The Sun. — London, England, 1850-05-10 00:00:00

rd. yara 1 ylon ; vii. on.of levt eo york! I,tantiLloPle' r Africa. t 0 ikin , and B. S' dig b . R oysi, i fast. the . e Do jo ; of the re „ d :er boo, i _ tu , got fo ul ruj g e. A for . • an. De. le SO U ' i f ,sprit ; cr D AY.) r WO this o3ariot • 910 c 1; - 011 * i t - a whi A o d w ee ' it .an : soo Is , to ;f n oreito tars 0 ' n i t of the s t l r t ottle is per q- ji irY• ll ii 3 q ll 4 os ° 8 ;ngllt va i t , tb . o r 'T o stsa c ! ve ry - i erin st f f g free P. 10 Peas, 03o0er 0.-• (2 11 ,; t, BlO 3,03. bear • l , o L i tion• tb° f bus iota pceS, r 5, ;owe r Bl ,f 2d Pe pi 0 US le e tob,ete e d x bibl rnewb"to out° 1300 0/ bod • bs• Weool' _Air icb WAS oeS I to ) ;e lves x° l o ecline iD j rn ost I' l2 CC% P 6 ' d. O 1 0 11. $ 4 8 $ • •.• 0 s meet 4 3 1 0 dditto 3 6 Bal er 3 ' 0 11 4 6 11' 1000 3 4 0 •3 20 rigs d - 0 11111‘ ,3tri' e I the oa 4 . 9 I or •• S s ling" 2 I 3 p e•• •• 2 1° 4 3 6 • ..... }lops, egr" reieg, h e ir t or d t P u r ng l efl r OWS: wepla Of 5g ditto; io : re 25; ar old S , a 0 tatioo 1111/eve! here ba be bol e i ►ve b e ' 4 m, dto pew, y 6 st tO . 4c "id 4 2 ' "- 9 " Il d. LIMP 503 6d' 01 93 to - A JO d i 6t , tlo• t ;v g dnta . 1 . 111 3 59 P o d ought 309, 5 0 28 3 t o o t tit bet g3or we to s o f to 36 9 1 36 ,1 s fd tiler low T e r o i c° ,„t rot° 61 &d. •` - oe )d 5 061 iafe e" p 4 ;h Yerl a tio , ° d i ; 40; "6tl geste' t 60 t o ai 8 00 5 1 0 1 colot ir / o t od / o f )r `' e to 4 0 6d, 35i_ d 60.0 er, go o erg sorts 1,01 s teady •• oil ei 3 t ° fgo et ) ' Fi° id 'far ood l' 7 3 g to 18° h ' il sb eo Popp er e 0 a bo si f o oo crease , ;4v O t oo, h no u a 'to iti at O le , Aor i o been " col' • 1 ' 133 P et i 5 0 , 1 2 13g , 6i for 5 t tb° 513 :0; 1 v et on 0 J a ssed, l o t IY• 0,161;1' bt irar r ato Itt NOP" 0 St Lietl 0 0 0 1 . )g ; X. 1 ty ren,i 4 oo 10 f all 'b e 8 010 tri Totber it 6w- CB aid 13 f the e tbe i w for I THE SUN, THE ATTORNEY. GENERAL V. KENRICK. Thia i ntormation was filed against the &fondant fur part uhich Le took i n Vie transaction as detailed above, and the jury 'flun , l a vrroict for the same amount. meat of the balances down to 'he secretary and witness, in order tl:at they might see that they were correct. The company had in use three class 's of cheques, which were provided by the directors. The ordinary course of business was to retain the cancelled cirques with the pass-book in the pocket, and it was his duty to cheek them with the book and then tie them up fur preserva tion. When the directors wanted to see any of these cheques they had to send to the prisoner for them. Towards the end -of 1849 it came to his knowledge that the prisoner was connected with the Olympic Theatre, and he remonstrated with him upon the im propriety of such a proceeding. Early in March a com munication was made to him relative to the cheque, and it was searched for, but it could nut be found. He then thought it his duty to seal up the prisoner's papers, and afterwards be sent for the prisoner and his father, who was the cashier of the cffice, into his pri vate office, and he stated to them that some irregularity had been practised in the office, and as they were the two most likely to be implicated in the matter, he thought it right to communicate with them before any proceedings were taken. The younger Watts asked what he was accused of, to which witness replied that he made no charge, but the prisoner's conscience must tell him what was the matter, adding that conside, able sums had been abstracted from the company. The father said he was innocent of anything of the sort, that every fa-thing which had lersscd through his hands had b,en punctually paid into the bank, which was afterwards found to be the case; and then turning to the son, the father said, " Can you say the same?" The prisoner declined say ing anything, and witness left them in the room toge ther for ten minutes. On his return he found they were gone; but on going up stairs he met the prisoner, who said, " Tite, you have disgraced me by sealing up my papers, and I call upon you to seal up all the papers in the office." Witness replied, that he could not do that, and then the prisoner told witness that he was a proprietor like witness, and should re main in the office no longer. The prisoner then left, and next day the directors received a letter of resigna tion from the prisoner with an intimation that if he should be wanted he would be found at the Olympic Theatre. (The trial was proceeding when our report left.) QUEEN'S BENCII.-( (SilitrrsT4 THIS DAY.) in ..e.etio, b e f ore Jest'ce. COLERIDGE, TAT TESON, and WIGHT :111N.) At • • IN RE BARBE R . llrthe sittin g of the Court this morning, sitting WILKINS proc ee d e d w ith his address on 4l f to of Mr. Ba r b er . Il e b egan b y ad d ress i ng hi mse lf aet t . he fa cts connected w ith Sl ac k' s case . Th a t trans -4111" took place in October, 1842. He contended that Jile letters written in this c ase were signed by Barber "_1 %rebate, and th a t M r . B urc h am , as appeared i , r °'n his diary, had been much more concerned in " t han Mr. B ar b er, i nasmuch as Mr. B ar b er wa s a !ivze,sfer part of the time attending the Kingston As , - • He submitt-d that Fletcher had taken more pains lye Air. BArher than any other person, and that hi a deep -laid scheme had succeeded in misleading both c , 141 ,,, ; arid Mr. Burcham. Learned Sergeant remaining at great length to comment on the % re n aini ag charges made - against his client, whose a l ee nce he sought to establish, contending she he proceeded that the observations addressed to libel r , yesterday hy Mr. Bovill involved ta gross ! Qll Sir George Grey in the matter of the pardon irstttsd to Mr. Barber. The Learned Coun,el con hishY `eying th a t h e h a d un d e rtaken the defence of oclient f rom an imperative sense of duty, and his only be a rd would b e tt.e cons ciousries that he had acted in ito ie rlen to th a t d uty. H e as k e d no hi g h er r e ward; If his efforts should be crowned with success, ii " fe tiould deem it the most felicitous day iu his se; (Mr. Sergeant Wilkins) had from the i nt Y cornrnencement of his professional life sought t,y th,egrity, industry, and independence to attain to some ' ~I ng A l lke a high position in it. If that were not tol b°,-e' by the higher rewards which some of the mem ra of his profession were so solicitous to secure, but if e: u f a b h e ica sa s i e ci lf th c a o t ul h d o iv live to see the day in which it eat' z f r o n ly live to see the day in which it eating i ttld that ho had been the instrument of extri clesienr-v misery and shame a man who had been un fitsellY punished, he should indeed thank God for creation. drt r.. followed on te sae side, and was ad- Ri Lusa g the Court when our report left. CRIMIN AL COURT.-(THIS DAY.) OLD COURT. AEU/ COURT. (Before the RECORDER and Mr. Alderman CARDEN.) Matthias Martinez Debrie, a Mexican, was indicted before a jury of half Englishmen half foreigners, with stealing a bank note for 501., a bank note for 301., and a quantity of gold dust, the property of Matthew Henry Struts, the purser of the Royal Mail steam- packet Avon, trading from Mexico to Southampton. From the state ment of the prosecutor, and the evidence adduced on the part of the prosecution, it appeared that the prisoner was a passenger on board the Avon, from Vera Cruz to Southampton ; that during the passage he and the pur ser scraped an acquintance, and repeatedly played at cards together. It appeared that the prosecutor had a bank note for 50/. and another fur 30/., together with some gold dust in a desk in his cabin, of which he lost the key shortly before he arrived in this country. It appeared also that the prisoner had a quantity of dou bloons, some of which he entrusted to the prosecutor for security, but none of which he had in his possession when be arrived in London. The bank-notes were traced into the possession of the prisoner, he having changed the 50/. at Mr. Carter's, a jeweller and silver smith, in Cornhill, in the purchase of a gold watch, a chain, a key, ring, and breast pin, and the 301. note, at Messrs. Moses and Son, in the pur chase of clothes. The gold dust was also purchased from the prisoner by Messrs. Angerston and Co., for 171. 13s. 10d. Mr. PARRY appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. BaLLANTINE addressed the jury for the prisoner, contending that there was no evidence that the prose cutor ever had any gold dust, and that the just inference was, that the prosecutor had given the prisoner the 501. note and the 301. note in exchange for the doubloons he had left after paying his passage money. The RECORDER summed up, and The jury, after a consultation of nearly half an hour, found the prisoner Guilty of stealing the two bank notes. The RECORDER sentenced him to 18 months' imprison ment i❑ Newgate. Tiee (Before iil Justice 7 . CRESSWELI.) W at . GLOBE INSURANCE-OFFICE ROBBERY.— Walter 't he : late lesse e o f th e Marylebot e and Olympic ose e _lP, and sub-treasurer of the Globe Insurance -115 described as a clerk, and aged 33, was indicted for ee pa l lg en order for the payment of 1,4001, and a piece see psr upon which such order was written, valued at th e (e ' n rlY, the property of the proprietors or trustees of fe'Lehe Insurance Company. kieue Attorney -General, Mr. Clarkson, Sir John )4s. 6' a nd Mr. Bovil, appeared for the prosecution; and eekburn, with whom was Mr. Bodkin and Mr. defended the prisoner. oh ter ATTORNIEY-GENERAL stated the case to the j ur y , very sin g that, although the indictment appeared to be a reeee,ernplicated affair, it would turn out that the charge inisuj ttliltimately resolve itself into one of simply steal eapeln order for payment of 1,400/., or of the piece of the e e tt e Pen which the order was written. The facts, t o ' leis' and short, might eventually be set aside by eo sin arned Friend who appeared for the prisoner ell er g seize objection to the mode of preferring t he et all or on some other technical point, and it was not be „ „improbable that in the end the jury would car ried f rom t h e i r f un ctions by the case being points L .to a higher tribunal, where th e abstruse de e t cte °l law involved in the inquiry would have to be bed i e 3 u• The prisoner was the son of a gen tleman who al te , e en connected with the Globe Insura nce-office, i t wast from its very commencement, prior to 1803, and 40tles, due to that gentleman to stile that there was ch ar °g in the case that could at all implicate or sul l y his late C h et "- The Learned Attorney then proceeded to re - he de facts a s they wer e afterwards disclosed in evi ," beand finally concluded by telling the jury that he e be en given to understand that the defen ce to be set ni behalf of the prisoner would be purely of a tech glo, character, namely, thet he was a partner in the etdiuce Insurance Company, and could not, therefore, be th at t , c ,d for stealing his own property. It would appear by si;: c e prisoner held two shares in the company ; but see 4 ' al Geo. cap. 30, watch was a public Act, az - nthorised the establishment of the Globe 'their ,A - ce. co t , ee, it was provided that all the servants o f the th ete r a q who should be guilty of any malversation in inet; e re aPective situations should be prosecuted at the Pr e - r n : e of the treasurer, and he apprehended that the thi e ' 4 ,`° l 4 of this Act would be a complete answer to the v e llon he was now anticipating. le e ' s r ; Morris Bothwell, a clerk in the London and elat ed, Bank, was the first witness called. He eer ed that on the 26th of last February he received ee °BB the counter of the bank a cheque on Glyn and eei e d h rawn by the Globe Insurance Company,for 1,400/., that Cheque• h andwriting of the prisoner, and which was the of - n cr Y note delivered in with all payments on behalf the:Parties. The note merely stated the nature of and on whose account it was paid in. • Robson, another clerk in the bank, remembered at G i ` n g the cheque in question, which he had cashed and Co.'s with a number of other cheques 00 ,eb the L on d on an d Westminster Bank had received ;PM house, amounting in the whole to 4,269 /. clei te r ci Steel, a clerk in Glyn's Bank , stat ed that he th e 2 , the cheques referred to by the last witness on I,4 ce uto of July last, amongst which was a cheque for of thi. drawn by the Glebe Insura nce Company on one fo l. "in' i forms. The comp an y bad three distinct th e — of cheques for their sole use. One form was for te l g'neral account, the other for the annuit y account, d thel third fur the dividend a ccount. The cheque for 01 was on one of these forms. e le fi e r e l i? C on ( eeßeez e—Do you know that a s a fact from re- Witness—No, I only kno w it from the en tie' which I fi n d in our books. m os e -l ' r • Justice CRESSW ELL Are the entries in your .t t handwriting. Witness — No , m y Lord. be i T e r • 8 0N/ie.—Was any other che q ue fur 1,400/. paid in h "" London and Westminster Ba nk on the 26th tee-snarY? Witness—No, I believe not. e t cr• COCKBURN—I distinctly understand that there - n entries in your own handwriting. Witness—No, eeicbiept th a t I put the items of All the cheques on the n e ,, i t of one an d added up the total. that Sunbu r n, an other clerk in Glyn's bank , st ated ton th e 2 6t h F e b ruar y he received a cheque from t he last witness for 1,400/., drawn by the G lobe Insur ee' -e"rnPany. He knew it was a cheque, because by F e entrie s i n t h e b oo k s which he made himself it must eb been paid in during the afternoon o f the 26th hi% e'rY, while the practice of bankers was to pay in in the morning. Coceeunet—Have you any recollection of the et that you received the cheque. Witness—No. b e M ac r • exnuaer—Then how do you know it. Wit ie—BY the entries in the book. t ite r- w CO i CKBURN—Then you only infer such to be the ]tileWitness—Yes. evi d CecEnuae—Tben I submit, my Lord, this is not eu ee. tiro M 1:: Justice CaesswEeL—l think it is , Mr. Cockburn, 6- I will s how you it by illustrating it wit h a q uestion. Li re you n ever k n own an attesting witness sa y he has r ecollection of a tact, but upon lot,king at his signa ture the deed he has been enabled to swear to it? `".r. COCKBURN—No, my Lord, I don't remember a n y au, ease. l e ATTORNEY-GENERAL —Looking at the book, on You say whether or no the cheq was paid to you the 26th of February? Witness— ue Yes. % k r% COCKB URN —Now, have you any recollect ion of 'I ,! f act? Witness—l believe it was paid in. her. Cociersone—l don't question your belief, what I o Pt to know is this.—Do you speak from recollection the fact o f t h e occ urrence of the 26th ot February, or bo4 inference which you draw from looking a t the b ook 3? Witness—Yes. I know it from looking at the Ur- COOKnunN—And you have no personal recollec tof it? Witn e ss—No. COCKBURN—Again I submit, my Lord, that this to n° evidence. Witnesses are called to spea k to facts, an d thatnot inferences; but, at all events, it m ust be shown at the witness has some recolle ction of the cireum iitbisn-aesee he speaks to before he can be allowed to refresh - "senior by referring to books. o c o • ast.ce ...RESSWELL still differed with the Le arned thMr. Reynolds, another clerk at Glyn's Bank, stated c a ' t it was his duty to check the pass-book with the t t 'ger- He made the entries in the ledger h imself, and ano ther clerk t rans f e rred the entries into the pass - bo ok. T he book then came back to him, and he checked t he h c eas with those in the ledger. On the 26th February () entered a cheque for 1,4004 in the Globe Insur ance ' cit nPane's account, and afterwards the pass-book of the com pany came into his hands, and now, by the dot op lAar,ltne,the item in the ledger, he could state that the ei tt 7 l - was entered in the pass-book. The item imme e ,: e 'Y preceding the 1,400/. was 161. 155., an annuity led ger it After the pass-book was checked with the it was returned to the company. The pass-book had now in his hands, with the ledger bef ore him. The item of 1,4001. w as in the ledger, but it was not iu the Pecs-book. The item of 16/. 15s. was, however, in there Pass-book, and on the line immediately following it appeared to have been an erasure. ` 4oB s-extenined—lt did not always happen that the ttel na in the ledger and the pass-book followed in con secutive order.Th • i - same contest took place as to this witn ess speak . i ll e g e f - ,r t ona reference or recollection, and with t he same as in the former instance. aurrar. Henry Probin, the messenger of the Globe In . : 1 1 1 : lee-office stated that it generally fell to h is lot to o n, the passbook of the company from Glyn's bank W a Wed nes d ay. H e genera lly delivered it to Mr. i tt a t?, the prisoner, whom he occasionally found w a tt- Co g for it in the hall cf the office, and in the ordin ar y ✓n° of his duty ho h a d n o doubt he must have deli eiu • uet tit to th a t gent l eman d ur i ng th e month of Fe "utty t est eros s - exarnined—There was a large office on the E a r g o U f n o d r - h fl in. 00 3 r. He did not always find Mr. Watts wait' Mr- Willl' Iria n o f. tam Tite, the architect and deputy chair-1 r the Globe Insurance Company, stated, that Mr. Coos one banker, was the treasurer, and himself, e etsa: 'fi of the trustees. The prisoner was a clerk in the direevsa..DY, he was eppointed by the directors. The seitc':utranaged the business of the company at the erve for that purpose they employed clerks and wee assistant who acted under their direction. The prisoner pri.,_!,s.istant clerk in the account office, end one of his wi t r t 'Ve duties was to check the payments at the bank ee eieques and pass books, the balance of accept ' 44 ' 4 011 Wednesday morning he bad to bring the statc- Boaam on a cavcrned grave which ht ayes and rends — Death's lest despairing strife. THE DEAD Comes forth : The mighty Tom is o'er; the REST is now; The Sribbath of the now creation made, To which all scale:is must converging turn, Tiil all become His Sabbath who has bought Our peace by woes we should have endless shared— Once more 'thong followers now adoring round, This Being, Man, God, Brother, Fetter—All Which give assurance that Almighty Love Will bless Eternity for Us t:s His Created, Lost, Redeemed,—now leaves His earth Slow vanishing. I see no more." And fortified by this, she cheerfully yields herself a sa crifice, for even the possibility of saving her Nimrod. There is an epilogue, in which the angels hold con ference with the beatified spirit of Nahmah, which contains many passages well worth quoting had we room ; but we must confine ourselves to the conclud ing song, in which the angels reconcile themselves still to watch over this world of violence and suffering NATIONAL LOAN FUND LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY. The annual general meeting of the proprietors of the Natiom.l Loan Fund Life Assurance Society was hid on Wednesday, a the London Tavern ; T. Lamie Murray, E3q., Chairman of the Board of Directors, in the chair. Amongst the proprietors present we observed E. S. Symes, J. Thompson, John Elliotson, M.D., Augustus Vigne, Clement Tabor, Captain Maher, M. Young, J. Herapath, Richard Symes, James Irvine, W. R. Jameson, Henry M. Billington, George W. Bartley, Thomas West, Samuel Walker, Charles Bennett, Esqs., and others. The advertisement convening the meeting having been read by Mr. WOOLHOUSE, the actuary, The CHAIRMAN said—Gentlemen, the first business to be disposed of is the reading of the report which the directors have prepared for the proprietors on this occasion. They hate embodied in this report all the accounts which will be published, namely, an account of profit and loss, together with an account of the assets of the company. I will new call upon Mr. Woolhouse to read the report. CHORUS. " Here would we stay, Content to wait, Though sin and sorrow !Len enthrall, Till under death's all•-covering pall, They pass away, Unseen their fate; Though passions fierce their transient life despoil Of its fiw peaceful hours, snatched from exhausting toil. " For dawn first steals From darkest night; And sin a❑d sorrow, at their worst, Form but the tomb from whence shall burst The Power that heals Creation's blight: Then Justice, smiling on man's deathless peace, Shall bid sin wound no more, and woe for ever cease." THE TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL LOAN FUND LIFE ASSUR _ ANCE SOCIETY TO THE PROPRIETORS. The directors have much satisfaction in meeting the proprietors on the occasion of the tenth annual meeting of the society. "On no former occasion since the institution of the society has its business presented so remarkable a pro gress, or the confidence of the public been so decidedly expressed. " Although the society may be considered as of recent institution, as compared to many others of so much older date, yet the advance it has made in the last few years entitles it to the second or third rank in respect to the rapid increase of its business and the prospects and ad vantages it holds out to assurers who embark in it the future fortunes of their families. " Since the last meeting the cholera has passed over the surface of this and many other countries, sending many to a premature grave. "In common with many similar institutions this society has suffered by this awful visitation, but not to such an extent as in any way to disturb the calculations upon which life assurance is based. " The casualties, however, occasioned by this distem per baying occurred for the most part towards the close of our financial year, they will only.in part appear in the accounts of the present one, the mortality in which is extremely light, exhibiting an amount of but 9,536/. in claims paid, instead of 21,875/. expected, and showing a balance of decrement within the year of 12,3361. iu favour of the society. " The claims paid by the society since its origin to the Ist of December, 1849, amount to 101,139/., the expect ancy being 121,5111., which leaves a balance in its favour on the whole period 20,3721. "Upon former occasions the proprietors present have been content with the reading of the accounts. These have not been hitherto published. The directors, how ever, deem it advisable, in order to justify the confidence of the assurers, to embody in the present report, intended for publication, the auditor's account of profit and loss of the year, and the assets of the society, which are as follows: PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT, lax DECERBER, 1819. Dr. To Claims paid Claims extinguished by Pur chase ... Bonus in cash paid to Policy holders 729 8 5 11,974 18 0 Annuities Paid ......... 3,713 13 2 Interest paid to Shareholders '2,0 i 1 17 7 17,720 8 9 Commission Medical Fees .................. 1,037 9 5 5,085 9 9 London Charges ...........••• 3,528 1 8 Branch Charges .......... . .... 3,750 5 8 7,278 7 4 Travelling Expenses ......••• 716 19 0 Law Expenses .................. 343 8 3 1,060 5 8 Advertisements .............. . 1,910 19 2 Printing ........... ...... 495 0 9 St a tionery._ ............... 119 11 9 Exchange... 17 17 18 0 2,543 9 8 £33,688 0 9 Balance Profit and Loss £112,863 2 11 Cr. By Assurance Fund (Nove pniunas) Ditto (Renewals) EKtraLPreiniunis •• 146 14 1 - 57,559 15 6 Immediate Annuity Fund 876 3 6 Deferred Annuity Fund 1,350 0 7 Endowment Fund ... 2,236 2 7 3,998 2 6 49,769 2 4 Interest, &c. ........ ....... Profit and Loss £112,863 2 1 ASSETS, IST DECEMBER, 1849. Investments— Houses in London and Dublin for Premiums, Furniture at Head Offices, and Branch Furniture ...... £2,380 16 11 Loans and Mortgages ...... 27,091 12 10 Loans on Policies and Small Loans ... •.... ...... ....... 36,465 14 0 C onso ls, Stocks, and 80nd5...... 15, 807 1 9 2 Reversions ••• A gen ts' Balances Policy Stamps Shares repurchased ... 4,763 17 6 Conversion of Shares ... 3,040 17 1 Expenses of establishing Society 6,595 8 5 Cash -----118,695 10 1 "The directors are sensible that the stability and pro sperity of an office depend in a great measure upon the annual increase in the number of insurers and the amount of new premiums, as it must be evident, whore such an increase cannot be obtained the expenses must eat into the income of the old business. " To attain this end has been the constant effort of the directors, and they are happy to report that this has been reached to a greater extent in the present than in any former year, the number of policies issued being 1,033, and the new premiums carried to account 18,2681. Os. 9d. As compared to 1846, the increase in policies over that year is 496; over 1847, 401; and over 1848, 502. " The Transatlantic business of the society, under the careful and efficient management of our superintend ing board in New York, combined with the energy of our general agent, continues, both in its extent and free dom from all excess in mortality over expectancy, to give general satisfaction. " The directors seeing the extent of our business in the British North American colonies have deemed it advisable to constitute another centre of superintend • ence under a local board and general agent at Montreal. Th e agencies of the society have been considerably year,oth in this country and abroad. have been much engaged with the b in France, where hitherto life extended f a o s formation ,muTraatbnieocno sdirectors t oagency comparatively little known. The prospects of this agency are promising. "According to the stipulations in the deed of settlement the actuary has made the annual valuations of the busi ness of the society. The result of this investigation, after leaving w a balance of assets equal to 66 per valuation, cent. ot th e surplus, hich, with the reserve in the leaves 82,454/. ss. 6d. for future profits to the policy holders not included in the present division, and enables the directors to divide among those entitled to the pre sent distribution a cash bonus of 15 per cent. and a re versionary bonus varying from 20 to 56 per cent. on the premiums, and to the proprietors a bonus of 4 per cent. for the past year in addition to the regular in -yearly dividend in July next. terest of 5 per cent. already received by them, and which prepared by the actuary ex hibits examples of the amount of the nine last bonuses to which the holders of policies of upwards of four years' standing have become entitled, with the option of fou o w w i with g t h t e ab h l a e lf re ceiving the same in cash, or by addition to their policies, will r b r e b paid e or in permanent reduction of annual premiums:— EXAMPLES OF BONUSES ALREADY DECLARED AND OPTIONS. • C ' Perms- Sum the /Sonia nent Re- Assured ix d ' % m i u m. out in 'Assured. "um. Annual row on to Sum llama of may Bor aodnduitsioinn Premium. Policy. -- i x a. a. ----X . 1 . d 4 2. -- d.d. 1837 1292 6 9 193 S 1267 11 4 139 16 9 22 lit 1 642 15 6 126 17 2 19 19 7 593 6 6 1839 1241 16 6 113 IT 7 17 8 3 543 17 9 6 93 16 1193 12, 6 8 14 0 10 494 8 10 60 1000 74 3 4 1841 14 9 12 s9 51013 8 11 445 0 0 k_go. lc: :Annealal.ed- . i r t : 1 1 18 1 ,4 c .0 :1 1 1 3 i 1842 162 16 8 70 1 6 4 11 8 3 395 11 1 1 943 115 1 0 10 ..5 10 10 8 110 346 2 3 • 18 45 66 1 5 0 44 10 0 1844 77 19 2 33 15 10 4 10 1 247 4 6 1 5 9 11 296 13 4 whose period of office . be re-elected, and offer " The business to be transacte d ii, the present meeting is the election of two directors in lieu of John Rawson, E ex s p q i. r , easn, and A ugustus themselves accordingly. " Also for the election F•R.b., an auditor in place of Pro fessor Wheatstone, F4t.b., whose period of office ex pires, but who is eligible to be re-elected, and offers himself accordingly. " By order of the Court of Directors, uwgh u o st a u r s 6 N e 'i l F ig n i e b , le E t s o r i ., T. LAMIE MURRAY, Chairman. " May S, 1850." The CHAIRMAN said the next business, gentle men, is to read the items in the auditor's report, but as they have been embodied in the directors' report, it will, perhaps, only be necessar y t o read the au ditor's certificate. T he next busin ess will be to read the actuary's valuatio n o f the business of the society upon which the profits are declared. The actuary's valuation was then read. The CHAIRMAN- -- G e ntlemen, bef ore I pu t thi s re port to . the vote—befor e I move tha t it be adop ted and printed for circul ation, if an y g entle ma n wishes to ask any question, I shall be most h appy t o hear him—(Hear, hear) —either now or after I have made what situation the society the observations which I shall feel it my duty to address to you on the subject—(Hear.) Mr. Fox would take advantage of this offer to put a —in the event of a war taking question on the subject of their Transatlantic business. in event of our i w H o e u r d is b h e ed o t a o ce i d nq in ui t r h e e going to logger heads with America 1 place between this country and America ? i LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING-, MAY 10, 1850. The CHAIRMAN—I apprehend. sir, the society would be placed in no difficulty whavcr. WTe should still continue to receive our premiums. Mr. Fox—Of course you have rnade arrangements for that ? The CIIAIRMATC—WO should continue to receive l I imagine, our reieittances from America as on( former occasions, for if the parties insured did not! pay their premiums, of course the liability of the; society would be at an end. (Hear, hear.)' Now, gentlemen, this is the first occasion upon which the directors have thought it advisable, though not in conformity with a parti cular resolution passed at the first meeting of the society, to publish their accounts ; but it being now the fashion for shareholders and those interested in societies like this to see what is really at the bottom of them, the directors, after taking that resolu tion into the fullest consideration, have thought it right not to ask the meeting to delay the publication of the accounts till next year, hut to publish them on this occasion.— (Hear, hear.) Although we may have disobeyed that resolution passed at the first meeting, I think this meeting will, nevertheless, give us a vote of thanks for what we have done,—(Hear.) We have fairly and honestly published the whole transactions of the year, as they will go forth to the public, as they will be placed in the hands of all the proprietors, and as they will be printed for general distribution.—(Hear, hear.) The public will thus see how far this society ispe deserving rert. of the credit it has taken to itself in th (Hear.) I believe I may say the progress of this society within the last twelve months, indeed, within the last four years, has been such as will entitle it to rank second, if not first, with others, as far as its progress is concerned.—(Hear, hear.) We have received in one year of new business, of new custom, of new confidence on the part of the public, the large amount of 18,0001.—(Cheers.) No less than 18,2691. has been the increase of the year, re sulting from 1,033 policies, an amount of business which I believe only one other office in England, in Great Britain, has ever done anything like it.—(Hear.) The income of the society is now somewhere between 60,0001. and 70,0001.—it is upwards of 60,0001. We have made a new valuation of our business, and I will endea vour to show you, gentlemen, what effect that increase of business has had upon it.—(Hear.) Well, then, the present liability of the society on all its policies is 1.781,5801. That is a large amount, and it affords some idea of what will be the fortunes of the after gene rations of those who are pow interested in it. —(Hear, hear.) Last year, I took the liberty of stating to you some averages relating to insurances, amongst which was the average age at which insurers entered institutions like this. The average age of entry is about forty ; last year the average age of all our insurers was forty-six, showing an advance from forty to forty-six; but the effect of the new business upon the present, year has been to bring the averages back from 46 to 44,-,k-45, instead of in creasing the ages to 47, as the then insurers are all one year older. In the present year, then, the ave rage age of our insurers is but 45, making an advance, if I may use the expression, backwards — (A laugh)—and the average age of our insurers younger.—(Hear, hear.) The object of pointing this out to you is to show you the immense difference that this makes in our valuation.—(Hear, hear.) In older offices the average age is perhaps 56 to 60, consequently, it requires a larger amount of assets in band to meet decrements. In the old offices the ages have advanced one year, while ours have got younger. The result is, that in our calculations every previous insurer is benefited by the large amount of new business, the expectation of life being greater. In our valuation we have not included the sum set apart for future profits. We have reserved a sum of 82,0001. for this purpose, over and above the profits which are at present divided. As regards the out goings of the society on the ) year, if we look at the question of deaths, we shall _see that notwith standing the cholera they haVii•liel4n extremely light. —(Hear.) The amount for the purchase of claims, claims paid, bonuses to policy-holders, claims extin guished, in fact all claims upon the society, is about 11,974/.—(Hear, hear.) As regards expenses, of the London office, it would perhaps be a source of satisfaction to the meeting to hear what these ex penses consisted ef.—(Hear, hear.) The London charges, then, amount to 3,5281. ; that includes the entire expenses incurred in the London house for direc tors, chairman, secretary's department, and, in fact, every department relating to the London office, includ- ' ing charges for stamps and various other things.— (Cheers.) I think the meeting will consider those expenses not very extravagant, particularly when I mention that out of that sum there have been paid the court of directors, myself as chairman, and the pre sent office of secretary, whose duties are attached to my department, the day committee, and medical attendance for the examination of proposals, amounting in the whole, between the Ist of Dec., 1848, and the Ist of Dec., 1849, a period of twelve months, to only I,B44l.—(Cheers.) There are other charges here which I should mention to you ; there is, for instance, 1,9101. charged fur advertisements. That is a large sum, but it has not been expended for the advertisements of the last year, since some advertise ment accounts which have been sent in during the year for former periods come into this item, and, therefore, in this item a reduction of nearly 1,5001. may be effected.—(Hear, hear.) The law expenses have been high this year, besides which there are the general and some travelling expenses which will not be continued. On these items there will be a saving of 1,000/.—(Hear.) The American expenses amount to 3,750/., that is, fur American and other agencies, and as regards this item I confess to you freely that I do not see my way clear to any great reduction.—(Hear.) Perhaps, however, there may be a reduction of something like 7001. or 800/., but even that I cannot promise with any degree of certainty.—(Hear.) The meeting would perhaps be rather curious as to what had been the annual expenses for the whole of the thirteen years during which the society had been establisbed.--(Hear, hear.) Exe elusive, then, of what relates to preliminary expenses, and exclusive of commission and medical fees, the whole expense of the society has been about 6,0001. a year from the very commencement, includ ing advertisements and every kind of expenses of establishing the American agencies, which, as I mentioned at our last meeting, has been very costly.—(Cheers.) Now, as regards the preliminary expenses, there is in the assets now put before you the sum of 6,595/. Bs. 5d., they were originally 21,0001., and this year the amount written off will be about a half of the former sum—(Hear, hear)—while next year it will be entirely extinguished—(Hear, hear) — at least, in saying that I of course assume that we shall do as much business next year as we are doing now, and if that turns out to be so, that item will be en tirely written of, or, at all events, the trifle remaining will be very inconsiderable.—(Hear, hear.) Now, gentlemen, another subject upon which I wish also to be quite candid with you is the subject of investments. You are doubtless aware that since this society has been established we have made investments in various things, and I am free to confess that we have not been entirely immaculate, nor has our judgment been so perfect as might otherwise have been had we exercised a little more caution (Hear, hear.) However, we have examined our assets as they now stand, and upon which our calculations are based, and we firmly believe, and I say so in the presence of other gentlemen who are directors, that the loss upon these assets will not amount to more than 1,0001.—(Loud cheers.) I am really very sorry to say that the society met with an unfortunate investment with regard to some French property. That was not entered upon as a speculation, but it being at that time intended to form a branch in France, and to be kept as a se curity to the French people to insure in our society. The entire sum which we hold on that French security is about 10,000/. ; we have written off about 7,5001., so that it has not turned out so ruinous as was at first appre hended. Though lam disposed to say peccavi with respect to this transaction, I may mention that the sum which we have written off, from time to time, is about 13,259/. in 13 years, which makes about a thousand a year lost by investments. These losses were made at the first start of this society, but we have been prudent ever since. That is the real state of the case. I do not wish invidiously to name other societies, but there are other companies that had suffered from equally unfortunate invest ments. I know of one which has lost 30,0001. from the failure of a bank, and another is likely to sustain a loss of 20,0001. from a bank whose affairs were in a very bad state. The loss sustained again re- Ty e c u en th tl h y et t e a n 7 p o r , o o v o i o n l c . i e al ed c l o 2 m o p ,o a o n o y l. tioning these matters as priv ate scandal; I amisuanntendet intoeela. state what is publicly known. It was impossible ere in and at r d i a e n e n eceneaf,re early y o s avoidthstage n llie w l'Yx ell able to sustain aea l os ses, tf S i o a t e s i t e time and progress, r f wwe thissheeconfess when o k tnh i f n ee d s ss , ow a tc nhei society twmy e a s itn p sot e es c ydo i o a hear.) I believe that is all I have to say on that subject. As regards the American business, though there is great rivalry among those institutions on the other side of the Atlantic, our affairs are in a satisfaCtory state, and we are not doing any dangerous business. It had been said that the circumstance of rivalry there would render our success problematical, but I think the contrary, for that rivalry tends to draw public attention to the advantages of life assurance on the other side of the Atlantic, which would not be sufficiently awakened if only one society carried on its operations there. After nearly six years' operations there our annual income is upwards of 30,0001., indeed it approaches 40,0001. Mr. Woolhouse has always encouraged me with the assurance that American life was equal to English life ; I don't say in the swampy districts of the Union, but generally. In the same way we have gone to France; we have spent some money in doing it, but we have got one hundred policies within the year in France, and the agency is promising. I may add that Mr. Frederick Starr, the brother of our general agent in the New York, has been appointed to preside over an establishment which we have recently formed at Montreal, and the improvement in our business there is very great in deed.—(Hear, hear.) We have got a board of di rectors at New York which will rank in point of respectability and talent with the first merchants in London, considering their relative position.—(Hear, hear.) It is extremely well conducted, and their expenses do not amount to 3001. a year in doing a business of 30,0001. Mr. Fox, a great ship owner in America, who had been of great advantage to us in the establishment of our institution there, I regret to say, has died, and I gratefully pay a passing tribute to his memory for the great services he rendered us. I mentioned lest year that we had promoted a fire-insurance company in connexion ith the society. Since then great progress has been made. The necessary number of shares are taken to obtain a complete registration, and enable the office to go into operation in June next. We have formed it on such a plan as to make a kind of sister institu tion. The expenses will be in a great measure di vided amongst each, but no other partnership will exist. We have obtained for this office very powerful support, and we expect to realise a good income from the very commencement.—(Hear.) The resolution was then put, and carried unani mously. The CHAIRMAN then moved that Mr. John Rawson and Mr. Augustus Vigne, whose period of office as directors had expired, but who were eligible to be re-elected, offered themselves accordingly to be re-elected. Carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN also moved that Professor Wheat stone, F.R.S., whose period of office as auditor ex pired, and who was eligible to be re-elected, be re elected accordingly. A PROPRIETOR asked what was the qualification for an auditor ? The CHAIRMAN replied that a holder of ten shares was eligible. The valuations were made by Mr. Woolhouse, their actuary, whose name was a sufficient guarantee to the world.—(Hear, hear.) Professor Wheatstone merely audited the accounts, balances, and assets, and when the balances were properly struck, the assets were carried up to the actuary, to calculate the profits to be divided.—(Hear, hear.) The motion for the re-election of the auditors was then agreed to. Mr. JAMESON, of Edinburgh, in rising to move a vote of thanks and confidence in the Chairman and directors, did not think he would be justified in trespassing long upon the attention of the meeting, after the satisfactory exposition of their affairs they had just heard from the chair ; but perhaps the meet ing would indulge him for a few moments while he expressed his own gratification at the extraordinary progress which this society had made.—(Hear, hear.) He was exceedingly [glad to find that they had such a great Transatlantic con nexion, and he really did think they must borrow from the vocabulary of the Anglo-Saxon in America the only phrase sutilcient to explain the progress and success of the society. The phrase he proposed to borrow would be sufficiently comprehended and un derstood by the meeting, he had no doubt. The words "go ahead "—(A laugh)—were the most ap plicable to the society, for certainly it appeared from the statement of their excellent Chairman that they had been " going ahead" pretty considerably —( Hear.) They had now only arrived at their tenth yearly meet ing,and yet they were now counting profits by decimals, while if they went on progressing as they were now doing he was sure the amount of business next year would exceed all their fondest expectations.—(Hear, near.) The commencement of a business like the cul tivation of waste land always involved the expendi ture of a large amount of capital in the first instance, and it was rarely that any return was obtained until after the lapse of some ten years. In the case of this society, however, that rule had not held good, for not only had they got rid of the preliminary expenditure which had been occasioned by breaking ground in Eng land, Ireland, and Scotland, but they had succeeded in establishing agencies with their brothers across the Atlantic, and their friends, if he might so call them, on the other side of the Channel, and yet had already found profits accumulate.—(Cheers.) The period had indeed arrived when they were realising the profit of their enterprise, and it certainly was a source of great satisfaction to him, as he had no doubt it was to the meeting, to think that their ex penses and losses had been so trifling compared with the benefits the society afforded to the public, which in the past year had been enormous and astonishing. —(Hear, hear.) A question had been put as to the effect of a war on the French and American investments. The only mischief that war could do would be the possibility of its giving rise to revolutions or insurrections that might take off the heads of some of their policy-holders.—(Laughter.) That would be a serious thing for them, but, nevertheless, it was some consolation to know that the rather awkward practice of cutting off heads was not so prevalent in France now as, unfortunately, it was formerly. The CHAIRMAN—We should not be liable even in that event. Mr. Jemesoei rather thought they would. The CHAIRMAN—No, no. Mr. JAMESON was very much mistaken indeed, then, if they would not, for death by the hand of the executioner no more vitiated a policy in their society than did suicide, when it turned out on inquiry that suicide was only another name for a diseased mind. Mr. GODDARD —That was settled at the last meet ing, I think. The CHAIRMAN—Yes. Mr. JAMESON continued—lf neither the French nor the Americans would injure them in that way they had no power to injure them is any other way. — (Cries of " Hear, hear.") But the progress that was making both in France and in America in life assurance was particularly gratifying in a general point of view, since it would serve to cement nations together.—(Hear, hear.) No nation ever went to war without heartily regretting it after the war was over ; and it was no little gratification to him to think that the progress of the principles established by this society would have the effect of preventing a recurrence of some of those most stupid blunders which men have committed and called by the name of war—(Hear.) For these reasons he was entitled to congratulate the directors, the public, the world at large, upon the great progress which the society had made, and to call upon the shareholders—who although they had all the power, certainly were not the most deeply interested in the society—to return thanks for the exertions which had secured this astonishing success.—(Hear.) The people most interested in the society were those who looked to it as a provi sion for those dear to them when they were removed from the scene of their earthly struggles.—(Hear, hear.) When they talked of that class they spoke of thousands, when they talked about their capital they spoke of a million rapidly rising into two, and he called upon the meeting in their behalf to thank the directors for their able services, who, trusting for reward to the high conscientious feeling of serving the institution almost gratis, were pursuing what he could not help stigmatising as a Quixotic course of parsimony as far as regarded themselves.—(Hear , hear.) He trusted, however, that nothing which might be said by the few that were against them would induce the directors to impair their own efficiency by any fanciful principles of parsim p rogress Efficiency . was the true essential in the progress of so cieties like this, and he therefore warned the directors against being betrayed into the penny wise and p .t o , u , n ss foolish system.—(Hear, bear.) It was . bad to witn e ss extravagance in any management, still worse ineffi ciency, and while they economised in their income economy to they should not allow that degene rate into parsimony, or it would be at the expense of impairing the advancement of this . g . reat national institution.—(Cbeers.) Other societies had bor rowed--he would nut say stolen—from them the princip • les upon w hich this societ y was founded, and though they had thus trenched upon their mo nopoly, he, for one, did not repent it. The prin ciples could not become too universal, and encou ragement ought to be given to them wherever they were found, as it would be the means of raising life assurance to the position of a science. Indeed, he believed it had already taken that rank, and it was still destined to confer a great and lasting benefit upon society wherever society existed.—(Hear, hear.) He had now to move that the thanks of the meeting be presented to their very efficient board of directors, and to their able Chairman, who had, as was prophesied last year, been handling both whip and reins with a strong hand, so as to make his agents move steadily and vigorously in harness, and who had told the meeting, very properly, no doubt, that all the circumstances and situation of their society ought to be made unreservedly known to the public. They had no secrets to keep back from the world. — (Hear, hear.) The whole state and condition of the society would pass through the ordinary channels of information to the world, and when the public saw how candid the society was with them, how few were its losses, how satisfactory were its profits, and how gratifying its results , the Puebic could not fail to repose in it the utmos t confiden:,ou-- (Hear, hear.) The public, be was convincer,d , an Id assist and support it in every possible manner d this time next year, he trusted , a s they were e ntitled to trust, the directors would be enabled t one h tunce a still further increase and improvement pro gress of its affairs.—(Cheers .) MT cond the resoluo . GODDARD was anxious to se which had been so ably and eloquently proposed by the gentleman who badjust sat down, more especially as, at the last meeting, he asked some questions, an d was thought to be little inclined to cavil w ith th e statements of the dire the s, board t though hate aellouhled h a a s d sur in e both the meeting and view was the continued well-being of the society.--- (Hear, hear.) He was amply rewarded for the line ot conduct he had laid doe n for himself in finding that he had been instrumental in eliciting the satisfactory report which they had received. Men of his profession had a habit, and it was by no means a bad habit, of looking to the bottom of things. They invariable probed a wound to the bottom, be cause when they got there and ascertained its depth it was the sooner healed. Wherever that course \vas not pursued, wherever there was a grating over, if he might use the expression, wherever there was mys tery, confusion, or concealment, suspicion was cer tain to be excited.—(Cries of " Hear, bear.") That was his view and notion of things, while the same rules that he applied to himself as an individual, were equally applicable to a society like this. — (Hear, hear.) This society addressed itself to the masses, as well as to the higher classes ; and they might depend upon it, that system which satisfied the multitude would prove to be the most successful, the most profitable in the end.—(Hear, hear.) So the people of Brighton had found that the flocking of the middle classes to that delightful watering place was far more beneficial to them than was the support of the aristocracy, as it was twenty years ago.— (Hear.) He had been often asked what was the annual income of their society, and in what property their funds were invested ; but not being able to answer those questions, the parties who interrogated him jumped to the conclusion that there was something wrong about the society. After the lucid and interesting statement he had heard from the Chairman, and the satisfactory state of the report, he should be able to supply posi tive information to persons who might question him with respect to the state and pro s p ects ot the society. He would only ask, in conclusion, if it was possible to make the policies indisputable from a given time, so that when a man possessed a policy he had as good a security as if it rested on a freehold? The resolution was then put by Mr. JAmEBON, and carried nem. con. The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, said he and his brother directors had of ten felt the proud satis faction to receive a vote of thanks at the close of theft annual meetings. He felt satisfied and proud that the meeting had been content with the statement that had been put before them ; and now that their stewardship had been exposed, he felt a great degree of satisfaction that it met with not a single dissentient voice. He had a very deep pe cuniary stake in the society, and a very deep moral stake in it also. Another of the directors had up wards of 5,0001. in it—(Hear, hear) —and their immediate friends and relations had a stake in it to a considerable extent, and therefore the directors were proprietors who were deeply interested in the success of the society. As regarded the indis putableness of the policies, it was a proper ques tion, but like everything else that had a risk attached to it, the proposition was liable to objection ; all he could say was that from his experience he had not been favourable to it. They had very nearly been cheated in Canada to the extent of 5,000/. by the death of a man's wife who was insured, and who actually died within a day of the time when the payment became due ; but owing to the astute ness of the Hon. Mr. Starr, the general agent in the United States, this intended fraud was detected, and this society and several other London institutions saved the sum of 15,0001. He might mention en passant that these distinguished services had not met any reward from those companies who had been saved by his exertions. Of course it was the determination of the husband that she should die.—(Hear, hear.) Another case happeeted at Bristol in the case of a policy for 3,0001., w here a man poisoned his wife and then poisoned hi m• self during the investigation. Those were not tavourable data on which policies could be made in disputable. He meant, however, to turn his attention to the subject shortly, with the view of seeing how far it might be done in some particular cases. He returned them his cordial thanks. lie hoped their exertions next year would be equal to the past. They had already received 309 proposals within this cur rent year, which was about as much business as many other offices did in a whole year. The meeting then separated. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Madame Sontag appeared last evening as Elvira in I Puritani for the first time, and has at once set all rivalry at defiance. She has made the character her own ; in Elvira, at least, there is no living artiste who can approach her. ller very youthful appearance is much in her favour ; she looks a "vergen vezzosa," and her quiet and ladylike manners are quite in keeping with the character. In the mad scene she was beautifully true to nature, and her quiet pathos contrasted most favourably with the exaggerated violence which her predect.ssors in this part have usually exhibited. She was in admirable voice, and rendered the music exquisitely. She was encored in the " Son vergen vezzosa," and in the beautiful " Vien di letto" in the second act, which we have never before heard rendered so exquisitely. Bau carde was the Arturo, and his Arturo is by far the best thing that he has yet done, and will add immensely to his reputation. The "Ah ti a cara " was a per fect gem, and was enthusiastically encored. With Lablache as Giorgio, and Coletti as Ricciardo, it will be apparent that the representation of last evening was as near perfection as possible. Les Graces followed, and the furore which it creates is increased on each occasion by its repetition. Fer raris was, as usual, encored in her pas. The house was crowded in every part. HAYMARKET THEATRE. The announcement of a new five-act comedy from the pen of Douglas Jerrold, drew a crowd around the doors of this theatre last evening long before the hour fixed for their opening, and within a very few minutes after they were opened the house was crammed to suffocation in every part ; in fact, it was a perfect crush in boxes, pit, and galleries—a proof, if any such were needed, that the love of the legitimate drama is still strong, and that a good play, well acted, will always draw a good audience. The name of the new comedy is The Catspaw, and for brilliancy of dialogue, for biting sarcasm, for wit and repartee, aye, and for richness of humour, too, the Catspaw is equal, perhaps in some respects superior, to any thing that our author has yet written. It is quite worthy to take its place with Bubbles of the Day and Time Works Wonders, and will be found with those masterpieces among the few dramatic writings of the present age " which the world will not willingly let die." Thus runs the plot —Mr. Snowball (Mr. Keeley), a middle-aged well to-do bachelor, resides in comfort and splendour, at the West End of the town. He is of nervous and most excitable temperament, and fancies himself so ill that it is necessary he should have a permanent and resident physician in constant attendance on him, and he consequently engages Dr. Petgoose (Mr. James Wallack) in that capacity, and of Dr. Petgoose Snowball is the complete catspaw, being befooled and bephysicked at the will and plea ' sure of the Doctor. From a rich uncle Snow• ball has great expectations ; the uncle dies, and leaves his property to a Mrs. Peachdown (Miss Reynolds), Snowball determines to com mence an amicable suit in Chancery against this lady. Snowball's servant-girl Rosemary (Mrs. Keeley), has been for some time engaged to Apple face (Buckstone), a drummer in the 101st Regiment. She buys his discharge, and having dressed him in a suit of black introduces him into her master's house, and when he is discovered, to prevent his recognition and consequent ejectment, she introduces him as the lawyer engaged to conduct the Chancery suit, be thus becomes introduced to the niece of Snowball, sod is on the point of being married to her, when he i.s discovered by his old lover Rosemary, and brought back to his duty, but not until he also has used Snowball as a catspaw. During this time Snowball is the victim of another impostor, Mr. Coolcard, alias Busby Knox, M.A., alias Cheva lier Podovy, a begging. letter impostor, admirabl y made up and excellently acted by Mr. We bster, victimizes Snowball under each of his separate guises. Snowball, dreading lest the Chancery should ghould be decided against him, determines ri Mrs. Peachdown, but by hiswooing her nearly (Mr. Howe), y_gets self into aduelvvith herlover,Capt.Burg o w n loses both his and at last the unfortunate CA77 lawsuit and his lady, but, en reva h'cihsje,inhteenatlsioongneftsirmid. of Dr. Petgoose, who an nounces tenti on of ubrx " the mediately offering to the „ at Keeley's snowball was a friend of the family pill. rich piece of genuin e come dy, his expression of tcrror W a llach made a great part was rich in the extreme. of Dr. Petgoose, and Webster, as the begging letter postor, was the very poef Mrs. Reynolds was genu i n e haute comedic', andrfection of cool i m p u d enc e. Th e Mrs. Peachdownthe Rosemary of Mr s . K ee l ey wa s her penonations of si m il ar Farts h ave a s hearty as y been. Buckstone , as the mock lawyer, was avlewrya-csomical. The dialegui was, as we have said, ! di n wiwit wisdom, and sarcasm. There are s par a othegm g sinsthi comedywhich will become housew hopld w ords, and there are quaint sayings to convulse one with laughter. At the conclusion all the artistes were called on, and then there were loud calls for Mr. Jerrold, who bowed his thanks from a private box; but the audience were not content with this, and insisted on bringin g hi m on th e stage. by I We are informed, on very good authority, that the report of the health of Towns Commission will be issued next week. It is said that they recommend the supply of water for London to be brought from the Malvern Hills, in Worcestershire. We should like to know what would be the size of the culvert.—The Architect. THE GREAT E X HIBITION.—ST. PETERSBURGIT, APRIL 28.—His Majesty the Emperor has commanded that two Councillors shall be appointed, the one at St. Peters burgh, the other at Odessa, to examine the specimens of agricultural product which are to be sent from Russia to the Great Exhibition in London in 1551.—5 t. Petersburg's Gazette. BOW-STREET.-(THIS DAY.). _ A tall powerful Irishwoman was this morning placed at the bar b, fore Mr. Jardine, charged with assaulting Mr. Charles Edward Stacey, the ballet-dancer at her Ma jesty's Theatre, and generally compagnon de ballet with Mademoiselle Feraris. From the prosecutor's statement it appeared that ho had last evening left her Majesty's Theatre in company with some friends to go to the Italian Opera, and there to wait till the ballet was over, as they had some busi ness with the ballet-dancers of that theatre. Instead of waiting in the anti-room, they went into Knight's pub lic-house, a place generally used by the profession. Whiht standing at the bar the prisoner, without any provocation, ran up to him and delivered a frightful blow on his mouth, which split his lip and made it bleed for some time. The police being called in, she was given into custody. It was very fortunate she had not struck him in the rye so as to blacken it, as he would have been thrown out of employment for a week or two. The prisoner, who said nothing, was committed for a month. LITERATURE. NIMROD ; a Poem. By R. W. Jameson. Pickering. This is a poem on a truly heroic subject, the pro gress of ambition in the mind of the mighty hunter before the Lord, the founder of the first empire, the process by which the devil (for he also is here in propria persona) transmutes the philanthropist into the ty rant, through means of the bad element of un interrupted success. The conception is therefore grand. The execution, to be commensurate, might tax the genius of Milton himself ; and yet we must do the author justice in saying that, if he must not be classed in so high a category, he has vindicated a claim to the high name of poet. The poem com mences with a spirited description of the deluge, as I described by an angel who enjoyed the privilege of a bird's-eye view : " 'Twas I who rode The Comet on its wild terrific way, Hissing along earth's orbit after it. I felt the shudder of the stricken world, I saw the waters heaving from their bed, Vexing the heated air with stifling steam, Which hid the dire uproar at work below; Till the winds, swift assembling, issued forth, And rushing o'er the ocean's rising rage, Grasped his erected mane, and, whirling up, Dashed it on earth in whelming cataracts, That ploughed the continents in ghastly seams, And burst the stony bonds of the under deep; Then for a moment, the far darting scream Ot universal dying smote mine ear. But as I heard—the gathering, shattering roar Of two vast oceans meeting in mid earth, The Antarctic to the Artie, rushing o'er the hills, The world's wild knell, the flood's victorious shout To the far Moon resounded hoarse and strong; Till even her seas began to heave and swell With ominous ambition." There is then the episode of an antediluvian maiden dying in presence of her angel lover, and the subse quent voluntary exile of both from heaven rather than separate. For this, though perhaps the finest passage in the poem, we regret we have no room. Nimrod is then brought on the scene with his parents and his betrothed Nahmah. He is now a true hero, engaged merely in the useful warfare with the brute pests of the infant world. Meanwhile Raphael the archangel, with his chorus of contented, and therefore happy, spirits; Satan, represented as the personation of all daring, all-defying self-reliance ; and Abaddona, a half angel, half-fiend, who presumes to think for himself, and therefore is on the sure road to perdition, make a compact and try their antagonistic powers on the conduct and fates of Nimrod and Nahmah. We have no room for their discussions, but the following " Ode to Light" will give a favourable impression of the poetry which the reader will find there:— CHORUS. When, hovering o'er the formless void concealed Asleep in darkness, God rebuked the night, Creation sudden to itself revealed Smiled on its Maker, and the smile was Light. ABDIEL. Light first the awful Voice obeyed, The Word by which all things were made, And Night and Silence fled dismayed, When Light sprang into Space. Then Life thrill'd through dull matter's frame, As Light swept by in quickening flame; The torpid mass a World became And wheeled into its place. CHORUS. Light's beams are darting every where, Each orb with radiance clothing fair, Till all the same effulgence share, To all a common tie: From its rich fount for ever flowing, From sphere to sphere for ever glowing, in each new visit joy bestowing; While gloom and shadows fly. ABDIEL. And, as Light reaches matter dead, Lite, motion, order 'gin to spread; A new world owns its living Head, Whose messenger is Light. For Life with Light He ever blends, To outer Space both ever sends, And thus his mighty sway extends With realms reft from the night. CHORUS. Untiring Light through Space afar, Flashes from infant star to star; Its happy toils all endless are, For Space no limit knows. Far darting through the boundless deep, Night rousing from her dreamless sleep, Creation widening in its sweep, Light ever onward goes. With Nimrod the Devil of course succeeds, he goes on from crime to crime until by the subjugation of the horse, which is described with great force and animation, he founds his bloody throne in Baal, and through the devices of crafty priests he believes himself the son of Bad, and sacrifices his be loved Nahmah to what they tell him is the demand of hii divine sire. Nahmah through meekness and love triumphs over all temptation, is favoured with a vision of the crucified and risen Redeemer. The latter thus described : A " The joyous cowing Sun VULCAN AND VENUS. From Aletheia ; or, the Doom of Mythology, a new Poem just published by the Messrs. Longman and Co.) White though the Goddess, black the God of Fire, Binh with the reeking of his dusky forge. While Vesta bids her tongues of light aspire, Dark Mulci3er his furnace mouth doth gorge With the loud blasts his windy bellows blow, Snorting the cinders to a rosy glow. Before his anvil stands the brawny lord, His forehead smirch'd with labour's grimy tan; His deep breath heaving to his work abhor'd; His body crippled by its earthward ban; On smoking thunderbolt with batter'd flank His poderous hammer whirls with leaden clank. Down from his shaggy chest, in glistening drops, The warm sweat falls, as from the fainting noon Of sultry autumn days, o'er bristling crops The cloudless skies rain forth their scanty boon; So from the fruitfal season of his prime Ooze the rare showers that nurture deeds sublime. The Subterranean thus, with gnarled thews, Melts 'mid the dismal discords of his home, Whet e, hurtling blocks that stubborn metals bruize, Toil the huge Cyclop and the pigmy Gnome; There Vulcan thrills amid the tumult dire, Whene'er to him the victim boars expire. Yet sweeter thrill'd the pulse of his new life When, from the creaming of his ruby tide That lav'd the shores of Cyprus with a strife Of shells and blossoms scatter'd side by side, Born from the foam, his naked spouse, between The opening valves, shone forth of pearls the Queen. And wafted stately to the floral strand By cool, ambrosial breathings from. the lips Of the gay zephyrs, o'er the glittering sand Of purple Cytherea, on the tips Of the fresh billows like a flower afloat, Glode the strange glory in her fragile boat. Then downward presa'd the Seasons to the beach, Of all things beautiful, to her the fair Young goddess of all beauty, fondly each, And lavishly, their treasures proffer'd there, The summer citron, and the harvest rice, The vernal crocus and prismatic ice. A gorgeous carpet for her path lay strown, • 'rhe jonquil, and the pansy, and the musk; And luscious banquets from the trees were blown, Figs from the bough, and almonds from the husk; The Pleasures numberless, and Graces three, Around her frolick'd in nude ecstasy. And still she stands, as stood her mable shade In Paphos, or as, yet, the magic mould Smiles from the pedestal—a shrinking maid, Dazzling the daring pilgrims who behold That miracle of art, whose timorous arms Veil, yet reveal, inebriating charms. 'Round her lithe waist th' elastic girdle spans, Rising and falling as her passions swell, Token of mane futurity, which fans The life that vacillates 'twixt heaven and hell, Type of eternity, whose round duth roll— The zone of joy, the cestus of the soul. Down, from the slacken'd stress of her small hand, Flutter the damask petals of the rose, With greenest myrtles twin'd, a vermeil band, To bind the pallor of her brow's repose, While to her loving palm yet clings the prize, Pluck'd in proud Ida' ;orchard paradise. The prize awarded in the lists of love— A red-gold apple ripen'd to the core By sunny looks, that, coming from above, Lived in the thoughts of Paris ever more, Visions prefiguring with carnal joy His dreams of bliss, the nightmare of old Troy. Close to her dimpled feet the ringdoves press— Her feet like ivory flush'd with shadow'd pink; Full in the splendour of her loveliness, Bask the twin swans that from her goblet drink, And sparrows, dear as that which Lesbia mourned, Whose lowly tomb Catullus' lays adorned. Flit in gyrations of congenial glee O'er the blithe Queen of laughter, from whose smile Rays forth the happiness that fitfully With jocund mimes dejected hours beguile; So to the Paphian dame flock Cyprian girls With haggard eheeks and gay disorder'd curls. So, with half sad and half exultant air, Pandenius twangs his silken-bridled bow, Driving his poison'd shafts now here, now ;here, Piercing the bosoms of the high, the low,: The greybeard peasant and the child-like prince, Who thrilling, sigh, and—sighing—thrilling, wince. Love tempering thus, like acids in the plum, The gladness and the grief that Beauty wears, When Youth, with sudden rapture stricken dumb, Her fleshly form with fancied shapes compares— Though high o'er Venus Cupid reigns above, Beauty's the mother of celestial Love! CRICKET. ELEVEN OF ENGLAND V. TWENTY-TWO OF SCOTLAND. This match was continued on Wednesday, at Edinburgh. The following is the score:— _ ENGLAND-FIRST INNING& Wisden, c Sopp, b Usherwood s Clarke, c Sopp, b Lawrence 2 A. Mynn, Esq., b Lawrance Parr, c Doherty, b Lawrence Box, b Usherwood 3 Martingell, b Usherwood OOOOO ••• 17 N. Felix, Esq., b Anderson 5B Adams, ruu out Guy, c Hutchins, b Usherwood .OO I VI. . „. Chatterton, not out ... Ilißyer, st Sopp, b Anderson . Byes, 7 ; wide, 9 ; no ball, 0 ... Total 134 SCGTLAND-FIRST INNINGS. W. Horeburgb, Ef,q, c Mynn, b Wisden _ Whigham, Esq.. run out Mr. Atkinson, b Wisden Wright, c Hillyer, b Wisden ... Capt. Hutchinson, b Wisden Lieut. Dickins, c Felix, b Clarko ... ~... l4 Lawrence, c Mynn, b Wisden T. Crcft, Esq, b Wisden Anderson, b Clark H. J. Wylie,Esq., b Wisden .. ....... .... o W. Moncrieff, Esq., run out ... 17 Sopp, b Wisden A. lmrie, Esq., b Mynn ...... W. McLeish, Esq., Ibw, b Myna R. Walker, Esq., b Martingell J. Dewar, Esq., c Wisden, b Mynn Mr. Thomson, c Felix, b Clarke Usherwood, c lliliyer, b Mynn e Major Doherty, b Mynn Sir J. Carnegie, Bart., not out T. Mackenzie, Esq., run out . W. Home, Esq , run out 80,1b1,w 3,n b 0 Total ENGLAND-SECOND INNINGS. Wisden, b Wylie _ Clarke, not out A. Mynn, Esq., b Usherwood •••••• Parr, b Usherwood. Box, b Usherwood Martingell, b Wylie N. Felix, Esq., b Wylie Adams, b Lawrence Guy, b Lawrence Chatterton, c Moncreiff, b Wright Hillier, c Wright, b Usherwood Byes, 12; Ib, 1; w, 14; nb,o Total SCOTLAND-SECOND INNLYGS. W. Horsburgh, Esq., not out Wright, run out Lieut. Dickins, b Clarke ***** • * Lawrence, b Clarke T. Croft, Esq., b Wisden W. Moncrief, Esq., c 111ynn, b Wisden Sopp, b Wisden A. lmrie, Esq., not 0ut...... Sir J. Carnegie. By Bart., c Parr, b Clark n e es,o; lb,0; w,O; b,O Total EXTENSIVE FIRE AT THE WYNDHAM CLUB HOUSE.--This morning, shortly after three o'clock, great alarm prevailed in St. James's-square, in consequence of an outbreak of fire at that extensive establishment, the Wyndham Club-house. The house was filled with smoke proceeding from the " Strangers' Room ;" it was deemed necessary to send for the Brigade and West of England engines and firemen, who speedily attended. When the fire men entered the premibes the flames were spreading rapidly, but the engines were put into operation, and through the assistance rendered by the police and domestics, the fire was extinguished but not until much valuable furniture had been destroyd, and damage done to the building. The fire was occasioned by the foul state of the kitchen chimney, which is in close communication with that of the Army and Navy Club-house adjoining. I 1.-