The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-15 00:00:00

tSTRAND THEATRE 97--- -‘141:
3.4
Our old friend Hammond made his first appear:7'4.-A. '4
0)..)
nee for the season at this th(•atre, lest evening'4,i
and the cordial and enthusiastic reception be met='l.'": ;
with, was a well-deserved tribute of respect to ii-=
first-rate actor, and of urnpathy tlith a highly #..kWt4
honourable. man. The cheering on his appearance
was loud and long continued, and y. hen it had par-
tially subsided, a call for one cheer more was most
heartily responded to. The pieces chosen for the
evening's enterta nment wcr, Thi: Bi,/ .(71i,A,,, .
in winch Hammond susta:ned his original cha-
racter of Bill Buzbottle, and (Mello accord-
ing to Act of Parliament, the Free Nigger
being, of course, personated by Hammond. After
the absurdities and vulgarities which have so
frequently been, under the denominronlin of .low
comedy, exhibited to the public, it is quite delight-
ful to *witness the perr,ormance of a natural actor
like Hammond, who knows that humour is per-
fectly consistent with repose, and is not made up
either of absurd grimace or extravagant g'sticula-
tion. His Bill Buzbottle is a stink for every low
comedian. Mr. Warren acted Nibs, the lawyer's
clerk, with considerable quaintness ; he is a very
good substitute for Attwood. In Othello Ham•
mond was well supported by Mr. T. Lee, who
made an admirable Irish lago. This gentleman is
an excellent burlesque actor ; he possesses, morc•
over, a very melodious voice, and sang his parudiett ,
in tune and in time, a matter by no means of such
small account as some people may itnagine. A
ballet followed the first piece, having for its title
Slaves of the Harem. In the course of the ballet,
Miss F. Green, a mere child, not apparently ext
ceeding 12 years of age, danced the Cracoviennc,
a la Fanny Eisler, with great spirit, she was rap-
turously applauded, and called on to repeat it. She
is an exceedingly clever child, and appears already
perfect mistress of her art. The house, which in
the early part of the evening, was by no means
crowded, was well filled at half-price.

STANDING ORDERS.

ABSTRACT OF THE SECOND REPORT Or THE SELECT
COMMITTEE APPOINTFD TO CONSIDER WHETHER
ANY AND WHAT IMPROVEMENT CAN RE ADOPTED

IN TILE MODE OT CONDUCTING PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Committee arc of opinion that previous to 1839
the practice of Committees on Private Bills was ill
calculated to lead to equitable decisions, and elicited
complaints not creditable to the Committees or their
proceedings. These evils mainly arose from the system
of canvass which induced Members to vote who knew
nothing of the evidence, and in cases of unopposed
Bills, Members' names were used who hid never been
present, thus making them appear to sanction procied-
iugs of which they had no cognizance.
To remedy similar evils, the other House bad long
sinep subjected all unopposed Private alls to the strict
investigation of the Chairman of its Committecr, and in
1838 a plan was adopted entrusting each opposed
Bill to a Committee of five, named in each casa
by a " Committee of selection." This plan respecting
opposed Private alls havitn proved succesvui, and its
adoption, as far as the " Committee of see►ection,"
having succeeded in abating the practices complained
of, the Report recommends its being persevered in. A
difference of opinion existing as to the advantages of
having Members possessing kcal knowledge in Commit-
tees on opposed private Bill-, the Rerort does not TT-
coaramnd the adoption of the system pursued in the
other House. which excludes Mcmovrs p.•sessing h:eal
knowledge, or whose constituents are locally i nteiested.
In order to secure a sufficient attendance of disin-
terested Members in Committees on unopposed private
Bills, and direct due attention to their details, a system
analogous to that pursued by the Upper Hour• it !e-
-1 commended—viz., to submit every private Bill, not h, tog
a divorce Bill, to the uniform scru:iny of an individual
Member, who shall also be the Chairman of the Corn-
mittee on every such Bill, lie and the two or more M.•ru-
bers ordered to bring in the Bill constituting the Com-
mittee ; the Chairman, and one at least of such Mem-
bers. should be the quorum required to be present
ing the whole time that the Bill is progre:s through
Committee.

The Report suggests, that the Chairman of the Corn.
mittee of Supply, from his familiarity with the practice
of the House. should Le the " individual M. other" to
whom this duty should ba confided ; empowering
him, at any period of the investigation of an unopposed
private Bid, to report to the House (if he should think
tit) his opinion that it should be treated as an opposed
private Bill. To compensate for such onerous and
important services, an additional salary of 5001. a year
is recommended, together with the co-operation of tho
officer appointed to prepare the breviates of private Bills
to aid him in his investigations. In case of the future
appointment of another individual than the Chairman of
the Committee of Supply to this office, his whole salary
should be 1;5001. per annum.
The usual permission granted to agents to fiz the
first sittings of these Committees having occasioned im-
pediments and inconvenience, and injuriously affected
the interests of suitors for such Bills, it is recommended
that they should be fixed, as formerly, under the autho-
rity of the House, and the postponements be placed un-
der a similar control. But as the "Committee of Elec-
tion" have facilities for ascertaining what arrangements
are calculated to meet the convenience of all parties, it
is expedient that they should be empowered to appoint
the time for holding the first sitting of every Committee
on a private Bill, but in the case of unopposed Private
Bills atter communiciition with the Members ordered to
bring in the Bill, and that no postponement of such
first sitting should take place unless such postpooement,
and the duration of it, be sanctioned by the " Comini•••
tee of Selection."

POST OFFICE.—That part of our Post-office
legislation which relates to ship letters, is likely to create
an important question between that department and the
commercial interest generally throughout the cour.tey. Oe
the one hand it is contended, and nutlet s have been set up
to that effect, that the customary mode of proceeding
with regard to ship letters is contrary to the Act of 1 Vic-
toria, 3'), and liable to the penalties imposed by 1 Victoria,
36 ; and, on the other hand, it is argued that the proper
construction of those statutes does not amount to such a
prohibition. The practice concerning which the question
is raised, is that of the letter. bag of a ship being placed
in the office of the owner, r gent, or consignee, for all
persons to deposit the letters intended for transmission.
The pa!sage in the Act of 1 Victoria, :33, which is quoted
against this practice, is that which, after allowing letters
to be sent out by a private vessel, not being a packet beat,
forbids any person to " make a collection" of such letters.
The whole argument turns on tho word " collection,"
those who would defend the practice mentioned above con-
tending that this word merely applies to the going about
actively after the letters, and not to a mere passive teeeiv_.
ing of them. Thus two clauses are quoted, one from
each of the statutes of Victoria, in which both " receiv-
ing" and "collecting" are mentioned, as if implying two
diftorent acts; while the clause of the Ist Victoria, 36.
which prescribes the penalty, mentions " making a cullee-
tion" only, and the word " receiving" is omitted. The
immense burden which the charge of postage would im-
pose on merchants corresponding abroad, renders the sub.
ject one of anxious consideration; and, seeing how much
has been remitted in the way of postages at home, one
would hope, when the doubt of a construction of the law
is raised, it might be allowed to turn in favour of the com.
merce of the country.— Times.
LORD CARDIGAN AND THE 11TH HUSSARS.
A short time back an evening party was given by the
Earl of Cardigan, to which, as usual, several officers of
the regiment were invited. In the course of the evening
a young lady observed casually, aloud, that she " did
not see Captain Reynolds there," or words to that
effect. The Earl of Cardigan, who happened to be
near, heard the remark, and replied, " 0:1, no; he is
not one of my visitors." The words were uttered without
any marked expression, and did not at the time attract
particular attention. They were, however, carried to
Captain Reynolds, who, conceiving that the expression
was calculated to aff.,ct him as a gentleman, wrote
a letter to the Earl of Cardigan to know if
the expression had been used, and in what sense.
This letter remained unanswered, and the consequence
way, that Captain Reynolds, stung with this appa-
rent further slight, was induced to send a second and
stronger letter, couched in terms which could hear no °thee
interpretation than that of a challenge. On receiving this
letter the Earl of Cardigan consulted his friends, and,
after fairly considering the matter, it was determined to
submit the letters, with the whole of the ch cumstanew
connected with the case, to the consideration of the Colonel
of the regiment, his Royal Highness Prince Albert. This
was accordingly done, and the result was what might have
been expected. The Prince on receiving the papers laid
them before the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Hill, for bit
opinion thereon, when it was resolved by the latter to let
the matter come fairly before the public in the shape of
a court-martial, which will very shortly be held. In the
and a great deal of very unpleasant feeling has been ex.
meantime Captain Reynolds has been placed under arrest,
cited in the regiment. —Brighton Herald.
e on the price of
advance of 10s. per ton has been mad
houses. This alters.
TIIE IltON TRADE AND THE HARVEST.--As
iron by the Staffordshire and Wiedleslnt
demands for rails for
Lion has been caused by the
country is proceeding witiron pave.
species of manufactured
iron h
the railroads in America,
hthreasuccx
been given out to the
of 3,000 tons ; and it
is completed, others will
Hot to th.-! present esteprobablycontra
id strides. Orders for this
tension of lines in which
w','hthenoutghhis
during the past week,
trAde to the enormous weight
PThe aboveorder I beer, kept
back
has
nd, with the view to takeride
back to the latest.
Pere': harvest Ithe late —"lige
.11ss aenetdiciiiypaftoeldi
0,
; •iut fine
of the deficiency in o
and the admirable samples new
.of wheat which ha
feared at market have disappointed the hopes of the ape.
culatos, as I, in corn )elled
10 our -e g i to rely so much upon
foreign ceuntries for our supply of corm—Skrewsbeey
Chronicle. I A project s afloat fo: the constn,tion of a rail.
way to the port of Girvan, from tie Avr terminus of Ore
Glasgow, Paisley, and A)r line. The distance i= about
22 miles, and the cost of construction would, it is silk
1 be exceedingly small.