The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-19 00:00:00

CON' FNT-GARDEN THEATRE.

There was a full house on Saturday night to witness a re-
petition of Francis the First, which, in many parts, met with
especial favour, and, on its announcement fur future repre-
sentation, was hailed by loud and general testimonies of ap-
probation. The tragedy was followed by a new afterpiece,
concocted, it is said, by Mr. Power, the comedian. The fol-
lowing is a slight outline of the plot :—A mutual attachment
exists between Caradino (Mr. Ditruset) and Margarctta (Miss
Cause), for whom also Count Manfredi (Mr. Diddear) indulges
a hopeless passion. Inspired by jealousy, and hatred of his
rival, the Count hires two assassins, Rufo and Carlo, to waylay
and murder him. Considering the enterprise a hazardous one,
they offer a purse to O'Raft?rty to become a participator. This,
not knowing their purpose, he at first accedes to; but, on as-
certaining it, throws down his wages in disgust, and beats them
off, after the Connaught fashion. O'Raffhly, whilst lamenting
his destitute condition—for he is hungry and pennyless—is be.
friended by a Count 3falfi (Mr. F. Matthews), who takes him
home, that he may render him available in some scheme which
he is about to contrive to avenge himself of the slight he had
recently received from the Countess Molinga (Mrs_ Tayleure),
who had refused the offer of his alliance. They reach home at
a critical juncture, just as the assassins set upon Coradino.
The Count falls down from fright, whilst Coradino bravely de-
fends himself, and, with the timely and able assistance of
O'Ratkrty and his shilelah, is brought off victorious, which
terminates the first act. At the commencement of the second
we see Oliafflrty bedizened in a suit of velvet, richly em-
broidered, with bag-wig, sword, &c., for the purpose, instead
of carrying—his previous occupation—of being carried in a
sedan, to make love to the Countess Molinga, in fulfilment of
Count Magi's design. The Countess, who has long repined at
" single blessedness," is unable long to withstand the ardour
of his passion, engages to come to Count Maid's ball that even-
ing, where a Priest is to unite them. O'lle(Nrty, about to re.
turn, observes Manfredi and Rufo, his fonner antagonist, in
earnest conversation ; he conceals himself in the sedan, and
overhears their plot to disarm and seize upon Coradino at the
conclusion of the ball. Manfredi having left info behind, he
soliloquizes his intended revenge on O'Roffirty—the latter
springs upon, disarms, and, finally, forces, him into the sedan,
which he assists to carry off to the residence of Count Malfi,
with whom he concerts measures to defeat his intentions, and se-
cure the person of Manfredi, who, at his appointed signal with
the assassins, is himself arrested, and borne off by soldiers.
The Countess is somewhat displeased on discovering the trick
which has been played upon her, but becomes reconciled, on
assurance that O'Rcriferty is really a legitimate descendant of
one of the Kings of that first flower of the earth, first gem
of the sea"—old Ireland: Power's great animal spirits and
rich brogue enabledjilm to give a very animated portraiture of
this genuine son of Tlibernia ; nor was his Irish jig, which he
danced with Miss Harriet Cause—who very properly subdued
her share of the performance, the better to set-off the apparent
impetuosity and love-making on his—the least happy, having
been unanimously encored in it. The other parts were well
sustained.

STATE OF COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

A meeting of the leading members of the Covent garden
Company was on Saturday held in the theatre, for the purpose
of discussing the propriety of assenting to or dissenting from
certain new proposals made by the management with respect to
their future salaries, &c. It appears that in the month of No-
vember last, when the receipts of the house were low, and the
affairs of the theatre much deranged, a proposition was made
to the principal actors and actresses to reduce ther salaries in
proportion to the receipts of the house. This proposition was
readily acceded to, on the ground that an agreement should be
entered into, formed upon an equitable and gradual scale, and
not comprising those performers who received 2/. per week.
For instance, if the receipts amounted to 200/. per night, the
performers were to receive full salaries; if 1501., two.thirds,
and so on ; and, fortunately for them, and thanks to the liberal
support of the public, they had not recourse to this expedient
more than two or three times.

On Saturday, however, notwithstanding the powerful attrac-
tion of Miss F. Kemble, and her Francis the First, the per_
formers were not supplied from an imperial measure; and to
use their own theatrical phraseology, the Ghost appeared with-
out a head 1 The management now ask further concessions
and reductions from the performers ; such as remuneration for
authors, coals, &c. &c., which the majority of actors refuse to
comply with, and the affair remains in state quo for the consi-
deration of a general meeting of the members of the Company,
which has been appointed to be held this day.

STRAND TIIEATRE, MARCH 12.—Made-
moiselle Celeste, as the Dumb Brigand (in the piece so named),
being called for at the close of the curtain, spoke as follows :
" Lartis and Shentymins, wizzure permeesione dissa pessa sal
be rippit."—Literary Gazette.

THE CHARLES-STREET GANG.—In conse-
quence of the House of Commons not sitting on Saturday,
there was an unusually strong muster of the clique of Anti-Re-
formers at their Divan, in Charles-street. They began to as-
semble about half.past one o'clock, but the chair was not taken
until the arrival of the wealthy Mr. Herries, who dismounted
from his high.mettled charger precisely at three. The business
opened with a report of the progress of the Committee on the
Dorsetshire election, and the necessity for instant increased
subscriptions to defray the enormous expense likely to be in-
curred by opposing the petition. The plan of opposition to the
third reading of the Reform Bill was settled, under the ar.
rangement of a certain Ex-Secretary, who promised to promote
delay by lengthy discussion. The meeting broke up at five
o'clock.—Morning Chronicle. _

An English Newspaper must often be as un-
intelligible, in many of its parts, to our American brethren, as
if the whole Press were edited by Mr. Irving, in his unknown
tongue. Our House of Lords is now deciding an appeal case,
in which one man claims the right to the water of the river
Sheen, with all its fish, to eternity, and this in virtue of two
charters. His opponent owns land on the banks of the river,
and claims the right of nature to catch fists in it. A Court
decides that the latter may catch only trout, and that only with
a rod. Trout, it appears, are of such enormous size in the
Shin that they cannot be caught by rod,—and all these weighty
matters are to be decided by our "most potent, grave, and re-
verend Signiors." In America, where light, air, and water
are free to all, a native could as well believe that the moon was
a Queen Ann's farthing, and the grant of the Crown, to a Lady
of the Bed-chamber, as to understand that a man living by the
side of a river could be prevented catching the fish, because
some feudal King or Lord had granted the riser to somebody
else for ever. Fortunately, Jonathan is not an heir to any
such wisdom of ancestry, or he might have found the Missis-
sippi, or the Chesapeake, and the St. Laurence, granted in fee
simple, or in perpetuity, to some Jeremiah or Timothy of old,
by virtue of constitutiondl- charters. The bequests of the
wisdom of our ancetors are very numerous.

-*—
THE SOUTH SEAS.—The narrative of the
Rev. Mr. Stewart's visit to the South Seas, embraces, among
other highly important and interesting details, his arrival at
Sukuhiva—description of the Valley of Taiohae—dance in the
Hapas—a day in the Glen of Taioa--trip to the Valley of Ha-
kapaa--arrival at Tabiti--a Tahitian Sabbath—arrival at the So-
ciety Islands—interview with the King Tamatoa—audience
with the Queen of Tahiti—departure for the Sandwich Is-
lands—a worshipping assembly at Hido—journey to the Volcano
of Kirauea—last Priestess of Pete—Missionaries at Oahu—visit
to the Valley of Manoa—Schools of Oahu—Sabbath Scenes—
Governor Boki—incidents at Sea—arrival in the Chinese sea-
coast of China—city of Manilla—Catholic Festival—Village
Fete, &c. &e.

There are some curious coincidences just now
between the names of the authors, &c. and the names of
works now almost daily advertised, as the following specimens
may show :—" On the Cholera," by Le Ferre—" The Mother's
Book," by Mrs. Child—" Songs of the Ocean," published by
The Original Picture of London," by a Britton.