The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-22 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.

NEWSVENDERS' BENEVOLENT

ment of Mr. Farquharson Smith, who was assisted by
Mes►rs. Godden, Turner, and Williamson.

AMATEUR PERFDRMANCE BY THE MEMBERS

AND PROVIDENT INS TITUTION.

OF TtiE SCENIC CLUB.

The members of the Scenic Club gave their fourth
representation last evening at this theatre. The
following was the programme on the occasion.
FOURTH REPRESENTATION OF TIIE SCENIC

The first annual dinner of the 1c ewsvenders' Bene-
volent and Provident Institution took place last even-
ing at the Albion, Aldersgate street, Mr. Charles
Dickens in the chair. Upwards of a hundred gen-
tlemen were present, and amongst them we observed
Mr. Robert Bell, Mr. Richard Taylor, Mr. Henry
Colburn, Mr. Jerdan, Mr. Leach, Mr. Pickersgi!l,
and Mr. Mark Lemon. Messrs. Staples served up
an excellent repast, and after Non Nobis had been
sung, _

RAILWAYS, THE DEEP SEA FISH
LILIES, BILLINGSGATE FISH MARKET, &c.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

CLUB.

SlR,—There is an old saying, "That it in a bad
wind that blows nobody good," sad that there is
seldom an evil done but some party or other is
certain to reap advantages from it. Since their
construction Railway lines hare been effective of
both good and evil almost everybody knows. That
the evil effects must be less than the amount of good
derived must be unquestionable, otherwise how could
railway lines have prospered in the way they have
done ? When the injury inflicted upon any certain
class of a community by any sudden innovation or
change is seen, the next duty is to endeavour by
every fair means to try and alleviate the sufferers, and
to do so, if possible, without retaliation upon the
supposed injurers.
I have been moved to the above reasoning in con•
sequence of a discovery latterly made of the disas-
trous effects that railway traffic in fish has upon the
general features of the fish market of London, as
well as upon the pockets of the owners of all decked
welled smacks, for supplying the market with living
cod.

On Wednesday, Nov;mber 21st, 1849, will be
presented. Lord 13yron's Tragedy, in Five Acts,
WERNER; OR, THE INHERITANCE.
Werner (Count of Sicgendorf), Mr. Cowper; Ulric
(his Son), Mr. H. Grey; Gabor (a Hungarian), Mr.
Whitford; Stralenheim (a Bohemian Noble), Mr.
Richardson; Idenstein (nn Indenr]ant), Mr. Henry;
Rudolph (a Noble), Mr. Blenheim; Fritz (a Retainer),
Mr. Elliott; Eric, Mr. Clinton; Henric, Mr. Williams;
Ludwig, Mr. Johnson; Arnhcim, Mr. Parlby; Meister,
Mr. Hammond (Vassals of Siegendort). Josephine
(Werner's Wife), by a Young Lady; Ida (Daughter of
Stralenheim), Miss Kingston.

Period—Close of the Thirty years' War.
In the course of the evening, Miss Elmer will sing a
Favourite BAad.

To be followed by the Comedy of
USED UP.

Sir Charles Coldstream, Bart., Mr. Henry; Sir Adonis
Leech, Mr. Gunitone Hon. Tom Saville, Mr. Clinton;
Wur2el harmer), Mr. Scott; Ironbrace (a Black-
smith), fir. Crawford; Fennel (a Lawyer), Mr. Gerald;
James, Mr. Tnompson. Lady Clutterbuck, Miss
Munro; Mary, Miss Kingston.
It is one of the most favourable characteristics of
an amateur performance that each actor does his
best—however insignificant may be the part assigned
to him, he endeavours by his acting to make it of
importance, arid exerts himself as though the success
of the piece depended solely on himself. Of this we
had a notable example last evening. The Werner of
Mr. Cowper was admirable, full of energy and pas-
sion ; the Ulric of Mr. H. Grey was manly, bold,
and uncompromising; and the Gaber of Mr. Whit-
ford was distinguished by a saucy roughness, which
was in admirable keeping with the character. These
parts, however, are always entrusted to leading
actors, and therefore in this the professionals
have a manifest advantage over amateurs,
however talented the latter may be, in their superior
knowledge of stage trick and stage technicalities. In
the minor characters, such however is not the case ;
the character of Stralenheim, for instance, which, on
the " professional," is generally entrusted to an infe-
rior actor, who contents himself with merely walking
through the character, was rendered last night by Mr.
Richardson, with a care and attention which we have
seldom seen bestowed on the part on the professional
boards. His scenes with Gabor and Ulric are more
especially worthy of commendation; he acted and
dressed the haughty reckless noble of the seventeenth
century to the fife. The character of Idenstein found
an admirable representative in Mr. Henry ; whose Sir
Charles Coldstream, in the farce, was also excellent.
This gentleman possesses the true vis coniica. The
house was crowded, and the whole went off as well
as the best friends of the Scenic Club could have
desired.

LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS.
EXETER HALL.

Herr Ernst made his second appearance at these
concerts last evening, and performed his celebrated
pot pourri of Hungarian airs, and the far-famed
" Carnival de Venice." Ills performance is most
wonderful and most gratifying, and the audience
were enthusiastic in their expressions of approba-
tion. The concert commenced with a selection from
Don Giovanni, which was given by Mrs. A. Newton,
Miss Isaacs, Herr Formes, and Signor Bsrtolini.
Herr Formes is becoming, and deservedly so, a decided
favourite. As a buffo singer he cannot be surpassed,
we have never heard the " Madamina it catologo,"
or the "Non piu andrai" (which he sung in the
course of the evening) rendered more effectively or
with greater spirit than they were by Herr Formes
last evening. The Hall was crowded.

TII.E SON. LONDON, THURSDAY

SIR J. FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION
UTILITY OF BALLOONS IN ARCTIC VOYAGES.

Sin,— On the fitting out of the Arctic expedition
under Sir John Franklin, some years ago, I submitted
to the editor of the Times my plans with respect to
the applicability of balloons in Arctic voyages, and I
am fully convinced that had they been carried out
not only might the friends of Sir J. Franklin and his
party, and the public generally, have been saved
great anxiety, but also an immense outlay of money.
I regret that when my scheme was submitted to the
editor of the Times it did not meet with the atten•
tion it deserved ; but I suppose the preis of business
prevented thel editor of the Times giving it insertion.
The announcement of Lieutenant Gale, the aeronaut,
in 7he Sun some time back, and since in other
journals, makes me desirous to lay my plans be-
fore the public. With your kind permission I will at
once proceed to do so.
I propose that an aeronaut, with a complete set of
aeronautical apparatus, should accompany the expe-
dition, or that some person connected with the expe-
dition should be well instructed in all matters relat-
ing to the science of aerostation, the inflation, manage-
ment of a balloon, &c.

SIR CHARLES FORBES, BART.
Our obituary had to record yesterday the demise
of Sir Charles Forbes, who expired, after a short
illness, at his house in Fitzroy-square, on luesday
night, the 20th inst., in the 76th year of his age.
Sir Charles. has been for more than forty years head
of the first mercantile and financial house in India
that of Forbes and Co., of Bombay, and his name
stood in the highest repute in the commercial world
for ability, foresight, and rectitude of character.
As a member of the house of Commons for more
than twenty years, he enjoyed the respect and esteem
of men of all parties, for his love of justice, his kindly
feelings towards the suffering or oppressed, and for
the plain, straightforward honesty with which his
opinions were expressed and his votes were invariably
given. A Tory in the strictest sense of the word, he
never allowed his political creed to cloud his fine
judgment and keen sense of right sad wrong, and his
manly spirit was readily engaged in favour of the poor,
weak, or persecuted.
Connected from early youth with India, and de-
voted to the welfare of its people, from principle as
well as from feeling, every faculty of his nature was
enlisted in behalf of a country where he had spent
the happiest years of his life, and in which a large
portion of his noble fortune had been most honourably
acquired. In Parliament and in the Proprietors'
C?urt. of the East India Company his advocacy of
" justice for India" was ardent, untiring, uncom-
promising, and regardless of all personal considera-
tions but the rights of the people of his adoption.
And well they appreciated such devoted attachment.
From one end of Ilindostan to the other—by the
Parsee, the Ifindoo, the Moslem, by men of all creeds
and ranks—his name was beloved, and his character
deeply reverenced. Or. retiring from India he was
presented by the natives with a magnificent service
of plate, and 27 years after his departure from Bom-
bay a large sum of money (about 9,0001.) was sub-
scribed for the erection of a statue to their friend and
bene!actor—the first instance on record of the people
of India raising a statue to any one unconnected with
the civil or military service of the country. The
chisel of Chantrey has admirably represented the corn.
manding form, lofty bearing, and massive, benevolent
features of the deceased, and this record of gratitude,
at whose feet votive offerings of flowers are presented
by the natives, now stands in the town•hall of Bombay,
between the statues of Mountatuart Elphinstone and
Sir John Malcolm.
The address of the natives of India respecting the
statue deserves a record—