The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-18 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

It is a long time since the walls of this theatre
were crowded as they were last night to witness the
performance of Mr. G. Brooke, as Richard 111;
The crowd, in fact, was such as never should have
been admitted.

It is rcaUy refreshing to see some excitement in
the theatrical world in favour of a high performer of
our old school of tragedy. Mr. Brooke has now
fixed his position as an actor ; and it only remains
for him to do his part in keeping up the interest
which he has begot. Not that his performance last
night was by any means faultless. In the first place,
in the hypocritical passages he wore the mask so
that none could have mistaken it for anything bat a
mask. N _ one could have been deceived by so pal-
nable a villain in disguise, and the probataq.A
the acting. Then again ..I.ll6ndra In ma Ilia see....
—a villain simply from profound discontent with
the world and with himself, coupled with ambitious
promptings arising mainly out of such discontent—
should have been somewhat different from Richard
in his last scenes—thwarted in his purp:.ses, excited
by individual hatred, and by all the madness of re-
venge. To give the first villanies all the intensity of
the last, is to diminish the effect of the force of cir-
cumstances, as they deepen the shadows of the cha•
racter. In the first part more peevishness and less
intensity should be given to Richard's hatred of the
world, to give full effect to that hatred at the close.
When, however, the circumstances of the plot de-
manded the exhibition of the hatred in all its fierce-
ness, Mr. Brooke was truly magnificent, especially in
his under-tones, which gave all the concentration of
which ferocity is capable. It was impossible that
some remembrance of former actors should not be
awakened—it would even have been reprehensible
had it been otherwise—but there was much which
Mr. Brooke made altogether his own, without vio-
lating truth. Where all was so excellent, we will
not particularise passages, but content ourselves with
congratulating toe public on the acquisition of a per-
former in a line where such a performer was so much
wanted. Miss May made a good Lady Anne, and
the other parts were well supported.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, FEB. 17.
STOCK EKCIIANUK.— Our market to-day may be considered
something better than that of yesterday ; however, the busi-
ness done was limited. Prices were firmly sustained. The
sales are—Eastern Counties, 15%—Lancashire and Yorkshire,
Fifths, % p.—Ditto (Lancashire and Bury), Halves, 91/ dis.
—Leeds and Thirsk,Preference, li-jdis.—London and North-
Western, 145 c.—Ditto, Quarters,New, 5 p.—Midland Stock,
116—Ditto, New Halves, 1% dis.—North Staffordshire,
c. p.—North Union (A), 214 —Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and
Chester, 51A; dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, 'No. 4,1% dis.
—York, Newcastle, and Berwick (G. N. E. Purchase), 214
p.—York and North Midland (East and West Riding Exten-
sion 3514—Midland Great Western, 234.
bIANCIIESTER, Fan. 17.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, andChcshire Junction, 5 7-16 dis.—Great Northern
6 dis.—Hudderstield and Manchester Railway and Canal,
Thirds, 1 dis—Lancashire and Yorkshire, Fifths, 9.16 p.—
Ditto (West lti ling Union), 2% n. dis.—Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincolnshire, Qua7ters, No. 2, 177/11., —Ditto, Pre-
ference, par c.—Ditto, Grimsby (20'. Shares), 5 1-11; dis.—
Ditto (Sheffield and Lincolnshire), 514 D. dis.—North Staf-
fordslure, 1346 p.
BIRMINGHAM, FEB. 17.
STOCK. EiCISANGE.—The sales are—Birmingham, Wolver-
hampton, and Stour Valley, dis. ex int.—North Staf-
fordshire, 18s. 9d. p.— Shrewsbury and Chester, 11,4 p.—
Shrewsbury and Birmingham (A), 565. 3d. dis.—Ditto (B),
dis. ex iut.—Shropshire Union, 2% die ex int.—
South Staffordshire, 3Ss. 9d. dis.
YORK, F 88. 16.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Great Northern, 4
10s. 6d.n.— North British, Thirds, 3Gs. 6d.—York, Newcastle,
and Berwick (late New Berwicks), 13/. Gs. 3d.—Ditto (G.
N. E. Purchase), 10/. I Is. 3d.
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, Fan. 17.
STOCK EXCHANGI.—The sales are—East Lincolnshire,
30s. p.—North British, Thirds, 10s. dis.
EDINBURGH, Fan. 16.
STOCK EXCIIANGE.—The sales are—Edinburgh and North-
' ern, 20—Ditto, Newport, Si. es. 6d.—Great Northern, 7/. Is.
6d. ex int.—North British, Quarters, 51. 3s. 6d.—Ditto
Thirds, 365.6 d.

A very important Scotch case was
yesterday dis-
posed of in the House of Lords. All unpaid or dis-
honoured bills in Scotland arc, upon being protested,
registered in a public record, and immediate execution
at once issues against the property and persons of the
several parties to the bill, precisely as if the holder had
obtained a verdict against them. Several persons who
started a mercantile newspaper, inserted as intelligenoe,
a statement of these protested bills, which they cb-
fc)uh Court, the
upon the
taint d from the r
public register. But an injunction
outoeeg a ihnes t
ttjhuciimg
e4wcry
igdri
is
gn tends beyi.gthht to
e Sci
cvestion. The newspaper publisher appealed, and Lord
Uottentutm yesterday teverrod the Jll, ; 1
;rneut of the
eight Judges, and concurred in opinion with the four,
making
rights cf the press. It is, however, much to be re-
vretted that his Lot dsl!ip was unaided by any other
Peer, for in the Parliament !louse of 'Edinburgh, it will
be regarded merely as the opinion ef one English
Judge, upsetting the opinions of eight eminent Scotch
Judges.
Co\ . TINENTAL INTERCOURSE.---The weekly return
of passenger traffic between the Channel ports for the
week ending ,Feb. 13, shows the number of passengers
through Boulogne to have been 1,045, and through
Calais, 21G. The corresponding numbers last year were,
through Boulogne, 664; through Calais 249. The
passengers through Boulogne may he subdivided as
follows: From Folkston°, 337; from Dover, 9?; from
London, 69. Total, 498. For Folkestone, 381 i for
Dover, 60; fer London, 86. Total) 547. '

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