The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-26 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

London Assurance, a comedy the dash and animal
spirit of which always exhilirates an audience, was re-
vived here last night, and the only noticeable point is
the cast of the characters, although it is very well put
on the stage as regards scenery and furniture.
The chief character of the play on its original pro-
duction was amongst the women7—Lady Gay Spanker.
written for the charming laugh and elegant gaiety of
an actress no longer on the stage. Her animal spirits,
without coarseness—her abandon of manner, with the
perfect innocence of a Diana-like woman—and her love
of mischief, without malice or vice—were peculiar to
her. For a young actress to undertake a part so espe-
cially associated with so great a favourite, is perilous ;
but Miss Featherstone has the one great qualification,
a natural hilarity of spirit, and her beaming eyes and
laughing voice are animated by a spirit naturally and
innocently joyous. With this she carried her audience
with her, and gave the gaiety, if not the high finesse of
the part. Time will do much for her in such characters,
if she only acquires power to improve her elocution, and
elaborate the various niceties such a part affords the
actress of genius. Sir Harcourt Courtley was, formerly,
also a remarkable portrait,- as given by Farren—a mix-
ture of artificiality and animal.passions, with a tone in it
that smacked of the old school. Mr. Chippendale gave
a very fair version of the debauchee of fine manners and
reckless morals, and made up capitally. There can be
no doubt that, if this sensible and observant actor had a
full opportunity of displaying his talents, we should have
a finished and characteristic actor. His version of the
old re& e was effective, and appreciated by the audience.
Mr. Bucketone's representation of the cypher husband
of Lady Gay Spanker was good in its drunken imbecility.
Mr. Howe was extremely successful in Charles Courtley,
and Mr. G. Vandenhoff was the Dazzle. Mr. Rogers
was hearty as Sir Max Harkaway, and Mr. Clark made
a character of Carl. Mr. Compton gained the usual
amount of laughter in Meddle, and Miss Howard, as
Grace Harkaway looked ladylike. Mr. Chippendale spoke
the tag very effectively, and the curtain went down to
great applause. The house was good, and her Majesty
and Prince Albert were present. The new burlesque,
and the Portrait of Cervanfez, concluded the evening's
entertainment.

CRIMINAL OFFENDERS FOR THE

MILITIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BUN.

SIR,—It has been suggested that prisoners of a certain
class might be taken from the gaols of the kingdom, and
made to perform the duties of militiamen. The sugges-
tion is a most excellent one, and if it should be adopted
offenders against the game laws should be at once se-
lected. It is notorious that the gaols in the rural dis-
tricts give shelter to large numbers who have been con-
victed (and perhaps for the first time) of this offence,
and many of them are doubtless otherwise honest and
industrious men. Once convicted of poaching, farmers,
in too many instances, are deterred from giving the
offenders employment, lest they might be supposed by
their landlord to be countenancing the offence. Being
then without the means of obtaining a livelihood, poach-
ing is again resorted to. Hence fowl-stealing, sheep-
stealing, &c., until they become the most hardened
offenders. The game laws have produced more rural
thieves than all other causes put together. The Peter-
borough city gaol is generally largely supplied with
poachers from the estate of the Marquis of Exeter, &c.,
and the county is put to much expense by their main-
tenance in gaol and their families in the union-house.
Easton, near Stamford, April 25. Car

EXTENSIVE FIRE NEAR THE BRITISH MUSEOII.—A
fire of a very destructive character, and nearly attended
with the loss of several lives, happened on Tuesday
morning in the premises occupied by Mr. Davenport, a
wholesale chemist, carrying on an extensive business at
No. 33, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury, near the
British Museum. The discovery was made by police-
constable 90, of the E division, who lost no time in
arousing the inmates, but by the time they were made
aware of their impending danger the whole of the lower
part of the house was enveloped in flames, so that it was
utterly impracticable for any one to descend by the stair-
case. Fortunately, a neighbour named Mitchell, together
with two others of the names of Morris and Lane, suc-
ceeded in saving, by means of a timber plank, a person
living in the first-floor, and also another who had descended
from the top of the premises to the before-named com-
partment. The escape of the Royal Society for the Pre-
servation of Life from Fire attended with as little delay
as possible, and several engines of the London Brigade
and that of the West of England followed in rapid suc-
cession, and, owing to the praiseworthy exertions of
the conductors of the escape, the whole of the persons
remaining in the upper portion of the house were
carried down in safety, and thereby escaped a most
fearful death. The engines under the superintendence
of Mr. Colt and Mr. Connerton went to work in a most
admirable manner, but the flames could not be conquered
until nearly three o'clock this morning, and not until
the premises in which the disaster originated were all
but destroyed, and the adjoining houses on either side
oultnosfpdecateogreWilkinsonr,
considerably damaged by fire, water, and hasty remo-
val. The total loss must amount to a considerable sum,
as the
buildingin which the fire began was six floors
of greatt
he wa y crowd
of of
thespeet
high, including
andincluding the basement. Mr. Superintendent
firemen. a n also keptout a