The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-19 00:00:00

THE DISTRESS IN LANCASHIRE.

Mairmon-notfan.—Amonpt the various amounts
dish came to hood pea ssday at the Nueica-howu in aid
at the fund tar as nate at the Leaseadre duress, were
the fenewiag 10s. bus Yokohama. Japan ; a further
ass at 6000 ham Tirade ; 1234 So. 7d. from Auckland,
New Zealaad ; thubenuai, a further sun et 26W. 18e. Bd.;
Plambotough,Onaada West, 1534 ; runty atlngin, ditto,
350/. ; Nacre*, 13d. ss. 7d. ; Nostrum; WI. 3e.

CzarrkA.t Radar Ftrzen.—At the weekly meet-
leg of the ealleetiog committee, held yesterday aftersoos at
the Manchester Town-hall, it was stated that the total re-
ceipts &slag the week had bees Kura 19a Id. Thane
ware received yesterday from Newbury, ; Pensenae,
1001. ; Chesterfield (led), 3001. ; Penryth. 1151 •
1001. ; Melton, IC 'I • Cotton districts relief ftidr,i6AOrol.;
and Earl Waco, 6001.—Dr. Watts said that fear
domestic servants had managed to effect an estrum
into thu sewing aehools, bat they bad bees de-
tected and discharged. This showed the peat seem-
sity of every employer (iv* s artificate to Ma girl oat of
employ. The principal ditty of the oallectisi onsmittes
appeand to be maimed to isweitigating cases of imposture •
bat there was a saliamstedMee who took the tea iv hand:

Ours of ispodlike only were sow and the, and they
were at sir drat with. Re moved that the collodium
committee's wieldy meetings be adjourned awe die, sad
that the secretary, should any 00111/100 slip% be requested
to call them together again. He was afraid they would
have to collect through IlLenehesim again before the
distress wan at an mad, for there was every
probability of the war bating two years more.
At any rate it would take a long time before
there wu a large import of cotton, and meantime the
workpeople were out of employment —The Mayor seoorxied
the rreolution respecting the adjournment of the committee
meetings, and remarked that he beard one of the local manu-
facturers my that in two or tires weeks there would be
eutigh cotton is the eoentry to simply the whole of the
mills fur ::o weeks to come.—Dr. Watts: Well, 1 only wish
be may be cerreet.—Tbe Mayor announced that be and Dr.
Watts had attended a seirte in connexioo with the Liver-
pool Co-operative Society, held on Monday night in St.
C.oorge's. hail, the profits of which were to be devoted to
the Central Relief Fund. The soiree wee most sucesafol.
The resolution haring been carried, the proceedings
terminated

Paroroir.—At the meeting of the Preston Board
of Guardians on Tutedey, the chairman, in presenting Lis
usual weekly statement, ea his regret that the
return was more Imlay than that of the proviame
week. there being, so reiprdedl the abate noise, an increase
Cl 200 CAN and 113 }seas, and me reapetted the town-
ship of Prestos, as Menem Cl 210 assn and 259 persona
TIM numbest relieved by the 'media= this week in the
unto.. are 9004 men, including 21,136 pssuas. In the
townehip of Preston the figures are. ,1013 sews and
16,717 memo. There bed bees a ottratpoedute in-
esesee tn the spoilt:l4lkm to the relmi committee.
last week them were on the 001DMAS013.11 books, 10,199
mums, issbadisg 34,820 persons, but this week there has
bees an Masan of 100 0111811 sad of 606 pasees. The fol-
lowing return shows the state of employment at the 87
canoe mills ta the tows. Employed is dem per week,
6,367 ; live days, 272 ; four days, 1,476 ; three days, 4,766 ;
two days. 170; entirely out at employment, 14,233. Num-
ber of mills closed, 30.

ASHTON-UR DIA-LYNI.—At the weekly meeting
of the Ashton board of guardian's, held on Monday, it was
stated that, daring the week ending the 11th lent., 26.114
persona Lad been relieved, at a coat of 1,5821. 75. 2d. ; de-
crease nines last week, 431 penman ; decrease since the week
ending the 3rd of December, 8,404.

THE HARTLEY COLLIERY FUND.—The committee
of the flartley Relief Fund have lamed the expected re-
port of the actoary, Mr. W. Birkmyre, of Leedom. On
the data furnished to him, that gentleman has calculated
the gum which will be required to meet the degrade
of the late catastrophe ; aed ea the relief to bye
will be motioned foe twelve, and to girls for fifteen
years, it will be arc scary to invest fee these allow-
ances, 3.1,2:41. For the widows who may survive
that peril, • farther amount of 15,1761. la set down,
making a total of 50,4291. Prom the statement of Mr.
Alltioses, the secsetary. recently published in our columns,
it appears that about 5,5004 has &heed, bean adraiaistered
to the sufferers by the calamity, while 70,0001. hes bra in-
vested in safe and available reneity, and 5,6001. lies in the
heads of the bankers is tieweastle. There thus resnales a
surplus of nearly 25,0001., as to the dispose' of which the
zrz'taciied, I, pe doubt, be speedily raised.—Newasalle

DBAMA.

AsrLErs (NEW IC

- -
We are glad to find that Mr. Boucicault is now
Maly to reap the reward of his spirited management. The
paitomima, necemanly got up in a great hurry, was not
very brilliant, and its withdrawal seems to have improved
the bill and to have pleased the audiences. The company
has been strengthened in every department, and Mr. Bond-
Gault, with rare self-denial on the part of a manager who is
so excellent an actor, has almost put himself on one side,
to give them a fair chasm of making themselves prominent.
The drams of Effie Desna (now preceded and followed by •
farce) is very attractive, and Mrs. Boucle:auk.' graceful
acting so full of heart, force, and rustic simplicity, is justly
applauded by crowded and sympathetic audiences
. .

While gi;ing Mr. Benoit:atilt full credit for his reforms
in trout of the curtain, we should like to see him corn.
plot* his work. It we are rightly informed, the cloak-room
harpies still ride rampant over the visitors.

ALHAMBRA.

The Alhambra, though built by an amiable and
unsuecossful company of schoolmasters, was evidently
designed for acrobatic, performances. No other building in
London can compete with it on this ground, and its pro-
prietor is wise to use it largely for these displays. The
flying trapeze loses half its airy grace in any other theatre
or concert-hall, and none of the old or new combinations of
"lofty tumbling" have ever bad such a noble indoor space
for exhibition in England, except at the Crystal Palace.
Mr. Wilde, the energetic proprietor of this vast building,
has added another novelty to his gymnastic programme in

the shape of a young Belgian performer on the high swing-
ing-Mr. This gentleman goad by the name of Verrecko
and his performance includes some of Olmic's feats, and
some of those introduced by the Brothers Talliott. All hie
evolutions take place on a bar suspended about 60 test high
under the dome of the theatre ; sad his most daring feat is
one in which he hangs from the bar by the saps of his neck,
beating a drum with both hands for more than a minute.
Young Conrad is improving nightly on the flying traphe,
promising soon to reach Leotard's standard of excellence;
and all the performances--musical and gymnastic—seem to
give great satisfaction to crowded &radiators.

ROYAL GINKRAL TuxAnticm. Foam.—Yesterday
the annual meeting of the members of the Royal General
Theatrical Fund was held in the saloon of the Lyceum
Theatre' Mr. J. B. Bnekstose, the boa. treasurer, in the
chair. Mr. Collanford, the secretary, read the financial
statement, from which it appeared that their receipts from
admission fees had been 301. ; members' subscriptions,
7001. 13s. lOgd. ; dividends on stock, less income tax,
3421. 11s. 2d. ; income tan returned, 13a. 4d. ; profit of
dinner (less arrears) 2711. 14a. dd. ; interest on lapsed
legacy of the late Lady Morgan, 81. la. 7d. ; arrows of 1861,
721. la. ; making inl 1,3881.65. sgcl. The diabeireaments
had been : annuitants' fund, 8021. 10s., and secretary's
salsry and other expen es, 1221. odd ; leaving a imbue* in
hand of 3971. Oa. 9d. total capital of the fend was
12,5391. 18s. sd. The members' mitscriptions this year were
larger than last year. The report was unemimonaly adopted,
and the dicers was re-elected. The trustees—Mr. Bee-
jimin Bond Cabbed, M.l'., Mr. Charles Dickens, and Mr.
W. C. Macrsedy—were re-elected.

DRAMATIC, EQUISTRIAN, AND MUSICAL SICK
Finn) ABBOCIATION.—The 'breath anniversary festival of
the Dramatic, Equerries, and Musket Sick Fund Associa-
tion was held at Willis's Rooms last night, under the chair-
manship of Mr. George Augustus Sala. It is almost the
by riof the sir excellent charitable societies founded
theatrical profession for the benefit of their own
order, and is gradually acquiring an important position.
Mr. Benjamin Webster, who is always foremost in works
calculated to aid and elevate his profession, acts as president,
and he is ably seconded by Mr. J. W. Almon, the excellent
secretary, and a good wortiog committee. This society was
the first to admit Indies to its banquets, and the feriae' last
• which included a dinner and a ball, was attended by
a large and brilliant company. Ash Wednesday being one
of the few days an which sakes are not compelled to
act, of course the members of the profession were
redominant. Amongst the company were Mosses. Benjamin
Webster. Tom Ta tor, Edmund Yates, Captain Hornby,
R.N.. Miens. A Arcedecine, Home Mayhew, Fre-
derick Gray, Leicester Buckingham, Marcus Stone, Walter
MonVomay, Alfred Mellon and Mrs. Mellon. John Rot-
herham', Paul Bedford and Mrs. Bedford, J. L. Toots and
Mrs. Toole, Henry Vizetelly, Captain Horton Bbya,
Freed, Min. Swenborough, Min Marie Wthoo, Miss Batton,
Mims Julia St. George, Miss Litoette, Mrs. Bidden, Hrs,
Sefton, Mias Rats Casson, Miss Roans Wright, Mr. and
Mrs. Billington. Mr. Sala made a most effective chairman,
and after the usual loyal toasts, in an eloquent and de-
scriptive speech be advocated the muse of the inalltatioa.
Mr. Edmund Yates, in a very agreeable speak, proposed
the health of Mr. Benjamin Webster am the president of
the [wad, and Mr. Webster responded feelingly to this com-
pliment. The health of the chairman was proposed by
Mr. TOM Taylor, and drunk with tottmaimm. The musical
arrangements were confided to Mr. Frederick Ki=
who bad the able assistance of Mann. H. Drayton,
Tedder, Hodson, and Theodore NUM, and Mrs. Mayan',
Mir Leftist, aed others. The subscriptions amounted to
upwards of 2454 After the speeches and concert, which
were got througjh about midnight, dancing was kept up with
great spirit until en early boar.