The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-25 00:00:00

THEATRICAL LAW IN ITALY.

[We take the following from a late number of a
French print. Some of our English actors, who are
fond of indulging themselves in fulminations Against
" managerial tyranny," will perceive that, if this rar-
vative be authentic, " we order things better." in Eng-
land, even in matters connected with theatrical law,
than one, at least, of our continental neighbours.]
Mademoiselle Hallez, a distinguished French canta-
trice, at present attached to the Opera in Naples, was
announced one evening lately to sing at a benefit.
Being seized with a sudden hoarseness oit. the morn-
ing of her expected performance, she hastened to ap-
prise the manager of her inability to appear that even-
ing. The physician in attendance at the theatre was
immediately despatched to the fair invalid to ascertain
and retort upon the nature of her illness. On returning
from h's official visit, the medical functionary reported
that though free from actual fever, Mademoiselle was
suffering under a severe soreness in the throat. Now
the regulations of the Neapolitan theatres declare
that, the case .of fever alone excepted, an actor can be
excused from performance on no plea or pretence
whatsoever. Accordingly, Mademoiselle Hallez re-
ceived a peremptory mandate to be ready for her
part in the representation of the evening. At eight
o'clock she repaired to her post, and the performance
commenced. But the result was as might have been
anticipated—the lady was scarcely able to get through
her first air, and in a style quite inferior to her usual
sweetness and power.

The audience-room showed signs of discontent,
ominous sifflets were heard from different parts of Cie
theatre, and the storm was threptening to become
more grave, when the cantatrice advanced to the front
of the stage, and signified by gestures a wish to ex-
plain. Silence being restored, Mademoiselle, all
blushes and agitation, related, with the irgeauous
earnestness of truth, the story of her correspordence
with the management, and the order she had received
to appear, though the severity of her indisposition was
perfectly well known..
Unanimous plaudits followed this explanation.
Discontent was succeeeded by enthusiasm, angry
voices by a shower of bouquets, and the entire
audience loudly demanded that the performance
should be postponed.
Managerial spite or obstinacy was obliged "to
succumb to the voice of the'public, and Mademoiselle
returned home in triumph. But she had hardly
reached her domicile when she was disagreeably inter-
rupted by 'the arrival of a police commissary, with all
the formidable paraphanalia of his, office. This pa-
ragon of a magistrate, who would appear, from his
conduct, to have thought that it formed no part of
his duty to soften the rigorous forms of justice, cried
out to the four gendarmes by whom he was attended,
" Lay hands on the damsel immediately." The
"satellites, far from reluctant, seized the trembling
prima donna by the wrists, and lost no time in sub-
stituting handcuff's for her bracelets, and thum-ties
for her rings. In this state, and still clothed in her
thin theatrical dress, the young lady was dragged to
the police-office, and locked up in a narrow and un-
wholesome cell.

Let it not be supposed that, while thus circum-
stanced, the fair prisoner was permitted to communi-
cate with her friends, or even to snatch a little re-
pose after the fatigue and agitation of the even-
ing. The poor girl was fastened, standing, to a cold
damp wall, tied by the neck, her arms and feet,
being also chained. In this deplorable condition the,
poor Parisian nightingale was left to wait for the ap-
proach of day. At length, at the joyful hour when
macaroni begins to smoke in the streets of Naples,
one of the great Court grandees, haying learned the
circumstance from public rumour, hastened to wait
upon the Minister of the Interior, obtained an order
for the liberation of the pi isoner, and she was ac-
cordingly released from durance. It was almost too
late. A cold fever and icy shivering had seized upon
the suffering artiste, who was carried to her bed in an
all but dying state.
The French Journal then proceeds to relate that
M. Monte-Jello, the AmbassPdor. from the Tuileries,
to the Court of Naples, succeeded in having punish-
ment inflicted on some of the parties concerned in
this atrocity. We question whether, if Naples were
more powerful, or France less so, any notice would
be taken of the matter. It is clear, however, that
our Neapolitan friends have rather curious notions
concerning the liberty of persons, at least of cantatrices.

MECKLENBURG SCH WERIN.
The Schweriner, weekly paper, contains the follow-
ing proclamation from the young Grand Duke
Frederick Franz who has just succeeded to the titles
and honours of his deceased father :

" We, Frederick Franz, by the grace of God, Grand
Duke of Mecklenburgh, Prince of Wenden, Schwerin,
and Ratzeburgh, Count of Schwerin, and Lord of the
lands of Rostock and Steurgard : To all our faithful
nobles, citizens, municipal authorities, servants of
the State, both spiritual and temporal, as well as to all
our faithful subjects, greeting. We graciously make
it known to them that it has pleased Almighty God,
by his inscrutable decree, to call away from this
earth, to a life of everlasting bliss and peace,
our dearly beloved and unforgotten Lord and
Father, his Most Serene Highness the Prince
and Lord Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Meek-
lenburgh, Prince of Wenden, Schwerin, and Ratze-
burgh, Count of Schwerin, and Lord of the lands
of Rostock and S teugard, this morning, at a
quarter past five, in the 42d year of his age, and
the sixth of his reign. Sorely and heavily hath this
blow come upon us. Irreparable will be the loss,
both to us and to the whole father land, that he should
be thus cut off in the prime of life, before he had ac-
complished many of the great benefits which he
had contemplated for his faithful subjects. Ae-
cording to the laws and regulations of our house,
the lands, power, and authority have descended to us
in direct succession, and we therefore graciously
make known to all our subjects,servants, and vassals,
especially to those immediately in the Grand Duchy,
of whatsoever rank and condition they may enjoy,
that it behoves them to pay unto us all honour and
obedience, as becomes loyal subjects and servants to
their liege lord. By these letters we hereby con-
firm all the Grand-Ducal servants of the Crown and
State in their present respective offices and vocations,
nor do we demand any renewing of their oath, being
convinced of their fidelity to us, their present liege
Lord, and Sovereign. By these same letters we also
confirm in their present offices all the special com-
missioners of affairs, and all the colle?iate, and other
offices. We are deeply impressed with the import-
ance of the truth that is committed to our charge,
and will ever continue to do our utmost to ensure the
welfare and prosperity of our beloved subjects. May
it please the Divine Providence to assist and stand by
us, that we may enjoy the same love and affection
which was ever shown to our excellent father, who on
his death-bed forcibly impressed upon us the value
and necessity of obtaining this affection, and making
the' preservation thereof our chief care and duty.
Given in this present year of our reign, at Schwerin,
March 7, 1842. " FREDERICK FRANZ.

" L. V. LUTZOW."
A Government order has also been issued pro-
claiming a general mourning for the spaces of three
months. Another proclamation sets forth that during
certain hours, the bells shall be tolled, and that no
organs shall be permitted to be played at this period.
No ballet-music is to be allowed to be played in any
dramatic representation for six weeks, to be dated
from the 7th inst.

The Court of Assizes of the Sarthe was occupied,
on the 11th, 12th, and 13th inst., with the trial of five
men, for the robbery and murder of a farmer in easy
circumstances, named Gaine, living in the village of La
3lotte, in the commune of Berus. The man was of a
feeble intellect, and easily excited. On the 3d June, he
went, as usual, to Alencon to market, and, on his return
in the evening, found that a robbery had been effected in
his house, by moans of an entry made in the roof. A
gun, some books, and clothes, a quantity of thread, and
a pocket-book containing notes, had been stolen. Every
inquiry was instituted to discover the perpetrators, but
to no effect. On September 16, Gaine again went to
market and returned in the evening about ten o'clock.
He was at that hour seen by several persons just as he
went in to bar Ms door. In the middle of the night his
neighbours heard loud cries for help, but paid little at-
tention to the circumstances, as he had been frequently
known to utter such cries without cause. Some short
time after, however, a vivid light was seen to burst from
his windows, and on the house being burst into, the un-
happy owner was found on the bed enveloped in flames,
and with evident marks of violence on his person. The
flames were put out without much difficulty, and it was
then discovered that combustible matterhadbeen heaped
round the bed, to procure a more rapid destruction.
Several suspicious characters were taken up, and it came
to light by the v,oluntary, though unwilling confession of
one of them, nan ted Louvard, a liberated convict, that
ho, and four oth,ars, had agreed to rob Gaine, con-
ceiving him to ba a richer man than they discovered of
terwards he really was. Of these men, two, brans and
Chambrier, propi)soNd to murder him, to prevent the rob-
bery being known, to which two others, Gamier and
Belland, offered opposition. They entered the house
the second time an they had clone the -first, through the
roof, and Gaine, having struggled violently, they stunned
him by striking- him on the head, and afterwards
strangled him. They then escaped, after taking away
what money they could find ; but, before doing so. set
fire to the bed 00. which they had placed their victim.
All this was denied by the other prisoners, but circum-
stantial evidence cleany proved the case against some of
them. Gamier was acquitted; Bellard and Louvard
were found guilty, but with extenuating circumstances,
and sentenced to blr,) years' hard labour at the hulks; and
brans and ChanaTorier were sentenced to death.
As a waggon lteavily laden was on Saturday morn-
ing, about eight o"cilock, coming down the rue des Fosses-
-4.l7tea7T ht,
se
Monsieur-le-Princi%, a man attempted to cross from the rue de
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ts
wheel, which' crust iod him to atoms.
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dollars. In 1840, the • exports amounted to 373,365 dollars,
and the imports to 1,71 36,621 dollars.