The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-30 00:00:00

THE! ' SUN, LO:.4DON, SATURDAY EVENT NOVE ABER 30, 1861.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.

We alluded very briefly to the piece of the
" Poor Nobleman," on its first appearance under
Mr. Wigan's auspices, and we are now convinced
that, in spite of its good reception on the first night,
it is not thoroughly appreciated, This arises partly
from the fact that, in any novelty he offers, the
public look to some fresh and powerful develop-
ment of Mr. Wigan's talent, and on this occasion
have not found it. Mr. Wigan, no doubt, invests
with a certain pathos and sincerity the role of the
dilapidated Marquis, but pride and manliness are
wanting to the version which he gives of it. It is
too woe-begone by far, and reninds us much more
of a dissenting preacher out of work than an aris-
tocrat reduced to labour for ex!stence. Mr. Wigan
forgets that in France, before 1789, the feudal and
military character accompanied each other. Mrs.
Wigan is inimitable in the humorous and vulgar
bonito/wide she imparts to the plebeian Madame
Bonbon. But Miss Herbert, as the daughter of
the Marquis, is so decidedly the leading figure of
the piece, that its effect mainly turns on the im-
pression she creates in it ; and, were it not trans-
lated from the French, we should have thought it
was composed to bring her powers into notice. In
the first act Miss Herbert merely represents, with
many passing graces, joyous kindness to a faith-
ful and eccentric servant of the house,
ladylike reserve to an abrupt and honourable
lover; and lastly, to a father whose cares she does
not know, the manners which are best calculated to
cheer his heme and to adorn it. Before the curtain
falls upon this act, a burst of tenderness responds to
the discovery of her clouded hopes and his impend-
ing poverty while every former sentiment is
merged in the deep filial care which afterwards en-
grosses her. In the 2d act her tour de force is
given. Here she is disguised as a servant bringing
lace to Mr. Bonbon, having resolved to aid her
father by the werk of hands which still desire a
noble occupation. Refitiet*nt ad sinapitelLy tbo
highborn girl and the cantiniere, the decent pride
of birth and cheerful resignation to misfortune, are
blended in a touching manner. Each phase affects ;
each sets off without encroaching on the other.
But skill is mainly shown in the maturity which
the reverse of fortune seems to have disclosed in the
character of Madame de Belleterre. As generally
happens under sudden blows of fate, the girl be-
comes the woman—the features are the same, the
mind has grown for its experience. This law of
nature is illustrated entirely by the tone Miss
Herbert gives the part, and would hardly be appa-
rent from the language or the conduct which be-
longs to it. In her costume of the second act,
although the disguise is good, Miss Herbert far out-
shines the costume of the first, as if she meant to
show that ruin is more becoming than prosperity,
or that beauty knows how to steal a laurel from
privation. All those who have as yet ap-
proved her talent on the stage, should go to
see the " Poor Nobleman." The dazzling burlesque
of last winter at St. James's Theatre might bring
out perhaps her personal advantages. " The Isle
of St. Tropez" and the " Scrap of Paper" afforded,
but in no pleasant shape, a scope for intellectual
power. She has now a part which gives a better
opportunity for the union of mind and grace than
has hitherto belonged to her. And if the "Poor
Nobleman" is received as a piece conducive to this
object, in spite of weak points, it deserves the
favour of the public.

ELEVATION O 1 111.8. _MELLOR, Q.C., TO

THE BENCH.

This morning it was officially communicated
amongst the members of the bar in Westminster
Hall, that the Lord Chancellor had conferred the
Puisne Judgeship, vacant by the retirement, on
account of illness, of Mr. J ustice Hill, upon John
Mellor,• Esq., Q.C., of the Inner Temple, and also
M.P. for Nottingham.
Mr. Mellor was called to the bar in 1833.

The elevation of the hon. gentleman to the
Judicial Bench will create a vacancy in the repre-
sentation of Nottingham.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived in town
yesterday from Windsor Castle.

Sir George Grey arrived it London yesterday
morning to attend the Cabinet P. ouneil, from his seat,
Fallodon, Northumberland.

Mr. and Lady Charlotte Portal have left Far-
rance's Hotel for Laverstoke House, near Micheldever,

Hants.

It is said that the iron-cased frigate Normandie,
now at Cherbourg, has accomplished 14 French knots an
hour during her trial trip.
FATAL COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL.—WATER
FORD, Friday.—The Waterford Company's steamship
Zephyr arrived from Liverpool this morning, and reports
having been in collision off Puffin Island with a French
steamer, Comtesse do Frigile Frigeville, from Nantes, for
Liverpool, in ballast. The French ship immediately sank.
The captain, mate, and eight of the crew were lost; six
were saved. The Zephyr sustained no injury.
The Nazione of Turin states that Bishop Ganli
has been sentenced to imprisonment for 50 days by the Tri-
bunal at Pistoia, for publishing writings of a reactionary
tendency against the Government of the King. The same
journal expresses a hope that tho sentence will be carried
out, as in more cases than one priests have not been pun-
ished according to their sentence.
THE AUSTRIAN NAVY.—According to the Espero
of Turin, the Austrian Government contemplates making a
new conscription, and, because it knows that the Adriatic
will be the theatre of the next war, has determined that all
the conscripts from r almatia shall be employed to man
the fleet. It is even said that this measure will be ex-
tended to Istria. Henceforth sailors rather than soldiers
will be wanted, and the _Evora gives it as its opinion that
Istria and Dalmatia ought to be able to furnish at least
60,000.
THE BANK OF DEFOSIT.—The Rev. William
Bean, of Worthing, has recently made a statement to his
congregation in reference to his connexion with the Bank
of Deposit. Ile informed them that although his name ap-
peared in the papers as one of the present directors, it was
not so, as he had retirrd from the bank about six months
since, and that during the short period he was a director,
he could truly say ho was not award of anything that was
inconsistent with the highest integrity.— West Susssx
Gazette.

STRIKE IN TIIE HOSIERY TRADE AT NOTTING-
nAm.—In consequence of an attempted reduction of Is. per
dozen on shirts and drawers by an influential firm in Not-
tingham, about 100 workmen are now on strike. It appears
that at a meeting which has been held, it was decided to
levy Is. per week on the frames which are now employed,
and through that means the men on strike are now in re-
ceipt of 2s. 6d. per week each.
DEERFOOT AT CAM BRIDGE.—By express desire
the celebrated Indian runner will appear at Cambridge on
Wednesday next, Dec. 4, and contend in a six miles' race,
against Lang (of Middlesborough), Barker (of London),
Brighton (of Norwich), and E. Mills (of London). The
general wish of the University, Town and County having
been strongly expressed, the management will be under the
Rev. L. Stephen, M.A. (Trin. Hall), Rev. J. F. Hardy,
W. S. Cadman, Esq., Capt. Prest, and Messrs. Adams, F.
R. Hall, P. Beales, jun., A. D. Claydon, and J. E.
M'Donald. There will be many other sports, and the races
will come off at Fenner's grounds. Entries for the Mile
Handicap, &c., to be made at the Cambridge Chronicle and
Independent Press. All preparations will be made to en-
able every one to see the far-famed Redskin contend against
four of our first-rate men, but there is no doubt that the
celebrated Indian has been specially engaged to gratify the
' curiosity of one of the most illustrious in the land, who is
at present sojourning on the banks of the classic Cam. The
sports will commence at a quarter past two, but the race of
the day—Deerfoot against four champions for six miles—
will come off punctually at three o'clock.—Era.
A suggestion—which, it may be feared, is more
ingenious than probable—has been raised, to the effect that
the captain of the San Jacinto may be in reality a Seces-
sionist, and that he accordingly strained his orders with a
view to render certain the ultimate success of the Southern
cause. The New York paper which enjoys the largest cir-
culation has long been reputed to be acting under a similar
impulse in its Welts to drag the country into a war with
Great Britain ; and it is also avowed in all the American
advices that " treason" pervades every department of the
State, from the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court clown to
the lowest clerks in the Treasury, the post-offices, and the
custom-houses. Even in Fort Sumter, according to the
last accounts, a trouble of this character threatened the
safety of the place. " Statements are made." it is said, on
" excellent authority, that there are in that fortr,ss two
field-officers, a Major and Lieutenant-Colonel of Artillery,
who are favourable to the rebel cause," and as the news-
papers teem with similar, and even more serious accounts
from other points, the surmise now broached with regard
to Commander Wilks is not without a certain degree of
plausibility. The New York writers recommend a whole-
sale shipment of such "traitorous officers" to the Dry Tor-
tugas, but the fact that such a proceeding would probably
decimate the Federal army and navy begets the suspicion
that a war with England may have been looked upon by
the more reckless class of politicians as a more certain and
less disagreeable means of cure.