The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-11 00:00:00

SADLER'S WELLS THEA TRE.
IThe comedy of the Merchant's Wedding, revived
last night, is a very delightful play, of a school of
plays we can only hope to meet with now and again
under the care of Mr. Phelps, and lengthy as it is,
tkrougb its elaborate five acts, not for an instant
tedious. But the quaintness of the language gives a
special zast to the jests ; the characters are plentiful
and original, and the interest is cleverly sustained by a
symmetrical junction of two essentially distinct and
elaborate plots. The story, cleverly complicated in
the piece, can be simply told. Two affluent city
Magnates—the characters our early dramatists always
ee
made ridiculous for the benefit of the court side of
the
nttioetnwnn,—
have two wild, roystering heirs. The old
g
in order to test the affection and orderli-
ness of the young gentlemen, sail away on a voyage
to Greenwich and send up word that they have been
drowned. The heirs are delighted at the news, and
are detected in consequent rejoicings by the recovered
testators. The one heir punishes his uncle for disin-
heritance by inveigling the old gentleman into a falla-
cious marriage, preliminary to which he has signed
away his wealth to the imaginary wife, the heir's
sister; and the other heir gratifies his spite by lily-
lciC himself to an heiress, who turns out only the
heiress's waiting maid. Then there is the plot of the
first heir compelling a capricious lady to marry him
by meeting the condition she has announced to all
suitors—that she is only to be won by a stratagem.
xe steals into her chamber at midnight (whence
Kowley's title), and gives her the alternative of risk-
ingh. her reputation by awakening the house to turn
I,!rn out, or consenting to sign a promise to marry
Benedick and Beatrice antagonism alone pre-
venting the declaration of mutual affection. This
material, worked up into a well-developed whole of
Plot, and counterplot, supplies an abundance of the
necessary interest; and there is the distinguishing
feature in the play, that all the " parts" are characters.
..
urelia, the coquettish beauty, is admirably repre-
sented by Miss Cooper; and Mr. Henry Marston, as
p
▪ ,I,°"vell (Charles Kemble's part), acted with con-
-utornate excellence.
, The dresses were carefully accurate ; and the
'cenry was new, and true enough to the London of
1638.

BALLOON ASCENTS WITH ANIMALS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUE.
tv,')1111--As fair play has ever been the distinguished
my of your journal, I trust you will excuse
“ItoY asking you to permit me to make, through the
reference
of your columns, the following remarks in
lierence to the charge preferred against me at the
estminster Police-court, a report of which appeared
lb Your paper of the Bth instant. The alleged offence
as that of cruelly ill-treating, abusing, and torturing
eriny used for the purpose of a balloon ascent from
enlorne G ardens, of which I am the lessee • and I
etftonnot bu tfeel that, if I have rendered myself liable
such a charge, lam utterly undeserving of that
-.re
tin of support by which my enterprise and exer-
es'us for the amusement of the public have hitherto
en so liberally rewarded ; and, therefore, although
thereport which appeared in your paper is substan-
`"Y correct, as far as it has gone, I am most anxious
tot
to only that the public should know that, previously
the ascents in question, I had every reason to be-
eve that nothing like cruelty or ill-treatment could
„ euri but that they should also be aware of the na-
ture and extent of the evidence by which I met the
accusation which has been investigated before Mr.
"hen the subject of equestrian ascents for the
amusementnotice of the public was first brought to my
I required before I would entertain it to be
at. 'axed that no cruelty or ill-treatment of the
11•
141 S would be involved; and I not only found that
finof 150 similar ascents bad been safely made
ePoitevin in Paris, but that previously to the
rst „p
*3_ yr those ascents in the Champ de Mars a commis-
to °n had been appointed by the French Government
Oscertain whether there was any cruelty in the ex-
siLounition
(and amongst the members of that commis-
poosra.ere some of the most eminent veterinary sur-
talti. in the French metropolis) ; after the most rigid
tthattetol.er,gYiatiali,edd by practical experiments, reported in
and it was only on receipt of that report
forra'ae Parisian magistrates permitted, as I am in-
ttarrui the ascents in that country. In addition to
used j'h had the opportunity, by seeing the ponies
whether
Poitevin, of ascertaining for myself
tir""er their aerial voyages had produced any in-
floes
effects ; and, so far from that being the case,
h 3, nund that the animals appeared to be (as described
peta7e of your weekly contemporaries) "as pam-
--•Lokia-,
sleek-coted, refully-tended animals
laiwereo everg driven ina ca
the haeton of a fashionable
th3''" and I was informed that the mode by which
fore suspension was effected was so well calculated to
tattill. an entire, equalised, and perfect and secure
grating, that the French Government had actually
me flatted M. Poitevin a patent for it, as an improve-
obe,_ upon any previous mode of effecting a similar
thieeeti and although the rules of evidence prevented
tioase facts from being fully shown on the investiga-
the" at the Westminster Police-court, I submit that
to form a sufficient justification for my assenting
km_ e adoption of this mode of contributing to the
ausernent of the people.
fore
reference to the charge which was investigated
tetlesriteblkltour.grnold, I would observe that, as the wit-
whom it is endeavoured to fix me with
e,tY is Mr. Dews, I wish that his evidence should
eetPe'rtned in juata• position with that of the eminent
beh_s:ary surgeons
the
were called on my
ralitait in order that public. may be able to esti-
itTe the testimony on both sides at its proper value.
r. paws, as your report states, says the effect of
s being thus taken up attached to a balloon
Uld be to produce " a compression of the abdominal
visea,caerlas congestion of the blood vessels in the hinder
eitreuiitiea,
extravasation in the peritouean lining of
~_llg-r isebtitdodnaeai o
en,
of pain
internal bruises, and giving
pain and suffering to the animal." I
respectfully request the insertion of the fol-
• --g extracts from the notes of the short-hand
tress WriterfelatP:ll337ed by me on the occasion, the correct-
enelos-e 9;0",.`e,,,hr, is verified by his certificate, which I
Glia-raur satisfaction.
14 yea' years
learn, a veterinary surgeon, in practice for.
Whichis asked —'• Have you seen the manner in
balloon the horses were harnessed and attached to the
itiaaa, While ascending ? A. I have.—Q. In your
wail:tuts would tbey suffer from injury or terror
Thet; being so strapped ? A. I should say not.
tue questions were asked about compression and
negation
and extravasation, to all of which he gave
14 tt'llgative• "Q. It there had been an extraysation
papa Peritonean lining of the abdomen, would the
tio":es have been well ? A. I should say certainly
rave examined them yesterday, and they were in a
asone!ly healthy state.'Hall, a veterinary sur-
ratia"n extensive practice or 16 years, after corrobod-
aztal kr. Gillham as to compression, congestion, an.
aen`avasation, is asked, " Have you heard the evi-
ese:e given by Monsieur Poitevin with regard to the
and descent ? A. Yes.—Q. Have you seen
tia horses harnessed, and the mode in which they are
yo:eci to the car of the balloon ?A. Yes.—Q- In
tidal* judgment, taking all the circumstances into con-
frotiiraton, do horses suffer pain, torture, or injcury,
calm that mode of transit through the air ? A. . er-
81147„nnt ; I have had a horse for seven years in a
Ittahittatn well content that the merits of the t caset.
bath: be judged by the relative value of the esi-
ot;•7l, °E men like Messrs. Hall and Gillbam on the
few-411d, and of Mr. Dews on the other, without re-
lioi:bfa to the evidence of Madame and Monsieur
liaealvains to whom, however, although they may be
tea,il" interested parties, I trust the public will ex.
that ~Lue Courtesy of believing them, when they state
hear,",,POn the descent the ponies began to feed most
_
stir
c„"): as soon as they reached terra firma,a
tee,:"4 If that be so it can scarcely be said that either
Last or torture was operating on their nervous
4-" n,; and indeed it must be borne in mind, that
L'eetbta-wa in his evidence admitted that the ponies
I'? Oa.'" the balloon for the purpose of being attached
lit ear with the most perfect willingness and do.ci-
litlffeelich is scarcely consistent with their having
bataPain in the previousascemn
ys.
own justification
11,ht the g thus briefly and for
aeveesotitoße,;Public in possession of the facts, it will not
I°„hlea the to make further remarks on the case
'Qat, Was heard before Mr. Arnold ; but I willa.dd
although after the very careful inquiry and ino-f
tlticioßal(lll which I have made as to the effect
mode
their animals on aerial expeditions in the
by Dl. Poitevin, I am inclined to believe
ae is n•
either ill-treatment or cruelty in the act per
kir. A' I attach so much weight to the remark made by
ib 40"..rn01d as to their powerless condition in case of
tttsaeltlenla that whatever may be the result of the
'nquiry I have come to the determination not
ahieh 1? Permit such ascents from the gardens of
• the lessee.—l am, Sir, yours respectfully,
T. B. SIMPSON.
taorne House, Sept. 10, 1852.

Glyll4 consequence n
of announcement that Mr.
atcl vas resigned his positiona as chairman of the London
kienc'"orth-Western Railway, the price of that stock expe-
The
e 4 Et decline yesterday of between one and two per cent.
tilkt tt. aceounts from New York by the Franklin show
lot( "e
effect produced on Amt riean securities in the Lon-
-14 thilltk.et by the colour firs
deg iav es nt i
ltlo
morehe fi sshee sere gduseps trisosn.
ttic,,,, nited States had cause
.4 (it,
eid,r that aide. In speculative setocwkhsicohf alsl.laskifnadrtsharcoinn--
er tbAie reaction had taken p•ac ' would the negotiation of
frt,l4l:k' by reports that not
tiro, nis, &c., in the European market
descriptions
.were
tiro, eat that large amounts of various
only
be checked for some
to tto be returned. In other respects eTvheeryrethNivnags continued
kctiv."ent a favourable appearance.
Ivltv ItY io general business, and the trafil4o,
Iletif4 WaB very large. The usual fortnightlyi had also just
1),, Y half a million sterling from California
ithtselegraphed from New Orleans. nreamllittthane remittance
tltt,_ venerable Earl of Fife has
sporting-lodge on
th, 4talking and grouse-shooting, at bis,sP, brought down
att )4nori of Banffshire. The venerable La"
had excellent sport
4.41 Eng nage sad roes last week.