The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-04 00:00:00

[Stamped, ld. Additional]

linters comforts seemed well worth the extra penny.
It is curious, however, to note the wide contrast
between the people seated in the various boxes in
the long gas-lit room. The bricklayer's labourer,
in lime-spotted fustian or corduroy, his agricul-
tural brother with the loam from distant ploughed
fields still clinging to his dress, and the lower grade
of artisan, are largely represented. But, over and
above these, are shabby-genteel figures in rusty
cloth, who look ashamed, and sulky, and idle, and
worthless, who have watery lack-lustre eyes and
bloated faces, and whose career of drunken deca-
dence may be traced step by step from comfort and
respectability to poverty, houselessuess, and a
nightly alternation between the streets a police
cell and a fourpeuuy lodging, when fourpence can
be procured. The broken-down shopman is pal-
pably here too. From ill-health, or hard
luck, or misconduct, he has sought another
situation in vain, and after pawniug first the cheap
jewellery and the Sunday cane, and, finally, the
whole of his clothes ; after taking a cheaper and a
cheaper lodging while waiting fur better timee—he
becomes too shabby to even apply for the employ-
ment he has learnt, and sinks into the performer of
odd jobs, and lodges where warmth and light are
gratuitous, and the absence of wardrobe is not an
ezos+►tion to be remarked. A peculiar ridge on the
second finger of the red right hand of one of the men
before us, was said to arise from the constant use
of scissors, and to mark him as an ex-hueudraper's
assistant, and there was something in Lis smirk and
bearing which did not contradict the theory.
But the largest of all the establishments we
visited is known as "Smith's," and is situated in
Flower-street, Spitaltiehls. Llere, in the language
of a handbill being freely circulated iu the district,
for3d. a Light, or is. Gd. a week, "first-class accom-
modation will be provided, the house having been
fitted up iu first-rate style, with all the latest im-
provements, new bedsteads, beds, and bedding sur-
passing ail others at the price in Loudon, a most com-
modons kitchen, 80 feet long, good fires, and a good
supply of cooking utensils, au excellent wash-house,
and a watchman kept to call lodgers at any Lola'
they like." This programme is very fairly carried
out. The house iu question is only just opened,
sod the licensed number not yet settled, but " we
hope to take in 132, if our friends the police will
allow us." It is clean and tolerably comfortable
throughout, while the lockers duly numbered are to
be arrauged iu a small glass covered yard, and a
reading-room supplied with newspapers will open
out of that devoted to cooking and eating. We go
through the sleeping-rooms upstairs, see the same
figures reposing in every variety of uncomfortable
attitude, and remark on the curious family likeness
which obtains. The 'lumber of sleepers and their
contiguity, the dim light shed by our candle iu the
large room, and the half dressed forms of the men
disrobing, all reminded one of the cabin of a large
steamer at night. The sheets are all, for obvious
reasons, marked iu a type we are more accustomed
to see on advertising hoardings than on :
but as Mr. Smith begs us to observe, both beds and
tickiugs are new, and " to-morrow will be
the day for changing the sheets," a ceremony
which occurs once in every week. Some mouths
ago this proprietor was wrongfully suspected of
giving information to the authorities whereby some
of his neighbours were convicted of theft, and
the whole of his ground-floor windows (at the
other house, too) were summarily smashed.
Shortly afterwards circumstances occurred exone-
rating
him from the unpopular charge, and the
windows (which he had publicly declared should
never be mended) were quietly put in by the very
hands by whom they had been destroyed. We
went over many other establishments of a similar
class, picking them out at random as we walked
through what are spoken of as " the worst neigh-
bourhoods in Loudon," between the Lours of ten
p.m. and one a.m.. and found their leading cha-
racteristics to be such as we have described. The
police license, showing the number of people al-
lotted to each room, is placed conspicuously in its
centre; ventilators and other modern improve-
ments are being widely introduced ; and it seems
certain that, in placing our cheap lodging-houses
under the supervisiou of the police, we have nut
only protected the poor man from the grave moral
evils inseparable from overcrowded rooms, but have
ensured him materi-il comforts, and increased Lis
chances of health.

TOTAL LOSS OF THE MAIL STEAMER JURA

1N THE MERSEY.

(nom ouz own COWSPOIMIXT.)
LIVERPOOL, THIIRISDAT.

The Quebec and Montreal Ocean Steam Naviga-
tion Compaoy'e royal mail steamship Jars, from Quebec
oo the 22ed ult., was wrecked and became a total loss at the
mouth of the Mersey this morales.

Having leaded her despetches at Loodooderry last even-
ing, about six o'clock. she mind off the river, near the
Bell Buoy, between twelve and ose this morning, and took
the pilot on board. The weather was very thick, and the
pilot was not the one who usually navigates these vessels
into port, the latter being ill at the time. The vessel was
brought up the Formby Chancel, and either from a
mieeolculation of distance, or from mistaking the
Crosby light for that of the north docks,
she got outside the channel, and ran upon the
"Crosby Spit," or "Crosby Poiut," a narrow sand bank
tanning out between Crosby end Waterloo. The fore part
of her keel became 6 :ad is the bank, the stem h►nging in
deep water ; but it was hoped that she would be got off as
the *eat flood tide. Sign►ls of distress brought steam
Waders, tugs, and lighters to her aid, and her mails, specie,
pessengen, and pert of Uncut-go, which consisted principally
of grain, were safely got out by an early hour. Soon after
6 o'clock she parted slightly amidships, and since that tune
her stern has been gradually settling down. This afternoon
she was still above water, ►nd the remainder of the cargo was
being got out. Her bulwarks and part of her rigging are
greatly damaged, and, of course, Woos she broke, all hope of
gettiog her off in a serviceable condition bare vanished.

It is understood that the Jura is not insured, except in
the company's own insurance food. She was built in 1854,
for the Cunard Company, by filesars.Thompooo, of Glaegow,
and was sister ship to the ta a . She was 2,241 tons
burthen, was fitted with engioes of 440-horse power, and
was built of iron. The Cunard Company sold her to the
Quebec and Montreal (keen Company about the time of
the lose of the Hungarian, in At the time of the
accident she was steaming full speed.

A LIBERAL CONGREGATION.—At the close of the
service io Park Church, Glasgow, on the sites noon of Sun-
day last, the Rev. Mr. Charted* minounold that, lode-
peedeotly of the east rents, the return from which is up-
wards of I,ooof. per sebum, the cosigregation had weed
during the preceding year the munificent sum of 6,01 M.
The major part of the latter stun was employed in provollug
an endowment for Park Church, which uuw takes rank as
regular parochial charge ; cod the remainder area coetributed
to the general scheme. of the church of Scotland, and for
educational and beeetioset objects connected with the con-
gragaties. It need scarcely be added that the eudowmeut,
less completed without any aid from the public funds of the
church.— Glavotc Herald.

DEATH THROUGH FIR&—At Guy'e EinApitill yes-
terday Mr. Patoe held an inquest respecting the death of
an infant named George Jobs Davis, aged 13 months. The
child was left alone in • room for • few minute., and
during the absence of the mother it was ■upposed that he
got a piece of wood sod played with the are. Upos the
woman's return she found bin clothes on are, aid the child
seriously injured. Despite the remedies which were
applied at the hospital, the sufferer died. The jury gave
• verdict of " Aocidentsl death.* - .

-•••-•••• -•
THE COAL TRADE—Another very large fleet of
eosl•lodee vessels ruled from the Tyne noon the Wisdom. '
day !travelog sad afternoon tides, sad the harbour and docks
at Shields are Dow well deer of Woo shipping. Dario(
the first three day, of this weak vessels hare sailed from the
Tye* for Dearly all part of the world won to navigstion„
The weather was moderste on Wednesday, sod the wind
was from the earthward. Remarkably few north country
ships engaged in the coal trade hare been wrecked during
the moat beavY paler, and now of north country meanies
have bees lost so far mew he esserteised.

[TWOPENCE

MUSIC.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-GARDEN.
__ _ _

Mr. Diaciarren'e new opera lielreilyn (which, pro-
perly speaking, ought to have inaugurated the opening of this
theatre by the English Opera Company) was given for the
first time last evening. The delay in its production was
made up for by the care and completeness of its perform-
anos. We have seldom seen a dramatic piece better put
upon the stage. It is evidently a work on which our
greatest English musician has put forth all his strength,
and we are °atria:od that it is worthy of his name. Of t►e
greatest part, we weepiest there can be little difference of
opinion ; bat we could not help thinking that other portions
were more elaborate than happy ; that the smell of the
lamp was more perceptible than its effect iu throwing light
and deeming on the composition. But such an impression
is often the remit of the first heariug of music of the very
highest order when it. beauties lie deep below
the surface. We must, therefore, defer our da
tailed criticism on this opera till we have
enabled ourselves, by further heariog, to speak with greater
confidence.

DRAMA.

DRUlti-LANE.

The revival of Macbeth, last sight at Drtiry-larts,
with all those sack and operatic accessories which- have
been engrafted upon the drama since Shakespeare's time
(not without critical protest), may fairly be regarded as
the great dramatic event of Messrs. Falconer and Chat-
terton's present season. The Shakespearian plays which
have preceded this revival have been put upon the
stage without any pretension to display, but Mactieth is
mounted with more spectacular liberality. The antiquarian
and unfamiliar correctness of costume and detail which dia•
tinguisbed Mr. Charles Kean's elaborate revival of the same
play at the Princees's Theatre has sot been copied, but the
drama has been embellished much in that rich traditional
style adopted by Mr. Macready during his Drury-lane
hip.
Miss helm Faticit'm lady Macbeth is the great feature
of the present revival, and it as a performance that is
almost new to the public. When MIAs Faucit accepted a
short engagement with Mr. Charles Dillon at the Lyceum
Theatre in the spring of 1&18, she played this part about
half-adores times, but the management was in its last
dying agonies, and nothing which was produced, however
good, could have created any very deep impression. Miss
Faucit's impersonation last night ou the boards of the No-
called national theatre may be almost regarded as her
metropolitan first appearance in the part, and her former
attempts may be dismissed as rehearsals. The character
suits her mental more than her physical powers. Every-
thing that a highly cultiv►ted mind, an intuitive conception
of the poet's meaning, end the hardest study in the modern
ideal school of acting, can do for a sound rendering of Lady
Macbeth, Miss Fault does for it, and yet she struggles
through the strong passages at the commencement of the play
with evident effort, and makes a ter deeper impression in
the more intense sod delicate porting'. As we have said
before, when speaking of her acting, she seems to us to
want real passion, and succeeds best in giving life to the
softer emotions of the female heart. As lmogen she pro.
bably Mande without a rival ; as Lady Macbeth the can
never reach more than a secondary position. The ranting
bombastic speech, wholly unworthy of Shakespeare's genius,
which Lady Macbeth utters after reading the letter, and
just before the entrance of Macbeth, gained little by
Miss F►ncit's laboured delivery, but nothing could well be
more spiritual, dreamy, and impressive, without coarse-
Dem, than the great sleep-walking scene, with its
fine broken soliloquy. Is the melodrama of the part
Miss Fausit was more suggestive than forcible, realising
little, and leaving much to the imagination of her audience. A
womanly grace, however, tempered the whole performance,
which was often out of tune with the words, and this pace
was not marred by any finical affectatioe.
Mr. Phelps's Macbeth is very familiar to the public, this
being one of the characters which he played much at Sadler's
Walls.

Mr. Creswiclea Maeda was • gentlemanly, sensible per-
formance; and Mr. Belmores ant witch was remarkable
for a most artistic make-up. The rest of the characters
were performed in what is called a respectable manner.
Shakespeare's minor parte an not always very thank( al ans.
As • spectacle Macbeth is mounted numbly, witk
all that practical wisdom which marks the Drury.
lane management. The scenery is massive, and
much is made of the noble stage space—pertaulerly in
the banqueting sone. The caldron scene is provided with
• fine Waster &masque rook and moonlight set *sure
by Mr. Beverley. The choruses appear to be well selected,
and the principal singers in the operatic episode On Mr.
Bertisman sad Mies Bebe= Isaacs. The house was
crowded in every part, and the who;ii performance wee re.
oeived with the greatest favour, although it did not oat.
elude till midnight.