The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-02 00:00:00

a very different state of things to that which has unhap-
pily beer! In existence for some time past."
The Isle of Man Commercial Bank was to resume busi-
ness yesterday. About the end of the year, it will be
united with the City of Glasgow Bank. The Commercial
Bank possesses a paid up capital of about one million
pounds sterling; and it has a reserved fund of undivided
profits amounting to nearly £130,000, which fund is avail-
able as a guarantee.
Messrs. Cotesworth, Powell, and Co., extensively con-
nected with the South American trade, who suspended
payment on the 31st of December last, are now paying a
first dividend of 4s. in the pound. It is anticipated that
after realizing their estate in full, a surplus of at least
£30,000 will remain for them to carry on business. As
Mr. Prior, the junior partner, retires from the house, the
firm will hereafter trade under the title of Cotesworth and
Powell.

The accounts of the Bank of France for the week end-
ing the 27th ult. are again unfavourable.
Advices from St. Petersburgh reach to the 18th ult.
The exchange was as 35d., and it was understood that
the Neva. had 4300,000 in gold on board for England.
The amount of notes in circulation, according to the
Bank of England returns for the week ending the 221
April, is £18;761,865, being an increase of £165;325:
and the stuck of bullion in both departments is 413,228,341,
shewing a decrease of .35,913 when compared with the
preceding return.. It is not unlikely that a considerable
sum has been sent to France, for the purchase of manu-
factures': which, it is said, can be made for hard money on
the most advantageous terms. It may also be that alarge
sum has been sent to Ireland, to meet any run arising
out of the apprehension for the savings' banks. afor
either of these causes, it is rather advantageous for the
bank to get rid of its immense surplus.
The rates of exchange with Europe are still rather de-
clining ; but as a considerable traffic has been carrying on
in interchanging silver for gold, which renders it more
difficult to ascertain the bond'fide' state of the balances,
we can only state that there is little reliance to be placedi
on the actual quotations,. which are as follow :—Amster-
dam, 3 months, 12 32 4 ; Ditto, short, 11 18 1211. ; Ham-
burgh, 13 11 13 ' • Frankfort, 12'34 ; Paris, short, 25 30 40;
Leghorn, 30 75 31 : Madrid; 414, Cadiz, 452 ; Lisbon,
514 ; Oporto, 514.
The accounts received by the Hamburgh mail of the
commencement of hostilities between the Danes and
Prussians has produced considerable anxiety amongst the
merchants connected with the north of Europe. The
Hamburgh papers publish a list of 3/3—vessels (which, it
is stated, are not all Prussian) already seized by the
Danes, in accordance with the notice of the Danish Go-
vernment, in which the neutral position of rfamburgh and
Lubeck is recognised. An impression is gaining ground
thatthe reprisals by Denmark will be extended to vessels
of Hanseatic Towns, as the aggression is at the instance
of the German Confederation, of which. all are members.
Many' of the homeward-bound Prussian ships are known
to have property on board belonging to British subjects
to a large extent; and although this may be recovered ul-
timately by adjudication by the captors; considerable
delays will be interposed and also expense incurred, which
will further_tend to increase commercial embarasaments.

84S.

MRS. BUTLER'S READINGS OF SHAKESPEARE.

The piece selected by this lady for Thursday evenhig'f
Reading, was the Comedy of "As you like it;" and el'
though not affording a field for the display 9f the same
sort of talent which Macbeth, and others of her readings
offer, it is one to which, as a whole, genius alone can do
justice. In fact, it is a play which ought never to be
attempted on the stage, unless by a first-rate company,
such as are seldom at present assembled on our boards, or
even on those of the metropolis ; but whose beauties are
best appreciated, unless placed before us by a reader capa-
ble of developing them fully, in the closet. Such a one
is Mrs. Butler ; and we account therefore her rendering
of "as your like it," as one of the greatest of her efforts.
The well known monologues, if by that term we maY de-
scribe passages, which the author seems to have addressed
rather to the audiences, or to the poetical of mar...lrina
than made the subservient to the action of the piaYf
were finely appreciated by Mrs. Butler, and as finely de-
livered. The versatility of talent displayed was also'
wonderful, leaving us at a loss which to admire most, as`
artistic efforts, her Rosalind and her Jaques, or her'
Tonchstone and Audrey.
LAST NIGHT'S READING.
Yesterday Mrs. Butler presented to us her reading of
the play of " The Merchant of Venice;;" and the rich treat
which she gave us was almost sufficient to bring us to en-
tertain the notion that this talented lady has mistaken her.
forte, if she ever imagined; that she was ma* at home in
the delineation of lofty tragedy than in those faithful in-
terpretations of more softened female character, which
female genius can alone pourtray. The gems of this read-
ing were the celebrated di aloguebetween Clarissa and Portia,
in which the former is questioning the latter as to her
preference of Bassanio over her many suitors: The dis-
course of Launcelot Gobbo is also a rich piece of comic
acting,. and was given by the fair reader with evident gaga'
Portia's self-betrothal to Bassanio was also beautifully
•• • ered. In Shylock, Mrs. Butler shone most in the
ue with Tubal, in which she alternately reminds
,f his daughter's flight and extravagance,• and of his
prospect of revenge upon Antonio. In the trial scene,
whioh Was finely given, we miss the scenic 'part. Altoge-
ther this reading was a fine effort; and' we were glad, fa
see that it was attended by even a more numerous 'audience
than the previous readings.

THEATRE.—The interest of'11f:
in this establishment has ceased ; and Mr; Beale, the'
well-known music-publisher, of the firm of Cramer, Beale;•
and Co., is now the lessee.

The Dean of Hereford, Dr. Mereweather, presented a
protest against the installation of Dr. Hampden as Bishop
of Hereford, which, however, Canon Musgrave, who pre-
sided at the ceremonial, refused to read.
SUMMAIVY,OF.NEWMARREr RACES.—TotaI number of
stakes, 43 ; won by favourites-, 18 ; won by non-favourites,
15 ; even betting; one forfeits, 9 ; horses entered,
.2584
horses started, 12 total amount of stakes, £12;905.-
NEW Smit.,—Mr. J. R. Hind, the celebrated astro-
nomer, announces in yesterday's Times the discovery of 9
new star, of the fifth magnitude, and therefore visible to
the naked eye, which has just made its appearance in the
constellation 00hiuchus. This remarkable star is in a line
joining Eta and 20 Ophinehi; rather nearer to the latter.
LIBEL.—In the Court of Common Pleas, on Saturdni:
Mr. Thomas Piers Healey, a barrister, and proprietor and
editor of the Medical Tirnes; brought an action against
Mr. Wakley, M.P:; proprietor of a rival publication called'
the Lancet, for libel, The article complained of Was
written in rather general terms, but was deposed to as ,
plying to the plaintiff,. who was- called "a quack lawYe,,r
and mountebank," "an impostor," "a briefless quack
secretary," &c. The jury gave the plaintiff £4O damages.
GRIEVANCES OF- ORANGEMEN.—We perceive from it
series of important resolutions, embodying the senti-
ments of 460 Orange Lodges,• that the Protestants of
Armagh and Tyrone are not' altogether satisfied with the
proceedings of the Irish government, though they continue
to declare their undeviating attachment to the English
constitution. They do not hesitate to aver that they bar
good grounds for discontent, andthey complain that, 10
the present state of public suspense, they are still ne-
glected and discountenanced.