DRAMATIC NOTES.—AUCKLAND FAVOURITES IN FRISCO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2910, 27 May 1873, Page 3

DRAMATIC NOTES.—AUCKLAND FAVOURITES IN FRISCO.

[by " CALL-BOY," IN THE " AUSTRALASIAN."] " Fob some months past the opening of the theatres, music-halls, and dancing Baloons in this city on the Sunday evening has been a perfect eyeßore, not only to the religious and order-loving portion of our community, but to the police authorities themselves. Sunday night—and I say it with regret—is in many parts of this city the rowdiest iu the seven, and there is more debauchery, drunkenness, and blasphemy than on any ordinary weekday evening. The whiskey mills, lager-beer shops, gambliug-houßos, and low drinking dew? do more business, and cause more sin and misery, on the Lord's day evening than at any other time. To such a fearful state of degradation and ungodliness had a great portion of our working population descended through these base attractions, that active measures were taken to remove the evil, and to attain that object the local Legislature, during the last aeßsion, again passed the ' Sunday Law,' which wnß repealed some three years back by one of the most corrupt bodies of men that ever Bat in the Legislature. The Sunday law came into operation on the Ist instant, but has proved to be almost inoperative. The punishment for breaking it i« very lenient, and a repetition of the offence does not carry with it an increase of fine or punishment. The Act says that the transgressor shall be punishable by a fine of not less than live nor more than fifty dollars ; so that, in fact, the fine is a mere increase in rent." S j writes my correspondent, under date January 28. " Madame Agatha States and Signor Orlandini, after a lengthened tour through Australia and the Sandwich Islands, arrived here by the Nebraska on Christmas Eve, both in good health and spirits. It is in contemplation to attempt another short opera season to re-in-troduce these two artists to a Californian audience. Madame States, however, haß a more important role to fulfil at present, as her husband, "William M. States, commenced an action for divorco on the 20lh instaut in the Fifteenth District Court. Doth parties aro old ' residents' of this city, and were married here in 1857. They then proceeded to Europe, where, after completing her musical education, Madamo States nnde her dibut. in opera. Habitual drunkenness on the husband's part is stated to have caused a separation some years ago. The divorco is sought on the ground of desertion, and will not be in any way contested. Great sympathy is foltin all circles for Madame States, who is an especial favourite in this country. The burlesque and pantomime of the ' Yellow Hat' was produced at Christmas, in which Miss Clifton, as ' Fortunio, a fisherman who sports a Yellow Hat,' and does a ' bones solo' and a ' breakdown,' achieved a deservedly great puccess. Mr. Hussey, towards the close of the run of the burlesque, appeared as Ric Rar, Satan's chief agent, but failed to make any impression. Burnt cor!;, is this gentleman's line of business. He ought to stick to it." " John E. Taylor and Harry Causland, burnt corkists, announce their intention to leave here for Australia in about a month's time."