The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-24 00:00:00

From 10 to 11 0'c10ck,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
From 11 to 12 .........................
From 12 to 1 .........................
From 1 to 2 ...........................
From 2 to 3 .........

Total receipts

... .£3.018 13 0

STATE OF THE ENGLISH DRAMA.
A masterly paper on the condition and prospects of
our national drama, contained in the current number of
the Weekly News and Weekly Chronicle now amalga-
mated with each other, is thus terminated :
. Such is:. the state of the London drama, and the
large provincial cities, and its contemplation may afford
the social philosopher, as well as the manager and the
critic, much suggestive thinking. It is quite
certain that
the refined courtly portion of society do not now con-
aansider the English drama as one of their habitual
me.men ts. The rich of every class imitate the great
and the intellectual and professional classes, though
now and then lured to a theatre by a clever
per-
former or a remaikable piece, no loner consider
it as a branch of literature
heoomes them to be and the fine arts, which it
frequent the theatres?'" acquainted
with.
Who,
then, do
very miscellar:eous cless.pAmffeesw.
traders who have not Ac
sional people whose businuuesatrpYz:vielinatas;thB?-nlirelefaevwing Lon-
don daily; the large coll:cti
toxit clerks and assist-
eieors;, the metropo-
ants who also now occupy, as
litan residences once occupied by
eaters. A
vast number of people belonging to theirnn,rnuamnderable arts
connected with theatrical representations ahsonpt
whom the circulation of orders and free and the missions is
enormous. Perhaps the most remunerating and the meet
respectable classes are the country vieetors, including
highly educated persons, who visit the London theatre%
as places to be seen once. Literary men certainly do
not attend them, except as connected with the press; for
it is remarkable how few one ever sees in the course of a
constant attendance.
The conclusion, then, we must come to is, that the
cultivated and propertied classes have neatly forsaken
the English theatres ; the portion that like theatrical
entertainments transferring their patronage to the operas
and musical entertainments. Is the drama therefore
obliterated ? By no means ; but it slumbers whilst
there is no force brought to bear upon these classes.
Each theatre (with one or two excoptions) is
wi,?,rKed without any definite idea or persevering aim.
'lll classes are sought to be attracted, and
none
are caught. Classes of totally different
habits, tastes, sentiments, and ideas, are en-
deavoures.a to be pleased by one entertainment ; a
result only to be brought about by the most general ap-
pheals, and hitherto only successfully accomplished by
aat e.one dramatic writer, whose genius was as universal
it was particular. B thi ans theatrical art, as
well as dramatic art, hasyno means of cultivation. Hap-
hazard speculation supplies the place of scientifi3 ap-
Pito • 'won; and a theatre is a lottery and a show, which de-
Pbeettl_s ern a hundred contingencies far success. This is to therZrWed, for the drama of England is the noblest in
; it has taught history to statesmen, and given
phrase 1
of h....?_°;e3'. to orators; it contains a perfect programme i
thq.,Tual.aelitfe and humanity, and defsoeurrypeesoltbetter fate
The interest
.ossed ebout on stalls at
a volume,
ttwo:u:
and of men in men is universal and indestruc-
ovh_
secetat? have
an opportunity of seeing humanity in
sentiment, lt tion, and under every phase of humour and
inters;, is inteee„,tintoo entertaining and too intensely
tion. .F tot to excite curiosity end approha-
tile
art abyu
~hwiechhave to do is to ,des and study
iushiasptehee uorot en:, eel a these things can be eloped, and to to these outward circumstances which
transaction;poitee with or subdued before any hum'n
ow('
__ n
0:n proceed with regularity and centinuity.
turn
eaTsiet_,
.f taste and intelligence be induced to yen-
creat r
ere e' the time 111 as
'1 in such spPealations, we should soon see this
, Al, idea and i tasai:ondition as any other.
A den •
CeSSary esPital, ndogcuoiod energy, with the ne-
,teilloaelxlooeuprtis(umc.cesses and excellences.
reduce
and the thestr9sPiaiii.
In the purelytalented corw.tijans Ect.ual drama associations of the
ht be advisable as in the old
time; thus were epoetrit
ooniegothfer the admirable companies
from the earliest
capital lzuidectisuhr drama. In the specta-
cular portion,
cleat. Is would be no small y taste is, perhaps, suffi-
literary prochicers could 6 means of success, if the
e welded •
and management; as constant into proprietaries
with all artists, gives the practiceol„,berttuni with them, as
from experience. Such a totAl revolutuifor4ciii7derived
perty arrangements cf the theatrf.s li
of pwould earc the
ground of touch deleterious incumbran,
new era for dramat,c art and literature. eivaend open a
tendencies of this kind flecking the darkened hop?rceiPP
the theatrical world; and shall be gratiqed if
these
of
desultory thoughts may draw the attention of the" few
taste-
ful and the proftssion to an earnest consideration of the
subject.

OWNERS AND LESSEES OF MINES.—A Bill has
been brought into the House of Commons by Sir W. Somer-
villa and the Attorney-Genenal for Ireland, to provide facili-
ties for owners or lessees of mines in Ireland to obtain
entry on lands for searching for and working such mines.
The preamble to the Bill states that it would tend to increase
the means of employment to the labouring poor if facilities
were provided for working mines in Ireland, and that various
mines arc situate under the surface of lands demised by leases,
in 'which effectual or sufficient powers have not been re-
served to the owners or lessees of such mine to search for Or
work the same. The principal facility to be given will be--
power to the owner or lessee of a mine in Ireland, on givir.g
notice to the occupying tenant of the land on which the m
ete
is situate, and depositing with a clerk of the peace the est:!-
mated value of the land required for working the mine, t,o
enter on and occupy the portion of land required. The tenant
of the land will be enabled to recover adequate damages
from the deposit.

DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES.
The Sonderburg papers stitte that the Danish and
Schleswig members of the Flensburg Assembly are
agreed on accepting the Danish succession, fig,
coinage, customs, and excise.
The Duchy of Lauenburg has been desired by
Royal proclamation to nominate a Commission of six
persons for the revision and approval of the plan of
Government which was proposed for that Duchy in
January last.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.
The number of visitors to the Exhibition yesterday was
fully equal to any of the previous days. At an esrly hour
strings of crowded omnibuses, ith their roofs covered with
expectant visitors, might be observed hastening along to
the Crystal Palace. Heavily laden pleasure vans, and
even long open waggons with benches fixed in them,
were pressed into the service, while the entrance al-
lotted to p3destrians was beseiged long before the re-
gular time for opening arrived. The number of
visitors throughout the day up to three o'clock was as
follows:

22,778
17.408

11,900
6,234
4,204

Total 62.534
and at that hour visitors were continually arriving in
considerable numbers. A greater proportion of the rural
element was perceptible among the visitors yesterday
than we have noticed for some time. Several large par-
ties, apparently of labouring agriculturists, were
present in the building during the whole' of
the day, and altogether the Palace presented a very
crowded appearance. During the morning several proof
impressions in colours, made from the first of
the series of interior views of the Exhibition,
Painted by Mr. Nash for her Majesty, were exposed
to view. The subject of this drawing is the
tratkept on the opening day at the moment when her
fajesty took her seat on the chair of state. Th.
crystal fountain is in the foreground, and the Royal
Commissioners, the foreign ambassadors, and the great
Offioers of State in their rich and varied costumes, are
grouped round the throne. Being in colours, the glit-
teriog and brilliant effect produced by th. 3 glorious
scene has been rendered with admirable fidelity,
and the drawings prevent the appearance of a highly
finished picture. These drawings, when completed, will
form the most. perfect memento of the Great Exhibition
which can possibly be imagined, and in Mr. Nash's able
hands the most perfect accuracy may be relied on. The
other plates will be ready, we believe, in the course of
next moctla.
Ths total number of persons who visited the Crystal
Palace during the day was 67,555.
Tan amount received during the day was_
For season tickets
... £2 2 0
At the doors
... 3.016 11 0

MISS CUSHIVIAN'S HAMLET.
Miss Cashman has recently achieved a splendid
triumph at Cincinnatti by her admirable delineation of
the character of Hamlet. The Cincinnatti Enquirer of
the 28th May has the following critique on her per-
formance:

The arduous part of Hamlet was presented on Mon-
t evening at the National The itre, to a discriminating
and delighted audience. Never has it faUen to the lot
of the write=r to records triumph so complete and entire
as that achieved in the personation of the philosophical
Dine. Hamlet has long been regarded as one of the
most chaste and finished creations of the immortal bard,
and while there has been a diversity of opinion in the
criticism of the character, there has been n me as to the
entire tenor of the play. All cf the aspirants to histrionic
fame have attempted the portraval of this difficult part;
few have succeeded in ecebodsing even in a faint
degree our conception cf the character. Sotce have re-
presented him as a firm, determined, and uncompro-
mising avenger; others, as a weak, vacillating, uncertain
enthusiast, full of great resolves, but weak in execution.
It was reserved for Miss Cushman to present our ideal
of the unfortunate Prince. From first to last interest
never ffiggecl, and our admiration of the play received a
new impulse from her happy delineation of the subtle
Workings of this great mind. The public taste has be-
came so vitiated with the food presented by the modern
stage, that even refined and cultivated actors have some-
times condescended to pander to it by stage trickery,
mouthing, and ranting, overstepping the modesty of
nature in the pitiful ambition, by making " points," God
lave the mark, to secure the plaudits of the groundlings.
How wholly different Miss Cushman's conception! In
lieu of the blustering, swaggering braggart, we bad,
what Shakspere gave us, a refined gentleman, full of
courage, determined to the end. Where all was so per-
fect, it is difficult to particularize, but the scene with his
mother was full of touching beauty, and the " grave"
scene will long be remembered by those so fortunate as
to witness it last night. In truth, from first to last, the
amrost caustic and censorious critic would have been dis-
med
With by the beauties of every point of this personation.
a few exceptions the piece was very fairly put
upon the stage. With an excllent Ghost, an unusually
good
L aeries, and an Ophelia and Queen far above me-
diocrity, we ought to feel satisfied. We hope Miss
Cushman will he induced to repeat this character, which
We predict will add still more to her wide-spread fame.