The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

DRAMA.

FRENCH PLAYS.—ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
Scribe's pretty and well known vaudeville, La
Prntigic sans le ioroir, was performed lust evening. for
the ikon( in this country of two excellent performers.
Mademoiselle Lobry. of the Gymnast, and M. Roland, of
the Yarietes. The frequenters of the k'reneh Plays will
remember that the heroine of this little piece is a young
French girl in London, who, having been discovered with
her dying mother in a state of destitution by a generous
young nobleman, is relieved and protected by him,
till her gratitude becomes a warmer passion, and he un-
consciously becomes attached to her while he is affianced
to a lady of his own rank. The equivocal position in which
the innocent girl is thus placed without knowiag it; her
agony on the discovery of the truth ; and the conflicts be-
tween love and honour in the mind of her protector, give
rise to a series of interesting and affecting scenes, till the
distress of the drama is removed by the convenient incident
of the young nobleman's intended running away with an-
other man. Mdllc. Lobry's performance of Helene, the
heroine, was very charming—full of truth, nature, and
feeling, in the best style of French sentimental comedy. M.
Roland, in the part of Durocher, the old French painter,
made the character very pleasing by his simplicity and
genial frankness. The piece was received with great fa-
vour, and the curtain fell amid prolonged applause.
Mdlle. Page afterwards repeated the part of Madeleine
in Scribe's favourite vaudeville L'lnsage, and the pleasant
little piece, Brutus, Lucite Clear, in which Mdlle. Lobry
and Lafont appeared, concluded the evening. The house
was well filled.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.-DEPU-

TATION TO LORD PALMERSTON.
Yesterday afternoon a deputation, consisting of
the President, fellows, and members of the Royal College
of Physicians, waited upon Lord Palmerston, at the Home.
office, fur the purpose of entreaticg his lordship to take
such immediate steps as might appear necessary to obtain •
new charter for the college.
Dr. Penis, the President, stated to his lordship that the
college, the medical profession, and the public generally,
suffered severely from the present state of affairs, and the
evils of which they had to complain would be seriously
aggravated unless measures wore at once taken to place the
oolle,e upon a better looting. Great inconvenience was at
present felt with regard to licenses, which were granted
upon different conditions to persona practising in London
and others practising in the cenntry—k circumstance which
created much unpleasant feeling, and was otherwise pro-
ductive of bad consequences. The body over which he
(Dr. Puis) presided earnestly entreated his lordship to do
what he could in removing the difficulties of which they
complained, and in bringing about some practical improve-
ment. _ _ _

---
Dr. FRANCIS HAWKINS, the registrar of the college,
read to his lordship a statement which had been prepared
for the purpose of presentation. It informed his lordship
that the principal points of difference between the present
charter and a new chatter which the members of the depu-
tation were desirous of obtaining were as ;follows—the
present charter gave to the college the exclusive power of
examining and licensing physicians in London. A similar
power as to physicians in the country was given by the act
of Henry VIII., confirming the charter, not to the college,
but to a body chosen out of the college. Hence persons
licensed for one district were not so for another, and many
dissensions and much inconvenience had arisen from this
distinction. The new charter to which they now asked his
lordship's acquiescence would extend the licensing
power of the college to the whole of England and Wales,
and would change the title of the college to that of " The
Royal College of Phyeicians of Eogland ;" a similar change
having recently been made by charter in the title of the
Royal College of Surgeons. The new charter would pro-
vide for the admission into the college, on terms univer-
sally considered extremely liberal, of many physicians
now practising throughout the country without the license
of the college, and by whom such a measure as this had for
many years been ardently desired. The new charter made
certain changes in the internal constitution of the college.
In particular, it transferred to the college at large the power
of choosing its president, which was given by the old char-
ter to a select body called the " elects," who were self-
elected. It gave to the college the power of expelling any
future fellow or member whe should be convicted of cer-
tain heinous offences ; also that of conferring the title of
doctor of medicine on persons who, being past the age of
40 years, were found worthy from their general attainments
and, long experience is the practice of medicine, to be
licensed as physicians. Under other circumstances, the col•
lege was to be empowered to license those only who should
have graduated at some university. The nature of the enact-
ments thus proposed, and the reasons for them, had been ex-
plained more fully in a memorial which the preaLlent of the
college bad already had the honour of submitting to Lord
Palmerston. By referring also to the preamble of the draft
charter sent with that memorial, his lordship would per-
ceive that the Act of Henry VIII., confirming the present
charter, must be partially repealed, and a new but short
act passed to effect the proposed alterations.
Dr. BCRUOWs begged leave to impress upon his lord-
ship one fact which had not been adverted to in the state-
ment just read by the registrar. They had laid certain
suggestions before his lordship, the tesalt of much delibera-
tion, and they could assure him that no opposition to their
adoption was to be anticipated from any quarter. It was
the general wish of the profession that the college should
be remodelled, and be made so efficient as to enable it to
meet the altered requirements of the times.
Dr. TODD addressed hie lordship to the same purpose.
Lord PALNIDUrroN said he had listened with great atten-
tion to the representations which had been made to him.
The subject was one of great importance, and it should have
his best consideration.
The deputation then withdrew.

COlTON—LieesPooL, APRIL 6.—The market closed
irmly, and compared with the currency of law week, Ame-
ricans are a shade against the buyer ; other kinds un-
changed. The sales amounted to 8,000 bales ; and com-
prise 7,000 Americans (1,000 for export and 1,000 on
speculation), 240 Pernam. and Maranhatn, at 61d. to 74d. ;
80 Bahia, at 6d. ; 400 Egyptian, at 61d. to 13d. ; 200 Surat,
at 3/d. to 4d., and 100 Sea Islands.

CORN.—Bosvors, April 6.—We have had a very dull
market to-day with a small supply of Wheat, and prices
may be quoted is. lower; the millers, however, only buy-
ing to meet present demands. Red, 455. to 475. ; white,
495. Little doing in Beans, and prices about the same;
new, 335. to 345.

STOCKTON-ON-TEES, April 6.—We have to report a good
arrival of Wheat front the coast during the week. To this
day's market we had a moderate supply of Wheat from
the growers, which sold at the extreme rates of last Wed
nesday. In Oats and Beans no change to note. Imports
during the past week: Wheat, coastwise, 2,170; Barley,
100.

CATTLE.—Lanus, APRIL B.—The number of cattle at
the fair to-day was 700, and that of sheep 3,800. Buyers
were numerous and trade brisk. Cattle sold at from Bs. to
Bs. 4d. per stone of 161 be. ; and sheep realised 61d. to 7d.
per lb. fur shorn, and 81d. to 81d. per lb. for those in
wool.

ROMPOAD, April 6.—We had not so large a quantity of
stock u last week, yet the market was heavy at last week's
rates. Beef, 3a. 2d. to 4s. 2d. Mutton, 3s. 10d. to 4s. 6d.
Lamb, 6s. to 69. Veal, 3e. Bd. te 4s. 4d. Pork, 3s. Bd. to
4s. 6d.

COALS.-Lownow, APRIL 6.-Ships at market, 24 ;
sold, 20.-Bate's West Hartley, 16s. ; Burnhope, 159. ;
Howard's West Hartley Netherton, 169. ; Longridge's
West Hartley, 16s. ; New Ten6el4, 15s. 6d. ; Tanffeld
Moor, 16s. ; Tandeld Moor Butes, 15s. ; Tyne Main,
14s. 6d. ; Walla End Gibson, 17s. 9d. ; Walls End Kil•
lingworth East, 16s. 6d. ; Walls End Northumberland
Bast, 16s. 6d.; Eden Maim, 195.; Lambton's Primrose,
19s. 3d. ; Walls End Braddyll, 19s. 6d.; Will. End Lamb-
ton, 19s. 6d. ; Walls End Stewart's, 20s. ' • Walls End Hel-
ton Hartlepool, 19s. 64. ; Walls End South Hartlepool,
19s. 64. ; Walls End Thornley, 18. 6d. • Walls End
West Kelloe, 191. ; Walls End Whitworth, l'Gs. 64. ; Will.
lßad Tees, 201. ; Birehgrove Graigola, 225. ' • Fothergills
I Aberdare Stearn, 21s. ; Powell's Duffryn Steam, 235.