The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-23 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Lord Byron's tragedy of Marino Faliero was performed at
this theatre on Friday, for the benefit of Mr. filacready. The
impression it made upon a thronged audience stay be regarded
as the completion of that tribute which, though late, has now
been fully rendered to a poet who has been so unduly
.depre-
elated since his death as he was, perhap, in some respects,
overpraised during his life-time.
There is no Oecasion for criticism on a drama so well known
as this of Marino Faller°. The dialogue has been very ju-
diciously cut down, giving increased rapidity to the action of
the piece, but leaving unimpaired the poetry of its passion.
It was pleasant. ever and anon, by some magn!fieent burst- of
emotion or splendour of imagery, to feel revived, as fr,rn the
dead, sensations of long passed years, whee Lord Byron
first, by " thoughts that breathe arid words that bum,"
commanded the world to acknowledge him for a pet.
Such an instance is that of the passage. in the scene be-
tween the Dog. an.l Angiolina, commencing "where
is honour, innate and precept-strengthened," of wh,ch
Mr. Macready's superb recitation produced an effect
only surpassed by the sustained grandeur of his delivery of
the prophecy at the close of the drama. The Doge is nicely
discriminated by Mr. Macrearls from other characters in some
respects similar, in- which he has so often and so powerfully
wrought upon the feelings of the audience. This is a tine, full-
bloodedold man. His irritability is that of the heart and not
of the nerves. There ii no dotage in his tenderness. TheVe is
no imbecility in his %mall. Our homy to is always rendered to
the rmlity.and intensitv ol hi, expression. The air of reality
imparted by the Amt.; runt hiltivg presence of Mr. Maeread)
in the scene; is aided by thee aCtrssorie: which he so well
know; how to direct ss hen numbers are required; as in the
gathering of the conspirators, and the sitting of the council.
her appeal to the senators, and her parting scene with the Doge,
the skilful acting ot Miss I-1. Faueit preserved all the dilbity
and sweetness of the character of Angielina. Mr. Phelos
Mr. Elton, as Israel Bertuecio and Bertram, were thoroughly
efficient. Mr. Macready was called fir, alter the play, to be
greeted with enthu,iastic acclamations.

IIiIrORTANT EXPERIMENT AT
THE ROYAL POLYTECHNE' INSTITUTION.

Dr. Payerne, on Friday, in the presenee of many scien-
tific men of undoubted skill and grew- reputition, deseended
below the sorfa,e of the great weal iu R.,yal Polytechnic
Institution, and remained ihere for the space of three hours,
shut up within the divine bf 11. and totally -excluded from all
possibility of obtaining external air, inasmuch as the only
aperture by means of whiCh air is supplied to the ordinary
tenants of this diving apparatus Was cenipletely and-effectually
closed up. The sole apparatus n which, Dr. Payerne pro • -
'titled himsel was a small square box,. which he carried otporn
with him, and in which it must be iresurned were kept con-
tained the magical in4redients by means of. which he kept life
in himself during his prolonged sojourn under water. A
lighted candle was also, for the coi,renience more of the spec-
tators than of the experimmtalist, taken down with him, and
on his return to the surface, after three hours s' ay, Dr.
Payerne protested, that it had given him as much trouble to
keep the .flame burning as it would ave done to have supplied
the means of breathing below the surface of the water to seven
ordinary men. .
It was arranged previous to his descent, that Dr. Payerne
should give a signal to the observers of his being still alive
every five minutes during his stay under water, an engage-
ment which he punctually fulfilled to the great gratification
of the spectators, who sat wondering what the experimentalist
could be about, and how he contrived to get his supply of air.
At the expiration of the three hours Dr. Payerne made his
appearance again, without seeming in the slightest degree ex-
hausted or inconvenienced, but, on the contrary, expressing an
earnest desire to renew the experiment if any person present
remained incredulous as to what he had witnessed. On inquiry,
Dr. Payerne stated that the .mode by which he sustained life
beneath the surface of the water was so simple that a child
might practice it successfully. and that there was no danger
that the materials would be exhausted however pro-
longed the stay, or whatever might be the number of
persons dependent upon them for the means of breathing; as a
proof of the perfect calmness with which the experiment was
conducted; Dr. Payerne registered the variations of the ther-
mometer which he carried down with him every 10 or 12 mi-
nutes, the result showing a difference only of 14 degrees, the
two extremes being 59a to 61 degrees. The experimentalist
further stated, that he had first essayed the efficacy of his pro-
cess in a chamber hermetically sealed, and that he had never
had an opportunity afforded him of making a trial under water
before the occasion at present relerred to.
The results were perfectly satisfactory, though at the same
time they appeared very surprising to the vereons assembled to
witness the experiment, and there will be little or no doubt
felt as to the reality of the whole proceeding, wit!,n we state
that amongst the most attentive and watchfol observers of the
process were General Pasley, of the Royal Engineers, Profes-
sor Faraday, Sir W. Baynes, Bart., Captain Kerr, Air. Vi-
Earl, and other scientific persons.

ELECTION COIIIIIITTEES.
(CORK COt TY).
11)7ne Committee met yesterday mf,t n ng at t e usual hour.
s,me delay te.ok place in c0n.4pn.m.,....1 certain documents
ot having been produced; ;t was, I lot% ever, arranged among
CM lie' that they should be put iri at a later stage in the pro •
Ott ngs.

vn further evidence having been adduced,
Mr. Salmi addressed the Committee at leng,h in support
of the case of the petitioners. The Learned ( titleman, after
quoting the' statute which enacts " That elections shall be free,"
cited saveral instances in which the statute lied been enforced.
and elections bad been declared invalid on the ground that
they had been disturbed by riots. That course vras taken in
the case of elections fur Southwark. Westminster,
Pontefract, and other places. The Learned Gentleman then.went
over the evidence adduced before the Corftmittee, for the purpose
of shoe ing that. at the Cork (dreamt, serious tints had taken
place—that the voters of Mr. Leader had been intiund.teil. end
that several of them had been ill-treated. On these gr •unds he
contended, that the election could not be considered a fair or
valid election.