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

SURREY THEATRE.

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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 its ensemble and its details,
was applauded to the echo by a house crowded from
floor to ceiling. Madlle. Nau's Lucy Ashton is well
known. Her representation of the character is na-
tural and affecting, and she sings the music charm-
ingly. 'We have never seen her more successful than
she was last night. Travers, in Edgar Ravenswood,
acted with considerable force and passion, And dis-
played more vocal power than we supposed him pos-
sessed cf. 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 feeling
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
perforinance 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
Engl".r.d is, and teems likely to remain, totally
destitute.

EXPLOSION or GUNPOWDEZ ON THE GLA.EGOW AND
DUMFRIES IZAILWAY.—On Thursday morning loot, shout
seven o'docl, 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, some 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 had retro-
graded down a declivity about 300 yards, when the great
explosion took place, by which every house and building
Within two miles of toe 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 it
not yet discovered.

The French navy, which on the Ist of January,
1848, consisted of 186 vessels in commission, was reduced on
the Ist ofJanuary 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 ORPLIAN 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 11ev. 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 had been already filled up to the satisfaction of the
committee. With regard to their finance:, the report stated
that of late serious reductions had been mace 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 inersase of about 70/., and
the donations of nearly 600/. over those of the year preced-
ing. One congregational collection had amounted alone to
M. 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 Mid-
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 sfforded her a happy home. Another senior ward,
Miss Laura Jury, had presented to the institution the profits,
amounting to about 100/., of a work which Mr. Newby had
published for her. Against the increase of income the com-
mittee placed the increased expenses of general repairs. The
number of senior wards at present was 45, and of junior wards
23. The statement of accounts from January Ito December
81, 1849, showed the total receipts to amount to
2.831/. 18s. ld., which left a balance over expenditure of
890 L 13s. Id. Atter the ad, ption 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 Flaced at her dis-
posal. Thanks were also given to the medical and other
officers at the institution for their past services, and to the
Noble Earl in the chair for 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 ARSEICAL, Woomvicti.—Fifteen car-
, penters, six wheelers, six sawyer, and s,;veral blacksmiths
and other workmen, making in all thirty-fie mechanics,
were discharged from the Royal Arsenal last-week, which,
with sixty-five discharged in April list, make the number
im ono hundred, which were to be reduced from the estab-
lishment during the present ye:.r. The imprcvements 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 constructed
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. _ _ _

- -
LAur:cri er THE AFRICA.—Y :.?sterday (Friday)
afternoon the British nod North American mail steamer
Africa wee launched from the building yard of Messrs. 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 anti beautiful one, the
the spectacle. The
fineness of the day greatly enhanClog
measurements of the Africa are as nearly as possible the same
as those of the Asia, which was, disci built by the Messrs.
Steele, nod has earned so tn&h-renown for her splendid sail-
ing- qualities.-- Glasgow Doily•Maiir
Sir Launeelot Shidsvell is convalescent, and it is
now probable that he will be able to resutne piapublic
duties before the v.lcation.

given, but
• ^ I.>Olarg•
n place valor;
Tan itiEJ•ULT OF Lui.
:111,5,17,erjet; I,(o.4_,obteetniis:
mill_
hands employed in some of the r.loth-clressitysb,'„
Ia some instances the advance demandcdot wakeficid
in roue or two cases fresh bands havo I.)C
Journal.

11, •been ttlf eth•nordi-
oil for medicinal purposes
CUD LIVER OlL—Sucibiver
nary demand of late for cod
enuthern Markets from about
a tr,n. The
tlbiivsertisineeenllsastto earyb be
t I:a most
to :t the price has ristu in the
al. to 3CI.
part, for cod fish, which
per ton, was last 11)011th-ening a'S low as 91.—John o' Groat
Journ,al. bringing
gualb6lle.