The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-22 00:00:00

ASSASSINATION.

The _'Northern WWhig,✓received this evening, con-
tains an account of a most cold-blooded and de-
liberate murder committed on Tuesday night, the
victim being Mr. John Woolsey, who resided at
about a mile from Portadown, on the Armagh' road.

When the shot was heard below the maid thought
her master had discharged a pistol which he kept
in his bed-room, but hearing a heavy fall on the
floor she tan up stairs and found the body lying with
the head towards the window, and a large efusio❑ of
blood, with a portion of brains, on the carpet.
Medical men and the constabulary were immedi-
ately brought from Portadown, and life was found not
to be completely extinct for about;threc-quarters of an
hour.
A respectable jury was held by the coroner, and
the inquest was proceeding yesterday evening at the
date of our latest information.—Times.

LEAMINGTON ANNUAL
STEEPLECHASES.
(THIS DAY.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
Match—Free Lance "be at Rmi Knight.
The Grand Annual Steeplechase.
Sir Peter Laurie ... ••• ••• ••••
Proceed ••• ••• ••• ••• •.• •••

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
The great English tenor, Mr. Sims Reeves, made
his debut here last evening in the character of Ernani,
in Verdes opera of that name, and by his perfor-
mance went far to prove that he is not only the
greatest of Inglish tenors, but without exception the
very greatest tenor of the day. Of all living tenors
no one at present on the stage has approached Mr.
Sims Reeves with the single exception of Duprez,
and he is falling into " the sere and yellow leaf,"
while Mr. Sims Reeves, in the full possession of his
powers, is what M. Duprez was twenty years ago.
Never before has the character of Ernani, or indeed
the opera itself, been nearly so well represented in
this country as it was last night. The cast was
very strong, as in addition to Mr. Sims Reeves
as Ernani we bad Mademoiselle Parodi as Elvira,
Beletti as Silva, and Lorenzo as Carlo V. The act-
ing of Mr. Sims Reeves was full of impassioned
energy, and his rendering of the music was charac-
terised by immense power, and by that deep intensity
of feeling without which it is impossible to achieve
any success on the Italian lyrical stage. He was in
excellent voice, and his rich chest notes were
very fine. The management of bis voice, too,
showed that he was a perfect master of his art, and,
after hearing him last evening, we have no hesitation
in saying that in him nature and art have combined
to give to the world a perfect tenor singer. His
embellishments were all in the best possible taste, and
nothing could exceed the purity of his elocution.
From his opening scene, " Come rugiade," to the
closing scene, he was alike perfect. He was loudly
applauded in the opening scene, and was encored
in the fine trio, " Tu se' Ernani," with Parodi and
Lorenzo, in the first act. In the second act the beauti-
ful duet, "Ah morir potessi adesso," with Parodi,
was encored, and in the finale to the opera he
excited a perfect furore. Seldom have we seen an
audience worked up to such a pitch of enthusiasm as
was the audience of Her Majesty's Theatre by the
impassioned acting of Sims Reeves and Mademoiselle
Parodi in this scene. They were admirably sup-
ported by Beletti, whose impassive sternness as Silva,
rendered, by the force of contrast, still more effective
the impassioned agony of Ernani and Elvira.
Of the Elvira of Mademoiselle Parodi it is impes
sible to speak in terms of too high praise ; it was
a perfect exhibition of impassioned energy, and her
vocalization was excellent. Her scena d' intrata,
" Ernani, Ernani, involami," was a brilliant speci-
men of florid vocalization, and drew down rapturous
plaudits, and her acting throughout was of the very
highest order of tragedy. Signor Lorenzo
has, by his Carlo V., more than realised
the favourable expectations which we enter-
tained of him from his Nino, and he now takes his
place in the very first rank of our barytones. Be-
letti was, as usual, admirable as Silva. His render-
ing of the " Infelice a tuo credevi " was full of
pathos, and earned for him a rapturous encore.
The principal performers were called on at
the conclusion of every act, and at the fall.of the
curtain Mademoiselle Parodi, Mr. Sims Reeves, and
Beletti were called on twice, and the great tenor was af-
terwards honoured with a special call to himself. Never
has this opera been nearly so perfectly represented in
this country as it was last evening, and never before
has any opera of Verdi been so applauded, a com-
pliment, however, due, not so much to any talent
in the composer as to the transcendent genius,
and the exquisite taste of the accomplished artistes en-
gaged in its production. Les Metantorphoses, the
most elegant and splendid of ballets, followed, and
the expressive dancing and pantomime of Carlotta
Grisi had such charms for the audience that the great
majority remained until the conclusion of the perfor-
mances. The theatre was crowded.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—There, were present
yesterday (Thursday evening) at her Majesty's Theatre
the Duke of Leeds, his Serene Highness Charles Duke
of Brunswick, the Baroness Brunnow,lle. Olga de
Lechner and Mdlle. de Brannow, his Excellency the
Swedish Ministt r and the Baroness Rehauaen, M. de
Berg, the Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde and
Lady Emily De Burgh, the Earl of Lonsdale, the Earl
of Bradford, the Count de Berke, the Comte de Songueil,
the Comte de Civry, the Viscount Cantilupe, the Count
de Frescobaldi, Lord Templeton, Lady Adelaide Howard,
Lord George Paget, Lord and Lady Foley, Lord and Lady
Templemore, Lord Rendlesham, Lord Harry Vane, Lord
W. Lennox, Lord Gardner, Lady E. Russell, Lady
Crieutworth, Mr. George William Repton, M.P.,
and Lady Jane Repton, Lady Charles Somerset,
Lady Caroline Sandlord, Mr. and Lady Augusta
Wentworth and the Misses Wentworth, Lady W.
Ball, the First Lord of the Admiralty and Lady
Arabella Baring, the Hon. Mr. Chichester, . the
General Santa Cruz, General the Hon. H. Cavendish,
the Hon. 0. F. Toler, the Hon. Robert Boyle, lion. A.
Willoughby d'Ere,';by, the Hon. C. R. Neville, the Hon.
Mr. Templemore, the lion. Mr. and MrF. Dudley Ward,
Lady A.. Gordon, Sir Ralph Howard, Bart., M.P., and
Lady Howard, Major- General Sir Alexander Woodford,
Bart., Lady and the Misses Woodford, Sir John Lowther,
Bart., Sir Henry Webb, Bart., Sir James Clark. Ross and
Lady Ross, Sir George Pocock, Bart., and Lady Pocock,
Sir Thomas Barrett Lennard, Sir Woodbine Parish and
Lady Parish, Sir Seymour Sadler, Mrs. Ileneage, Mrs.
G. Arbuthnot and Miss Arbuthnot, the Ilon. Captain
Phipps, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Palmer, Major Buckley,
Mr., Mrs., and Miss Brereton Trelawny; Mr. Henry
Baring, M P., Mr. Hubert de Burgh, Mr. Montague
Gore, Mr. and Mrs. Sandford, Mrs. Paul, Mr. C. W.
Packe, M.P., and Mrs. Packe Reading, Mr. C. Barry
Baldwin, M.P., Mr. George Cornwall, Miss Boileau,
Captain Vivian, Mrs. Charles Hummersley, Mr. Henry
Singleton and Miss Singleton, Mr. W. Cubitt,
Mr. F. Cutler, Mr. Morgan, M.P., Mr. Rice, &c.
MADEMOISELLE RITA 14'AvANyi.—This charming
vocalist, whose success at her Majesty's Theatre we have
often had the pleasure of noticing, has lately been en-
chantisg the dilettante of Brussels, by the extraordinary
compass of her voice and her exquisite singing. On dit,
we are likely to hear her in Loudon, late in the season.
THE LAST OF HENRY RUSSELL.—NO vocalist, in
the present day, has stamped the spirit of the time
on, his music and singing more felicitously than Henry
Russell. His compositions, and his very style, belong
to " the movement." His farewell performances in
London (prior to his visit to the United States) will take
place, at the Lyceum Theatre, during next week.
SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY MORNING.—The late ad-
vices received at Havre from New York respecting
cotton, although favourable to advanced rates, had rather
a depressing effect on that market, as sales yesterday
were languid and at prices somewhat firm. The Vestu,
with cotton, from New Orlean., reached Havre yes-
terday.
Lord Fortescue, who is now staying at Malta, en
account of his health, has resigned the office of Lot d
Steward of Her Majesty's Household.
THE MARQUIS OF WESTMINSTER.--The Times of
this morning, in a leading article, says,—" We have ti.e
satisfaction of announcing that the Marquis of West-
minster, the most opulent member of the English
nobility, has finally attained the object of his life, and
is appointed to the office of. Lord Steward, with the full
privilege of carrying a white stick about,a
like Poto the
lonius
in the play, whenever the Queen gives party
lieges."
THE CASE or THE REV. Da. ROORES.—The Rev.
C. Rookes, LL.D., Rector of Nymet Rowland, in the
diocese of Exeter, against whoa? a sentence of depriva-
tion, on the ground of immorality, was some time since
passed' by the Bishop, has been removed from his bene-
fice, the Bishop havinginstituted the Rev. Thomas
Rutherford Dickinson, M.A., to the vacant rectory.
THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT ST. VINCENT'S
Rocks, BRISTOL.—The coroner's inquest an the body of
Miss Craven was held on Wednesday evening at the
Brownlow Tavern, and ended in a verdict of " acciden-
tal death." The jury expressed their opinion that some
means ought to be adopted by the authorities, either by
the provision of some railings or otherwise, to prevent a
recurrence of such accidents.
Virtue shines, though contemptibly clad, and is
recegnizcd and restected by noble minds.--E/iza Co9A's
Journal.
RoCHESTER CATHEDRAL GRAMMAR SCUOOL.—At
the sittings of the magistrates at the Guildhall, Re -
chester, on Wednesday last, the Rev. Henry Meeres, head
master of the Grammar School, was charged with hav-
ing unlawfully assaulted aid beaten Frederick Seymour
Bamford, one t f the foundation scholars, by striking him
several hlows with a stick, and otherwise ill-treating
h. im, without just cause or provocation. The evideace
support of this charge went to the effect that the boy
for coughing ha i been slapped violently on the face.
caned with a walking-stick, which was broken over his
shoulders, and afterwards compelled to beg pardon on his
knees. He was kept ir. that position for three-quarters
cf an hour. and had been ill in come quence of the severe
chastitemant which he received. On the part of the de-
fondant it was sought to be proved that Mr. Meares had
punished the boy to secure subordination among his
scholare, and thet the chastist went had not been exces-
sivr, the coughing in which Bamford had taken part
being intended as an insult to Mr. Meeres, who bad
only recently been appointed head master instead of the
Rev. R. Whiston, by the Dean and Chatter of Roches-
ter. Evidence was also given that the del endant was
always a humane and firm master. The magistrates