The National Register.
London, England, 1813-10-31 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGPSTER. .

0C~.~~1.~

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

•
Last night a new Comedy was performed for the first time under
the title of First impressions ; or, Trade in the WM. The lateness of
the hour prevents our entering at any length on the merits and demo
rits of this Play, which we are informed in the Prologue is the lii,t
comic attempt of a youthful Author. Its detects are too many to
give it much chance of becoming a stock piece ; but at the same
time it nu-t be admitted, it deveopes talents which, matored, may •
produce something worthy to keep the Stage. In plot and incident,
First Impressions is very defective, but iu the dialogue it frequently
puts forth strong claims to approbation. The absence of all interest
caused the audience to manifest much hostility towards gay close of
the last act, and when the curtain fell, the shouts of the friends to
the piece and the hisses of its foes were so loud, that it was difficult
to determine which predominated. It was announced for a second
representation in the midst of the most deakning uproar.
The actors did their best for the Author. I.I.ISTON, MUNDEN,
• Mrs. GeovEtt, and Mrs. EDW IN, made their characters particularly
prominent. The Epilogue, which, as usual, turned on the reigning
follies of the day, was well spoken by Mrs. EDW IN, under circum-
stances which would have obliged massy to retire in dismay. Her
efforts could not entirely reconcile the audience to the Play, hut for
the moment they extorted applause from all parties.

LOOSE TEETH.
.#,e•.4ok

[From the Satirist for Norenther.]
eg Ti; E cause, Ruspini, pr'ythee say,
Why my teeth loosen every day,
While yet I am so young r"
" Dear Madam, 'tis the many knocks,
And violent repeated SHOCKS,
They sutler—from your tongue!'

MISCELLANIES.

Bank-notes, to the amount of 10s. each, so long talked of, it is said,
are to he issut d for circulation very speedily.
It is reported in the legal circles, that Sir A. Macdonald is about to
retire from the Chief Barony of the Court of Exchequer ; to be suc-
ceeded by Sir V. Gibbs ; and Mr Parke, to be the new Judge.—Othee
reports assign the Woolsack to Sir Vicary, but this speculation is be-
lieved to arise merely from the absence of the Chancellor from the three
last Cabinet Councils.
The first stone of a building designed for the instruction-of one thou•
sand poor children of Whitechapel, and some surrounding parishes, was
laid, with much impressive ceremony on Wednesday. The Duke of
Cambridge (who laid the stone), the Bishop of London, the Lord Mayor,
end:Sheriffs, &c. were present on the occasion.
The first stone of a New Custom House, to be built near Billings-
gate, was laid by the Earl of Liverp col on Monday ; there were ulso
present, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Earl of Claucarty (Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade), the Right Hon. C. Yorke, &c. After
the ceremony, they partook of a cold collation at the Custom-House.
The building is contracted for at 200,0001.
The appeal of Mr. Cundy, who, with his performers, had been con.
vic:ed of acting of plays, without proper authority, at the Pantheon
Theatre, has been beard at the Westminster Quarter Sessions; when.
by the successful arguments of Mr. Scarlet, in answer to Mr. Gurney
and others, the Bench was induced to suspend its decision. and this
principally on the varying import of the tvra Acts of Parliament of the
10th and 17th of Geo. II: The Drury-lane Managers, and the under.
snappers of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, are Cundy's opponents.
A melancholy accident happened on Wednesday last to Mr. Fer-
rier, nephew to Mr. Sandeman, a respectable merchant in the city.
Tne young gentleman having some business to transact at the Lon•
don docks, unfortunately fell between two vessels, whilst in the act
of stepping from one ship to another : he sunk and rose again stye-
: ral times, and in the space of about eight minutes he was got into
boat by some waterman who witnessed the accident ; but even in
this blior t period it was too late to save his life. A surgeon was sent
for, and, on examination, it appeared that he had received various
contusions on the head and body by coming in contact with the
mooring-chains of one of the ships in his fall. lint it was the opinion
of the surgeon, that even had the bntises not taken place, the
youth could not have survived, since it has been proved in numerous
cases, that from the pernicious copperas quality of the London
Docks water, it never fails to prove natal to such persons as have
the misfortune to be immersed in it.
MELANCHOLY ACC! N T.—A melancholy accident happened on
Wednesday last, in one of the stoneinarries of Swanage, Dorset.
shire Two men, of the names of Samuel Phippard and James
Summers, went to the quarry in the morning to work as usual ; and
at the hour of dinner, a boy, that was accustomed to inform them
of the time, went in, and seeing no light, nor bearing any one an-
swer to his call, returned and procured a light for himself; when.
upon his re-entering, the first object that presented itself, was
Phippard dead, with his head and one hand jammed between one of
the pillars 4.f the quarry and a lunge block of stone that had fallen
from the ceiling. At that time the boy heard Summers, from under
a quantity of stone and rubbish, exclaim, 64 Is that a light from
heaven ?" The boy was struck almost senseless with fright, and
instantly ran out to procure assistance. On some of the neigh-
bours entoin4, they found Phippard as before described. and.
Summers confined under two large blocks of stone, that had formed
a kind of arch over him. The poor fellow was soon released from
his awful situation, with two of his fingers nearly steered from his
hand, and one of his legs broke. He recovered his senses in molt
time, but died after about thirty-six hours. He said, that al 414 e
of folk in, they both tried to escape, th4:4l“' us