Febrtiary 14, 1903.]
beyond their years, and the vocal parts wero admirably done. Miss Ivy Tr.tt made en excellent Put Jones; she sang well and acted most convincingly as the pirate chief. To Miss Alica Pollard was entrusted the rile of Yoonne; her singing was worthy of the re-calls which were given her, and her swoet voice was heard to great advantage in the solos of the part, hest of all perhaps in Before the Altar," as well as in the duels with her sweetheart. Miss Irene Loftus was the Rufino, and the appearance she made was one of the best in the cast. Master Jack Pollard and Miss Daphne Pollard were beyond words funny as Bouillabaise and “ Insect," in which capacity they kept the audience rippling with laughter. Master Willie Thomas was au ideal guardian uncle to the heroine, Master C. Bindloss a typical privateer ing captain, and Miss Connie Pollard a clever Chopinette, her sabot song and dince being particularly well done. Also deserving of more than passing mention were Miss May Topping and Master Oscar Haints in the respective parts of Maloguena and Don Trocadero. It remains to be added that the setting of the piece was all that could be desired, pretty and tasteful, especially the girden sene. The picture dances were greatly admired, but the manage. ment have to face the problem whether or no this effect is worth retaining at the expense of the continuous and most irritating noise mad by the electric light apparatus in the dress circle. For our part, we say-Sacritics the light. The Ocean band played the incide tal music with their accustomed ability. Sometimes, by the way, the accompaniment appeared to be rather overpowering for the soloists, but that should be easily remedied.
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JAPAN
[FROM OUR CORBEƐPONDENT.
Tokyo, 28th January,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADË REPORT. and as Sir Lewis Gray, the judge of the Divorce Court, imparted to the character that touch of personality which made his other representations 10 successful. He sang well, oice, as a bit of "gag," from the stalls, and was encored four times. Lady Virginia For-
THE GENERAL ELECTIONS. rest had a charming delineator in Miss Connie
The elections in Japan take place on March Pollard; and Miss Nellie McNamara, the stage wife of Master Jack Pollard, #ppeared credit- 1st, and will probably be contested with cousi ably in the part of Lady Gray. Miss Lillie derable bitterness. The reason of that bitter- More as Capt. Fitzwarren, Miss Irene Loftusness is this. The Opposition thinks that the Government had recourse tó a nasty way of as Licut. Rivers, and Master C. Bindloss as Licut. Farquar, three dashing officers of revenging itself on them when it dissolve the The the Life Guards, were. as attractive in H use of epresentativos; and there was indeed
their respective military roles as Miss Ivy
no reason for taking that step, sincs there was n Trott (Capt. Holdfield) and Master Willie general election as recently as August last and Thorne (Major Barclay) were in theirs. since the G. varpment itself knew perfeo:ly well that the great bulk of the nation wes of the Minna, a French maid, had a capable ox- ponent in Miss May Topping, »nd the part of same way of thinking as the Opposition on the Lady Aldwin was forcefully portrayed by Miss particular question that brought about the dissolution. In short, it is clear that the Go. Alice Pollard.
vernment wanted to wound the Opposition members in their most vulnerable part, their purses, for in Japan an election is proportionately far more expensive than are elections anywhere ulse, costing each candidate, as it does, at least 3,000 yen (E300 sterling) on an averago. For Japanese politicians this expense is very serious, as most of them aro impecunious. This is to be seen by the way in which money-lenders and credi ors descend on them in a body once they pass the threshold of the House of Representatives on pay-day (in Japan the mombars of Parliameut are paid); and also by the arrest of several members To make matters lately for embezzlement. worse, the members will not now, on account of the dissolution, 1eceive for some time the second
two instalments, one of the instalments being balf of the 2,000 yen, which is paid to them in paid to them at the beginning of the sessou and the other towards the end of it.
Paul Jones was repeated on Monday and Tuesday.
On the 8th inst, was the Lilliputiens' holiday, and they enjoyed themselves. Accepting the kied invitation of Capt. Howie, the entire company sat down to tiffiu in the Changsha's saloon, and at 3 p.m. the Empress of India was visited and afternoon tea partaken of. Then Capt. Tate of the Rosettu Maru carried them off to dinner, where they enjoyed themselves so thoroughly that they could not avail themselves of the kind invitation from the Doric's skipper.
(C AGMETY GIRL.“
A piece more in accord with the spirit of gaiety at present abroad in the Colony, spirit engendered by the recurrence of our annual Race Meeting, which everyone feels bound to make an effort to attend, could not have been chosen than that of A Gaiety Girl, the comedy staged at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday by Pollard's versatile juvenile combination. Needless to say, the house was fall, and was norer in better humour; those whose fanoles at the Races had realised expectations and justified expenditure in the backing of them were tnued to the necessary appreciative pitch, whilst less fortunate speculators forgot tho sure things "that had, alas! proved bat broken reeds and laughed as heartily as anyone at the humorous story rolated from across the footlights. Animated in action an bright in dialogue, 4 Gaiety Girl possesses an attraction equal to if not greater than that of The Belle of New York, than which it is perhaps even more boisterous. However, putting distinctions to one side, the production, admirably staged, proved a worthy addition to the success.8 already gained by the Lillipu tinus. The comedy is too well known and appreciated to weed either introduction or commendation, and so we shall content ourselves merely with discussing the appearance made by the ambitious little performe s who essayel its presentment.
The piece was appropriately mounted and dressed,nd the ratious pas de deux were gracefully executed, an Irish jig receiving special favour. The comedy was repeated on Thursday and last night.
SWATOW.
[FROM CUR CORESPONDINT.]
Swatow, 9th Folruary. NEW MISSION HOSPITALS.
A very pleasant and rare ceremony took place bero on Friday last, the 6th instant, when tho new Ewatow Mission hospitals, situated close to the 'nglish Presbyterian Mission premises, were officially opened. In response to the invitatio s issued, almost all the foreign resid-uts were pres n' at the fauction. There was also quite a crowd of Chinese belonging to the upper classes as well as Chinese officials and the local Consular representatives. Several of the native officials were prevented from attending owing to having gone to Chowchow foo to offer their condolences to the Taotai on Lis recent bereavement. A dedicatory service, partly in English and partly in Chinese, was first held in the hospital chapel. Dr. 1 yall, in a neat discourse, then gave a retrospect of the existence of Mission hospita's in Swatow, which was listened to with great interest. It appears that the first Mission hospital was built hero about 3 years ago. He also incidentally menti.ned that the cost for the building of the present hospitals w s defcryed by subscription, to which Mr. Richardson, head of Messrs. Bradley & Co., and Mr. Tan Ho-teng, a well known local pbilan. thropist, munificently contributed. $20,000
were also sent from England. The hospitals, consisting of one department for men and one for women, the former comprising 180 and the latter 100 beds, and built after the most modern system, were subsequently opened by Messrs Richardson and Tan Ho-teng, who had the keys handed to them by Dr. Lyall and Miss Alexander, M.D., respectively. The two latter were attired in the`r academical robes and afforded quite un interesting aspect to those present.
The opening performance having ended, tea was served for all in the hospital chapel. A func- tion of a similar nature will take place some time next year, when an Anglo-Chinese college will be inaugurated here.
The Opposition members are not therefore over-fond of the Government, and a recent action of the Cabinet will not serve to mollify them. I allude to the convocation in Tokyo of the Provincial Governors whom the Cabinet lectured in a most fatherly manner on its policy and whom it recommencel to bs very, very fair at the forthcoming elections. It seemed very kind of the Government to take all this trouble, but the Oposition members are not at all grateful; in fact they have denounced the Government for having attempted to make the election officials their agents, and one of the Opposition newspapers-not a very reputable one, it must ba confessed-goes so far as to assert that the Government is using the money of the State for the purpose of forming a Government party; and though this cannot bo true it shows how little love is lost between the Government and its enemies.
COLLAPSE OF PARLIAMENTARISM.
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this
I am afraid that the present condition of politics in Japan would furnish the Loudon Spectator with another argument to prove that the talking shops are almost everywhere losing the confidence of the people, and that the time has come to shut most of them up. F shall not give my Own views ou subject. I shall give those of a Japanese, and of a Japanese who is it a peonlier position to know all about the working of the constitutional system. I refer to M. Os ki,ons of the leaders of the Seiyu-kać (Cɔnstitu- tionalists), Marquis Ito's party....... To sum up Mr. Ozaki's observations in a few words, he is NO disgusted with "constitutional Government in Japan that he advocates a suspension of the The Univeral Gazette's Peking correspondent constitution until such time as the nation is ripo writes that Governor Wang Chih-chun of for a constitution.. This runs counter, to John Stuart Mill's well-known rem ark with regard Kwangsi recently memorialised the Thro e on
who is the present condition of affairs in that province, to the balance of advantages on the side of and among other things he stated that the representative government, but nobɔd regions on the right bank of the West River acquainted with the working of constitutional were compa atively quiet, but the rebals on the government in this country can fail to sym- Interest generally centred in Master Jack
whether Pollard and Miss Daphuc Pollard. Miss left bank of the River had again broken out, pathise with Mr. Ozaki in his despair. It might be questioned, however Daphne's was not the most important part in making Chiang chow and Pinchow their head-
In consequence the Governor Japan has reilly got à constitutionst Govern- the cast, but the little lady has already given quarters. snob undoubted proofs of her ability that intended to make Limehow h's basis of operations ment to start with. Margt in her case the question of role becomes a against them. The Peking an horifies were the constitütion and who ou detail hardly, to be considered in relation surprised that after hasing repeatedly received Know something about it, has tol to her occupancy of the stage; enough reports of successes of the Government troops ia again that the Cabinet is n that she takes a part, that she will not ' Kwangsi, the Governor should now report that the people but only to t allow it to be relegated to obscurity. She was the rebels had again brok ʼn out, showing that |||resent Cabinet is ...the chapliju, the Rev. Montagu Brierly, and his previons reports of victories could not be all | view of the matter, for it fulfilled as such the promises of her earlier | truo. In consequence the Court issued a com- › violently opposed appearances in The Belle of New York and Paul | mand to the Governor on the 10th
Master Jack Pollard, too, was excellent, hasten his operations.
ones:
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House of Representat about a dozen. Th
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