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

SURRE Y THEATRE.

This theatre hes eommenced 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 considrrable force and passion, 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. liis 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
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.

EXPLOSION oF GUNPOWDER. ON TL'E GLASGOW AND
Duel FRIES ltAiLwAr.—On Thursday morning last, about
seven ','clod,, 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.
hut 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 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 tire 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 nlvy, 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 Wail 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 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 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 increase 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. 10(1. 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 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
tir'. The statement of accounts from January Ito December
31, 1849, showed the total receipts to amount to
2,831/. 18s. Id., which left a balance over expenditure of
890/. 13s. ld. After the adoption of the report, a vete of
thanks to Miss Jury was unanimously passed, and the privi-
lege of two votes at all elections of wards placed 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 fur the manner in which he had pre-
sided over the meeting. _ _

DERBY, SATuRDAr.—(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, WOOLWlCll.—Fifteen car-
penters, six wheelers, six sawyers, and several blacksmiths
and other workmen, making in all thirty-five 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 be 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 Dundee, 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.

LAUNCH OF THE AFRICA.--Yesterday (Friday)
afternoon the British and North American mail steamer
Africa was launched from the building yard of Messrs. Steele.
and Co., Greenock. The cheers of a large concourse of se.c-
tators greeted the vessel as she entered the .water. n
launch was in all respects a successful and beautlucl_eone,_theee
fineness of the day greatly enhancing the Tn.!
saTni%
measurements of the Africa are as nearly as. poi :Tie '1
y the Mes.rs
as those of the Asia, which was also
iSntgeerilen,alaintidesl.tsGe,aarsngeodws
joianitlyie!
jorn fbouril-ther splendid
eble! isabczeorro-alreo.sstamt,
duties end it is
his public
no i Sir
probableble'frtljtcht'e'hi (a.:.tta
vacation.
(wamdi.lwl
'.heire
li.Ln.u.a. or Ms. F EILItAN D'S WOOL LEAGUE.
—The increase of employatent 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 given, but
in one or two cases fresh hands have been got.— iVake.field
Jouraal.

COD LIVER OlL.—Such has ibeen the extraordi-
nary demand of late for cod liver oil for medicinal purposes
that the price has risen in the southern markets from about
201. to 361. a ton. The liver seems to bo the most valuable
year was bringinr
part, for cod fish, which this time last
per ton, was last month selling as 1°71" 91"—John Groot
afournal.

Now ready at all the Libraries, in 2 vols., post Bvo.,
I • L
0 D.
A NOVEL.
" The author, we are convinced, is young, otherwise we could
hardly sea di3played such fresh and enthusiastic sympathy in be-
half of his heroes and heroines. Be is a writer of genius, inspired
by a high standard of morality and religion, and by a laudable love
Of the purest sort of fame. We gather this from the glowing lan-
guage in which he empresses his feelings, sentiments, and opinions
en the subjects; just mentioned. There are several chapters, in
which links of the story are dropped, containing most eloquent essays
on matters that are the prima mobilia of the actions which cha-
racterise nature's nobility. The writer evidently belongs, though he
has marked per se peculiarities, to the school of the Disraells, Man-
nerves, and drnythes."—Observer.
" Silwood' is no ordinary work ; it contains passages of exceed-
ing beauty, and is written in pure and forcible language, with great
good taste and power. It is one of the most interesting and en-
gaging novels which the present season has proinced. Of the cha-
racter of Amelia Ross we have already spoken, and the extract we
have given above is the surest voucher of the truth of what we have
said. The other ladies who play conspicuons parts in the tale are
Florence Howard, an intellectual beauty; Jessie Gordon, a wild and
Impulsive genius, passionately fond of music and poetry; and Julia
Maitland, the noblest and best of them all."—Morning Post.
Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—
THE L IST GRAND CLASSICAL AND DRAMATIC
CONCERTED MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT,
Selected from the following authors :
Mozart, Beethoven, Mercadante, Paeslello, Fioravante, Spohr,
Rossini, Weber, Cherubini, Gretry, and Mendelssohn,
Will take place on WEDNESDAY MORNING, July 10,
And will unite the talents of
Mesdames Sontag,
Pared!, Catherine Hayes, Giuliani,
And Frezzolinl ;
Signori Coletti, Relief:l. Lorenzo, F. Lablache, Lablache, Gardoni,
Caizolari, Baucarde, and Mr. Sims Reeves.
The valuable assistance of 31. Thalberg has been secured, wbo
will execute some favourite pieces, and, amongst others, an admired
Concerto of Beethoven, accompanied by full Orchestra.
Conductor, Mr. BALFE
Part I.

Ida Bertrand,

- Beethoven.

Symphony
Irmetto, Miss C. Hayes and Mme. Giuliani, "Qua' ane-
lante" ------ -
Grand Aria, Sig. Beletti, with chorus (Fidelio)
Quaretto, Mmt.. Sontag, Mdlle. Parodi, Signori Ban-
carde and Coletti, " Come ohime" (Nina Pazza) - Paesiello.
Duetto, Miss C. Hayes and Mr. Sims Reeves, " List,
dearest, list" (Keolanthe) - - - - Balf
Concerto in C minor, first movement, Thalberg - Beethoven.
Duetto, Mme. Sontag and Sig. Lablache (La Lezione
di Canto) - - - - - - Fioravante.
Chorus of Prisoners (Fidelio). The solo parts by Sig.
Calzolari, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Sig. Lorenzo - Beethoven.
Aria, " The Soldier Tired," Madame Sontag (irtax-
°rites)
selection from Requim. Mmes. Sontag, Parodi, Giu-
liani, C. Hayes, Ida Bertrand, and Frezzolini ; Sig-
nori Gardoni, Calzolari, Baucarde, Sims Reeves, Co-
lett!, Belettl, Lorenzo, F. Lablache, and Signor La-
, biache - - - -

- Marceilo.
- Beethoven.

- Mozart.

- Mendelssohn

- Curschmluan.