New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-01
CITY ITEMS.
AMNHEMENTS T,HIS EHENLN0.


ADJUSTMENTS THIS EVENING.
BrAToS 1arTan-Open J." Lsvs ia Maze TOoSea
BIo.B~., yHs.T-oPsu 7.shs Stops to Conquer" and
sptos-ogsu at e]s French and wsIchs Circus.
hsrns MvsErH-Open all dayCunotiss and Afternoon and
Fnlows krsrn,I,-Open skEssO Msods, and B1rssqu.
sATIIIAs cOsNOsIsAscOrna Of Broadway and Thit.suh
s1orrs HlLI-Psnosms OF the Was Upper Iialy
sa.s.y Gone; sIoa. .. and c wss' r..
| coscEn1-HsT Gr.ebs, a, Female Academy, Brooklyn
april Fool 20 APRIL Fool !" is shouted
all over Christendom to-day. OF all the days in
the Calendar, the human imagination is most &C
tive on this particular day. Truth is generally
considered stranger than Fiction, but to-day
Fiction bewiders Truth with the abundance of
her resources. All the million tricks Of preceding
| years have grown familiar and stale, and no Ion
ger entrap as; each year must invent new sto-
| ries and build more intricate fabrics of mischief
| One must be wary indeed, if he goes from sun
rise to sunset without falling into some skillful
| snare.
| Few persons are aware Of the antiquity Of this
| peculiar feature Of the day. The old writer
Asiliss, who iourished in the second century of
our era, speaks of similar custom among the
ancient Greeks. A certain day in the month OF
April was devoted to the worship Of Mercury, the
patron of liars as well as thieves, and he who
practiced the greatest deception others, or was
most skillful at 6lching, was considered az most
favored by the god. This worship. in the natu'
raj course of things, was transferred to Rome
Ii is one Of those few customs which, like the
Carnival, the celebration of Easter Day, and 9th.
ers, can be traced back for period of two thou
sand years.
The late researches in Asiatc literature have
revealed many similar usages in tn" old ~ed 10
mote races of that continent. curious work by
the late DIR. Narr of Nirgends, In Germany, on
the History of the Chinese Empire, anterior 70
the Christian era, contains passage in reference
| to an ancient Chinese law, which is strikingly
analogous to our First of April celebration. We
are indebted to Mir. Niemand, OF this city, for the
copy from which we translate
dung Ho was the second Of this (the Hing dynasty.
II 10 related that In his youth. he was wholly addicted 20
pleasure elected he business OF The Empire 10 such
wise thai the government Of the provinces fell into unwor
thy hands disorders and the complete overthrow OF
lhs dyBasly seemed almost al hand The ministers OF
FunS.do among them the wise and venerable Fut-see,
exposlsied wh him In vain. Given up TO uXurlo1s OK
cese be fell into apathy which seemed nohog couo
srouse In This dilemma bethough him Of STRAIT
aeem 10 arouse the imperial mind Messengers, carefully
win many wounds came IN to the great
| Fung-He from all the provinces OF the Empire, an
victorious march OF Lo CHIEF OF the Whang faction upon
the Capital fuDgio raised his imperial mead rem tne
lap OF his mistress Using threw of his womany robes,
mi himself AT the head OF such he could hastily
raise and marched into the provinces Here lie toana no
enemy after making the round OF the empire re urned
10 the Capital On his Journey however, ne sa" and re-
moved the abuses OF his subordnaIe ana prohed oy te
F1 See received the imperial pardon in commemora-
ton of the wise ratagem, one day In each year was up
pointed wherein was lawful for al the SUBJECTS OF Fuhs
| 40 TO deceive each other.
OPERACoMIQUE.-The Aston Place Opera
House will soon be opened, we learn, by French
dramatic and operate company, who will give
US. in succession, some of the best modern French
dramas. vaudevilles and comic operas. The per
formances will commence early in April The
company will consist of % persons, partly from
the theaters of Paris and ROuen, and partly from
New.Orleans. The Managing Committee pledge
themselves TO exercise careful scrutiny over
the character of the representations, and admit
nothing that is inconsistent with good principles
and good taste They promise to make the Ope'
"a House worthy Of the compliment paid to the
"Theatre Choiseui" in the last century
"Psr les m9urs 10 bon govt, modessement u orile
ella mere, sans danger, peut conduire "a ME
DESTRUCTIVE FIRK-About 8 o'clock last eve'
ming fire was discovered in the upper lofts Of
Nos. los, 10 and liz Beekman'st, between
Pearl and Water SITS, occupied BY Messrs John
son K Treadwell, Cracker Bakers. The hremen
were soon ON the spot but before the flames could
be s,opped the three buildings and their contents
we're entirely destroyed. The materials snd fix
lures destroyed by this fire are valued at ssVOoO'
on which there is an insurance OF so'oOo' we
could not learn the amount OF insurance on the
buildings.
" Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER leaves Washing
ton this morning. on a visit home TO MarshAeld.
He will frat, however, visit Harisburgh. in ac'
cordance with a promise made some time since.
He will probably reach this City on Friday
viii the Union Safety Committee be on hand
r. Messrs. COLEMAN Il srErsoS, OF the
Astor House. have forwarded to the President
Of the New York Typographical Society their
check for 500, in aid of the Library fund.
THE PACKEr SHIP WAsHISGT0s.--Sons two
months since we published q communication fl"m
passenger on board Of the packetship Wash
;pe,op, which reflected somewhat severely upon
the conduct OF Captain PACE and bis officers -
Later accounts have satisfied as that the ssric-
uyes Of our corr spor6en were entirely uneaed for and
dc sross nusnce 10 Captain Page. siDce that Tine the
Warrington has made another "Trip 10 Liverpool and on
her return voyage brought The enormous naneer OF l
passengers, among whon there was not ting desia al
though the passage severe and pEo1ae'ed one 20
heir arrival 81 sandy Hook. the passengers presented %
csptsp Page lhe following documents
We the undersigned passengers OF ue ship MssIieg
-, 80 zeal pleasure IL iesufIng 20 ne suPerr AZ
ssermsSi o the above sap an grant ye iss, ~
49, So wish 10 retain siGcsre thanks 10 ms Cap-u
nv 60, 80 isir ~ and roDsidera'e 81 etG0l % our
eaIos,s ara % 0Sa b8nbe ss'imo''A 70 'hS s'''