The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

STRAND THEATRE.

The tragedian, James Anderson, having entered into
a brief engagement with the lessee of this theatre,
appeared hero for the first time last evening, in the ,
character of Claude Melnotte, supported by Miss Fanny.
Moxant as Pauline, and Mrs. Brougham as Madame
Deschappelles. He was most warmly received, and re-.
peatedly applauded throughout his performance, which
it is needless to say was very spirited. After the Lay of
Lyons there was produced a new and original operetta, by
Robert Stopel, entitled The Sentinel ; being an episode
in Napoleon's campaign in Austria in 1814, cleverly
dramatized by Dion Boucicault. The scene is laid in a
village in Germany, where all the rustics are celebrating
the marriage of Lucie, the miller's daughter, to Andre,
a soldier of the French army which has overrun the
neighbouring country. Andre happens to have been
placed as sentinel on a bridge close to the mill
three weeks ago, and, being still unrelieved, he
sticks to his post with the tenacity of one of the
Old Guard, the attractions of his bride and the pleasures
of the honeymoon not being strong enough to divert him
from his martial duty. The marriage ceremony takes
place in view of his sentry-box—an inverted water butt
—and he passes the night cold comfortlessly on the
bridge. The festivities of the villagers are diversified hY-
the arrival of their patron, the Count, who is a general
in the Austrian army, and who claims their protection
from the French enemy. He has succeeded in depriving
one of Napoleon's aide-de-canips of some dispatches,
which he wishes to convey to the Austrian head-quarters,
but the only road open to him is that to Presbury, which
is guarded by Andre. It is agreed that Lucie shall en-
deavour to draw him aside to allow the 'Count to pass,
and failing in this, that her unhappy bridegroom shall
be shot. The promise of a sweet embrace from his
newly made wife is too much for the soldier ; he tempo-
rarily leaves his position, and the strategem is suc-
cessful. The Count, however, is intercepted by a
picket of guards, and retreats back again, when
Andre threatens his life if he does not surrender.
The villagers are aroused, and are disposed to immolate
the sentry, in order to procure the release of the Count ;
but the latter delivers ;up the stolen dispatches, which
turn out to be a proclamation of peace under the sign
manual of the Emperor himself. Of course all ends
happily. The piece is very nicely constructed, and the
way in which it is placed on the stage does credit to the
taste of the management. Miss Rebecca Isaacs, in the
part of Lucie, is the only prominent actor in the operetta;
but she is afforded an excellent scope for the display of
her vocal powers, which are of a rather high order.
Several pretty ditties, introduced into the characte
were sung by her with much sweetness and aviznaotri.
The music does not make much pretensionswitioie, the
nality, but it is light and pleasing. -A8
production was eminently successful.

-----o. The suspension
that STOPPAGE OF AN EMINENT IllSof Messrs. Collmann
announced this morning was great respectability,
and Stolterfoht, a mercantile firm,bou 300,000/. The event
with liabilities amounting to
_.`.. a series of frauds and for-
has been occasioned solely DY
in connexion with which
then',
genies committed uP°ll,, merchant of Crosby-hall-ohm:a-
l:Theo mansion-house, and remanded.
Mr. Robert F. Pries' ' corn transactions, has been ex-
dr
d ianv t '
abmerisn,
eednygeasgtee
rnsa,or'botained by him from Messrs. Collmann
stated to have reached a total of
uerfssouht;
/. and, with the exception of these ad-
ere made upon forged bills of lading and
which w
documents, the firm was in a prosperous state,
aaTbnhodeuvtsatrBoi
Olot,
000
vances,
capital of about 40,000/. It is hoped, there-
with a
t the loss to the creditors will not be serious.
fore, that
extent of the delinquencies with which Pries
The entire
be charged is not yet known, but it appeared, from
will
police examination yesterday, that two other houses
the
suffered to the extent respectively of 9,000/. and
have
18,0001.
other Tee
BRANDY. Since April last the price of brandy in
France has experienced a rise of 75 per cent.—namely,
from 4s. 3d. to 7s. 6d. per gallon ; and the quantity
bought for this country between October and the present
time has been larger than at any former period. The
difference in the quantity imported during the month
ending the sth of December would alone amount, in
money value, as compared with the corresponding
month of 1851, to little short of 150,000/.
DEPARTURES FOR AUSTRALIA.—The departures from the port of London for the Australian colonies during
the past week consisted of two vessels to Sydney, of an
aggregate burden of 1,202 tons ; one to Victoria, of 254
tons ; one to Adelaide, of 343 tons ; and one to Law'
ceston, Van Diemen's Land, of 670 tons.
SALE OF PAINTINGS.—Yesterday a number of modern
pictures belonging to the estate of Louis Philippe were
sold by auction at Paris. The collection was on the
whole by no means a choice one, but there were a few'
pictures of real merit by Leopold Robert Coignet, and
some others of the French school. The gem of the col-
lection was "A Neapolitan mother and child sitting 03c;
the ruins of their house, destroyed by an earthquakel.n.
The collection of the Duchess of Orleans will be on view_
on Saturday and Sunday next, and the sale will take
place on the Monday after.