The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-21 00:00:00

Drury-Lane.

Miss Helen Faucit has added another Shaksperean
character to those she has already sustained so
exquisitely during her engagement at this theatre.
Last night she appeared as Juliet. The balcony
scene wanted nothing that careful and elaborate
elocution could give it, and the great potion scene
was represented with the most effective intensity.
This was always regarded as one of Miss Faucit's
finest pieces of forcible acting, and it has lost no-
thing of its old power. Mr. W alter Montgomery
played Romeo very agreeably ; Mr. Walter Lacy
was a manly Mercutio of the Kemble school, Mr.
Belmore a picturesque apothecary, Mr. Henry Mar-
ston an impressive Friar Lawrence, and Mrs.
Vandenhoff a satisfuctory Nurse. The original
prologue was spoken by Miss Faucit, although she
was suffering from hoarseness. The play will be re-
peated on Wednesday.

THE BANK FAILURE AT BIRMINGHAM.—BIR-
MINGHAM, Monday.—The general impression in the
town is that the affairs of Messrs. Attwood and Spooner's
Bank will be removed from the Bankruptcy Court. The
creditors are proving their debts very generally, and there
is little fear that they will not avail themselves of the op-
portunities now afforded to enable the committee appointed
last Thursday to have the choice of assignees. The office
which the committee have opened in Worcester-street for
this purpose was to-day attended by largo numbers of
creditors, anxious to aid them in this laudable
endeavour. It has been wisely arranged that the
creditors should not be charged anything in order to faci-
litate the work of going through the legal formalities. In
their address to the creditors, the committee "respect-
fully but earnestly invite all persons who have current
accounts or deposits in this (Attwood's) bank, to with-
hold promises of finally transferring their accounts until
after the adjourned meeting of creditors." Of course,
until that meeting has been held and a report presented,
nothing positive can be known of the offers which have
been made known for the purchase of the bank, but the
opinion of those most likely to be right is that several
offers will be made. There is a strong and loudly-
expressed feeling of indignation among the creditors
and among many not creditors, at the various attempts
which have been made to depreciate the value of the bank.
As a proof of the great interest taken in the subject, I may
state that more than two columns and a half of the Bir-
mingham Daily Gazette to-day are filled with letters making
suggestions and tendering advice. Many of the writers
advocate the formation of a new joint-stock bank, to take
to the business of Attwood's, and offer to take £5,000
worth of shares should the scheme be taken up. It was
mentioned to-day on 'Change that at least one London
bank would be found to have tendered for the business of
the insolvent bank.
LIVERPOOL SHIPOWNERS' ASSOCIATION.—The an-
nual meeting of this society was held at Liverpool
yesterday, Mr. B. C. Nicholson presiding. The report
stated that the association had memorialised Government
in favour of the basis recommended by the York congress
for international average laws. In answer to the Privy
Council on the subject of an extension of the marine tele-
agradvpahnyta,
gtehseyinhtahid
sstraetspedect thatw hoinchthwe Ferree nneoht. etooabest there
found wereon
the English coast. They had also memorialised the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer in favour of the repal of the
whichstamp
duties on marine insurances. During the discussion
followed the reading of the report it was stated that dock
dues were now much heavier in Liverpool than in London,
and that while the dues on a 1,000-ton ship in Liverpool
amounted to £135, in London they only amounted to £76.