The Express.
London, England, 1856-06-03 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

--..--
THE AMATEUR PANTOMIME.

The mecum which attended the two representations
Of the Amateur Pantomime last season, the ratrontge of
her Majesty, and the large amount of mosey which woo
nailed, hays stimulated the principal gentleman onceraed
in it ones more to appear before the publics. Perhaps, too,
then was a little pardonable vanity in the minter, ion
though you may field amateurs graaniej, and gasp-
log Othellos by the dozen, and though many of the back
drawing-rooms in Belgravia and Brorept.)u are filled during
the season by ambitious ladies sr d gentlemen attired in Mr.
Nathan's costumes and Mr. Wilson's wigs, toiling labori-
ouly at the representation of a rattlieg farce, and Wareing
every ten minutes into a dead silence, which ia broken only
by Boa prompter's voice, there are very few unprofessicnal
pewee who can jump through " dates " trip?," t the
" slaps," or go through any of the regular pantomime bad-
ness with the complete sussed eseerease exhibited by the
amateurs last night. There was no lane to an as a
lever du redone, as was the ease last year, tut tLe rant:minis
was'preeeded by a prologue, the principal cr exacter in wh:cl;,
Time (Mr. C. A. Cole), we find seated in his library, much
perplexed as to whether the present times are really good or
bad. To solve his doubt+, he appeals to various principal
.akareetess in put ages, among theca the Year One, Julies
Cosa, a Baron of the Milos Chang period, henry the
Eighth, Francis the Fint, Charles, and Cromwal ; but fill-
ies to elicit any settled opinion from these, ha summons the
Podearde, the Blown, and the Red It, es represen-
tatives of the three Preach revolutions of 1792, 1839, and
1803, who in their turn are impanded by War, end lastly
by Peace (Kim M. Clint), who decline that, as they are,
the times are very good, and counsels Time—

If you've non naisgiyings to unravel,
Your buy Lotions Vent date, sod travel.
My snow-whits banger widely is unfurled,
And you may go, with Peace, around the world.
I'll show you all a lesson. Yon shall team
TIN Ws of thew who tried the times to spurts,
'Midst a frseupwited, bold people. It's • land
Well knows to autumn travellers as Switzerland.

Clouds now clone la upon the wear, sod on their with-
draws] we And ourselves at Alter!, where tee inhabitants
are celebrating a cantonal festival. After a capital ballet,
Radolph (Kr. C. Wray), Gossler's 12. ad snap, enters from
the castle, and proclaims various orpre, sire enactments or-
daiasd by the governor, such as the introduction of the
Maine anti-liquor law, the suppreesios of Saudsy music,
and the establiebmeat of a double income tan, to the utter
disgust of the peasant', who, enci.ed to rebellion by a
apes& Iron their leader, Idelchtbal (Mr. Dianna Tatra),
seise upon Rudolph, sad are about to fling him into the
lake, whoa the sudden entrance of Gutsier (Mr. I'. Knot
Holmes) at once restores order and submksicn. Gager
then, the peasants having been aloud off by the guards,
informs the audience of his unrequited passion for Lima*
(Kiss Rosins Wright), and that youog lady shortly after
eateriag, she and Gaoler perform a burlesque pas, at the
sad of which be attempts to Garry her off, and is only
stepped by the entrance of Tell (Kr. Albert Staab), with
his eon Albert (Mr. K W. Hallett). Tell's description of
himself is too good rot to quote :

" Oa.—Who are you, ruffian, thus to speak to me i"
Tell..—My name is Tell—tel gue je Isisje suit.
An old Swiss family known very well ;
My sisters keep the Rigi Kelm Hotel :
My aims sing the Rau des Violin when
Up to tM taek d' hates at Grindelwald.
My nephew' carve in weed, and make tlrse things
Which every tourist bask to Zeeland briar,
Aad gives as souvenirs to those nlatious
Prom whom he thinks he's any dep.:rheum.
My anoint ars all guides—as'er at a lea
To climb the Juegfran or the Orimssl orris.
la chamois-hunting some their time employ,
And this (pointing to Albert) la the original Swim boy."

A quarrel between Tell and Gamier then ensues, carried
on, as is proper in theatrical eases, in a duet, and Geasier
driven into his castle. After a little unimportant " businem."
we then have the triumphal entry of Weiler, the erection of
the pole and esp, and the refuel of Tell and Allen to bow
before then. Tell is then seised, and ordered to shoot the
apple from his son's head; he remonstrates, but finding
this of no avail he claims to select his own apple, and brings
forward =enormous Pippin (Mr. A. Areedeekoe), who im-
mediately on his eppeorance sings a parody on "
to the delight of the audience. Tell than firs, with a Colt's
revolver fitted up as a crossbow, and at the fourth (hot the
apple is split. Then comes the hietorlesl incident of Tell's
dropping the concealed arrow with which he hsd intended
to shoot (heeler ; a *PM, common between the peening
and (sealer's guards, sad is Maly put a stop to by Tell ehal
legging Giesler to single combat. Goofier accepts, and they
then go through a meet ladittrous parody of t►e "terrible
muountees" at the transponthe theatres, to the tune of
the " Rateatcher's Daughter." Guest is vanquished,
sad at the end of the fight Helvetia (Mils K.
Oliver) appears, and aided by Cupid, who comes from the
split apple, effects the usual rentsmime transformation—
Albert beaming Harlequin (Mr. Line) ; Lisette, Columbine
(Miss Wright) ; Gender, Clown (Mr. J. H. Robins); and
Tell, Pentaloon (Mr. Arthur Smith). And oo+
rim-
menu" the real "combo Duane's," which produced in muck
alai last year, and consists rot in posturing' and spice-
, twiatirp, not is imitations of dancers, or spinning about
enormous casks, bat the old style of fon, such as Grimaldi
revelled in, and ouches has n been seen since. It is Lot
saying too much when we aver that Mr. Rubins has no 1-ro-
feesional rival where real " fan" is concerned ; his figure is
against his tumbling, though be deuces lightly and well.
bat every grimace, every motion of his legs and Ma carries
with it an evident intention and privokes shouts of
laughter. The various scenes were a French rertourant
(partitioned in the middle and showing both kitchen and
salon), where the Clown and Pantiliion gained the confi-
dence, of the cooks, and eared up horrible dishes of rats,
eats, dm, to the guests of various nationalities, and where a
eapitalpesds =bat was danced by Mewl% RoLins,A Smith,
Holmes, and Yates; a schoolroom scene, with a ponderous
Dr. Syntax (Mr. Bates), a miserable French usher (Mr.
Yates), and a score of absurdly grotesque boys ; a scene teak
a pent one river (called in the bills " The Thames, near Man-
eltester"); and last of all, a glorious eountry fair, where there
is thimble rigging by Mr. Albert Smith, performing dogs,
acrobats (Mears. Holmes, Hallett, and Yates), running in
seeks, site., and which concludes by the rising of Shakespeare
(Mr. C. A. Ccl.) and the Spirit of Pant ,mime (Miss M. Oli-
ver), who bring down the certain after 'peaking an epilogue
very neatly written by Mr. Shirley Brooke. When an-
limited approbation le to be bestowed the task of the critic is
an sissy one. From first to last there was net one roars.
taw, not one hitch. Mr. Albert Smith war in fall spirits,
and meg an admirable patter song to the tune of " When a
men travels." Mr. Holmes sang espitally, shout too welt
for burlesque, and danced his " Troutdale*" with a min-
tuts of fan and grace that Perrot might tare envied ; nod
Miss Basins Wright, in thin her first *peeking part, prov‘d
that in confining herself to ewe pantomime she has bun
doing iejnotioe both to herself and ber and:erc+s. Of
the excellence of her Colombia* it is as reedier, to speak
as it is of the esapprated senility and confiding dotage
of Mr. Arthur Smith's Pantaloon. The Harlequin (Mr-
Lane) was a novelty, sad though comparisons are said by
Mrs. Malaprop to be odoriferous, we can wen that he is in
no way inferior to his predecessor of last year. Mr. Cole
was excellently usedithp as Time, and in the epilogue his
extraordinary personal resemblance to Shakespeare seemed
to astonish the ►udience. All the might parts—peasants.
guard., fish-fags, policemen, eestermongen, dc.—were filled
by amateur*, and very well supported.
The whole performance wee most successful, and the gen-
tlemen engaged in it bare peat reams to be proud of their
exertions. Her Majesty, who was a:petted to be present,
was toe musk fatigued by bar morales at the Wellington
Case , and the Royal ben was eesspied by the Prince of
Waif" wet his btothees, and their suite ; while among
the audience, an unusually full one, were some of The most
distinguished polluters. in literary and faebiosabls circles.
The proceeds of the perfumes,* will, et the desire of her
Majesty, be ghetto the Royal Female Naval School.

Calms Phstaw—this thmazigo DAT, PINE
t—Ldadmilles es goyim% 8,029 ; dim try NUM liSkill4
I NOS Mil vision., Va.

ant expreoo.

TO 0021ZOTONDRIITIL
elbelsonsibelNesiellir"ar=abla Tbsibirpow.'
ma lie at the Mo. le. by Two Wink ea tie
INg 0 pelesillia.

NIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Rai DAT—lleralag. ilia 31. MA.
Twomew—Nontos. fa. 811.

LONDON, TUESDAY, JURB 3.

TEE aspect of the latest news from the United
States is undeniably ugly. Still we will not believe
that the Goverment' in Loaders and Washington
can be so insane as to risk a war the results of which
most be so tremendous, on such miserable grounds of
quarrel as they are debating about. fi there is •
war it will be a mete buccaneering war. The
United States have no standing army; they cannot
invade England ; the immense extent of the Re-
public's territory, and the thinness of the population,
enable it to laugh an invasioa to scorn. Bat, on
the other hand, the meets of England and
the United States are equally destitute of
fortifications, and open to predatory incursions ; and
both nations have hordes of unarmed merchant
ships in every era, that would be an easy prey to
veinels of war. The only way in which either state
could harm the other, would be by shelling and burn-
ing seaport towns, by sinking and capturing mer-
chant vessels. Fights there might be between single
men-of-war, or small squadrons, but there would be
no battles like the N►le or Trafalgar—for the simple
MOOD that the United States have not a large enough
asst. While the war lasted, therefore, the efforts of
the belligerents would be almost exclusively confined
to predatory and destructive operations against
private property—a course of action calculated to
lower the combatants to the level of the moss•troopev
at buccaneers of former centuries. The loss on both
sides would be enormous. The more paralysis of pnxise-
live industry induced by the cessation of commercial
intercourse would spread bankruptcy mad beggary
through every district of England and the United
States. And all this waste and misery to be immured
on flimsy points of humor, about which abeam of
Irish fire-eaten of the olden time would have hesi-
tated to exchange shots! With regard to the en-
listment quokka, the United States have suffered
no detriment from the operations of the English
cerement. The Cabinet of St. James's bee again
sad again declared it had no intention to injure or
affront the Government at IVeshtigton, and that
it is sorry that it should innocently have
gives accents for umbrage. As to the American
Isthmus, both Goverment' are load in their pram-
tatices of their determination act to sequin any new
territory there ; and is troth inch acquisition by
either weld be :plain a less. The pecuniary in-
terest of both countries is the questions at item
would be outrageously over-solintated at a penny
sterling. England, we know, has no desire to set
sneourtemaly towards America; and America, we
hope and believe, bee no desire to set ascoartscasly
towards England. The whole emetrovemy between
the two Governante anew from their relostanee to
express the sum ideas is the same words sod
plums. If they go to war it will be on either side
simply with a view to impose its own verbeljamehe
on the other. What an awful respoesibility the
statesmen mud inner who precipitate two states so
eapable of inflicting injury oa each other into war ea
mask Wettable pretexts! How the despots of the
world will laugh to see the two most her sad en-
lightened nations of the age cutting each other's
throats and destroying each other's property for such
pitiful no•roseoee ! Such, they will exclaim is soora-
ful triumph, are the fruits of free institutions ; these
see the conseqesnose of allowing peop/es to govern
thimmelves.

We address thee' consideration= able to English-
men and America's; for we °enact regard any war
between England sod Americo—sod that is our great
objection to ens—in any other light that sea civil
war. Ws know that any English Government that
by unjust, or even discourteous, conduct towards
America shall render war inevitable, will be driven
with disgrace from power. On former cosmos', we
do not deny that Eoglish Goveraments have bee,
too apt to treat Americans with a supercilious affecta-
tion of superiority. We admit that some of Lord
PALMERSTON'S antecedents warrant suspicions on the
pert of the Americans that he has still some of this
Old World leaven about him. Bat we have
every meson to believe that his colleagues are
superior to all such silly and antiquated prejudices;
and we know that his lordship is not the man to
allow any personal feeling (or principle) to interfere
with hie tenure of office. We say that on the whole
the oceduct of the existing English Government
throughout this disagreeable controverryg not always
remarkable for prudence, has always been fair and
courteous. The difficulties regarding Central Ame-
rica they offer to refer to arbitration; they di*
claim any intention to act in contravention of the
laws of the United States in the salacity enlistment
affair ; and as for Mr. CRAMPTON and the Consuls, the
language used by Lord CLARZNDON is in effect, " We
cannot punish men whohave served us faithfully to the
beat of their abilities, unless they are proved to have
violated the laws of the United States; the witnesses
adduced in support of the charge that they have doss
so are utterly unworthy of credit upon oath; do you
(the American Government) prove by trustworthy
witnesses that they have asisoondaoted themselves, and
we will withdraw them, bet otherwise we Gannet do
that consistently with our own hooter." This, we
maintain, is all straightforward; and for the remote
assigned above we believe that the English Ministers
speak and act. in this matter, with perfect sincerity.
As for the Americans, we cower in the view taken
of their feelings by our New York Correspondent,
whom letter we publish to-clay. This gentleman,
we may recomdc in passing, ia saw et Om cut, an
American, proud of his country, having implicit faith
in the infallibility of his countrymen; and he de-
clares that the whole difficulty on their side is owing
to the unscrupulous tactics adopted by the party
leaders now in power, with an eye to the impending
Presidential election. He tells us—and we believe
him—that if the English Ministers keep their
tempers, and abstain from any acts or words
that may give a handle to the reckless
agitators of the White House till alter the
elections in November, there will to no danger
of war. We, too, would give this advice to our
rulers, and we believe it will be acted upon. But, at
the same time, we would appeal to the rational and
truly patriotic portion of the Ameriesa people—and
the language which we have ever held, in perfect sad
cordial aineerity.with regard to the America" people,
entitles us to do so—to aid us actively is the prow-
rates of Use p.o.e. They can do so, for they are the
majority, sad is the United States the majority is all-
powerful. they need to do so, for the last step of
Prosidest hums demonstrates that as little coati-
dense eon he plead in hie prudes*, se in his wind.
plea. Whew WALK= appeared to be earrying all
before his In Nicaragua, President Pince refused
to rooopial him 1 sow that WALE= appears to be

tottering on the verge of destraeasa Freakiest
Pixies naives his envoy. The man ode sea this
act in defames of every dictate of pruderies and sem—
mon sense, may at any moment adopt INOMPONS that
render war inevitable. We aware oar American
friends that this conviction is already beam-
ing operative hors in England. Next mail will
convey to them intelligeoco of fluctuation
in our Money Market fluctuations attributable
solely to the aspect of oar relations with America.
And we can tell them more, that the great American
merchants here, and the manufacturers with whom
they deal, are already talking seriously of restricting
their operations within such limits as may expose
them to the least possible risk in the event of a war
breaking out. Fully one half of the evils that actual
war could inflict on the two countries, are about to be
incurred in a state of peace, from the mere unsatis-
factory aspect of our relations with the United
States. We call upon the true patriot§ in North
America to assist as in putting a step to this
ruinous state of affairs.

Oar sole object in these remarks is to impress both
on Englishmen and Aseseidens the ridionloas and
criminal light in white the two countries would pre-
mot themselves to the world by going to war for the
paltry objects that are now agitated between their
Governments. When we shall have snooseded in
this—when the voice of both nations has compelled
their rulers to discuss their differences rationally—we
are prepared to enter upon that controversy. At pre-
sent a word misapprehended might have a prejudi-
cial effect, and therefore we abstain. Far the same
reason we have avoided the vulgar braggadocio in
which some of our contemporaries have been plemed
to indulge about the might of Eogland. We are,
perhaps, more fully aware of the real strength of our
country than them braggarts, but we know that, with
a high-spirited and energetic people like the Ameri-
cans, to talk of such matters at such a crisis is wan-
tonly to add fuel to dame.

L