The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-11 00:00:00

ST. JAMES THEATRE.

The Ethiopian Serenaders commenced an engagement at
this theatre last evening. We have already given a desci ip-
ticn of the delightful performances of these the most artisti-
cal representations of negro minstrehy who have yet ap-
peared in this county. Rice, and Sweeny, the banjo player,
have ale ady given us various negro comic songs, but the
Ethiopian minstrels prove that the negroes are also pro-
ficients in instrumental music—witness their performance of
the celebrated bravura, from Fra Diavolo, on the accordian,
the banjo, thc tambourine, and the bones, which latter in-
strument might be in many instances most effectively in-
troduced into the regular orchestra, as a substitute for the
clanging cymbals, or the reverberating double drum. The
egro musicians understood harmony as well as melody,
and their performance of the glees, " Come, Darkies
sing," " You'll see them on the Orrio," and " A nig-
ger's life is always gay," would not be discredit-
able to the most crack glee or madrigal society in
the metropolis. Moreover, the Ethiopian minstrels have made
us acquainted with the more serious phases of negro life,
and have opened up to us a view of the misery, the broken-
hearteduess, the utter withering of the affections which is
incidental to the state of slavery. The song of "Lucy Neal,"
which was given with most telling pathos by Mr. flarring-
ton, is in it elf a tragedy. It is the lament of a negro slave
over his sweetheart. They loved—shewas sold by his master
to a distant plantation, and Lucy Neal dies of a broken heart.
Here are materials which in the hands of a poet would fur-
nish forth a tragedy which, acted as it might be acted, would,
even in the States, create such a feeling of detestation against
slavery, that the slave-owners themselves would for very
shame learn to be m irciful, and not to outrage
the best feelings of our common nature by separating
husband from wife for the mere purpose of adding to their ill-
gotten, their iniquitous gains. Such a tragedy, well-written
and well-acted, would do more to convert the public mind of
America to the horrors of slavery than all the preach-
ings of all the abolitionists that have ever braved
the dangers of lynch law in the far west. The gem
of the evening, however, was the "Railroad Overture."
which is one of the most marvellous instances of sound-
painting that has ever been composed. Beethoven, Berlioz,
and all the scientific composers who have attempted to
paint natural objects iu music, must yield the palm to these
Ethiopian Serenaders. No one who has not heard the
" Railroad Overture" can form the most distant idea of the
powers of sound in representing the objects of sense. The
house was well attended, and the Serenaders were applauded
to the echo.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
BATA STEEPLE CHASE.
Sweepstakes of 10 soya. each, h ft, with 50 added. Four miles.
(10 Subs.)
Mr. Townsend's Swiftsure
Captain Johnson nd Conrad (Mason) 2
Mr. Haddy's Spendthrift • (Powell) 3
Mr. Stapylton's Sir John (W. H. Ford) 4
The following were not placed :—Mr. Stapylton's Cncket
—Mr. V. Jenkyn's Sally-go-by-'em and Billy Piper—and
Mr. Wood nd Presumption. Won by a length, after a good
race with two.
Match, 501, list each, last two miles of the Steeple Chase
Course.—Mr. Helbert's Carlow beat Mr. Mill's Woodbine
easily; the mare fell. •
LIVERPOOL GREAT NATIONAL STEEPLE CHASE.
WEDNESDAY, 111ARCII 4.
Handicap weights for a Free Handicap Hurdle Race Sweep-
stakes of 1Q sous. each, 5 ft, with 50 added. Two miles,
over six hurdles.
Mr. W. H. Johnstone's The Era. 6 yrs, 12st 81b
LLoo
rrdd
iliVoletrhf,o;ds w's
iFt a3g,rest,l2l
,11
2st lb
51b
81b
Mr. C. Daley's Isabel, aged, 12st
Mr. Clifton's Pedlar, aged, 12st
Captain Campbell's Croesus, aged, list 121 b
Mr. Irwin's Patriot, 5 yrs, 1 Ist 12Ib
Mr. Austin's Little Johnny, aged, list 121 b
Mr. Shepherd's Mudlark, aged, list 10lb
Lord Chesterfield's New Brighton, 6 yrs, list 101 b
Lord Chesterfield's The Poor Soldier, 6 yrs, 1 Ist Blb
Mr. Duckworth's Clear the Kitchen, ved,llst 71b
Mr. Ralph na. Everton, 6 yrs, list 41b
Mr. Roberts' Quicksilver, 6 yrs, list
Mr. Bretherton's Aquilo, 6 yrs, lOst 121 b
Mr. Powell's Cracksman, aged, lOst 121 b
Mr. Moore's Magic, aged, lOst 121 b
Lord Chesterfield's Cockfighter, 5 yrs, lOst 121 b
Mr. Griffith's Lucy, 5 yrs, lOst 121 b
Mr. Heap's Chintz Print, lOst 101 b
Mr. Powell's Delaware, 6 yrs, lOst 81b
Mr. Fox's Deuce Ace, 5 yrs, lOst 81b
Mr. Cross nd Single-peeper, aged, lOst 81b
Mr. W. Turner nd Sands, 6 yrs, lOst 61b
Mr. Henderson's The Artist, 6 yrs, 10st 61b
Captain Allen's The Exquisite, aged, lOst 61b
Captain Crofton's Brunette (Paradise), aged, lOst 41b
Mr. Lockwood's Wandering Jew, 5 yrs, 10st 41b
Mr. [rd's Tottenham, 4 yrs, lOst 41b
Mr, Lamplugh's Erebus, 4 yrs, lOst 21b
Mr. Hornbv's Cock Robin, 5 yrs, 10st 21b
Mr. E. R. 'Clarke's Sir Edward, aged, lOst 21b
Mr. Dymock's Grace Darling, aged, lOst
Mr. L. Walmsley's The Heir-at-Law, 5 yrs, lOst
Mr. P. P. Couch's Amalgamate, 5 yrs, lOst
Mr. Sutcliffe's Alice, 9st 131 b
Mr. King's The Artful Dodger, aged 9st 101 b
Mr. Quin's Violet, 5 yrs, 9st 91b
Acceptances to be declared either to Messrs. Weatherby,
in London ; or to Mr. Etty, at Liverpool, to-morrow (Thurs-
day).
At the Hayes Steeple Chase, yesterday, the first race was
won by Mr. Philpott'a Crab, and the second by his Polka.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR, —ln the Third Edition of your paper of last evening
I find it stated that; the; "Liverpool, Ormskirk and Pres-
ton Railway" was thrown out on its merits last year. Now
this not being the case, I shall be glad if you will be kind
enough to correct it in your Country Edition of this evening,
as I fear the report is calculated to prejudice the project. The
fact is, that it was thrown out on " Standing Orders" last
year, and not on the Bill.—Yours very truly and obediently,
ROBERT JACKSON.
Saturday M gning, Feb. 7.

NOTTINGHAM.—EarI Manners, with his accustomed
kindness to his poorer tenantry, at his annual receipt-day of garden-
rents, at Cotgrave, directed his steward to return half a year's rent,
in consideration of the failure of the potato crop; and we understand
that he intends to do the same at Ratcliff and the immediate neigh-
bourhood of Holme Pierrepoint.—Nottingham Review.
THE METROPOLITAN PETITIONS FOR THE TOTAL
REPEAL OF THE COHN-LAWS.-011 Monday the Council of the League
received at the office, Fleet-street, the total amount of signatures
from the various boroughs in which petitions had been circulated for
the total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws. The following is
the amount of the signatures as separately collected from each city
and borough :—The city of London, 64,u66 ; the city of Westminster,
71,406 ; the borough of Lambeth, 67,680; the borough of Finsbury,
83,720; the borough of the Tower Hamlets, 83,400 ; the borough of
Southwark, above 40,000 ; the parish of St. Pancras, 26,776 ; the
parish of Marylebone and Paddington, 23,000; the parl-h of Chelsea,
8,735.—T0ta1, 470,773.

,•
THE SUSPICHUS DEATH IN NEWIN9TON.—Mend.y
evening an inquest was held by Mr. Carter, at the Giraffe Tavern,
Penton-place, Newington, to inquire into the circumstances of the
death of Mrs. Susan Vesey, an aged female, which, from the fact of
her being a principal witness against her son in-law upon a very
serious charge, were considered to be of a suspicious character.
The first witness called was Richard Vescy, the son of the deceased,
who deposed that his mother had, for some time past, complained f
illness and spasms, and that owing to the excitement caused by hei
daughter's throat being cut, and her son-in-law being in custody on a
charge of having inflicted the wound, she became much worse. On
Friday morning she complained of being seriously ill, and wished to
see Mr. Young, a medical gentleman, and witness accompanied her
to that gentleman's shop. Mr. Young gave her some medicine, a
part of which sit:: then took, and soon after she said she was better ;
but while she was returning home she fell down in the street. Wit-
ness assisted her home, and she went to bed with her clothes on. He
left herabout t«•n o'clock. when she ;ail she ',IS liPtter ; het on
• _ . •• • •

the body, attributed the death of the deceased solely to the d!seasecl
state of the heart, The jury returued a verdict of " Death by natty
ral causes."