The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-08 00:00:00

NEW STRAND THEATRE.

The enterprising and active management of Mr. Cope-
land is reaping its due reward in the large amount of
public patronage which this elegant little theatre is now
receiving. Last night two novelties were produced; a
new farce of slight construction—the notion being that
of the jealousy of an old gentleman who has married a
young wife being excited by the mystery which the latter
observes in regard to her Epileuse, which served very
well to play in a crowded audience; and a decidedly
smart one act burlesque, constructed upon the wildest
extravaganza principles, and dealing with the story of
Peeping Torn and the Lady Godiva. The Peeping Tom
at Punch's Playhouse is no other than a moyen age
newspaper correspondent and "commissioner," who
having been sent to Coventry to pry into the leaked-
ness of the land, is justly " bonnetted" for extend.
ing his enterprising researches into any other kind of
nudity. Mr. John Reeve was excessively droll as the
emissary of the " Busy Bee;" and Mr. Rogers, the serf,
who puts an untimely stop to his peeping, was a capital
bit of absurd extravaganza, got up in the most outre
moyen age style. Miss Marshall made a eh arming Godiva,
delivering her lines with great archness and piquancy,
and Mr. Norton was well got up, bustling and effective,
as her tyrannical lord and master. The dialogue,
though very extravagant, provokes a good deal of hearty
laughter, the puns and hits being flung about with very
little heed as to their quality, provided their quantity be
satisfactory. The burlesque was a genuine success—
the lightly touched political allusions, not at all compli-
mentary to the Whigs, being caught up and applauded
to the echo.

EXTRAORDINARY SOMNAMBULISM.— One of the
most extraordinary cases of somnambulism that has pro-
bably been heard of took place during the present week in
New-court, Farringdon-street. It appeared that a person
named Thomas Connor resided at 9 in the before-named
court, and on Monday morning a person sleeping in the
same room was aroused from his slumbers by hearing the
window open. He immediately sat up in bed, and was just
in time to see his fellow-lodger jump from the second floor
into the stone-paved court below, the unfortunate man hav-
ing nothing on but his shirt. The instant Connor reached
the cold stones he became somewhat alarmed, and imagining
that he had been thrown out of the window, he ran off as
fast as he could to the Fleet-street Police-station, and
claimed the assistance of the police, whilst the various per-
sons residing in the same house in the court got up, dressed
themselves, and made the best of their way to Blackfriars-
bridge, fearing that he contemplated drowning himself.
From the inquiries put to the man by Mr. Inspector Scott,
who was on duty at the station When Connor entered, it
was soon found out that the poor fellow, whilst asleep, had
a dream that some person was standing over his bedside with
a naked razor, for the purpose of cutting his throat. This
acted so powerfully on his nervous system that he, without
knowing what he was doing, opened the window and leaped
out. The poor man was only injured slightly in the ankles.
—Weekly Dispatch.
THE CRYSTAL PILAcE.—MEETING OF THE DERBY
Towx COUNCIL.—On Saturday last a meeting of this body
was :pecially convened, when an address to the Queen was
unanimously adopted he favour of retaining the Crystal Pa-
lace. The address stated—" That tins corporation would
deeply regret the removel of the Crystal Palace, and are
moat anxious for its preservation as a gigantic work of novel
design, completely fulfilling the end of its construction ; and
in itself combining, to an unparalleled degree, strength, du-
rability, abundance of light, perfect grace, and the most con-
summate beauty ; and, at the same time, a capability of
being applied to any future exhibition, or—according to the
suggestions of its gifted inventor—of being made a winter
garden unequalled in the world, Connected as the eminent
designer of the Crystal Palace, and its talented constructor
are respectively with this county and borough—a connexion
of which the inhabitants of both are justly proud—this corpo-
ration feels a peculiar interest in the preservation of this
magnificent structure. The petitioners, therefore, pray that
her Majesty will be pleased to cause measures to be taken
for the continuance of the Crystal Palace." The Mayor
(Mr. D. Fox) was requested to transmit the address to the
Duke of Devonshire for presentation to the Queen.
STRIKE AMONG THE COLLIERS OF NORTH STAF-
to the number of
t of the men era-
Te
ohael
pe
thsa
ofs been
Ga r
ant u
vrni 11,
pl°ol typesdn iinß zt
two hundred. The coal and iron trades have been seriously
depressed for some time past, and a reduction,of wages has
been in consequence expected. Mr. Lancaster, the agent to
the Noble Earl, proposed, it is said, to reduce the wages
about sixpence per man per day, and to introduce some fresh
regulations in the colliery, which the miners conceived to be
oppressive, and hence the present ctest. Two pits only
have stopped work at present,
ion
butt is feared that the strike
will become general, as the other masters of the district are
supposed to be meditating a similar course. The potters,
look with some anxiety on the aspect of
who are very .busy,
affairs, as their interests are bound up in the speedy settle-
ment of the contest. They are large coal consumers, and
if the supply of this necessary article is stopped, their ovens
cannot be kept at wet k, and the whole manufacture is
interfered with. No acts of violence have been committed,
but the miners are parading the adjacent pottery towns,
and vent their indignation in no measured terms. A de-
tachment of light dragoons entered Hanley and Shelton on
Saturday evening.
1)R. JOHN Munae.Y.—We announce with sincere
regret the death of this gentleman, so well known as a lec-
turer in this and the neighbouring counties. Dr. Murray was
an enthusiastic disciple of science, which he pursued in almost
all its branches with unwearied assiduity ; and it was a most
commendable feature of his character as a savant that he
incessantly laboured to make his knowledge subser-
vient to the go,d of his fellow-men and the interests of reli-
gion. This was manifested in his eloquent work "On the
Truth of Revelation," as well as in his contrivances for the
saving of life in shipwrecks, for the prevention of explosions
in mines, for the detection of poisons, and the healing of dis-
ease. As an experimentor he was very able, and his appara-
tue Was extensive and beautiful—Leeds Mercury.