The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-25 00:00:00

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Sir,—We, the undersigned, request you to convene a
special general meeting of members on the earliest pos-
sible day, to consider the propriety of petitioning Par-
liament against the Ministerial measure for the re-
imposition and increase of the income-tax.

Norwich, Feb. 22, 1848.
Barnards and Boultoa

C. R. and 11. Freeman

Bacon and Co.
Thos. Banks
Barber, Son, and Co.

James Hardy
J. E. Hunt and Soa
Howlett and Co.

Bennett and Bream
H. Bidwell and Son

George Jay
Jarrold and Sons

Samuel Bignold Joseph Pi ;g and Sons
Edward Blakely Rivett and Harmer
Fred. Brown Robert Seamen
Wm. Butcher Sidney and Ladyman
H. Chamberlin, Sons, and John Sultzer and Co.
Co. J. Henry Tillett
Colmans and Glendinning► Torris and Son
Copeman and Sons Charles Winter
De Year and Phillips Isaac Wiseman
G. and W. E. Etheridge
In compliance with the above requisition, I hereby
summon a special general meeting of the members, to
be held at the Chamber, Post-office-street, on Friday
next, the 25th instant, at noon precisely.
CHAS. S. GILMAN, Secretary.
Bethel-street, Feb. 23d, 1848.

LYCEUM THEATRE.
DONE ON BOTH SIDES.
This is an exceedingly pleasant one-act trifle by Mr.
J. M. Morton, the author of many successful farces,
amongst which may be specially cited Box and Cox.
Mr. Whiffles (Mr. Frank Matthews) is a superannuated
exciseman, who contrives by stringent economy to keep
a decent house over his head. His wife (Mrs. C.
Jones) has discharged their only servant, and the
respectable couple are fain to scour, scrub, polish, and
cook for themselves. In these domestic duties they
are assisted by their only daughter Lydia (Miss
Marshall). Mr. Whiffles has, while taking the :lir in
Hest-street, ueen run against and pushed into the
gutter by Mr. John Brownjohn (Mr. Charles Mathews),
a gentlemtn living by his wits and on the ex-
treme faith of tailors, hotel-keepers, hill-discounters,
&c. He discovers the dwelling of Wh'ffies, introduces
himself, apologises for the accident, and gains a footing
iti the family by representing himself as a gentleman of
fortune, supposing old Whiffles to be wealthy and Lydia
a capital match. He invites himself to dinner, and the
old folk are at their wits' end to provide the necessary
dishes, at the same time that every means is taken to
conceal from Mr. John Brownjohn the true state of their
circumstances. At this crisis, Mr. Phibbs (Mr. Buck-
stone), an old friend ofithe Whiffleses, arrives from the
country, bringing with him a haunch of vension as a
gift to the president of the veterinary college. The
haunch is seized upon and devoted to the dinner,
and Whiffles, besides, borrows from him a 51.
note for the purpose of purchasing wine. Brown-
john returns in dinner costume, and Whiffles
mystifies both, by representing one as the president and
the other as a servant, though distantly related to the
family. Phibbs is by turns coaxed and bullied to wait
at table. Ultimately, however, the double trick is dis-
covered, and Brownjohn, struck by the beauty and good
qualities of Lydia, marries her, with the consent of all
parties. We had forgotten to mention that Phibbs is
possession of a bill drawn by Brownjohn,-which has been
protested. To prove his respect for the drawer, be
heroically destroys it. The situations, though not very
novel, are mirth-provoking, and the oddities of Buck-
stone in the supper scene drew down shouts of laughter.
Mr. Frank Matthews acted with pantomimic breadth;
and Mr. Charles Mathews lost not a single point, and
was dressed a rnervcille. Mrs. C. Jones was rich and
oily; and Miss Marshall was pretty and piquante. The
farce was quite successful.

JEWISH DISABILITIES BILL. —ESSEX COUNTY
MEETING.—CICELMSFORD, THURSDAY EYENING.—The
inhabitants of this county having been convened by the
High Sheriff pursuant to a requisition to meet in the
Shire Hall this day to petition the House of Lords on
the subject of the above Bill, an immense concourse of
people assembled in front of that building about half-
past twelve o'clock, the hour named. On the hall being
opened, Mr. C. Marsh, the High Sheriff, attempted to
open the proceedings in the Nisi Prins Court, but yield-
ing to the "pressure from without," the meeting ad-
journed to the open air, where a few waggons having
been got together for the accommodation of the speakers
and leading men of both parties, Mr. Bowyer Smith ad-
dressed the meeting, contending that to admit the Jews
into Parliament would tend to unchristianise the coun-
try. He alluded to the argument that, as we admitted
Jews into other offices, we should therefore admit them
to Parliament; but he thought that though, in this par-
ticular, we descended in our practice from a principle,
we should not reduce our principle to the level of that
practice. He concluded by proposing a petition to Par-
liament against the Bill proposed by the Government.
The Hon. and Rev. H. Bertie seconded the motion, Mr.
Courtauld moved as amendment in favour of the Bill,
contending that the Jews were perfectly entitled to all
civil rights. This amendment having been seconded,
was declared by the lligh Sheriff to be carried. Major
Beresford and others addressed the meeting in support of
the original motion, and it was evidently the feeling of
the influential portion of those present that it should
have been adopted.
WESTER ROSS FARMER'S SOCIETY. —A meeting
of this society was held at Dingwall on Tuesday, when
a petition to Parliament, praying for the repeal of the
law of entail was agreed to, and signed by the presi-
dent in the name of the society. It was also agreed to
that steps should be taken to promote a show of live
stock at Invergordon in the month of August, and that
the farmers of Ross and Cromarty should be urged to
unite to carry that object into effect. The members
dined together in the evening at the Caledonian Hotel.
D. Sheriff, Esq., Barnyards, the preses, in the chair,
and -- Seaforth, the vice-proses, acting as croupier.
In the course of the evening several important and
interesting subjects connected with agriculture were
discussed.
THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S BIRTII-DAY.—Yes-
terday being the natal day of his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambridge, the royal standard was hoisted on
the tower of Kew Church; a royal salute was fired at
one o'clock, and in the afternoon the children of the
Queen's free grammar school, about seventy in number,
were regaled with a good dinier in honour of the auspi-
cious occasioneand in the evening the tradesmen of his
Royal Highness dined together, and drank " Long life
and happiness to their Royal Patron." The poor of the
district were not forgotten, a plentiful supply of coals,
under the supervision of the churchwarden being sent
to each. Ilis Royal Highness has attained his 74th year.
CONSECRATION OF ST. MATTHIAS, BETHNAL-
GREEN,—Yesterday the Bishop of London consecrated
this the ninth church recently elected in the Bethnal-
green district, dedicated to St. Matthias, and situate in
Hare-streer, Brick-lane. The sermon was preached by
the Bishop of London, and a liberal collection was made
at its conclusion. The church is built of Kentish rag-
stone, and is in the Norman style of architecture; it
contains 1,500 sittings, all of which arc to be free.
BELGIAN POTATOES.--A vessel just arrived in the
River, from Antwerp, has brought 103 tone weight, in
bulk, of potatoes, the produce of Belgium. No importer,
tion of potatoes from Belgium to a similar extent has
taken place for a considerable time past. A steamer
L just arrived from the same Belgian port has brought
400 sacks, and the steam ship Soho has also brought the
large quantity of 751 bags and 4 sacks of the vegetable
f t the produce of Belgium.