Rev. Charles Arthur Molony, M.A., to the Vicarage of
Houghiun, near Dover.
The Rev. William Goode, M.A., has been appointed to the War-
burtonian Lectureship at Lincoln's inn.
The Rev. Robert Cage, M.A., to the Rectory of Rathcounell,
In the county of Westmeath.
The Rev. A. Macloughlin to the Rectory and Prebend of Pen-
ner.
The Rev. Arthur 11. Leech, M.A., to the Vicarage of Emly.
The Rev. J. M. Hobson, MA., to the Rectory of Templescobin.
The Rev. Abbot Upcher has been appointed Rural Dean of the
Brooke Deanery, in the county of Norfolk.

VACANCIES.

..... .
The Rectory of Alvechurch, near Bromsgrove,Worcestershire ;
worth 1,1001. a year, in the gift of the Bishop of Worcester.
The Curacy of Crostliweiti•, near Keswick, in the diocese of
Carlisle ,• worth 1201. a year, with surplice fees, in the gilt of the
Rev. J. Lynn. M.A.
The Curacy of Bury, Lancashire, diocese of Manchester ;
worth 1001. a year, in the gift of the Rev. E. J. G. Hornby. M.A.
The Second ( uracy of St. George's Church, Hulme, Manches-
ter; worth 1001, a year, in the gift of the Rev. W. Whitelegg,
M.A.

The Curacy of Great Bromley, near Manningtree, in the din-
case of Rochester; worth 10el. a year, in the gift of the Rev. W.
Mall Graham, M.A.
The Vicarage of St. Neot's, Huntingdonshire; worth 2001. a
year, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor.
The Archdeaconry of Richmond; in the gift of the Bishop of
Ripon.
The Rectory of Wycliffe, near Greta-bridge, Yorkshire ; worth
WM. a year, in the gift of Sir C. Constable, Bart.
The Chaplaincy and Assistant Classical Mastership of the
Royal Naval School, Greenwich; worth 1751. per annum, and is
open to candidates until Monday, May 21.
The /lead Master,hip of Horncastle Grammar School; to be
filled up iumiediately after Thursday, the 54th instant.
The Vicarage of Great Ludford, with the Rectory of Little
Ludford, near Market Baleen, Lincobsahire; worth 3EOI. a year,
iu private patronage.