The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-15 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

The Merchant of Venice was performed here last
night for the first time this season, for the purpose of
enabling Mr. G. V. Brooke to appear in the character
of Shylock, and his Shylock fully confirms the opi-
nion which we had formed of this gentleman, from
witnessing his performance of Othello, viz., that he
is the legitimate successor of Edmund Kean. His
Shylock is full of power and intensity, and is equally
sustained throughout. There is no attempt at
saving himself to make points in particu-
lar passages, but every part is given with
a sustained intensity and power which renders the
performance as a whole admirable. Mr. Brooke has,
we are happy to perceive, completely recovered from
his hoErseness, and the rich and mellow tones of his
magnificent voice told most eftotively. The tragedy
was very strongly cast. Miss Fanny Vining was a
graceful Portia, Mrs. Seymour a lively Nerissa, and
Miss M. 011iver a lovely and most clever Jessica.
Mr. Wigan's Gratiano was the best we have ever
seen, and Mr. Compton's Lancelot Gobbo was a per-
fect piece of Shaksperian acting. The like has not
been seen since the days of Liston. The play was
admirably put on the stage. The scenery and dresses
were magnificent. The house was very well attended.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.
On Monday evening one of the most frightful
ac-
cidents of the kind which has for some time occurred
in this neighbourhood happened at the corner of
Erskine-street, Moss- street, to a conveyance which
was on its way from Croxteth Hall, the seat of the
Earl of Sefton, to this town, and in which were
r seated Mr. Charles and Lady Caroline Townley.
About half-past eight o'clock in the evening Mr.
Charles and Lady C. Townley (who was Lady Pa -
, troneas) left Croxteth Hall to attend the annual ball,
held on that evening, in the Town-hall, in aid
ef the Female Roman Catholic Orphan Asy-
lum, in one of the Earl of Sefton's carriages. The
horses which conveyed the carriage belonged to Mr.
Bulmer, of 'Vest Derby. In a short time after the
carriage left Croxteth it was discovered that the
traces of the harness were somewhat too short, but no
inconvenience of consequence was felt until the car-
riage had arrived about half-way down Brunswick-
road. Here the postilion repeatedly noticed that
there were several twitches of the carriage caused by
the traces, and in consequence of which the carriage
came in too close contact with the legs and hinder parts
of the horses. They then became restive, and, on
arriving at the bottom of Brunswick-road, the pos-
tilion had lost all control over them. At this point
they suddenly swerved from the road, and ran with
great force on to the footpath, the horse on which the
postilion sat striking the iron pallisading in front of a
house, and breaking it in several pieces, along with
the stone work in which it was fixed, to a length of
about a yard and a half. The pallisading fell into
the area beneath, and the horse along with it, the
latter being suspended for some time by the traces,
during which time it plunged tremendously
against the wall, and caused great alarm to
the inhabitants inside. The postilion was, at
the same moment, thrown off the horse against the
pallisading, with his back leaning against
them, and. for some time it was thought he was im-
paled. Meanwhile the other horse was plunging
on the footpath, in order to get released from the
carriage, which still contained Mr. Charles and
Lady ToWnley, who were apparently in the most
imminent danger. In a very few moments after-
wards, however, they safely alighted, being, of
of course, exceedingly alarmed. The position of
the horse in the area, still banging by the
traces, and plunging moat desperately, was per-
fectly frightful. At length, there was a cry of
" Cut the traces," and this having been instantly
done, the animal fell down to the bottom of the
area, fortunately alighting on his legs. The poor
thing was bleeding most profusely from the breast,
one of the iron pallisades having pierced his breast on
both sides. Most providentially the postilion had re-
ceived no further injuries than being severely stunned.
The horse was taken through the kitchen lobbies of
the lower part of the house, and after much difficulty
in getting him up the steps, ten or twelve in number,
he finally regained the street again. A short time
after the accident another carriage from Croxteth,
containing the Earl of Sefton and another gentleman,
drove up to the scene where the accident had hap-
pened, when Lady Townley and the party proceeded
to the ball, at the Town-hall.—Liverpool Courier.

THE VICTIM OF THE MANNINGS.—It will be re-
membered that Patrick O'Connor, at the time of his mur-
der, was reported to have been worth from 7,0001. to
8,000/. His property of all kinds, it is stated, has
scarcely realised as many hundreds; and the explana-
tion it:, that much of the railway scrip and other docu-
ments which he was in the habit of exhibiting, and
which no doubt inflamed the cupidity of the Mannings,
has turned out to be punt ly
THE PUBLIC GENERAL STATUTES.—The follow-
ing are curious statistics of the public general statutes,
showing that during the six centuries terminating with
ISOO, there was enacted by the English Parliament no
fewer than 6,847 Acts or Chapters, and in the forty-
nine years since 1800, s,B46—making together 12,693
Acts of Parliament for the " good of the country." Of
these 12,693 Acts, 7,610 have totally ceased to operate ;
and the residue, viz. 5,083, are still extant, and some
of these even are of a doubtful operation. The 5,083
extant statutes contain, Recording. to an average compu-
tation which has been utwinpted to be formed, about
50,000 clauses ; of which, again, about a third part is
inoperative. The aggregate legislation of the first six
centuries only exceeds that of the last forty-nine years
by 1,001 chapters. But, in reality, the latter period ex-
ceeds the former very considerably, for some single
modern :statutes, and even single clauses, embody the
substance of two or more prior Acts. The number of
Acts altered in each successive session in modern times
has ranged from 20 or 80 to 100 or more. In one me-
morable session (6 Geo. IV.) there were repealed or ef-
fected, by express recital, or by implication, more than
1,000 prior laws.

HORRIBLE DEATH.—Great consternation was
created at the county gaol at Taunton last Thursday
evening, owing to a most frightful case of suicide. com-
mitted by a lad sixteen ytars of age, named William
!loungell, who it appears had been committed for two
months' imprisonment for absconding from the Chard
Union. On the day above mentioned be threw himself
headlong under the %% heel of the treadmill, which was
then being worked by eighteen men. With the utmost
promptitude every means was adopted to check the
motion of the wheel, which, however, was unavailing
until the lad was mutilated most fearfully, and on being
extricated life was quite extinct. The deceaied fre-
quently expressid his determined resolution not to again
return to the union, preferring rather to terminate his
T existenceENAmiTu piso.
sArTßnA—cx.S..hlierbo
ENrrnc Journal.—The
re
is a Bill in the

House of Commons (which Y
rack
from
a at rent from
relieve occupiers of land or tenements
was yesterday printed) to
a portion .
asylums. It is provided that tenants may
dspe:rtdeorfer
bycl
county lunatic
, , amount paid for rates to pro-
vide(nutlet from the rent the
of the rate levied for erecting and providing
lunatic asylums for counties. Every tenant shall
parochial
pinourne
rats according
be levied, calculated upon the the justices to
t for the relief of the poor.
assessment reckon
otrbdeinagmtoolitnhte pamayoaubnlet biyn the pound
FoRRIGX CORDIALS AND LIQUEURS.--The revenue
authorities have considered the reports of their principal
officers of the waterside and warehousing departments,
representing that complaints have been made to them of
the injury sustained by the importers of cordials in bot-
tles, when the eases are small, by the extent of the ex-
amination prescribed by the general regulation of August,
1829, viz., ono bottle in three, except as to the Maras-
chino only, and recornn eliding in I:cu thereof that the
following scale may be ado; t< :d in the measurement of
bottles of cordials of one and the same kind, each case
being unpacked and counted as at present, unless the
goods be entered for exportation only, in which latter
case the present practice is not to be disturbed, viz., in
every five packages of the same mark, one; from 6 to 11
inclusive, two; from 12 to 18 inclusive, three; from 19
to 26 inclusive, four; from 27 to 35 inclusive, five; from
36 tJ 45 inclusive, six; from 45 to 56 inclusive,. seven;
from 57 to 68 inclusive, eight; from 69 to 81 ei rivp,
nine; from 82 to 95 inclusive, ten; from 96 to 110 inclu-
sive, eleven; and at the rate of ono in ten above the
la

ter number; orders hive been given for the propoisi.
Lion t, be adopted, and for the officers of fl+ Customs
department to govern themselvea accordinly in future.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England held
general meeting yeeterday.