The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-19 00:00:00

Astley's Theatre.

On Saturday evening, Mr. Henry Manley, who,
it will be recollected, appeared with great success at
the Strand Theatre under the late Mr. Allcroft's
management, made his re-appearance at Astley's
Theatre, in the character of Tom Tug, in the ever-
pleasing little ballad opera of " The Waterman."
He sang the three celebrated songs, " Farewell, my
trim-built wherry," " The Bay of Biscay," and
" The jolly young waterman," with the greatest
taste, and secured for himself in each a rapturous
encore. We presume Mr. Manley's appearance on
Saturday is merely the prelude to his re-appearance
during the opera season at this house. His voice is
one of the greatest sweetness, and it is perfectly
under control, added to which he is a capital actor.
English opera, it is acknowledged on all hands, has
long wanted an infusion of " tenor blood " into it ;
it appears to us unaccountable that Mr. Manley has
remained in the provinces so long.

MR. BENEDICT'S CONCERT.—The great concert of
the season, which has now been given annually for
nine-and-twenty years by the accomplished maestro, Mr.
Benedict, is fixed for Wednesday next, at the St. James's
Hall, Piccadilly. The programme is one of the most extra-
ordinary we ever recollect to have seen, as it embraces
none but the names of those artistes whose fame has been,
or is, the theme of the highest praise in musical circles.

The prima donna of both operas, Tietjens, Patti, Lucca,
Trebelli, Parepa, Lancia, Gardoni, Sims Reeves, Santley,
Richardt, Pischek, Weiss, Arabella Goddard, &c. &c.,
all appear, and Mr. Benedict himself will execute some of
his own pianoforte compositions that have tended to in-
crease that immense reputation he has achieved, both as a
conductor and composer. We invariably look forward to
Mr. Benedict's concert with the greatest interest, be-
cause it is one of the remarkable events of the musical
season. That the hall will be filled in every
part by a brilliant audience is certain, and those who are
so fortunate as to become possessors of a ticket, which are
even now at a high premium, may well congratulate them-
selves in having the means at hand of " assisting" one of
the most extraordinary concerts ever given, not only in
London, but the world.

His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador and the
Countess Apponyi will give a grand dinner on Tuesday,
the 4th of next month, when his Royal Highness the Duke
of Cambridge will honour the Count and Countess with
his company. The Countess Apponyi will have an assembly
after dinner to meet the royal duke.

The Countess of Derby will, in addition to her
assembly to-morrow night, have assemblies on Wednesday,
the 28th inst., and on Wednesday, the sth of the ensuing
month.

It is said that General Count Flahault will be
made a Marshal, and that General' Fleury has a good
chance of being Minister of War. iL
A LITERARY WORK FROM ANTHER BONAPARTE
is announced—being a collection of verses in praise of
Corsica, from the pen of the PrinceA Marie Bonaparte.
BARON FELIX BONNAIRE, the,founder of the Revue
Iles Deux Mondes, is announced receStly deceased.
LORD CLARENCE PAGET will preside at the anni-
versary dinner of the Royal Humane Society, fixed for
Wednesday next.

THE ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION will open to
the public in the evening, from half-past seven o'clock un-
til half-past ten o'clock, at the reduced price, on this even-
ing and afterwards.

LITERARY NIGHT BIRDS !—The recent success of
the Owe, says a weekly contemporary, has induced some
gentlemen, members of one of the principal clubs in Pall-
mall, to start a humorous rival, under the title of the Bat.
Like its progenitor, it will give all sorts of private intelli-
gence from the most exclusive quarters, but at what periods,
or how, it will take its flight, has not yet been disclosed.
A GOOD EXAMPLE.—The Duke of Wellington
has addressed the following letter to his tenantry at
Stratfieldsaye :—"Dear Sir,-1 think it right to explain
clearly to you my feeling regarding the exercise of your
vote. It is a trust imposed upon you for the advantage of
the country, and the responsibility for the proper exercise
of it rests on yourself alone. It is placed by the country
in your hands, not in mine, and I beg you distinctly to
understand that no one has any authority for stating that
I wish to bias you in favour of any candidate.--I am
yours, &C., WELLINGTON."

IA good service pension of £lOO per annum has
been placed at the disposal of the Duke of Cam-
bridge by the appointment of Major-General Sir C. Van
Straubenzee, K.C.8., to be Colonel of the 47th Regiment.
Although a rapid young contemporary mentions its
bestowal upon Major-General Hastings Doyle, we can
state that no candidate has yet been selected for its receipt.
—Army and Navy Gazette.
VICTOR HUGO'S " PETIT GAVROC E."—An
anecdote recently an item of gossip in Brussels.
One morning, a few weeks since, an elderly and respect-
able gentleman might have been seen on the Place de
Ville gazing with much curiosity at a sign over a
tobacconist's. The words which excited his surprise
were "Au Petit Gavroche." Looking first on the sign
and then at the number of the house, he said to the friend
who was with him, " I really don't understand that—
it certainly was here !" Without more consideration he
entered, and, speaking to an elderly lady, - said ;—" I beg
pardon, madame, but have you resided in this house very
long ?" " No, monsieur, we have only been here about
two years." " May I ask why you took that sign ? and,
if I am not too inquisitive, do you know M. Victor Hugo ?"
" I do not ; but I know little Gavroche, for I have read
' Les Misdrables.'"—" Did you like the book ?" " Indeed
I did, for I, too, belong to the people. I have seen bar-
ricades, and I have been in prison for political opinion's
sake." From incidents in her career she turned aside to
her political opinions, which were ultra. Red Republican.
On concluding a list of these—for the subject was a favou-
rite one, and her listener was very attentive—the gentle-
man held out his hand to her, saying :—" Madame, allow
me to shake hands with you as a friend. lam the father
of little Gavroche." It was Victor Hugo. His astonish-
ment upon seeing his little hero's name on a sign was
doubled by its hanging on the house in which he com-
menced writing " Les Mis6rables."
DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—One of the boldest
highway robberies which have occurred of late took
place during Ascot races. A Mr. Mackay, of 34, Bryan-
stone-square, left Ascot-heath on Tuesday evening and
engaged a fly-driver to convey him to Bisham Abbey.
While on the road towards Maidenhead the man suddenly
turned the horse down a "blind" lane,and took up another,
man on his box. Shortly after this the new arrival delibe-
rately entered the fly and calmly proceeded to rifle the
pockets and person of Mr. Mackay of whatever valuables
he could find. Having robbed the gentleman of a hunting
watch, gold chain, bracelet, ring, neck-tie fastener, silk
umbrella, ckc., the highwayman turned the unfortunate
Mr. Mackay out of the fly into the road, and left him to his
own resources, the two men, who were evidently accom-
plices, driving rapidly from the spot. It happened next
morning that Mr. Mackay, on returning to Ascot, met the
man who had acted as driver, and who calls himself Frank
Wood. He was at once arrested by the Berks police, and
on being searched the ring stolen from Mr. Mackay was
found upon him. Mr. Inspector Reece, acting on certain
information, despatched a sergeant to a gipsy van on Sun-
ning-hill bog, belonging to a man named James Rowland,
where Mr. Mackay's race glass was found. Rowland, who
is supposed to be the man who actually robbed Mr. Mackay,
has absconded, but the police are on the look-out for him.
In the meantime Wood has been taken before Mr. Crutch-
ley, one of the county magistrates, and remanded for the
present to give time for the capture of his accomplice,