The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-08 00:00:00

ADEIPRI THE2ITRE.

Mr. Benjamin Webster's benefit took place at the Adelphi
Theatre on Saturday evening last, and his charming theatre
was rendered doubly attractive on the occasion by the pro.
duction, for that night only, of a new drama, entitled " One
Touch of Nature." The plot is as follows :—Mr. Holder
(Mr. B. Webster), a humble tailor, is deserted in early life
by his wife, who elopes from him with their only infant
child, a daughter. Abandoned in turn by her seducer and
dying in misery, selonX les regl,',s, she writes penitently from
her deathbed to her ruined and heartbroken spouse, to in-
form him of the fact, adding that she has lost all clue to the
child, now arrived at adultage, but that he will recognise
her whenever he may find her, by the marvellous resem-
blance to herself, of course at the period of her girlhood and
innocence. Like Dickens's boatman in quest of little Em'ly,
he devotes his life to a monomaniacal search after his lost
child, whom at last he discovers in the person of a fashionable
young actress, Miss Constance Belmour (Miss H. Simms).
The poor tailor haunts this lively lady like a shadow, but
with a strange distant reverence, instead of at once making
himself known to her, till he meets her accidentally at the
chamber of a gay dramatic author, Mr. Beaumont Fletcher
(Mr. Billington), whose propriety she surprised by a visit,
having squeezed his hand the day before, her pretence
being instruction as to a part assigned to her in his forth
corning play. The wretched Holder, who copies the author's
manuscripts, and who knows the piece by heart, is re-
quested to go through the scene with the fair artiste. This
scene describes the meeting of a father with a long lost
child. The sequel can easily be anticipated, the yearning
parent glides imperceptibly from the cold words ho is pro-
nouncing by rote, into an impassioned announcement of his
actual relationship to the actress.

Mr. 13. Webster's admirable delineation of the character of
Holder is an artistic performance of the very highest order.
We need scarcely add that the piece was well received.
Mr. Webster, who was loudly called for at the fall of the
curtain, came forward and said :

"Ladies and Gentlemen--I need not tell you that the
origin of this piece is French, and that I am merely the re-
producer of it to you. I beg at the same time to express
my gratitude for the patronage bestowed on me on the pre-
sent occasion, and during the time since I have opened this
new theatre. Doubtless it has met with your approval; at
least, upon all hands I hear encomiums. It is most grati-
fying to me ; and I regard the completion and opening of
the new theatre as one of the proudest events of my life.
Be assured, I shall endeavour, as far as my abilities go, to
please you ; and if I succeed in meriting your approbation, I
shall achieve all that I have ventured to hope for." (Cheers.)

It is expected that her Majesty will shortly take
a cruise fr two or three days in the Victoria and Albert.
—Court Jourdal.

Saturday being the birthday of his Royal High-
ness Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, second son of her Ma-
jesty, the bells of various church steeples in the metropo-
lis rang forth merry peals, and the flags were hoisted at
Somerset House, the Admiralty, and other Government
offices.

We understand a marriage is about to take place
between Lord Bingham, eldest son of the Earl of Lucan,
and Lady Cecilia Catherine Gordon Lennox, youngest
daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Richmond.
His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Con-
stantine, soon after his arrival at Ryde, honoured Mr. C.
F. Hancock, the jeweller, of Bruton-street, Bond-street,
with an interview, and his Imperial Highness was pleased
to favour him with his commands.
Lord Brougham, on being asked what he thought
of the peace just concluded, replied, " ft is like the peace of
God—past all understanding."—Court Journal.
The King of Sardinia is said to have been so
horror-struck when he heard of the peace concluded be-
tween the two Emperors, that he attempted to commit
suicide.—Court Journal.

At Lord Northwick's sale a picture by Patrick
Nasmyth brought £750. Poor Patrick never made more
than £6O a-year ! This picture, full of beauties, was the
labour of a nrtnight. " Genius and its rewards are briefly
told." Patrick sleeps in Lambeth Churchyard.
A Roman villa has been discovered by Mr. W.
Spickernell, at Carisbrooke, in the Isle of Wight. It is in
the valley which extends to Bowcombe, below the castle,
and near the valley of Carisbrooke.
We understand that the Royal Commission will
speedily be issued for the amendment of the law and evi-
dence in courts of equity. It will be presided over by the
Lord Chancellor, and will comprise the leading law lords,
and other high legal functionaries.
Mr. Labouchere's title will be Baron Taunton, of
Taunton, which place he represented in the House of
Commons for more than 30 years.
We are enabled to state that there is'not the
slightest foundation for the statement put forward by a
high Church paper, that the Bishop of Exeter intends
resigning his bishopric. His lordship, who is 82 years of
age, is in perfect health, and has lately been discharging
his duties as a canon residentiary of Durham Cathedral.—
•

SPARROWS FOR NEW ZEALAND.—It appears from
the papers that in New Zealand the country, at particular
seasons, is invaded by armies of caterpillars, which clear off
the grain crops as completely as if snowed down by a scythe.
With the view of counteracting this plague a novel impor-
tation has been made. It is thus noticed by the Southern
Cross—" Mr. Ilrodie has shipped 300 sparrews on board the
Swordfish, carefully selected from the best hedgerows in
England. The food alone, he informs us, put on board for
them cost £IS. This sparrow question has been a long-.
standing joke in Auckland ; but the necessity to farmers of
small birds to keep down the grubs is admitted on all sides..
There is no security in New Zealand against the invasion of
myriads of catterpillars which devastate the crops. Mr.
Brodie has acclimatised the pheasant, which is abundant
in the north. The descent from the pheasant to sparrows
is somewhat of an anti-climax; but should the latter mul-
tiply, the greatest benefit will have been cont.( rred on the
country.''—A rest ealia n
CoLLEOE Cl'. PItECEPTORs.—At the meeting' of
the council of this college, held on the 6th inst., the Rev.
Benjamin Ilall Kennedy, D.D, head master of Shrews-
bury Grammar Sidit,ol, was unanimously elected president
of the council for the -ensuing- veer. The Rev. J.
Mayor, 1),D,, head niastur of Bind's College School, Lon-
don; the Rev, J. S. Howson' M.A., head master of the
Collegi,te Institution, Liverpool • and the Rev. W. Taylor
Jones, M.A., head roaster of the 'Collegiate School, Syden-
ham, were elected vice. presidents cf the council. The
following gentlemen were elected members of the college
:
The Rev. Samuel Clark, M.A., Principal of the Training
College, Battersea; W. Knighton, Esq., LL.D., Ewell
College, Surrey; Leone° Stievenard, Esq., lecturer on she
French language and literature, King's College, London;
Mr. C. V. Dolbo, St. Ann's School, Streatham ; and Mr.
paip Marks, Arablocote School, Stourbridge.