The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-03 00:00:00

THE DRAMA AT MALTON.

At a recent meeting of the Literary Institute of
this town, the question arose as to whether the
hall might in future be let for theatrical representa-
tions. Mr. Copperthwaite, Lord Fitz william's agent
and representative, justly supported his own aff s_na-
tive view of the matter, but was violently opposed
by the Rev. J. Walker, who took upon himself, in
the most reprehensible terms, to abuse a profession
about which he knows nothing at all, and made a
series of statements too ignorant and false to be
worthy of refutation. The theatre has recently
been, during the period of the season, efficiently,
conducted by Mr. Walter Shelley, and the " be-
speaks" have been numerous and influential ; after
its conclusion, the appointments were allowed to
remain, in order to afford the Elocutionary Class of
the Institute an opportunity of giving a series of
amateur performances, in projecting which its
members employed both industry and ingenuity ;
but the parsons were on the alert, and after strenu-
ous efforts succeeded in putting down the attempt.
Why do not Mr. Walker and his coadjutors attend to
their special duties, and leave the recreations of the
inhabitants to their own control ? Their interfer-
ence is impertinent and uncalled for, and should—
and doubtless will be—strenuously resisted.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, DEC. 31.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, her Royal
Highness the Princess of Leiningen, and his Serene High-
ness the Prince of Leiningen dined with her Majesty
yesterday. Colonel the Hon. R. Bruce, Major Loyd
Lindsay, and the Ray. C. F. Tarver had the honour to be
included.

The band of the 2d Life Guards was in attendance, and
performed during dinner the
Overture—" Oberon" Weber.
Selection—" Italiana in Algieri" Rossini.
Walz—" Water Sprite" Coote.
Cavatina—" Robert le Diable" Meyerbeer.
Polka—" Louis-d' or" Schroder.
Her Majesty's private band afterwards performed in the
drawing-room the
Overture—" Emeline" Herold.
Romance—" Joseph"
Der Gruss im Alpenlande
Chorus—" Nachtlag,er "
Couplets et Air de Danse—" Gustave" Auber.

The Queen and Prince Consort walked in tho Home
Park this morning, and visited her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent, at Frogmore. _ _

The Prince of Wales rode out on horseback, attended by
Major Loyd Lindsay.

WINDSOR, JAN. 1.

The following visitors arrived yesterday afternoon, and
dined with her Majesty in the evening. Their Royal
Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary
(attended by Lieut.-Col. Purves), the Duke of Cambridge
(attended by Col. Tyrwhitt), and the Earl of Malmesbury
and Lady Victoria Noel. The party also included their
Royal Highnesses the Prince of 'Wales, the Princess Alice,
the Princess of Leiningen, his Serene Highness the Prince
of Leiningen, the Belgian Minister and Madame Van de
Weyer, Col. the Hon. R. Bruce, and Major Loyd Lindsay.
Her Majesty's annual distribution of food and clothing
to about 700 poor persons of the Windsor and Clewer
parishes took place to-day in the riding-house of the
Castle.

A performance of choral music was given in St. George's
Hall, in the evening, by an orchestra of nearly 150 per-

formers.

The first part consisted of Mendelssohn's overture to
" Athalie ;" the Preludium and Benedictus in Beethoven's
Mass in D (the violin obligate being played by M. Re-
menyi, solo violinist to her Majesty) ; and the finale to
" Der Freischutz, ' commencing with the chorus—
" See, 0 see, the shot his bride hath struck."
The second part comprising " The May Queen," a pas-
toral composed by William Sterndale Bennett, Mus. Prof.
Cantab, to words by Henry F. Chorley.
The solo vocalists were Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss Las-
celles, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Whiffen; Mr. Smythson, and
Mr. Weiss.

Mr. Sims Reeves sang the air,
" 0 meadow clad in early green."
Miss Louisa Pyne, as the May Queen, sang the solo—
" With the carol in the tree
And the blooming of the lea,
And the riot of the bee,
Is my merry reign begun."
Mr. Weiss, as Robin'Hood, sang the ballad—
"'Tis jolly to hunt in the bright moonlight,
When a man can couch in the six-foot fern I
And the cold crisp air of the autumn night
Makes the outlaw's faggot more clearly burn.
After prayers (Heaven bless him !) the fat rod priest
Talks big of his park as he sits at his feast;
There is not an abbot, from sea to sea,
But keepeth the best of his deer for me I"

Lord Colville and Lieutenant-Colonel Ponsonby have
succeeded Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood and Captain Du
Plat as equerries in waiting to the Queen and Prince

Consort.

Captain Grey Eas succeeded Major Loyd Lindsay (Scots
Fusilier Guards) as equerry in waiting to the Prince of
Wales.

THE MINISTRY,—Lord Derbyitm ains at. his seat,
Knowsley Hall. Mr. Spencer Walpole has returned to his
residence at Ealing, from Cambridge. General Peel is
staying at his residence at Twickenham. Lord Malmes-
bury is the guest of the Queen at Windsor Castle. The
other members of the Cabinet are expected to reassemble
in town on Monday week, for the purpose of determining
the period for the meeting of Parliament.
The Ministers have all been summoned to return
to town from their Christmas holidays for the 10th inst.
S:itortly after this date a preliminary Cabinet will be held,
at )7hich the date for the. meeting of Parliament will be
fixed. This will be submitted to the Queen, and her Ma-
jesty will then Hold a Privy Council, and give her formal
sanction to the arrangement.—Court Journal.

We have very good reason to believe that the
Emperor Alexander 14;11 visit our Court about the month
of May. Our Queen and his Imperial Majesty are well
acquainted, Alexander having visited this country as
Cesarovitch a year or two after his father, the late Emperor.
—Court Journal.

His Excellency the Prussian Minister and the
Countess de Bernstorff arrived in town, on Saturday, from
visiting the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, at the Grove,
near Waterford.

The Marquis of Bath is passing the season at
Longleate, where his lordship will receive his Royal High-
ness the Duke of Cambridge and a select circle during the
prasent week.
The Countess of Lichfield was confined of a son
on the 29th ult., at the Marquis of Abercorn's seat, Barons-
court, Ireland. Her ladyship and the child are both going
on well.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and. Mrs.
Disraeli have returned to Grosvenor-gate, from Torquay.
Letters were received in town on Saturday, from
Lord Palmerston, written in his own hand, dated Friday,
from St. Giles, Dorsetshire,. where his lordship is on a
visit, which make no mention of any accident, as stated,
on the authority of a private letter, by the Paris Const:.
tutionnel.

HEALTH OF THE EARL OF CHARLEVILLE.—We
have authority to state that the Right Hon. the Earl of
Charleville has been. pronounced to be convalescent, and
that he is now rapidly progressing towards recovery. This
is an announcement which will afford very great and gene-
raL satisfaction throughout this and the adjoining counties,
his lordship being deservedly respected and esteeined..—
/al g's County Chronicle.