Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-01-31
WASHINofOH NEWS AND GOSSIP.

made good impression, as perhaps the best bd'-
anced English Opera company here since the
Seguns. There were necessarily some defects
in first performance which we may expect not
to meet again.
Annie Miner, the prma donna, has a soprano
voice Of clear good quality, and in execution and
in her blonde hair and complexion and Queen
Victoria cast Of features, she reminds one con-
stantly of Louisa Pyne
Mr.. Aynsly Cook, basso baritone rather was
perhaps the most satisfactory performer Of the
evening, both as actor and singer. His execution
Is correct his voice of undoubted good quality
he has good stage address, a good stage figure
and as fine pair Of legs as needs be. He has
however, an unpleasing ahectation In the shape
Of one, two, three, stage step and stamp which
he had best get rid Of.
Mr.. Brookhouse Bowler, the tenor has good
material In him which needs working up mate.
rally, ere he can rank a frst-class artist His
voice is Of pure pleasing quality in the lower and
middle notes but is rather too near a baritone
range to class as a Legitimate tenor.
Everybody was sorry not to hear Mr. Rudolph
sen, who has established himself as first favorite
with Washington concert audiences and desire
Is felt to hear him in something more satisfactory
than in detached operate fragments such as figure
in concert programmes.
Miss II. Payne labored under the great disad-
vantage Of appearing in part which we fear can
never again be filled satisfactorily to a Washing
ton audience familiar with its rendition by the
wonderful Didiee. She however stamped herself
as an actress Of great merit, and as a judicious
singer
Miss Annie Kemp sang with pleasing effect the
slight part entrusted to her, and her audience
would gladly see more of her
The chorus was fair one, and the orchestral
department was very acceptably managed by Mr..
Cooper.
Tonight the Cooper Company perform s:La
Somnambull," always great favorite In Wash
ington, and an opera calculated to bring out the
best qualities Of this troupe.
CAUCUs.-The Democracy Of the House were
in caucus last night, MIR. Houston, of Alabama, in
the c.'air The meeting, We take 1t for granted
was rather lugubrious one; insomuch as all
co nprehended from the voting in the course of
the day that the Republicans really lacked but a
single vote TO secure the election of Mr. Penning-
ton, and that Mr.. Winter Davis was much more
anxious to secure his triumph than that of Mr..
Smith, Of North Carolina, for whom he has of
late voted. The point to be achieved by the
caucus, we apprehend, was to induce the South
Americans to reciprocate the Iberality of the
Democrats BY voting in body for some Northern
Democrat, now that it had become certain that
MI Smith, Of n. c., cannot be elected A COM
mittee Of three (Messrs. Reagan, Larrabee
and florence) was appointed to confer with the
South Americans and anti-Lecomptonites, to in
duce them, If possible, to continue to act with the
democrats throughout the balance of the contest
No better selection of a committee could possibly
have been made; yet we question whether any
Democratic committee can possibly wean Mr.
Winter Davis from his first Though always secret
partyism-in an emergency like
the present, when the future Of that organization
probably depends almost wholly upon his indi-
vidual vote.
THK SrEAKERsHIP.-As anticipated and ex-
planned in the Star, Mr.. Pennington failed of an
election yesterday by one vote, Mr.. Riggs voting
for him and then changing his vote to Mr. McCler
nand because he failed to get that one vote. That
one vote is that Of Mr. Henry Winter Davis which
we have every reason to believe was last night
obtained fnr him. We therefore anticipate his
election to-day, beyond peradventure With the
exception Of the Illinois Douglasites, one from
Pennsylvania and one from Indiana-Mr Davis
(who while standing in hostile array to the Dem
ocratc party organization declines to cast his vote
directly for the Republican-part candidate, J
every mothers son Of those Of the House who
rated from the Democratic organization with Sem
a'or Douglas, is now openly battling for the Re-
publican party in this contest, which is hardly
second in importance to the political future of the
country, to the approaching Presidential election
Really. as divided now they remind us of the SUBJ
Jects of the 6ever-to- be forgotten Duke of Hesse
Cassel, who was accustomed to sell them as troops
70 both sides, in the continental of his times
THE DEMOCRACY OF THE HOUSE deserve great
credit for the frmness with which they have
voted for MIR. Smith, Of North Carolina. up to a
point at which 1t became apparent that to sustain
him longer will be to insure the speedy election
of the Republican candidate. We apprehend
that last evening it became apparent in their
caucus that the only possible hope Of defeat;nu
the election Of Mr. Pennington rests in the policy
of detaching Messrs Adrian and Riggs from him
by next supporting some Northern Democrat. saw
Mr.. McClernand or Mr.. Florence We, how
ever, regard the hope IS being a forlorn one. II
remains to be seen from the voting to take place
to-day, whether the South Americans IA a marty
will demonstrate TO the country as the Democracy
nave done in their course towards Mr. Smith of
n e., that they struggle not to accomplish selfish
Partizan ends but simply to save the Government
from the disastrous consequences Of placing the
organization OF the popular branch OF Congress
in the hands of Helperism.
The House, to-day, is the scene of scarce less
excitement than yesterday. 1t was known before
they met that Mr.. Smith designed Withdrawing
his name, and anticipated that Mr.. Winter Davis
going over to the Republicans "body and
breeches," would elect the new Republican
nominee, Mr.. Pennington. When we left the
hall, at p m, it was questionable whether all
the Southern Democrats would support Mr.. Nc.
Clernand, their objection being not to him p.,.
sonaiiy, but to seeming to support squatter SOW
erelgnty In bis person. Mr.. Hills brief speech
had rendered it certain that the South Americ ans
as a party, were by no means disposed to vote in
solid body for any Democrat and least of all for
an alleged supporter Of Senator Douglas We
can entertain no doubt Of the election of NJ, Pom.
ninston on the first or second ballot at furthest,
of to-day.
OFFICERS OF THE Mississippi DETACHED The
officers attached to the L. s. steam-frigate M;ss,s.
sippi, which arrived at Boston from the East In
dies on the 9th of January were YESTERDAY dc.
tached and granted three months leave of absence
THE WEATHER.-The following report of the
weather for the morning is made from the Amer
iean COnRolidatad Telotrya