Colonial.

its place the Cape Town Volunteer Artillery , under the command of Chevalier Duprat , fired the appropriate salute . —Abridged from the Cape Argus . EOYAL ARCH . BRITISH CHAPTEE ( No . 8 ) . —This chapter met afc the Freemasons '

Tavern , on Friday , Dec . 7 th . It being the night of election , tho following companions ivere selected to fill the several offices of the chapter , namely , Comps . Baxter , M . E . Z . ; AVarrington , H . ; Meynott , J . ; Tepper , S . E . ; Freeman , N ., and Grissell , P . S . Comp . Stohwasser was re-elected Treasurer . A Past Principal's jewel , of the value of five guineas , was unanimously voted to Comp . Cottrell , for the able manner in which he discharged the duties of First Principal during the last year .

SOUTHAMPTON . —Boyal Gloucester Chapter ( No . 152 ) . — On Thursday , December Gth , Comp . J . Rankin Stebbing was installed 1 st Principal for the tenth time , ancl Comp . AVilliam Page 2 nd Principal ; the 3 rd Principal , Comp . George Lungley , AV . M . 555 , being absent from England , ivas not installed . Chapter of Concord ( No . 555 ) . —On the same day the Principals for the ensuing year were regularly installed by Comp . J . Rankin Stebbing , P . Z . ; viz ., Comps . D . G . Douglas , Z . ; Fred . Perkins , ex-Mayor of Southampton , H . ; and Thomas P . Payne , W . M . 152 , J .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . AVILLIAM AVALKLEY . It is with sincere regret we have this iveek to record the death of a very olcl and much esteemed Mason—Bro . AVilliam AVallcley—who ' departed this life on the Gth inst ., at Light Pitt , in Gloucestershire , whence he hacl gone from London between three or four months since , in the hope of recruiting his health , which had been for some time failing ; it , however , pleased the

G . A . O . T . U . to remove him from the working Lodge of Life , and we trust he has gone to that GiancI Loclge above , wlienoo nil goodness emanates . Our late brother was initiated into Masonry in the year 1827 by Bro . Peter Gilkes ( Bro . David AVale being the actual Master ) into the St . Luke ' s Loclge ( No . 168 ) , meeting at Chelsea . He afterwards relired from any active part in the Craft , but in 1838 became a joining memherof his mother lodge , and served the office of AV . M . He . was also a P . M . of the Rural

Philanthropic Lodge ( No . 367 ) , meeting at Highbridge , Somerset , and known as one of the best lodges in that province . He had , in his time , belonged to no less than twenty-six Lodges of Instruction , ever ready to impart that knoivledge of Freemasonry —of ivhich lie possessed such a bountiful store—to those of his brethren ivho desired it . His loss is painfully felt by his friends ancl family , and will be much regretted by a large circle of Masonic friends .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA . A neiv opera , by Balfe , has been produced with complete success . More than half a century ago , "Rngantino ; or , the Bravo of A enice , " founded upon Mr . G . Lewis's romance of the same name , itself derived from a German source , was a popular melodrama , and , although almost unknown to our modern generation of playgoers sinceit has notwe believebeen performed in any theatre of

, , , repute for upwards of twenty years , had in it many elements of dramatic success . Upon this drama , or tale , or both , the libretto of "Bianca ; or , tho Brave's Bride , " is based , and ifc cannot be denied that the story has numerous requisites for a good opera . In the first place , it is full of striking incident , and in the second it tells itself almost in action , so that when the situations are musically worked up , and in consequence the words are not readil y

understood , the eye of the spectator is able to follow the action without interruption ; and great care has been taken by Mr . Palgrave Simpson , the author of the words , in bringing forward those portions of the story ivhich are best adapted to musical treatment , and , to borrow a term from a sister art , in drawing as it were a broad bold outline of tho plot , ivhilst the composer has thoroughly adapted himself to the melodramatic character of the story—a striking instance of which is the skill with which ho has

adapted the ballad which introduces the bravo to a very pretty and ear-catching melody , which is repeated whenever the bravo enters or is even alluded to by any of the dramatis persona ; . Mr . Balfe has evidently taken great pains with his Avork , especially ivith the instrumentation , ivhich is elaborate and full of character and

expression , perhaps less so in the overture , although that was encored , than in tbe accompaniments generally and in the numerous instrumental passages that are scattered throughout the opera . Mr . Balfe's manner is eminently flowing , and in the invention of pleasing melody he has never been more happy or more prolific than in "Bianca , " which abounds with charming phrases in the airsconcerted iecesand accompaniments . The music of the part

, p , of the heroine is extremely well suited to Miss Louisa Pyne , whose clear , fine voice , pure and brilliant style , ancl marvellous execution ,, are all effectively displayed . Mr . AV . Harrison is seen to great advantage as the bravo ; his demeanour throughout is in thorough keeping , and his manly and characteristic delivery ofthe recitative is full of dramatic power ; he looked and acted the part capitally . Miss Thivlwall deserves a word of praise for her efforts in the little

part of Zefferina , as does Mr . Sfc . Albyn for his in Beppo . Mr . Wharton ' s Malespina is a great advance upon what he has clone before , and he impressed the audience most favourably by his . i execution of the important music allotted to him . Mr . Alberto Lawrence has a splendid voice , and is learning how to use it , and he may be assured that the rare quality of the organ he possesses deserves all the care he can bestow upon its cultivation . The lesser parts were all satisfactorily filledand the chorus was everything

, that coulcl be desired . The orchestra , under Mr . Motion's direction , did full justice to the instrumentation ofthe opera , and contributed not a little to the completeness of the general effect . Some beautiful scenery is exhibited , the dresses arc magnificent , and the stage arrangements altogether most effective .

PRINCESS'S . A new version of that popular drama , "The Corsiean Brothers , " ' was produced at this theatre on Saturday evening , for the purpose of introducing Mr . Fechter in a fresh character—at least one , his personation of which is new to the London public , although familiar to Parisian play-goers , with whom it achieved almost unparalleled popularit . The new version of " The Corsiean Brothers" which

y , , although not the original , is understood to be tho one best accepted by the Parisian public , differs only in arrangement from that with which the audience at the Princess ' s are so familiar . The incidents and characters are the same , only the drama is in four instead of tliree acts , and the scenes in Paris precede instead of follow the scene which takes place in Corsica . The difference is so immaterial ,, that , except that Mr . Fechter now represents the two heroes , ancl

that Miss Murray has resumed her old part of Madame cle Lesparre , the cast is nearly the same as that of last season . Mr . A . Harris is still Chateau llenaud , ancl the minor characters are distributed pretty much in the same manner . The performance of Mr . Fechter is one that demands the direct attention of every admirer of trueacting ; it is nofc possible to award too much praise to the finish , and the intelligence of his personation . Mr . Fechter ' s narrativerof the

mystery of his family was admirable , ancl worked up as it proceeded with the most intense energy of expression ; and his management of the reconciliation between the hostile peasants ivas full of subtle touches of character , and clear though slight indications of individuality . At the close of this scene , Avhere the spirit of the brother appears , Mr . Fechter's solemnity of manner was truly impressive and in the hihest degree imaginativeIn the

g . concluding scene of the duel , again , tiie fixed determination and the strong ^ desire for vengeance were finely marked . Such a combination of thorough conception of character , with perfect ease , energy ,, and finish as Mr . Fechter ' s personation of the " Corsiean Brothers " presents there is at present no other instance of upon our stage .

LYCEUM . Thafc an actor who has achieved a success in an Irish character of low life should fail to appear in what is sometimes called " a genteel part , " ivould appear like a dereliction of dut y to the public or a disinclination to subject his powers to the usual test of varied application . Thus Mr . John Drew , ivhose personation of HandAndy we have so recentlexpressed an inion

ofundery y op , took last night the part of Sir Patrick O'Plenipo in that popular comedietta "The Irish Ambassador "—a parfc so essentially differentfrom the blundering servant of Lover's novel , that its assumption becomes almost likp that of entirely a new line of character ; ifc is a change from tho kitchen to the court , from the broadest of low comedy to a finesse of manner that copes ivith diplomats ancl princes . Still the position in ivhich Sir Patrick is laced bthe

p y dramatist in this piece affords great scope for those specialities which are universally attached to our ideas of Irishmen , at all events as they appear on the stage . A deportment altogether different , and a brogue a little less rich , are required , but easy assurance , and a constant tendency to blunders , with a happy knack of escaping their consequences , are common to both , and the actor