The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-11 00:00:00

THEATRE _ROYAL LYCEUM.

Every contribution in art, literature, or science which
tends to throw a grace over the incidents of social life, is
so much gained to the cause of civilisation and refinement.
Music, Poetry, and Painting are the three Graces of modern
mythology, and in the dramatic representations of the pre-
sent day we recognise the influence of their felicitous com-
bination. Our lively neighbours across the Channel have
always been celebrated for the triumphs which they have
achieved in the lighter elegancies of the dramatic art and a
knowledge of stage business, with which we have not yet
been able successfully to compete ; and whilst they avoid,
on the ene hand, morbid sentimentalism, and, on the other,
the extravagant horrors of the Porte St. Martin, the
French stage is without a rival for skilful situa' ions, lively
dialogue, and sparkling music. It is with great pleasure,
therefore, that we welcome to the Lyceum a French corps
dramatique, selected from the Opera Comique and Les
Bouffes Parisians, who commenced their season last night
with "La Part du Diable," Madame Faure taking the
character of Carlo, which she sustained with an ability
and grace worthy of her distinguished reputation. We
need scarcely remind the public that the music of this very
charming comic opera is by Auber, and is throughout so
strikingly characteristic of that composer's style, that rio
one would think of attributing it to any other hand. Some
of the movements, indeed, are almost identical with pas-
sages in " Fra DiavolnT but there is so much gaiety
and freshness about them that they were recognis ed
by the audience with the same pleasant greeting that one
bestows upon a dear friend met unexpectedly I Nothing
could be more cordial than the reception which was given
to Mdme. Faure, who left nothing to be desired in the part
of Carlo. The vocalization of this lady is of a very high
order, whilst her acting is exceedingly spirited and grace-
ful. Such qualities, aided by a most agreeable person, could
not fail to create a sensation, and the lady was repeatedly
called before the curtain, in which pleasing ceremony
Mdme. Faure, with inimitable grace, invited the rest of the
performers on the stage to take a part. Mr. Achard repre-
sented the Don Henrique di Landova, and executed
the very pretty music assigned to the part with great
ability. Thi• garalotano.o. poomoaana 0. ,cry ploaaing honor,
and with increased confidence will be heard to muck greater
advantage than upon the occasion of the first representa-
tion. Madame Delis was the Queen, and sang her music
with great care, M. Castel Mary being the King, whose
voice, however, is of a character so sepulchral as to recall
the melodramatic horrors of the 0. Smith school ; never-
theless we are bound to say that all the music went off re-
markably well, to the delight of a very fashionable audience,
and the curtain closed upon the opera amid tumultuous
applause. We should add that the orchestra is remarkably
good, and most efficiently conducted ; the scenery, dresses,
and decorations exceeding rich and in the best taste, whilst
the grouping of the characters on the stage in several of
the principal scenes reflects the very highest oredit on
Mons. Delis, the very able acting manager.

After the opera, the National Anthem was sung by the
whole strength of the company, the house, as usual,
rising.

A little buffo operetta followed, under the title of " Le
Manage aux Lanternes," M. Geoffroy sustaining the part of
the Village Landlord, Mdme. Salmson that of Fanchette ;
Catharine, Mdme. Delis; and Denise, Mdme. Guerin.
This was given with great spirit; and a quarrelling duet
between Mdme. Dalis and Mdme. Guerin drew down thun-
ders of applause.

The performances did not close till late, an objection
which will no doubt bo remedied in future.

On the whole, M. Laurent has reason to be proud of
the successful opening of the season, and the public should
be grateful for so agreeable an addition to the stock of
intellectual amusements.

Mr. Turpin, the polite box bookkeeper at the
Haymarket Theatre, takes his benefit on Wednesday next,
when a number of attractive performances will take place,
which we trust will ensure him a full attendance.

Lord Haddo proposes reviving the subject of
female models. On Tuesday next he will move that " the
exhibition in schools of art of females wholly unclothed
ought not to receive the sanction of a public grant of money
to the schools in which such practice is adopted."

MR. EDWARD WIIITTY.—We regret to announce
the death of this gentleman, who once held a position upon
our Parliamentary staff, and was afterwards well known as
prominently connected with the press both of London and
the provinces. His health had been shattered by the hard
work of his profession, and he went last year to Melbourne
in the hope of regaining strength and finding a new field for
his abilities. It was, however, " too late," and in a few
months he died of consumption, at the age of 32.
THE PULLIN GER FRAUDS.—The Stock Ex-
change Committee are industriously continuing their in-
vestigation in relation to the Pullinger frauds, but it is un-
derstood that thus far they have not been able to trace the
possibility of his having incurred losses on the Stock Ex-
change to an amount equal to one-quarter the extent of his
entire embezzlements. His largest loss was through a
firm which failed some time back, to which he himself was
ultimately a defaulter for about £l4,ooo—a circumstance
which was concealed at the time, with the hope that he
would ultimately pay. About £l,OOO, however, is believed
to have been all that was recovered from him afterwards.
His operations with the other firms were of a much less
extensive character ; but ho is supposed to have had active
dealings with one of those persons who style themselves
stockbrokers, but who are not able to gain admission to the
Stock Exchange, and this man is understood to have died a
short time ago with a large fortune. Pullinger frequently
paid for considerable amounts of securities, of which he took
possession, and it will be highly important if any of these can
be traced. It is now clearly established that he had large
transactions on the turf, but the impression conveyed from
the evidence obtained on that point is that he was usually
a winner. The rumours regarding his connexion with
theatrical speculations appear to have been entirely without
foundation. •
A table just compiled by the Statistical Depart-
ment at Hamburg gives an abstract of the revenue raised
from the customs and shipping duties at that city under the
different changes made in the customs laws since 1815.
The customs and shipping duties have been continually re-
duced since 1824. The duty, which up to that period had
amounted to li per cent, ad valorem on imports and ex-
ports by sea, and to I per cent. by land, is now only I per
cent. on imports ' • some of the most important articles, such
as coal, yarn, cotton, wool, &c., being made altogether free.
The export duty is entirely abolished, and all goods intransit
are likewise free. The effect of these alterations has been
a large increase of trade, compensating fully for the
sacrifice of revenue. From the crisis of 1857 the imports
experienced a temporary check at Hamburg as elsewhere,
but they still maintained themselves in 1858 at the average
amount of the preceding five years, and are now again on
the increase. The duty on shipping has likewise been gra-
dually much lowered, and these successive movements
hitye also produced a most favourable influence, an aug•
mentation having taken place from 2,003 vessels, with
64,396 lasts, arriving in 1815, to 4,554 vessels, with 377,023
lasts, arriving in 1859 • so that the number of vessels has
been doubled, while ;he tonnage has increased six-fold
within that period. These returns show that it has been
the unremitting policy of Hamburg to encourage commerce
by freeing it from charges, and, of course, the results would
have been still more favourable if the neighbouring States
had not sought to counteract that policy by imposing heavy
tolls upon the commerce of Hamburg in the shape of the
Stade tolls on the Lower Elbe, river tolls on the Upper
Elbe, and transit duties on the railroads passing through
Itlecileattrgh 102(1 Lcuenbigg.)