The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-18 00:00:00

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.

Sir Edward Lytton's play of the Lady of Lyons
was repeated last evening, and the performance of
Mr. G. V. Brooke in the arduous character of Mel-
notte more than confirms the favourable impression
which his first appearance in that part, a few nights
since, produced upon us. He is, to our thinking, not
only the best Claude Melnotte at present on the stage,
but the best Claude Melnotte who has hitherto ap-
peared. His conception of the part is original, his
acting most effective; he seizes and embodies the
more delicate nuances of the character in a manner
superior to any of his predecessors. Miss Helen
Faucit was the Pauline, and as long as she remains
on the stnge she will continue to he the Pauline; the
attempts of others may be tolerated in her absence,
but wherever she is Pauline is hers, and hers alone.
She is so thoroughly identified with this beautiful
creation of Bulwer's genius, that every one in speak-
ing of Pauline thinks only of Miss Helen Faucit.
The play was well performed throughout, and the
theatre was well attended.

INTENDED HARBOUR AT BRIGHTON.

DESIGNED BY W. H. SMITH, C.E.

To-morrow another public meeting (the third) will
be held in the Town-hall, Brighton, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the splendid project of
improvement here visibly presented to us in a litho-
graphic engraving. The value of the scheme is far
from being of a merely local character. In every re-
spect it must be considered as one of really national
importance, whether we regard it as affecting our
commercial or our maritime interests. For a very
considerable period the absence of such a work
as that which has been here projected by Mr. William
Henry Smith, civil engineer, namely a harbour of
refuge situated between the Goodwin Sands and the
Isle of Wight, has been manifestly the source of
many calamitous and' ruinous catastrophes. The
losses arising out of this one circumstance of omission
have been recently estimated, indeed, at no less an
amount within the last eighteen months than
500 human lives, and from 400,0001. to
500,000/. worth of valuable property. Had
the harbour, contrived and designed- according
to the arrangement before us, been only in existence
during the last few weeks many of the terrible
disasters recorded of late in our columns would un-
questionably have been prevented, many lives would
have been spared, and much property saved from what
is now irrevocable destruction. The plan laid down
in the design portrayed in the present engraving is
one conceived upon the recoil principle, partly in
connexion with the noble pier already con-
structed at Brighton. By adopting this principle
two great advantages would be secured—the harbour
would be more durable, because more elastic, as it
were, than one of a different description, and besides
this might be completed within three months from
the present time, at a cost of about one-tenth that
required in the building one of atone or granite.
The eastern arm of the proposed Barbour, connected
at one end with the existing pier-head, would termi-
nate with a lighthouse, and the western with a fortifi-
cation and revenue-station. The latter building would
be manifestly calculated to prove singularly beneficial
to the interests of all concerned in the transaction,
affording facilities for the conveyance to and from
shore of fish, water, and provisions. Everything con-
sidered it is scarcely possible to estimate too highly
the advantages certain to accrue from this benevolent
and spirited enterprise. Upon the decision of the
inhabitants of Brighton in its regard, the immediate
interests of science and humanity are dependent.

OPENING OF THE NEW ORGAN AT THE
LICENSED VICTUALLERS' ASYLUM.

Last evening new organ, recently erected for the
chapel of the Licensed Victuallers' Asylum, in the Old
Kent-road, was opened, with the performance of a selec-
tion from Handel's " Messiah," the vocal portions of
which were sustained by Miss Birch, Miss Dolby, Mr.
Diller, and Mr. Benson. Mr. Willing, the organist of
the Foundling Chapel, presided at the organ, and be-
tween the parts pla3 ed the National Anthem, in the
chorus of which all present heartily joined. The tone
of the organ is exquisitely sweet, and very powerful. It
was built expressly for the chapel by Messrs. Bevington
and Sons, of Soho-square, and was fitted up and placed
in the organ gallery with a promptitude and celerity
that does great credit to the builders. It is in
every respect a most admirable instrument. Its
external characteristics are in accordance with the
best taste, the decorations of the case being
cream-colour and gold, while the base part is
spotted yellow granite. Its quality is of the purest
description, a fact that was fully established in the
course of the evening. It is built on the German scale,
with two complete rows of keys—great and swell organ.
The great organ runs from CC to F in alt, and contains
open diapason, stop diapason, claribel, dulciane, flute,
principal, twelfth, fifteenth, acs quialtrie, three rank
cremona, and trumpet. The swell organ is tenor C,
and contains a double diapason, an open diapason, a stop
diapason, a principal, doublette, cornopean, and a
copula. It also contains a set of pedal pipes, two
oeteves of German pedals, and three composition Gee.
man pedals. The number of stop pipes in the great
and small organ, is nineteen, and the the total number of
pipes is 906.
The chapel was crowded, and the company seemed
highly delighted with. the performance, both of the
organist and the vocalists, who kindly gave their services
gratuitously.

THE NEW NOVEL, " i-OVE AND AMBITION," BY
THE AUTHOR of " ROCKINGHAM."—The announcement of a
new novel of fiction by the author of " Rockingham" will
be gratefully welcomed by every reader of that delightful
novel. The descriptive force and truth, the varied inci-
dents, the remarkable vigour of narrative, the pure and
generous tone of sentiment, and the terse idiomatic diction
which so strikingly characterised that tale, will have pre-
pared the public to expect much from the future productions
of its gifted author. A perusal of the volumes before us
will abundantly satisfy the anticpations justly excited by
the earlier production of the same pen. In " Love and Am-
bition" we find the characteristic qualities which formerly
charmed us in " Rockingham," together with other elements
of interest which, to many readers, will perhaps be yet more
at taa ct iv e. Morning Chronicle.
Messrs. Hunt arid Roskell, of New Bonctstreet
who have transferred to themselves the fame, as well as the
business, of Storr and Mortimer, have favoured us with an
inspection of a cup, ordered by the Bombay Turf Club, value
300 soya., and weight 300 ounces. It is of the Etruscan
form, modelled and designed by Mr. Alfred Brown, in frosted
silver, with the appropriate title of the " Tria juncta in uno,"
as Mars in his chariot, heralded by Fame and Victory, with
the attendant British lion, Bellcna in her car, lighted by the
flaming torches of the furies, and Neptune with his trident
and his tritons, are the prominent trio, with a profusion of
accessories tastefully and elaborately wrought. A. novice
would inquire, how intrinsic worth in the raw material, with
such beauty of design and labour of execution, could be
remunerated at the price? but the neophyte is not aware
that now-a-days there is such a spirit of honourable ri-
valry afloat, that these Turf prizes are produced at a large
positive loss, with 013 incidental solid profits of world-
spread reputation.

INTERIoR OF TRE CRYSTAL PALACE.—A capital
view of the interior of the Palace of the Exhibition has just
been issued by Mr. G. Berger, in an oblong steel engraving.
The perspective is well managed, and the sketch affords alto-
gether a better notion of the appearance of the edifice than
• any other picture of a like kind that has yet fallen under
our observation.

CARDINAL WrstmAN.—The new Cardinal has re-
ceived autograph letters of congratulation from the Emperor
of Austria, the King of Bavaria, and the President of the
French Republic.