The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-21 00:00:00

ST. MARTIN'S HALL.

Handel's chef d'oeuvre, "The Messiah," was performed
in this Hall last night, under the able direction of Mr.
Hullah. The audience was large and attentive. The chief
vocalists were Miss Banks, Miss Dolby, Mr. Montem Smith,
and Mr. Thomas. Miss Banks possesses a good soprano
voice, but is scarcely equal to an.effective rendering of
Handel. The solo airs demand a first-rate singer. Miss
Dolby sang the contralto part very effectively, and intro-
duced the beautiful air, "lie was despised and rejected of
men," which was so long omitted. Mr. Montem Smith
was the tenor singer, and Mr. Thomas, who has a good
bass voice, was very successful in his performance of
4' Why do the nations," which is the most effective air
allotted to the bass. The choruses, which are among the
finest in the whole range of oratorio music, were well given,
and Mr. Hullah deserves public encouragement for his
indefatigable efforts to bring these glorious masterpieces of
the musical art within reach of all classes._

VIOLATION OF THE FACTORY ACT.—At the
Arrington Court-house, on Thursday, Messrs. Watson
Brothers, of Church, were fined £2 with costs, in each of
20 cases, for allowing young persons to work after six
o'clock in the evening. The:number of cases was much
smaller than might have been taken, as the mill was found
to be in full operation at a quarter past six.—. Manchester
Guardian. -

THE NA.VE

From letters which have recently been received
from Australia it appears that up to the time of the
despatch of the mail nothing whatever had been
heard of the Sappho, 12, Commander F. Moresby,
which sailed from the Cape of Good Hope for Aus-
tralia in the month of Jan. last. ll.M.'s screw
steamer Cordelia, 11, Commander C. 14:. H. Vernon,
had arrived from making a careful search along the
whole track the missing vessel was supposed to
have taken, but without meeting any traces what-
ever of her. There is, therefore, too much reason
to fear that the vessel has foundered at sea, and
that all on board have perished. Nothing whatever
had been heard in Australia of the alleged wreck
of the vessel on an uninhabited island and the
rescue of a portion of the crew, and the statements
to that effect which were made public a short time
since have been ascertained to be without founda-
tion.

A court-martial will take place to-day on board
the Victory, at Portsmouth, to try Capt. Thos. H.
Mason, commatding H.M.'s ship Curagoa, and the
master of that ship, Mr. E. Maunder, for getting
the ship ashore in the Mediterranean.
The lads belonging to the Illustrious, Captain R.
Harris, at Portsmouth naval cadet training ship,
were mustered yesterday morning on board, after
which they were granted the usual Christmas holi-
days.

repairs of the machinery of tho screw steam
ship Victor Emmanuel, 91, Capt. J. Wilcox have
been completed at Devonport. It is expected she
will be out of the shipwrights' hands on Thursday.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Com-
mander M. B. Dunn, will be ready for sea on New
Year's-day.
The screw steamship Desperate, 8, Commander
R. G. Craigie, was inspected in Plymouth Sound.
on Saturday by Capt. W. J. Williams. She dis-
charged her powder in the evening, and on Sunday
morning went alongside the jetty at the Devonport
Dockyard preparatory to her being paid off.
The steam tender Avon, Second Master J. Palmer,
left Plymouth on Saturday for Wales.
The screw steamship Liffey, 51, took in her pow-
der-at Plymouth on Saturday.
Mr. Dunbar has, by arrangement with the au-
thorities, substituted the Cospatrick for the convey-
ance of detachments to India in place of the dis -
masted Bombay. The troops. in Cork will go to
Plymouth for embarkation.

Captain the Hon. J. R. Drummond, C. 8., was
Wyesterday appointed Commodore Superintendent at
oolwich, vice Commodore Shepherd, appointed to
flag rank. The gallant officer relinquished his duties
as one of the Junior Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty yesterday, and will hoist his flag at
Woolwich to-day. Rear -Admiral the Hon. F. T.
Pelham, C. 8., is mentioned as likely to suceed Cap-
tain the Hon. J. R. Drummond, C.B.
Commander G. P. Mends is promoted; Lieut. J.
Moresby is promoted to Commander ; and Lieut. E.
Keane is to be Commander on the reserved half-
pay-list, vice Rabbett, deceased.