The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-12 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, Jan. 11, Evening.
The debate upon the Address was commenced at
the sitting of the Corps Legislatif to-day.
M. Thiers showed that the necessity for liberty
was now universal in Europe. He maintained that
the Emperor might become the initiator of freedom.
The speaker claimed the re-establishment of that
liberty the exercise of which was suspended by the
Empire, and insisted particularly upon the neces-
sity of restoring ilberty to the national representa-
tion, and of re-introducing Ministerial responsi-
bility. M. Thiers further showed that France was
ripe for liberty, and said, " If the Chief of the State
does not know how to cede, the country will exact
that which it now respectfully requests." Upon this
condition M. Thiers promised his unreserved sup-
port to the Government.
M. Rouher, in reply, recalled the words used by
M. Thiers, " The country will exact," and stated
that he considered that expression a threat, of which
the Government was not afraid, as it did not belong
to those whom people menaced. M. Rouher main-
tained that none of the liberty demanded by M.
Thiers was deficient in the country, that the Par-
liamentary system which it was sought to bring
back had had its day, that the Emperor reigns and
governs, and that liberty would follow when the
time had arrived, but that it was necessary to wait,
M. Jules Fevre, replying to the speech of M.
Rouher, reproduced in part the arguments of M.
Thiers.

The debate gill be continued to-morrow.

BOURSE, Jas. 11.—The market has shown more
animation, but without any improvement in prices,
Threes, for the Account, being unvaried at 66fr.
DOe. Mobilier remains unchttnged at 1,035 f. Rail-
way Market firm, but without any material change
in quotations. The market again became heavy
towards the close, and left off as follows :

41 per Cents 94 90 IN,lian L0an...... 69 05
Do. end month Do. end month.... 69 40
3 per Cents
Do. end month 66 80 06. end month....
Credit INlobilier 1025 RAssian ........
Do. end month 1030 Austrian...... 78 75

Bank Shares 3270 Spanih Threes....
Creditß onoier 1245 Home Debt ......
Roman

BAIL'

A.lB.
Cash. Account.
Orleans 992 60 .. 995 7,
Northern -
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 910
New ditto
Southern 661 25 .. 662 50
Western -
Eastern
Sardinian .. 382 50 .. 385
Austrian - .. 400
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa.. .. 595 .. 596 25
Ditto to Barcelona .... 280 .. 282 60

- - _ -
" 945 -
..

COLONEL HOPE,—We .
,are requested by th 6
friends of Colonel Hope to state that the accounts
received by them to the 3d of December, from Ilowsherat
hear Peshattur, and also by the India-office, load them to
believe that the report of his having died of his wounds is
not correct.
TILE LATE 1201113 LOIN.--The result of the post
mortent examiaation of the late Lord Elgin has
proved what had been suspected from the first--that his
death was not attributed to any disease of Indian origin.
It was found thtt the heart was in a state of what is called
professionally tt fatty degetteration"--that is, that it had
lost its muscular character, and becomes weak and dilated.
The right ventricle was fatally affected. There was also
adVanced disease of the kidneys. The changes in the struc-
ture of these vital organs had been long in progress. It is
strange that they had not earlier given marked evidence of
their existence, for they would have proved fatal under any
eircumstanoes and in any climate.
AMr,ANiVeoltoolrytitcih::
We understand that Mr. John Paget, of the
Middle Tomple, who has had considerable experi-
ence in criminal business at the Liverpool Sessions and on
appointed a metropolitan
the Northern Circuit, has been
police magistrate, in the room of Mr. Combo, deceased.
1 Mr. Wonhllih Will succeed dr. Combo at the Southwark
PieotittEinerl.:::ol:l
a Nov. 25 says :—"
place at the Thames ?Olive%
:lir.
m? Paget wilt
owttiitaN take
j
We have had of late an
unusual number of murders. 1y ,stern Atistralia, of eoursc,
has contributed her &Siitihrteat di at enders; Tasmania
her`, Atitotg se\era( other 'very horrible cases, we have
witnessed within the last fortnight the first female execu-
tion ever known in Victoria. A Woman, young and iietY
good-looking, Was hanged a few days back for inciting and
tiling part with her paramour and with a third murderer,
Der servant, in the deliberate shooting through the head of
tier own husband as he lay sleeping oft a drunken debauch
in his tent at one of the distant diggings. In company
with the two men she walked from her cell to the gallows
with the indifference—for all that appeared outwardly—of
one taking an ordinary morning walk. It has been ascer-
-1 tained that all of these criminals are but late arrivals in
this colony; that all received their education—such as it
was—in England ; and, therefore, eyed our moderate people
grow somewhat intemperate in speech When they read of
fresh intended arrivals from th 9 same COttlltry via Western
i Australia,

PRINCESS'S THEATRE,

DONNA DIANA.

" Donna Diana," a comedy in three acts, adapted
from the Spanish of Moreto, by Westland Marston,
Esq., was produced at this theatre last evening,
and met with the most brilliant success.
It is with more than ordinary pleasure
we record the fact because the result was as

genuine as it was spontaneous. Ia many in-

stances means are taken to secure an apparent suc •

cess of a new drama irrespective of its merits, but
generally in such cases, although the end desired
may be attained for a time, the play, like other
things, finds its own level, and notwithstanding the
most fulsome adulation has been heaped upon it after

a few representations it passes into oblivion, and
is heard no more of. This has certainly

been the fate of most of the "new and:extraordi-

nary successful" dramas produced of late years ;
but such will not be the case with "Donna Diana."

It will become a favourite and stock comedy, and
will take its place amongst the brilliant comedies
of Snakespeare, which are never represented with-
out producing the most elevated thoughts and

feelings.
The plot of the nnw comedy is clear and
compact—virtues that are not now common
amongst dramatic authors, for intricacy, not
to say impenetrable mystery, is often relied
upon to procure a favourable verdict. The
comedy opens in Barcelona, the duke's daughter,
Donna Diana being the bright sun round which all
the love-sick swains in his domains revolve. This

lady, strange to say, has foresworn all allegiance
to love, and has determined to set a pattern to her
sex, and showthem that woman has a right equal
to that of man. The lady at the time the play is
supposed to commence has three lovers, all dying
for the possession of her fair hand, but, notwith-
standing their entreaties, she coldly repels two of
her flatterers, and determines to do the same with
the third. Don Cesar, however, previous to his
interview with Diana, meets, and makes a confidant
of Perin, a gay light-hearted countryman of his
own, and who, moreover, is a gentleman attached
to the suite of the imperious beauty. Perin
advises Cesar not to approach the lady, as all

before him have done, with sighs and entreaties,
bat to meet her disdain with disdain, and thus
create her astonishment at his seeming indiffer-

ence to her great attractions. This he resolves
to do, and Diana is piqued nearly beyond endurance
by the declaration of Cesar that he has determined
to solicit her hand—not because he burs the
slightest love for woman, but simply because it is
necessary for state purposes that his dukedom,
should have an heir. Diana stung at his coldness,
determines spite of himself he shall fall in love
with her, and that when she has the pleasure of
seeing him at her feet she will have the still greater
delight of rejecting his proffered love with acorn.
She arranges her plans accordingly, and begins her
attack on 1)on Cesar's heart by making it appear
that chance has made him her cavalier for the

Duke's masked ball. Cesar is informed by Perin of
the stratagem, and for a time he acts with the
utmost coolness towards the scheming lady,
but most unfortunately his resolution forsakes him,

and in a short time he is brought, on his k nee, to
the feet of the triumphant beauty. With im-
perious scorn she throws back his proferred love,
and Cesar is, for the moment, lost in utter despair
Fortunately he remembers the character 'ne has been
selected to fill at the ball, and collecting all his self-

possession, he calmly raises himself erect, and in
the most careless manner asks the lady whether she
really thought him in earnest. Amazed at the
mistake she imagines she has made, Diana's pride
is sorely wounded,
.and she determines on another
scheme more potent, she believes than the first.
This also fails, and thus, while she is using all her
arts to subdue the ;stubbornness of Don Cesar
her heart gradually opens to real and un-
affected love for him. Her pride prevents its
avowal, the sentiments she formerly held compels
her to be silent, and her only hope of forcing from
her seemingly adamantine lover a declaration is to
work upon his jealousy. Here Perin has again to
screw up the Dotes failing resolution, because he
imagines the fruit is not ripe, and that the proud
and disdainful lady has not felt the anguish of un-
requited love long enough. The last scheme fails,
and Diana, with a bursting heart, is about to pro.
nounce, in the presence of the Court, her intention
of marrying Don Louis, when she encounters the
gaze of Don Cesar, and her resolution falls irre-
trievably to the ground. Pride is conquered—Cesar
makes an avowal of long hidden love—
the lady hears the delicious words with
ill concealed rapture, and the curtain falls
of course upon the union of Don Cesar and Donna
Diana. There is a capital comic underplot for
Perin and the lady's waiting-maid, the former re-
pelling with a bluntness almost amounting to rude-
ness, the spells of the pretty little coquette, although
he is, in fact, as madly in love with her as Don
Cesar is with Diana. It told immensely, and pro-
voked the most enthusiastic applause.
The part of Donna Diana was allotted to Mrs.
Hermann Vezin, and, great and numerous as have
been this lady's triumphs, she has never
achieved a more splendid one than that of last even-
ing. The different and iiifficult phases of the part.
—coldness, in jifference, scorn, and contempt almost
amounting to hatred, jealousy, and utter despair—
were pourtrayed with consummate art. It was, in
a word, a charming performance. Mr. Vezin
as Don Cesar was also highly successful.
His coolness as the indifferent lover was finely arid
carefully hit off; but his great triumph was in the
second act—his warm, impassioned, avowal of love
to Diana, and the sudden change to freezing cold-
ness on recovering the mastery over his feelings,
which he had temporarily lost. It is an admirable
performance, and one that cannot but add an-
other laurel to his well-won wreath. Mr. G. Vining
as Perin had a character that fitted him to nicety—
an assumed woman hater, but in reality a perfect
volcano of love. He was as full of spirit and vivacity
as a bottle of champagne, and never have we seen
more genuine comedy embodied. Mr. D. Fisher
has a small but telling part; and the same may be
said of that supported by Mr. Forrester. Miss Rose
Powell acted delightfully as the pretty little wait-
ing woman in love with Perin, and Miss Carson and
Miss Emma Bennett gave their parts with good
effect:
The applause throgghout the piece, and at the
fall of the elittain was tinanitnnus and enthusiastic.
The calls 'for Mr, and Mrs. Vetiti were frequent
during the representation of the comedy, and at its
conelusion they had again to appear to baw their
thanks. The same mark of honour Was confer:ed
on the talented and energetic manager, and
although a strong determination was shown to have
Mr. Westland Marston " before the floats," the
audience were ultimately satisfied with his bowing
his acknowledgments of the appreciation of his
latest work from a private box.
The dresses were sumptuously beautiful, and the
scenery and appointments were elegant and appro-
priate.