The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 7, 1846.

enjoyments of the Italian opera. tat I maintain, that In the present
forni and fashion of the great opera house of London, that ram will not
porch:as: the atitusonent I want for Litt If mid nay nanny. Ao justly
observed by your other correspondents, :he system priosnsi f r the
new opera at Covent Carden will prove as extravagant as the lire.
oent. It will make more room for men of rank, and nica of weaffia,
' but what is to became of Vac family man of Luotif. myear
'that the plan proomed—and how far it arty be true I kuow not
will fail, I have little doubt. For the sale of the orantry I hope it
may not; but I briieve it will. I am inclined to rouge the value of
the a:nos:mental of the opera, including its two distinet porno of
Ic and ballet, by lilol., extended from other collateral arts. Why
is MUSit more expensive than painting, or than sculptuni Tho
reason in simply tltio—that pointing said sculpture are cultivated in
Einshuid. These arts ore not foreign from the genie, of the country,
while music is. The pleaso re derived from music requires the exer-
cise of two powers, rarely coucentran d in the same person, sit. com-
position and execution, whether vocal or Instrumental. The liot
can be a worse of no oansidernble expense to us, because England
ham a common property with the rest of the world in musical
compaoiti. ra. We are nut taxed for the writing, bit for the
reading of what is written. In this lien the didlaulty : k:ffirland
cannot command vocalism. Whether we fail in quality or in power
of voice, or in power of aisquirement, to another question, but the tact
no one sill Moe. The result io that We Upply to °nor nations which
em supply our aecessitieo. We reelect the hhighest powere the world
can produce, and we bring thou hither by dint of enormous remu-
neration. Thin in a positive and an lueuraide evil. Positive indeed
when the amount of the salaries demanded and paid by our englids
manager far thee service!, Is taken into ronsoideratiam %Vial it be
generally Is lievol that the season of Ihni conveyed into the pockets
of the three leading Finger. the enornious sum of 12,060/. and up-
words coupled, observe, with Gib additional aggravation, the
abooltite right over the exercise of their art at public concerts
oared in Mr. Lumley. And who can house the matuper for
that stipulation! In the present condition of the English
sehool our profession Li incompetent to Italian musle, when
placed in the front rank. But I am satiefied that a good
and efficient vocal company may be formed, which, led by
two or three foreign sine( Is of rank, not nevessanly tits highest, may
he completes! by our native singers, both male and kauale, provided
due encouragement be given them. We have many o tigers sa no are
ennapetent to the second rank of the opera stage, and who woo:d do
:ample justice to the usic, while we have plenty of evider.cs that
the English choral deportment may, by industry, be rendered an "per-
fect as It to elsewhere. If we cannot command a Orion or a Lahlach:,
we must be content with the inferior singer, whose inferiority,, by
the bye, Is only palpable, or at least is only very perceptble,
when tested by the immediate comparison with the
higher. Surely Italy, herself content with the infeaine, (luring
that huge portion of the year that deprive, her of the highest slam
aline I', could foraish our wants moot abundantly. %'hat a plaid for
the exercise °Cardiac art woad such a scheme not produce. It wooed
at once open the stage of the Italian Opera to the English singer, who
would insure a rank commensurate with hi or her pots ers, and I
conceive wool:II:arse:1y extend the devotion among the pt ufessi.n of
our own country to the study of the jurgly popular authors of Italy
and Germany —2. Touchhig the fond, we enter on a question of fur
les» difficulty than the former. Till within a few years on English
orchestra was a republic. It ba now happily subjuguted and brought
under the authority of an unlimited monarchy. One head
direct& and rule. with undivided sway, to the infinite credit of the
entire teals corporate, and to the inestimable advantage of the mud at
auditory. • Up to this date the Eguribh horn or drum alwa,s domed
hinnelf the :coder of the band, or perhaps the rather that, haring less
to do than others, he was requirol to compensate by density of
sound for the paucity of note awarded him by the comps cr. One
authority, therefore, is all that is happily required. this one
head, anti I will ventute to affirm that our city of Landon will at this
moment furnish, among Englioh instrumentaboto, asexcellee, a baud,
for opera purpoorn, an can be required : I do not say for general
tousle. In concerto, or in quartet playing, they are infra r to the
French sell ct. but for the requisitions of the opera, for the
opera music of Iteosinl, Cinianna, Itonizetli, and even Sloxart, I
maintain their entire competency to form an efficient and admirable
band, to Rive ethylband, to the lights and shadows of the competition. In-
dividually they are superior to the difficulties of these author, and,
when placed under the iron hand of a good COOductor, collet t Ively they
would form a la hole, in no degree, for such a purpose. inferi r to the
Opera band. Thus an opera might be farmed, the efficiency o: which,
though as a whole something inferior to the great opera, we ild yet
be great, and the expenses of which would be commensurate with a
much reduced claim on the public. Italian singing would be encou-
raged in the profession, and good music rendered more an:lir:dale by
the people, if I may use the term, without rousing the
sensibilities of any portion of sour reader.. such an opera, I main-
tain, would command the support of the gentry of tendon an:l the
ourroomaingeountry. A question new:parity an.., as to whet: er the
toilet i an indispensable concomitant of opera music. Certainly it
Is not deemed essential in Paris, where we have music :it one
theatre and dancing at another. if the performance of an entire
opera be nut outticient for an evening's amusement, the ballet mu.-t
be super-added, but then it must be paid for accordingly. I appu tend
that the experiment had better he attempted without the I .dlet.
Should it succeed, the ballet department may be added, but on ouch
a iamb only as that which guide. the musical arrangements,
viz., that of eschewinn the higher classes, with individual except Ono,
and making careful selections from the English Khoo' as they arise,
eandidates for popular opinion]. Let us always carefully o sold
the pretence of s ivalship with air. Lumley, and his grand opera and
ballet, with which, in my opinion, a second opera, on the scale I have
dessribed, will in no respect interfere. If Covent-garden or any
other theatre be applied to the purpose of the experiment, I see no
reason why the inward walls may not be partially converted 'nto
private boxes, one tier being lefbuutouched. The pit should bet :ms
vetted Into stalls, and the gallery render, di comfortable. But economy
should reign throughout. With regard to the inaportant 11U011.1011 of
the prices of sdiniasirm, I conceive that the (ad theatre prior would
suffice for all the wants of the establish ment; or the pit might be raised
to live shillings, sad the boon eaten or eight. Without a ballet thew
amounts would he justly deemed exorbitant; for the opera alone
the admission to the pit aught not to excel three or four shillings.
By such means t do think a good opera might be rendered atoneable
to the musical world of London and our present corrupt, or rather ;
immaturesi, taste, may be improved by the frequent wasuciationo with
the best whoa, in muolcal composaition.—Yours, &c., Ananias.

—A policerea t stated that the gentleman and another at-
Laend the notice w peeve in the street by the familiar man-
ner in a Inch the y claimed acquaintance with revel-al 'e-
maks, who seemed not to relish the liberties they took, and
quickly passed un. The witness requested both gentlemen,
ale, %vete evidently elevideti with liquor, to ga home, and
,me of th, m wisely took the advice. The detindant, how-
ever, not only refused to leave the street, but to allow the
lad', sto pass unmob sted. As he seemed to be getting more
a arm, it was considered necessary to cool him in the station-
house, nut of %Welt place he was hailed at 9 in the morning ;
so that he was quite long enough the re to judge of its con—
tort!.—The det.aulant said he was sure the policeman was in
error in saving that he put his hands upon any lady. It was
true his friend, in whose company he had been dining,
wished to have a little cone( nation with the other sex ; but
he interfered to prevent what he knew was unbecoming
steady men of buunces, and it was while he was engaged in
the duty of prevention, that the policeman mistooklaim for
the aggressor.—Alderman Wilson : Policeman, why did you
tot secure the friend of this gentleman?—Policeman: I had
enough to do •o secure this gentleman. Besides, as the
oat rat once desisted, I allowed him to go on, and the de-
fendant might have gone away too. When I told him that
I must take him into custody, he looked very big, and said
he had been dining with the Lord Mayor. (Laughter.)—
Alderman Wilsen : Had you been dining with the Lord
Mayor ?—Defendant: Oh dear no, sir •; I never thetight of
such a thing. It's pretty well known if a man dined with
the Lord Mayor, it would not be cosy to find him in the'
street at nine o'clock. (Laughter.) I was dining with my
friend over in the Borouith, and the fact is he took • little
tai muck.—Alderman Wilson : You are fined twenty shit- I
dings.—Defendant: Sir, I thank you very much. I shall
pay with pleasure indescribable.—Alderman Wilson: I
would advise yt u in your future frolics not to say you have
I een dining with the Lora Mayer.—The Defendant : Oh
dear, certainly not. I might have said that I dined as well
as if I had dined with the Lord Mayor; hut I could not
have meant that I bad been his lordship's guest.

GLILDIIALL.—OURIOUS CASE OP WEITAKEN IDEN-
TITY —Yesterday a young lad named Edward Grapes, was
charged, before Alderman Gibbs, with picking a la ly's
pmket.—Mrs. Matilda Everett Bell, of George-street, Ilano-
ver-square, stated that, on Friday last, about 12 o'clock, she
was in a pastry-cook's shop in Ncwgate-street, where the
prismier, who was then dressed like a gentleman's son, and
anther, were regaling themselves with pastry. On her
leaving, she felt herself hustled, when she observed the boy
run past her with her purse, eutaining between sin and
seven pounds. She called out, but a mob enabled the thief
to escape.—Alderman Gibbs : Do you swear distinctly that
the pr sorer is the lad you mention as being in the shop, and
afterwards taking your purse.—Complainant That is the
b, y. but differently dressed.—Mr. Atkinson, solicitor, cross-
examined the complairant. and asked her was she perfectly
sure the prisoner was the boy ?—She replied in the affirma-
tive.—Mr. Atkinson : Do you not know that another party
has been taken up this morning for the very robhery you now
speak of —Complainant:i I do.—Mr. Atkinson: Then now
look rountl the court, and see if you recognise him.—Mrs.
BM immediately did so, and suddenly exclaimed, pointirg
to a voung lad, a well-known thief, near her, " they
are brothers; this is the one who robbed me."—
Alderman Gibbs asked Mrs. Bell ifshe still persisted that the
prisoner was the guilty party ?—She said, " No," that it was
the young man whom she now pointed to.—Alderman Gibbs
admitted that they were very much alike, and discharged the
prisoner, at the same time placing his brother, the young
man pointed out, at the bar ; hut as the lady had so dis-
tinctly sworn that the first prisoner was the party who com-
mitted the robbery, he was necessarily obliged to discharge
him also.—Mrs. Bell sad that she was not obtaining justice.
She had only sworn to the best of her belief.—Alderman
Gibbs reminded her that she had sworn distinctly to tie first
prisoner. That statement was down in writing, and she
c mid hear it read if she liked.—The complainant, however,
left the court, rather indignant at the way in which the
affair terminated.

WESTMINSTER. Gnus' OUTRAGE. - Yesterday,
Joseph Cooper and William Osborne, two young men, were
charged with the following outrage: Mrs. Sarah Pincher,
of 5, Cottage-place, Chelsea, stated that she was proceed-
ing from Chelsea to Earl's-court. Brampton, at about nine
on the previous evening, when defendant Cooper came up
and took hold of her in a very improper manner. He then
took her bonnet off, and knocked her down with such vio-
lence that she was stunned. Her husband, who was only a
few yards behind her at the time, came to her assistance,
when dt fendants attacked him with great violence. Joseph
Pincher, the husband, said that he was walking a few paces
behind his wife, when the two defendants, another man,
and a boy, suddenly stopped him. Osborne asked him to
give him a shilling. Witness refused, when Osborne
placed himself before him on the footpath in a menacing
attitude, and declared that he would have half-a-
crown. As witness thought that Osborne was about
to knock him down, he immediately struck him in his own
defence. lie was then attacked by the whole party. On a
sudden he found Cooper heating his wife, and saw him
knock her down, and kick her whilst on the ground. The
pdice came up, aid defendants run away, but were pursued
and captured. Two constables who had been alarmed by
the cries of murder, found that on going to the spot Osborne
had his left arm round Mrs. Pincher's neck, and was beat-
ing her about the head with the other hand. Both defend-
ants were sober. Defendants said they just touched the
complainant, when the husband struck them both, and
they merely stood in :heir own defence Mr. Bond ordered
them to pay 50s. etch fur each of the tic' assaults (U.), or be
imprisoned for two months each.
_ _ _

THAMES.—Cuatovs Dtcruw.—A ferocious-looking fel-
low was brought before Mr. Salentine, charged with assault-
ing Mr. John Kesby, proprietor of the Red Lion public-house,
\Vhitechapel. About nine o'clock on the pros ions night,
the prisoner went into the Red Lion, and became very trou-
blesome about some brooms which he alleged he had brought
in, though many present knew he had done no such thing.
He at last became so outrageous that it was found necessary
to put him out, but though several of the customers assisted,
the fellow exhibited such extraordinary strength, and Such
savage violence, that it was found impossible to ej, et him.
Police-constable Kelly, 119 H, was called upon to take the
prisoner into custody. In attempting to do so, the prisoner
tried to seize him by the most tender part of his person, and
cuffed and kicked him until his person was all over one mass
of bruises. With the assistance of some respectable inhabi-
tants, and several additional constables, the fellow war con-
veyed to the station-house, where his conduct was equally
violent, and it was with the great...st difficulty he was forced
into the cell.—The prisoner, in his defence, pleaded the in-
dignation which ho felt at the loss of his brooms, and re-
gretted the violence into which he had been led.—Mr. Bal-
lantine observed that it was not easy to define the circum-
stances under which a constable was warranted in entering a
hublic-house. It war the duty of persons holding such
ouses to keep sufficient force and power to preserve order in
their houses without the interference of the police, except
on extraordinary occasions, such as hearing the cry of mur-
der, or some other cause leading to serious apprehension.
He did not feel that in the present case the constable was
exactly in hie proper position, but the assault was a groan
one, and he (Mr. Ballantine) would commit the prisoner for
seven days. Had the assault taken place in the street, the
punishment would have been a month.
- -

WANDSWORTH.—Tux DOO-CIRT Nrissxce.—Yes-
terday, John Ward, an old man who hawks china, glass,
and fruit, about Surrey, was summov• d for the almost obso-
lete offence of using two dogs fur th t urpose of draught.—
Sergeant Moore, 12 V, proved than. ;n1 Friday, the 2.ith
ult., he overtook the defendant in the Clapham-road with a
large barrow or truck, to the fore part of which two dogs
were attached; the truck was heavily laden, and the dogs
were exerting all their strength to drug it along.—The de-
fendant prefaced his statement by saying that he was 70
years of age, three-parts blind, and almost a cripple. He
had travelled Surrey for 2.5 years, and since the passing of
the a t prohibiting the use of`dogs, had never been molested,
and Mr. Thomas, the secretary to the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, had told him he could not
be tined by any magistrate. He then contended that he
only used the dogs as a guard to his truck when unattended.
and put in a drawing illustrative of the position occupied by
the dogs on the day in question.—Mr. Paynter fined the
defendant Is. and 3s. costs, or seven days' imprisonment.—
The old man was removed, declaring he could not pay.

GREENWICH.—A CRIMP PUNISHED Hy FINE.-3E-
chael Henry Hare, an outfitter in Ratcliffe-highway, was
summoned under an Act of Bth and 9th Viet., known as the
Merchant Seaman's Protection Act, for hiring one Henry
Chisenell, the defendant not being a person licensed under
the statute to engage merchant seamen. Mr. Pelham ap-
peared to support the complaint, which was instituted by
the Board of Trade, and Mr. Fearnley for the defendant.
The evidence fur the complainant was to the effect that, on
the 29th September, as Henry Chisenell was passing the de-
fendant's shop in Ratcliffe-highway, he was accosted by a
man in the defendant's service, who asked him if he wanted
a skip. Ile replied that he did, and on seeing Mr. Hart, he
was told by that person to follow his man to the Commer-
dal Docks to the ship Driope, where he was shipped and
signed articles, Mr. Hart's man taking an active part in the
engagement of the men. It was also shown that Mr. Hart
stipulated for cashing the advance note, which never
came into the hands of Chisenell at all; but in lieu of which
he received 18s. in money, and the value of 12s. 6d. in
clothes, Mr. Hart reserving to himself Is. 61. as discount.
Formal proofs were given by clerks from the Board of Trade
that the defendant was not duly licensed.—Mr. Fearnley,
fur the defendant, after taking an objection to the proof of
his client being engaged in the transaction, which was
overruled, addressed himself to the merits of the case,
endeavouring to show that Chisenell applied to the defendant
to be shipped on board a ship belonging to Mr. Ward, to
whose vessels the defendant acts as ship's husband, and that
as none of Mr. Ward's ships were about to sail, he simply
' told Chisenell that if he went to the Commercial Docks he
would find Mr. Stoker, a licensed shipper, who wanted
hands for the Driope. To prove this several witnesses were
called, who denied that Dlr. Hart had any share in the
transaction beyond that stated, and also Mr. Stoker, who
declared that he had solely engaged the man, and that Mr.
Hart was in no way implicated. Mr. Traill, however, was
of a different opinion, as it was clearly shown that Mr.
Hart had made a bai gain with retpect to the advance note.
This was clearly an in (ringement of the act. He, therefore,
fined the defendant 5/., and 3s. costs.