The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-31 00:00:00

,SURREY THEATRE.

A romantic drama, from the grand magazine of
in() iern playwrights, the repertoire of the Thelitre
Francais, was produced yesternight at the Surrey,
with such applause as might be expecied for its salient
points, in a house crowded from floor to ceiling.
The piece is of the class denominated "powerful,"
which means violent in effect, transition, and situa-
tion, qualities which, upon the principle of Byron,
who considered " wrath and partiality" among the
merits of a writer, make a Surrey melo-drama erg-
nest and effective. The Countess of Tersen is the
title of the play, and when we tell the reader that
she is "the wile of two husbands," he will at once
see that the contrivance is very French. Well, the
Countess Elise (Miss Cooper), has in early life
become the dupe of a thorough-paced Gallic villain of
the "regulation pattern," hight Isidore Fritz( Mr. She-
pherd), by him she has a soli, Jules (Miss Mandle-
bert), who passes as an orphan in the household of
the Count de Terser (Mr. W. Montague), Elise's
second husband. To avoid unpleasant reminiscences
and evince her filial affection, the amiable Countess
has also placed upon her estate her father Maurice
(Nlr. T. Mead), who is blind, and has yet an unre-
pealed curse against his daughter for her supposed
elopement with Fritz and her criminal desertion of
himself. The cross-purposes in a scene between the
unknown daughter and her still-embittered father,
who outpours at once his gratitude for the Countess
and his hatred for his erring child may be imagined.
Isidore, the forcat, escapes from the Lague, with a
confederate villain Walter (Mr. Raymond). He car-
ries misery into the Count's family by his fearful
disclosures, but is recognised in the moment of his
satortionate triumph as a deserter by old Corporal
Bataille (Mr. H. Widdicombe), a vieux moustache of
the empire, as one sentenced to death for a mili-
tary offence years before. Major de Goltz (Mr. Bruce
Norton) also identifies him, and the tables are turned.
Stilt, as certain papers requisite to the exculpation of
the Countess are in the possession of Isidore's confe-
derate, the villain puts on a bold front, and the Count,
who devotedly loves his wife, offers the convict
12,000 florins and a safe conduct to Antwerp, thence
to embark for America. The villain accepts the offer,
but only to slake his vengeance on his unoffending
Wife. He plots with Walter to meet the Count and
assassinate him, sharing the 12,000 florins, and
keeping his hold on the twice-widowed Countess.
This conspiracy old Corporal Bataille over-
bears, and lays his plan like an old soldier.
defeats the signal by a manoeuvre, and
Walter, rushing out in the dark, stabs his accomplice
Isidore to the heart. The final tableau is quickly
formed: enter the Colonel-Coun t to his interview, with
the villain who has already " got his gruel ;" the Cor-
poral has collared Walter ; the Countess and Jules,
alarmed, are there ; the old father, conducted by Ger-
trude (Miss Laporte), is led in ; the papers clearing
UP the innocence of Elise, and showing the horrid
Plots of Isidore, are found on 'Walter; the blind old
fellow gives his blessing, and delivers " a tag ;" Count
and Countess embrace ; everybody hugs everybody,
and down goes the curtain amid such a round of ap-
Plause as can only be got from a crammed Surrey
audience—so called a non audiendo—at holiday time.
dance in sabots, and some comicalities,between.bld
.Bataille and Gertrude, give the sauce piquant. to
this well-spiced piece of French cookery.
The pantomime of the Merry Wires of Windsor
followed, elevated the groundlings to the gods, and
Bet Olympus yet higher in glee and uproariousness.

PASSAGES of the ATLANTIC STEAMERS.
Our readers are aware, from our American news in
Yesterday's impression that the Royal Mail steam-ship
4'4, on her homeward TO) age accomplished the dis-
ts.uce in the briefest period of time yet recorded in the
history of steam on the Atlantic. A Liverpool corre-
spondent supplies us with the following resume of its
features:—
Precisely as in the instance of the Royal Mail steam-
811iP Europa, last week, the Asia, from the season and
tie
nature of the weather, was not expected, on her run
',°lloeward, to effect more than a fair average passage.
eter splendid capabilities, however, have on this occa-
sion enabled her to accomplish a run unquestionably su-
Perit2w t..) any of those celebrated and unrivalled feats of
Vestning which have so often been recorded in our co-
prang during the current year, in connexion with the
beer
fleets of the Royal and United States mail services.
beer run of last summer to the Mersey, on which
occasion she steamed past the R.,ck Lighthouse at
midnight on the Saturday, had previously stood
Unrivalled, being one hour and twenty minutes less
than the finest passage of the United States' mail-
Steamer Atlantic ; but the Asia has now beaten
"611 herself, fully justifying her claim to be con-
sidered the fleetest existing ocean steam-ship. From
Now York, on the 18th instant, she cleared precisely at
tuidday, but shortly after Wards stopped her engines to
repair damage received by her wheels during a collision
*ill the wharf. Fifty-five minutes wore thus lost; and
she finally started on her voyage shortly before two P.N.
biuring her subsequent passage she experienced varia-
a weather, with frequent strong breezes from the
rardl west-
, and on Friday at ten P at., made Cap© Clear, hay-
ig steamed from land to land in little more than nine
a,Ys. Holyhead was passed, unobserved by the marine
telegraph, at four P.M. on Saturday, and at half-past
lime o'clock her guns saluted the town, exciting general
I,llrprise and universal gratification as regards the cele-
1Y of her passage. From the log it will be observed
that the Asia throughout effected very high average
*Peed per diem. On two days she steamed a distance
!seldom (quelled, hitherto, in the annals of ocean steam-
ing; running on the 25th, 26th, and 27th instant re-
aPectively 328, 321, and 300. Her passage, reckontd
"ecording to mean time, and deducting forty-five minutes
Jost off New York repairing floats, may be recorded as
ten days four hours and five minutes, or two hours and
4.ftY-five minutes less than her fastest summer passage,
,our hours and fifteen minutes less than the United States
rail steamers' fastest passage eastward, and about five
ours and twenty minutes less than the remarkable sum-
- ker run of the Pacific out to New York.
LCG OF THE ASIA.
December 18—Noon, started; stopped from 1.10 P.M.
") 1.55 P.M. to repair floats, having been in contact with
:the dock; 2 r.x. passed Sandy Hook. Moderate breezes.
19—Wind, N. Lat.4o 46, long. 68 24. Morning, light
airs; P.M., fresh breezes from S.S.E. Distance run, 261
20—Wind, S. and W. Lat. 42 55, long. 62 50. Strong
breezes, with high sea. Distance run, 279 miles.
, 21—Wind, N.N.W. Lat. 44 23, long. 56 54. Strong
ureezes, with dark gloomy weather. Distance run, 276
22—Wind, W.S.W. Lat. 46 50, long. 51 24. Strong
breezes, with rain. Distance run, 275 miles.
23—Wind, W. Lat. 48 50, long. 44 55. Strong gales,
pith snow and squalls; high sea on. Distance run, 289
24—Wind, S.W. by W. Lat. 50 41, long. 37 52.
Strong breezes and cloudy. Distance run, 294 miles.
15—Wind, S.W. Lat. 51 22, long. 29 27. Strong
tbreezes and cloudy; 9 P.M.. exchanged signals with a
large steamer bound west. Distance run, 328 miles.
, 26—Wind, S.W. Lat. 51 34, long. 20 48. Moderate
ureezes and cloudy. Distance run, 321 miles.
27—Wind, S.W. Lat. 51 17, long. 12 59. Light,
variable winds; 10 P.M., Cape Clear distant 2 miles.
Distance run, 300 miles.
28—Wind, variable. 9 A.m., abreast Tuskar; 4 P.M.,
abreast Holyhead; and at 9 30 P.M. arrived at Liverpool.

. TRH THIEVES' NEW DODGE.—On Monday even-
klig last, about five or six minutes before seven o'clock, as
Barlow, who resides at Patricroft, was proceeding to the
Victoria Railway Station, Manchester, in order to go by the
Sven
o'clock train, while proceeding along Todd-street, on
the opposite side of the street, and nearly opposite the Ca-
thedral school, he perceived some one rapidly approach him
!,0111 behind, and immediately a right arm was flung around
'4B neck, and tightly compressed by the thief's other hand
grasping the right wrist. This is described as being most
Powerful in producing instaneously the first symptom of stran-
gulation, stopping the breath and inducing speechlessness and
almost utter prostration of strength. Persevered in for
a little time, death would doubtless ensue. In the present
case, no sooner had this human bowstring been
aPpliei, than two accomplices appeared in front
of Mr. Barlow, one of whom snatched his watch from his
vest pocket, and jerked the guard chain, a silver one, of more
than ordinary strength, with such force as to break it, and
Possessed himself of the watch. The other took a sovereign
from some cash in Mr. Barlow's pocket ; but fortunately at
this moment, before the robbery had been competed by
rifling other pockets, Mr. M‘Clare, who was about to pro-
ceed by the same railway train, came up, and the thieves
hurled Mr. Barlow down, his head and face striking the wall
with great force, and ran off in different directions. As Mr.
M'Clure saw them throw Mr. Barlow down, he pursued and
overtook one of them, but was unable to detain him, and all
three escaped. Mr. Barlow has since been very ill from the
effects of the outrage ; he has not yet recovered his voice, his
throat is much swollen, and his head hurt, and he has suf-
fered repeatedly from attacks of spasms, caused by the stran-
gulation to which he was only for a few seconds subjected.
SHIPBUILDING IN NEW YORK.—As an example of
the extent to which this branch of industry is carried on in
this city we will give the following statement of one of our
principal shipbuilders, furnished to thel United States Mar-
l/Jul, developing facts in relation to the business conducted
by him, for the year ending June 1, 1850 :—About 385 men
were constantly employed during the year for which the
report was made, at an average of 1.75 dolls. per day. The
Monthly payments for work performed amounted to 17,517,
or 210,204 dolls. per annum. During the time mentioned
two steam-ships measuring 3,000 tons, and eight ships of
11,040 tons were launched by him. There were consumed
in the construction of vessels of various descriptions 80,0091 b.
Of copper bolts, brass work, &c. ' • 535,0001 b. of iron bolts,
Wrought and cast iron work; 60,000 cubic feet of live
oak ; 6,000 ditto locust ; 4,000 ditto, cedar ; 175,000
white oak; 90,000 pitch pine; 10,600 white pine;
400,000 superficial teet of white oak plank ; 850,000
ditto pitch pine; 720,000 ditto white pine; 300,000 ditto
lumber; 10,000 dollars' worth of spars; 50,000 pounds of
oakum, &c. This is quite an extensive business we should
judge, and appears the larger when we reflect that it is the
business of only one man engaged in shipbuilding. There
are, however, a number of shipbuilders on the East River
from Corlear's Hook and, upwards, and also in Brook-
lyn, Williamsburg, Hoboken, &c., whose business will corn-
Pare favourably with the above. We also learn that several
pew ship-yards, both in the city proper and in the neigh-
bourhood, are in contemplation by our enterprising me-
. chanics, those-now in operation not being sufficient to sup-
, Ply the demand for vessels, a large portion of which vessels
Our merchants are compelled to order from Maine and other
, Wham states, for the simple reason that there are not yards
enough to build then'[ here. We are glad to see, as an evi-
.
danceof our prosperity, more ship-yards established around
.Imd, as-our shlpwnglits' now build the best vessels, so we
._llopenoontoseethera build the largest number of any city on
newspg th. globei.ilige Yank ,Express.

CHRISTMAS BOOKS

THE ILLUSTRATED YEAR ROOK.

Edited by John Timbs,

The very deserved success of the " Year Book of
1849" has induced its originators to offer to the pub-
lic a second series of that interesting and most useful
work. In the volume before us we have a record of
the Wonders, Events, and Discoveries of the year
1850. Conspicuous among these is, of course, a very
attractive history of the Hippopotamus, with some
faithful likenesses of that illustrious stranger. The
Submarine Electric Telegraph ; the Tornado in the
Bahamas; the famous diamond Koh-i-noor, or
Mountain of Light ; the colossal statue of Bavaria ;
the Panoramas of the Nile, and the Overland Route
are among the subjects discussed and described, and
beautifully illustrated in this book of wonders. Nor
is the forthcoming Exhibition overlooked, and all
these momentous matters are not merely enumerated,
but are made subjects of very interesting articles.
Few Christmas books are likely to afford more plea-
sure to the curious and the thoughtful, and none are
calculated to bestow so much information as the
" Illustrated Year Book of Wonders, Events, and
Discoveries."

LORD and LA DY HARCOURT ; or, Country
Hospitalities. By Catherine Sinclair.
" The Earl and Countess of Harcourt request the
honour of your company during the week to meet a
small select party of all the world at Saxonborough
Castle, Middlesex." Such 13 the somewhat unusual
form in which this volume is dedicated "to the
reader." All who accept the invitation so conveyed
will have little cause to lament their compliance. The
party assembled under the hospitable roof of Lord
and Lady Harcourt are well calculated, from diver-
sity of character, to afford a week's amusement even
to the most fastidious. Lord Harcourt himself, with
his easy, laissez faire kind-heartedness, and his
young bride, whose gentleness and gracefulness
are unable to overcome the prejudice and
animosity of her husband's relations, are sufficiently
attractive to render a visit to Saxonborough delightful,
and that delightfulness is considerably increased when
we find that Lord Killarney is one of the party—
Lord Killarney, whose wit and gaiety is irresistible
to all, with the sole exception of the pompous Lord
Kidderminster, the unconscious butt of the lively
Hibernian ; e. g. :
"At table again Lord Kidderminster was hailed
with another round of conundrums, which the indefati-
gable Lord Killarney assured him were selected pur-
posely for him, as being of a political tendency.
"They are all inimitable, and Lady Rachel has positively
promised, at least, I think she probably will promise, to
work a waistcoat for the first person who answers
this: Why are you like nineteen shillings?' Because'—
surely you can make that out!—' because you are under
a sovereign.'
" I tell you, Killarney, that I give them all up.
I shall give up society itself while this conundrum
fever continues to rage. They are a cloak for much
folly and malice. Lady Rachel, this morning, made a
most unfair allusion, both personally and politically, to
me, when she asked ' Why are a wig and a Whig alike?'
Because,' she said, they both have a false attachment
to the crown.' It was extremely ill bred and extremely,
ill-timed. My political opinions are notorious through-
out the universe now, and, nothing had been able either
to alter them or to turn me.'
"' What key is hardest to turn?' asked Lord Killar-
ney, in a tone of nafvete. A donkey.' But you never
answered that one I left with you in the morning. * *
" Apropos, What is the only wig a barber cannot
make?' You will be so diverted! 'An ear-wig!' And
Why am I over head and ears in debt ?"Because my
wig is not paid for.'
" But you wear no wig! Pray, Killarney, spare me
any more of this nonsense."
No entreaties, however, can move and no contempt
can intimidate the imperturbable Lord Killarney. He
gravely asks " Why there are no horses in the Isle of
Wight ?" and Lord Kidderminster as gravely rejoins,
" Are there none ? I was not aware of the fact."
" Because," replies his tormentor, " the inhabitants
prefer Cowes to Ry de." No wonder, after all this, that
poor Lord Kidderminster heartily agrees to one only
of these jeux d'esprit, namely, when Lord Killarney in-
quires, " Why am I like the Thames Tunnel ? Be-
cause I am the greatest bore in England." An
opinion by no means assented to by the other guests
(including the reader) of "Lord and Lady Harcourt."