The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-16 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

Last night Gay's Beggar's Opera, originally pro-
duced in 1728, was revived here with an admirable
cast, and came out after the pale platitudes recently
adapted from the French with the freshness of a new-
gathered bouquet. Though the circumstances which
gave this work se much " local colour" at the time
of its production are passed, the pungency of the wit
in the dialogue, and the truthful touches of frail
humanity. survive the occasion, and were received
and understood with all the zest which truthful illus-
tration invariably commands. The music is of a
character which can never fail to engage and gratify
the sense. We shall give the cast, comprising so
many distinguished names, in full, paying a passing
compliment to all and every one in it for the good
taste and sound judgment they displayed in readily
co-operating in so good a work. A little more of
this sort of feeling on the part of actors and mana•
gers would do more to restore their cause, and secure
the reward so justly their due, than all their petitions
for patronage in high quarters.
The Player Mr. Parselle.
The Beggar .
Captain Macheath
Peachum
Lockit
Filch
Mat o' the Mint . . Mr. S. Smith.

Drawer
Mrs. Peachum ... Mrs. C. Jones.

Polly Peachum Miss K. Fitzwilliam.
Lucy Lockit
Mrs. Coaxer
jenny Diver .. Miss J. Coleman.
It will be seen from the above that on this occasion
the characters of the Player and the Beggar, who con-
coct, and who are the chorus of the extravaganza,
hive been restored, and with good effect, depriving
the abrupt conclusion of much of its absurdity. Mr.
Harrison, who made his first appearance here, acquitted
himself with great success as Macheath. His voice,
in the interval which has occurred since his appear-
ance at Drury-lane, if not ;improved in quality, dis-
plays greater taste and skill in its management. It
is also of a calibre much better adapted to this little
house, than the larger arena of Old Drury. His
upper notes are of exquisite sweetness, and they were
those most frequently used in the music he had to
sing. He was received with great enthusiasm on his
first entrance, and loudly applauded in all his songs.
He was honoured with encores in " My heart was
so free," " If the heart of a man is oppressed with
care," and " How happy could I be with either,"
which last he gave with considerable spirit. Miss
Kathleen Fitzwilliam made a most graceful and in-
teresting Polly ; and we have never heard the deli-
cious melodies allotted to the part given with greater
purity of intonation and feeling expression than
she displayed. She was rapturously applauded in
that touching air, ." Oh I ponder well !" and in
" When my hero in court appears," and again in
" Cease your funning," which she closed with some
scientific adornments, given with equal taste and
ability. Madame Vestris, we need hardly say, was
an inimitable Lucy. Frank Matthews made a hit as
Peachum. And Harley, in the little part of Filch,
showed how an old hand, zealously determined upon
it, may steal a round of applause, however slight the
materials he has to deal with. The Mrs. Peachum
of Mrs. C. Jones was admirable, who is there on the
stage at the present day can ever approach her in
the delineation of such parts as Mrs. Peachum. It
is one of the richest bits of acting we have seen for
many a day. Miss J. Coleman sustained the little
part of Jenny Diver excellently. Miss Charlton was
the Airs. Coaxer. The opera concluded with a gene-
ral dance by the characters, which was encored. The
audience, who had been most lavish of their applause
throughout the performance, then called for Polly,
Lucy, and the gallant Captain, whom they welcomed
with distinct and hearty rounds of cheering. The
piece was well dressed in the costume of the period.

CONVOCATION OF THE CLERGY.— ADDRESS TO TIER
MAJESTY.-11er Majesty having appointed to morrow
(Saturday) for the reception of the address agreed upon
by the Convocation, the Upper and Lower Houses will
meet at the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster, at two
o'clock, and at half-past two the procession will set out,
proceeding through the Dean's-yard, across the Broad
Sanctuary, through Prince's-erect into Great George_
street, and thence into the Park by Storey's-gate, along
Bird-cage-walk to Buckingham Palace, where they will
be received by the Lord Chamberlain, who will conduct
them to the Throne-room.

HOLYHEAD ROUTE.—:The steatn•ship Anglia, 700
tons measurement, 350. horse power, built by Mare and
Co., engines by Maudsley and Field, intended for the
Holyhead station, to run between Holyhead and Kings-
town in conjunction with the Chester and Holyhead
Railway trains, was tried yesterday between Gravesend
and the Mouse light, and performed as follows;._
Gravesend to the Mouse, with tide, 90 minutes, equal to
19.574 statute mile miles per hour; Mouse to Gravesend,
against tide, 120 1.6 minutes, equal to 14.690 statute
miles per hour. Measured nautical miles, slack tide,
4 min. 111 see, equal to 16.489 statute miles per hour;
against tide, 4 min. 39 sec., equal to 14.86 statute miles
per hour; two miles, 8 min. 50k, equal to 15.635 statute
miles per hour.

LOSS OF THE STEAI4:SHIP
ARIEL.

SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY, JozzE 14.
We have received advices to the 6th inst. from Leg-
horn relative to the unfortunate loss of the Peninsular
aid Oriental Steam Navigation Company's ship Ariel.
These accounts are more explanatory of the disaster
than those previously published. It appears that on the
2d of June, at 6 30 in the morning, the Ariel, from
Malta and Civita Vecchia es route to Leghorn, struck
the dangerous rocky shoal of Mal di Vetro, four miles
distant, W. S., from the seaport of Vado in Tuscany,
13 miles southward of Leghorn lighthouse. The ship
was going full speed, nearly ten knots, and from the
force with which she struck, the fore-hold and engine-
room immediately filled with water ; the fires of course
being extinguished, the engines were rendered unser-
viceable. Captain Caldbeck, therefore, hoisted out the
ship's boats, and sent them to Leghorn under com-
mand of Mr. Neill Cook, the first officer, with the
passengers, stewardess, and the youngest ship's boys,
where they all arrived in safety. A boat was also
dispatched to the company's agent at Leghorn for as-
sistance which was promptly rendered, and a steamer of
war and a merchant steamer sent to the wreck, with a
view, if possible, to get off the vessel, or to endeavour to
save the cargo, &c. Captain Caldbeck, with the crew
and officers, remained on board till 11 A.M. of the 3d,
when, in consequence of the weather being unfavourable,
and a gale of wind blowing, with very high sea, the
whole ship's company were obliged to leave the ship.
This they did with great difficulty, having to drop from
the bows of the Ariel into a large boat sent off by the
company's agent. 'Fortunately, the whole party suc-
ceeded in leaving the ship without accident, although the
danger was very great.
The Ariel is an iron vessel, and built in water-tight
compartments; this may account for her surviving the
gale of wind on the 3d. Although the fore-hold and
engine-room were full of water, the after-hold was
quite sound and dry.
Up to the 6th every exertion had been made by Cap-
tain Caldbeck, the officers, and crew, to save the mate.
Hills of the ship. Two large boats and a bomb-vessel of
80 tons were employed in this service, and all the passen-
gers' baggage, specie, and that part of the cargo in the
after-hold, had been secured and landed at Vado. The
passengers were accommodated in the lazaretto at Leg-
horn. The Tuscan Government rendered all the assist-
ance in its power. On the 6th instant Captain Caldbeck
wrote to the company that lie entertained some hopes of
floating the vessel, and was then actually engaged in
making preparations to effect that object; on that day
there were ten feet of water under the port paddle box,
nine feet under the starboard one, nine feet two inches
under the forefoot, and nineteen feet under the rudder,
the main-hold being still perfectly tight, and the vessel
not much injured by the breaking of the sea. Every
movable article had been landed, including the plate,
furniture, &c,, of the ship, and there only remained on
board the c0a15,.9 irondre ballast, and a few packages
of cargo
which were
under of this favourable water in the forehold. In conse-
quenceo report as to the hopes that
were entertained
Compan
their y yesterda
survey dispatched the vessel, the Peninsular
Bayly,
(ot to Leghorn Mr. George
or
at Lloyd's), to sup erinteng known from his connexion
the ship. nd the operations for floating
A list of the passengers has not yet been received,
nor is there any account of
board; the cargo was not a very largeamount of specie on
principally of goods from Malta and "e' it consisted
Civita 'Vecchia.
The value of the ship was about 30,0a01/
total loss ensue (which is most probable" and
announce that, in consequence of instil?' we
effar•ec't..--4-,,-n-
-the vessel, the company will not be losers to ei-te-za-t
of more than 14,000 L or 15,000/.
The cause of the Ariel's striking the Mal
di Veto
reef has yet to be satisfactorily explained. The
reef
properly laid down in the Mediterranean charts,
anedfiist position and bearings accurately described in the sail"
rss
directions. The accident occurred at broad dayt;
when the coast must have been discernible, in
fine
weather, and the ship at full speed. It was evident that
the Ariel's course was too near the shore, or that the
officers in charge could not have been aware of the
ship's position at the time of the accident. The proper
course from Civita Vecchia to Leghorn would appear to
be northward from the island of Elba and to the east-
ward of Capraja and Gorgona, between which islands
and the mainland there are 50 to 80 fathoms of water.
The fault which has caused the Peninsular Company
the loss of one of their finest ships is a fault, unfortu-
nately, too common to commanders of packet steamers,
who are frequently too fond of hugging a dangerous
shore, when there exists a safe and wide sea way in
which to steer.

By letters of the 7th inst., received from Leghorn
since the above, we learn that every effort was to be
made to save the Ariel. The after-hold still remaining
water-tight, it was hoped and expected that by filling the
fore-hold with casks, and securing casks to the paddle-
boxes, the ship would float. To assist these opera-
tions, the boilers were to be pumped out, 50 tons of
ballast and 100 tons of coals discharged, the paddle-
wheels taken off, and the shaft and heavy portions of
the machinery removed; thus 200 tons dead weight
would be removed from the vessel. The weather con-
tinued very fine. Some very serious disagreements had
occurred with the Livornese boatmen employed on the
wreck. The captain and company's agent employed 50
of them to assist, as labourers, in saving the goods and
cargo. On the evening of the 6th the men so employed
made a demand of 3,3001. for salvage; and on the cap-
tain refusing to guarantee so enormous a claim, they
threatened his life, and made a demonstration to seize
all the property landed at Vado. The captain and
crew immediately armed themselves with the ship4s mus-
kets, and remained under arms all night. The Tuscan
Government appeared quite powerless, and it is stated
that, in the present revolutionary state of the country,
the class of men referred to are quite masters of it. The
life of the British Vice-Consul had also been threatened,
and a number of Maltese sailors, part of the crew of the
Ariel, had sided with the Livornese, and refused to
exert themselves in saving the ship. A British vessel-
of-war was much wanted, and letters had been sent to
every port in the vicinity in the hopes of getting assist-
ance. In the extremity to which the captain of the Ariel
was reduced he proceeded to Leghorn, to obtain a num-
ber of seamen from the British merchant-ships in that
port, and 30 volunteered to proceed to the wreck. Tho
Livornese, however, angry at being dismissed, announced
their intention of preventing the operations, and Captain
Caldbeck was accordingly about to go to Florence to
claim the intervention of Sir George Hamilton, the
British Minister at the Tuscan Court. To prevent dis-
turbances, the company's agent had offered 06 000 livres
(8601.) to the boatmen, which they agreed to ,receive, in
satisfaction of their claim for merely landing the bag-
gage, cargo, and stores.

N AVAL INTELLIGENCE.
The Earl of Auckland, and the other members.of the
board, have returned to the Admiralty. The Hon. Cap-
tain M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., M.P., arrived in town last
night. •
The Earl oF Auckland, G.C.8., was entertained last
night it the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's, by
the members of the Navy Club.
Reports have been circulated to the effect that Sir
William Parker had' arrived at Trieste with the fleet
under his command, and had declared that a shot fired
at Trieste by the Neapolitan and Sardinian squadron
would be regarded as a declaration of war against Eng-
land, There is no truth in this statement, nor is there
the slightest foundation for these reports. Sir William
Parker,and his line-of-battle ships were at Malta on the
3d instant, and was likely to remain there; and we be-
lieve that he has orders to remain in Malta Harbour
until he receives further instructions from home, and
that he is not on any account to cruise in the vicinity of
Naples.
The Admiralty have appointed the Rev. J. Wooley to
be head master of the Central Mathematical School at
Portsmouth.
It is reported that the Firefly, 3, steam-vessel, on the
coast of Africa, is to be commanded by a commander,
and that Lieutenant Ponsonby will be succeeded by Com-
mander Tudor (1842).

Lieutenant—Robert
APPOINTMENTS.
_ Assistant Surgeon
16, at Portsmouth. M. Sandom (1843), to the Helena,
S tx, Master stew,sra - Surgeon--Julian W. Slight, late of the
sloop, confirmed seniority January, 1846.
Assistants—William Hobbs, acting second
I,:p fieYtvtatioth:il to. aort.t3j;D.w ic b . _ .
M.
master,iti to the San Josef, flag-ship, at Devonport; W.
cloBast of
eSvuotntponor,tt.o the Penelope, steam-frigate,
Africa; Charles L. Waddilove, to the Tweed,
Midhipmen--John C. James, to the Bellerophon, 78,
‘ .Clerk's Assistant —F. Wright, to the Fisgard, flag-
astn
Euginee'r—J. Hetherington, third class, to the
Blenheim.
.
class the
the 'Ceyloßn.urre'
__ . tants—M.
Carpenters—Thomas RT. Feetor first class,to the Fisgard; C. Icily, third
second class, to the Medusa ;
advanced tors—Thomas Penfound, of the Vindictive, 50,
to the first class ; S. Warn, to the Illus-
trious.
Boatswain--T. Harris, acting, to the Illustrious.
Royea. MARINES.--Commissions have been received
at Portsmouth for Captain John 0. Travers and First
Lieutenant 11. J. Tribe, Charles M•Arthur, F. B. Grit-
ton, and Edward M'Arthar.
The Trafalgar, 120, Captain C. Hope, on her way
from Spithead to Sheerness, to be paid off; has only a
crew of 700 officers and men on board.
The Bellerophon, 78, Captain Baynes, ' C. 8., in Ply-
mouth Sound, is daily filling up her vacancies.
read
The Tweed, 18, Commander Lord Russell, will be
y for sea, at Devonport, by the 20th of next month.
ham
Tee
Ranger, 8. Commander Newland, fitting at Chat-
will be ready for sea on the 19th.
ordered
The Athol, troop-ship, Master Commander Pearn, is
to have her defects made good, at Woolwich,
immediatel
Thenyx, Vesuvius, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Austen,
arrived at Halifax, May 27th, from Bermuda.
The` o
at iron Dover steam-packet, which has been
iWoolwich repairing machinery for the last three
weeks, will not be ready for six weeks longer. These
Dover packets, what with strengthenng teir weakly
built hulls, and the extensive repairs ofi theirh machinery,
have been very costly.
WooLlvica, JUNE 15.—Several of the members of
the Committee appointed by the House of Commons to
examine the Navy Estimates, arrived at Woolwich dock-
yard to-day, accompanied by Captain Ellice, comptroller
of s.tearn machinery, and were joined by Mr. Lloyd, chief
engineer of the steam department at the Admiralty. The
Committee examined the storehouses and works of the
factory department.
inlestAatriornog,
The Flamer steam. vessel, Commander Lavie, arrived
at Woolwich on Tuesday evening from the Mediterra-
nea
Arrogant,
will be paid off on Monday next.
uns
, fourth-rate, built for a frigate of 46
g, 14 hourly expected at 'Woolwich from Portsmouth,

3 r

~.

"~~~

having been sent round to be fitted with engines and
screw propeller.
The Styx steam-sloop, recently paid , off 'at this port,
has been taken into the basin to be refitted, and made
ready fer further service.
The iEncounter steam-frigate is under the Shears,
having the masts of the Prometheus pitit -in to serve as
jury masts to take her round to Portsmouth, where she
will be completed and commissioned.

The Rifleman steam-vessel went down the river to-
day on trial, and was found to answer well.

'The Onyx, Dover mail steam-packet, has been taken
into the inner basin to have some repairs effected in her
machinery. e.
The transport-ship Bombay embarked the 77'th Regi-
ment, with detachments of invalids, at Quebec, and left'
that place on the 23d of May, for Portsmouth.
The Resistance troop-ship is expected at Quebec, by
the first week in July, with the 79th Highlanders, and
will take home the 93d Highlanders, under orders to
embark for England.