The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-20 00:00:00

SURREY.

The permission granted by the Lord Chamber-
lain to the lessees of the Now Queen's Theatre for the
production of Oliver Twist could scarcely, in justice, be
withheld from the minor houses, and the result is that
this exciting criminal drama, always profitable to
managers, though not to the same degree as Jet* Shep-
pard. is dropping up in various localities. The Oriental
Theatre, at Limehoase ; the Efflingham Theatre, in White-
chapel ; the Greenwich Theatre, and the Victoria Theatre
havobeen the first in the field, and now the Surrey fol-
lows with a new version of the play, and an exeeptionally
powerful cast of characters. Miss S. Jobnstooe, an agree-
able actress from the Strand, has been engaged is repre-
sent Oliver ; Mr. Voltaire, who made such an impression
as Mo' Davis in Plying Stud, at the Holborn, represents
night; Mr. Holston is Bumble ; Kr. R. Terry—an
actor who resembles Mr. Toole—is the Artful Dodger ;
Mime l'auncefort is Lucy ; and Mr. Shepherd represents
Bill Sykes. The piece, always popular on the Surrey
side of the water, will have its day, and servo the pur-
pose of the lessees until they close for the summer season.
It is preceded by a new twoact drama, called the
rallied Howe, in which Mr. Cressrick performs the chief
character. Mr. Oreswick announces his annual benefit
for Wednesday, June 3.

11 THE JAPANESE TROUPE.-It speaks well for the
attractive character of the entertainment presented by the
troupe of Japanese artistes at present located at the
Lyceum Theatre, that, while the thermometer is between
rummer and blood heat, they nightly succeed in drawing
together large and enthusiastic audiences. Their per-
formanoe is, however, certainly of the most wonderful
character, and, in several respects, excels anything which
has been previously seen in this country. Most of the
tricks are performed with such grace and ease that all
idea of danger is forgotten by the audience, and nothing
but admiration is expressed at the wonderful manner in
which the whole programme is carried out. The morning
performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which were
recently introduced, have proved of value, and undoubtedly
the more the merits of the troupe become known, the
greater will be their deserved popularity.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

CHATHAM, MAY 19.

Some experiments of a highly interesting cha-
ncier were carried out in Chatham harbour to-day,
under the direction of Colonel W. 0. Lennox, C. 8., V.C.,
Royal Engineers, for the purpose of testing an improved
diving apparatus, the invention of Mr. Siebi, by means of
which two divers can be sent down beneath the water to
unusually great depths, and both supplied with air from
the same pumps. During the trials which were made
two divers descended outside Chatham harbour to a depth
of upwards of 100 feet, and remained under water for soma
considerable time, during which they were both
furnished with abundance of air from the same
cylinders. Mr. Siebi has also introduced some other im-
portant improvements in his diving apparatus, one of
which is that by means of a light burning under water
the divers can penetrate to any place to which access in
the ordin•ry manner cannot be obtained, such as the in-
terior of vessels, &c. The experiments were considered
to be in every respect moat satisfactory.

TliE HEALTH OF LONDON.—It appears from the
return issued by authority of the Registrar-General that
in the week that ended on Saturday, May 16, 4,736
births, and 2,864 deatba, were registered in Loudon and in
13 other large towns of the United Kingdom. The annual
rate of mortality was 23 per 1,000 persons living. The
annual rate of mortality last week was 21 per 1,000 in
London, 25 in Edinburgh, and 27 in Dublin 22 is
Bristol, 20 in Birmingham, 26 in Liverpool, 27 in Man-
chester, 25 in Salford, 29 in Sheffield, in 24 Bradford 20
in Leeds, s, 20 in Hull, 21 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 31
in Glasgow. The rate in Vienna was 34 per 1,000 during
the week ending the 9th inst., when the mean tempera-
lure was 6.8 deg. Fahrenheit higher than in the
sane week in London, where the rate was 22. In
London the births of 1,104 boys and 1,119 girls, in all
2,223 children, were registered in the week. In the
corresponding weeks of ten years, 1858-67. the average
number, corrected for increaseof population, is 2,075.
The deaths registered in London during the week were
1,268. It was the twentieth week of the year ; and the
average number of deaths foe that week is, with a correc-
tion for increase of population, 1,331. The deaths in the
present return are lees by 63 than the Misstated number.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.--A special meet-
ing of the shareholders in this company was held yesterday
at the Ethic's-cross Station. Colonel Packs, ILP., who
presided, said that It was a Wharnoliffe meeting, held
simply for the purpose of empowering the directors to
divert • road in the town of Leeds, and also to get rid of
the Keadby and Lincoln line, with regard to which they
had no opposition in the House of Commons, and trusted
they would meet none in the House of Lords. In reply to
a question, Kr. Leech, the company's law clerk, explained
that the bill authorised the closing of Thirst-row and a
part of Whitehall-road, Leeds, and the substitution in lieu
thereof of the new street or road constructed by the cow-
pany between Aire-street and Wellington-street, Leeds.
The chairman moved a formal resolution approving of a bill
for the above purposes, which won seconded by Colonel
Duncombe, M.P., and carried unanimously. The chair-
man next moved a formal resolution, approving of the
repeal of the act intitnled, "The West Riding and
Grimsby Railway (Extension) Act, 1865," whereby the
Great Northern and Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire
Railway Companies, as joint owners of the West Ridingand
Grimsby undertaking, would be relieved from the obAgs-
Hon to construct the line thereby authorised bet Ween
Keadby and Lincoln, !object to compensating landowners
for damage occasioned by the exercise of the powers of the
act, and to payment of the costs of the sot of 1885. The
motion was seconded by Colonel Danoornhe, sod Tarried
nem. con.

SUWIDE BY A 80--Dr. Lankester held an in-
quest last evening, at it% 17niversity College Hospital, on
the body of William James Webb, 12 yearn of age, who
destroyed his,Vfe by taking a quantity of spirits of salts
out of revenge to has father for refusing to give him •
penny. Frcoo the evidence of tile father, • gas-fitter, it
appeared that the deceased, who bad been a delicate child
from birth, was very pawkiest., and that while in • bad
temper would do most outrageous things, and bad fre-
quently' threatened to take away his life. The father used
in his business spirits of salt', which he kept on a shelf over
a droner, its poisonous nature being well known to his
farialy, including the deceased. On the night of Thursday,
the 30th ult., deceased, when going to bed asked his faille:
for • penny, which was refused, and on the followtng day
during the father's absence he climbed up to the shelf
where the bottle Of spirits of salts was kept, and swallowed
about two table spoonduL A sister of tone years old maw
him lake it, and on .the return of the father told what
bad taken place. The bby was then taken to dad-hospital,
wherd'he said he was sorry for what be bad done, bat if
his father had given him the penny he would not have
taken the stuff. He died on Thursday last, and on a post-
mortem examination being made, • 'large ulcer, prod-seed
by the acid, was found, is the middle of which were two
ruptured blood vessels The jury returned a verdict
equal to " Suicide whilein an unsound state at mind."
TUX W&ou DIRPITIII IX MS IRON TRADIL —A
roosting of the Jaen oa strike was held on Monday, at
Brierley-hill, and it was decided that the strike slaqpid be
mainWmd. Eleven puddling futneoes are now our at the
Round Oak. Men are going in at Mews. Brown sad
Fricke. sad at one of the Arida& Iron Comp's'', furnaces.
There Is said to be • general disposition ea all sane te go
lasi AL the reduction. but ih.sptsaaaviikatill4. t ?lOW
*pi no4n, at loon on ,
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