The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-11 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

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An adaptation by Mr. Rophino Lacy, of one of
Auber's very early operas, was produced here last even-
ing, under the ti le of the Blind Girl. The plot is very
simple—a certain Dame Kiabler (Madame Peron), one
of the regular rich old ladies of the domestic drama,
lives by herself in a well-stocked farm. The foolish
old magistrate of the village, capitally acted by Mr.
Honey, is desirous of robbing her of her wealth by ma-
trimony, and two regular stage robbers (acted by Mr.
Weiss and Herr Mengiv) prefer accomplishing the same
object by means of murder. The old dame has two
nieces, of whom one it blind and the other has offended
the old lady by forming a tnesalliance. She sends for
the blind niece to live with her, and Louise (Miss Lanza),
the young lady who has contracted the mesalliance, and
has repented her thereof, substitutes herself for her
sister, and arrives at the cottage in the character of the
blind girl. Here she sees the preparations made by the
robbers, and frustrates their attempt by seizing their
pistols, conveniently left on a table, and holding them out
ono in each hand at the assailants, after the moat ap-
proved melodramatic fashion. The robbers are ar-
rested, the Baillie is taken out of a flour-bin, to
which he has fled for refuge; Louise is forgiven,
and all ends happily. The most amusing personages of
the drama, however, have nothing to do with the plot;
they are the farm servants, admirably acted by Oxberry
and Miss Poole, the latter of whom sung several charm-
ing melodies as she aline can sink them. She was en-
cored in a very exquisite ballad entitled " Once a
Shepherdess," which"was well deserving of the honour.
Honey sang an air upon one note, which produced a
very quaint.effect. Herr Mengie had also the honour of
an encore. The music contains the germ of many of
Auber's most popular composilons. The house was
well attended.

KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL. The Right Hon.
the Earl of Carlisle has signified his intention of pre-
siding over the tenth anniversary of this admirable
charity to morrow evening (Saturday). His Lordship's
name is supported by a very powerful list of stewards,
including the Prime Minister and several distinguished
Members of both Houses of Parliament; and it is ex-
pected that the interest of the occasion will be aug.
mented by the presence of the Noble Premier.
EXPLOSION AND FIRS AT AN ILLICIT DISTILLERY.
—Last night, about nine o'clock, the inhabitants of
Glasshouse-yard, Aldercgate-street, a
x helour of t were thrown into a
state of alarm In.consequence col
a loud eplohouse sion. They
gin in the p
r the course of a few minutes
DUl-
be bored
perceived2Bi
n flamesth
nyraargdi:2
the brigade engines from Whitecross-street arrived, fol-
lowed by others from Watling and Farringdon-streets,
and also that or the West of England Insurance Com-
pany from the Waterloo-road. The firemen upon en-
teriug the premises discovered a sheet of flame mounting
through the flooring of the basement floor. Upon enter.
ing the latter place the cause of the explosion was appa-
rent, for there was fitted up a private still of large
dimensions, the ht ad of which had been blown off, and
the spirit becoming ignited had penetrated the flooring.
The firemen and inhabitants, who worked most vigo-
rously, were unable to get the fire entirely extinguished
until nearly ten o'clock, and not before the lower part of
the premises was extensively burned. Who the emu-
piers of the premises were could not le ascertained; bat
there is no doubt they must have been severely injured.
During the confusion which at first prevailed "ley suc-
ceeded in getting clear off.
TIE BATH POISONIFG A.Ta, lIRSDAT
Th
Mourallo.—The coroner's inquest on the bo It of Louise
Harris, the wife of the prisoner, William Revise !Well
it will be remembered was disinterred on Saturday last,
comm2nced yesterday morning, at the Three 'Crowns,
Ne v Wilcott and was brought to a close last night:
After a protracted inquiry, the jury returned a verdict
" That the deceased died from infiamenadon of the
stomach and bowels, but how produced there is no evi-
dence to show."
DEATH OF LADY WHICHCOTE.—We regret to an-
coulee the demise of the above lady, which took place ,
yesterday morning, at Aswarby HA, Lincolnshire, from
the tiLets of the dreadhil accident her Ladyship sus-
tained on Saturday last. The deceased lady was daughter
of Henry Beckett, Esq., and was ,married in 1839 to
Sir Thomas Whichcote, Bart., by whom she has lett u
issue,

ALARMING STATE of GERMANY. EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.
The German journals represent that the public lIALF-YEARLY ADJOURNED MEETING.
agitation is increasing in nearly all parts of Ger- The CHAIRMAN (in continuation from our Afternoon
many. At Frankfort the excitement on the 6th was Edition of yesterday) said—The committee were 100,000/.
so great that the authorities had to take military out of their reckoning with respect to the amount of
precautions. At Darmstadt the democratic asso-
their liabilities.—(lnterruption.)
He was there to do himself and them He was no p
justicepartizan.ciations resolved on the 6th to form a free corps
and if the would hear him he should prove
to defend the Constitution, and a great number his case. .hey
could not if they interrupted
of the inhabitants had published an earnest him thus. What were these assets and liabili-
appeal to the soldiers not to oppose the people. ties ? The interest due to the 4th of July was
The Constitutional Associations of the Rhenish and 82,1201. ; due from works performed, 108,334/. pur-
Westphalian provinces at a meeting, held at Cologne chases made, 63,8371.—t0ta1, 254,311/. The available
on the 6th, resolved that the German Constitution assets, money at bankers, and due from the Post-office,
could only be legally modified by the National As- amounted to 66,4201. ;
a ta arrears
premium
in thecent,
sembly, and declared that the present Prussian Minis- 24,3481. (this
Easter
(this stn Union, balance
ocl was
of award, 11,6001.;
try ought to be dismissed. At Hoffenback, Hesse, market);
Blackwell Railway, 45U—total, 102,8101.; leaving the
and Brunswick, popular meetings had declared that balance of liabilities, 151,5011., and not 500,0001., as
the National Guard ought to defend the Constitution was stated by the committee.—(Cheers.) Then,
against the attacks of the princes. In the Grand with respect to the dividends, arrangements had
Duchy of Baden, meetings of nineteen different been made to get the money.—(Noise, and
towns were convoked to make the like declaration. cries of " How ?") Those who cried " How ?"
At Linden, Osterode, Burgdorff, and other towns of were much mistaken if they thought that undertakings
Hanover, demonstrations in favour of the Constitution of this kind could be carried on if their credit was de-
had taken place. The National Guard of Alfeld and strojed; it was necessary to borrow money. lie then
Weisbaden had declared themselves ready to defend proceeded to deal with the statement of Mr. Meek, that
the Constitution. At Carlsruhe, the Badener officers
the dividend was held out as a bait. He utterly
had declared that they would defend the Constitution , denied the charge and repelled the insinuation. It was
further said that they could not pay the dividend because
at all risks, and had invited their brothers in arms of all of the depreciation of their stock; that the relaying of
Germany to do so likewise. In all parts of Bavaria, the sleepers would cost 150/. a mile. The engineer who
and especially the Palatinate, the agitation was very had made the calculation was, ho understood, inisin-
great, and the Central Governments had considered formed—they would not cost more than 100/.—(Cheers.)
it necessary to send off troops. The Bavarian Govern- According to the account of the current half-year it
meat had published a proclamation stating that it would be shown that the expenditure for depreciation
intended seriously to take part in terminating the would be 125/. per mile. He was prepared to produce
Constitution, but with modifications; and adding responsible contractors who would take the lino for the
that it would maintain the laws by all means in its next seven years for 170/. per mile.—(oh, oh—" We
power. have had enough of them.") But they must not
overlook the old materials, which, when disposed
of, would greatly reduce the liabilities. The
105,906/. referred to in the directors' report,
was over and above depreciation, and after paying
out of that a dividend of 4s. there would still be 38,0001.
to carry to the next half-year for depreciation.—(Hear,
hear.) He vas free to admit that at the Cambridge,
the Ely, wed the Peterborough stations there had
been an expenditure which he was not prepared
to justify, but it must be remembered that much
of this expenditure was incurred in the hope
of keeping out of Cambridge another line, and ex-
tending the Peterborough line to York.—(hear, hear.)
Besides, there was the Newmarket and Chesterford line,
which also had to be accommodated. So far then for the
Cambridge. Now, as to Ely, he was bound to admit that
the expenditure was most appalling—(" Why did you
consent to it then ?") It a ti,t be remembered,
however, that they were receiving a large rent
for the E y station, and the same might be
said of the Peterborough station, from which
they were receiing u very fair return.—(llear, hear.)
He now came to a matter personal to himself; but before
he entered upon it, he must be allowed to thank Mr.
Cash for the tone of his opening address, and to question
the good taste which had induced his seconder to select
this meeting as an opportunity of running down any
man, be he chairman or director.—(Cheers, Oh ! and
groans.) Probably this would bo the last time he should
address them in the capacity of chairman.—(Tre-
mendous cheering) Now, he joined the board in
October, 1815, when the goods traffic was 91. per mile.
The present returns would show that the goods traffic
yielded 22/. par mile, co that the traffic had not suffered
throu4h his connexion with the line.—(Hear,
hear.) A good deal had been said about his
receiving 2,000/. (Oh, oh !) Hear him before
they condemned him. He received the money in
1847, when the committee sat at Westminster on the
subject, in his absence and the absence of the secretary,
and all that he knew of the matter was, that a resolu-
tion was passed a.vaiding him 2,0001, and he received
the money.—(Yells, hisses, groans, and renewed con-
fusion.) With regard to the Wisbeach shares, upon
that subject Mr. Hudson thought es ho thought—
(Roars of laughter)—and when a Parliamentary
Committee was appointed to inquire into his con-
duct he should be prepared to justify all he had
done.—(" Oh, oh," and cries of "No doubt.") He
had some cause to complain of the treatment he had met
with at the hands of the committee. They had charged
him with giving free passes to the Maldon electors, but
the charge was never proved. He never granted a
single pass. —(" Others did though.") He was not
aware of it then. The principle 'upon which he
voted was that of " doing to others as he would
be done by."—(" Oh, oh," and roars of laughter.)
He had now dune with the personal matter, and he
would leave it with simply advising the meeting to ap-
point a committee to inquire into his own and his col-
leagues' conduct.—(Hear, hear.) Having now touched
upon all topics which seemed to him to require explana-
tion, he would entreat them toput an end to these internal
squabbles. His advice was, elect a board in whom they
could place confidence, and don't let them be harassed
by committees out of doors.—(lronical cheers.) It was
madness to go on in the present course, as it was proving
destructive to their property.—(lronical cheers.) It
was annihilating their credit, and unless some change
took place, the shareholders would soon see their pro
perty quickly melt away.—(Renewed cheers.)
A. PROPRIETOR here asked a number of questions,
but owing to the noise we could not catch the import.
Mr. HART rose to propose that legal steps be taken to
obtain the repayment of the 2,0001. and 7,000/.; but not
proposing it as an amendment, he postponed it until the
original motion was carried.
Mr. MeLAREN proposed an amendment to the effect
that a dividend of 4;. per share be declared.—(Much
noise, and cries of " No, no.") He proposed this because
he considered such a dividend warranted by the 103,000/.
they had earned. He was ready to stake his reputation
as an accountant that this could be done.
Mr. MARGRAVE seconded the amendment.
An indescribable scene of contusion and tumult here
ensued, which lasted for some minutes.
Mr. MsLAREN complained that the committee had
made a one-sided statement, and warned the share-
holders that the adoption of the original motion would
commit them to the amalgamation with the Norfolk
line. He opposed that amalgamation, because it would
prove inimical to this company, and complained that the
committee had not justified the course they recommended
by figures.
Dr. Duster said he had come a distance of 500 miles
to attend the meeting, and representing the widow
and the orphan, many of whom had a great stake in the
concern, and believing the amendment based in justice,
he felt it his duty to support it.
Mr. HUMPHREY BROWN, M.P., thought the meeting
owed a deep debt of gratitude to the committee who bad
investigated their affairs; but he regretted that their
deductions, and those of the directors were so much at
variance with each other.—(Hear, hear.) He had heard
with surprise the statement of the Chairman, that they
were in a position to pay the dividend, for during the
last forty-eight hours he had gone fully into the ac-
counts, and he would stake his reputation upon it that
the line since it opening had never earned as much as
30,0001.—(Hear, hear.) The Chairman had stated that
the engineers had made an estimate of the depreciations
of the rolling stock, and he should be glad to know
whether the estimate was made at the request of the
board?—(Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN made a statement which would lead
to the impression that the estimate was made by Messrs.
Hunter and Samuel, at the request of the traffic com-
mittee, and it was afterwards forwarded"to Mr. Hudson.
Mr. H. BRowN wished to know, then, why the di-
rectors could propose to divide 4e. per share wken they
knew that a depreciation fund ought to be provided
for. It was perfectly ridiculous to tell him that there
could only be a depreciation of 14,0001. in a rolling stock
valued at 260,000/.—(Hear, bear.) It was clear that the
rock the shareholders had split upon was not to secure
mere individual responsibility on the Board ; but he was
glad that the errors which had resulted from that
omission were errors of the mind and not of the heart.—
(Oh, oh !) Had the accounts been properly
kept, and the line safely managed, a depre-
ciation amounting to 509,780/., which was
now debited to capital, would have been placed
to revenue account ; and then, instead of their being
now in the position of having paid 345,780/. in the shape
of dividends, they would only have paid 35,935/., or
Bd. per share as dividend.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. FANS rose to recal the attention of the
meeting to the real question before them. It
was not a question of detail, but of principle. The
question was, had they confidence in the direc-
tion?—(Cries of " No, no.") Had they confidence
in the Chairman?—(No, no.) Then turn him out.—
(Tremendous cheers, and cries of " Move it, move it.")
His stake in the concern was too small to justify his
doing so.—(Oh, oh.)
Mr. Howse—Then I'll do it, gentlemen, listen to me.
—(Cries of " Kick him out.") Oh, but I will be heard.
And certainly he was heard, for amidst a storm of
"Oh, oh's," and achorus of yells which certainly must have
created some wonder amongst the inhabitants of Bishops-
gate-street, he proceeded to use his mouth and arms in
a frightly manner; the one putting you in mind of the
working of a windmill, and the other emitting sounds
that very much resembled the bellowing of a bull. When
the storm had somewhat subsided, seemingly from pure
exhaustion on the part of the meeting, the Chairman be-
came aware that two or three gentlemen were &peaking
at once, and, therefore, he called upon
Mr. FRYER, who had no objection to the amalgama-
tion with the Norfolk Iteilway if made on equitable
terms ; but believing that it was not, and that
there was something behind tho scenes, he was
opposed to it. Lowestoft Harbour would swallow
up all their money. He concluded by moving
a direct negative to the portion of the report of the
committee with respect to the amalgamation. He com-
plained that he had been told that the Bill for the amal-
gamation was before the House when it was not. Had
he been informed correctly he should have moved at the
last meeting that the shareholders be called to con
eider it.

PRUSSIA.

On the Bth May, at Cologne, upwards of 500
members of all cliffirent municipal corporations
throughout Rhenish Prussia met in private sitting at
the Casino, where the following resolutions were
carried by acciamatior. A copy of them was for-
warded to Frankfort by express, and likewise official
notifications to the authorities at Berlin. Mr. Zell
and Mr. Werner, who presided, are both members of
the Left Centre in the Frankfort Assembly :
The Prussian Government having dissolved the second
chamber after that chamber had voted the unconditional
acceptance, of the German Constitution of the 28th
March inst., and the said Government, having by that
measure d,prived the said Prussian people of its repre-
sentation and voice in the present decisive moment, the
undersigned delegates of the cities and districts of the
Rhenish provinces have assembled to consult about the
steps to be taken to the salvation of the country.
This Assembly hss this day considered the following
motion, and adopted the same as their resolutions, vlz.:-
1. This said Assembly snakes declaration and pro-
tests that the Constitution of the German empire such as
the Parliament proclaimed the same on the 28th of
March inst., i 3 to the said Assembly binding and con-
clusive, and that the slid Assembly takes the part of
the said Constitution in the conflict which the Prussian
Government has comnasticed with the Parliament.
2. And this Assembly calls upon the whole population
of-the Rhenish countries, and especially upon all men
that are fit and f.rsper to carry arms, to assemble in
their respective districts, and thence to issue-joint decla-
rations, testifying their res.dution to stand by the Ger-
man Parliament, and to yield implicit obedience to its
decrees.

3. This Assembly humbly petitions the German
Parliament, praying that the said Parliament will
speedily adopt more energetic measures, so as to consoli-
date the INTO:1r opposition in the individu 11 German
States, aild especially in the Rheinish countries, and to
impart to that opposition that strength and singleness of
purpose, which alone can prevail against the attempts
of the organised counter-revolution.

4. And-this Assemb!y furthermore humbly petitions
the Cabinet of his highness the Regent, praying the aid
Cabinet to cause the German troops to be sworn on the
Constitution, and to provide a concentration of the said
troops.

5: The undersTgned take the solemn engagement to
use all legal means in their power to promote the effec-
tuation or the German Constitution in their respective
districts.

6. The said Assembly is of opinion that the dismiss&
of the Cabinet of M.M. Brandenburg and Manteuffel,
and the issuing of writs fie- a general election, without
any change or alteration of the electoral law, is an impe-
rative necessity.
7. This Assembly considers the late partial sum-
moning of the Land wehr as a measure which is not
warranted by the circumstances of the country, but
which cannot but endanger the country. The Assembly
expects the immediate revocation of that measure.
8. In conclusion the undersigned express their convic-
tion that the non consideration of the contents of this
declaration must be fraught with the greatest dangers
for the country, and that by it, even the existence of
Prussia in her present composition, would be placed in
jeopardy.
Resolved at_Cologne, May 8.

Signed by the delegates of the cities and districts of the
Rhenish countries.

The above resolutions were immediately followed
by the following proclamation of the Chief President
of Rhenania

" The declarations made by a certain meeting which on
this day was held in the Casino Saloon, makes it incum-
bent on me again to point out to the inhabitants of the
Rhenish countries that this meeting has no claim whatever
to any representative or official character, and that the
said declarations onght to be considered as merely ex-
pressing the private opinion of those that signed them.
At the end of these declarations I see, to my great sor-
row, a threat of a vio!ent secession of the Rhenish pro-
vinces from the Prussian monarchy, or, to speak more
plainly, a threat of civil war and rebellion. I find comfort

in my confidence in the loyalty of the inhabitants of the
Rhenish provinces, and trust that they will turn with hor-
ror from such resolutions, that they will not stray from
the path of legality, the glory of the Rhine Province,
and that they will not place the Government into the
lamentable necessity of making use of those means of
force which are at the disposal of the Government.
"The Chief President of the Rhenish Provinces,
"Cologne, May 8." EICHMANN.

Mr. WADDINGTON said the solicitor, Mr. Duncan, had
misinformed him on the matter.
Mr. MEEK said the committee had been accused of
not supporting the amalgamation which they recom,
mended. The earnings of the Eastern Counties had
been 235. a mile; those of the Norfolk 50s. 6d. This
showed the advantage of the amalgamation.
Mr. FKYELI inquired if any agreement had been made
with the Norfolk Company?
The CHAIIINAN called upon the solicitor to explain.
Mr. DUNCAN rose, but was received with such a volley
of hisses and execrations, that he resumed his seat.
Mr. CASH said the solicitor was the proper person to
give the required reply. Mr. Fryer was entitled to a
reply, and he hoped they would hear Mr. Duncan.
Mr. DuNcAN then replied that the Bill referred to
had passed the Standing Orders' Committee, and ho be-
lieved it had been read a first time.—(Cheers.) It was
in the same position as if it had been read a first or se-
cond time. He had stated that a lease had been pre-
pared, bay he did not say it had been agreed to. - ,