The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-03-19 00:00:00

We mould willingly quote a few of the gems
contained in this finely-conceived part of the play, but
must for the present content ourselves with recommend-
our readers to hear it for themselves, as we observe that
it is to be repeated to-morrow evening.
The rest of the play is exquisitely poetical in concep-
tion, and is rendered ny Miss H. Faucit most beautifully.
In the burst of enthusiasm at the close, when her sight is
restored, and the wonders of nature burst upon:her senses,
the effect produced by her fine acting was electrical upon
the audie ce.

COMMERCIAL AND MONETARY REPORT.

Monday Night.
The Budget, as usual, has furnished the subject-matter
for conversation on 'Change to a considerable extent.
Many conflicting opinions have been given as to its de-
tails, supposing them to be correct. Some would rather
have had the duty off tea than bricks; others are more
or less dissatisfied, and denounce the statement generally
as a very paltry affair ; and even among those who have
no objection to the propositions, as far as they go, are to
found numbers who think that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer is very clever in stringing together a lot of
figures, but they reserve to themselves the privilege of
doubting their accuracy, and think that ills views in pers-
pective are rather too flattering to he true. The political
state of France, in conjunction with the settlement of the
account, caused a depression last week in the English
funds; but a favourable reaction in the French Rentes
produced a satisfactory change in London on Friday. On
the following day, however, the feelings of disappoint-
ment entertained respecting the statement of Sir Charles
Wood, coupled with a rather uneasy view of foreign poli-
tics generally, caused a depression on the day of 1 per
cent an Consols, the closing price being 954- to s for money.
To-day they closed better.
The Share Market has been in a very quiet state all the
week, the prices of most of the principal shares hPing
nearly the same as on this day last week. The South-
Eastern meeting has been held, and declared a dividend
of 9s. per share, leaving £48,000 surplus. There is no
appearance of any speculation going on just now, and
the business consists altogether of investments by small
capitalists,—perhaps a surer way to improvement than
the more exciting business of larger people. A consi-
derable number of shares was thrown upon the London
market by Satterthwaite's failure : to this the slight
decline that has taken place may be attributed. Several
of the local stocks are asked for, but they are exceedingly
scarce. The prices of this day's business mark as follow':
East Lancashire, Bi,—preference, 7 1/3 ; Glasgow, Pais-
ley, and Greenock, 13 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 40:1,--
fifths, 16/3 17/6 ; West Ridings, 84- dis. ; London
- StOck,
104 + ,—one-fourths, 8/9 dis.,—fifths, k pm. ; Sheffield
preference, 7 ; Midland halves, 41 s ; North Staffords,
11 dis.; North Union. B, 164 1- ; Oswestry and Chester,
14 dis. ; Newcastle preference, 7 7 1/3 dis.
Since Thursday last, there has been more doing in
Sugar, but without any improvement in prices ; brown
and low yellow descriptions are the kinds chiefly enquired
after. The sales have been to a fair extent, consisting of
550 hhds. Demerara, for the pan ; 250 hhds. Porto Rico,
at 355. Gd. to 395., mostly for export. About 1,500 bags
Benares have been taken by the grocers, at rather easier
rates; 800 bags Khaurs realised 28s. 3d. to 28s. Gd. No
sales worthy of notice in Rice. Rum and Molasses quiet.
Jute is in excellent request, 1,800 bales having
found buyers, at £l5 12s. Gd. to £l6 Os. Od. per ton for
good quality.
Oporto advices represent a rising Wine market there.
Most of the available stock had been taken by shipping
loonies, and it is anticipated that consignments of Port
Wines to England will be limited.
The readiest way in coming at the truth in all that re-
lates to the Corn trade is by simply referring to a certain
class of authorities, and then taking precisely an opposite
position to that occupied by them. This is an easy pro-
cess also, and saves any unnecessary expenditure of time.
We have had the assumption dinned into our ears from
these quarters for several weeks past, that as this year's
imports are light compared with those of 1849, so must
the depression in the prices of grain have reached tho
climax. We have steadily asserted the contrary; have
been borne out by fact ; and now, in proportion
to their pertinacity, we shall grow bolder ourselves,
and in opposition to the statement that the light
stocks of foreign produce at present held in this
country must superinduce higher rates in future,
wa distinctly assert that this is the very reason
why Prices must go still lower. If the trade has reached
its present depressed state with short supplies, there can-
not be a more reasonable inference drawn than that the
influx into our markets which the opening of foreign
navigation must bring, will produce further reductions.
And we dare hazard a prediction, that if farmers are pre-
vailed upon to keep back their stock, under the impression
that present prices have been produced by panic, they will
find themselves wofully misguided, and will have another
weighty reason for regarding their quasi friends with more
suspicion than ever. In some of the English markets a
little firmness has been displayed this week, but we
hear of no advance ; and in Ireland prices are
slightly lower, particularly for Indian Corn. Wherever
any steadiness has become apparent, it is to be attri-
buted to a slight falling off in farmers' supplies, from
which, however, we cannot augur favourably for future
markets, as it is only of a temporary nature (caused by
the fineness of the weather supplying the farmers just
now with occupation in the fields), for it is stated that
the quantity in the hands of our own farmers is sufficient
to keep the trade depressed

In Brunswick-street the Corn trade between Friday
and to-day has developed little change; but the firmness
manifested in some of the inland markets has checked
any further decline here. The transactions, however,
have been on a most limited scale. Indian Corn has at-
tracted a little more attention, without any improvement
in value : the importations of this article reported since
this day week amount to 8068 qrs., against 6593 qrs. ex-
ported, chiefly to Ireland. The imports of Wheat have
been small, and of Flour very moderate, the arrivals of the
latter article from France having considerably fallen off.
The Cotton manufacturing districts cry loudly for help
in their present depressed condition. We do not know
that they are yet in any great danger, and still look to
better times for them. But why this depression at all ?
why this lack of employment ? Surely Messrs. Cobden
and Co. will come to the rescue. The most unfortunate
event which could take place at the present time for the
advocates of the principle of free trade would be its proved
failure in its important stronghold. We did think them
selfish always, but gave them credit for enough of fore-
sight to look out for themselves. This they have done
with a vengeance. They have steered the ship, and if
they run upon a rock, they have no one but themselves
to blame. Meanwhile the demand for the raw material
continues very languid. Our usual Cotton circular shows
a decline of kd. up to Friday. Since then there has been
a little more firmness, but with a limited trade. On Sa-
turday we had a very steady and general demand for Cot-
ton, at firm prices, and the sales amounted to 5000
bales, (including 1500 for export and speculation,) of
which 900 were Brazils, 300 Surats, and 100 Egyptian.
To-day the market opened with a very steady inquiry.
The sales reached 5000 bales, (1000 for export and specu-
lation,) and we have no change to make on the quotations
of Friday.

The Times of yesterday says that the loss sustained by
the Globe Assurance Company from the recently disco-
vered defalcations of one of the clerks will arnotuit to
between £30,000 and £60,000.

THEATRE ROYAL.-THE NEW PLAY OF KING
RENE'S DAUGHTER.

The playing of Miss Helen Faucit and Mr. Barry
Sullivan, during the past week, has been of a first-rate
character, and has attracted discriminating audiences.
The most important feature, however, has been the in-
troduction of a new play, translated from the Swedish,
in which Miss Helen Faticit has won for herself, by her
beautiful acting, the admiration of all who have had the
fortune to hear her. The play is a one act piece, upon
the classical model, and is founded upon an incident in
the history of the Troubadour King of Provence, upon
which the author has built a superstructure full of poetry
and romance. The incidents are few and soon told. As
a pledge of reconciliation between King Rene and his
enemy, the head of the house of Burgundy, the former
has engaged the hand of his daughter Jolanthe, then an
infant, to Sir Tristan, the son and heir of the duke, the
marriage to be celebrated when Jolanthe has arrived at
the age of eighteen years. When only a year old, how-
ever, whilst being rescued from a fire in the house in
which she was being nursed, she sustains an accident, which
without otherwise injuring her, deprives her of sight.
The somewhat romantic expedient is forthwith adopted of
secluding her strictly from the world, and placing her in
the care of trustworthy and intelligent attendants, to be
brought up by them in entire ignorance of the existence
of the faculty of sight, and of her own want of that
organ, whilst in the meantime she is under the medical
treatment of an eminent Moorish physician, who antici-
pates a favourable result of his treatment to take place as
soon as his patient shall have arrived at a certain age.
As the result of this plan, Jolanthe grows up amongst
the fruits and flowers of a delightful retreat in a
retired district of her father's dominions, a perfect
child of nature, highly cultivated in intellect, and
embued in all her aoughts and feelings with poetry of
the highest and purest order.
We are introduced to the personages in the drama on
the day fixed for the operation which is either to condemn
Jolanthe to perpetual loss of the organ of sight, or to
bestow upon her the full power of comprehending the
beauties and wonders of creation. The curtain rises
upon a scene most delightful ; consisting of the house in
which Jolanthe is located, with its gardens and alcoves,
embosomed in a valley shut in by lofty mountains. By a
conversation between the servitors, in whose charge
Jolanthe is placed, we are made acquainted with the story
of the drama, after which Rene and the physician arrive ;
and the former is told, that as one of the proceedings ne-
cessary to insure the success of the operation, or charm,
which is to be performed in order to restore his daughter
her lost faculty, she must be made acquainted with the
fact of her deprivation. To this the king demurs, dread-
ing the unhappiness which the revelation may create in
the mind of the hitherto happy Jolanthe, should the result
of the operation be unsuccessful ; and they leave the
garden in which they have had their interview. Shortly
afterwards, Sir Tristan (the betrothed husband of Jo-
lanthe) enters with a friend, and we are told that he is
about to refuse the fulfilment of the promise made in his
behalf, and reject the marriage. In the absence of the
servants, Sir Tristan gains a sight of Jolanthe, whom he
awakes from a sleep into which she has been thrown by
her physician, by removing a talisman from her breast,
and falls in love with her beauty, without knowing that
she is his betrothed bride. From this point the real in-
terest of the play begins, and the acting of Miss H.
Faucit becomes most entrancing. Her impersonation of
the blind girl is throughout a triumph of genius ; and
when she is made to perceive her unfortunate position,
and her father endeavours to inform her of the use of
the faculty which she has lost, the scene becomes an
actual poem.