Star.
London, England, 1831-05-23 00:00:00

SURREY THEATRE.

A sew, grand, historicai,rliegoric7l,;LiTictorial drama, in six
acts, was produced at this theatre on Saturday, entitled .Vapoisrow ;
or, She Plaint of Ambition. Like that of Covent-garden, it seises on
some of the leading incidents in the life of that extraordinary mtn, wi,ieh
it throws together with considerable effect, producing, from the
whole, a drama of very pleasing interest. This piece commerccs--
not with the outset of the military career of the hem, but takes
those which marked its close, beginning with the invaeion of Rus-
sia; thence passes to the reluctant abdication of the Tuileries—to
its revocation at Elba—the preparations for the grand struggle
at Waterloo—the flight from thence—the deportation to S. Helena,
givingaet various scenes at Longwood up to the last grand scene—his
In all of these the author has succeeded in bringing out with much
effect the prominent traits of the hasty yet decisive character of Napo-
leon. It must be allowed, however, that much was due in this respect
to the ability with which it was represented by Mr. Osbaldiston, in
whose hands every thing that the author did fur it was greatly improved.
In dress, and much in manner, the picture which Oslialdistott gave was
comet. if we except that it lacked something of that bodily restlessness
for which Napoleon was remarkable. The piece was got up with very
considerable and evidently not inexpensive attention to scenery and
costume. The dresses of the marshals were very splen4id ; but that
was all we could say for most of them. Mr. C. Hill, who personated
Bertrand, seemed to have a notion that the dignity of a field-marshal
consists in pressing his hand on his breast, and frowning at all who ap-
proach him ; and accordingly in that attitude he frowned away the
whole evening. We think he was a good deal out of his line in this
part. We have seen him sustain parts in light comedy with consider-
able ability. We have said that much attention was bestowed on the
scenic decorations of the piece. We should mention two dioramic views
—one of the invasion of Russia, and the other of the battle of Ilia ales;
both of which were very well executed. The author, who, we under.
stand,, is Mr. Thompson of Drury-lane Theatre, in order to give a
sort of lively turn to some of the scenes, introduced by way of
episode two characters, Bally 0' Neal and Bneism Tipperary, both
of which, as far as the author is concerned, we must say were dead
failures; and as they do not contribute in any way to the main
story of the piece, we think he would do wisely to withdraw them alto.
getter. Madame Simon did what she could for Sally O'Neal, but to
no purpose ; if we except an Irish jig, which she danced with great
spirit. The second Irish part was that of Basica Tipperary, and was
represented by a gentleman who, from his tone and manner, we should
say had been very recently drilled in the Terry Alt school of ,ite county
▪ Clare. The jokes assigned to this part were as flat as possible. That
about Adam eating the apple was in the very worst passiulc taste, to say
the least of it. By cutting out these two parts and pruning the piece
of some two or three redundancy in other places, it would, we think,
becomes favourite with those who are fond of military st.ectades. It
was given out for repetition with a few dissentient voices, but the ma-
jority in favour of it was powerful and decisive.

COURT CIRCULAR.
On Saturday evening, the King gave a grand dinner to
the members of the Nulli Secundus Club, composed of officers of the
Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, or those who have belonged to
the regiment. Among them war the Earl of Courtown, the Earl of
Munster, Sir C. Morgan, and Colonel Frederick Fitzelarenre. The
only exceptions among those present not belonging to the Coldstream
regiment, were, Lord Saltoun, of the First or Grenadier Regimrnt of
Foot Guards, and Colonel Bowater, of the first battalion of the Scotch
Futile*: Guards. They were the only officers who wore regimentals.—
Many of the old officers wore the old white regimental buttons on blue
coats. The Club was established by the late Duke of York, when
commander of the regiment.
On dinner being announced, the King left the state
rooms, preceded by Sir Frederick Watson, the Master of the /Luse-
bold, and followed by Lord A boyne and the rest of the company.
On his Majesty's entering the Picture-gallery, the drums
and fifes of the regiment struck up, " Oh, the roast beef of 04
Ragland."
About eighty sat down to dinner in the Banqueting—
room .be state plate was used on this occasion. During she dinner
'the bead of the regiment, in full regimentals, played a number of tine
piecesA.
Cabinet Council was held yesterday afternoon at the,
Fast* Office, which was attended by the Lord Chancelkr, Earl
Grey, the Marquis of Lento° one. Lcrd Durham, Viscount MCI.
booms, Viscounk Palmerston, Lord Holland, Sir James Graham, and
the Duke of Richmond.

The Council sat in deliberation about tw•o hours. After
the breaking up of the Council, some of the Foreign An►basseurs and
Ministers arrived at the Foreign Office, and had in•erriews with
Viscount Palmerston.

Despatches were received at the Colonial Office yester2ay
morning from the Earl of &know% the Governor of Jamaica, and t. e
other Governors of the West India Islands.
Lord Poneonby had an interview with Earl Grey
yesterday.
The Commissioners from Belgium transacted business at
' the Foreign Office on Saturday.
Yesterday was the birthday of the Landgravine of Hesse
Ramberg, when her Royal Highness completed her 61st year. Tla:
tosanbas of the Royal Family dined with their Majesties and the Lane.
gravies at Busby Part, to celebrate the event. 'the King and Queen,
Joe Landgravine of Hesse Romberg, the Princess Augusta, the
Duchess of Saxe Weimar and family. the Duchess of Gloucester, and
Prince George of Cambridge, attended by the Earl and Countess of
Erroll, Baroness Stein and Lady Mary 'Taylor, Lett the Palac.: at St.
James's soon after 10 o'clock yesterday morning in four carrat,es and
' four for the Queen's Lodge in Bushy-park. The Duke. D'oe.
and Prime George of Cumberland, came to Bushy fuel their residence
at Kew, to congratulate the Landgravine on the return of her natal
day. Their Majesties, and the whole of the Royal party, spent the day
and 'lined at Bushy, and in the evening returned to town.
The Princess Augusti entertained the Queen, the Land-
' gravine of Hesse Romberg, and the Duchess of Saxe Weimar, at
dinner on Satutday evening, at her residence in the Palace at
James's. The Hanoverian Minister, and the Lail and Countess Howe,
were present to meet her Majesty.
Divine Service was performed vesterday before the Duchess
of Kent and the Princess Victoria, arid their Royal Highness's House.
bold, by the Dean of Chester.
Prince Leopold returned to town on Saturday, from his
residence at Claremont.

The Landgraviue of Hesse Homburg and the Princess
Augusta honoured the grand dinner party given by the Duke and Du-
then of Nordiumberlastd, at Northumberland House, ou Friday eve-
ning, with their presence,
The Prince of Leiningen had an audience of their Ma-
jostles on Saturday, after which his Serene Highness called on the several
members of the Royal Family.
The Queen, the Duchess of Saxe Weimar, and the
Duchess of Kent, honoured the performance of Madame Pasta, as
Melia, at the Italian Opera House, on Friday evening.
A meeting of the Lords of his Majesty's Most Honourable
Privy Council was held at the Council-office on Saturday, for the fur
thee hearbv of an appeal hom Bombay. "Lusatian Row &damn v.
Mullett Row Bajee, involving property to the amount of 900,0001
The Lords-present were the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President of the
Council, the Judge of the Admiralty Court, and Lord John Russell.

THE GENERAL ELEC'TION.
-.....-
MEMBERS RETURNED TO THE NEW PARLIAMENT.
Nonhampionshire--Lords Althorp and Milton.
Aberdeen (County)—Hon. Captain W. Gordon.
Ayr (County)— William Blair, Esq.
Caithness and Bute (County)leorge Sinclair, Esq. jun.
Cavan (County)-51r. Maxwell; Air. Young.
Clare (County)—W. N. APNamara, Esq ; M. O'Connell, Esq.
Dublin (City)—Sir Robert Harty, Batt; Louis Perrin, Esq.
King's County—Lord Oxmantown , Colonel Bernard.
Louth (County)—Richard Shell, Esq ; Alexander Dawson, Esq.
Niayo (County)—J. Browne. Esq; Dominick Browne, Esq.
Roscommon (County)--A. French, Esq; O'Conor Don.
Roxburgh (County)-11. Fransis Scott, Esq. jun.
Sligo (County)--E. J. Cooper. Big; Colonel PercerraL
Wexford (County)—Colooel Chichester; Henry Lambert, Esq.
STATE OF POLLS.
Donegal (Courty), First Day. I Derry (County), 3d day.
Sir Charles Style . . 68 Sir It. asteson - - 553
Sir E. /laves - - 58 Captain Jones - . 519
Colonel COnolly . . 45 SW. Syne - 348
Chichester . . 43 Pembroke (County), May 19.
Owen . - - 1884
Grcrille - . - 1610
Abstract of the Remount& from 265 places in England and Wales,
sending 506 Members to Parliament ; the who!e number of places
being 268, and of representatives 51.'.
For. Ago.
39 English Counties, returning.. 80
(York 4) .. 71 6
II Welsh ditto ... ... 5 6
24 Cities (London 4) ... ... 42 8
- - - -

74 Counties and Cities .... 141 ..
71 Boroughs (not conipriscd In
Schedules A and B) 152 ...
145 (Majority 185) 273 ..
22 Boroughs under controul a-d
inBuenee•

167 (Majority 183) ...
D4uct
56 Sehedul: A
43 Schedule B ..,

... 40 ...

... 313 ..

... 100 ..

261 Returns receivd
3 Returns yet 00 Le 1311140 t .. • 5 ...

,1•1,

-. 12L 20

... 108 14

... 229 44

... 19 21

-
.. 218 65

.. 30 79
... 29 67

. 2

201
3

268 total. Total numbers ... 513 .. ... 309 204
The a a e of the return up to Beturd ty morning, according to the
best information we have b.en able to obtain, appears to lead to the fol-
lowing result: For. Agst.
Engle:id and Wales .... •••• •••• 308 202
Ireland .... ..... 54 28
Scotland •. .. .. . ..... .. .. 7 12

387 242:
Leaving an actual majority in favour of the cause of Reform of 125
• We have taken these 22 boroughs from the class above, and platod
them under a w•parate head, as being in point of quality little distin-
gu'shed from the worst in Schedules A and B, their members being rc-
tained to them only on account of their population. The majority from
the counties, chits, and open boroughs. is 18.1 in favour of reform.
+ Great Niarlyw (sermitiy), Northamptonshire, at.d Pembrokeshire.
: Two since dead—Sir J. S. Yorke and J. Heine, Esq.

NOZTHAMPTuN, SUNDAY 12 o'cLocx, MIT 22.—The contest is
over. By the kindness of Mr. I). Hill, the counsel for Lord Althcrp,
I am enabled to communicate to you the fact, that Mr. Cartwright and
Sir C. Keightley hare given up the contest.
The scrutiny into the votes at the Marlow election is going on ;
but there is not much chance, we fear, of Colonel Clayton being elected,
unless the populace votes" u they are termed, are admitted, which
would decidedly turn the scale in his favour.— Windsor Esspress.
The Lord Mayor, Harty, of Dublin, and Louis Perrin,
Esq. ate duly elected to represent that city in Parlia-nent.
The contest for Clare has closed, in the election of Major
MacNamara and Alautic O'Connell.

THE ChIMINALS AT NEWOATE CONDEMNED TO
SUFFER DEATH NEXT WEDNESDAY.

We feel great pleasure in giving place to the following
letter, published this day in the Morning Herald —and we
regret we have not room for the abla leading article in that
paper on the same urgent subject. We shall insert it to-
morrow, as we feel it a duty to co-oi erate with our co-
temporary in that humane advocacy, for which be is so
creditably distinguished.
_ TO THE EDITOR.

Sett,—The part which the Herald has long and most ably taken on
the subject of Penal Legislation is my apology for a ftw general re-
marks on the case of these unhappy men.
They are sentenced to die for crimes of theft—aggravated, certainly ;
but still they are crimes alone of theft, and not charseterized by any
murderous features, executed or designed.
Your readers may not be all aware that this severfty is peculiar to
England—to Protestant England I
In Catholic countries offences of this nature are not punished with
death. The ruler of Austria, for instance, aided by the counsel, or
even Prince Metternich, spares the lives (traitors excepted) of all 1 ut
murderers; and these are not executed until they have confessed t' eft
guilt. Some time since, indeed, there was a resolution taken at V.enna
to hang incendiaries—but it was scarcely acted on before it was aban.
done& These facts I have from a most respectable inhabi•aot of
Prague. Himself a Catholic, he expressed to me his astonishment at
the sanguinary laws of the English " Protestant" Government, as be
termed it.

But be it remembered, that In America Protestantism has long since
been absolved from this national disgrace.
But what shall we say If even the Car of Muscovy, that despotic
p3wer—that prototype, as the English have it. of nearly all that is bad,
is an age before us in the science of legislation ? We should do well
to improve our barbarous laws by taking a lesson from the 94th a
Obth article of the Russian code, formed under the Empress Catherine.
They run thus—
" Art. 94 —lt were unjust to indict the same punishment upon t► e
highway.robber as upon him who robs and assassinates. For the pub.
lie security, therefore, it is evidently necessary to make some difference
in the punishment prescribed for those several aimes."
Again, " Article 96.—There is a country where thieves do not can.
mit murder. The reason is, because while thieves ate there left to hops
for transportation to the colonks, murderers are excluded from thus
hope.,"
Not long since, being within the Prussian dominions, I !amnia that
laws there an mercy itself compared with the sanguinary code of
Britain.

Passing afterwards through the great commercial town of Hamburg,
I enquired wheiter they hanged men for the crime of forgery—and was
informed by a gentleman of high literary character, editor of one of the
public papers in that city, that it was eleven years since any person was
executed at Hamburg, ar.d then the offence was that of murder.
In Holland similar inquiries were made, but still the laws of my own
country. England, were considered by reflecting men as pre-eminent,
for severity and injustice. An occurrence which I will just mention hap.
pcn dat Antwerp, share I bad no acquaintance. A trunk of mine was '
left behind upon the public quay at midnight. The loss was not disco-
vered ill we I ad proceededBo miles further. A gentleman here undertook
to make some inquiries, which I expected to Issue to no papaw ; it was,
howeier, found, although bear ng no other mark than a parchment
ticket ; and ibis, to our surprise, without incurring the sr•.tallest exp.t:se.
But particular instances are unnecessary; It is an admitted fact that
property is less liable to plunder in many parts of the Contitier.t
than in England. Why is this? A different system of polias is
rot the sole cause. What share, I aculd ask, is attributable to the
uncertainty of punishmer.t produced by our " lottery-like-laws."
which assign the penalty of death equally to almost every class of
crimes, while the offenders hope to draw the prise of impunity ?
But I contend that death is sometimes dreaded less than
tither punislot rots which are more lasting. 01.1 y look at
the langua,:e in Court of a culprit hanged on 31unday last,
at Glasgow, for burglary. On receiving sentence he said,
" I have your good-will, my Lord : death is sweeter than
confinement: cowards die many times-1 wi!l die but oitce."t
Such an occurrence should be borne in mind by logislators.
And spin, look at the admirable reasoning of Sir Meredi:h
in Parliament, which, in the short space of six octavo pages, shows the
various hearings of the argument. .11 seems impossible to withstand
his powerful eloquence. It is true eat a lived fifty years ago, when
the science of cruelty aas in greater perfection ; but he still lives, and
still a,waks, as does his great contemporary Howa►d, and him noble and
conairent successor, Homilly—inimottal Duni s ! lam glad Mere.
filth's speech is re-printed separately. and appears to be gaining exten-
sive circulation. Permit me to etch se a copy, and subscribe myself
the public's humble and faithful servant, J UST ITI A.
(We shall endrovc.ur to find room for Sir W. Meredith's admirable
speech in our.next publication).
• Montagu on the Punishment of. Death--181 '—vol. p. 11,3.
t Glal;o:e Chronic*.

His Majesty, with due solicitude for the welfare of India,
Is, it is said, about to appoint the Rail of Munster to the Governor 11e.
neraiship of India.
Emigration to North America is going on at present with
great rapidity. The Hamilton sailed fees Livapsol on the 13th Inst.
with NO parsongers, and the Washington the ne=t day with 300, both
bound to New York.