The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-02 00:00:00

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[PRICE SD.

DENMARK.
We have advices from Copenhagen to the 26th ult.
The secret sitting of the Reichstag took place on the
24th. The promised Ministerial communication was
made with respect to the present position of the ne-
gotiations with Germany and the Duohies, and the
future plans of the Government. The nature of the
communication appears to be, that the Danish Go-
vernment has forwarded its ultimatum to Berlin,
requiring either a separate peace with Prussia,
or to put in force the first of the secret articles
appended to the armistice of July, 1849. The
Duchies are then to ba subjected by force of arms, if ,
necessary ; and, on peace being restored, the King of
Daxmaas will appoint an equal number of Danes;
Schleawigers, and Holsteiners, to draw up a plan for
the final adjustment of the relations of the Duchies
to Denmark. The Ministry are said to have added,
that they have been acting until now with the advice
and support of Russia and England. A long and
violent debate is stated to have ensued.
The plans of the Ministry and their previous con:
duct were violently assailed by members of the Right
and Left, but terminated without any decision being
come to. Another secret sitting was to take place,
on the 28th inst., when an interpellation was to be
made by CHRISTENSEN, with the view of obtaining
further explanations from the Ministry. Some ex-
pectations appear to be entertained that the Reich-
stag will be dissolved. The Ministry are very se,
verely blamed for having broken off the direct
negotiations with the men of confidence from the
Duchies.

FRENCH PLAYS.—ST. JAM
THEATRE.
Mademoiselle Rachel, the greatest,of
diens, indeed, we are not going too far in callieg_hei
the creator of French tragedy in Modern tints-44.cm.
menced an engagement of twelve nighteat this
theatre last evening. The tragedy selected
for the occasion was the Padre of gacinet
and into that stiff, lumbering, unnatural, stilted plar•
she breathed the breath of life, and made
instinct with vitality, witb passion, with hu-
man interest. A miracle this, oar rgaders
will say, who have by reading it become
acquainted with the classical tragedy of tho age'
of Louis XlV.—a miracle we admit, and one which
genius and genius only can accomplish. The com-
mencement of the tragedy until the entrance of
Rachel, appeared stilted, unnatural, James
Bland-y, in fact—(by-the-bye, that kink of
burlesque would make an admirable tyran,
or even amoureux for classical French tragedy)—
but the instant Rachel entered the stiffness, the
formality vanished, we cared not for tie -"artificial
censurer, we marked not the cliequant of the rhymes
—the impassioned Phedre was before us in ?'hose
bosom guilty love was contending with 'duty,
and both at last were merged in maddening jealousy,
and an .insatiable desire for revenge. Racine, not-
withstanding Lis artificiality and his rhymes,
became natural when interpreted 'by the 'sub-
lime genius of Rachel, and we thought but
of her, felt but fur her, saw but her throughout
the remainder of the tragedy. Sublimely did she
represent the conflict between love and duty, as she
related to- (Enone her efforts -to conquer her
love fur _ 11.ippolyte—terrible, .awfully terrible
was the tempest of her passion when ' her
fureur—for it was love driven to madness—
breaks through all restraint, and she declares her
passion forHippolyte; and intense was the expression
of seMdegradation as on finding her love rejected, and
Aricie, the captive,- preferred to her, the Queen,,.she
sinks to the earth, exclaiming in accents of despair—
" 0 toi qui veil Is hunts atje. suis descendue,
Implacable Venus, suis-jessvz confondue!",
Scorchingly withering, like 'the lightniug's Blast,
was her expression of contempt and rage, as, spurning
from_her presence aloone, who had colansellcd her to
poison Thes‘e, she exclaim,—
" Et puiase ton supplice a j steals effrayer'
Tout ceux qui, counne toi, par de lacfies addresses,
Des princes mslheureux n urissent lea taiblesse,,
Lea poussent an penchant. u leur cceur est enclie,
Et leur osent. du crime, applsairle chetahs—
Dkestables flltteurs! p:6 ant le plus fun ste !
. Qui puissa faire aux roil Is col6re Ceste !"
In the scene in which she denounces Hippolyte to
Thesee, her expression of suppressed feeling, e
_Whited by the working of her mobile features, the
choking tone of her utterance, and the unearthly
calmness of her manner was very fine, and in the
last scene, in which the impassioned and guilty wo-
man, having done justice on herself by poison,
dies in agony, confessing her guilt, she
reached the very highest pitch of sub-
limity. She was called on -at the conclusion
of each ace, and again at the conclusion of, the
tragedy, mid bouquets and crowns were showered
upon her. M. Redone, as Theramene, de-
claimed the passages descriptive of the death
of Hippolyte most effectively. He is by far the' best
actor of the troupe. The house was crowded by the
ate of rank and fashion, not a box nor a stall was
unoccupied.

SURRE Y THEATRE.
This theatre has commenced an• " Opera season,"
which seems to have a fair prospect of success. Last
night Lucia di Lammermoor, carefully got up and
well performed, both in iris ensemble and its details,
was applauded to the echo by a house crowded from
floor to ceiling. Madly. Nau's Lucy Ashton ix-well
known. Her representation of the character is na-
tural and affecting, and she sings the music charm-
ingly. We have never seen her snore successful than
she was last night. Travers, in Edgar Ravenswood,
acted with considerable force and passior, and dis-
played more vocal power than we supposed him pos-
sessed of. He is much improved, both as an actor
and a singer. Borrani's Ashton is an old acquaint-
ance. His representation of the character is good,
and his singing is excellent. The part of Bide-the-
bent, the clergyman, generally quite insignificant,
derived importance from the intelligence and feeding
with. which it was performed by Mr. Delavanti. The
orchestra, though small, is the best that we have
heard at this theatre. Herr Meyer Lutz, the con-
ductor, appears to understand his business, and the
principal instruments are well played. The scenery
and stage appointments were good, and the whole
performance was agreeable and highly creditable to a
theatre which does not profess to be a regular Eng-
lish opera house—a thing of which the metropolis of
England is, and seems likely to remain, totally
destitute.

T.,
.E.IPLOSION OF GUNPOWDER. ON THE GLASGOW AND
DU3IFLIES I:Amy/tr.—On Thursday morning last, about
seven o'clock, a tremendous explosion of gunpowder took
place close to the Mauchlin station, on the Glasgow and
Dumfries line of railway. Fortunately no lives were lost,
but a vast destruction of property was the consequence. Be-
fore the occurrence of the explosion alluded to a smaller one
occurred in a carrier's cart, sorre two or three trucks distant
from the engine, by which the after portion of the train was
separated from the rest of it. The after portion bad retro-
graded down a declivity about 300 yards, when the great
explosion took place, by which every house and building
within two miles of the spot were shaken as if by an earth-
quake. A third explosion of a lesser character followed.
For upwards of 100 yards the ground was strewed with the
smoking ruins of carts, trucks, merchandise, &c., part re-
duced to smoking tinder and part in a blaze ; a large
quantity of spirits were ignited, and ran down the water-
courses, burning up the vegetation, &c. ; bales of cloth and
other substances were on fire on the sides of the railway,
and some of them were carried a considerable distance by
the force of the blast. How the disaster was occasioned is
not yet discovered.

The French navy, which on the Ist of January,
1848, consisted of 186 vessels in commission, was reduced on
the Ist of January last to 145 vessels. It is proposed in the
budget for the year 1851 that the ships in commission be fur-
ther reduced to 125 vessels.

ADULT ORPHAN ASYLUM.—The annual general
meeting of the supporters of this charity was held yesterday
afternoon, at the Asylum, St. Andrew's-place, Regent's-park ;
Earl Manvers in the chair. The report, which was read by
the Rev. Mr. Anderson, deplored the loss of a most valuable
patroness—the Queen Dowager. Her place had, however, been
filled by her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. The Rev.
F. E. 'Tyler, clerical superintendent, having resigned, his
office hall been already filled up to the satisfaction of the
committee. With regard to their financei, the report stated
that of late serious reductions had 'fern made in the amount
of the funded property of the institution, in order to make
good the deficiencies of former years, but during the past
year no such encroachment had been deemed necessary,
principally on account of the liberal response made to their
special appeal in the year before last. The subscriptions
during the past year showed an incraose of about 70/., and
the donations of nearly 600/. over those of the year preced-
ing. One congregational collection had amounted alone to
77/. 15s. 2d., and another, after a sermon by the Bishop of
Salisbury, to 57/. 3s. 10d. Among the legacies left to the
asylum was one of 10 guineas by Miss Sarah Anne Hild-
yard, a senior ward, who had been appointed in 1847 sub-
governess to the children of the Queen, and who had
thus expressed her interest in the institution which had

formerly afforded her a happy home. Another senior ward,
Miss Laura Jury, had presented to the institution the profits,
amounting to about HIM, of a work which Mr. Newby had
published for her. Against the increase of income the com-
mittee placed the incl.( ascii expenses of general repairs. The
number of senior wards at present was 45, and of junior wards
24. The statement of accounts from January Ito December
31, 1849, showed the total receipts to amount to
2,8311. 18s. Id., which left a balance over expenditure of
893/. 13s. Id. Atter the adlption of the report, a vote of
thanks to Miss Jury was unanimously passed, and the privi-
lege of two votes at all elections of wards rlaced at her dis-
posal. Thanks were also given to the medical and other
officers at the institution fur their past services, and to the
Noble Earl is the chair fur the manner in which he had pre-
sided over the meeting.

DERBY, SATURDAY.—(From a Correspondent.)—
The announcement of the division has diffused very general
satisfaction in Derby—so much so, that the bells of several of
the churches rang merry peals. The tone of Cobden's speech
has disgusted his general admirers It is quite clear he
mistakes the feelings of the people of England.
THE ROYAL ARSENAL, WOOLWICIL—Fifteen car-
penters, six wheelers, six sawyers, and several blacksmiths
and other workmen, making in all thirty-fire mechanics,
were discharged from the Royal Arsenal last week, which,
with sixty-five discharged in April last, make the number
up one hundred, which were to bo reduced from the estab-
lishment during the present year. The improvements re-
cently made in machinery, and the introduction of Nas•
myth's hammers, enable the various departments of the
Royal Arsenal to produce an equal, if not greater quantity of
work, with a considerable reduction of the hands employed
there previous to their being put into operation, and the
work is finished with greater perfection. Amongst the ma-
chinery recently introduced in the gun-boring department,
under Colonel Dundas, C. 8., is a perfect piece of mechanism
for turning balls, and the principle on which it is cons:ructed

is so correct that from the commencement of its operation on
an 8-inch solid shot until it acquires the entire spherical
shape, the shot changes its position by self acting worms, and
does not vary the thousandth part of an inch from the true
round ball when finished.
LAUNCH OF THE AFRICA.--Yesterday (Friday)
afternoon the British and North American mail steamer
Africa was launched from the building yard of Blessrs. Steele
and Co., Greenock. The cheers of a large concourse of spec-
tators greeted the vessel as she entered the water. The
launch was in all respects a successful and beautiful one, the
fineness of the day greatly enhancing the spectacle. The
measurements of the Africa are as nearly as possible the same
as those of the Asia, which was also built by the Messrs.
Steele, y
and has earned so mu
lch renown for her splendid sail-
ingquaGla9
Sir Launcelotliti srhald)Via(- 'ill2lifsa ilconvalescent, and it is
now probable that he will be able to resume his public
duties before the vacation.

THE RESULT OF M. FERRAND'S WOOL LEAGUE.
—The increase of employment at Leeds has been so large
that several strikes have taken place amongst the mill_
hands employed in some of the cloth-dressing establishments.
In some instances the advance demanded has been giver but
in one or two cases fresh hands have been goe,--.. cbteli is' •
eld
ournal.

COD LIVER OlL.—Such hasaxen the extraordi-
nary demand of late for cod liver oil for medicina
purposes
that the price has risen in the southern Markets fioin about
201. to 361. a ton. The liver seems to be the most valuable
part, for cod fish, which this time last year was bringing 161.
RS as 9/.—John a' Groat
jpeorurtnonal., was last month selling lOW