The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-10-22 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL.

Mr. Buckstone appears this evening in two attractive and
amusing pieces. His new comedy `• Single Life," is to be
represented for the first time. It proved eminently success-_,
ful in London and met with a hearty approval from the
audience—true critics—and all competent judges. " Toni
Noddy's Secret" is the interlude. This is one of tile most
amusing sketches which has been recently added to the stet--;
ling stock pieces of the acting drama. We like it because it
leaves so much to be filled up at the discretion of the differ- _
ent actors, whose competency it therefore tests. As the
immortal and bewildered " Thomas," Mr. Baker leaves
nothing to be desired; and it is but justice to Mr. Slaiter to
say that he has played Inkpen and filled it up—to the very
stump !—like an artist. Mr. Buckstone is,a great little man
in the part, and a deserved favourite from the freshness and
originality of his style.
Remarks were promised in respect of a new state of things
which of late years have been deteriorating _theatrical pro-
perty in nearly all the principal towns of Great Britain. They.
are reduced to writing but they would occupy too much space
if published in the present number and shall therefore stand
over till Friday or Tuesday next.
Mr. G. Vandenhoff as was incidentally stated on Friday
last, has made a most successful first appearance at Covent
Garden. As was expected, the London press differ in opinion
as to his qualifications for the arduous profession he has for
years longed to enter as an ambitious candidate for fame.
It will be satisfactory to all interested. in his piospetts-to
be assured that his audience stamped his first effort with ap-
proval; that his management are satisfied with him', and
will give him every fair .ppportunity for showing, of what
" stuff" he is made; and, though last not least, that, to
its credit, the metropolitan press, with but one inglori-
ous exception, has expressed itself, respecting him, in a
manlier that bears with it a convincing evidence of its
impartiality and discrimination. We must be understood
as expressing ourselves generally : the details of the criti-
cism have amused us not a little. For instance, the
tics now-a-days seem to desire young actors to be in
every respect perfection—ready-made perfection! The truth
is, people are expecting impossibilities. There is too much
fastidious and highly wrought criticism indulged in'now-a-
days. One-half of the London press admits that -Mr. G.
Vandenhoff has a good face, a good voice, `r:nira' good per-
son, &c., and yet at the heels of this comes 'some sating
clause of disappointment ! 1 f 'this gentleman deserve a third
of the favourable things that the coldest journalist among
them has set down of him, let him be of good cheer.' He.
has but to persevere ; and, if he devotedly study his husineSs,
time, with the voice of a succession of audiences, Will do him
justice.
It is no longer in the power of any part-of the press, metro-
politan or.provincial, to write him or any deserving man down,
whose cause is identified with the deliberate estiinate- of a

pleasure-seeking community. Trial is the thing. Mr. Vanden-
hoff, has yet to learn his business as a novice, from itsveriest
details ; and let his genius be great or small, it cannot appear
in full feather till ;fledged by time and disciplined by sus--
tained practice. Had he failed, he needed not on that ac-
count to quit the arena. It is a matter of history that nearly :di
of the best and first-rate actors and actresses of this'-eouri-
try and France, either failed miserab'y in their first essays,
or were treated to " goose " (as hissing is metaphorically
called) by the audience at night, and made giblets of in the'
public prints for a week thereafter. Charles Kemble was all
but unbearable for years, and it is notorious that Mrs.
Siddons after prolonged practice in the country failed in
London—not because she was thought to be 'without
ability, but because her ability was misdirected -and ut-
terly repugnant to the metropolitan taste. To the prO,
winces she returned, altered her style, reappeared in
Loudon and carried every thing before her by the transcen-
dant power of her artistical execution. Edmund Kean was
unnoticed till Dr. Drury saw him at Exeter, and induced the
people of Drury-lane to try him as an experiment, to ward off
threatened insolvency. The present manager of the Theatre
Royal of Edinburgh, Mr. Murray, now one of the most pecu-
liar and unequalled artists on the stage, was hissed for several
seasons in every part he attempted to get through. Time
and determined perseverance turned the tables both. ways : •
the actor succeeded at last in reducing his conception to exe-
cution in a way which commanded universal approval from
every audience competent to appreciate his unquestionable
talent for the stage.
When Mr. G. Vandenhoff appears on the Liverpool boards
he may rely on fair play andliberal support from its public
and its press.

•
*** In reply to an inquirer, we have to state that no such
phrase or words as indisputably expensive management"
was ever used by any writer in'the STANDARD, or by any
of our contemporaries save one. " Wrapt"' and not
" wrapped" was the epithet employed in a critique on Miss
Trees effective acting as lon. As every reader of Shakspere
is aware " wrapt" means absorbed as Banquo says of Man
beth in the scene after the prediction of the witches. ' See how
our partner's tempt." Lastly, as every one ought to
know who pretends to criticise the remarks of a " contem-
porary," the proscenium is that part of a thedtre which is
ever exposed to the eyes of an audience, particularly 4cvnen
the curtain is down ; and as every educated schdOlboy knows,
" proscenium" means all that part of a theatre in front of
the curtain aforesaid, extending to the orchestra—tha part
of the stage, across from the doors at the side, fOrmii* the
base of the parallelogram. Miss Tree, when the curtain
fell, passed across the proscenium on Thursday night.".

THE NEW STEAM-SHIP, "NEW YOR(K"

From the present competition in steam navigation.; the ex t- •
traordinary improvements which it has elicited in the size
and construction of the vessels and engines,--giving promise
of vast advantages in commercial andsociatintercoorse be-
tween
countries and continents before separated.by almost
insurmountable barriers,—may perhaps be dated a new era
in the history of our country ; and the public interest which
is excited by this modern branch of science will, doubtless,
render acceptable in a sea-port like this, occasional notices
of whatever is new in what may be called steani
world. With this exordium, we proceed to ,gitdabtisq,,and
almost statistical description of "our" iimr• transatlantic
steamer so far as regards her hull, in regard to'whiet},- con-
siderable curiosity has been 'excited: • 1(3 4;thki t
The " New York" is now on the stoeltSlantaihe.iVartl of
Messrs. Wilson, North Shore, and is rapidly advancing to-
wards completion. She is a noble loobitigivetisolauptAlitu,
in tonnage to the Liverpool, belonging tat hcsativicorgpinfy:;•:* ' •
is of a beautiful model, and built in assubstaiitiatralnamtgem •
as any of her Majesty's ships. The followinglarekler disteul,
sions :—length over all, 235 feet; beam of tholuili,e36 feet ,
inches ; beam over paddle boxes, 60 feet ; depth of boll, 22..
feet; tonnage, (supposed new measurement,) .1600 ;Itorso-: '
power of engines, 420.
Viewing this vessel exteriorly, and partieuharly:oireamear•
approach, she appears to be of enormous size a-but thomcnx-, ,)
tier of the visitor is excited in going into her holdi,:nolva that
it is clear fore and aft, without a bulk's head, engine#uriathti;-
impediment, to a comprehension of her great capacity'.:. ;The
first impression of a stranger to ship-building is, how,•exthi
the largest trees can be fashioned and boundlogetlie. shos to • • •
produce a structure of such magnitude, strengt4,andisolic.,
dity. Seen, below, from the stern, or the stern-postit3he •
appears to be a wooden world, and. one would scarcely ;pour,
ceive that the elements, however outrageous, could affect so •
huge a mass of floatable material.
The frame of the " New York" is of English oak, the bends
and clumps of English and African oak. Her bottom is of
American elm and Baltic timber. She,is fastened on
diagonal principle, by riders of iron let into the titnbers,and
crossed at right angles by strong trusses of English oak.
Her bottom plank is five inches in thickness, the diagertal
wooden fastenings six inches. Her frame-is peculiarly con-
structed, her timbers being dowelled or " cooked" together ;
in a scientific manner. Every alternate timber has a.serew-
bolt through it. She is tilled in fore and aft six feet above.
the lower edge of the keel, and caulked, the whole forming a
solid mass of timber. Her bolt and minor fastenings are en-
tirely of copper. Her bilge planks, clumps, and bends are
six inches in thickness. In her flooring she has apparently
from 12 to 14 inches of a rise from the keel to the bilge;
and beimg otherwise finely modelled, and anything but wall-
sided, she can scarcely fail to attain an uncommon speed un-
der steam.

On the deck the " New York" has a very noble appear-
ance, from her great length and beam, and her unencumbered
deck room. It is remarkable that she is about the same - .
length over all as the " Liverpool," (235 feet,) and that her
principal cabin will also be abOut the same length,47s: feet.)
She has, however, six feet more beam thari that favourite
vessel, which it is considered will give her considerable 'ad. - •
vantages. The cabin, not yet fitted up, is dridertftei,oop,
the floor of which is continuous with the main Aeck, which ' .• .
is thus " flush" fore and aft, a-great desideratinu asTegal-ds
the strength of a vessel. She has 17 windo*pet#o#l each
side to light the state rooms. Prizes are offered by the
owners for the best plans of the • cabins. She has a small
top-gallant forecastle, and will have gangwalg arid ti•spar;.
deck, in the style of a frigate. • She is what is mimic:dila," so-- . '
lid" vessel, being planked up to the gannel,,•whicinie,vf con-
siderable -- -
height, and will render her unusually;. comfortable
as a sea-going ship. The working part
.Of the •vessel will, -
from her construction, be quite apert from the cabins, and
this will be another convenience.
Her engines are now in course, of construction, at the ce-
lebrated manufactory of Messrs. Fawcett and ProSton, and
will be of superior description. Souse idea.may be .formed of
the strength of the frame work to which the engine will .he
more immediately attached, from the fact that the paddle-
beam is of solid African oak, 22 inches square. •
It is expected that she will be ready for launching in about
a Mu ath, but may not perhaps be placed in her destined ele-
ment -LL,LiI early in the spring.. . . . ... . .
The carpentry of the New York, . which will Pear the mi-
nute inspection of the most fastidious and scientific; is highly.,
creditable to Messrs. Wilson ; .and we doubt. not • but that • ' -
when she is placed on tie station froni).whiclrt4lie derives
her name, she will become . 1.,,,,cr1,i, ittlant4:-Nt......., .....f
we hope, a pi-wimple speculation to,thatent4sgrigiugigAnapa- •,
ny to which she belongs, , ,;.i. -, :teorif ow.) 4.; an P '-•'', -, ~!' 1 '' ' • ,
: ~ - - • ~,J.l I 10,4,,,,,
. . 4,0 1 It!".'".s.'':-'i '! "','•
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, aL• it_•4l .1.6„ .i. :417„,:4:;1 ~
N.ENV LlVEiaroOt 8111 AMER " .3064,1* IN Him ox au—
ti- 0 '.. 1-' ' '••
nesday, we observed' at' the Brorhielgil Vet-JU oi,mn.to.
the splendid steam craft Plying bet) , , i ,Aty,ialid Liver-
poal.
The vessel we allude to is the' ;',iqrciiiai4,..-
built, the property 'Of -111-es'srs. Martlti
,- - gins of ':this
j
city. We have not ' ascertained her
~ 4nt, but to
appearance she occupies 'nearly as large a ispacc of berthage
as the war frigate Vesuvius. She seems to be .built with
attention to comfort and neatness, and, above all, to the sort
of tear and wear she will have to undergo:being, of that sub-
stantial
con3truction which gives.security to passerigers..and . z
• all concerned. Her cabins are. spacious and *gent, and,
altogether, she may be classed among the foreinost of the
great Glasgow and Liverpool steam vessels. yet in the Clyde.
—S6ottish Guardian. . .
MARTIN'S PICTURE OF' THE CORONATION.—This bril- -
liant triumph of modern art, now exhibiting. at the,Lyecum,
is beyond all doubt the most transcendent picture ever pro-
duced in Great Britain, whether taken-as..gorgeous whole,
or in detail. As a whole, it is solemn, grand, nod massive ;•
in parts, it is brilliant, sparkling, and finished. It islike the
elder Kcan's acting,,, or Paganinni's fiddle playing, full of
" touch and trick ;" yet when the critic begins (as he thinks)
to find it out, after puzzling himself some time, he, :like
worse judges, begins to consider that, be the effect produced .
how it may, it is natural, exquisite, and charming. • In going
to see the picture of the .coronatim, we should expect to .
see nothing but a glittering display of finery and dress—a
" Pageant "—it is so ; but then there is a dignity, a sub-
limity (if we may so express ourselves) that always prevails
in the works of Martin. It is a day-dream realized, an
Arabian night's entertainment—it is, lilerally, " painting the
lily and gilding refined gold." It is what we in our juvenile
years would imagine " a Lord Mayor's show," or a " coro-
nation " ti be. It has made us for a moment tura to the •
time when we conceive that " London" was composed of
nothing but sights like these. It has wale us think of our -
youthful ruminations once more. In short,it willbe a lasting -
record of the " glorious doings of that• day." Posterity in
this respect will have the advantage of us, as they will' be able
to see how we crowned our good-QueenVictoria ; but what ••
would we give to see so faithful a representation of the core- , -;
nation of the good " Queen Bess ?"—From a Correspondent.
In North r urham the Conservatives. have gained:3s on
the Registration. . .
There is at present au apple tree in full blossom in .the
garden of Mr. John Kirk, Parish Clerk, at Culverly.
It is, we are glad to hear, proposed to erect by Subscrip-
tion a statute to his Grace the Mike of Northumberland.
Tynemouth is mentioned as the most likely "situation for it—
Leeds Paper. . • - • •

A requisition to William Chap Man, Esq.. of this tbni,- to
offer himself as a candidate, on the first occasion, for the re-
presentation of the borough of Tynemouth in parliament,' is
in course of signature at North Shields.—Newcastle Journal.

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