The Sun. — London, England, 1829-04-28 00:00:00

GRAND MASQUERADE. Last night a splendid Masquerade was given at the` Opera-house. A platform being thrown over therpit on a level with the stage, and this spacious area being rendered beautiful and magnificent by all that taste and art could devise, or liberality accom- We are always glad when the Opera-house, instead of the Argyll-rooms, is made the scene of these amusements : the bold and superb sweep of the bozo' brilliantly illuminated, as seen from the stag e , the vista of the stage itself, with its scenery, foliage, and variegated lamps, form a coup d'cril of surprising, grendeur, surpassing any thing of the sort in Europe. And then the fine space for the indolent lounge --the antic trick and merry gam bel—the softened notes of the numerous instru ments, mellowed by distance—the convenience of the ante-rooms for different shows, and of the spacious Concert-room for the supper—render this house infinitely superior to any other for the purpose of a Masquerade. Last night the cha racters were numerous and well supported:— We had Clowns with wit and humour, both witty and clownish; Harlequins with tricks and leaps, as diversified shai. Jackets. W e h a d G orgon! , ( gres, •od ers, contrasted with French b ancing-atasters, Italian Singers, Quacks, Mourne banks,, Jugglers, Buffoons, and Gentlemen of all descriptions —here was a Wild Man of the Woods walking wlth a Dandizette, and there a love-lore impb!ainging her "lowly suit and plaintive ditty ;" t here was a laufrittig Romeo, and, by his side, a dancing Kunlet Te was a Rosalind, to whom a triasqueteu e was as natural as fire is to the Sala mander. We saw an Ophelia—Heaven forbid we sh ould ever se e h er aga i n ! Th ere were f em i n i ne Cupids of eighteen, lovely, tremulous, and sensi tive; and there was a Cupid that made us think of the Antediluvians—one hundred and eighty years -old at least (we speak conscientiously). There Were holy Friars, with most unholy aspects; and Nuns who had never taken the veil (we wish to heaven some of them had). We saw crews of Sailors, who had never been aloft, except in their uPper stories—Knights most urbane, but in refulgent and belliferous armour—fair-faced unshorn Officers of the Guards, and Dragoons whose better part of valour was discretion. But talk not to us of a ifiasquerade bd . (); e supper ; it is, as Lord Byron says, like an English sun in murky maudling sorrow •--by. comparison. Wait till the ruby Claret and brilliant Champagne have given the heart its joyous ness, and the mind its poetry. By the by, we are no censors nor spies, but Mr. Sergeant "got nothing by his moti on " b ut a fee si m ple. We can tell Lord H. that he shines more on the barouche-bux than in a box at the Masquerade ; and a certain weighty karquis is so accustomed to Crockford's, that he thinks nothing of making ladies look rouge, and his Male friend look noir. Our mouths are hermetically sea led, and we wish it had been the same with a Scotch Countess, whose broad Gaelic and large di mensions cunningly betray e d h er , i n sp i te o f h er i ncog . so 'devised. The chief novelty was a set of sailors on horseback, who sustained an excellent mock fight, and kept up good mock races. 'IRE DI WE STMINSTER ABBEY. The inhabitants of Westminster were last night thrown into the greatest alarm and consternation, in consequ ence of a fire having been discovered in this venerable pile of building. From the intelligence that we were able to collect at the late hour at which the accident occurred, it appears that about eleven o'clock, as Mr. Eversfield, the auctioneer, of Great -S mith-street, and a Mr. "Wilkins, who resides in C owley -street, West m i ns t er , were pass i ng f rom Princes-street to Dean's-yard, they observed a flame • or light visible through the windows of the Abbey. TlitY immediately informed the watchman of the cir- Nnstance ; and assistance having been instantly *(lcured; the Abbey d oors were opene d , and i n the "forth transept aisle a part of the beautiful wood I t,ork.was discovered to be on fire. A party of the Guards was sent for, and were immediately in .4itendance, and every precaution was taken to guard imit the intrusion of robbers. The engines were P r °rEply on the spot, and a plentiful supply of water olitatned, but happily there was no occasion to call them into action, the fire having been extinguished by the persons who were attached to the Abbey. A strict search too k p l ace throughout the i nter i or o f tUt with a view of discovering the incen diary (who is su pp ose d to h ave atte mpted its de struction), if he was concealed in the interior, but we (lid not hear that any such person was found. A fire took .plac e on the same spot in the year 1802, oc casioned by the negligence of the plumbers' men who were repairing the roof; but on this occasion no such repairs were going on ; no fire or lights are, on any account, suffered to be introduced into the Abbey ; and it is, therefore, generally supposed • that some person has attempted the destruction of this Magnificent structure, and who, we hope, will shortly be brought to justice. FURTHER PARTICULARS. Since writing the above we have made further inquiries respecting the fire, and discovered that it broke out in the upper part of that portion of the building we have above described, and in a spot sel dom or ever visited by the public. The last per sons who were known to visit it were some work teen about a twelvemonth ago. When the firemen entered the place last night, they discovered a quan ,fity of . shavings, apparently fresh, and which, it would appear, had been placed there by some in eendiary. A large canvass screen, which had been erected some time ago, to prevent the workmen Pill into ot h er parts o f t h e b u ildi ng, was b urnt, I n "), felling d own , set fi re to t h e fl oor, w hi c h i t tont through, and if immediate assistance had no t beentr obtained, would have speedily extended in a ll trecti ons, and destroyed the whole edifice. The 1 1 1 1 111 ",ef th e fi re h as not b een discovered ; and al our" the strict es t searc h h as b e en mad e through the buildi ng , t h e i ncen di ary h as not b een dis coovered. The fi remen state th a t it was i m p oss ibl e f r the Are to have occurred by accident. PAISLEY. e it,." ll 9equence of the managers of the operatives' fund at Paisl e y having com e t o th e reso l ut i on , 4 as s tated in our last, of establishing a soup-kitchen, . 01 „P u blie meeti ng of the inhabitants of that town took yesterd a y (Thursday) afternoon, at three .b ro 'elt, to - consult a s to the mo s t p r op e r m o d e of I c uring relief in some other shape,—for, however ir the once proud-spirited weaves of Paisley may 1!a :reduced at present, they are justly indignant at 14 .. 1 ng thei r p rov i s i ons serve d out to th em i n t h e *Tie manner as the black slaves in Jamaica. Mr. l e " h am Aitken was called to the Chair, when the %tatter from M r . P ee l was rea d, an d t h e C omm i ttee t ett formally the nature of the relief proposed by the Magistr a t es , which was, that thos e out o f wor k r au ld distribute themselves over the country, an d tr k for employment ; and to enable them to do this, e ßOief Committee offered to give each indivi duto., from I s . to 2 s . to fi t th em out, and undertook A m °Something for their wives and children in th e ir le I „t ce ; and further, that a sum of 1001. was to go ibuti C&tablishment of a soup-kitchen, and the dis gon of potatoes. After some remarks, it was r eed that a committee of the unemploy e d should kitt on th ose gen tl emen w ith w h om th e soup deellen project was supposed to originate, and en .4llvour to persuade them to give work in its place, b . :: tram the well-known goodness of heart evinced kr some of those gentlemen, it was supposed to „I: 4 arisen from their ignorance of the real I * lleter of the people, for it was nothing but the ;' * lrish th a t wou ld t a ke relief in the manner offer , It was likewise agreed to write again to Mr. ee l, and inform him accurately of the extent and t e neral nature of the distress at present prevalent in and of the length of time it has continued, t - :" likewi se t o st a te particularly what has been done a . . -- ' re lieve the sufferers under it, as the letter of the er , e tary. of State appeared to leave an impression or; t he meeting that he was ignorant of the extent tne evil.--Glasgow Paper. FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE. ARRIVALS. The Bishop of Chichester, in Park-square, from Windsor Castle; the Duke of Norfolk. from hi se.d, Fornham, Suffolk ; the Duke of Manchester, from Kimbolton Castle; the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, in Upper Brook-street, from New market ; the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, from their villa at Richmond ; the Earl and Countess of Lansdale and family, from their seat, Cottesnaore, Itutlandsbire; the Earl and Countess of Sefton and the Ladies Molyneux, from New market; the Earl and Countess of Dartmouth, in Cavendish square, from their seat, Sandwell, Staffordshire ; Lord Stowell, in Grafton-street, from his seat in Berkshire ; the Earl of Bes borough, in St. James's-square, from Sussex ; Lord and Lady Anion, in St. James's-square, from Newmarket; Lord Lilford, in Berkeley-street, from Northampton ; Sir Robert Ricketts, Bart. from the Elms, Gloucestershire ; General Sir Atured Clarke, Bart. in Mansfield-street ; Major and Mrs. Ford, in Clarges.street, from Maidstone; Lady and Miss Jones, in Glou cester-place, from Paris; Major and Mrs. Bruce, in Saville-row, from Paris ; Capt. Tudor, in St. James's-place, from Malta; Major King, in Albemarle-street, from the Cape de Verd Islands; Major Grey, in the Albany, from Paris ; Lord Carrington, in Whiteall-yard, from his seat, Whycombe Abbey, Bucks; Sir Thomas and Lady Acland, in Pall-mall, from Surrey; Hon. Col. Anson, from Newmarket ; Captain and Lady Elizabeth Fielding, in Sackville-street, from their seat in 'Wilts ; the Earl and Countess of Longford and family, at the London Hotel, Albe marle-street, from Brighton ; Lord and Lady Macdonald and family, at Crawley's Hotel (late Cook's), Albemarle-street, from their seat in Yorkshire; Sir George Shoe, Bart. at ditto, from Hants; Sir C. Grant, Bart. at ditto, ftom Weymouth; Hon. Major and Captain Southwell, at the British Hotel, Jermyn. street, from a tour; Captain Baird, at ditto, from Scotland; Lord Ongley, at Hakes's Hotel, from Brighton ; the Hon. Montague and George Ongley, at ditto, from Brighton ; L G. Starkie, Esq. M.P. and Mrs. Starkie, at ditto, from Abbotts Langley; R. S. Puget, Esq. at ditto, from Bath ; J. Hudleiton, Esq. at ditto, from Bath; J. Rush, Esq. at ditto, from Newmarket. DEPARTURES. The Countess Beauchamp, for Madresfield Court, Worcester ; Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Bart. and family, from Jermyn-street, for the Isle of Wight ; Captain Ross, from the British Hotel, for Brighton ; Mrs. Bulwer and family, from Fenton's Hotel, for Tunbridge Wells. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. BRITISH SPIRITS. An ACCOUNT of the Number of Imperial Proof Gallons of &gem distilled in each Kingdom, exported from Scotland to England, and from Ireland to England, and from Scotland to Ireland, and that paid Duty in each Kingdom, for Home Consumption; the full Rate of Duty per Imperial Proof Gallon applying to these Spirits in each Kingdom, and Amount thereof at that Rate, for the Year ended January 5, 1829. GALLONS DISTILLED IN GALLONS EXPORTED PROM England 3,974,795 Scotland to England ...r,232,M3 Scotland 10,117,027 Ireland to England 681,463 Ireland 9,753,136 Scotland to Ireland-- 996,368 Total 123,849,948 PAID DUTY FOR HOME CONSUMPTION. MISS SMITHSON. (From the Nederlandesehe Mercurius, No. 29.) On the announcement of Miss Smithson's ar►ival, the expectations of the Amsterdam public were raised, and an impatient longing was very general among that class v%ho are acquainted with English literature. The cx 04401.1i/laq reputation which she acquired in so short a period, by her performance at Paris, has spread through Europe, and placed her upon a level with Clairon and Siddons. Even the French, who are commonly partial, consider her superior to Georges and Duchesnois. Conse quently, our exultation, in having an opportunity of beholding this excellent tragedian, was natural and warranted : and, indeed, our expectations haire not been disappointed; for we have applauded, with unfeigned rapture, the only actress who was able to bring to our remembrance that ideal of act ing, the incomparable Waffler. The first character in which she appeared was that of Jane Shore, wherein she displayed art beyond all praise. Her just and refined conception grasped all the transi tions of that arduous part, and she pourtrayed them with an elegant delicacy and feeling. In the first act her air was captivating and graceful ; and her auditors felt themselves overpowered with compas sionate emotions during her personation of that amiable and penitent character; particularly after she had entrusted her jewels to the care of her treacherous friend Alicia, while pronouncing with heartfelt emotion : " While woman, sense and nature's easy fool, If poor weak woman swerve from virtue's rule, If strongly charmed, she leave the thorny way, And in the softer paths of pleasure stray, Ruin ensues, reproach, and endless shame; And one false step entirely damns her fame; In vain with tears the loss she may deplore, In vain look back on what she was before; She sets, like stars that fall, to rise no more !" Nor was she less . excellent in third act, when Hastings would have seduced her to his will. She resisted his brutal attempts,not with haughtiness,not with useless gestures, but with delicacy, with an ex pressive look of reproach for abusing the confidence she had placed in him. In the fourth act she shewed herself to be a consummate actress, when, after having briefly related her griefs to Gloucester, in a most affecting manner, she became instantaneously enraptured on hearing that Hastings had taken the part of the Royal orphans, and justly appreciated the noble-mindedness of the man by whom she had been insulted. Her voice resounded awfully when she herself stood up in defence of the atnhappy children ; and when Gloucester's order sentenced her to the most horrible of deaths, her pantomimic performance was superlatively excellent. Yet it was in the last, the terrible act, that she gave especial proof of the power and witchery of the art. None but a tra gedian like herself, when placed in the same shock. ing situation, during a whole act creeping along the ground in the agonies of death, could have fettered the attention of the spectator, to that degree which rendered them insensible to the miserable scenery, the theatre, and the lamentable acting of the other performers —nay, Miss Smithson herself was for gotten in the public bewailings of the pitiable fate of Jane Shore. On her entering in penance-garb, barefooted, enfeebled by three days famine, ex hausted and pined away, a chill of horror pervaded the whole assembly. All shuddered as she ap proached the door of Alicia, to crave that support which it was conjectured would be refused. But who can paint that glance of anxiety she cast around, to see if ;to guard lurked near, before she ventured to touch the knocker ? or who can depict the fright she exhibited when the noise of the knocker struck upon her ear? She seemed to dread that her pursuers had heard the sound. Her pa tience and gentleness under the reproaches - and spurnings of Alicia, and the terror with which she was seized when her injured husband presented himself before her, are indescribable. What despair was heard as she pronounced— " Oh, save me, Belmeur ! from his angry shade !" and, a little further on, how sublimely simple and affecting was her expression of— " Alas ! wond'rous faint ; But that's not strange—l have not eat these three days." All the tones, all the transitions, so difficult and diversified, Miss Smithson knows how to express with the greatest propriety, without using unneces sary gesticulations, by her charming and distinct voice, together with the magic of two bewitching eyes. Her graceful form, her nobleness of features, and the tastefulness of her movements, contribute, in no small degree, to produce an ensemble of per. fection not easily to be found in others. We earnestly recommend onr Dutch actresses not to neg lect the opportunity now afforded them of improving themselves in the art ; for a studious attention to Miss Smithson's performance will teach them more than they can learn from a hundred theoretical lessons. LAVATER'S SYSTEM of PHYSIOGNOMY. (An Extract from Tales of the Great St, Bernard.) We were turning over a Sue and interesting col lection of drawings, portraits of the chief patrons and brethren of the Convent, when I made some casual observation on the rapid rise and equally rapid declension of Lavater's system. " Lavater was a fop," said the Englishman ; " and had no more idea of the true reserve of science, than a French ballet-master has of walking. Hi s Swiss soul was in a perpetual whirligig; and so on he went in a caper of discovery, till he set the world laughing at himself and his system together." " Yet he certainly made some very singular dis coveries," said I, making an effort for the honour of Zurich. " He did," said an Italian with a smile; he found out genius in Joseph the Second." " And magnanimity in Frederic," said a Saxon. " And humanity in Catherine," said a Pole. " And on the same principle," said the English man, " that he found courage in the mouse, gentle ness in the rat, and fidelity in the sparrow." " The truth was," continued the Englishman, " he kept an inn for the reception of fools, great and small, whose compliments gave him that grand bribe of continental smatterers, a European reputation; or, in other words, the pleasure of being talked of in the coffee-houses, and scribbled to by the idlers of the Continent : a pleasure which he amply repaid by putting the faces of his correspondents into his work, and making them ridiculous as far as the book could travel. I knew Lavater well. He was a simple, harmless, and good-natured being: pious ac cording to the genius of his native country, which consists in singing hymns to mountain-tops, and run ning into raptures every evening at the sight of the stars ; a republican, by occupation, and fancifully conceiving a republic to consist of the best of possi ble purposes; but, at the same time, unable to con ceal his ecstacies at the view of a scrap of ribbon, red, green, or blue, on the breast of one of his visitors ; or his exultation at the display of the hideous autographs by which the illustrious travel lers deign to disfigure albums." " Yet his theory was benevolent," said an Eng lish officer—a bold-featured asid cheerful-looking soldier, who with his graceful wife had stood by laughing at our rival remarks on the old physiogno mist. " For," continued the officer, "in his good nature, he was wont to discover ability in faces almost as unconscious of their merits as s o many marks ; and sent every body away as happy as the possession of genius, and virtue, and perpetual good luck could make them." " Friend of the human race," said the French man, " he loved them all, men, women, and children, and hated nobody but D'Alembert." " But why ?" was the general question. " For two reasons : because he was an atheist, and still more, because he had a red nose." The officer laughed outright; his lady smiled, and exchanged a significant glance with him. " I must protest," said he to the Frenchman, " against the red nose making a part of the indict ment against the encyclopedist; for to the wearer of such a nose -have I been indebted for my life, my wife, and my half-pay." He was asked to explain the riddle. His grace ful wife protested in vain against his detailing so much of the family history; but he laughed away her resistance, and related" The Captain's Tale, or the Red-nosed Lieutenant."* * * # THE CURRENCY. (From the Manchester Guardian.) About four months ago we presented to our readers two or three articles on the subject of the Currency, and on the effects likely to result from the withdrawal of the small notes. In previous articles on the currency we have stated that the extinction of the small notes would be felt more or less severely in proportion as Bank ers were inclined to facilitate or throw obstacles in the Way of the measure; and accordingly we hear from different quarters very different accounts as to their inclinations and conduct. Whilst some have acquiesced in the change of the law with a good grace, and have evinced every disposition to ac commodate their business to the altered circum stances, others are stated to have had recourse to such a resolute denial of accommodation to their customers as have created a serious pressure in their districts, and others to have invented shifts and eva sions of the law of a kind by no means creditable. These, however, of course, can only have been practised by houses of the !Kst wealthy or reput able kind—houses whom it is a gross,anomaly; and a heavy reflection on the judgment of our legislators, that we should ever have seen at all invested with the privilege of interfering with the King's prero gative in the issue of a currency. We were quite ready to admit, and indeed we stated (Guardian, January 3), that " in districts where, local notes having been almost the only cir culation, credit had been accustomed to stand in a great degree in the place of capital, there would pro bably be a severe temporary pressure." This pres sure now exists ; we are perfectly willing, indeed, to allow that a pressure exists much beyond what we have ever anticipated, as connected with the change in our monetary system ; but the question still remains--is that pressure referable wholly or only in part to that change ? We think only in part—in a very small part; and we are perfectly sa tisfied that but for other untoward circumstances which are accidentally coincident with it, there would have been no pretext, however fallacious, for representing it as productive of serious difficulty. We shall proceed to enumerate some of the causes to which the present depressed condition of trade, and the difficulty of obtaining payments, are attri butable. We state them as they occur to us, with out professing to place them in the order of their relat►ve importance. Ist. There is a total absence of any inducement to speculation (except as regards corn), from the existence of apprehensions of scarcity. Under cir cumstances of the abundant supply of commodi ties, without an increasing demand for them, the tendency of prices must be towards reduction. And whilst such is generally the case, trade will always appear to be labouring. 2. From political and other causes, the vent for our manufactures in various countries has of late been greatly curtailed. Our trade with Portugal has been almost ruined by the state of the Govern ment; with Spain and the North of Africa it has been interfered with by the fever at Gibraltar; with the Levant, by the war in the East ; with the United States, by their Tariff; with Mexico, Co lombia, and Peru, by the intestine commotions in those countries ; with Buenos Ayres, first by the war with the Emperor Pedro, and subsequently by the unsettled state of the Republic. To other markets—the Brazils and the East Indies, for in stance—there has been a great deal of overtrading, the necessary result of which is a temporary check to the demand for goods, and a serious reduction of transactions. The shipping business of the present spring has been limited also by the unusually late period to which the river Elbe and the Baltic have remained dosed against navigation by the ice. The enume ration of matters which have recently had a very unfavourable influence on our foreign trade, weihave no doubt, might easily be extended; but those we have mentioned will suffice for our purpose. Of another class of circumstances which have tended materially to depress business, is the want of confidence ; that arose about the end of last year, in consequence of the failure of two London banking houses, both of whom appear to have been for many years insolvent, and one of which suspended pay ment under circumstances infinitely more prejudicial, as regards its effects on credit, than a common failure to'an equal amount. The want of confidence was further increased •by the vast number of failures which have occurred in Glasgow, many of them the direct result of the over-trading in 1824-5; but all going to indicate a degree of unsoundness in the system of business in that city, which could not but seriously affect the trade of this district. The im provident shipments of last year, too, by which some markets were so completely glutted with goods as to make the result of the sales there absolutely ruinous, were, we believe, chiefly on Scotch ac count, and have themselves produced many very serious failures. But the greatest cause of the existing distress is beyond all doubt the very unfavourable harvest of last year. This, it is indisputable, was not only greatly deficient in quantity, but in most parts of the country very seriously injured in quality. Under common circumstances crops of grain, larger or less than usual, depress or raise prices much beyond the ratio of the excess or the deficiency. But under cir cumstances such as those of last year, this effect is not produced. Our wheat, generally, we believe, was of very bad quality, and it was brought into competition with a great deal of foreign wheat of good quality ; consequently it fetched only a compa ratively low price. The farmer, therefore, has been necessarily a heavy sufferer, without any hope of re lieving himself until the occurrence of a more favour able season makes up for th e l osses o f i ts oppos i te . It would be ridiculous in us to attempt to make anything like an exact estimate of the pecuniary in jury sustained by the agricultural interest from the bad harvest of last year; but we have no doubt that it must have amounted to many millions. It is to be observed, too, that the consumers have not here, as in case of more than ordinarily productive harVests, benefitted by the sufferings of the farmers. They have had to pay an advanced price for their food, though comparatively little of the profit of that advance has gone to the English cultivator. Without pursuing this part of the subject further, however, it must suffice to remark, that the country trade generally would have been in a state very dif ferent from what it has been for the last six months, if the harvest of 1828 had been a favourable one. Indeed, we fully believe that had such been the case, but little of the distress which some public writers are now attributing in the gross to the ex tinction of the small notes would have been in exist ence. e,l s It s very Well known that even when trade gene rallyt is not suffering under particular depression, the "ageer o o. of labour ers d o no t rise from the mere occur rencef one unfavourable harvest. Their situation is rated to the extent, to which they are obliged to devote an extra portion of their wages to the purchase of fo o d, b e y on d what suffices for that ob ject in common seasons. . Hence they are unable to obtain their usual supplies of clothes and other com modities; and all the trades connected with the furnishin g of these accordingly suffer. The de rangement arising out of such a harvest as the last consequently pervades almost every class of society. A deputation of gentlemen connected with the Silk -trade att en d e d a t th e T re asury, for the purpose of having a conference with some of the Cabinet Ministers. The deputation were received by the Duke of WELLING- Tow, the PRESIDENT Of the BOARD Of TRADE, End the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. Mr. HUME, of the Customhouse, also assisted at the interview, which lasted about an hour. Gallons. I Rate. lAmount of Duty. 7,759,694 5,116,180 9,937,903 ---------- Total 93,413,777 England ... s. d. s. d. 7 0 2,715,892 18 0 2 10 809,792 3 4 2 W 1,407,869 11 10 Scotland Ireland 4,933,554 13 2 J. ENJBANK, General Accountant. Excise Office, London, March 17, 1829. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S. The settling on the last week's races occupied a very considerable portion of the afternoon, and some tolerably large sums passed. The losses on the Riddlesworth and Claret Stakes were serious ; the last- named race was much talked of, and Chiffney's jockeyship highly praised; so certain was he of the race, when at the Duke's Stand, and so exactly had he calculated the capabilities of hie own and the other horses, that seeing his brother there, he ex claimed triumphantly, " All right, Will—l have it safe enough." He has since been offered 3000 guineas for Zinganee, but we have heard that circumstances prevent the sale of the horse.—The betting yesterday would imply that Lord Sligo's horses are improving, as they were both backed to a considerable amount ; so were all the princi pal favourites. The odds closed thus : DERBY. 4to 1 agst Matron (taken) 15 to 1 agst Will-o'-the-WisP. 6 to 1 agst Morris Dancer 18 to 1 agst Windrush Bto 1 agst Camel (9 taken) 22 to 1 agst Post Obit 10 to 1 agst Espagnolle 25 to 1 agst Canvass 12 to 1 agst Prince Eugene (tak.) 30 to 1 agst Dabs. 0118. 4to 1 agst Paulina (Quadrille) 9to 1 agst Clotilde 6 to 1 aget Green Mantle 10 to 1 agst Vat 7 to 1 agst Varna 20 to 1 agst Augusta 20 to 1 aget Seraph. Many of the above come out next week in the 2000 and 1000 Guinea Stakes and the Newmarket Stakes. The respective favourites are Patron, Green Mantle, Pau line, Morris Dancer, and Clotilde, but there were no de finite odds. CATTERICK BRIDGE (YORKSHIRE) MEETING. THURSDAY, APRIL 23.—The Filly Stakes of 20 sovs. each, p. p. ; Bst. Mile and a half. Mr. Jackson's c. by Corinthian Mr. Nowell's b. by Orville or Walton Mr. Fletcher's br. by Blacklock Two others started, but were not placed. The Yearling Stakes of 20 soap. each, p.p. ; colts Bst. 31b. fillies Set. One mile. Mr. POwlett's Lady E mme li ne 1 Duke of Leeds's c h. f. by Bl ac kl oc k Mr. Westgarth's General Honeywood Mr. Stephenson's Fi s h er L ass bolted Only three were placed. Three paid. A Maiden Plate of 50 sovs. Heats, two miles. Mr. Wright's Robin Redbreast 4 0 1 1 Mr. Powlett's b. g. b y M onreat h Mr. Serjeantson's Bonny Pet 2 odr Mr. Kay's b. 1. by Blacklock • CURRAGH APRIL MEETING, 1829. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22.—Wellington Stakes of 30 sous. h. ft. T.Y.C. Mr. Caldw e ll' s Si r E. Codrington Mr. Kirwan's Milo 2 Mr. M‘Donnell's Courier Lord Anglesca and three others paid. THURSDAY, APRIL 23.—King's Plate of 100 guineas for Irish bred horses, &e. not exceeding 5-yr-olds each. Four mile heats. Mr. Blake's Damien de Lacey Match for 50 sous. each. Two miles.—Mr. Caldwell's The Little Joker beat Mr. Langton's f. by Langar. Match for 25 sous. each. Old T.Y.C.—Captain Wes tenra's Tidings beat Mr. Hunter's Bittern. NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING, 1831. TUSSDAT.--Match for 200 sovs. h. ft. D.M.—Mr. Rogers's gr. c. by Partisan, d. by Hambletonian—Marcia, agst Mr. Roberts's e. by Einilius, d. by Skim—Ralphina, Bst. 71b. each. Sweepstakes o f 100 sous. each, h. ft. ; colts Set. 71b. and fillies Set. Sib. by Tiresias. D.M. Mr. Rogers's f. by Tiresias—Landscape Mr. Molony's b. f. by Tiresias—Bizarre Duke of Poi tland's ch. c. by Tireesias—Agatha Lord. Stradbroke's br. c. by Mresias—Scandal's dam. WZDNESDAY.-Sweepstakes of 100 soy.. h. ft. ; fillies Set. Sib. then 3-yr-olds. Ab. M. Slb. and .51b. al lowed, &c. Mr. D. Radcliffe's b. f. by Centaur, d. by Dick Andrews Mr. Rogers's, by Partisan—Pasta (untried) Mr. L. Stephen's f. by Gulliver, (untried) Lord Anson'► f. by Morisco—Miniature (untried) FIRST SPRING MEETING, 1832. MOFDAY.—Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, h. ft. ; colts Sat 11b., fillies Set. 41b. D.M. Mr. Roberts's e. by Merlin, d. by Skim—Ralphina Sir M. Wood's ch. c. by Phantom—Louisa, by Orville Mr. D. Radcliffe's c. by Woful—Posthuma Mr. Rogers's c. by Partisan—Fawn Mr. Payne's f. by Whalebone—sister to Sultan CRAVEN MEETING, 1833. MONDAY.—Sweepstakes of 100 sore. h. ft. for the pro duce of mares covered in 1829, colts Bst. 101 b., fillies Bst. 71b. R.M. No produce no forfeit, and to be de clared in the July Meeting, 1830. Duke of Richmond's Dandizette by Middleton (general Grosvenor's Myrtle (allowed 71b.) by Johnny Skiff Duke of Portland's Pledge by Lottery Lord Verulan►'s Varennes by Moses. EPSOM The following are the acceptai Marefleld, 5 yrs, gst. Paul Jones, 6 yrs, 9st. Dnmelina, 4 yrs,9 st. Whisk, 4 yrs, 'lst. Mb. Stallions lately deceased— Paulowitz, by Sir Paul ; and I, 1829. Lnees for the Surrey Stakes : Musquito, 4 yrs, ist. 101 b. Timothy, 4 yrs, 7st. 101 b. Prima Donna, 4 yrs, ist. 91b. Six pay the small forfeit —Sir Oliver, by Sir Peter ; Li Nicolo, by Selitn. The Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council hid a meeting at eleven o'clock yesterday morning in the Privy Council Chamber, Whitehall ; the Loids present were the Vice-Chancellor, the Judge of the Admiralty Court, and the Paymaster of the Forces. The appeal of " Scott v. the Phoenix Company, Lower Cana da," which had been commenced at the last meeting, was called on, when Mr. Serjeant SYANICIK was beard on be half of the respondents. Other cases were gone into which occupied their Lordships till three o'clock, when the meeting adjourned. THE LATE EARL OP BRIDGEWATER The will of this Nobleman has been proved, in the Prerogative Court, Doctors' Commons, by Mr. Claremont, a banker, and partner in the house of Latitte, in Paris, who is one of the ex ecutors, with a handsome legacy. His Lordship leaves legacies to all his servants, and some larger ones to private individuals. He, however, adds that in case he should be either " assassinated or poisoned," the legacies are all to be void. lie leaves 8,0001. to the Royal Society, to be ap propriated as a reward for the best written Essay on the Creation, on the Anatomy of Man, and especially on the powers, formation, and pro perties of the Hand. (We recollect to have seen a splendid work on this subject, written by his Lordship, and privately printed by Didot, some years back.) The family manuscripts and papers, together with a lock of his mother's hair, and a particular letter, written by her to him self, and delivered, at her request, after her death, he hopes may be permitted to be deposited and kept as heir-looms in the family man sion at Ashbridge, a permission which was re fused to him by his brother, the former Earl of Bridgewater, with whom the late Earl does not appear to have been on friendly terms, although he hopes " God will forgive his brother, as he does." His own manuscripts and autographs, which are most valuable, he leaves to the British Museum, together with his vast freehold estates in Cheshire and other counties, to preserve and augment them. He does not even mention his relations, Lord Farnborough, the present Coun tess of Bridgewater, or Lord Brownlow, who will succeed to the mansion of Ashbridge, and most of the entailed property, after the death of the Countess of Bridgewater. His servants are to occupy their stations in his grand hotel, in the Rue St. Honore, in Paris, for two or three months, after which it is to be sold, together with all his furniture, plate, and jewellery. In his will nothing is intimated relating to his favourite dogs. The personal property amounts to 70,0001. THE LATE COUNTESS OF DERBY. Elizabeth, Countess of Derby, died at Knows ley Hall on Thursday the 23d of April, after several years of painful sufferings. It would be unjust to the profession of which Lady Derby, (Miss Farren) was once the brightest ornament, to omit on this occasion a brief history of her dramatic life. At the early age of fourteen, her first appearance was at the Haymarket theatre, then under the management of the elder Col man, in the character of Miss Hardcastle, in Goldsmith's comedy of She Stoops to Con quer. That season produced at the same time Henderson and Edwin. In the winter of that year Miss Farren went to Liverpool, where she appeared in Rosetta, a character afterwards re peated in London with great success. But the part which at once established her fame as an actress was Lady Townley, which we owe to the inimitable Parsons, who, with infinite diffi culty, prevailed upon her to try it for his benefit. The house was enraptured with her performance, and Miss. Farren was engaged on that night for both the Winter Theatres, and played alter nately at Drury-lane and Covent Garden the first characters in Tragedy as well as Comedy. I On the secession of Mrs. Abingdon from Drury lane, Miss Farren succeeded to all her, principal parts, and at that Theatre she remained until her marriage with Earl Derby. She was the ()Weld of her day. It was well said of her by an eminent critic, that in her peformance Miss Farren 'never deviated from the walk for which art as well as nature designed her ; that were we to collect every idea which has been 'suggested to us by books, or has been the result of our own observations on life, assisted by all that the ima gination could conceive of a woman of fashion, we should find every idea realised and every conception embodied in the person and acting of Miss Farren. Her figure was considerably above the middle heighth, and of that slight texture which allowed and required the use of full and flowing drapery—an advantage of which she well knew how to avail herself ; her face, thong% not regularly beautiful, was ani mated and prepossessing ; her eye, blue and penetrating, was a powerful feature when she chose to employ it on the public, and either flashed with spirit or melted with softness, as its mistress decided on the expression she wished to convey. Her voice never possessed much sweetness, but it was refined and feminine ; and her smiles fascinated the heart as much as her form delighted the eye. In short, a more com plete exhibition of graces and accomplishments never presented itself for admiration before the view of an audience. She continued to occupy the highest fame in genteel comedy to the end of her theatrical career. Miss Farren's last per formances were—March 30, 1797, Violante ; April 1, Maria, in The Citizen ; 3d, Esti- Jania ; 4th, Susan, in The Follies of a Day 6th, Bizarre, in The Inconstant ; and finally, on the Bth, Lady Teazle. The writer of this was present on the night of her retire ment, when the anxiety of the public to see the last of this delightful actress was so great, that the theatre was crowded soon after the doors were opened. Towards the con clusion of the play, Miss Farren appeared much affected and received much support from Mr. Wroughton and Mr. King. The fall of the cur tain was attended with repeated bursts of ap plause, not unmingled with feelings of regret for the loss of such an actress and such a woman, then in the zenith of her charms, and whilst her dramatic reputation was higher than ever. In private life Miss Farren was perfectly irreproach able—her dutiful attachment to her mother, from whom she was seldom absent, except when en gaged in her profession, was the best eulogy on the qualities of her heart. Miss Farren super intended and acted in the private theatricals at Richmond House, Privy-gardens, where Charles ox, General Fitzpatrick, Lord John Towns- bend, and the Earl of Derby, sustained charac ters in the Drama. She was much esteemed by Queen Charlotte and George the Third, and by his present Majesty. The extreme propriety of her life, after she became Countess of Derby, is well known. REPREHENSIBLE PROCEEDING.—NO fewer than eighty. convicted thieves were let loose upon the town from the New Bailey, on Saturday and Monday last. A time better suited 'for their professional avocations could not have been chosen to release them. Knott Mill Fair has amply repaid them for six months' relaxation, and the hospitalities of Mr. DUNSTAN, the keeper of the prison. We must take leave to say, however, that great culpability attaches in some quarter, for not adopting means to prevent a coincidence which we presume was entirely casual, from becoming nothing less than a public enormity. To re strain the criminal propensities of such a number Of pro fligate wretches for a few months, till their evil passions are wetted to the utmost, and then to let them all out at once, the very day before the low Saturnalia of a vast manufacturing town commenced, cannot be excused. The circumstance is disgraceful to those who are bound to protect the peace, as well as the persons and property of the inhabitants of Manchester; and we have no doubt it will attract attention in the proper quarter. —3fanehester Advertiser. SPIRIT OF THE LONDON JOURNALS. statepe r ie noefedsoacenity eaTdyheeximprovement throughout b Irelandeyondt the e as most sanguine hopes entertained by the warmest advocates of that great measure, which now, thank God! holds air eminent place amongst the laws of the land, and has already blended into one glowing light the ma nifold and incongruous colours which had hereto fore diversified, and we may justly say deformed, the face of the British Constitution. The Legislature having done its part, and his Majesty's Government on this side of the water having manifested so much boldness, generosity, and wisdom, on behalf of the people of Ireland, it remains for the smaller func tionaries at the seat of the government, to execute with punctuality, impartiality, and honour, the commands which are issued to them from the higher powers, for carrying into full effect through out the country the provisions of this bens ticent law. When we speak of the local func tionaries, we seed hardly say, that it is lit of the Lord Lieutenant, or his immediate ad visers and connections, we would imply any shadow of distrust. Every act of that Nobleman, since his accession to the Viceroyalty, proves the upright and liberal spirit with which he went amongst the people of Ireland. We are equally satisfied, that the po licy recommended from Mr. Peel's department here cannot fail to be in accordance with the principles of the recent Act of Parliament, which it cost that. Right Hon. Gentleman such psinful sacrifices, and involved him in such heavy risks, to support; but it is against the acting, petty, intriguing, long-resi dent, rancorously-prejudiced, factious, tenacious, jobbing subordinates, who have for a grievous course of years usurped arid abused the minor patronage of the local government, and infested every public office in Ireland by their paltry and offensive ma noeuvres, that we are desirous to rouse, from the commencement of this new era, the jealous vigi lance of the Lord Lieutenant and his Chief Secre tary, as well as the suspicions of this country. These men are wholesale incendiaries : they never have looked at Ireland but as the prey of their par ticular faction. They have loaded the whole me nial branch of the administration with Orangemen, their creatures. They have meddled every where, not merely by an abuse of patronage, but by the grossest perversions of justice, when the insolence a or corruption of their Orange dependents was such to bring them fairly under the arm of the law. We do not hesitate to affirm, that if these barnacles are suffered to grow and fix themselves upon the bottom of the state vessel, they may, even at this late hour, impede her progress towards the mooring ground of national contentment. The country would find it a profitable bargain even to pension off soma . hundred and fifty of these old pirates of the back stairs. The Duke of Wellington may judge their true character, by the sort of embarrassments which, since Christmass, 1821 (the date of his brother's arrival in Dublin), they threw across the path of the King's Government, and by the outrages which they offered to his Majesty's representative. His Grace may judge of their loyalty to the King's person, by the decent observance of his Majesty's birth-day, no farther back than the 23d instant.— , Times. The approaching discussion in Parliament, on the subject of the conduct of our Government towards Portugal, is, no doubt, looked forward to with much anxiety by the Portuguese emigrants in this country; and with a view to inform the public mind on the question, one of them has just published " The Appeal of a Portuguese Emigrant to the British Nation and both Houses of Parliament."— It remains to be seen how far the officers acting under the authority of our Government have or have not departed from neutrality in the affair of Terceira. On this subject we are not possessed of information on which -we should be warranted in pronouncing an opinion. The author of the pamphlet leaves us in this respect precisely where we were. The writer, however, endeavours to found a claim on this country to take part against Don Miguel, on account of the peculiarity of the relations between England and Portugal. He addresses a distinct set of arguments to the Sovereigns of Europe in ge neral, grounded on their assertion of a right to interfere with the different European nations for the protection of legitimacy. "If the Save- • reigns of Europe," he says, " have sworn to inuintain the rights of legitimacy, are they not bound to interfere against usurpations ? Do these Sovereigns wish to afford unequivocal proofs t hat they mean merely to league themselves against the people, whenever the latter may attempt to assert their rights, or reform their Government, and yet stand aloof, and see a people crushed by a tyrant constituting himself King, only through the aid of a faction, to the exclusion of the legitimate heiress?" The Sovereigns of Europe interfere in behalf of each other only when under the influence of fear for the stability of their respective Governments. Whether the principle of guaranteeing each other be or be not justifiable, was a question long and keenly discussed. Whatever reason may say, we may rest assured that Governments will not be re strained by any principle of international law from putting down a revolutionary Government when they can, if they are really afraid of the influence of the successful example on their own subjects. But we may be equally assured that the period of alarm once over, they will be as unwilling to embark in expensive projects from which they can hope to gain nothing, from an abstract love of justice. The Holy Alliance is now dead ; and it would require nothing less than the dread of another European convulsion to revive it. During that period of alarm, whatever the feelings of the Ministers of Eng.. land might be, they certainly did not compromise themselves by any open approbation of, or assistance to, the Holy Alliance; and, therefore, among . the Sovereigns of Europe, the King of England stands absolved of all obligation to take part against Don Miguel, on the ground of his sins against legi. timacy. But, says the Portuguese Emigrant, " No thing can be more extraordinary than that the British Ministry should declare, it cannot interpose to check the monstrous and tyrannical Government that now oppresses Portugal, and which threatens to reduce it.to the last stage of barbarism, while it is notorious that the misfortunes and dissensions of that unhappy kingdom have arisen from the intervention of that very Ministry." We fear there is some ground for this accusation. The relations between Portugal and England have not been those of mere amity, but have amounted to something like a guardianship on the part of the latter. We have interfered but too much in the affairs of that kingdom, and having so interfered, part of the disgrace of the present stAto of things attaches no doubt to us. The writer says, Portugal might for these two centuries " have been regarded rather as a colony than an independently allied State. It would be idle to demonstrate this truth, of which no person conversant with the his tory of the two countries can be ignorant. England, exercising the same protection over it which it now does over the lonian Islands, instigated, and nail. mately effected the separation of Brazil from the mother country, and the independence of the former Empire; as proved by the commission and instruc tions given by John VI. to Sir Charles Stuart, and the Treaty of Independence made by him in consequence. On the death of this Sovereign, the British Government readily acknowledged Don Pedro, and sent an Ambassador to the Regency Government in his name. Don Pedro, as the eldest son of John VI., and to whom the Portuguese na tion swore allegiance as their lawful Sovereign, arid who being equally recognized and acknowledged by all the Powers of Europe, was both by right and de facto the legitimate King of Portugal. The Infante Don Miguel, was, on the other; head : called . , to the Regency, principally through tke iiiterven. ~.. _. tion of England, It is scarcely necessary to state, • _.s\ that on accepting this office, he sworeto - govern-in :‘• • the name and on behalf of his brother, Don -Pedr0. ) .',:...: -' - - • All this, however, does not amount-'to the sanatst, jr- -j claim on us which our C o l on i es or, rifle loairtiii:7„, - : i Islands have. We may renounce Ltliariiivereterity ; ,..i . / of any Colony, and our PrOteCtOrShilY4 tb041.644.i.