The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-06-11 00:00:00

THEATRE-ROYAL

The tide of favour has turned, and is now rolling in with
a steadiness that must be most gratifying to the lessee of the
Theatre-Royal. Every night of Mr. Macready's engagement
a very fashionable and numerous audience have been present.
Up to the period of this gentleman's engagement, pit and
boxes seemed deserted; but now that the way has been
found to the theatre, the path will in all probability become
well beaten and trodden to the end of the season. That the
next engagements will prove attractive, there cannot be the
shadow of a doubt.

On Monday week Mr. and Miss Vandenhoff will appear,
and we perceive by a contemporary that Mr. George Van-
denhoff will very likely join his family during their engage-
ment. It will be a remarkable sight to see the various
members of this most talented family appearing togetker
upon the boards of a theatre where their abilities have been
always cherished and admired. Miss .Vandenhoff will be
found to have wonderfully improved since she last appeared
here. In America she was greatly admired : the press have
unanimously spoken in terms of strong laudation of her me-
rits. She gave great promise of excellence when we first
saw her, and we have no doubt that we shall not be disap-
pointed in our expectations of her improvement.
On Monday next Miss Rainforth and Mr. Harrison will
make their first appearance here. Miss Rainforth has been
highly extolled in every publication in which mention has
been made of her name ; while Mr. Harrison stands ♦ery
high in the musical world for his abilities.

That Mr. Macready's engagement has drawn to a close,
we, in common with all who have seen him, cannot but re-
gret. His style is so elevated, his manner so chaste, and his
impersonations so masterly, that we always forget that he is
acting, and, led away by the force of imagination, are tempt-
ed at times to believe reality stands before us. We did not
see him play Othello, but it has been described to us as per-
fectly original, and full of power and beauty. Mr. Mac-
ready, in Richelieu, approaches to perfection, if not reaches
it. This fine play will bear seeing over and over again. In
Werner the skill of the actor is manifest. In the hands of
any one else than Mr. Macready, the interest in him would
be lost. Lord Byron, believe, never intended " Werner"
for the stage ; and his lordship judged right—it is more fit-
ting for the closet. We have often been surprised that
" Werner " should have taken hold of the public mind,
while " Sardanapalus"—one of the most magnificent pro-
ductions of the present age—did not draw when it was played
here some years ago. We have seldom seen " Werner"
better played than it was on Tuesday. Mr. Stuart we liked
greatly as Gabor. He did the rough but manly soldier in a
dashing, off-hand style, that contrasted well with Werner's
depression. His quarrel with the Baron was capitally done,
as well as the scenes with Werner. Mr. Holl acted Ulric
very cleverly. We understand that this promising gentle-
man is engaged at Drury-lane. We regret this for our own
sake as well as his. A year or two in the country would do
him no harm : it would give him experience, and take off a
rawness that, clever as he is, is distinguishable in his acting.
We mean by rawness not awkwardness nor inelegance, but
a want of smoothness in tone and gesture that time only can
give. Mr. Baker's Idenstien was uncommonly good : he
played it with much humour. Miss Cleaver, as Josephine,
did the little allotted to her with much feeling. Mr. Gray,
as Baron Stralenheim, played as usual—sawing the air into
planks, and hammering imaginary nails into them afterwards.
To-night " Money" will be performed, for Mr. Macready's
benefit.

THE ANTI-CORN LAW GENTRY AGAlN.—There was a
curious sort of affair on Wednesday evening, near St.
James's Market, caused by the people who are under the de-
lusions propagated by the anti-corn league. A meeting was
held, and the usual resolutions were passed against the corn
laws. Some rows took place. Last night an adventurer,
who is well known to the police of Paris, as well as most
other cities of France, and who is a hired emissary of the
anti-corn law league, addressed a mob from the Clayton
Arms Hotel, Clayton-square, against the pretensions of Lord
Sandon and Mr. Cresswell. He took off his coat, and made
a fool of himself in many other ways. Mr. Charles Holland,
who has been sitting for a, place in our " Portrait Gallery"
to-day, was in the chair ; he was surrounded by Finch the so-
cialist, Macintyre, secretary of the Protector Society, and
others of the same calibre. Mr. Alderman Sheil and other
respectables, were in the rooms of the Reform Association,
but took no part in the proceeding. Some uproars took
place, and the corn law repealers committed several most
desperate assaults.

We believe we may now state with confidence that the
Royal Party will honour His Grace the Archbishop of York
with their presence at Nuneham on Monday, the 14th inst.
On the following morning His Royal Highness Prince Albert
will be present at the commemoration in the theatre, and
then proceed to view so much of the University and its pub-
lic buildings as the time and His Royal Highness's engage-
ment with the Archbishop will allow; His Grace the Chan-
cellor of the University will also be a guest at Nuneham,
and will accompany Hls Royal Highness to the Theatre.

OUR PORTRAIT GALLERY.—No. VIII

CHARLES HOLLAND, ESt

Reader, if ever, in the amiability of your disposition, you
have preserved a poor silly moth from the danger of his pro-
pensity for flying at the flame of your candle, and burying
himself in a sea of melted tallow ; if you have ever rescued
a besotted fly from the peril of an attack upon a jar of honey
or the cream jug; you will sympathise in the feelings with
which we approach the gentleman whose name appears at
the head of this sketch, with the praiseworthy and humane
intent to save him from the consequences of the mingled
folly and protension with which he is unfortunately afflicted.
We have been pained beyond description to observe, week
after week, his abortive efforts to become something, or ra-
ther to pass for something, beyond what he is or what nature
intended him to be—unmindful of the warning of old Xsop,
that a frog cannot with safety blow himself up into the size
of an ox, and that a crow, though it may imagine itself pos-
sessed of the voice of the nightingale, can still but " croak"
and " caw" ; and we are anxious to dissipate the state of
hallucination under the influence of which these absurd
efforts are made, by placing before the eyes of the deluded
his own proper image in its real dimensions. We engage
the more readily in this task, because, in point of fact, the
individual before us is one of a somewhat numerous class,
who entertain similar erroneous notions of their own impor-
tance and profound sagacity, and for whose use doubtless
was meant the prayer of the poet—
" Oh, wad but Heaven the giftic gie us
To see ourselves as others see us !"

Like others of his class, Mr. Charles Holland has abso-
lutely crammed himself with the doctrines and theories of
the political economists—devoured Adam Smith, and swal-
lowed M'Culloch, Iticardo, and :Malthus; but; like others
of his class, is as profoundly ignorant as when he commenced
his feast of knowledge. He has got by heart, or by rote,
and chatters like a parrot about " restrictions" and " mono-
polies," " demand and supply," " balance of trade," and
the rest of it; but has about as much idea of the meaning
of the shibboleth which he uses as a Christmas turkey of
the flavour of the parsley he is stuffed with, Sir Joshua
Walmsley of the Greek poets, or Lord Palmerston of the
opinions which he may, find it, convenient or profitable to
entertain any day next week. Yet Mr. Charles Holland
imagines himself a profound political economist, which we
apprehend is a conclusion upon premises almost as false as
those of a gentleman who fancied himself a grammarian
from the fact of his having, when a boy, accidentally swal-
lowed some leaves of Lindley Murray which were folded
about his sweetmeats.

We can safely assure Mr. Holland that in reality he knows
nothing at all about political economy—a science, by the way,
which Appears to us to have been concocted by Scotch feelo-
svky for the very purpose of bewildering people of his cali-
bre of intellect. We would ourselves back common sense
and everyday experience against all the fine-spun theories of
all the philosophers in the universe ; and it is only smatter-
ers in political economy, such as himself, (who have caught
up only the frothy portions,) who degrade its teachings in
the estimation of sensible men, by perverting their applica-
tion. We have a regard for Mr. Holland, who is indeed a
" very nice young man" ; and we advise him, therefore, in
all kindness, to abstain in future from perplexing himself
with a study, the only valuable lessons conveyed in which
can be learned far better in the ordinary conrse of business
experience.

In addition, however, to his lamentable waste of time and
intellect, in the study of the unprofitable trash of the politi-
cal feelosophers of the day, Mr. Holland is afflicted with an
absurd delusion that he possesses the gift of making speeches,
such as can be listened to or read with ordinary patience.
We once ourselves had the infelicity to be wedged in amongst
a mob of the usual auditors of his party ; and we do assure
him that, but for the sense of the ludicrous which is always
conveyed by the attempts of feeble persons to become very
great, added to our sense of smell from the too close prox-
imity to the garments of our next neighbour, we should un-
doubtedly have gone to sleep. So incongruous was the non-
sense which fell upon our ears, that we have from thence-
forth never marvelled that the reporters are so often " pressed
for space ;" and that the " admirable address delivered by
Mr. Charles Holland," has been consequently, and very re-
luctantly no doubt, " cut down" to a few meagre lines.
If Mr. Holland must speak at the gatherings of his party
—and we know that there is a class of persons who are fond
of hearing the sound of their own voice, and also that empty
vessels make the greatest noise—we most strongly advise him
to confine himself to surface matter. People are apt to lose
themselves who dive too deeply into labyrinths; and it is not
dignified to be seen floundering about with nothing to grap-
ple by—tossing your hands and arms about, and looking un-
utterable things, whilst your scattered senses are gathering
themselves together—in all the agony of a hen when her
brood of ducklings have taken to the water. The safest plan,
believe us, in any sea, is to carry no more sail than your
tonnage will warrant. A flat-bottomed sand barge has no
business to hoist sky-scrapers and royals ; and a yacht rigged
with the huge square sail of a river fiat would run a fair
chance of being blown under water.
Stick then, most erudite young man, to plain talk! Tell
the delighted Paddies of immense " free trade losses" as big
as a hod would carry. Quote scripture ; quote Cobden ;
quote anything; but for the love of mercy and your own
small wits, lay aside Malthus and M'Cullock, forswear
Adam Smith and Doctor Bowring. Despite of these autho-
rities things cannot lose their real nature, or measures their
known tendency ; and by whatever theory it may be de-
fended, or by whatever name called, robbery is still—robbery
and nothing beside !

INTERCEPTED PROTOCOLS

(For the Liverpool Standard.)
(No. 4.)
THE KNIGHT TO THE VISCOUNT

Brunswick-street, Monday afternoon

MY DEAR VISCOIINT,—We are all of us here surprised at
the division of Monday, as we fully anticipated a small
majority for ministers. You worked hard for it, however, I
dare say ; and, by the bye, the exertions of your whipper-in
recal to my memory the subject of " resurrectionists,"
which, you said in your last, that you didn't understand.
The introduction of that poor gentleman, Sir D. Ilalyburton,
in the state he appears to hare been in, was not unlike a
" resurrection ;" only, we protectors "go the whole hog,"
and bring men up to record their votes who are not half-
dead or doting only, but who are both dead and buried !
We get them, however, to appear by proxy, instead of bring-
ing their corpses ; so that ours, you will admit, is the more
humane and decent mode, whatever may be said against its
morality.

It will be necessary now for us to bid very high for sup-
port, and perhaps to bribe very high, for—to say the truth—
the proceedings of our allies, the leaguers, have not won us
many new friends. The council, of course, would do all in
its power for us ; but, unfortunately, the watch committee,
which was one of our chief sources of strength, is now
closely watched itself, andand we can't do just what we like in

ihc market committee. We are not very full of money,
either—even with the treasury money added to our own
stock—for we fooled away a great quantity last year in pay-
ing rates ; and I am afraid, therefore, we shall be obliged to
depend a good deal upon promises. O'Connell would tell
you what we have arranged to do for him ; and Mat money
must at any rate be down on the nail. Do you know what
he got for his last week's work in Manchester? I am told, a
good round sum.

Have you anything at your disposal that would suit a
barrister,—l don't give his name for obvious reasons—who
is of great importance amongst the Irishmen? The poor
fellow has no practice, but has a face for anything. If I
had a commissionership or two at my disposal, it would be
of great use, for something of the sort must be got for one
or two parties who can't well be put off any longer; and the
knighthood must be had by hook or crook for It , who is
as sour as socinianisin can make him, ever since he was
kicked out of the council, and grudges me my approaching
elevation to parliament most confoundedly. Hang him !
I'm as good as him any day of the week.
I wish you WOULD be candid with me, my lord, and say—
do you really think I've any chance fur the speakership
It is admitted by every-body—except the torias and the
chartists—that I make an excellent chairman ; and I don't
see why I shouldn't make as good a speaker.
I remain, dear lord, your lordship's faithful servant,
(The signature obliterated.)

(No. 5.)
TIM VISCOUNT IN REPLY

MT DEAR KNIGIIT,—I have just had a conversation with
a fellow-townsman of yours, who assures me that you are—
to speak plainly—only making a kind offence of my name as
the candidate for Liverpool; that you yourself are not the
chosen of the entire " liberal" party there—as we call our-
selves--but only of the " unwashed ;" and that I am called
in to confer a sort of reflected respectability upon your pre-
tensions. Now, Sir Joshua, I cannot allow this ! I have
no great quantity of character to throw away ; and though
certainly you were thought, as mayor of Liverpool for the
time being, sufficiently respectable to be knighted, with that
cow-jobber person from Manchester,--and a nice pair you
were for royalty to look at !—Yet you may not, after all, be
the kind of individual suitable to be my colleague in an elec-
tion contest. I must make some inquiries into this matter,
sir. I must indeed!

With respect to the parties to be provided for—the barris-
ter you mention and others—l can really promise very little.
We have a large stock of that kind of lumber on hand. To
be candid, Sir Joshua, I can't afford to throw anything away
upon so hopeless a chance as Liverpool appears to be ; and
the treasury is willing to spend
although, to annoy Sandon,
a little, I don't think that I ought to be called upon person-
ally. O'Connell tells me that the priesthood are doing all
they can for you amongst the Irish voters and mobocracy,
and that they will not allow you to be beaten if they can help
you. I understand, however, that the Irish are not all
powerful, if it comes to a row in Liverpool ; and I don't,
I must confess, see much chance from any other source.
You will observe that we couldn't get out of that St.
Alban's business. We are obliged, too, to push the " bri-
bery prevention bill." Whigs after this who
have so snug a place as Tiverton to stick to. We have no

chance, and that's fiat, Sir Joshua, just now; and what is
more, in despite of our blustering and the " enormous lying"
of our journals, we know it.
Wouldn't it be better for you Sir Joshua, with your pro-
found knowledge of Welsh, to look out for a snug borough
in that country? This is "en passant" however.
Ever, my dear Knight,
Yours, faithfully,
PAL.

Downing-street, Thursday morning.

P.S.—You may inform me if anything transpires to alter

present appearances

LITERARY NOTICES.

The English Journal. Part 5. How and Parsons, Fleet-

street, London

This very excellent publication contains abundance of in-
teresting matter and useful information. The grave and gay
is so delightfully blended, that we know of no periodical tkat
better deserves encouragement. Cyrus Redding, Miss Mit-
ford, Calder Campbell, Leigh Hunt, Douglas Jerrold, Miss
Twamley, and many others are contributors. The tales are
excellently told, and the poetry far superior to that which
appears in magazines of greater pretensions.

Illustrations to the Works of Shakspere. How and Par-

sons, London

The third part of this work has just made its appearance.
It contains five engravings. The first is " The Remains of
Flint Castle," by Woods, illustrating a passage in Richard 11.
The second, " The Palace of Sileneus, at Antioch," illus-
trating a passage in Pericles, engraved by J. Tingle. The
third," Leicester Abbey," illustrating Henry VIII., engraved
by Varrall. " View of the Island of Jovica and Cape Formen-
tiera," from the Tempest, engraved by Woods. And lastly,
the " Gate of Southampton, 1670," illustrating a portion of
Henry VIII., engraved by J. Tingle. The designs are by
Sargent. This work will ben valuable adjunct to the illus-
trated works of Shakapere, now publishing ; and as it is simi-
lar in size these plates will bind up with them. The idea of
the work is very good.

The Governess. By Madame Riofray. The Authoress,

London

This unpretending but clever little work Is progressing
silently but well. It ought to be taken by all families where
there are young people. Ws can recommend it as a very ex-
cellent publication.

7'he Penny Mechanic. Berger, Holywell•street, London.
This work contains many very admirable articles and let-
ters upon various subjects. The cheapness of it places it
in the power of every one to subscribe to it. The youth who
has a mechanical turn, and the artisan who wishes to improve,
should purchase it, as they will find most valuable information
and many useful hints in its pages.

As You Wander by the Valley. By John Davies

The recollection of the Rock Harmonicon must be fresh in
the minds' of our readers, and also the very exquisite per-
performances of Mr. Davies upon it. This gentleman then
showed a great deal of talent, ability, and knowledge of music ;
and the very pretty song now before us proves him to
possess good taste as well as fancy. Mr. Davies, as an in-
structor of the organ, piano-forte, and violin, is considered
very clever.