The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, January 11.
Parliament was further prorogued to• day until Tues-
day, the 19th instant.
The Lord Chancellor and the other Lords Commis-
sioners took their seats in front of the throne, at two
o'clock. In a few minutes afterwards the officers of the
House of Commons appeared at the bar, when the
Commission having been read and the usual forms gone
through,
The LORD CHANCELLOR declared that the pre-
sent Parliament stood prorogued until Tuesday, the 19th
of January instant, then to meet for the dispatch of
divers urgent and important affairs.
The ceremony only occupied a few minutes.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
An English version of Donizetti's opera Anna Bolena,
was produced here last evening under the title of Anne
Boleyn, for the purpose of introducing Miss Bassano to
an English audience as the heroine. The following is
the cast of the opera :
Henry VIII. (King of England) Mr. Leffler.
Percy (Earl of Northumberland) Mr. Allen.
Hoch ford (brother to the Queen) Mr. Walton.
Harvey (Governor of the Tower) Mr. Wynn.
Smeaton (page to the Queen) Miss Sara Flower.
Anne Boleyn (Queen of England) Miss Bassano.
Lady Jane Seymour Miss Smithson.
Our readers will, no doubt, recollect Miss Bassano
some two or three seasons since, as one of the most
promising of our concert singers, (if we mistake not,
she was a pupil of the Royal Academy of Music, and
she does honour to her tutors). Since that time she
has studied in Italy, and has practised on the Italian
stage, and she returns to us not only an accomplished
musician, but, that which so few of our singers become,
a great actress. There is is an energy and a power
about the acting of Miss Bassano that quite cars ies
away an audience. Her features, too, are most ex-
pressive, and in the impassioned scenes she is magnificent.
Her voice is a mezza soprano of considerable power, and
it is completely under command. Her opening cava-
tina, " Speak not again of by-gone days"—the " Come
Innocents" of the original, was beautifully given, and
was much applauded. Her next great hit was in the
quintett in the second scene, "Jo Sentii." in which
she was most admirably supported by Sara Flower,
Allen, and Leffler, and in which her acting told
with great effect. Then came the sestett "In questi
Sguardi," and the finale of the first act, " Ah segnata,"
which completely sealed the success of Miss Bassano.
She was called for at the conclusion of the first act, and
received with loud applause. In the second act, the
scene of which passes in the Tower, in the prison of
Anne, who is condemned to death, the acting of Miss
Bassano was most effective. The scene with Jane Sey-
mour was most beautiful, and the duet, with which the
scene closes, " Va Infelice," was given with the most
intense pathos, both by Miss Bassano and Miss Smith-
son. The trio, " Ambo morrete," was well given by
Allen, Leffler, and Miss Bassano, and was splendidly
acted by the lady, as was the trio immediately follow-
ing it, " Salerii d'lnghilterra." As the opera proceeded,
so did the powers of Miss Bassano seem to rise with the
call made upon her. Her " Ala dolce guidami," was
given with exquisite pathos. Her manner of giving the
" Preghiera," " Cielo a miei lunghi spasimi," which may
be considered as the finale of the opera, was
perfectly thrilling. Miss Bassano is not only an accom-
plished singer, but she is a great actress. Her deblit
was most successful, and the opera was announced for
repetition amidst the loud and unanimous applause of a
crowded house. The success of the opera was, however,
not owing solely to Miss Bassano's exertions. The cast
was remarkably strong. Of the Percy of Allen it would
be unjust not to speak in the terms of the highest praise.
Had he physical power equal to his taste and his
science, he would be the first tenor singer in the world ;
as it is, his Percy is the nearest approach to the Percy. of
Rubini that has yet been made. Exquisitely did he give
his opening cavatina, "Da Quel Di r delightful
was he in all the concerted pieces ; but the
great triumph of the night was the " Vivi tu,"
followed by the " Nell veder la tua costanza." This
was a perfect triumph of taste, genius, and science—
the triumph of taste, genius, and science, over
physical difficulties, a triumph such as Rubini alone
has been enabled heretofore to achieve, and which re-
minded us of Rubini's triumphs, because it was a
triumph over similar difficulties, accomplished by similar
means ; and, with the exception of Rubini, we have
never heard any one superior to Allen in the " Vivi tu;"
and this we say, with a perfect recollection that Signior
Mario has, in the absence of Rubini, been accustomed to
sing this cavatina. The Smeaton of Miss S. Flower was
very fine ; her rich contralto tones told most
effectively in the music of this part, and her
"Deli non voler" and "Ah Parea ' were every-
thing that could be desired. Great praise is due to
Miss Georgians. Smithson, for the admirable manner in
which she both sung and acted as Jane Seymour ; and
Leffler, although not quite a Lablache, was a very effi-
cient representative of bluff Henry VIII. The opera
was most efficiently conducted by Mr. Loder, and it
was well put upon the stage, No doubt it will have a
run. The house was crowded before the commencement
of the overture.