The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-05 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.

Last evening a performance by the gentlemen of the
St. James's Dramatic Club took place at this theatre,
for the benefit of Mr. T. a'Beckett. The pieces selected
for the occasion were Money, Bcmbastes Furioso, and the
Rent Day. It is a well-known fact that gentlemen ama-
teurs have the most profound aversion to learning their
parts. This was beautifully apparent last evening, the
prompter having to deliver, and very audibly too, some
of the most touching portions of the play, while the gen-
tlemen amateurs who should have said them, were thinking
about them. But these remarks will not apply to the
ladies. It is as strange as it is true, that the ladies inva-
riably carry off the laurels at performances of gentlemen
amateurs, and last evening they richly deserved the
honours and the applause they received. The part of
Clara Douglas was beautifully sustained by Miss Bew,
and Lady Franklin found an abie representative in Miss
A. Mercer. The two best sustained male characters
were Graves and Sir Frederick Blount; Evelyn was
done in quite an original style, the peculiarity of the
performance being one studied position, and a kind of
postman's double-knock laugh. Lord Glossmore said
but little, Sir John Vesey said too much. Bombastes
Furioso owed, in which Master Beckett sustained the
hero remarkably well. We had a very beautiful pas,
from the ballet of coralia,by Madame.L. Blanche, which
was honoured by an encore, and Master Beckett de-
lighted the audience with a sailor's hornpipe. At the
time we left the theatre (midnight) the Rent Day had to
be performed. The house was crowded.

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tendance upon her Royal Highness were Lady Augusta
Bruce, Lady Fanny Howard, Lady Mary Howard, Lord
James Murray, Sir George Couper, and Mr. Bruce.
His Royal Highness was attended by Major Oelrichs.
There were also present the Duke and Duchess of Mon-
trose, the Duchess of Leeds, Prince Koutchonbey, the
Baroness de Brunnow and Mdlle. Olga do Lechner, the
Count and Countess Kienislels, his Excellency the
Swedish Minister, his Excellency the Hanoverian
Nlinister, M. C. Koudriaffsky, Earl Granville,
Earl Bruce, the Earl of Lonsdalc, the Earl
of Falmouth, the Earl of Besborough, the Earl of
Abeyne, the Countess of Jersey, Lord C. Wellesley,
Lord Sefton, Lady Fitzroy Somerset and Miss
Somerset, the Duke and Duchess de Mcltfort, the
Viscountess; Glen tworth, the Viscountess Villiers,
Viscount Ingestre, Viscount Cantilupe, Viscount Clif-
den, Viscount Somerton, Lord and Lady Ernest Bruce,
Lord Sandys, Lord and Lady Colborne, Lady Clemen-
tins Villiers, Lady Wetherell, Lady Elizabeth Hope
Vere, Baron Nicolay, Lord Beauvale, Lord Ossulston,
the Count de Berke, Sir Ralph Howard, Bert., Sir John
Lowther, Bart., Sir John Bailey, Bart., Lady Howard,
M. de Cotta, Lady Bailey, Lady Jervis, Sir George
Wombwell, Bart., Sir Alexander Spearman, Bart., and
Lady Spearman, General the Hon. H. Cavendish, the
Hon. Mrs. Grey, Colonel Fludyer, Major Buckley,
Mrs. C. W. Packe Reading, Mrs. Hubert de Burgh,
Mrs. Askew, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Williams and Miss
Williams, Mrs. Grote, Mr. Barry Baldwin, M.P., Mr.
Broadley, M.P., Mr. Parnther, Mr. H. Wigram, Mr.
G. Cornwall, Mr. 0, Morgan, M. de Berg, Mr. Frank,
Mills, Mr. Tudor, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Arabin, &c.

THEATRE ROYAL, EDINBURGH.—The new play,
The hilfe's &era, was repeated for the fourth time on
Saturday evening, and before a highly fashionable and
crowded audience, being one of the most brilliant of
the season. Throughout the play was followed with
the most eager interest by the delighted audience, and
the splendid efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Kean as Sir Walter
and Lady Amyott, at the most interesting points of the
story, literally thrilled through the house. This play
has been acted every evening during the engagement of
these distinguished performers, with the exception of
Thursday, when Kean once more appeared in his
master-piece, Hamlet, Mrs. Kean giving an exquisite
portraiture of the fair Ophelia. In those painful scenes
where Ophelia disports amidst her insane visions, the
acting of Mrs. Kean was touching in the extreme; we
have never seen these wild and plaintive emanations of
the disordered fancy rendered with equal truth and
dramatic skill. Mr. Kean has been long celebrated for
his representation of Hamlet. At his first entrance
there is a something so intellectual and expressive in his
mein—so full of grace,
dignity, and withal so o'ersha-
dowed by that deep seated woe, which has overcome the
Prince of Denmark—that one imagines some of the
striking figures of Vandyke has stepped forth from the
canvass.—Caledonian Mercury, April 3.

THE LIVERPOOL BANKING COMPANY--On Mon-
day afternoon, the adjourned annual meeting of the
shareholders in this concern was held in Liverpool. A
report from the two proprietors appointed at the last
meeting to investigate the accounts was submitted, and a
very stormy discussion ensued. The character of the
management was, we believe, strongly impugned ; but,
as reporters were excluded from the meeting, we are
unable to furnish details.
DEATH OF BISHOP RUSSELL.—Our readers will
learn with deep regret of the death of this excellent man
and eminent divine of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
He was, as in the case of the late Dr. Chalmers, found
dead in his bed early on Monday morning. On Sabbath
afternoon he conducted the services in the chapel at
Leith, and thereafter the devotional exercises in his own
family. His death will cause a blank in the Church
which will not be easily supplied. His writings, also,
will cause his death to be widely and generally felt. In
his private life he was most benevolent and charitable,
and the tidings of his death will be a pang to the hearts
of many a family who have benefited by his active charity
and Christian benevolence.
DEVONPORT ELECTION.—Mr. J. Romilly, the
newly-appointed Solicitor-General, was reelected on
Monday last, without opposition, one of the represen-
tatives for the borough of Devonport.l
THOM, TILE INVERARY PONT.—The directors of
Caledonian Society of London have cenarneneed a
subscription for the family of the deceased bard, and
have headed it with fire guineas from the funds of the
I society. •