The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-28 00:00:00

) COVENT-GARDEN THEATRICAL
FUND.
The anniversary dinner of this, the oldest institution
I
of the kind, took place on Wednesday at the Freemason?
Tavern. The Duke of Cambridge, supported by the
Tioke of Beaufort, was in ,he chair.
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE, on his health being drank,
tot
le expressedinstitution
his t
io satisfaction m
emerabtths
of
supportthe
theßoyal Family. I
uniformlygivent
was true that Covent-garden had now become an opera-
arhinoguhesqtesu
equal
ifbut
etruhpaort
on its
present
bme
oi
asuti aitaye
neat issn no respect affected the
on the
ofeuenadsionTrheegyuired• had
its assistance.
" Prosperity to the Fund" was then drank.
Mr. MEADOWS returned thanks. The present insti-
tution maintainc,l among charitable institutions its high
position. Every claim made on the fund had hitherto
been fully sati.fit d, and a deaf ear had never been turned
to the voice of distress, even from persons unconnected
with its original objects. Three more annuitants had
been lately admitted, and two more were expected in a
short time. Every performer reluctantly quitted the
sock and buskin, as the sum they received at retirement
did not equal the smallest salary. The committee had
the duty to perform of maintaining future allowances at
their present amount without diminution—these allow..
ances were sufficient for necessaries, but nothing further
—and he might say that no just claim had ever been
refused, and no unjust claim ever allowed. The fund
had relieved seventeen theatrical families unconnected
with it—a circumstance which they had hitherto re-
frained from mentioning, and now only alluded to in
self-defence. The fund had been reproachfully called
exclusive—he admitted that it was. exclusive. Were it
otherwise, it would have become a mere temporary relief
fund, of no permanent benefit whatever, and productive
only of disappointment to those who looked forward to
its support. The names of those connected with the fund
were before the public, whose liberality he trusted would
never be abused and never be repented of. The Covent-
garden Fund wished success to that of Drury-lane, and
to that most useful and necessary institution, the Gene-
ral Theatrical Fund, but there was no ground for ne-
glecting the present fund because the General Fund came
after it. The Drury-lane Fund came after it in like
manner, yet no one on that account thought the prior
institution unnecessary. Their annual appeal was ne-
cessary—when it ceased to be necessary they would
cease their appeal ; but the present position of Covent-
garden did not alter the position of the present sub-
scribers to the fund, who had earned their claims on its
boards, and 23 of whom were now performing at other
theatres. The committee, notwithstanding the present
position of Covent-garden, were bound to see that these
claims were not disappointed. Many of the present sub-
scribers to the fund were in a position which seemed
little likely to place them within the necessity of its assist-
ance, but many of those wham it now assisted were
once in a position equally good. The profession of
the actor was peculiarly precarious; decline of public
favour, or change of management, produced reverses
which no one could foresee. Ile would add, that as
most unexpected circumstances had made Covent-
garden an Italian opera-house, so the course of events
might, in a manner equally unexpected, restore it to tho
British drama.

The band of the Coldstream regiment attended during
the dinner, which was not fully attended. The mu-
sical department was support€d by the Hungarian vo-
calists, the Distin family, Miss Bassano, Miss Williams,
and Miss Isaacs.

The subscriptions announced amounted to 5031., in-
cluding 504 from her Majesty and 204 from the Chair-
man. The handsome It racy of 100/. had likewise been
left to the fund by Mr. Mark:ew.

ADELPHI THEATRE.
The performs tices here onWeda. y err for the bene-
fit of Madame Cel-ste, and, as might have been smith-
paieilltbe house was crowded to suffocation within a w
minutes after the doors were open. Atter Buckstone's
drama of the Flowers of the Forest, in which the
powerful acting of Mad sate Celeste. as Cy labia, was
perfectly thrillime, a new petite comedy in two acts,
entitled Flying Colours, or Grossing Me Frontier, was
produced with the mos' complete success,. Tire scene is
!aid at Verdun, in the time of Louis XV., and we are
introduced to the old governor or the place, the Duc de
Sonibreuse (Mr. Lambert) and to his young wife, the
Duchess (Miss W oulgat ). 'I here is a certain, Captain
Sans Souci (Mr. Webster), of %horn the old Duke is
rather jealous, but whom he has never seen. The
lip aiu saho has been committing some escapade in
Paris, has fled from that city, ,:nd as it is supposed that
he is endeavouring to escape into Lorraine, orders are
dispatched to the governor of Verdun to be on the look
out for the captain, to arrest him, and send him back to
Paris tinder a guard. Orders are likewise received to
look out for and arrest a certain 116 6ne de Montereau
(Madame Celeste). a young lady woo has escaped from
a convent in Lorraine, with a young officer to whom she
is about to be married, and who is most anxious to
reach Paris. The Count de Belville (Mr. Boyce)
is the young officer who has eloped with He-
lone—ho induces her to assume male
during her stay at Verdun, the better to avoid suspicion.
Captain Sans Souci, on his arrival, elicits from Colonel
Amadou (Mr. Selby), the Commandant of the Garrison,
a foolish fop, the whole account of the ceders that have
been received for the several arrests, and soon recog-
nizing, Helene in her male attire (the gaucherie
of Madame Celeste in this s?.c-ne was inimit-
able, and produced roars of laughter) proposes
to her that he shall assume female attire, and as Helene
be escorted across the frontier to Lorraine, while she,
acting the part of Captain Sans Souci, shall be sent to
Paris under the escort of her own lover, Count
de Belville. The Captain, however, feels it neces-
sary to give her certain instructions in the art
and mystery of manhood, and drills her into
bowing, strutting, snuff taking, and swearing. This
drilling scene. which was admirably acted by Madame
Celeste and Webster, told amazingly ; her every now
and then forgetting her disguise and curtseying, instead of
bowing, produced a most,ludierous effect. The disguises are
assumed, and the arrests take place at the Captain could
have wished. The false Helene is confided to the care of
the Duchess, and the false Captain to that of the
Colonel. The Duke is lost in admiration of the
charms of the false Helene, whom he aptly charaterises
ss " a most extensive" woman, and writes her a billet
dour, while the false Captain makes the Colonel drunk
by keeping him up to filling glass for glass, and throw-
ing his own wine under the table. At length, of course,
a discovery takes place, and the Duke is outrageous at the
trick played upon him, but is kept in order, by a threat
to produce before the Duchess his " tender letters" to
Helene; and Belville, who is inclined, at first, to be jea-
lous; when he hears Helene has passed the night
at the Colonel's, is highly amused when he
learns how the night has been passed. At
the conclusion Madame Celeste and Mr. Webster
were both called for ; and the piece was announced for
repetition amidst the loud plaudits of the audience.
The scenery was excellent. The set of the second act
was one of the most beautiful interiors ever exhibited.

CREMORNE GARDENS.—ThiS popular place of en-
tPrtainnaent was opened on Whit-Monday. The Gar-
di,ns, during the receis, have bPen considerably
.-nlarg,ed. To say that improvements have been made,
to convey but a flint idea of the nature of the alters-

tioas. The river entrance is a br;ght cxample of archi-
;ecturai triumph ; the Jardin Mabile. at Paris, is the
model ; those wno have hail the happioess to visit that
deligh, fat pla,eof entertainment will appreciate Mr. Ellis's
..ffortsin making the gardens or Crernorne as else an

ipproximation -to thecontinental 4601,1 as vast outlay,
_treat artistic talent, and natural attractions can render
hem. An immense circular platform for dancing has
teen laid down, compa-.sing- the gran, Pagoda orchestra,
which contains fifty nertormers. ander the direction
,t M,,113. L .ureHt, Tn.. treps . ere iliornitt-,ted with
Ha: is jets of tta • s• Toe La.. nder .Bo.ers and new
Chine-. wa.'k likewise t.xlitbiced the same. brilmint and
,i.zzling it-pest. In additton to• M. Laurent 's quadrille
e.,nd a brag band coterneiteed pliOng on the lawn at
three o'clock, and to the 031,,e,ing strains of the instru-
mentalists. old English dances. inciuding the Ma)pole
and Morris, and other ancient sports at,cc pastimes were
introduced. The various amusements went off with
gre it ec at, and the gardens were crowded.
THE DESCENT OF MR. GREEN'S NEW VICTORIA
BALLOON.—Trus balioou made ils first ascent last Mon-
day from Cremorne—the party (four in number) con-
slsting of Herr Kcenig, Arthur Pratt Barlow, Esq., the
veteran Green, and a friend of his, Mr. Hoole. It was
"let go" soon after seven ; and, taking a north-easterly
course, passed over London, Hackney, Epping, Hain-
atilt, &c., and finally came safe to terra firma in a field
in the parish of Little Waltham, six miles beyond
Chelmsf,)rd, exactly at eight o'clock, thus doing above
forty miles, as the crow flies, in less than the hour
Curiously enough, Mr. Soper, the manufacturer of the.
silk of the balloon, a week before wrote to Mr. Green,..
regretting that, as he would be at his country -house, _he
;
er
would be unable to witness the maiden ascent of t
his way.
'Victoria, but,
Odd to say, the balloon passed over his farm,
in joke; invited him to supper if he came
and descended within a mile and a half- of -his house,
meepta
tthrilyee,
whither the party repaired, reminded the owner of his
invitation, and were most hospitably welcomed and en-
tertained by him, until it was time to stlrarotr
mail-train at Chelmsford.
Navigation
cit oa
last
with a select circle of friends, made
dirllitoErsNofEwthe
trip in this beautiful new vessel,' _ an experimental
the Nore, and up the Mersey tßfrom London•bridge to
oehester-bridge. The
engines of the Star are of 140-horseo.
stowage is 320. She started
from London-Bridge about
eleven ak.m , and returned
times during the
voyagetimes a mile with the tide in font
minutes eight seconds, giving an average speed of seven-
teen miles
an hour. It is intended that the Star shill
commence running to Boulogne on the sth of next No-
vember, when it is expected that starting a quarter of an
hour before high water she bill accomplish the distance
I from London-bridge to Boulogne in eight hours, which
expedition, combined with the low fares intended to be
charged, viz., 12s. for the chief cabin, or rather less
than ld. per mile, and little more than id. per mile for
the fore cabin, cannot fail
to ensure, during the summer
months, a fair share of public patronage. The cabins
are very tastefully decorated, and throughout the vessel
the comfort of the passengers has been studied in every
respect.
Advices from St. Petersburgh on Wednesday
indicate henceforth a supply of grain to the south of
Europe which will be regulated only by the number of
vessels. In the St. Peterburgh market alone the per-
chases for exportation up to th- pc. i.ent time amount- to
no less than 2,000.000 chetwerts, " but." it is observed,
.. the riddle is how is it to be shipped ?" The havigs>•
Lion is now Pstab' sheti, the F.vouri,e. from London,
and the R.b Roy, from Hull (both steamers) having
been among the fist arrivals. The grain market con-
tinues extremely active, 41. d hemp and tailow are with-
out alteration. Excnauge aas a shame flatter, the quo-
tation teing 38 11-161 w 38 id.