The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-23 00:00:00

THREE O'CLOCK.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

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Les iluguenots was performed here last evening,
for the first time this season, and Mario made his
rentree in the character of Raoul de Nangis ; he,
although somewhat hoarse, sang and acted with great
spirit, displaying a warmth, and energy, and pas-
sion of which we had before scarcely thought him ca-
pable. The great duet between Raoul and Valantine
has been never more superbly given than it was last
evening by Mario and Grisi ; the latter of whom
was in excellent voice, and threw her whole soul
into the part. Angri was to have performed the
part of the page, Urbano, but -was unable to ap-
pear in consequence of an attack of influenza,
Madlle. Bertrandi, from the 'ltalian Opera, Berlin,
undertook the part at a few hours 'notice and ac-
quitted herself most creditably. - The 'stern old
Lutheran Marcelie was sublimely (that tho only
appropriate word) rendered by Formes ; and Polonini
gave a careful version of the part of St. Brie, hereto-
fore acted by Tamburini. The choruses were
splendidly given, and the Blessing of the Poignards
was, of course, encored.
The Queen's box was occupied by the Marchioness of
Waterford and Lady Stuart de Rothesay, Viscount
and Viscountess Canning and party. Among the
company honouring the theatre with their presence
we remarked the Marchioness of Ailesbury, the
Marchers Brancaleoni and Mdlle. Brancaleoni, the
Earl Granville, the Countess of Malmesbury, the
Earl Cowper, the Earl Bruce, the Marchioness of West•
meath and Miss Dawson, Viscount and Lady Elizabeth
Lascelles, Viscount Mandeville, Viscountess Maidstone
and Lady Adelaide Paget and Lady Mary Capel, Lady
Wallscourt arid the Hon. Misses Blake, Lady Suffield,
the Baroness de Clifford and the Hon. Miss Russell, Lord
and Lady Ernest Bruce and party, Lord Adolphus
Vane, Lord Robert Pelham Clinton, Lord Adolphus
Fitzelarence, Lord Arthur Hay, Lady Elizabeth Bulteel
and Miss Bulteel, Lady Longford and the Hon. Miss
Mitchell, Hon. Mrs. John Stanley, Hon. George Miller,
Mr. Seymour Darner, Sir George. Armytage, bir Henry
Webb, Mr. Norman Macdonald, Mr.. William Rose,
Mrs. Milner Gibson, Colonel Brownlow Knox, M•P•,
and party; Sir William and Lady de Bathe, Mr. Montagu
Gore, Mr. and Mrs. de Blaquiere, Madame de Horta
and party, Mr. Raymond Barker, Mr. Martineau, Mr•
Charles Marshall, Captain Jocelyn, Captain Cathcart,
Count Louis Corte and Count Grosello, Sir John Low-
ther, Mr. Vane, Mr. Gerard Sturt, M.P., Captain Elli-
son, Hon. Agar Ellis, Mr. Grenfell, Mr. Mackenzie, Mr.
Henry Greville, Mr. A. Talbot, Hon. Hugh Rowley,
Baron de Sternberg, Captain de Bathe, Hon• W. Best,
Captain Steel, Miss Burdett Coutts and party, Major
Maitland, Lieut.-Colonel Crombie, Colonel Blane, Capt.
Hotham, Captain De Horsey, &c.

APOLLOkICON, ADELAIDE-STREET,
STRAND. _

Mr. Grattan Cooke's benefit took place at the above
rooms on Monday evening, and it must have been
gratifying to him to have seen the numbers of friends
who rallied round him on the occasion. The per-
formance was under the patronage of the officers of
the 2,1 Regiment of Life Guards, and their splendid
band, under the direction of Mr. Cooke, who on the
occasion donned their uniform, performed several
pieces of music, much to the delectation of the audi-
ence. We scarcely knew Mr. Cooke when he made
his appearance with his " blushing honours thick
upon him," and it is but justice to him to say that in
his military attire he looks the beau ideal or a man
of war, and as if ho had been such "from his youth
up." The bill of fare was very attractive. Mr.
Richardson played a couple of solos on the flute with
the greatest brilliancy, and his usual unapproach-
able excellence;s.nd if old Paganini were alive we can
fancy with what delight he would have listened to
the musician-like treatment which his " Carnival de
Venise" received at the fair hands of, Miss Collins.
Her faultless and marvellous execution quite took the
audience by storm, and she was honoured with an
enthusiastic encore. To tbat, however, we imagine
she has by this time become quite accustomed, for
she receives the like honour on every night of the
Apollenicon Concerts. The Distin family performed
on the sax-horns, and a young lady, Miss Marriot
O'Connor, made her (laid with the greatest success.
A glee, in which she and the Distins took part,
" Down in a flowery vale," was quite a gem, and
was sung with most admirable taste and precision.
• On the whole, the concert passed off in capital style,
and Mr. Cooke deserves the thanks of the public for
the satisfactory manner in which he catered for their
amusement.

ARBITRATION IN THE CASE OF MESSRS. MONDAY,
THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTORS FOR TILE BUILDLNG.—Mr.
Robert Stephenson, the sole arbitrator in this case, held a
second meeting at the Palace of Westminster this day, when
Mr. Whishaw was examined at considerable length on the
part of the contractors.
THE EXPOSITION.—When the Exposition was first
proposed, a general notion prevailed that none but positively
new inventions were admissible. As the subject, however,
became better understood, it was ascertained that it was
really to be a representation of the best products of art and
manufactures. Even now there can be no doubt but that
many of our warehousemen and shopkeepers are disposing of
textile fabrics of the very class and character as will be at
the Exposition. We learn, for instance, that the Messrs.
Jay, of Regent-street, during their recent visit to Paris, were
fortunate enough to obtain for their mourning establishment
four mantles ct the exact model and make as those that will
be exposed on the Ist of May in the Crystal Palace; the
only difference being that the latter are in delicate, rich, and
attractive colours whereas thosr, of Messrs. Jay are in black
and greys suited to their particular trade.
THE GREAT BELL AT NOTRE DAME.—The large
bell of the Cathedral of Notre Dame was rung on Good
Friday, after a silence of three years, caused by repairs in
the belfry. A large crowd assembled on the Parvis to hear
it. The bell is called Emmanuel, was cast in 1682, and
Louis XIV. named it in the christening ceremony. For-
merly sixteen men were required to ring it, but owing to an
improvement in the hanging, four now suffice. The relics of
the Cathedral were, on Good Friday, carried round in solemn
precession after a sermon of the Abb6 de Ravignaa. The
President of the Republic was present, and there was a vast
congregation.— Galiguani.

For John Haines ... ... 85
Thomas Blakeman Brown ... • ..; 22

William Bacon 11
Henry Spackman 5
Whereupon John Haines was declared by the Senior
Proctor to be duly elected; and having taken, the oaths,
was then admitted by the Vice-Chancellor to his office.

STATE OF TRADE.—MANCHESTER, APRIL 22.
The business to-day in yarns has been at a further decline
on last Tuesday's prices; but the market was flat notwith-
standing all the symptoms of weakness. The amount of
transactions generally, however, has been equal to an average
of the weekly market held on this day, the buyers appearing
to consider the prices now current as reasonable. In the
goods market there was a tolerable inquiry in the earlier
part of the day; and 39-inch shirtings, required for India,
were sought after ,by the shipping houses; but when the
telegraph notice declared a ruling flatness in the Liverpool
market the effect was immediately apparent. A remarkable
proof of the little confidence which is entertained in the ac-
counts from America is given in the fact, that though cotton
is reported higher at New York, no effect was observable
either here or in Liverpool which could be traced as a direct
consequence of that fact. Cotton was up in America Md. per
lb., and 20,000 bales were sold at New York within three
days of the sailing of the Canada, a circumstance which
seems to be justly deemed suspicious.

AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT GLOUCESTER.—
Some of the good citizens of Gloucester, perambulating the
docks on Good Friday morning, were alarmed by a terrible
noise on board a Greek ship lying in the middle of the basin.
The captain and others appeared to have one of the crew
amongst them, around whose neck a rope was attached, and
before any interference could be offered the body was run up
to the yard-arm, and after a few apparent struggles, So far
as the victim was concerned, all was still. The noise had
hardly subsided, when a similar scene appeared to be going
forward on board another Greek vessel lying alongside the
first-mentioned, the body in this case being lowered over the
side into the water, and then, as it the murderous wretches
had changed their intentions, it was hauled on deck—
severely belaboured amidst shouts and execrations, and
speedily hauled up to the yard-arm. The excitement on
seeing two bodies dangling high in the air was most intense ;
some of the crowd assembled were calling out for the police,
and two or three, more courageous than the rest, got on
board one of the ships to demand an explanation, and with
the determination to take the culprit into custody. The ex-
planation was duly given, and a hearty and general laugh
was the result. The seamen were only performing a custom
of the Greek Church, usual on Good Friday, by stuffing an
effigy with straw, with a bag in its right hand, to represent
Judas Iscariot, and hanging it, expressive of their abhor-
rence of the conduct of that worthy in betraying our Saviour.
The next morning the effigies were hauled clown, and treated
with great indignity, amidst renewed shouts and the dis-
charge of muskets.
ACCIDENT AT BLACKFRTARS..BRIDGE.—Testerday
afternoon a wain, drawn by four horses, was descending
Blackfriars-bridge, towards the Middlesex shore, when, in
consequence of the driver having neglected to skid the
wheel, the pressure of the vehicle on the horses' quarters
caused them to bet off at full gallop at the momer.t
the bridge was thronged with carriages. Numerous -colli-
sions ensued, and one of the drivers was so dreadfully in-
jured that he now lies in the hospital without hopes of re-
covery. The career of the vehicle was stopped by its com-
i ing into contact with the massive iron pillar supporting the
lamp opposite, 2d, New Bridge-street, which, by the fdtce of
the concussion, waa snapped in two, the broken portion, in
its descent, striking a female on the head, who was taken
to the hospital insensible, her skull having been fractured by
the blow. Two of the horses were also killed.

"Now, BY Sr. PAUL, THE WORK GOES BRAVELY
ON I."—St. Paul's has at length knuckled down, and, to bor-
row another forcible expression from " the boys," it has
" tucked in its twopenny." Our gallant charge upon the
authorities has ended in their ceasing to make a charge upon
the public; and, looking upon the gratuitous admission of
visitors as a generous admission of error, we will bury the
past and the twopences in oblivion.—Funch.
THE Sax OF JOHN SAIITH.--Domestic critics
were last week smitten with wonderment that the Govern-
ment should require them to state, in their census papers,
whether John Smith or Mary Jone was a male or a female.
But we have known freaky parents to give the Christian
names of men to their daughters, and vice versa ; and the
Sheffield Times told us, only last Saturday, of an Irishman
who got his child called Peter before he discovered it to be
a girl.— Gateshead Observer.
GLASGOW, APRIL 19.—Cotton—In cotton wool we
have had another very dull week, and prices have receded
from Vsd. to Md. per lb. Middling Orleans barely realises
7%d. per lb. Goods and yarns partake of the general de-
pression, and prices continue to decline. Dealers complain
generally of the dulness in the home trade, or at least of
the difficulty of doing business with a profit. Several
establishments are lessening the amount of their produc-
tion, and in the Paisley district upwards of 1,200 weavers
have been thrown out of employment during the last few
weeks. Pig iron—The market for pig-iron h.,s been less
animated this week, and prices are scarcely maintained.
Sales have been made at 40s. 6d., cash, and the current
value is from 4(Jo. 6d. to 41s. per ton, free on board. The
shipment from the beginning of the year till the 12th
current have been 137,b74 tons, against 86,632 tons for the
same period last year—showing an increase of shipments
of 50,742 tons. At the close of 1850 the stock in Glasgow
was estimated at 230,000 tons; it is LION?' estimated at 203,868
tons.

Virtue is not so versatile in its nature as to be im-
practicable in any possible condition of human life.—Eliza
Cook's Journal.

ESCAPE OF CONVICTS FROM DARTMOOR PRISON.—.
Two of the convicts, named John Cotton and John Jones,
escaped from the prison on Tuesday. Information was re-
ceived on Thursday that they had committed a highway
robbery near the Rev. 11. Strangway's, on the road to Tiver,
ton, by plundering a labourer in the employ of Mr. Rowe, of
what he possesed, together with his smock-frock and jacket,
for which they gave him their convict jackets, on which are
the letters "D. P." They found a knife on his person,which
they placed across the throat of the man, at the same time
threatening to deprive him of life if he failed in.giving.up to
them all he had.