The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-11 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE.

If Mr. Boucicault's Collars Baum bad not
achieved such an extraordinary success—if the "water-
cave" scene had not been the cynosure and theme of London
for months—it is probable that Mr. Charles /ilitthews would
not have thought Lrs Pirates de la Somme worth translating ;
nor would Mr. E. T. Smith have gone to the expanse of—
nor would Mr. Beverley have devoted his subtle brain and
subtler hand to the production of —Mr. Matkews's transla-
tion, tinder the title of The Sarannaii. Playwrights follow
fashion as accurately as modistes ; and Just now melodramas
with "effects" and situations are in great demand. They
are not legitimate, perhaps, but they are smusing. They
have plenty of action : one is not compelled to keep one's
sans on the stretch for smart dialogue ; the eye is pleased
with beautiful scenery and picturesque dresses ; and though
the intellect may be disgusted at the inferior quality of
pabulum supplied to it, it may be reasoned that it is better
to be amused with Fitxball than to yawn with Sheridan
Knowles.
There is no doubt about the new piece it is a melodrame
of the true bloodued-thuuder teinspontine school ; and
amen its Mc:ideate it includes the 'bootleg of a tier ; the
dasesat down a tree of a practicable suuke, which is also
abet ; the strapping of an unruly mulatto on to the bare
bank a a wild courser ; and, finally, a quadrilateral duel,
whim the combatants, armed with rifles, dodge behind
trees, end endeavour to entice each other out, after the
fashion "-rd by Messrs. 413 toun and Theodore
_ .

WRECK or • L•ROEBELYAST SHIP.—PORTMADOC,
MARCH E.—On Thursday evening • large ship was observed
to be in distress on St. Patrick's Causeway, many miles
from land, in Caroaryon Hay. The lifeboat of the National
Lifeboat Institution was at once got ready by her coxswain ;
but some difficulty was experienced in manning her, as it
was thought that in the face of such a heavy gale and terrific
surf it would be impossible to make way with the lifeboat.
However, about nice o'clock at night she was fully manned
and sucosoeftdly launched. After pulling very hard through-
out the awful night, and after making two attempts to reach
the wreck, it was at last successfully fetched, and eevecteen
poor creatures taken off by the lifeboat. and Rarely brought
ashore. The vessel proved to be the ship Danube, of Bel-
fast, from New Orleans to Liverpool, with Lotion. Her
meta hail been cut away in the storm, and throughout the
fearful night blue lights continued to be thrown up by the
crew, which were replied to from the shore.
THE LATE Muepee OFR PotNT LYNAJL —The
four seamen—Samuel Collins, John Kelley, John Dunlevy,
and Lewis Festhemtone who stand charged with the mur-
der of Captain Pyke, on board the General Parkhill, oo the
25th ult., were brought before the magistrates, at the
Liverpool police-court, on Saturday, and again remanded for
another week.
THE SALMON Famous' or SmtmAnn.—The new
bill about to be introduced by the Lord Advocate for the
regulation of the salmon fuheries of Scotland (says the
(Ammer), will be framed in conformity with the suggestions
of the Lords' committee of last year, and the report of the
English commissioners of inquiry. It will abolish fixed
@TWO!. of every kind, both on sea and river. It will fix the
OLD ST. PANCRAf4 CHURCH. —A staff of surveyors 20th of August ia eviwy year as close time for nets, and the
and parish officials were on Saturday engaged inspecting the 15th of October for rods. A general management will be
about St. Pancras Old Church, preprratory to laying provided under the fishing board, to which two surveyors
ground
plans foe forming • drain and trench for unitary will be added—ewe at Aberdeen, the other at Glasgow.
purposes, in Millfilllnos of an order in ~mil jest issued, The country will be divided into five districts for the pur-
aad a maim Las bees- served sue the pariabi.onne, requiring poses of the act, tinder kcal boards, with five local inspire.
all those perms who have relations or friends interred one- ton. • limn duty will be levied ou rods and nets, and
tiguoas to the building, end are desirous of removing the , the expenses Cl the en will be defrayed out of these licensee,
remains, to do so Wan the Ist of Hay. t with Ines, penalties, end eneessinente

Muds la tbs Americo; portico or** "Ike (faultier"
ballads.

It is not nectesary to particularise the plot, an accurate
jo description of which would probably fill one side of tide
u ;
suffice to say that suffering innocence, in the shape
of Mrs. C. Mathews, is persecuted through four out of the
five "parts" by triumphant villany, in the shape of Mr.
Ryder, and is at last rescued by the tact and coolness of
an English tourist personified by Mr. C. Mathews, and
mulatto good shooting exhibited by Mr. 'Mein.
The piece was very well acted by everybody concerned ;
but ita principal success mast be attributed to the lovely
scenery contributed by Mr. Beverley. A *Wean, called
"the Pirate's Fishing-place," is at ono, a triumph of pic-
torial and theatro.mechanical skill, while the " Mexican
Plain" and the " Primeval Forest" are gems of art, such as
Stanfield and Roberta painted in days of yore, but which
have not been seen since.