The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-21 00:00:00

Lord Colonsay and the Scottish Bar.

On Tuesday the Lord Justice-Gen eral of Scotland,
who is about to be called to the Upper House of
Parliament, as Baron Colonsay of Colonsay and
Oronsay, in the county of Argyle, took farewell of

the members of the College of Justice, in presence of
an overflowing audience, in the Court-room of the
first division. A meeting had been held that morn-
ing of the members of the Faculty of Advocates,
who requested the Dean, Mr,_ Moucreiff, M.P., ex-
Lord Advocate, to express the sentiments enter-
tained by the Bar towards the distinguished head
of the civil and criminal courts of Sc"otland, and
meetings had also been held of the Society of
Writers to the Signet and the Society of So:icitors
• to the Supreme Courts, at which addresses were
unanimously voted. All the judges were present
except Lord Deas,who was absent from indisposition.
The DEAN of FACULTY, in an eloquent address,
observed that the occasion marked rather the culini-
nation than the termination of a singularly success-
ful legal career. his lordship had discharged with
distinction the functions of every high office open to
the ambition of the legal profession of Scotland.
While at the Bar he was chosen as its head by the
free voice of his brethren; he had been honoured
by the confidence of the Crown as the first law
officer in Scotland, and after a Parliamentary career
of great distinction, leaving behind it impressed on
the statute-book its memorial in the shape of wise
and enduring legislation, he had been selected nearly '
15 years ago to preside in the Supreme Courts of
Scotland. Never, he believed, in the history of this
Court had more lustre been shed on the exposition
of the law, or more dignity been imparted to its ad-
ministration, than under his Lordship, and he could
not omit in the name of the Faculty thanking him
sincerely for that unvarying courtesy, that kindly
judicial demeanour, that forbearance and conside-
ration, and that generous aid which the members of
the bar had ever received from him, and which had
lightened to them the discharge of anxious and re-
sponsible labour. We have, added Mr. Moncreiff,
heard it is the pleasure of her Majesty to bestow
still higher rewards in token of your Lordship's long,
services. If a peerage were only the reward of ser-
vices, long meritoriously and ably discharged, we
should think the bar of Scotland honoured in your
Lordship's person, and look on it as a gratification
and embellishment to our order ; but it also is said
that not only the effect, but one of the objects of
conferring on you this high distinction is that the
public may have the benefit of your Lordship's ser- •
vices in the courts of last resort, and in that light
it is a matter of importance far beyond the limits of
the body for whom I speak. It is, as we regard it,
a recognition of a debt due to Scotland tardily but
well conferred. We are conscious of the many
benefits which Scotland has obtained from the ap-
pellate jurisdiction ; but we cannot but rejoice in
your Lordship's addition to their number, feeling
assured that if your Lordship's career in that more
elevated seat be as useful to the public as your pre-
sidency in that chair has been you will confer on the
country in which we live, and on a system of juris-
prudence of which we are justly proud, fresh and
increased obligation. (Cheers.)

The LORD JUSTICE-GENERAL, addressing the
Dean, said—More than 50 years have elapsed since I
joined the ranks of the Faculty, at a time when some
of those great men whose names we still revere and
cherish were in the zenith of their power and fame.
The lapse of half a century has necessarily brought
great changes in the ranks of the Faculty, but it is
most gratifying to receive the assurance that it
brought no change in those kindly feelings which,
during the whold period of my forensic career, I
have experienced from my brethren. You have been
kind enough to allude to the circu►nstance that I
have been the recipient of not a few marks of pro-

Yesterday the annual meeting of the renters or
debenture-holders of Drury-lane Theatre was held
in the saloon of that building ; Mr. D. Bowman in.
the chair.
The report, already presented to the general
assembly of the proprietors, stated that the sub-com.,-'
niittee having foutki it Advisable to put a period to"
the last lease availed themselves of the re-entry
clause on the 26th of March last, and then by public
advertisement sought for a new tenant. Several
applications were received in reply to that advertise-
ment, and the committee accepted that of Mr. F.
B. Chatterton, a gentleman already favourably.
known to them from his connexion with Mr. Fal-
coner, and to him they granted a lease for seven
years, from July 1 last, at a rent of £5,000 per
annum, confident that his experience and good taste
would advance the character of the house and up-
hold the national drama. The report of Mr. Marsh
Nelson, the architect of the establishment, stated
that the theatre had been thoroughly renovated and
partially redecorated, at the cost of £l,OOO, in addi-
tion to which the new lessee expended £6OO in the
parchase of new furniture, so that at present it, and
the rest of their property,was in a satisfactory state.
There was another report from the renters' com-
mittee, read by Mr. Pyefinch, congratulating them
on the fact that the lease had been made to age -
tleman of Mr. Chatterton's elevated judgment an
great enterprise ; that they had during the past
year received a higher dividend (£7 Gs. 83.) than
had been paid since 1836. and that there existed a
most friendly feeling between themselves and the
proprietors. It regretted, however, that the na-
tional theatre did not receive any of that Royal
patronage which was so liberally bestowed upon
the other theatres in Loudon. It also mentioned
with regret the demise of the late Mr. Edward
Robins, one of the three trustees. The receipts
for the past year amounted to £8,323 19s. 3d.,
making, with the balance (£1,121 Bs. 6d.) in hand,
a total of £9,455 7s. 9d. The expenditure for the
same period, including the outlay on renovation
and the rent paid to the Duke of Bedford,
amounted to £8,494, leaving in hand a balance of
£951 7s. 9d.
The CHAIRMAN said the trustees had not any in-
formation to add to that contained in the foregoing
reports. They had no other duty to perform be-
yond that of receiving the money and dispensing
it among the renters. They had not anything to
do with the expenditure or with the letting or
leasing of the theatre.
The report was then adopted.
Mr. SflArtp inquired if any steps had been taken
to appoint a trustee in the room of the late Mr.
Robins.

The CHAIRMAN replied in the negative.
Mr. ROBINS, the secretary, explained, that in or-
der to save expense, the course hitherto pursued had
been to wait until there were two vacancies, and
they to apply to the Court of Chancery to have the
new trustees appointed—the cost for the appoint-
ment of two not being more than that for the ap-
pointment of one.

Several renters expressed themselves dissatisfied
with the arrangement, especially as under a late act
of Parliament the cost of an application to the
Court of Chancery was much less than it used to be.
➢lr. SHARP said it was indeed much to be re-
gretted that the national theatre was never visited
by the Prince of Wales or any other member of the
Royal family. (Hear, hear.) lie wished to know
if something could not be done to secure for it some
portion of the patronage which was bestowed upon
the minor theatres. With regard to the vacancy in
the trusteeship, it was, he considered, an anomalous
state of things which ought not to be allowed to

continue ; for should the other trustees die in the

course of the year, the whole of their affairs might

get into a state of confusion. He would therefore
move a resolution to the effect that the surviving

trustees should at once take steps to have a renter
appointed as their co-trustee in succession to the

late Mr. Robins.
The motion, having been seconded, was carried
by a small majority.
Mr. PYEFINCH then moved that Mr. Sharp be ap-
pointed a trustee.
The CHAIRMAN said the meeting, having been
convened for the transaction of ordinary business,

could not entertain a special resolution. As there

might be other renters who would wish some one

else to be appointed to the office, it would be neces-

sary to convene a special meeting for the election of

a new trustee.

Mr. PrEFINCJI then inquired if he could not move

is resolution in the shape of a recommendation to

,he other trustees to collate Mr. Sharp with them-

selves in the trust if it could be legally done.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the legal course
was the one which he had pointed out.

The resolution was then withdrawn, and the pro-
ceedings
_terminated with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

THE AZTECS.—The curious children who about 14
years ago so much excited the curiosity not only
of the multitude but also of some members of the scientific
world, who laboured rather to show what they were not
than demonstrate what they were, hare returned to London,
children no longer, but rejoicing in a state of maturity that
has endowed them with seemly stature, so that they mea-
sure 4ft. or so from the ground. This height is not great,
but the young persons repel the appellation of dwarf, since
although they retain that bird-like expression of face which
is mere marked in the gentleman than in the lady, and
which, after a lapse of 14 years, still render them perfectly
recognisable, they are otherwise perfectly formed, without
anything squat in their appearance, while they are pro-
tected by the well-turned throat from the application
of the word " Cretin," unless, indeed, that be loosely
extended so as to comprehend all persons of intelli-
gence below the average. The odd dresses which the
Aztecs wore in their childhood are now cast aside, and the
strange pair are dressed in the adult costume proper to
modern European civilization, the gentleman wh.ooteisosely
alto-
gether a grave, sedate appearance, wearing
respectable suit of black that would do grelataecnlrteerditoftetboa
missionary tea party. The lady is far the livelier
at "c•oa,kaenisd presentedisn'stdetn:hlle
which the Aztecs
child-like than idiotic. sr,trbautitvhoeirnmhaenryjeorysiarenvmytuhcihnginloikroe
folks is a strange method of dressing.dotvn stands upright like
seek externally to disti:nrghueisohnlythwemayeelltnvheesirfhroamir. ordinary
folks
very long, and instead of
approachinghanging
i dimensionsinstead ofor a
being grena-
an o
an
te enormouscar , and
brush,
what
is
sti
lmornogtohoeu
h,
elv soft to the touch. Our
a wiry texture,vsoe of
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.o e odd
hypothesis specimenstb
rendershumanity ae
travel
t:,:itnodhabbiytants of Mexico, and
riactbeioll t ccei oe
a_
the name "Aztec,"
But at this point a debate
at
r relics
hypothesis
litse
iasn
habituallytt tetyt tahries
begins intobweshtoicwhetdveuphoanve no w. ish to enter. Whether the
so-called Aztecs" are degenerate types of an ancient race,
or whether they aro the result of some lusus naturze that
is without ethnological importance, they form a curious
spectacle likely to produce discus ion.

THEATRE ROYAL DRURY-LANE.
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. F. B. Chutterton.
THIS EVF,NING, THE JEALOUS WIFE. Mr. Phelps;
Messrs. 14. Phelps, H. Sinclair, C. Seyton, Barrett ; Mesdames
Hermann VeLin and H. Vandenhoh.
To conclude iv.th the Pantomime. entitled NUMBERant
;or Harlequin and the Gnome-King of the Gi
Mountain.
Commence at a Quarter to Seven.

THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET,
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Buckstone,
TO-NIGHT, A. LEShON FoR LIFE. Messrs. Fothern,
Chippendale,Compton, Howe, Rogers, Clarke, Braid, ht ndal,
Gordum, Vincent, &,c.; Mesdames Chippendale, Moore, Mill,
Wright, Laws, &c.
After which, LORD DUN DREARY 3IARRIE AND
FOR.. Messrs. 6othern, Rogtr,, Gordon,D
Clark,
Weathersby, Widre,
To conclude with JENNY LIND AT LAS P. Kiss lona
Burke,