The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-14 00:00:00

ITALY

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
The t•uozessful drama of The Templar was last
night followed by a new farce, entitled Betsey Baker;
or, Too Attentive by Half. The hero of this piece is
Mr. Mouser (Mr. Keeley), a gentleman in the legal
)i-ofession, who is so completely devoted to his wife
(Miss Murray) that his attentions annoy her. Mr.
Crummy (Mr. J. Vining), the wife's cousin, remedies
this unpleasant state of things by bribing Betsey
Baker (Mrs. Keeley), a coarse laundry girl, to win
Mouser's heart. She unwillingly consents, and MC.
ceeds so well that Mouser, in spite of much resistance,
is subdued at last, and actually sends her a letter,
which being opened in the establishment of which
Betsey is a member, renders him an object of attention
to some fifty washerwomen. The wife's jealousy is
aroused, and she is forced to confess that too much
attention at home is, after all, better than attention
bestowed elsewhere. The expedient of the cousin, on
which the plot of this piece depends, is neither very
wise nor very ingenious. The story sometimes grows
unnecessarily improbable, and there is a tendency to
dwell too long on each situation. On the other band,
the dialogue is frequently humorous, and, what was
far more conducive to the success of the piece, the
acting of Mr. and Mrs. Keeley was absolutely per-
fect. Mrs. Kecley's indignant demand of her patens,
that she may depart, when first she hears the cousin's
proposal, and is not yet persuaded to consent, and the
qradual thawing of Mr. Keeley's stern morality on
hearing that he has made a compact, are little touches
of nature that could not be surpassed. The pair were
loudly demanded at the fall of the curtain.

ARRIVAL OF PIGEONS FROM SIR JOHN ROSS.—
We regretted to observe that an erroneous account appeared
in last week's Glasgow papers regarding the arrival of car-
rier pigeons at Annan Hill, near Kilmarnock. The facts are
these :—On leaving Ayr, ➢Miss Dunlop, of Annan Hill, pre-
sented Sir John Ross with two pairs of carrier pigeons —an old
and a young pair. It was arranged that he should dispatch
the young birds when he had fixed himself in winter quarters,
and the old when he fell in with Sir John Franklin. On
Sunday, the 13th inst., two strange pigeons were observed
flying about the cot at Annan Hill, which, being under repair
at the time, was unfortunately shut. Suspicion was excited,
and on th following Thursday they were traced to the seat of
a neighbouring gentleman, and one was secured. The dove-
cot contains forty compartments or nests, ranged in double
tiers of ten each, on opposite sides of the cot, and the bird,
on being placed in the house, at once flew into its clt nest,
a little beyond the centre of the right aide row. All those
who knew the pie n previously (and the 'initiated have
no idea how distinct the personal identity of birds is to
'hose who make them their study) declare that there is not
Lhe slightest doubt of its being one of the young pair pre-
sented to Sir John. Iti wings were ruffled and somewhat
torn, showing, very probably, that the dispatch attached to
it had worn off in the long and weary flight of somewhere
about 2,000 miles. Unfortunately, therefore, there is no
written intelligence from the explorers. The other bird has
not been caught. We remember of no similar feat being per-
formed by a pigeon; but it is not altogether unparalleled in
natural hi,tory, as the following authentic anecdote will
show: One of the Kings of France, while hunting one after-
noon near Fontainbleau, lost a favourite hawk of a Maltese
breed. Next forenoon it was discovered asleep on a tree in
Malta at a distance of 1,500 miles, having been brought from
the island hooded. The speed at which it must have flown
must have been immense, if we suppose that the bird had
obeyed its usual instinct, and rested during the night. The
carrier pigeon travels at the rate of from 40 to 60 miles an
hour, and is not believed to rest during the night. The above
is an incident which must live in the history of the pigeon
race, and we give the particulars on the best authority.... Ayr
Observer.

Letters from Buenos Ayres reach to the 6th of
September. and from Monte Video to the 14th. At the
former place the exchange on England was 70s. per doub-
loon. British manufactures were in demand. The treaty
with the French Republic, after having been signed by Ad-
miral Le Predour and General Oribe, had been dispatched
by the Prony steamer to France, which vessel has arrived at
Toulon. The French troops had landed at ilonte Video.
The last accounts from Algiers state that the
cholera continued prevalent, but that there had not been any
remarkable increase of cases. Local affairs were proceeding
quietly. The extension of agricultural pursuits was notice-
able in some quarters of the in; erior.
The Newfoundland papers mention that the potato
blight bad occasioned serious damage, not only in that place
but also in the neighbourhood of Conception Bay. The atten-
tion of the Government authorities to the subject, it was said, ,
would be immediately necessary, in order that the proper
treasures might be adopted to provide for the wants of the
poorer classes during the depth of winter.
REPAIRS AT THE MANBION FIOUSE.—We under-
stand that in consequence of the repairs required at the Man-
sion-house the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress will not
ctake up their abode there until Christmas shall have con-
luded.

The Delegate of Police at Florence summoned on
the sth the editors of the Statuto and the Constitu-
zionale, and informed them that the Government
ould not allow any further criticism of the decrees
of S-ptember, suspending the constitution end the
law on the press, even though such articles be bor-
rowed from foreign journals; adding that, if this in-
junction were rot attended to, the Government would
have recourse to severe measures against the above-
mentioned journals.
In the Oling of the 7th of the Chamber of Depu-
ties of Turin, the Minister of the Interior presented
a Bill to authorise the Government to collect taxes,
and effect the payments of the State, for the two
months of December and January; but the Chamber
not beg in sufficient number no discussion was
commenced on the subject. Immediately after the
passing of this Bill the Chambers are to be prorogued.
The Risorgimento of Turin, of the Bth, states that
Signor MAMELI, the Piedmontese Minister of Public
Instruction, has resigned.

HER MAJEST Y'S THEATRE.
GRAND .NATIONAL CONCERTS.
The first musical homage to the World'a Exhibition
of 1851, and to its originator, Prince Albert, was
paid last evening by the conductors of the Grand .Na-
tional Concerts, who, in honour we imagine, of the
approaching Industrial Festival of all Nations, pro-
duced " The Great Quadrille of all Nations," com-
posed expressly for these concerts by Herr Labitzky,
and dedicated to his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
Never has anything approaching the orchestral
strength put forth in the production of this quadrille,
been known in this country. In addition to the
monster orchestra of the Grand National Con-
certs, and to the full strength of the English
and German choristers, the whole of whom took
part in the production of the quadrille by
singing the various national anthems, from the
harmonization of which the quadrille is formed,
there were the band of the First Life Guards
(under the direction of Mr. Waddell), the band of
;ho Grenadier Guards (under the direction of
Mr. Schott), the band of the Scots Fusilier Guards
(under the direction of Boosee), and a corps
of military side drums. These various bands were
admirably managed ; sometimes we had the whole of
tf,em pouring forth a mighty torrent of sound ;
then again the voices alone were heard ; again
the strain would be taken up by a band at the
very hack of the stage, behind the scenes, and the
distant music thus produced would be echoed as it
were from the air by a band located somewhere at
the back of the gallery, near the roof of the house,
and then again the various bands and voices would
join in one grand crash. The effect was sublime.
Herr Labitzky managed these various bands with
the greatest ease and the most perfect mastery, producing
an accuracy and crispness of intonation that we have
never heard exceeded. The first figure consisted of a
harmonisation of the various national airs of England,
Europe, and America. The second the Russian Na-
tional Hymn, with variations for the flute, performed
by Mr. Richardson ; first and second clarionet,
performed by MN. Franc and May cock;
and bassoon, performed by M. Baumann.
Third figure, Austrian Hymn, with variations,
for the cornet-it-pistons, performed by M. Ar-
ban. Fourth figure, "Vive Henri Quatre," and
" Yarkee Doodle, ' with variations, for cornet a
pistons, performed by M. Arban ; oboe, performed by
NI. Barret ; and piccolo, performed by M. Remusat.
The grand finale introduced " Rule Britannia " " Auld
Lang Sync," " St.. Patrick's Diy,"" Yankee Doodle,"
" Vive Henri Quatre," the Russian and Austrisn
Hymns, by the four bands, and the English and
tierman chorus. The various solo players were
rapturously applauded and frequently encored, and
v, hen at the conclusion the whole orchestra struck up
" God save the Queen," the enthusiasm was at its
height; the whole house rose, and amidst the waving
Of hats and handkerchiefs, loud cheers were
,pouted, which continued until the end of the per-
formance, when there was a unanimous call for an
encore, arid the National Anthem was again repeated,
,midst the expressions of the most enthusiastic loyalty
on the part of the audience. The Grand National
Quadrille is a decided hit, and will prove a great at-
traction. The house was crowded to excess in every
part.