The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-18 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

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A new comedy, entitled Temper, was successfully produced
here last evening. It is from the pen of Mr. Robert Bell,
and is (what we seldom meet with in modern times) essen-
tially a comedy of character. It is written with a purpose—
to illustrate the miseries which ensue from the infirmities of
temper, and it is a play likely to maintain possession of
the stage for a much longer period than many of the plays
which have been lately produced, inasmuch as it is adapted
to all times and to all seasons, and does not depend for its
success upon a piquant illustration of the manners of the day.
To illustrate the evils of temper, the author takes two couples,
the one married, Sir Charles and Lady Tempest (Mr. Hudson
and Mrs. Seymour), and the other unmarried, Cyril Tempest
(Mr. Howe), and Florence Wilmot (Miss Fortescue). fir
Charles Tempest is a careless, good-tempered man upon
town, who, finding his home rendered uncomfortable, seeks for
excitement abroad ; in fact, a characterless man, or rather a
man of cameleon disposition, who takes his colour from the
persons by whom he is surrounded—a man who,
had he fallen into good hands would have been the
model of domestic husbands, but who is irritated and
vexed into a careless, rather than a bad husband, by
the (to use his own expressive term) "niggling" temper of
his wife. Florence Wilmot, his ward, who lives with him,
and the education of whose temper he has, sooth to say,
culpably neglected, is just of age, and is mistress of herself
and of 30,0001. She is in love with his brother Cyril, and all
is arranged for a marriage. The guardians and the lady are
met, and the lady generously refuses to have any settle-
ment made of her property; but where is Cyril? He was to
have been there at four. He is behind his time nearly an
hour. The lady is miffed at his neglect, and when he
arrives will not listen to his excuses. It is in
vain that he alleges that a lady was nearly run over, and
that his detention was occasioned by his rescuing her from
danger. The wayward Florence will listen to no excuses,
and at once casts him off in a fit of temper. His
temper is roused, and he quits her. They are des-
perately in love with each other ; but the temper of
neither will give way; and it is not until Cyril is
on the point of embarking for Sierra Leone that temper
gives way, and the lovers are made happy. The married
couple also confess their faults to each other, and promise to
behave better for the fixture (the lady is, tant soft pen, jealous
of Florence), and all these reconciliations are brought about
through the instrumentality of Sir Marmaduke Topple (Mr.
W. Farren), a passé good-natured old country gentleman,
a sort of modern Justice Shallow, who, accompanied by
a chattering sister, Mrs. Herbert (capitally acted by
Ars. Glover), whose eternal clack keeps his head
in a constant whirl, and by two old maids (country ladies)---
Miss Oldfangle (Miss P. Horton), and Miss Fieldingl,(Mrs.
Humby)—who have never been in London before, have come
up to "see Town." There is also introduced a Mr. Emerson
(Mr. Webster), a blasé man about town, a gentleman who
keeps a cab and a tiger, who invites himself upon the
strength of his cab, keeping out to dinner every day, who,
to use his own words, has embarked all his capital in a
social speculation and cultivated idleness as a business—
alias a fortune-hunter, who makes love to each of
these Derbyshire spinsters in turn, but whose views are seen
through by them, and who eventually gets " done " by each.
The loves of Emerson and the spinsters make a very plea-
sant underplot, and eventually Emerson has given to him
an African appointment, given up by Cyril on his marriage.
The character of Emerson was acted to the life byWebster, and
there was a dry humour in the deep tones, and stately bear-
ing of Miss P. Horton, as the dignified Miss Oldfangle, which
told amazingly. Farren, as the effete old man, was beauti-
fully true to nature; and nothing could exceed the joyous
good humour and the rattling volubility of Mrs. Glover, as
the chattering widow, who rules and manages everything
for everbody. The comedy is admirably built, and the
dialogue is carefully written. All the artistes were called for
at the fall of the curtain, and Mr. Webster announced the
play for repetition every evening, amidst the unanimous ap-
plause of a crowded house.

THE DISSOLUTION.—The House of Commons will
be adjourned next week for the Whitsuntide holidays, after
advancing several Bills through the respective stages, and
will meet again after a week's recess. It is not expected that
the session can be brought to a close much before the end of
July. Whether the dissolution will immediately follow, or
be deferred till after the harvest labours shall be ended. must
depend upon the circumstances of the moment, and cannot
now be possibly determined upon. Already symptoms of im-
patience are exhibited in the House of Commons by Members
desirous of cultivating the good graces of their constituents,
and even at a period of the session so early as this it is not
easy to keep the House together. Hon. Members, however,
must be more calm, for we believe it will not be possible to
dispense with their services sooner than the time we have
have indicated.—Observer.
SCOTCH MARRIAGE AND REGISTRATION BILLS.—
A numerous meeting of Members of both Houses of Parlia-
ment connected with Scotland was held in the Clarendon
Hotel on Saturday last, for the purpose of considering these
Bills, his Grace the Duke of Montrose in the chair. After
various Members had delivered their sentiments, the meeting
came unanimously to the conclusion that, from the strong
expression of opinion against these measures in Scotland, the
Bills ought not to be proceeded with this session
FUNERAL OF THE LATE DUKE OF ARGYLE.—
On Tuesday the remains of the late Duke of Argyle were
conveyed from Inverary Castle and deposited in the family
vault of Kilinun. Early in the morning a large concourse
of people had assembled in Inverary, habited in deep
mourning, to pay the last mark of respect to their departed
chieftain. About seven o'clock, "a.m., the coffin containing
the body of the departed Duke was brought out of the castle
to the lawn in front, surrounded by the chief mourners, the
ladies of the household, and a large assemblage of the
neighbouring gentry. Prayers were offered up by the Rev.
Mr. Smith, of Inverary, after which the procession formed
and walked down to the steam-boats in waiting, amidst a
dense concourse of people, most of whom were dressed in
deep mourning. The procession amounted to about 500 in-
dividuals. The steamers Dolphin, Craignish Castle, and the
Dunrobin Castle, were chartered to convey the funeral com-
pany to the place of sepulture. The coffin was taken on
board the Dophin, and deposited in the after part of the
cabin, where it lay in state, surrounded by the distinguished
relatives of the deceased and a body of Highlanders. The
vessels in Inverary harbour had their colours half-mast high,
and the various vessels which met the steamers in their course
to Kilmun. also lowered their enlmtra as they passed. The
steamers proceeded through the Kyles of Bute with a fair
passage, and arrived in the Holy Loch a few minutes before
two o'clock, where a large assemblage of people, amounting
to about 2,000 from Glasgow and the surrounding country,
were in waiting to witness the last pageant of departed great-
ness. The forenoon of the day at Kilmun and eastward was
very unpropitious, it baying rained without intermission
for several hours ; and consequently the concourse of stran-
gers was not what it would have been had the morning of
the day been more favourable. By the time the funeral
procession had disembarked. the weather had cleared up, and
the mist began to roll upwards from the hills, and the
afternoon turned ,out, agreeable and pleasant; every eminence
along the line of procession was occupied by crowds of
r
orderly and respectably-dressed people, anxiously awaiting
the landing of the funeral train. About twenty minutes'
past two o'clock the procession was arranged on the pier of
Kilmun, and began to move towards the church, his Grace
the Duke of Argyle being chief mourner. Having reached
the burial vault, situated behind the church of Kilmun, and
the coffin having been deposited, the Rev. Dr. M'Leod offered
up an i.npressive and fervent prayer. Immediately after
the funeral, the Duke, Lady Emma Campbell, Mrs.
I3oar, n
and a small party of their friends, left the ground their
carriages; and the company re-embarked on boa d the rDol-
phin, the Craignish Castle, and the Denrobin Castle, for
their several destinations.—North British Mail.
A Sate SUNK, AND THE CAPTAIN AND OFFICERS
MURDERED By THE CREW.—Letters were on Saturday re-
ceived from Launceston, cemmunicating the particulars of
the sinking of the ship Prima Donna, and the murder of the
Commander, Captain Jones, and his officers, by the crew.
The vessel, it appears, had called at Lowbock for water and
rice, being bound from China to Hobart Town and England.
In the latter part of December last the Prima Donna's long
boat, containing fourteen of the crew (all Manilla men) ar-
rived at the port of Ball, in the Java seas—the ship, ac-
cording to their statement, having foundered south of Java,
and the captain and his officers had perished. Subsequently,
when questioned more fully as to their fate, their statements
differed so widely that no reasonable doubt could be enter-
tained but that they were cruelly murdered and the ship
plundered and sunk... The whole of the crew have been
placed under arrest, and search is being made in the locality
where the ship is said to have been scuttled for the remains
of the captain and officers. It was expected several would
divulge the circumstances. The ship and cargo were valued
at 8,000/.

NEW INSPECTOR-GENERAL,--The trade of Liver-
pool has increased so rapidly within the last year, that, on a
recent visit of the Chairman of the Board of Customs to that
port, it was deemed requisite to have a second inspector..
general to supervise the large revenue department established
there, and to meet the increased wants of the trade. Mr. F.
St. John, an intelligent and active landing-surveyor of the
pert of London, has been selected for the appointment.