The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-28 00:00:00

for the year of our Lord 1847. Tim
Al.....lT.Efbizi
sTollißetyF
Th .
for
the
Direinw,
uoselEriattimiedir;a.
Compossims Se Ike Almanac; or, Year Book of Getotral
Information, for 1847. London, Charles Knight.
The British Almanac, " for the ensuing year to
mow ^ (to adopt the phraseology of the now obsolete
itinerant vendors of penny almanacs) is the twentieth
of the series. It was the first in point of time, and is
still the first in point of excellence, of the attempts to
impart a character to almanacs more worthy of the
age's more diffused intelligence.
There is a slight alteration in the Calendar. A
a Thermometrical Register" has been substituted for
the Remarks on the Weather," hitherto inserted at
the top corner of the second page of each month.
These registers have been carefully copied front
those made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,
and deposited with the Royal Society. They show
the highest and lowest ranges within each twenty-four
hours from twelve different readings. Each month is
placed with its corresponding month, affording a ready
means of comparison with the first ten months of
1846 and the last two of 1845. which are all that
could be given up to the date of publication.
In other respects, the almanac proper continues
unaltered, retaining all that full, and neat, and closely
packed amount of information for daily use which
obtained such a large circulation for the preceding

volumes.
In the " Companion to the Almanac" we look—
with a general similarity of subjects and purpose—
for more variety. Nor are we disappointed. Not
first in order, but first in interest fur those who, like
us, have made familiar friendly referees of the
" Almanac" and its " Companion" since their first
appearance, is a paper on the " Recurrence of Eclipses
and Full Moons." The eclipses, and new and full
moons for 1828 and 1846, for 1829 and 1847, as re-
corded in the " British Almanac," are compared, for
the purpose of thus practically reminding the reader
that the recurring concurrences of astronomical phe-
nomena, by which we are enabled to measure time,
are, in so far as those brief periods which have prac-
tical utility for man are concerned, only approximative.
The neat and distinct execution of this paper induces
us to attribute it to one whose essays on applied
mathematics in this publication have done much to
give it the high character it maintains.
By no means inferior in value to the paper we
have been noticing, is the retrospect of the progress
of education in England, in which the actual achieve-
ment of our endowed schools, and of our voluntary
associations for education, are successively reviewed,
and the results applied to enforce this moral—the
" insufficiency of the present system of education."
"Government Offices" is a condensed sketch of the
actual organisation and functions of the different
executive bureaux of Great Britain, with historical
indications of their origin and organisation. Who-
ever can accomplish the task of filling up this sketch
from a matured study of our national archives would
render an important service both to the student of
history and the practical politician. The paper to
which we arc directing attention is, we believe, the
first attempt of the kind.
" Railways of Great Britain," " Fluctuations of the
Funds," " buties under the Corn Importation Act,"
and " Customs Duties," are sequels of the valuable
compilations in historical statistics presented under
the same titles to the public in previous volumes of
the series.
The Abstracts of Public Acts and Parliamentary
Documents, the Chronicle of the Session of Parliament
for 1846, the Catalogues of Private Bills and Public
Petitions for the same Session, the Review of Public
Improvements, the Chronicle of Currencies, Bank-
ruptcy• Analysis, and the Annual Necrology of Lite-
rary Men and Artists, maintain their reputation. Our
old friend continues to be indeed a repertory of
" Useful Knowledge."

Itbr Drama.
Saturday tl
enough,ua harlequin
dnwd Comicwanting
n Ggeo
ngeeh
what
iastuint mdt
DRURY LANE.—We witnessed et this theatre On
utshhel.' :111 ar
a mg
belt:m:l'4a
ctedalliedous"
pantomime's essence—viz., fun. But the fun of a
pantomime has of late years heea confined to a
burlesque introduction, the remainder being only notice-
able for a few novel transformations, having, now and
then, sonic point, popular or political. On the present occa-
sion, the introductory part was burdened by a very short
dialogue of no merit, and, notwithstanding the bustle anti
rapidity of its action, was so confused and wanting in
drollery as to draw down frequent busts of hissing. Mr
l'ayne, who played "t. George, was unfortunately ill, and on
his account the performance was for a short time suspended ;
but even when this gentleman excited himself in his best
manner, and whilst he was aided by Mr. Wieland, very un-
equivocal symptoms of displeasure and weariness were ex-
hibited by the audience. The real business of the panto-
mime was equally unfortunate. No topic of the day was
successfully touched on; and the absence of political
allusions was complete, unless, indeed, wo are so te
consider the transformation of two trees, marked " Spa-
nish Nuts," and Orleans l'lums," into a girl and boy, wear-
ing respectively the Cachueha costume and the dress of a
debardcur. The tricks and changes were as commonplace
as if neither chemistry nor the science of machinery had
made any progress in the last ten years ; and the mythic
personagee, Harlequin, Columbine, Clown, and l'antaioun,
seemed to be under the iiditienee of the general drowsiness.
ILAYSIARKET.—One of the pleasantest stories ultimo
Countess d'Anois' Conies des Fees, is that of Prince•Lutin,
whom a grateful fairy has cudowed with four gilts: a cap
that, turned one way, uausports him whither he will in an
instant, and, turned another, renders him invisible ; a red
rose that gives him perpetual health ; a yellow rose that, on
a wish, places at his disposal boundless wealth; and
white rose, that gives him to know whether the fair one he
loves at any particular time is worthy of his pension. Upon
this story Mr. has fuunded the " Invisible Prince ;
or the Island of Tranquil Delights," which constitutes the
Christmas piece at the little theatre in the Haymarket. " The
Invisible Prince" received the permission of his Imperial
Majesty the l'ublic to appear every evening until further
notice. " The Invisible l'rince' is one of tho pret-
tiest of that series of extravaganzea which hare
fur some years past attracted first the joyous ex-
pectation and then the lightsome steps of Christmas merry-
makers to this agreeable they're. The dialogue is
racy and telling, "full of wise saws and mnlern in-
'tutees," and, with its wonted nice morality, giving sharp
raps over the knuckles of hum ery in general, and
of Louis Philippe in particular, while far the simple follies
of the day it has its laughing jest and jollity. The perfor-
mers are all that Mr. Piancei or the public could desire.
They enter throughout into the fun of the thing, aud thus
give each line, every ward, its full effect. We have 0., epees
wherein to Pet forth the merits of nil, and we have no incli-
nation invidiously to indicate particular personages. Only, ea
Miss Reynolds has never before uppcand in en.e of these
estravaganz is, whereas Ms's P. lloram, Miss Julia Bennett,
)lr.J . Bland, and others, have bee. ow identified with th ..ir ein-
em, we wsult just say that now we h.,ve own Miss ynolds
one of them, it appears inexplic dee how we could have
done without her in wilder yean, sssiiial deersem,
with her joy-oesming. lace h.,r ..inriciation of ;miaow.,
and her clear, fine, ringing vai.e. The scenery i.
l'ittracEss's. —The entertaiiiinenni at this theatre
were pr Bract dvu hueseively as v• de, the yea,- o%jeet of
• hull lay Ofelling'd 11.11111111,1/1, I. Th, matter
(as it may be called) lasted sit wit n u quaur of deem
'clock; by which time the p.m( folks. who b.,4 gists. •• full
of jorul enlie.p.tiou of the osintouvrine wouder• promised
them, were a orn out with th.sir inisa, tot vial! ; and b. fore
the end et the pantomiuse (at past one o'do.k ,in Sunday
morning), we saw several of .rtat•ncs carriwas
eel
fast asleep, out el the buite. The first piece
" Blauche do VeLnv," a nielselranni. iii two see". was
rather pler.siag and inter...tine • sari -'1 the
h the per. a. of Mrs. so ...ling, 111,1:i, •, • able
impressive 1111 the trash *can:, of the juve.,'.•••
Next ea hie a moat ann.:ea...are
and already worumut " Se v. r M w hick
lasted vl. the, hour we have in. ritiontd. I..teas os•oelealy
poi Insole 1, as if the to *ere quite awrthat noody
carol for it. The psalm:aim - called • 'lle I.:n.b laded
!leagues of the Oglelea Castle ; •••,•. :.,' 'in •)We-
eyed (lame ," a kit e sudiciew t,• shoes- te ," oLkt,riabt
w, re drawn tram the A iisbidos Ve; %pie and
Illevrie of which were amusi true. • TI.e aela
we; not only gorgeous, but no c.• ~f ti. .ey bean-
tlful, le a view ... car. lof Pan et,, • masterly
piece 0: painting. There we. 1.0 :sane capital London
etre-. t ,C 0111,11; 11.11110111, of the noul;, al chandege., w
as
d (7,.rn0 trans
to
femoiee of the Wellingt,••• from II! er
the More Orients. Lllll the C;issns
wor.re we:, p. earned by 11..1..c.ia Mks Liurleegc, load ilex•
mant the Mew, na I it --a1.,. per'arrnisl at a es:tan/table
the, woabl have le en •iaite saes
laTeltl2.ll.--. Suttee the firm of I hz.k.„-nie
Life," (Is, drama •, keeson•.• hsise, to .:se a
theatrical phrhwe. " the p arts alLa • 1 in
theta. WO an w..rkeelsmo,thle ~ :•11.. Would that w, could
ttttt ottoos a si u las result's to tee ssonsel ~,'arse pro. ia.ed
the in, agement toss th, th.4:11, ,rat
The Christina. Pauem mass •:.g. fit.) • Iron of the kind
at this h neat WA. 43.1:, canuo,lel. Ti:s fa:ban
we •I'riho.e to . attmad to eroni,eic ladst with
furl. . ;,he one Ir-4A raglared 111,1,111114 r) t0:1
c other,
with but light pr talsinw thi usur,ga pre ..I.l:neatie.
ths tn..," The Butt.•rfll's Bail," aaafie.eratise cc to an
wToeh•st• age eit,ion- ts 1.15;.., .;44111,c4.).,,j.,i,,,,,t. of :masa
and car!t• tlay, is pries ust y•'tl, ieuts peetilisrly
ea aday purpos• huh ou the :1. . 'teas
harlsvol. W. are, (sower r, iitle.] that the
aftnery and H.:AJove was 'es.te..:e.: that
M:. J. Lauri appeare 1 for first that is 4/eriefirton,
and assisted by hi. two ~.otliess. the
•,1•'-'real e ,1.• tile tst /vntomtme
perforined with p rfeet log (est, i
rAr if) ,n mutt of
the ktist.l ech,il ; that 'At. J. W. per
the e' fume ' I ebetrea ; it,. ,tr. et7ll su.i a I easy
pair ,it iteacal j,„ Miss

.v• •amerears Marini, sew no tlisal 0w...