The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-22 00:00:00

THE SUN,

INDUSTRIAL AND
IPS PROVIDENT PARTNER-
SH.
Mr. SLANEY moved the second reading of this Bill,
which he said was to give to persons of small means co-
operating together the benefit of a cheap tribunal for
reference. He should have no objection to the Bill being
referred to a Select Committee.
Mr. HENLEY said he approved of the principle of
the Bill, but he thought it would be necessary to refer
it to a Select Committee.
The Bill was then read a second time and ordered to
be referred to a Select Committee.
PROCLAMATION FOR ASSEMBLING PAR-
LIAMENT BILL.

This Bill was re:d-:73;cond time.
BURGHS (SCOTLAND)BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
MILITIA BILL.
Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice that it was his in-
tention to move amendments on this Bill, but not to
oppose the principle altogether, as had been erroneously
supposed.
Mr. PACKE presented a petition against the Militia
Bill.
INDUSTRIAL A NDHIPS PROVIDENT PARTNER-
S BILL.

Mr. SLANEY presented a number of petitions in
favour of this Bill.
The House then adjourned.

HEALTHOF LONDON DUREVG THE WEEK.
(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
The mortality of Lendon again exhibits a slight in-
crease, !he deaths in the previous week (ending the 10th
of April) having been 1,051, those in the week that
ended last Saturday being 1,092. In the ten corres-
ponding weeks of 1842-51 the average number of deaths,
was 944, which, if raised in proportion to increase of
population, becomes 1,038. The mortality of last week
therefore exceeds the corrected average by 54 deaths.
Ia comparing the returns of the laid two weeks, it ap-
pears that there is a small increase in epidemics, in dis-
eases of the nervous system, the heart, and the digestive
organs, but a decrease in diseases of the organs of re-
spiration, and also in the tubercular class. Small-pox,
which in the previous week was fatal in 34 cases,
numbers in the present return 38, which are those
of 31 children and 7 adults, 6 of whom were 20 years
of age and upwards. In 6 cases it i 3 stated that vac-
cination had been previonsly performed, and in these,
the patients died at the following ages:-2, 3,7, 10, 22
27 years. Measles has increased in the two weeks from
11 deaths to 18; typhus, remittent fever, &c., from 51
to 56. Influenza numbered in the two weeks respectively
4 and 6 cases; croup 8 and 10. Last week there were
2 caused by syphilis, and 1 by noma. The wife of a
lehourer, aged 26 years, died suddenly on 31st March,
at 21, Goodman'e-yard, Whitechapel, from cholera. An
inquest was held on the bedy.
The class which includes diseases of the respiratory
organs still exhibits a great excess sleeve the ordieary
amount at this period; the number of deaths referred to
it tact week being 214, whilst the average of correspond-
ing weeks, corrected for increase of population, is only
165. In these weeks the actual numbsra raeged from
107 to 185, which latter amount is much below what is
now experienced. Bfonchitis predominates, and, with
the exception of phtbisis, produces et present a greater
mortality than any other disease on the list. It carried
off 102 persona; pneumonia, 77. Pothisis was fatal to
139; its mortality, which is always great, is not sensibly
agaracated by causes that have given additional force to
other diseases.

STATE OF THE WEATHER DURING THE PAST WEEK.
SUNDAY.—The sky was covered with cloud till 10h. A.M.,
and clear during the remainder of the day.
MONDAY.—The sky was overcast till 9h. 30m. A. 31, and
clear afterwards.

TUESDAY.—Three-fourths of the sky were covered till 9h•
A.M., and clear during the remainder of the day; stratus
and haze.

EDNKSDAY.—The sky was cloudless throughout the day.
THURSDAY.—Three-fourths of the sky were covered till
9'l. A.M., clear until 6h. P.m., and overcast afterwards;
cirrnstratu.
FRIDAY.—The sky was covered with cloud till noon, and
clear during the remainder of the day ; cirrocumulus and
cirrostratus.
SATURDAT.—The sky was clear till near noon, three-
fourths were covered with cloud until 7h. P. at., and overcast
afterwards; cumulostratus and cirrostratus.
ELECT.RICITY.—ApriI 14, between 011. and 3h. P.M , and on
April 17, after noon, positive, with moderate tension.
The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main-
mast, and read each day at 9h. A.M. was 43.0° ; and the mean
reading at 9h. P.M. was 43.8° ; the mean readings at the
Royal Observatory for the same times were 47.64 and 43-6'l
respectively.
The reading of the barometer increased from 3006 in
at the beginning of the week to 30.12 in. by 9h. A at. on
the 13th, and decreased to 29.7'2 in. by the end of the week.

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
TEE WEEZ. ENDING SA.TURDAY, APRIL 17, 1652.
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseabes ...*232
Diseases of Uncertain Seat „.
. 48
Tubercular Diseases ... 198
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses.,. ... 108
Diseases of the Jiocirt and Blood-vessels ... 43
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration . 214
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs

of Digestion...
Diseases of the Kidneys, &e.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &e. ...
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c. ... ... •••
Malformations... ••• ••• ...
Premature Birth ... ••• •• •••
Atrophy ••• ... •• • ••• •••
Old Age ••• •.. ••• ••• ...
Sudden ... ... ... ••• ••• 060
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance
Causes not specified ... ••• •••

... 55
... 17
... 12
... 11

... 4
... 41
... 17
... 46
... 3
- 34
•.• 7

DEATIIS FROM A_L.L CAUSES ...

Popalatien
Enumerated,
1851.

Deaths in corre-
sponding week
of 1851.

West Districts... 376,427

North Districts.. 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522

204
182
194

South Districts .. 616,635

1,092
Deaths
in the
Week.
203
19S
205
220
266

T0ta15........ 2,3t2,236 ... 998 ... 1,092
Males ... ... ..• ••• ... 551

lamalss ...

... 541

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 805
... 839
Females ... ••• ••• •*•

Total ... ... 1,644
*ln this number are included 36 by Scarlatina, 47
by Typhus Fever, and 15 by Diarrhoea.

THE DRAMA IN ANCIENT ROME.

.... _a_
The plays represented at Rome were divided into
two classes:-1. The Pallita I. 2. The Toga& e. In
the first the characters in the piece were entirely
Grecian : in the latter they were wholly Roman.
The Togatx were subdivided into pratextah 2, when
the play was tragedy ; the tabernarice, when the
scenes lay in low life ; the attellance, or farces ; and
the traheatm, when the scene lay in the camp ; they
had likewise mimes and pantomimes.
The chorus consisted sometimes of one person,
though generally of several, who stood on the stage
during the representation, at first, without any share
in the action of the piece, and, as was supposed, in
the character of speetetors. Their business seems to
have been singing during the pauses in the action,
and delivering moral reflections on what was repre-
sented on the stage; afterwards, they were incorpo-
rated with the action as a species of attendants. These
theatrical appendages were at last laid aside, because
it was thought to appear improbable that intrigues
which usually are to be kept secret should be carried
on in their presence.
Flutes were played during the whole time of the
performance, and the chief musician, beating time,
directed the actors when they were to raise and when
to depress their voices. Sometimes one person re-
cited the words, and another performed the action of
the same part. The tibia or flutes were of various
kinds. The best account of the manner in which
they were used is given us by Madame Dacier, as
one!ore,o
cfatlhleedm
follows :
"The performers played on two flutes during the
were bu't
the lett
whole of the representation. The stopped the vents of
rwi
gi 'hilt
-tbhaen rightd e d hTahned
other;that
owas,ppe stopped
there-
fore, r
withe-
oonled-yuteby
two
flutes
aundrowcalhleodlosa,lwefut-i.ohhanodoeodasflioanteed. litn
ttohegitrestatdheeerpe
bass sound;
sionunthde
dother the holes were very numerous;
said to be
opl9,y_ed
this fl a sharp shrill note. When a
sinistris—unequal :ft Tibiis impa?ibus dextrin et
of a different sound, it was
ttlhutes, right and left-handed. When
played Tibiis parle
flutes, if they were usf
same sound, it was said to be
the fluter
sinistris with equal:i:lhefeat-
dextris with equal right-handed
deep sound, and Tibiis paribus
handed flutes, when they were
Lydian, the lift-handedi
-handed flutes were called
of a shrill sound.
...Van, the unequal Phrygian,
as were also the crooked
co-v---..s were distinguished
boot,
ting of their feat. The
The tragic and comicni tfier,s,::,,
intended
cothurnus, with
from each other by the
edo give them a
tragedians wore a sort of
a very high heel, which was
in comparasetievcals. modernl3
commanding majeitic appearance.
wore a light shoe or slipper, called The comedians
distinctions were preserved These
dramatic representations, tragedians wearing
or boots, and comedians a slipper or socks. buskins
At the end of a play the Romans closed their scenes,
which, instead of falling from the roof of the theatres
downwards, were constructed so as to ascend from the
ground ; so that when the stage was to be exposed to
the view of the spectators the curtain began to
descend, disclosing the upper portion of the scene be-
fore the lower ; and when the piece was concluded
the curtain was drawn up again. The an-
cientsbuetdthtaheir plays in the open
that furnished by nature.
air,
w iotrhi g innoa 1
sl yc
epneerrfyo rm
As they became more refined they erected theatres,
ae we have observed, and divided their perform-
ances into three kinds, tragic, comic, and pastoral.
The Romans were exceedingly fond of these en-
tertainments. Magistrates were appointed to ex-
hibit them, and the people even devoted to the
theatre part of the time usually allotted to more
weighty affairs, as their plays were usually performed
in the day time. Magnificent theatres were erected
at the public expense, and sometimes even by private
individuals. A. description of one of these buildings

LONDON,

is recorded by Pliny. The scenes were divided into
three partitions, one above another. The first con-
sisted of one hundred and twenty marble pillars, the
second of the same number of pillars, most curiously
carved and ornamented with glass; the third of the
same number of pillars, covered with gilded tablets.
Three thousand brazen statues filled up the spaces
between the pillars. This theatre would contain
eighty thousand persons. Independently of the ordi-
nary representations, plays were performed on all
solemn occasions, at the public feasts and games, and
at the funerals of eminent citizens. No opportunity,
indeed, seems to have been neglected to promote this
species of entertainment at Rome, and no nation, an-
cient or modern, appears to have cultivated the intel-
lectual recreation of the drama with greater success
than the Romans.