The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-03 00:00:00

gilt 9r a ma.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
ANOTHER of Mr. Kean's Shaksperian suffocations
was presented to the public on Monday evening.
We have not the smallest intention of following this
mistaken and obstinate gentleman through all the
wonderful details of his elaborate playbill. With
not much trouble to ourselves we might produce a
nfacciamento of one of these extraordinary docu-
ments, such as would fairly astonish our reader?, by
the apparent profundity and extent of the antiquarian
learning displayed in it; but the operation would be
quite superfluous: it has been so successfully per-
formed by most of our daily contemporaries that
there is no need for us to repeat it here. Suffice it
to say, that the drama which Mr. Kean has in this
instance chosen for strangulation is The Winter's
Tale, which is " put on," or rather "put out," with
accompaniments—we beg pardon, we are unwittingly
degrading the scenery, dresses, and dances to the
second rank—surpassing in magnificence all that
has ever been seen of a similar kind at the Great
National Diorama. We do nut quarrel with
the scenery ; it is, without doubt, magnificent,
painted in the best st3le, and apparently
drawn from the most authentic sources. Doubt-
less the " Pyrrhic Dance" is very classical, as it is
imposing and inspiriting ; the " Banqueting Hall,"
with its elegant vases, and chastely-clad slaves, a
model of tasteful gorgeousness, Sze. &c. d:c. All
this is very true, but it only proves that the rope
with which the strangulation is performed is a very
beautiffil specimen of art manufacture, and does
not excuse, in the slightest degree, the " shocking
and barbarous murder" of Shakespeare's poetry,
which actually becomes a mera accompaniment to
its own back-ground and accessaries. We do not
profess to criticise scenery and dresses; we have
therefore an easy duty to perform in a case where
they are obviously the main points of a " presenta-
tion." The acting (with the exception of Mrs.
Kean's Herrnione, which is performed with a cer-
tain majestic sweetness and resignation, very refresh-
ing in the midst of so much hollow rant and noise that
surrounded it) is execrable. Mr. Kean, in Leontes,
seems to think that a husband who could so far for-
get himself, need not remember his stops, and goes
on running one sentence into another as if passion
and punctuation were utterly incompatible : he raves,
stamps about with his arms sticking out on each
side of his head, as if he were temporarily insane and
believed himself a windmill; and so outrageously
violent was he in one of the early scenes, on the
occasion on which we were present, that he threw
poor little Mamilius fairly off his balance, and satin
factorily established in the minds of the audience the
fact that the child, pretty as he was, had certainly
no claims whatever to the cherubic character. But
we must postpone a more particular criticism of each
actor until next week.

THE ADELPHI THEATRE will close in June, when
the building will be taken down for the purpose of
erecting a new theatre on the enlarged site. The
new theatre will be entirely constructed of iron, and is
now preparing at Liverpool for erection as soon as
the site is cleared. Mr. Webster calculates on being
able to reopen early in the autumn.

Issrmarios or THE HEARTH.—There is a legend
of an artist wlin was about to carve from a piece of
costly sandal-wood an image of the Madonna; but
the material was intractable—his hand seemed to
have lost its skill—he could not approach his ideal.
When about to relinquish his efforts in despair, a
voice in a dream bade him shape the figure from the
oak-block which was about to teed his hearth. He
obeyed, and produced a masterpiece. This story
represents the truth which mysticism upholds, when
it appears as the antagonist of superstitious exter-
nalism. The materials of religious happiness lie, as
it were, near at hand—among affections and desires
which are homely, common, and of the fireside. Let
the right direction, the heavenly influence, be re-
ceived from without, and heaven is regarded with
the love of home, and hope sanctified by the hope of
heaven.—Vaughan's Hours with the Mystics.

gATIIRDAT,

oneg Parket anti Cttg flttlligtact.

FRIDAY Evemsn.
THE return of the Bank of England for the week ending
April 20th shows the following changes compared with
that for the week preceding:—

Decrease in Circulation £41115
Increase in Public Deposita
Decrease in Other Deposita
Increase in Goveinment Securities
Increase in Other Securities
Decrease in Bullion . . 15202
Increase in Rest
Decrease in Reserve
Bullion in Both Departments
Circulation, including Bank Post
Bills
The principal features in this comparison are again on
favorable The bullion has again been reduced by a con.
siderable sum, until it has descended to an amount that
would certainly produce considerable uneasiness if we did
not know that gold has lately been taken to the Bank more
than sufficient to ccinpensate for the reduction shown in
this return. The Reserve is also once more considerably
diminished. This fund now amounts to only 4,273,9101.
The large increase in the Public Deposits arises from the
payment of the final loan instalment. The Private be.
posits have decreased largely, owing to the more profitable
employment of money elsewhere ; and the small addition
to the Private Securities shows the trifling business done
.n discounts by the Bank during the easy condition of the
Money Market which prevailed in the latter part of the
period embraced by the return.

The Money Market has experienced a return of pressure
and a renewal of extreme rates. For a few days since our
last them was partial ease, arising from a vague impres•
sion that the Chancellor of the Exchequer may, by a ren•
sion of taxation to some extent, avoid the necessity of a
new loan altogether; but the temporary buo3ancy which
this idea created soon gave way, and now there is great
tightness in all depar•ruents. The pressure of the railway
and foreign settlements upon the Stock Exchange, and the
preparations to take up the commercial acceptances falling
due to-morrow, which are understood to be enormously
heavy, were the most apparent causes of the change, while
the inconvenience has been increased by the discount.
housete taking deposits for short periods at five and a half
per cent. Under these circumstances, the rates in Lom•
bard street have advanced to tally the Bank minimum, and
the Bank, having resumed discount operations, has reek% ed
numerous applications for temporary advances. To day
this state of things has continued, and there is no imme-
diate prospect of much relief. The rates on the Stock
Exchange have been exceedingly high in some cases; hat
the general average has been from seven to seven and a
half per cent. Next week is the Consul settlement, and
not much change is to be anticipated until the account
which is thought to be rather heavy, has been liquidated.
The specie imports of the week have amounted to about
350,0001. ; the exports are Lot yet known. About 200,0001.
of the recent arrivals of Australian gold have been taken
into the Bank. The Bank of France, it appears, has not
yet concluded its contracts for the purchase of gold at a
premium ; and a portion of the imports from New York
still go to Paris.

Owing to the conga rahle discount to which Exchequer
Bills have fallen, which renders them partially unsaleable,
the Government have been urged either to increase the
rate of interest upon them before the renewal of th.se
dated in June, or to fund a considerable amount.

Yesterday, in consequence of it being the day for making
up the half-) early balances, the Transfer-office of the liauX
of England and the Stock Exchange were closed. The
Paris Bourse was also closed, as it always is upon Ascen-
sion•day.

Consols have been comparatively stationary since our
las., though affected on Monday by anticip:dions of a
Ministerial crisis, and by rumours concerning a loan.
Both these causes have now passed away, and it is princi-
pally financial considerations which influence the market.
The closing price on Wednesday was 92i to for the ac-
count, being an improvement of one quarter per cent. upon
Tuesday's prices, and yesterday some transactions were
entered into " outside" also at 92i. The business of the
week has been very limited, anti, generally. there is no dis-
position to contract large engagements. Prices, indeed,
are considered to have arrived at their extreme range, com-
pared with the present value of money. To-day the
opening price was 9'21 to f for the Account; but a decline
took place to 923 to a, at which the Market closed.
Exchequer Bills of the June issue are 9s. to 4s. dis.
Railway Stocks showed a decided tendency to decline
on Saturday, but. they subsequently recovered, and are now
firm, though the highest quotations have not been main-
taiued in all cues The traffic returns of the week, except
the South Western, are not very much more favorable
than those of the corresponding week last year, and the
vast increase in the South Western is due exclusively to
the enormous business created by the review. The great
lines continue well supported. Business, until to-day, has
been interrupted to some entent by the airangements con-
nected with the settlement; but from the nature of :he
transactions there is reason to apprehend that the public
are still investing in some of these securities from a
belief that full prices have not yet been attained.

Foreign railway undertakings have been dealt hi to a
moderate extent. Prices have rt.ther fluctuated ; but they
are now at nearly the highest point of the week• Indian
lines remain firm, and Canadian descriptions are all good.
The traffic on the Great Western of Canada is particularly
increasing. The new undertakings continua in favour.