The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-11 00:00:00

DERBY.

A great many offers to lay against the Mountain Sylph
colt, but no business done.
CHELTENHAM STEEPLECHASES.—THURSDAY.
The Free Handicap Steeplechase.
Mr. Brookes's The Rejected, 9st 121 b
Mr. Golby's Ploughboy, lOst 71b
The Aristocratic Steeplechase.
Mr. Brookes's The Rejected ...

... 1
... 9

... l

Mr. Lindow's The Captain ... ... ...
The Free Handicap Hurdle Race.
_ __ _ _ _

... 2

Mr. Barling's Bedford, 10st ...
Mr. Knowlos' Vests, 10st 101 b
Mr. Gulliver's Fazeley, 10st 41b

... 1

... 9

... 3

COURT CIRCULAR.

- -
Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness Prince
Albert, accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the
Princess Royal and the Princess Alice, visited the British
Museum yesterday afternoon. Her Majesty and his
Royal Highness, were attended by the Marchioness of
Douro, Colonel Buckley, and Lieut. Colonel Hon. Alex-
ander Gordon.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the
Queen yesterday.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Lieut.-
Colonel the Hon. A. Gordon, rode out on horseback
yesterday morning.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, and the younger members of the Royal Family,
took their usual pony and walking exercise yesterday, in
the garden of Buckingham Palace.
The Royal dinner party yesterday at Buckingham
Palace Palace included her Royal flightless the Duchess of
Kent, the Marquis and Marchioness of Breadalbane,
Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, the
Aberdeen, Viscount Hawarden, Lord and Lady Col-
borne, and Lord Edward Howard.
The band of the 2d Life Guards was in attendance in
the Palace during dinner, and played the followino,
selection:—
Overture, " Fra Diavolo"
Selection, " Nino" .
Waltz, " Pilger am Rhein"
Pas do deux, " L'Enfant Prodigue" Aubor.
Quadrilles, " Hibernian"
Thames Tunnel Galop
God save the Queen.

Her Majesty's private band attended on Wednesday
evening,i atter dinner, n Buckingham Palace, and per-
formed the following pieces:—.
Overture, " Die lustigen Welber von 1
Windsor" Otto Nicolai.
Coro Pastorale
Scone do Danse, "La Bayadere" Auber.
March, " David" Horsley.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Cilottoester yesterday,
at Gloucester liouee.

A deputation on the case of Harwood and Jones,
under sentence of death in florsemonger-lane Gaol, bad
an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday, at the
Home-office. The deputation consisted of Mr. William
off
in her.c_y
htMajesty'seh Whitehall-place.
l la Commis-
sionersee.
Ewart, M.P., Mr. Charles Gilpin, Mr. A. Dymond, and
Mr. Thomas Beggs.
The Rev. Charles Baring, Mr. Samuel Gregson, and
the Rev. E. Scobell, had an interview with Lord Sey-
mouro
T h yesterday,e To,fo r
Woodsd
Chancellor
andt e
Forests,
officewi
receive the Judges, Queen's
Counsel, and the other Law Officers, at his residence in
Eaton-square, at twelve o'clock on Tuesday next,. the first
day of Easter Term. His Lordship will afterwards
proceed to his Court at Westminster.
The Oxford University Commission met yesterday, at
the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury,
in Downing-street. There were present the Bishop of
Norwich, the Dean of Carlisle, the Master of Pembroke,
rthero
fRe
sesv. orlipLo
Powell,
theidde
ReJ. v. L
G. Dampier,.ll.
s. Esq., h
Johnson,
ohs 0 n
aen
dB
tehv.
e
Rev. A. P. Stanley, secretary.
A deputation respecting the Lincolnshire Estuary,
consisting of Mr. Childers, M.P., Messrs. Pryme and
Fryer, directors, Sir John Rennie, and Mr. Yates Free-
body, engineers, and Mr. W. Ray, solicitor, had an in-
terview yesterday with Lord Seymour.
Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board of Inland
Revenue, had an interview with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer yesterday. Sir Thomas Freemantle, Chair-
man of the Customs, had also an interview with the
Right Hon. Baronet yesterday, at his official residence
in Downing-street.
A deputation of solicitors connected with railways in
Ireland, consisting of Sir Mathew Barrington, Bart., Mr.
John A. Radcliffe, Mr. P. D. Jeffries, and Mr. Richard
D. Kane, had an interview with the Railway Commis-
sioners yesterday, at their office in the Board of Trade.
Dr. Bentley and Dr. Peacock had an interview yester-
day with Lord Seymour, at the office of the Woods and
Forests.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
La Muta di Portici (better known in this country as
Masaniello), the production of which, at the Acad6mie
Royal, in Paris, in the year 1828, raised Auber, then
comparatively unknown, at once to the very highest
rank among European composers, was produced here
it
s
original evening, in a style superior even to that of
original production, and with a cast, in some respects,
stronger than any that has been hitherto given to it. As a
proof of this we at once cite the Fenella of Mademoiselle
Monti, which is as far beyond that of any other
artiste who has yet appeared in the character as
genius is beyond mere talent. The advent of
Mademoiselle Monti is an epoch in art. When
in repose, her exquisitely-chiselled yet most ex-
pressive features, and her faultless form, give to her the
appearance of the original of one of those statues
created by the genius of ancient Greece, but when those
exquisitely impressive features become mobile and depict
every variety and intensity of expression, when that
form becomes instinct as it were with passion, and the
dumb girl by looks and gestures tells that which neither
words nor even music could express so well, then it
is that we feel compelled to pay homage to the
highest genius, chastened and brought to perfection
by the highest art, then it is that we feel
that Fenella has never been acted before, then it is
that we hail Mademoiselle Monti as the greatest and
most original poet of expression who has ever yet ap-
peared, and as one whose mute eloquence it is as im-
possible to describe in language as it would be to imi-
tate it. Never hays we thoroughly comprehended the
agony of Fenella, until last evening, and what words,
or even what music could so harrow up the soul as
her mute description of her story to Elvira, her heart-
broken confession to Masaniello, and the terrible con-
flict of contending passions, when Alphonso and
Elvira appeal to her to save them ; and she
yields at length to the supplication of Elvira,
what again could bo more exquisitely and beautifully
touching than her exhibition of child-like joy at the
triumph of Masaniello; every pose was a study for the
sculptor—every change of countenance a study for the
painter. Of Mademoiselle Monti we can truly say—
" Her like has ne'er been seen." Mademoiselle Monti's,
however, was not the only first appearance of the
evening. Signor Pardini, from the Berlin Opera,
made his debut as Masaniello, and a more suc-
cessful debiit we have seldom before witnessed.
His voice is a tenor of considerable power, and great
flexibility, and capable of great expression; it is highly
cultivated and completely under command. Signor
Pardini has rarely recourse to the falsetto notes ; his
performance of the Barcarole created quite an en-
thusiasm; his acting was fine—his singing superb.
The Barcarole was re-demanded and repeated,
with, if possible, increased effect; then followed the
magnificent duet with Pietro, which has never in our
remembrance been more finely sung than it was last
evening by Pardini and Massol, and which was also re-
demanded. The sleep song in the fourth act was
given with great taste, and the concluding mad scene
was very finely rendered, the snatches from the Barca-
role being given with exquisite feeling. Of Massol's
Pietro:it is a work of supererogation to speak, he Lifer and
away the greatest, we might be almost justified in say-
ing, he is the only Pietro at present on the stage.
Madame Fiorentini sang and acted Elvira exquisitely ;
she looked charmingly, and in her representation of the
character she never for one moment forgot that Elvira
was a Princess. Her rendering of the great aria in the
first act was a model of expression and tenderness, and
as a piece of vocalization it was faultless. Signor Scotti,
also a debutant, was the Alfonso. He promises to be a
useful addition to the corps. The ballet department of her
Majesty's Theatre has always been unapproachable, and
never have the Guracho and the Tarantella been so ad-
mirably performed in this country as they wore last
evening; in the latter Ferraris appeared. The choruses
were superbly rendered, and the overture was encored.
The scenery was beautiful, and the last scene of the
eruption was a perfect marvel of scenic effect. The
groupings were in exquisite taste. All the artistes
were called on at the conclusion.

.NEW FOREST.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
DESTRUCTION OF NINE HORSES, FIVE RICKS OF CORN,
&c., ny FlRE.—Between six and seven o'clock on Mon-
day evening, as Mr. Chaney, of Stanwood Farm, was
giving some instructions to one of his men about the next
day's work (all the rest bad left the promises), he noticed
a light in the barn. Fearing the worst, he ran to the
house for the key; on opening the barn-door he found
the whole was is a blaze. There was a fresh wind from
the north-east, which carried the flames to the stables
and ricks. The whole of the former, with eight horses
and three fat oxen, were consumed; the barn, with sixty
quarters of corn, five ricks of corn, ten pigs, nearly 200
head of poultry, a vast quantity of farming implements,
&c. The granary, though in the midst of the flames,
escaped, as did four ricks and the farm-house, but the
furniture was much injured by removal. It is much
feared that the fire was not accidental. The labourers
looked on with apathy; some, indeed, stole a barrel of
beer, and cut slices from the burning bullocks, and al-

most cannibal-like enjoyed themselves. Six policemen
have been on the premises since the fire. The whole
country for miles round was lit up by the flames. The firo
was distinctly seen from the Isle of Wight. Stanswood Farm
is about one mile from the shore of the Solent, which
runs between the Isle of Wigbt and the mainland, and
is directly opposite Dottens Farm, near West Cowes,
from which,
_from its elevated situation, the ruins can
be distinctly seen.

The dividend declared yesterday at the meeting of
the Royal Mail Steam-packet Company was at the rate of
2/. per share, free of income-tax, for the last six months of
the year 1850. The report and accounts, which entered into
the detail of operations, were received in a very gratifying
manner by the shareholders, and the only point that elicited
the least disapproval was in relation to a discretionary power
accorded to the directors of assisting in a pecuniary sense the
promoters of the Panama route. The great majority of the
meeting was, however, in favour of the report in its entirety,
and it was therefore adopted. Mr. Ridgway was the sole
speaker, and, in addition to other questions, alluded to the
desirableness of the company confining its attention to steam
navigation, and not mixing itself up with railway or other
nndertakings. The proceedings concluded by a most unani-
mous vote of thanks to the management, the double service
resulting from the acquirement of the Brazilian contract
being considered to have placed the company on a secure and
permanent foundation.
The contract for the erection of public abattoirs
at Edinburgh has been taken for 12,9781. Bs. 10d.
COUNTY COURTS.—INCREASE OF PERJURY.—The
judges were detained at Gloucester one whole day, in trying
the numerous indictments found against persons for perjury
committed in the county courts. The convictions for per-
jury committed in the county courts have been very nu-
merous in almost every county during the present assizes.
THE HOMCEOPATHIC HOSPITAL.—The anniversary
dinner of this institution was held at the Albion Tavern,
Aldersgate-street, last night ; the Marquis of Worcester in
the chair. The Noble Chairman, after calling on the com-
mittee to support the charity, stated that the total numtobter
of in-patients during the year was 1,703 ; and the
of
number of out-patients was 1,547, a very great proportiontath the
whom had been cured. The balance-sheet showed
tts.
10d-
receipts were 1,724/., and the (expenses
during the year, leaving a balance in favour olf?
which was invested in Stock, of b 7 51. 17x. 2d.
support of the
gentlemen had addressed the company tlh4eB
After institution,
several
i:nounced, but the
charity, a long list of subscriptions was
gross amount was not mentioned. After several speeches in
favour of the charity, the company broke up.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—OnWednesday the new
entrance to the Nineveh sculptures was opened to the public.
The gallery of sculptural
antiquities is completed, the ar-
rangementrapidly progressing, the
trustees being extremely
he
is
of the works of artuus
that everything should be
finished by the t
on ime of anxious
eopicning of the Great Exhibition.
The basso relievo
the pediment of the portico is com-
pleted, and the works enclosing the front are in an advanced
state. The principal rooms iu the libr will be opened to
the public during
contemplation it in the Great Exhibitioner The trustees have
plat-ion to open the Museum to the public the
five first days in the week, instead of Mondays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays,.
as at present, for such time as the Latubitioa
shall Kutuuu open,