The Express.
London, England, 1857-04-06 00:00:00

THE OPERA HOUSES.

(Prom the Nossieel WWI.)
So now we have once more the opera season before
as, and once more "two Ilichmonds in the field." We
heartily with success to both of them, if only on amount of
the large number of deserving persons that two mink kw
menee establishments must help to gain en honest liveli-
hood. The chance. of sums. (apart from the superiority
of position and locale that atteohce to the magnificent
theatre in the Haymarket), we think, are pretty well
balanced. The Piocolomini fever is not likely to subside,
even though ft may net absolutely increase in intensity.
If Mdlle. Sped& bas handsome end clever es a reported,
and if Signor Obeid rabies the high standard which
hoe been aligned to him, two other fruitful storm
of prosperity will have been secured. A first-rate timer Is
what Mr. Leedsy has steed in want of ever since Marie
left him. In the much talked of now dancer, Mane. Po-
chini, too, the impresario of her majeitys Theatre would
seem to have tuna up a rare trump card. Time will show.
Mdlle. Naiad makes bee debut on the first night ; and if aho
can manage to eclipse the mommy of Carlotta Grist in the
fascinating creation of Effeerelas—for that is the part In
which she a gang to solicit the good graces of the English
public—she will be a phoenix indeed. Lastly, the hint at a
Keenish Dos Gamma conies the heart of connoisseurs to
nutter. On this bead much depends upon Signor Benetti,
ehcf-troreArstre, and no little upon the "etifferitore,"
Signor Fontana, who will doubtless "suggest" both histri-
onically and rase-re.rieeisically.
The "novelties" at the Royal Italian Opera have their
attraction. also. One new comer alone will excite universal
curiosity. We allude to Mdlle. Victoiro Balk youngest
daughter of Micheal William Balk, of whose antecedents
our readies know enough. Rumour is very eloquent on be-
half of this yang lady, who bee never trod the beanie be-
fore. The prestige el her name alone—without taking into
consideration her youth, her pommel attractions, and the
admirable promise she is said to exhibit—would in-
cline the public towards her and Invest her dial with
special attraction. Mr. Oye bee also another new
Parepe—ahmit whom we are told great
things, which it is to be hoped may be provid to have
truth for their foundation. Then be has strengthened kis
ballet, of which Fanny Corito is once more the queen, by the
addition of Mdfle. Plunkett, well-known and admired by all
amateurs of choregraphic talent. And lately, Ire Damao,
adapted by its gifted composer for too Italian stage, with
Mario for the brigand, the revival of Morart's too °separable
l'isaro, end other quai-novelties in the operatic way, may
be cited as strong points in the programme of the Royal
Italian Opees. _

The., se we have premised, the chums of succor
at the two hours see eery nearly on a par, and three 4 not
much likelihood of the public exclaiming, with Meurailki;
"A pleguo on both" of them. In vita of the diegolution
of parliament, and another impending event of no Ism
gravity (which, however, seems to be regarded u lea shoo.
lately certain than was anticipated), a mute than average
meson is prophesied. All the managers of our Italian
Operas have to do, then, is to fulfil the pledges they have
given, and reply upon the public for reerading their ester-
prim and good faith. Next year, when a new Covent-
paden theatre shall have 'MUM front the ruins of the old,
the competiti..n will be oa hirer sad mars equal grounds.
Madame Nau has arrived is London for the
IMOD.

Mdlle. Victoiro Balfe has arrived in town from
Paris. Her approaching debut at tho Royal Italian Opera
the topic in musical sad faallionitbla &dm

All the boxes and stalls in Her Majesty's Theatre
having been taken for the first night of the doeskin, the ensue
performances are announced to be given on tho Thureday
following, en open night.

6TII.IIiD TRIATRA.

The members of that well-known histrionic club,
the Printer.' Dramatic Society, gave their first performance
this maroon et the above theatre on Saturday evening lam,
for the benefit of the widow and children of a derws emu-
pmitor named liny. Thu pieties played were the comedy of
Ororthd, The IlunrAhark, and the fart* of Joh*
Dobbs. Maas. Walter and Turner, amistad by Misa Mer-
rell from the Lyceum, carried the first peeve through
very saccossfally. Ths Notriehbaek was the next piece, in
which the character. of Muter Walter by Mr. Morgan,
Sir Thom. Clifford by Mr. Wilson, and Fathom
gwittaPort of er, win wry respectably played ; the
Jan and Heim being pleasingly givan by
Mims Clare Owevemor end Morrell. On the whole, how-
ever, we haw sees this play done much greeter justice to
by thresemliers of this Moiety on a previous omission ; and
erS mead the fuse of emend gentlemen to whose histrionic
talents we have often had much plesaure in bearing testi-
mony. Judging from bat Saturday. performance., the
gimp drawahq»e of the society is not equal to what we have
men it, and requires considashile improvement if tho society
is to retain its position. The farco of Joh» Imbh concluded
the entertainments et a late hear. The perforimumes seemed
to give general satisfaction to a very full house, tho result of
which, we hope, will bo equally satinfactory to those for
whine benefit the performances were given.

The imperial direction of the theatres at Vienna,
which recently directed that female dancers were to wearlong
loose trousers, has Just rescinded the order, ao, according to
the words of the decree, the said garment it " impracticable
and anwahstic."

The theatre of the Dehtssements Comiques, Paris,
has bean taken for a German company under the direction
of Y. Frey; they will commence their performance. in about
• fortnight.

The InWpendance Bel'je says that there have been
mom balls and concerts in Parts during Lent this year than
ever were known before. It has been remarked that during
the nip of 1401110 Philippe the court issued no invitations
after Yid•Lent day. But under the now empire, notwith-
standing all the severe lectures of Father Ventura, the court
continues to give splendid partioe, and the 'rand MOM*
naturally follows the example.
_

CoNvocsTtoN.—The election of proctors to repre-
sent the clergy in the new convocation of the proviro a of
Canterbury will be proosWad with in the course of a few
dale. It is believed thee la the diocese of London no oppo-
sition will be offered le the midi= of the rcpmentativea
in the lent convocetlen, twinely, the Rev. Dr. 11•Cau1,
rector of St. Magma lie Martyr, for the arehdesereiry of
London, and the Roc 1. 0. Baer, M.A., rector of Fulh
hdinegli for the are of Middleen. In the disease of Ogled
there Is every ty of a sharp contest. Mr. Mares*
the vicar cif retires; but his colleague, the lee.
Charles Lloyd, ~A. rector of Oreat Hampden, Booldng-
hausidrer sad elespisin to the Bishop of Oxford, offers him-
self im tweisedia. Amelia with the name of Mr. Lloyd
is OM et Ihs Rev. F. H. laiglaces, M.A., rector of Harps-
die, war Ifeeleron-Thatas% hat these gentlemen will be
Ltklegte.v.;.M. IL. Famentle, M.A., rector of
The Rev. Frederick Vincent,
isatee of Masi; arses s, bas Issued an addreee to
the of the Moms of Chlshsdr soliciting re-election.
In lha isrs of Nankai • MA INS became vacant by the
balk dile VIIIIIINSIii Aishilliella J. IL Oiler, M.A. In
the Ames ef Wbabsster tin lirsa. sad Rev. tiniest Bed,
rector ef Abbotts Aesop Ifsespikke. and ths Rev.
Jobs H. Rashid* ILL, mast of limilintsak user Croy-
ilea, will be assist. Thom, ant ia the revises al Custer-
buy 11111mmamas of whoa heady-tes Wag to ths Upper
Ewa

isdrosoond aattivetsari festival of the
AIMS' Hamra Barfavelent &Whitton was held on &tur-
as& at law Proisitaimagf Tavern. About LW gentlemen,
awe Si Ikea womeelaill with art, sat down to an cieellent
nod 111114/1111ged Maw under the presidency of Lord
Hormuz, who was supported, among others,by Sir Chas.
L. Eastlake, P.R.A., C. It. Cocktail], Esq., R.A., E. H.
Ward, Req R.A., Alfred Elmore, Esq., A.8.A., F. R.
Pakahlakx.2., A.R.A., W. B. Frost, A.8.A., H.
Weekee, .R. , W. Heidi, A.R.A., Augustus Egg,
A.R.A., R. J. Luis, A.8.A., Alderman Spier, of Oxford,
Tom Taylor, Req., John Dillon, Esq., Henry Ferrer, Esq.,
Christi', Req., H. Wyndham Phillips, Err., and
Mr. W.BWoms,, thie artist of Wawell-known"Bk.ttse. of
Wet la die Wm.," ite.
trilhatia, topknots the *lnto of which tho ems-
der ter YeY diaWo
to
then Rrp~awhses hrs~lt ens
sal seessehei irespoweit.hire is to a** robot
is illsatend nelledeas artists, w saloodbers to Ire
fink weak whose who have bon saw* harms to dr
=as will as to their widows sod siphons, rah sod
estalltat thee** to * hamlises. VT= the
esteldlehomit the seelety in 1814 &era to Dasuabse, Web
Issista• to lits amber d 1,620 hew ham reatol la Mil
tone_ SS Illeragato to 111••• L ; showlar that
the Si sask assitions hae, hen the lielted mese
* the Si the waky, heft sassolt, weal.
lis pet yaw amity-three sine woo Mkt*
claree—paintere, architeda,w
wise is. 111, swift total expeklitare-TAI. 7e. IL,
la the heads of the *eke an to
=ilittlit. so • new* faad for organ ewes, of
7011. Ilk She posembase of the annivemary were coa-
-1 &did will at
sang by Lord Dufierin, the chairman,
**la On weir *i esdkary loyal and patriotic toeMe,oon-
! Mad lies, Ida le aeon skill, with the matter In hand
11%,11,Mightt haat►k of Primo Albert, the patron of
tits shad* to hi. royal !ugly:teas well-
' Mows y with art and srtista, as • proof of which
be hal seat • cheque fur 601. ma his aubseription.
r ezairozolas the Royal Family, the Chairman
datamhasee of the Princess Royal haring been
ea caliAllse sfillandlip; sad after the toast of the " Army
and Norm" la adlki =Mr. W. Simpson, the artist of the
" Ilhelehas of the Werh the Crhnea," to reepond to it In
=the WM at the sesaing, "yrosperity to the Artists'
Distsvahrt Ice Citation, • the Chairman alluded
mat pod Is* bis the distinguished men who had
nod the ion provloas mese*. of this kind, and
sliest to Ili the place they had so
a7M7310;;;„ isaWndli.o3sl:rt his devotion to
Faasab and artal-naturoad
;&dam= from It •
, skew wed to I* hdkes of gratille, to whose
me-
fkZurimireterrikalkliarl who. walk, "b= almost
of necessity alisleselsd Owe the sterner balms of
leo—halite whisk*. pew** of the public leaded
to evoke mad taftt. He how difficult it was fur
Zudiesserreetkat to be attained by artists for years of
ll labor (for utists were not only born but must be
made), meths the most successful kimonos.; end ho urgently
adlal oar public to promote the object. of a rociety whirls
was intended to aid the struggle. and smooth the difficulties
of many • lard-working but ill-requited man. Asa proof
of the irywidhy which wee felt fur the institution by
artiste, ho ki*Nsed that among the subeeribura to its funds
was two ASIA =sub* of the profession of groat distine-
the—A. !belle tad Rom lionheur.
_

lieleadi of the Chairman wee propneed in suitable
to by Sir LIMN Eastlake P.R.A , and a number of
other toaat:zpropriato to the occasion followed, and ware
atiteria9ptionsto amount f 650/ w red, g
whit& were 20!. from lAy Ch'antrei and en annual doll=
don of 61.6 e. from Sir Roderick Mumbison. The musical

arrimarments, under the direction of Mr. Rassford, were
pertoeularly good, the performen being Mies 'Lansford. Miss
Ryles, Mr. Otago, sad Mr. W. E. linadord. Mr. Benja-
min Wake woo ai efikient bast-umater.

MR THACICBRA Y.
(Prom the &anise.)
Among the many delightful thing. which such of
its es were at Mr. Tharkerey'e dinner, an likely not to
choose to forget, not the lent delightful was the allusion he
nude to his gretifintion at receiving, many years asggna,, when
he was comparatively little blown, from " eighty Edinburgh
binds," a tikon of their sdadration and regard for him ea
—the ant he had ever gut. Some of our folk.
In biro • new and pen pew fa linnatine:
an bonen, kindly, public-hearted teacher, and who
sopecially_regsrded him as the good gmitts of Pont*
gent to r. Thackeray, as an inkstand, a darer statuette
of this Potentate; hi. skull Wad the ink-horn
and his cap its lid, end in his bands was hie
weapon—a pen. Eighty half-crowns bought it, and
no urea or woman was allowed to give mire or lees;
and, to Corey out the joke, on Mr. Punch's pedestal
were the woe—

ZACI

MINA VIRVIWII
011ATI NT (HATA

I.ll‘.
D.D.D.

This was lent, with a note expressing the grateful admira-
tion of the " octogint" and ita grounds. The following letter
was tereived in answer' and we :we Eire our readers will
thank um for giving them the pleasure of reading it. One of
the "two of the eighty Edinburgh friend." war Lord Jeffrey,
who enticed into the joke with all hi, heart, sad predicted
the great bunt of its riceirer :
"13, Young-street, Kensington-equate,
"May 11, 1818.
"My dear Sir,—The arms and the man arrived in safety
yesterday, and 1 am glad to know the mimes of two of the
eighty Edinburgh friends who hove t,ken such a kind me-
thod of showing their goodwill towards me. If you are
grafi, lam frirtior. Such tokens of regard and sympathy
are very precious to a writer like myself, who have some dif-
ficulty still in making people understand what you have Wen
goof en:migh to find out in Edinburgh, that under the MLA •
satirical there walks about a sentimental gentleman who
mow not unkindly to any mortal person. I can nee ex-
actly the same expression under the vmard of my little Mend
in silver and hove Rome day to shake the whole octogint by
the hand, Frahm of grata, and thank them for thew
Mundlinees end regard. I think I had beet nay no more on
the subject lest I should be tempted into some enthusiastic
writing, of which lam afraid. I assure you these tokens of
what I can't help acknowledging as populuity make rim
humble as well as grateful, and mike me feel an almost
awful Renee of the reaponaibility which Wle upon a man in
emit a station. Is it deserved or undeserved P Who is this
that seta up to preach to mankind, and to laugh at many
things which men revevence? I hope I may be able to tell
the truth always, and to see it aright, according to the eyes
which God tilruighty giros me. And if in tho exercise of
my railing 1 get friends and find encouragement and
sympathy, I nerd not tall you how very much I feel and am
thankful for thin kind of support. Indeed, I can't reply
lightly upon this subject, or feel otherwise than very grave
when people praise me as you do. Wishing you and ray
Edinburgh friends ell health and happinciot, believe me,
my dear nr, most faithfully yours,
"W. M. TRAPRERAT."
Row like the man, as we now know hint, this is; How
repress and admirable: Satire and sympathy, as Lord dram
PO happily said, both of the best—end what s fine charac-
teristic touch—" enthusiastk writing, of which I am afraid!"

TIEWARDS FOR SAVING LIVR.—On the morning
of the 19th ult., the British barque Haltwhistle, Jame.. P.d.
lemon, Master, was stranded off the height. of Calantseog,
when the Dutch pilot-boat Rinkelaar, with the Master and
nine men, put off to her ae-iesnce, and suceeethsi in saying
the lives of the new, consisting of 14 hands; but the master
and mate declining to leave the ebip, a host, manned by
pilot and an apprentice, put off to their assistance. In count-
quenee of the boisterous state of the weather' she was upset,
and the pilot unhappily drowned ; but the apprentice
succeeded in *Rimming to share, after three beam perse-
verance. Signal. of distress being still sent from the ship,
the said apprentice, together with another apprentice and s
Newman, put off in a boat, and, after much exertion and
danger, succeeded in saving the captain and mate. The above
circurnstanoes baring been represented to the Board of
Trade, they have, is consideration of the gallantry displayed,
awarded the following:—To the Master of the pilot-boat,
54; crew of ditto, consisting of nine perania, 21. rah—W. •
to the relatives of the pilot who woe drowned, and who be:
Imaged to the first boat, 101. ; to the apprentice, who swam
ashore, 101. ; to the limy person in the last boat, 101,
each-301. - .

TREASURE t. SATETT.—A tradesman of the Rue
Montmorency, at Paris, being greatly afraid of being robbed,
secreted his money in different parte of the house, and did
not even let his wife know where. One of his hiding-places
vele a stove in his shop, in which a fire had not been lighted
for • long time, and in which it was not intended to light
one again; end in this stove he deposited a number of bonds
of the City of Parka, several bank notes, and securities, toge-
ther with a not inconsiderable sum in pieces of 20f. and 401.
On Sxturday hie wife, being in the shop, found it rather
cold, and ordered the percent to light a fire in the stove. She
was obeyed, and in about half an hour after her husband
came hews On seeing the fire he uttered a loud cry, and,
sinking on to a chair, broke out into the most pitiable lumen-
Wilma It was some time before be could explain to his
wide the eauae of his grief. She at once had the fire extins
gabbed ; but though the piece. of gold, greatly blackened,
Inn foetid, the sots@ and mantis' were, of mans
Asizorsie