The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-30 00:00:00

ißrama.

HAYMARKET.

A drama that was very successful in America
under the title of Rosedale, adapted by Mr. John Lester
Wallack from the Blackwood novel of " Lady Lee's
Widowhood," was reproduced at the Haymarket Theatre
last night with the new name of A Wild Goose, the
" editor" being Mr. Dion Boucicault. Though cast in
the " legitimate" form of five acts, we presume to satisfy
the " legitimate" longings and old-fashioned prejudices of
a Haymarket audience, it is far from being " legitimate"
in design and colour. A friendly critic might call it ro-
mantic, an unfriendly critic might all it trashy, and the
public will dacha's!' call it interesting. Mr. Boucicault
is a far better judge of the taste of the public than most
of his critics, and those who, like ourselves, thought the
Long Strike a far superior drama to Flying Scud, have seen
the first buried, after a short existence, and the second
enjoying a life that promises to equal that of the Colleen
Bays. If this long life of the great sporting drama of
the age is somewhat dependent upon the excitement
created by a pasteboard jockey and horse who slide down
a canvas race-course at an angle of forty-five degrees, so
much the mere credit is due to the dramatist who can con-
jure with such materials. Other modern dramatist■ have
had a Robson and other geniuses to conjure with, and have
failed, whilst Mr. Boucicault succeeds by merely working
upon the imagination of his audience.
The drama is occasionally enlivened with knives and
revolvers, but the line is drawn at broad-sword cora.
bat ; and Mr. Oscar Byrne has provided it with a
good lively gipsy dance, similar to the one be is now ex-
hibiting with success at the Canterbury Music-hall. The
scenery is effective, if rather patchy, and the music, by
Mr. Wallerstein, is spirited. As a melodrama it must be
received and judged, and as a melodrama it was decidedly
successful.

NATIONAL TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.—The annual
public meeting of the members and friends of this society
was held last evening in Exster Hall,Mr. B. Scott, F.R.S.,
the Chamberlain of the City of London, occupying the
chair. An abstract of the report of the committee of
management was read by Mr. R. Rae, the secretary,
which, after detailing the efforts made in the past year to
carry out the object of the league, contained the announce-
ment that there were many indications that the temper-
ance reformation is taking a deep hold of the more en-
lightened portion of the public. The respectful silence of
the higher sections of the newspaper and periodical press
was a testimony that should not be undervalued. The
altered tone of the medical journals ; the frequency
and freedom with which • few of the more enlightened
members of the profession proclaim their want of faith in
the virtues popularly ascribed to intoxicating liquors,
were tokens of improvement that should be accepted with
thankfulness. In the various sections of the Christian
church the omens of progress were both numerous and
cheering. Dr. Hook, dean of Chichester, had delivered
an effective speech in favour of total abstinence at the
church congress held in York, and Dean Stanley had cor-
dially agreed to permit the delivery of • temperance
sermon by an abstaining clergyman at one of the
special Sunday evening services in June or July in
Westminster Abbey. In nonconformist bodies similar
marks of improved feeling were manifest, the presidential
chain of the congregational and baptist unions being this
year filled by total abstainers. The gross income of the
year had amounted to 3,252 t. 3s. dld., and the expenditure
to 3,0361. 3s. 3d. ; and although the subscription list was
unfavourably affected by the monetary criais, yet the
generous kindness of friends had more than made up the
deficiency, and the amount received in subscriptions and
donations had been greater than in any other year in the
history of the league. The chairman supplemented
the report with an address, in which he con-
tended that the league partook somewhat of a
religious character, and stood upon higher ground ,
than the United Kingdom Alliance. There were only!
two obstacles in the way of its complete success, and these
consisted of the prejudices entertained by the clergy and
the medical faculty. The first thought the principle
of the league interfered with Christian liberty. This idea
was gradually giving way, es GOO clergymen of the church
of England, '2,200 ministers of other denominations, and
half the students in the various training cell es for the
ministry had become members of the society. With regard
to the other prejudice, 2,000 medical men had signed •
declaration that alcohol was not a necessary ingredient in '
the food of man ; and the Lancet bad begun to adopt the
same view. The report having been passed, and the com-
mittee re-appointed, addresses were delivered by depute.
tions from various parts of the country, some of whom '
were clergymen and medical practitioners; and after
voting thanks to Mr. Scott for presiding, the meeting,
which was very crowded, broke up shortly after 10 o'clock.
THE IRON SAND or New ZEALAND.—The com-
pany formed last year for the utilisation of the iron sand
of New Zealand has delayed its operations pending nego-
tiations with the provincial government, in connection
with the official report of Dr. Nosd, professor of metallur-
gical chemistry, St. George's Hospital, on the success of
the process of smelting patented by the company. The
report of Dr. Need being highly satisfactory, operations
are to be at once commenced, se announced by the further
wriest issued. Mr. Jordan, late agent-general
177retenaland, has been appointed managing director,
intending almost immediately to proceed to New Zealand,
the manager of the works to follow with the plant.
METROPOLITAN FEES HOSPITAL, DEVONSHIRE
SQUAW., Carr.—The aggregate number of patients relieved
during the week ending April 27 was—Medical,sur-
gical, 665 ; total, 1,529 of which 719 were new oasts.