The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-03 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

Last evening a new comic drama, in two acts, entitled
Not a Bad Judge, was produced with success at this
theatre. The materials are of the slightest description,
the whole depending upon the habits of observation and
discriminative powers of John Caspar Lavater, the
great physiognomist, who is the mainspring of the
action. The part was worked up to fit Mr. C. Mathews
to a nicety; his cool, self-possessed manner being well
adapted to the walking Sir Oracle, who discovers that
mine host of a country inn had rabbits for dinner yester-
day, by observing the skins hanging up at the kitchen
door; pronounces a young damsel to be innocent of
the charge of infanticide, because she has a pretty
innocent-looking face; denounces an escaped convict
highwayman in the person of the pretended Marquis de
Traval (Mr. Roxby) upon a first glance at his features,
and so conduces to break off an unwelcome match, and
to unite the fair Louise (Miss Howard) to the lover of
her choice, Christian (Mr. Parselle), whom the instant
he sees him he pronounces to be a brave, generous, and
in every way excellent young man. It would be tedious
to go into a longer detail of the plot. The acting was
excellent. C. Mathews was more quiet and impressive
than in the general run of characters he has hitherto
played, and the change became him well. Miss Howard
is a promising young actress, and did the slight part of
Louise with a great deal of delicacy and feeling. Harley
was very droll, as a stupid, pompous burgomaster, intro-
duced chiefly' as a foil fur the wit of the philosopher of
human faces. The piece was well received, and an-
nounced for repetition amidst general applause.

Northampton, we are assured, has kindly consented to
PRINTERS' PENSION SOCIETY.—The Marquis o
preside at the ensuing anniversary dinner of the Prin.
ters' Pension Society.
ROYAL ASYLUM OF THE ST. ANN'S SOCIETY.—The
annual festival in aid of the funds of this institution,
which was established for " maintaining, clothing, and
educating the children of those once in prosperity," was
held last evening at the London Tavern. Mr. B. B.
Cabbell, M.P., presided; and after the usual routine
toasts proposed the memory of the late president of the
institution, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The toast
was drunk in silence. It was followed by " Prosperity
toAsylumchairman9falluded particularly to the
ththe St. Ann's Society," in pro-
posing
fact that there were only two societies in the metropolis
.—of which St. Ann's Society was one—that did
not confine their sphere of benevolence to one locality,
but extended it to all the world. The toast was drunk
the Royal
which
with due honours, and was followed by the health of
the Count de Montemolin, who sat at the right hand
of the chairman; to which his Royal Highness replied
in brief terms. In the course of the evening Mr. Leeks,
the secretary, read n long list of subscriptions, amount-
ing to 9271.; they included a legacy of 5001. from the
late Mr. Addeley, of Upper Clapton, 20/. from the
Chairman, and 101. from the Count de Montemolin. The
report of the managers of the society for the past year
showed that the receipts amounted to 5,9481. 14s. Id.;
out of which 500/. had been invested in the purchase of
consolidated and reduced annuities, while 731. lls. 6d.
remained in the hands of the treasurer.
CORONER'S INQUEST.—Yesterday morning an in-
quest was held before Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the Two
Brewers public-house, St. Giles', on the body of Sarah
Bransgrove, aged 47,E who died shortly after undergoing
an operation K
at Kings College Hospital. The inquisi-
tion was held in consequence of an allegation that the
death was caused by the use of chloroform. It appeared
from the evidence that
the deceased, who was the wife
of a porter residing in Little St. Andrew-street, St.
Giles', died on the 23d of February last. On the
Saturday previous to her death she complained of severe
pain in the abdominal region,' and at her own request
was removed in a cab to Kings College Hospital. On
her admission she was found to be labouring under
strangulated hernia. By her own consent an operation
was performed while she was under the influence of
chloroform. She:was perfectly sensible after the opera-
tion, and saw her son and husband, but made no com-
plain
• t of the treatment adopted. She died on the fol-
lowing Wednesday. Mr. Fergusson, the gentleman who
performed the operation, deposed, that he operated upon
the deceased while she was under the influence of
chloroform, making the usual incision and replacing the
intestine. The case was not a bad one, but he had
found, upon a post mortem examination, that the peri-
toneal inflammation, which was the cause of death,
existed prior to her admission into the hospital. After
treated for peritonitis,butthe operation she was .
with-
out success. The administration of the chloroform had
nothing whatever to do with the death, and the operation
had certainly tended to prolong life. Some angry feel-
ing was manifested by the relatives with reference to the
post mortem examination, for which it appeared, how-
ever, that permission had been asked and obtained. The
coroner commented on the fact, that the incision made
had not been sewn up before the body was sent to the
friends. Such neglect was, he stated, very much calcu-
lated to cause angry feelings on the part of the relatives.
Mr. Fergusson assured the coroner that he had ordered
the incision to be secured in the usual way, and regretted
that his instructions ha Natural en attended to. The jury
returned a verdict of " death."
ABDUCTION.—A letter from Oporto, dated the 22d
ultimo, states that two heiresses, of the respective tender
aves of five and nine years, ha!e been " abducted" by
their guardian. It is said he intends to marry one of
them (each having great fortunes) when he thinks
proper. This circumstance has caused much excitement
in Oporto, and the police have been unusually vigilant
and watchful. Search has been made in various houses,
not only of the Portuguet, but also of the French and
English inhabitants (one house searched was that of the
agent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam-packet
Company), and without the usual formality having been
gone through to the Consuls of those nations, which has
much surprised all British residents at Oporto, and leads
them to imagine that all foreign privileges are at an
end.