The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-04 00:00:00

TIIE LYCEUM THEATRE.

Few who witnessed the first Italian Opera Buffa within
the Lyceum Theatre on Monday night, will deny that this
class of musical performances finds a home there. The
acoustic properties of the building, the large orchestra,
and the convenient size of the stage are all accessories
which 'suit the pourtrayal of operas not meant to be
magnificent or elaborate. The opera " L'ltaliana in
Algiri," a pretty well known one, is a romantic but brief
history of a beautiful flirt, who, finding herself ship-
wrecked in a country where her lover is a slave resolves
to make love to all the authorities who cross her path in
her efforts to release that slave. The part last evening
was undertaken by Maddle. Yeralli,
_an artist•, whose
touchingly sweet voice from the beginning to the end o
the piece made an impression everywhere. As a first
performance the opera, though perhaps a little tame in
execution, was a decided success. The orchestra, under
the care of Mr. Weist Hill, was unusually large and well-
trained. The chief singers on the stage were perfectly at
ease, though the theatre could not but have been new to
them in every respect, and the very brilliant audience in
the house were comfortably seated and secured against
cold draughts by all possible strategems. The dresses
were costly and the scenery sufficiently attractive. Mr.
Healey, the acting manager, we must say deserves a word
of praise for the success of all of the arrangements which
were not distinctly the work of the actors themselves.
There is no doubt that the series of operas will meet with
patronage not only from the general Lyceum public, but
from a new public of foreigners who were on the first
night represented in the building in abundance.

The Rev. Dr. Duvall, who is in the Wisconsin
State Prison for murdering his wife, has requested that he
be appointed chaplain of the institution.
The Duke of Mecklenburg is now at Versailles. He
has met with no very good reception at headquarters, on
account of his not having given as satisfactory an account
of the Army of the Loire as he was expected to do.

A. meeting was held at the Dublin Mansion-house
on Saturday, when an influential committee was ap-
pointed for the purpose of raising money and otherwise
obtaining aid for the distressed peasantry of France.
THE REPRESENTATION OF WEST NORFOLK.—
Sir William Ffolkes, Bart., of Millington, near Lynn,
is spoken of as a probable candidate for West Norfolk in
the Liberal interest, and W. A. F. Amhurst, Esq., of
Dillington Hall, Brandon, in the Conservative interest.
Sir W. Ffolkes is at present travelling in India.

THE TRUCK COMMISSION AT BIRMINGHAM.—
On resuming the proceedings yesterday, the Commis-
sioners took the evidence of working men. Benjamin
' Perkins, of Darlaston, did some work for the Darlaston
Company, and was told that if he did not patronise the
Company's shops he would get no advances. Joseph Gul-
liver, miner, left the ' employ in 1869, because his
advances were stopped for not frequenting the
" tommy " shop. Alichael Finny, miner, said he
sometimes dealt at the shop, and had been threatened
that if he did not his advances would be stopped. The
Provisions sold there were good, but they were dearer
than at other establishments. Witness could get " strap "
for drink at the public houses and pay at the reckoning.—
Benjamin Houghton, miner, had his advance stopped for not
dealing at the company's shop. Witness had worked at the
Axle Company, Wednesbury, and at the reckoning did what
he liked with his money, but was expected to spend his
advances at the shop. Elizabeth Houghton, wife of the
witness, said her advances had been stopped because of
not dealing at the shop. On one occasion she had no
provisions, and her husband was working 12 hours a day
without food. Witness did not believe the husbands
would drink more if paid weekly.
A PARSEE PEABODY. —The limes of India,
while incidentally mentioning that the public subscrip-
tions of Bombay to the Fund for the Relief of the
Wounded in the present war amounted to 30,275r5., in-
cluding over 9,000r5. collected by the German Consul,
but exclusive of the French collections, draws attention
to the very large sums of money contributed to chari-
table purposes during the last two years by Mr. Cowasjee
Jehangir Readymoney, C. 5.1., who, besides, remitted.
£l,OOO net to the' London Fund in September last. In-
dependently of minor benefactions, amounting to several
thousands of pounds, and of a donation of £20,000
to the Financial Association of India and China, Mr.
Cowasjee, within the space of a few years, subscribed the
following sums .—Surat Hospital, 72,000r5. ; Ophthalmic
Hospital (entire cost), 1,12,000r5. ; Elphinstone College
Building, 200,000r5. ; Poona Engineering College,
50,000r5. ; Portuguese College Tower, 5,000r5. • Kupper-
wunj Clock Tower, 2,000r5. ' • St. Thomas's 'Cathedral
Fountain, 13,700r5. ; Regent's Park Fountain, 13,500r5. ;
Bombay Street Drinking Fountains, 22,000r5. ; Pillar in
Colaba Church (as Cabul massacre memorial), 7,500 rs. ;
Lunatic Asylum, Hyderabad, Scinde, 50,000r5. ; -Univer-
sity Hall, 100,000 rs. ; Victoria Museum, 2,500r5.
TILE LATE LORD DE BLAQUIERE.—The opening
of the year' has been marked by the death anßlarrioalui 1
nobleman of some distinction. John de Blaquiere, _
de Blaquiere of Ardkill, County Londonderry, in
peerage of Ireland, died on Monday in London. e
2n _
5937
born in July, 1812, and was therefore hi
year succeeding toe
the peerage
hisfatheras and
fobra r o
severalnety onyears t h d e
iue at
the
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teesrt
his cs
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sbs
iuotuhteoretired
peerage.fro m the
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ethreea
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but leaves no family, and the Irish honours thereforeiaadaeluveiorelrvoeei
upon his brother,commander
andr of the R
thee H
tahreetire
late
m oWilliam
ya l Nvya Barnard
T dh
e Blaquiere,
a f
peer was a distinguished military officer, and
raonmd aat
cadet
eet Cape.a
edr es ne
descended India,f
served with honour in Flanders,
Inaohbeleplie'rßeniTlVflitenrielyfawneolysettled in Engl Ind on the revo-
cation of the edict of Nantes. One of his sons was ap-
pointed Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in
1772, and afterwards became Privy Councillor of Ireland,
Knight of the Bath, and Great Alnager of that kingdom.
He was elevated to -tips Irish peerage in 1800. The late
peer was his grandson.