The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

and et Rotterdam as much es 355. 6d. to 36a. per qr. f.o.b.
had been asked 6.r pigeon beans.
The advice• from France are generally of a subdued tone,l
but prices of %haat and dour had, it enters, been will
maintained.
At most of the Mediterranean markets stocks are small

aOilpTieee high.
At Ancona, on the 3.lth ult., good wheat was quoted at
38s. lid. per, qiarter, and at Venice an I Leghorn Indian
corn was worth from up to 28s. Cod. pe• qr. f. o. b.
From the most distant ports we learn that rather large pur-
it Asc., of wheat Lad been route, principally for shipment to
Oust Britain.
At Odessa 210,000 qn. had changed hands in the course
of ten or twelve days. and from Alexandria the advice' also
report considerable sales.
The most neent accounts from American state that is
consequence of the very high rates of freight to Great
Britain, the shipments of tiaur and wheat hart not been
so extensive as they otherwise might have been. From New
York we learn that supplies fr..m the interior had rather
increased; and the export demand having become rather
languid, prim had slightly receded.

DRAMA.

DHUItY-LANE.
A melodrama, in five acts, called "Gold," from the
pen of Mr. G. C. Heade, was produced at this theatre last
evening with decided success. Its purpose, as may be sup-
posed nom its title, is to give a dramatic sketch of life at
the Australian gold-diggings, as described in the thousand-
and-ons accounts of it which we are in the daily habit of
reading in every newspaper. To accomplish this object a
story has been constructed, of very simple mate-
rials, but possessing considerable interest. George Sans
ford is a young English farmer, struggling wito adverse
cireumstances, unable to make head against the difficulties
which surround him, and despairing of being able to °bads
the hand of his cousin, 544•414 Merlon' whose father (his
uncle) is a hard and worldly man. To add to his misfor-
tunes, he has an inveterate enemy in Mr. Meadows, a rich
corn-factor, who is a lover of :war's, and has likewise a
rival in his own younger brother. Poor George sandiond,
after an accumulation of disasters, embraces an opportu-
nity of going out to Australia, and departs, his uncle
' having promised to give him his daughter's hand
ea his return worth a thousand pounds. The
Were part with many tears and vows of coa-
-1 @Macy,. and William Sandford, a true-tgarts..d
from that time, svvessini; ;,+s own passion, resolves to
regard his brother's'bctrothed as his sister, and to watch
over her safety. Grams having departed, Meadows pro-
ceeds 10 prosecute his designs upon Susan, and to get {Yo-
seeds 10
Sialdford out of the way, finds means, with the help
of a villanous attorney, to have him thrown into prison for
debt. The scene now changes to Australia ; the third act
opening with a view of the diggings awl gold-seekers' en-
ounpment on the banks of the M'Quarrie river. This epee-
bele was exceedingly well managed: a wild and savage
spot, among precipitous rocks and ravines, with
groups of people sleeping round their Seem, till
daybreak roused theta to their various labours,)
had a very picturesque and animated effect. Among these
gold seekers is George Sandford and his comrade Bobbies*
--a reckless, dare-devil sort of a fellow, who has bees a
thief in England, but turns out quite a hero in his Austrur
idea life. To give an idea of this character (which is tha
moat oillettive in the piece), we may say that had it bees
peribrated at the Adelphi it would certainly have 0000
loigned to Mr. Paul Bedford ; but it was acted with spirit
sad humour by Mr. Henry Wallach. George mad his
eampanion go through a variety of adventures, and are se-
veral times in danger of their lives from the attacks
41 radians and bush-rangers; but at length they find an
SCOSsous lump of gold, with which they joyfully resolve
to Nam home. The scene changes again to ingOilid;
sad we find that Mr. Meadows is on the point of marriage
with SWOPS. The villain has intercepted George's letter.,
sad fabricated letters from Australia which made it appear
that George was about to many another; and she, heart.
broken by her lover's supposed faithlessness, has yielded
le the importunities of her suitor and her father. She,
however, does not conceal her repugnance; but, even
"boa they are about to proceed to church, implores Alec.
ihnee to free her front an engagement which would
tasks them both miserable. At this moment George
suddenly appears ; and Susan, forgetting everything, flies
with transport to his arms. He, of course, soon convinces
her of his fidelity ; and her father, hearing of his wealth,
Willingly receives him u his son-in-law. But a new
aster ensues : Robiiwon, opening his pocket.book to show
the bank bills into which the gold has been converted,
ands that he has been robbed of them all, and that his
I friend and he are beggars. The lovers are in agonies, but
their sorrows are soon dispelled ; for it is discovered that
1 the robbery was committed by Meadows and his accomplice
the villanons attorney. The property is reeovered—thi
orissinals are conveyed to gaol, and the lovers are made
=;2n addition to the principal characters that have been
ed, thus is Isaac Levi, a wealthy old Jew, a per-
sonage of romantic generosity and benevolence, but in-
valseately vindictive, who is the principal agent in bringing
Mitfibees to justice, chiefly in order is avenge an injury
roadved from him. Among the smaller characters, there is
awry M'Donerty, an emigrant Irishwoman, who produced
sped ilea of amusement by her brogue and Hibernian
~par.
Ito weal design and construction of the piece are
poi. std it contains a number of effective and inter-
ns*" Nines. But its simple materials are wire-
draw to an inordinate length by a superfluity
ddialogue. All the characters not only milk
los much, but they talk too finely, indulging in heavy de-
stination and that sentimental strain which has become in
NM
sort the conventional language of the stage. Were
this retiundanee retrenched, and the dialogue thus rendered
Wee like the conversation of actual life, tae piece, without
the leas of a single material incident, might be comised
in three acts—the first aad third in England Cdr the
second in Australia—a compression which would enhance
the force and spirit of the representation.
The principal parts were well acted. Mr. Davenport,
as George Sandford, displayed manliness and feeling, and
(as has been said) Mr. Henry Wallach was very successful
as Itobinson. The old Jew is a character entirely artificial,
but Mr. .Edward Stirling made it productive of some
strong effects; and Crawley, the cussing servile attorney,
was capitally done by Mr. Charles Selby. Miss Fanny
Vining was a pretty and engaging heroine.
The house was crowded. The curtain fell amid loud ap-
plause from every part, and it was announced that the piece
would be performed every night till further notice.

Miss Rebecca Isaacs, as " directress," for a brief
period, which we would gladly see extended, at this
theatre, is proceeding with a vigorous variety, very credit-
able to her management, and which a large attendance last
night suggested is being very successful. She has secured
the services, which to an extensive metropolitan clue are
very attractive, of Mr. James Anderson, who let night
fretted with great effeet through the part of Claude Mel-
/10M; and after snob thunders of applause as a limited but
enthusiastic pit and gallery could provide, came a " new and
original" operetta by Mr. Robert Stopel, "being= episode
in Napoleon's campaign in Austria, dramatised by Dion
Bourcicault." We concede Mr. Stopel's originality; bat
the dramatiser of the episode should have acknowledged
that Ktirner supplied the idea, and first made use of the
anecdote. It is that of a French soldier, who, being left to
guard a bridge, kept to his post during three months, not-
withstanding that the regiment to which he belonged had
left the country, and, despite all temptations to ease,
obstinately waited to be relieved. The French at
last re-entering the territory he is discovered, and
at first charged as a deserter, finally is accepted as a
hero, having an opportunity of proving at once his
wonderful fidelity and a courage which results in an import-
ant service, being no less than stopping the buffer of inter-
cepted despatches, which,when opened, are seen to be an an-
nouncement of the proclamation of peace, news which pre-
vent a threatened battle, and stop the military execution of
the bearer, who is a German count, landlord of the village
in which the Sentinel has be come domesticated, and whose
belle he is on the point of marrying. Some pleasant music,
sung by Miss Isaacs, Mr. H. Corn, and Mr. R. Manley,
carries the pretty plot very agreeably through an hour, and
justifies the applause which was given at the conclusion,
i though the amount of the plaudits would hardly warrant
Mr. Stopel in the notion that he had made a " hit."

MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE.—OR Thursday afternoon
last a gentleman arrived at the Peahen Inn, St. Albans,
from the Watford station of the London and North Western
Railway. He ordered a private room, stating that ho had
a considerable amount of writing to do. After his dinner,
which he had about five o'clock, he asked for a postage
stamp, end walked oat, it is supposed to post a letter. Ile
retired to rest about ten o'clock, and the following morn-
, ing, at nine o'clock, the chambermaid went into his
room with a letter, directed, "Mr. Bowden, Peahen Inn,
to be delivered immediately," and asked if it was his. He
replied, " Oh, no, no, uo,' and added that he should lie •
little longer. Ins room door was open then, but about
twelve o'clock, finding that he did not come down,
she west to his door again, and found it fastened. She
knocked several times, but receiving no anewe•, an en-
' trance was effected into the room, when the unfortunate
gentleman was discovered to have committed suicide by
cutting his throat. An inquest was held on Friday even-
ing, before Mr. R. G. Low, coroner, but adjourned, with a
view of procuring evidence as to the deceased's identity, as
.he was quite unknown to any one in St. Albans. The
deceased was a man of gentlemanly appearance and man-
ners, was well dressed in mourning, and had a band of
crape round his hat. He was upwards of ail feet high, and
was a remarkably handsome man. with dark hair, and
whiskers meeting under his chin. Beneath the lining of
his hat was written, " Bailey, August 12, '52," with tho
letters "
_H. W. 1)." written above. The inquest was

-:----
adjourned.
SOUTII EASTERN RAILWAY.—Grose traffic receipts
for the week ending Jan. 8, 1853, 14,7621. 15a. 7d.; ditto,
Jan. 10, 1852, 13,7541. 13a. 9d. Increase in 18:13, 1,0081.
le. 10d.
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