The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-21 00:00:00

TO THE AGRICULTURISTS OF BERKSHIRE.

GIEtrrLENEN,—You have been induced to take np a'
false position in your hostility to the name of " free trade."
For just consider a moment
an what it is in this land of
freedom to complain of "free" ything—we assert in our
persons, press, and institutioos the fullest freedom, and to
object to it in trade surell involves a marked inctutsistarcy.
It caner), then be in the ingerlient of freedom that the fault
lie, bat la some accessory. No—it Is not true ' free trade"
that re iojet ions to you—but it is the partial one-sided •• free
trade" which is now in operation. For what is your
grievance ? It is that foreign produce, competing with that
wtice you raise, is admitted duly free, while all other arti-
cles of import pay a considerable. and some of teem sn ex-
orbitaat daty. A farmer cannot turn his own brrley into
malt, tO hie own tallow int woo or (audits, without paying
a heavy duty. A farmer dines if his own untaxed pro tut-
tioas at en ordintry—but he cannot have his glass et brandy
and water and his pips afterwards, without paying the tol-
lowing taxes:
The glass, is protected by a duty of 10 per cent.
The silver erica pays a stamp
cent.
duty of
The sugar, a customs duty of 5O per cent.
The brandy, a customs duty of
ert cent! !
And the tobacco--• customs deity of 300 p cent!!!
Aod when he takes tea for break-
faot, he pays • duty of about 250 per cent.
For his coffee he pays 3O per cett. _
And for his glass of port or sherry,
100 to 200 per cent.
from
The fault, therefore, is not in the principle of " tree
trads,," but in the unfair exceptions from it on various pre-
texts, and in opposite directions. It "free trade " were
really in operation, its effect would te, that every article of
import whatever would pay a customs duty of, sly 10 or 20
per cent—and if that were done, call it by what name you
please, the agriculturist would have little to comp loin of,
seeds it moult give him the very "fixed duty " he contends
for. Fir " tree trade" does not mean the absence of all
dirty, bat only that the daty should net be such as to be pro-
hibitory. Is knot, teeref ire, most impolitic to shroud your
lair and just claim under the odious and exclusive rot
" protection," when " free trade " fiirly applied would give
"freel you ask for. I real,,, i-steed ot appoint!, go tor
trade ;" but for a impartial, and uniform " free

trade."
I ash gentlemen, your fellow. sufferin it and faithful friend,
A BERKSHIRE LANDOWNER.
Piedmont% doom, 1.).e. 14.

DRAMA.

NBW ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.
Oa Wednesday next the New Royal Olympic
Theatre will be opened to the publi .. It is to be regrett
that this new edifice ha• been built so exactly on the site of
i.s predecessor, the burning of which wilt
be in the reeollec-
tion of our readers. There wee en opportunity of widen
hfsre,ing
a dirty, narrow, but nevertheless crowded thoroug
which lies been lost. Setting aside that i hji tine, we have
none hatever to the theatre itself. It effords ample sec.
in allw parts for the requirements of the eyes and ears of the
audience. The gallery —lor while is the 013mpis. we must
give to the gods the first plate—is spaeious in the extreme ;
it will hold full 800 person.; the pit will contain 1,000 ; and
the boles, public and private, and the stalls give room ler about
460 more, so that the theatre will bold with comfort
2,200. Each of these departments is reached by a special
entrance awl staircase, I
tof whieh are fir. .roof. Great
. attentson has been peid the ventilation of the house,
and which will, It is said, secure at all times, and under al
circumstances, a perfect circula'ion of air ot equsble tem•
_e

peniture.
NOM, from these matters of arrangement, we must
now speak of the deenrivions, wl ich
;deities high rain.
They aye very simple and affective the two principal
colours employed being white and gold. The following
description is conveyed in better terms that. our want of
anti-tie ski.l would enable us to employ, and we therefore
extract it from the official actiount:
" Tne ceiling is divided into fear
compartmenoLts,
ef the
in each
of which is represented • figure emblematicel of e
four seasons. Spring, a young female crowned with flowers;
Summer, • youag woman crowned with wheat; Autumn, d
a
i
male in attitude with the produce of the g
errape ; an
Winter as an old man flying from the blustirg wit n`.
These four oompartments are separated by ornamental divi-
sions in the Arabesqu style. The front of the gallery tier
is divided into compartments by gold-reeded columns, each
compartment decorated with various groups of Arabesque
uniaments,divided by chiaro-scuri Cupids on a blue ground;
the compartments cuntain • varied centre of masks end
at-ical instruments, with cameos. The boa tier, corresppids
ond-
:ng with the above, and connected with figures of Cu,
in the same style. Old an richlyze columns supporting
them, and each compartmentdec rated. It has limn
a p rticular plan of the artist to keep the proscenium in its
decoration separated so aslto form on 4 a frame to the deco-
rating of the stage. Toe prsdi minims colours are white
and gold, and the cum ements principally of the arch are
chiaro-scuro,, in the centre of which is a group
Muses, with their attributes."
The blue ground on which the fi..sh-coloured Cupids are
pourtnried is somewhat of • blemish ; it wears • heavy and
patchy look, which certainly arrests the eye, but in an un-
pleasant manner. The employment of a ground tint in
better harmony with the &Lures displayed upon it would
have had a more pleasing effect.
The drop scene is a striking representation of a section of
a oortile of • palace, more in the Moorish style than in the
Italian, as the bill anLounces It has great merit, and re-
ceived a tribute of applause from .he numerous party
sembled in the theatre last night.
The decorations have been principally entrusted to Mr
Aglio who has well performed Lis task. Thesplen chand
piece elieot
r,
which is lighted by 300 jets, is • very did
workman: hip.

ROBBERY BY A CLERE.—On Setortlay Win. 11.
Branson, a young man of genteel appearance, was charged
before the in•gistrats at Liverpool with stealing 2.501. from
tee esublislimeat of Meters. Jeffery and Mulish,
draper', Church-street. Church-street. It appeared that the prisoner was
employed u a clerk in the cashier's ,Bice in August, and 1.4
11111111 time previous. It was not his duty
t' money.
On Saturday evening, the 181 of August, the prisoner as-
sisted the cashkeeper to remove the books, Itc. from one
countinghouse to another, and to deposit a large sum of
money in the safe. There were two bags, me of which our
tained 150 sotereiens, aid the ether 250 sovereiins. Throe
the pritoner took, and as r e tr
iterh thought at themee,
poduid them in the sato ; but the following day It
I wag dieurred that the bag with the 2.501 •.% as sniseing. Tce
I primmer, who lived in the house, went swayers the &tufty
trig% lut did not return. A short time no be sent a letter
to Mg tonna employers ackuowledging that he had taken
the sun, and b. gging their forgiveness. He said be had
WO at various places on the be and teat all his
Moor was spent. Subsequently be reacbedLoadow, where,
after finding th.t the pats. s were determined to proscenia,
he adeslUed his offence to • friend. and gave himself up.
iTeistee rimer held down his Itud and appeared mach dr
daring rip inquiry. He was committed for trial
1101JOEBIZAXII40.—On Sunday last the shop of
Mr. Pinney, grocer, Worcester, - as entered and robbed,
while the impure of the hones were attending divine see'
Use. By foreleg the gutter at the back of the premises ae-
os was eerily obtained to the shop. The thief was how-
ever disturbed by the arrival ot Mr. Pii rosy', lodger, who,
pereeg the shatters open, and the gas lighted in the
—sit wood shearestasee ea a Sunday eveslap—olled
she sheg—et
ens essaral tisese for Mr. Pitney. The robber of course
hessisaMp aside MI through the front door, the fastenings .1
dila be bed previously undone in order to facilitate his
sinpo. Alan mining all the drawers in the shop, the chic,
leek been liie liff two eternises and a comity of upper,
egawailiss Issether to about nine shillings ; and at the
Mad dills interruption, had lighted a candle to prove
ed to
title
Mu roonas, where it appears Mr. Piereey had placed
a quantity_ of mosey. On Monday a young man named
Edward Edwards, well known to rove.pol, was cppre
beaded for the robbery, at Bromegro— WoreesteriltOs
Chronicle.