The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-05 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.
Wttinsoa, TuEsDAt.--fler Majesty and Prince Albert
rode out this afternoon in a pony phaeton, his Royal
Highness driving, accompanied by the Princess of LeininA
gen, and attended by the whole of the Royal Suite.
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent walked to
Adelaide Cottage and returned in a pony phaeton.
The Queen and Prince Albert inspected this morning
a proof of a portrait of her Majesty by Ross, engraved by
Mr. F. Bacon, which was submitted 4 Mr, Martin
Colnaghi, of which her Majesty and his Royal Highness
were pleased to express their high approbation.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester ho-
noured the Russian Minister and the Baroness Brunnow
with her company at dinner last evening, at his Excel-
lency's residence, Astiburnhana House, Dover-street.
Viscount Melbourne left town last night, on a visit t.)
her Majesty at Windsor Castle.

General-Alava, the SpanishMinicer, and Mr. Hodgson;
M. P., had interviews with Lord JOhn Russell yesterday;
at the Colonial-office.

The Right Hon. Sir George Murray. and Major
111‘Namara, M. P., bad interviews with Viscount Mel-
bourne yesterday, at his official residence in Downing.
eet.

Mr. Oswald, M.P., had interviews with the Marquis o
Normanby yesterday, at the Home-office.

SURREY THEATRE.

A melodrama of considerable merit, from the fertile pen
of Mr. T. J. Haines, (author of " Poll and my Partner
Joe," the " Yew Tree Ruins," &c ) was produced here
on Monday night, and was eminently successful. It is
entitled Claude Ducal ; or, The Ladies' Highwayman,
and is founded on the recorded adventures of that eccen-
tric and celebrated Knight of the Road. In the principal
incidents, we believe, the author hat adhered pretty
closely to the recorded actions of the hero ; but we are
unable to say, at this moment, whether he has more largely
drawn upon Johnson's Lives of Highwaymen, or
upon the well-known romance which some years
ago had the run of the libra•ies under the same
name as this drama, and combined in some degree the cha-
racteristics of the "fashionable" school of novels with those
of the Jack Sheppard" school, which have not yet ceased
to be " the rage." The time at which the drama opens is
that of the siege of Oxford by the Parliamentary army,
and the splendid scenery of the locality, admirably painted,
called forth great and merited applause. Indeed the
scenery throughout, in all the various passages cf the hero's
career—in the woods, in remote villages, mills, cottages,
and solitary lanes—in the neighbourhood of London (as it
was two centuries ago)—with the domestic and public ar-
chitecture of the city itself at that period—is suffi-
ciently curious and excellent to form an attraction
by itself, even if it were not, as it is, an adjunct to clever
acting and well contrived incident. A love story (not
very commonplace or destitute of pathos) forms the tbs.( ad
by which the adventures of Claude are bound into a dra-
matic form. But the main interest is fixed upon the for-
tunes of the polished and handsome robber himself, whose
whimsical gallantry to the ladies, whom be overtook in
the way of this business, obtained him such a reputation,
that it is said to be a fact, that many ladies" rich and fair,"
contrived to send letters to him, informing him of their In-
tended journeys and praying for the pleasure
of being waylaid and robbed. This extra-
ordinary and almost incredible part of history is
made a merry use of, and tickled the fancies, especially of
the female portion of the crowded and respectable audience
assembled here last night. There is so much archness
and fun, perhaps also of grace, in the robbing scenes, that
the roguery is overlooked, and the gay bandit becomes as
great a favourite with the theatrical spectators of his feats
as he was with the actual objects of them. The part of
Claude was sustained with much vivacity and spirit by
Mr. J. S. Balls. A puritan hosier, and soldier, named
Never-right, who is driven by the ingratitude of the Par-
liament, and the loss of his business, toijoin Claude's gang,
is admirably drawn, and was represented by Mr. Hicks
with energy and judgment. His more comic follower,
Shern Scraggs, received equal justice in the hands of Mr.
W. Smith. On the whole, the style in which the piece
has been produced does great credit to the management,
and there can be no doubt of a long run.

DEPTFORD ANTI-CORN-LAW

ASSOCIATION.

[An error or two having yesterday occurred in the following
Petition, we re-insert it corrected.]
Petition unanimously adopted at a crowded
meeting, called by public advertisement, in Dept-
ford, on Monday, and lying for signature at the
White Swan and various other places:
To the Honourable the House of Commons in Parliament
assembled,
The Petition of the Members of the Deptford Anti-Corn•law
Association and others.

Sheweth—That your pe itioners are connected with trade
and navigation, and live in continual sight of the memorials of
England's naval greatness, which they have been taught is
mainly founded on the same.
That the existing Corn-laws amount to a confiscation of
their property, of the same nature as would have been inflicted
on the owners of the soil, if the owners of the commercial and
water-borne properties within the country had prohibited the
sale of the produce of the soil in a free market.
That your petitioners also believe the wealth, revenue, and
standing of the country in relation to foreign States, to be cut
down in the same manner as if your petitioners had roguishly
and foolishly procured the prohibition of the free sale of the
produce of the soil, for the sake of importing more provisions
from abroad.

They therefore pray for justice and compensation, first,
through the removal of the present Corn-laws by the subtrac-
tion of three shillings annually from every grade of the exist-
ing scale ; and afterwards, through the substitution of bounties
on the importation of foreign corn, by corresponding augmen-
tations of three shillings annually on each grade of the existing
scale, till the bounties equal the present duties, and then to be
continued for twenty-six years, or so long as shall correspond
to the period during which the property of your petitioners
has been subjected to confiscation. With reservation always,
that such bounties shall at any time be commuted for a per-
manent tax on rent, of such magnitude as to your Honourable
House shall be proved to be a fair equivalent on the part of the
owners of the soil.