The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING-, JUNE 21, 1842

L ANA% INTEL LIG ENCE. I COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. •
, Last night the German Company performed, for the first
time in this country, Meyerbeer's opera, The Huguenots; and
if an overflowing house, an attentive audience, and repeated
and enthusiastic applause, be the test of a composer's and the
vocal and instrumental performers' merit, then we may indeed
say that Meyerbeer is a great composer, and that Messdames
Lutzer and Heinefetter, and Messrs. Staudigl, Mellinger,
Breiting, &c., are unrivalled in their art, for the house was
crowded to excess, and we never heard more constant and rap-
turous applause. But it appeared to us a great part of the au-
dience came ready prepared to admire, as if the fiat had gone
forth that Meyerbeer's Huguenots was an admirable composi-
tion, which every person of taste must admire, and thus
every individual derived an additional impulse in the rap-
ture of his neighbours. When compared to the scenery and
all the other accessories to theatrical representation hitherto
employed by the German Company, the scenery and embellish-
ments prepared for the Huguenots was indeed splendid, and so
far justice was done to this opera, hitherto unknown to an
English audience. Fraulein Lutzer, the new star from
Vienna, our old favourite Heinefetter, and the ever new and
ever delightful Staudigl, could not fail to do justice to
any music they might undertake to sing. But here our
praise of individual performers must stop. Herr Breiting,
the new tenor, can never be a fit or pleasing ErsterLeibhaber.
It is true he sings with taste, and his falsetto is sweet, but his
singing wants vigour and expression ; and then his figure, his
whole appearance is as unsu ted to the part of Raoul, or indeed
of any lover, as can possibly be conceived. Herr Mellinger
( delightful as Papageno) is not capable of representing the fiery,
energetic conspirator, who, by his strong mind, induces
others to follow where he leads. Thus all the points necessary
to bring out the story, and put something like coherence into
the disjointed mass —for such the opera is—were lost on
the audience. Fraulein Lutzer well deserves the epi-
thet " Nightingale," which her countrymen have bestowed
on her, and she delivered the endless flowery pas-
sages in her two great scenes with a flexibility of voice
we never heard excelled except by Sontag. She acts well,
and with her coquettish archness and goodnature, gave a
glimpse of the character she represented (Marguerite tie
Valois). Heinefetter sang delightfully; and Staudigl appeared to
greater advantage than ever in the first scene; indeed his Hymn
(Luther's Hymn) was grand, and the following battle song, so
characteristic, so almost savagely expressive, that it reminded
us at once of Balfour of Burleigh, the very best proof of his
correctly representing the character. Thus much of the per-
formers. The music is so much admired and praised, that we
are almost afraid to say that we cannot give it unqualified
praise. It contains some exquisitely beautiful passages and airs,
but its grand and overwhelming fault, the constatnt striving
after effect, and seeking atter new combinations of
sound, causes those beauties to be obscured, and all
admiration to be absorbed in a feeling of painful fatigue and
exhaustion. The instrumentation is generally noisy, and only
now and then, as in the introduction to the second act, do we
recognise the hand of the great composer. It is impossible to
give an outline of the plot, as the opera has no story, but con-
sists of a series of scenes representing events occurring imme-
diately before and during the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, in
the last of which the three principal characters are slain. The only
idea we could trace throughout the whole opera, was an attempt
by the composer to represent the character of the two opposing re-
ligious parties by means of music, but the confusion which
prevails through the whole, and the noisy character of the
music, which proved to us quite overwhelming, did not perhaps
allow us to do the opera justice. While attempting to do too
much, we think, Meyerbeer has not even done as much as he
might do; but if, after a ss•cond hearing, we should find cause
to alter our opinion we will not fail to inform our readers.

CHANCERY COURT-(T HIS DAY.)
This being the first Seal after Trinity Term, the LORD
CHANCELLOR sat in Linco:n's Inn-hall, and took appeal motions.
QUARRIER V. COULSON.
The arguments in this part-heard case were resumed and con-
cluded to-day.
The Loan CHANCELLOR said he must carefully read over
the affidavits before he gave judgment.

ROLLS'COURT—(THIS DAY.)
Lord LANGDALE sat to-day in Chancery-lane, and disposed
of some motions of an uninteresting nature.

VICE-CHANCERY.-(THIS DAY.)
The VIOE-CHANCELLOR Of ENGLAND took notices to-day,
it being the first Seal after Trinity Term.

QUEEN'S BENCH.-(THIS DAY.)
The Co U RT sat in Banco this morning, and heard arguments
in cases in the new trial paper. None of the cases were of any
importance except to the parties concerned.

BAIL. COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

THE QUEEN V. SMYTH.
This was an indictment preferred by the Commissioners of
Police against the detendant, one of the brothers of the Prince's
of Capua, and Lady I)inorben, for an alleged indecent assault
upon Police-constable Morrison, of the C division, on the night
of the 17th of February. The proceedings had been removed
by a writ of certiorari into this Court.
The Attorney-General, Mr. Pollock, and Mr. Waddington,
conducted the ease for the prosecution, and Mr. Platt and Mr.
Bodkin appeared for the defendant.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL at some length stated the case,
the substance of which has appeared in The Sun.
Several witnesses were called, whose evidence supported the
statement of the Attorney-general.
Mr PLATT, after a powerful address to the jury, called the
following witnesses.
His Grace the Duke of Beaufort—l have bees acquainted
with the defendant between two and three years. I have been
in the constant habit of meeting him in society, and his charac-
ter is irreproachable. The defendant was introduced to me by
his Royal Highness Prince Capua.
Lord William Somerset—l have known the defendant be-
tween three and four years; have repeatedly met him in so-
ciety. His character for morality is of the highest order.
The Earl of Chichester—l have known the defendant fifteen
years; his habits and character, during that period, has been
irreproachable. I believe him incapable of acting as has been
stated.
Sir Colin Hackett—l have known the defendant six years,
and, during that time, both in his moral and professional duties,
his conduct has been unimpeachable.
The Hon. Mr. Callahan gave similar evidence.
Sir H. W. Barron, M.P.—I have known the defendant 20
years, and during that long period his character has been irre-
proachable and most strictly moral.
Captain Ogle—l have known the defendant 20 years, and
have met him in various situations in life. The defendant, when
a boy, was attacked with a nervous affection, and he always,
when he speaks, puts his hand upon the person he is address-
ing. lam convinced he is unconscious of so acting.
The Rev. C. Wetherell gave similar evidence.
The Duke of Beaufort and the other witnesses corroborated
Capt. Ogles' evidence as to the defendant's habit of catching
hold of the hand of those he addressed.
Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN summed up the evidence.
The Jury retired, and upon their return, they found
the verdict of Net Guilty, with the following addendum :
" The Jury mere unanimous in their verdict of Not Guilty,
and that not the slightest stain attaches itself to the defendant,
nor do they blame the conduct of the prosecutor, the police
constable, but they think that he acted from misconception."
The verdict appeared to give unusual satisfaction to a most
crowded Court.

SURREY T HEATRE.

The opera season at this theatre commenced last
evening with Bellini's beautiful opera of Sonnambula,
Miss Homer resuming her old part of Amnia, Harrison
making his fit st bow to the Surrey audience as Elvino,
and Leffler and Mrs. Serle being the Count Rodolpho
and Lisa. The chorus was admirable, and the orchestra.
under the efficient direction of George Stansbury, was
all that could be desired. Miss Homer was in excellent
voice, and never sung or acted better. Her finale, "Ah !
do not mingle one human feeling," was a perfect tri-
umph. Harrison bids fair to become a great favourite
on the Surrey side of the water. He was loudly ap-
plauded throughout, and was rapturously encored in the
beautiful air of " Still so gently o'er me stealing." He
has evidently taken great pains with the part, and well
deserved the applause which he received. Leffler's fine
rich barytune notes told with admirable effect in the ex-
quisite scena in the first act, "Again I view now." He
was loudly and deservedly applauded, and nothing but
the length of the scena prevented an encore. At
the fall of the curtain Miss Homer was called
for, and led forward by Harrison and Leffler, to
receive that applause which she so justly merited.
At the conclusion of the opera " God save tile Queen "
was sung by the whole company, Miss Romer, Mrs.
Scrie, Miss E. Terrey, Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Leffler
sustaining the solo parts. A ballet, entitled The Pupil
qf Love, followed, and the evening's entertainments con-
cluded with Leman Rede's popular drama of Jack in
the Water, in which that promising actress, Miss E.
Terrey made her first apppearance before a Surrey
audience as Betty. George Wild was Jack, and with
Miss Terrey went "splashing along" in grand style. The
applause was vociferous, and well deserved. Miss Ter-
rey is, in her line, certainly the most rising actress of
the day ; we cannot but observe, and observe with de-
light, the marked improvement which has taken place in
her acting within the last twelvemonth. The scene re-
presenting Waterloo-fridge, which was such a hit at
the Olympic, was equally well managed here. We are
happy to announce that Waterloo-bridge has crossed over
the river without sustaining any damage. The Surrey
view of the Bridge is quite equal to the Middlesex one.
The house was crowded to excess, and before the com-
mencement of the second act of We opera, it was difficult
to obtain even standing room.

DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERIES.
Mentor., Jules 20.—The neighbourhood of Bristol has
within the last three days been the scene of some of the most
daring highway robberies, acompanied with violence, that have
been committed of late years in the entire kingdom. The whole
of these robberies have also evidently been perpetrated by the
same persons, an organized gang of ruffians consisting of seven
persons, three .or four of whom are armed with large horse-pis-
tols, and who have attacked farmers and others on their return
from market, within even a single mile of this city, at as early
an hour of the night as 10 o'clock in the public road, and in the
most daring manner. The first of these robberies was com-
mitted on Friday night, on the person of a professional gentle-
man of Bristol, Mr. Francis Edwards, about two miles from
Bristol, on his return to his residence at Redland, about a mile
from Cote-house, Westbury. Mr. Edwards had not proceeded
further than about one-eighth of a mile before, as he caree oppo-
site a place called Henleeze-lane, he saw two men sitting down
whom he had noticed following;him at a previous part of the even-
ing. Not having any suspicion, Mr. Edwards proceeded, and
when he had gone a little farther, three other men jumped sud-
denly out of the hedge, one of whom placed a pistol to his
mouth, and the other two a pistol to each side of his head,
threatening to shoot him if he made the least noise or offered
the slightest resistance. Mr. Edwards then observed that the
other two men whom he had seen following him had joined the
party. Finding that the least attempt at resistance must prove
fatal to him, Air. Edwards quietly submitted, when they pro-
ceeded to rile his pockets of his pure, containing four or five
sovereigns and some silver, and of his gold watch, which being
suspended by a guard chain, they found some difficulty in getting
off, and twisted its chain violently round his throat, so as almost
to produce strangulation. After they had thus robbed him,
they marched for some distance by his side, still holding their
pistols to his head, and threatening to shoot him if he gave any
alarin. When they got on a favourable part of Durdham-down
they suddenly darted off in different ways. Mr. Edwards im-
mediately ran back as fast as he could to Cote-house, and in-
formed Mr. Ricketts of the robbery, when that gentleman, who
is in the Commission of the Peace for the county, immediately
sent out his servants and raised the neighbourheod in pursuit
of the highwaymen, but unfortunately without success. Mr.
Edwards has offered a reward of 20/. for their apprehension.
On Thursday night, a waggoner of Stoke, about three miles
from Bristol, was driving along in his waggon, when he was
stopped by evidently the same gang of fellows, two of whom
placed themselves at the horses' heads, while the of hers jumped
into the waggon and proceeded to rifle his pockets, but, fortu-
nately, the sound of an approaching carriage being heard, they
made off.
On Saturday night the same gang perpetrated one of the
most daring robberies we have ever heard of, accompanied
with the most brutal violence, within a mile of Bristol, on the
ilorfield road, The following ate the particulars :—A Mrs.
Cellard, the wife of a respectable farmer at Aldermondsbury,
five miles, from Bristol, was returning home in her
covered cart, on Saturday night from the Bristol mar-
ket, accompanied by Mr. Smith, a carpenter, of Aldmonds-
bury, who was driving, Mr Smith's son and a young woman
sitting behind. On al riving near the first milestone five men
suddenly jumped out of the hedge, two ran to the horse's
head, a third pointed a pistol at them in the cart, and the
other two, who were also armed with pistols, got into the
cart and demanded their money or their lives. They then
dragged Airs. C ]lard and Mr. Smith out of the cart in the
moat violent manner, and having thrown them on the ground
proceeded to rifle their pockets. Having robbed them, they
beat them about the heads and faces with the butt-ends of their
pisto's until they ceased to move, being reduced to a state of
total insensibility, and no doubt being thought dead by their
assailants. Mr. Smith's son jumped out of the cart, and, fall-
ing on hie knees, begged them not to murder his father; they
then beat him in a similar manner, and having left them all
lying in the road, made off.
The sufferers were in a short time afterwards found by some
persons coming up the road ; they were removed to their re-
sidence, where they still lie in the most dangerous state. Mrs.
Collard has her teeth beaten out, with some very severe con-
tused wounds of the face and head. Mr. Smith is so beaten
about the head that he has lain in a state of perfect insensibility
ever since, and scarcely the slightest hope can be entertained of
his recovery.
On the same evening two labouring men, who were return-
ing from market on the same road were stopped and robbed,
end beaten by the same five men. As the men attempted some
slight resistance, owe of the robbers attempted to fire his pistol
at them, but it fortunately flashed in the pan. They were
then robbed of their earnings and sonic groceries they had pur-
chased. The poor fellows were then beaten about the head
with the butt-ends of the pistols and thrown into a ditch.
*The five robbers are described as follows :—Three of thee,
are short men wearing smock-frocks, with Jim Crow hats ;
the other two are dressed like navigators, and have high
black hats.
The police are using the most strenuous exertions for their
rehension.