The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-13 00:00:00

SURREY.

Mr. Davidge, with his usual industry, last night
presented his friends with a new piece, from the
prolific and successful pen of Mr. J. I'. Haines,
under the name of the Wreck of the Royal
George, or the Seaman's Chest. The reception
with which it met was not behind that of either of
the author's most successful pieces, My Poll and
My Partner Joe, or Jane of the Hatchet.
The house was literally crowded in every part.
After the boxes, pit, gallery, and every spare inch
of the orchestra had been crammed, numbers who
offered their money were refused admission. In con-
sequence of such an audience, the dialogue of the
piece was not wholly audible,but the plot appeared to
be shortly thus :—The son of Lord St. Aubin
(Mr. Hughes) ha's seduced and privately married
the daughter (Mrs. 11. Vining) of " the host of
the Jovial Sailor (Mr. Heslop). The Earl is
very angry, and banisheS his son as an officer on
board the Royal George. His wife returns to her
father's, but being then a mother, she is driven
forth with curses, because she has no proof of her
marriage. In consequence of this, she secretly re-
pairs on board the Royal George on the fatal day
of her sinking. All this we are told in the course
of the piece, which opens with a splendid marine
panoramic view of the coast from Portsmouth to Spit-
head, where a representation of the wreck
takes place, and is given with good effect,
the main feature belonging to the piece being
the saving of a child upon the back of a sheep.
This is the fruit of the stolen marriage. The
mother is also saved, but first appears in the charac-
ter of Widow Martha, in her father's house, he
having become blind, and in difficulties, and she
the unknown ministering angel. The boy is
brought up by an old boatswain, and receives the
name of John Lamb ; he is taken notice of by Sir
P. Durham, because he was also saved from the
wreck, and becomes an officer, in which character
he appears in the presence of the mother in
her father's house. He has fallen in love
with the niece of Lord St. Aubin, who,
seeing him in pursuit of her, at once
recognises him as the image of the son
whom he laments as having by his unkind-
ness. Of course there is a villain in the piece—
he was as a nephew of the Earl, and heir to the title.
As the niece was to be the heiress of the property
he plans to carry her off, but is foiled by John
Lamb, whose mother has informed the Earl of all
his wickedness. They feign the death of the Earl
—the nephew assumes the title, and is about to
commit John Lamb for the abduction of Miss
Grace (Miss Chartley), when he is challenged with
his iniquity, and at last the Earl appears—the mar-
riage is proved valid by the recovery of the certi-
ficates from the Royal George by means of the
diving bell—the wronged are righted and the guilty
punished. Of course " John Lamb" is acknow-
ledged by the Earl and marries his cousin. The
piece went off very well, and was announced for re-
petition every night till further notice amidst loud
acclamations. Jack Sheppard followed and the
audience appeared fully satisfied with the fare set
before them.

CHURCII-RATE SEIZURE.—On Wednesday
last a cow was seized, and sold, the property of Mr. Simon
Thomas, of Pontgarreg, near this town. for non-payment
of Church-rates, amounting to about 14/. ; but as the pro-
ceeds were not sufficient to cover the amount, another cow
was seized and sold on Saturday last, amidst much annoy-
ance to the official appointed to conduct the sale—for no
auctioneer could be produced for the occasion caused by
two or three attempts to drive the animal away, one of
which succeeded, although she was recaptured, and sold
for 71. 11s., to a friend of Mr. Thomas. Far from this
procedure eliciting public approbation, as the Journal said
of last Wednesday's sale, it produced a general feeling
of disgust in the minds of all present, who did fail to ca.
press it in the most unequivocal manner,— Welshman.