The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-09 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

An amusing farce entitled Methinks I see my
Father was produced here last evening. The idea is
taken from the French, but the adapter has judici-
ously given it an English colouring. The plot turns
upon the obscurity attending the birth of a young gen-
tleman whose marriage depends upon his producing
evidence of his parentage, by a certain day, to the
guardian of his intended—the said guardian, admirably
acted by Granby, being a strictly moral and highly re-
spectable churchwarden ; but it is not his own marriage
alone which depends on his providing himself with a
father; that of his friend also depends upon it,inasmuch
as that friend is about to marry the sister of his intended,
and the guardian is determined that the one sister shall
not be married without the other. That friend is
Charles Mathews, and the reader can imagine the
restless fidgetiness with which he bustles about in
search of some one who will become the tempo-
rary father, the joy with which he closes with
a Railway Stag (Mr. F. Mathews), who un-
dertakes to do the paternal for a consideration,
the misery with which he sees the bubble burst, and
the joy with which he at length discovers that the
strictly moral and highly respectable old churchwar-
den himself is the papa in question. He kept the
house in a roar the whole time, and at the conclu-
sion all the artistes were called for.

USE OR ABUSE OF GAS-LIME
FOR ROAD MAKING.

When doctors differ who shall decide ? Such is
the dilemma in which we are placed by the diversity
of opinion given by Doctors Ure, Miller, Lyon Play-
fair, and other eminent chemists, on the effects of
gam-lime as one of the agents in the late lamentable
loss of life in the Pimlico sewers. This dis-
agreement would have further left us in a
perfect state of ignorance as to the safety or
danger to public health of using the gas-lime for
road coverings, had not Doctor Lyon Playfair dis-
tinctly stated that he would not recommend its use
for such a purpose—an opinion which we are strongly
disposed to embrace, notwithstanding the positive
assertions of the talented chemists, Phillips, Miller,
and Campbell, as given in their report read before the
coroner's jury at the adjourned inquest on Monday
last. This opinion of Dr. Lyon Playfair we are
the more disposed to stand by, from our personal
experience, generally an invaluable test. Backed by
the opinion of those who state that gas-lime " in the
road materials, as described, can be in no way preju-
dicial to health," we think it very likely that those
who have been thus using it, are likely to continue
doing so ; and we think it necessary that the public
generally, as well as the inhabitants of that district of
Pimlico, should be informed that we saw a consider-
able quantity of this material carted for the purpose
of raising ground in that neighbourhood
but a very short time since, and that
the stench which pervaded the atmosphere was in-
tolerable. Salubrious or not, we can safely assert
that it made us feel very unwell for the rest of the
day. Surely when only a doubt is expressed as to
the prudence of using this material by so eminent a
man as Doctor Lyon Play fair, who gave his opinions
in so very impartial a manner, and who has had such
large experience in sanitary matters, it would be but
a decent deference to public opinion, after so frightful
an event, to cease the use of gas-lime for road. making.
—Architect and Building Operative.

LLOYD'S.—The following notice has been posted at
Lloyd's:—" Thursday, the 15th of November instant,
having been appointed by her Majesty in Council a
public day of thanksgiving, the committee beg to ac-
quaint the subscribers that the whole of the establish-
ment will be closed on that day."
DINNER TO MR. JUSTICE TALYOURM—The Oxford
Circuit Bar mess have invited Mr. Justice Talfourd to
a dinner on Saturday, the 17th inst.