The Sun. — London, England, 1866-02-12 00:00:00

at mbitut , LONDON, MONDAY, FEB. 12, 1866. Notwithstanding the many exciting topics which are now engaging the attention of our English politicians, there is still some interest to spare for the proceedings of our transatlantic friends. Not withstanding their much-loved Republican form of government, founded on the wishes of the people, we see very much the same drama played out on the political stage that is continually rehearsed under older and more elaborate systems of authority. There has been for some time past a struggle going on between two rival parties, and it is evident from the news brought yesterday by the Asia, from New York on the Ist of the month, that the balance of power still remains suspended, and neither side has yet achieved a decided victory. In the House of Representatives the Radical party so strongly preponderates, that there is but, little doubt of any measure which is strongly supported by its leaders being passed without delay. We hear by one mail that a bill is in contemplation by Mr. THADDEUS STEVENS, or some congenial spirit, and by the next ship we learn that it has been adopted. Thus we heard a short time since that there was some agitation respecting the proposed appointment of the representation to the numter of the population, exclusive of those to whom the suffrage is denied on account of colour. This, which at first sight may seem fair enough, is in reality a movement directed against the South, since, from the relative proportions of the two races, such an arrangement would materially affect the Southern representation. Basing the representa tion on numbers, and omitting from those num bers a large proportion of the population, the South would lose many of her members, the loss being variously estimated at from 11 to 15. It is evident that by a n d, a measure the power of the Southern States must be materially diminished, and that sup posing the Radicals to be forced to abandon their op position to the admission of Southern representatives they would, by means of this new scheme, be able to weaken their influence. There is a double motive for this. Not only are they animated by their hatred of the South an d • uB people, but they have every reason to anticipate that the Southern members, if admitted, will swell the ranks of the Demo crats or Conservatives, or at least will a dhere to a very moderate p art y . It i s not to be join the Radicals, who that th e y w;11 are therefore very ill disposed to a d mit them to the floor of Congress at all. ' The party of which Mr. S TEVENS is a prominent member has now such an easy ascendancy in the Lower House that it is very unwilling to alter the relative positions of political parties. accordingly, we find that the resolution reported from the Re construction Committee for a constitutional amend ment, 'basing the representation on the number of actual voters, not ou the population, has been adopted by 120 to 46 votes. During the debate Mr. STEVENS animadverted strongly upon the con duct of the PRESIDENT in having permitted his views Q ll the constitutional amendment to In made ---------- known through the press, while the House was legislating on the subject. There is one aspect of the case, however, which English readers require to bear in mind while reading of American representa tive struggles. The Lower House at Washington does not correspond in influence or authority to our own House of Commons. If our Lower House passed a measure like the one referred to, it would be ten to one that it would become law ; but with the American House of Representatives the case is not equally conclusive. In the same way the PRE SIDENT, though in a very different position from our QUEEN, exercises a more direct and immediate influence on the Legislative Assembly, and while it must be a very serious national crisis when her MAJESTY refused to give assent to the measures approved by her Parliament, it would be by no means surprising if the President were to put his veto on these very measures of the Radical party. The struggle is being watched with the keenest interest. The feeling of all enlightened and temperate men is in favour of Mr. JOHNSON, who by a wise course of conciliatory policy has so far succeeded in regaining the confidence of the Southern people, and in bridging over the gulf between Federal and Confederate. Those who still retain in peace the virulence and intolerance of war, who triumph over a fallen and humiliated enemy, and aim rather at widening the breach than at clos ing it, may be very eloquent orators and very good party leaders, but they are very bad friends to their country at large. The commercial interests of Aerica are deeply interested in the res toration of tranquillity to the fertile plantations of the South, and unless the ultimatum of the ex treme Radical is to be carried out, the white popu lation deported, and the estates divided among the blacks and their prominent advisers, it is quite time that a more satisfactory tone was infused into Congress. So long as the Southern representatives are not admitted to the popular assembly there will be a sense of injustice and hardship which cannot be got over. It is cer tainly not in accordance with the theories of Ameri can statesmen that some millions of white people have no right to any voice in the Government. They have expressed an eager desire to legislate for themselves but they have been denied that privilege. Are they then to be refused a share in the government to which they are forced to submit ? If so, we shall have to look among the most oppressive despotisms of Europe to find a parallel with the free American Constitution. The Southern armies were forciby subdued, on the ground that the real feeling of the people was in favour of the Union, and that the leaders of the Secession movement had no power to break the Union. It is, therefore, only reasonable to infer that the triumphant party has no power to break the Union, to degrade certain states into a species of subjection or vassal age, and to disregard that part of the Constitution which provides that all States shall be represented in the National Assembly. The general news is interesting. Mr. SEWARD has returned to Washington, having been well re ceived at St. Thomas's and Havannah, and having had an interview at the former with SANTA ANNA. It is reported, though with what truth is uncertain, that Mr. SEWARD informed SANTA ANNA that the United States would never permit the permanent establishment of the Mexican Empire. At the same time:there is evidently no desire at head-quarters to precipitate matters, since Mr. STANTON and the PRESIDENT have informed Congress that it is incon sistent with the public interests to furnish the cor respotdence respecting the affair on the Rio Grande. General SIIERIDAN has also refused to permit emi grants to leave New Orleans for Mexico. It is said that Mr. SEWARD has received the answer of the French Government to his note as to the recogni tion of the Mexican empire, though what its pur port may be is not stated. We have an amusing instance of American cool ness in the report on the Reciprocity Treaty which has been laid before Congress. It proposes to con tinue the present treaty for one year from March next, provided that Canada repeals the duties and taxes on certain articles, raises the internal taxes on other articles, and discontinues her free ports on Lakes Huron and Superior 1 There are some other advantages to be secured to the Americans before she will kindly consent to renew a treaty which, ac• i cording to their own merchants of Detroit, is mainly for their own advantage ! It would teach these humble-minded gentlemen a useful lesson if Canada would quietly decline their offers and leave them to find out their mistake. However, there is little doubt that the Canadians will find some means to bring them to reason, since they can never consent to such extortionate demands. Strife and discord still prevail in Berlin, and each fresh item of intelligence only seems to confirm the unfavourable impression already entertained of the state of affairs over there. The Government seem resolved to push things a l'outrance, and alternately bully the Deputies and treat them with neglect. On Saturday the debate was resumed in the Chamber of Deputies on the motion proteSting against the decision of the Supreme Court restricting liberty of speech in the Chamber. The discussion was a very stormy one, and Count BISMARCK and the Ministers of the Interior and Justice richly deserved the de feat they subsequently met with on account of their vehement manner and intolerant language. They censured the Deputies in strong terms for the course they bad taken, and even went so far as to declare that they opposed the independence of the courts of justice, in order that they might be free to give vent to their " expressions of insult and calumny." It must be evident to all who hear this that these officials committed themselves the very error of which they accused others. What can be more in sulting than for Ministers to adopt such language towards the representatives of the people, and, con sidering the course pursued by the Prussian Depu ties, can anything be more calumniating than to address them in such terms. At any rate it is satisfactory to find that their conduct was re garded in the right light, and, after a debate on the subject, the Home adopted the motion of Herr VON HOVERBECK, thus recording their protest against the decision of the Supreme Court by a nu merous majority, 263 to 35 votes. This does not speak very much for the favour and influence which Ministers possess in the Chamber, and, indeed, it is long since they met with such a rebuff. It is high time that the Prussian Deputies should vindicate themselves from the charge of neglecting the in terests of their order, and of being indifferent to the rights and privileges of those they represent. It is difficult to form an opinion as to what course Minis ters will now pursue in Berlin. Will they set at defiance the opinion of the! House, or will they modifythis, thei r plans in some degree ? Time must sh but meanwhile it is no matter of doubt that the Government have got themselves into a complete fix, and how they can extricate themselves with anything like dignity and success to th e i r projects remains am to e tothemselves beseen. Austria is rapidly becoming a very dangerous Power to Prussia, and if she will only make the best use of her chances the present affords an excellent opportunity for her to escape from the thraldom in w hich kho has too long been held hi her arbitrary and encroaching ally. Many things seem to betoken that the time has passed when the Government of Vienna will give in as heretofore to the decisions of the Berlin Cabinet, and, however much they may secretly object to their proposals, in the end yield directly and indirectly to their demands. Count MEN s- DORFF'S last note to the Austrian Ambassador at Berlin announces the significant fact that Austria declines to entertain the "protest of Prussia with reference to the late public meeting at Altona." This is comprehensive enough, and the Presse also adds that in this note Count MENSDORFF alludes to the Gastein Convention, in which be declares that the two great German Powers possess equal rights in the ruling, those possessions being equally divided between them. He furthermore indignantly desires the right of Prussia to address complaints to Austria respecting the administration of Holstein. The Prussian despatch seems to indicate that Herr VON BISMARCK is getting uneasy at the independent attitude assumed by Austria, and he declares that the present state of things will not do for any long continuance, but he does not state at all clearly what is required to remedy the deficien cies complained of. It does not appear to lookers on that the present will be a favourable opportunity for the Berlin Government to enter into an alterca tion with Austria. France has turned a deaf ear to the wily proposals of BISMARCK, and at home the most untamed sentiments are entertained towards the arbitrary measures of the Government of King WILLIAM. The comparative calm which hasteigned for so long a period during the progression of the schemes, and the working of the plans of the subtle Prime Minister of Prussia seems likely at any moment now to be exchanged for the excitement and irritation that will usher in a storm that he may not have power to quell. Not much news is brought by the European, but so far all seems tranquil and proceeding in a satis factory manner to the despatch of business. The Legislature met on the 17th of January for the purpose of considering the demands of the new Governor. His Excellency opened the session with a brief but emphatic harangue, in which he declared that he had requested the attendance of the mem bers for the purpose of submitting to them a bill that should empower the Royal Commission to compel the attendance of witnesses, and also to ex amine them upon oath during the inquiry into the origin, nature, and circumstances of the late dis turbances in the island. The House of Assembly agreed to the address proposed by Mr. DE GOIDOVA, in which the Governor was assured of the intention of the House to give the Commission such statutory powers as appeared necessary to facilitate and. render efficient this " important inquiry." A bill introduced by Mr. WESTMORELAND to authorise her MAJESTY'S Commissioners to inquire into the disturbances, to enforce attendance, and to examine witnesses upon oath, was read a first time, and the rule was suspended in order that it might be read a second time and committed. No doubt is enter tained of the passing of the measure, which is so far satisfactory, because the sooner all parties are informed of the particulars of this disastrous affair the better, and there would be no end of confusion if the examinations were made in an uncertain and unauthorised manner. It must be said that the House of Assembly has displayed great judgment in this awkward business, and show that they will not allow prejudice and disapproval to interfere with the conduct of business and the necessary steps that should be taken to serve the demands of justice. When the European left the prisoners from Morant Bay and Port Antonio were being brought up for trial before the Commission, as also were the witnesses against them. The 20th of Janu ary was the time at which it was thought pro bable the members of the commission would ar rive ; and therefore it is not likely that much time will have been lost in inaugurating the affair. The public in England as well as the inhabitants of the colony will await with eagerness the result of the labours of the Commission, although no reasonable doubt can be entertained in the minds of efficient judges as to what will be the decision they will come to. CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PARIS, Sunday Evening. The only political news of interest to-day is from Spain. The Moniteur is silent on the subject, but a private letter from Madrid states that great agita tion prevails there, and that another insurrection is probable. There was a report of an attempt upon the life of Espartero. The accused was a sub-officer of cavalry, but was recently dismissed. A tremendous storm has prevailed at Paris all day, and no doubt it was very heavy at sea last night. 'The letters and papers from London of yesterday's date have not been delivered. Two rival hairdressers have appeared before the Juge de Paix to make known their grievances. The complainant, M. Prechard, is a man dressed with precision, and redolent of the divers perfumes of his shop. The defendant, M. Lionel, is of plainer ex terior, attired with the simplicity that seems to de note the opinion that a good-looking man " needs not the foreign aid of ornament." " What do you want," said the Judge to M. Prechard ! Com plainant—" I want M. Lionel to be restrained from decoying away my customers who come to have their beards shaved and their hair cut and curled." Defendant—He complains that I entice his patients away from him. The Judge—Don't quarrel here. Explain to me how M. Lionel injures you. Com plainant—l obey. They say that good wine needs no bush and no sign-board to recommend it, but in my business you can't do without a sign. I con sidered about it for a long time, and at last I hit upon a sign very appropriate for a hair-dresser. The. Judge—What is your sign? Complainant— It represents a man of middle age, decently dressed, hanging by the hair to a tree. It is Absalom, that image of the son of David, who never combed his hair. The Judge—Your sign, then, is Absalom ? Complainant—Yes, sir, and underneath is a verse in biblical style, which runs thus :—[Your corres pondent is a man who in general writes plain prose, but he invokes the Muses for once, and thus renders the " biblical" writing on the sign-board.]—. " Passers-by, stop, read, beware, Here is Absalom hanging by the hair ; This death so cruel, and so infra. dig. Would ne'er have been had he but worn a wig." The Judge—lt is a very good sign, but I don't see how it proves that your opponent wishes to • injure you in your business. Complainant—Ah ! there it is ; but it is by means of this sign that he has stuck the blow at me. It is through my sign that he wounds me. He has just got a sign which, by implication at least, criticises mine, for he gives another turn to the incident which mine pourtrays. " Describe it," said the judge." " Indeed," replied the complainant, "I shall not soil my lips with poetry only fit for the guardhouse. Let him describe it himself if he likes." Defendant—l will tell you about this sign which he considers insulting. Every one has the right to do honour to his profession, and my sign has this tendency. The judge—Give me an idea of it. Defendant—Nothing is more easy. In the first place, it has not more to do with David than if he had sent one of his children to the Hospice St. Paul. An honest man is about to drown himself. In fact, he is supposed to have jumped into the water. A courageous bystander plunges into the river and seizes the suicide by the wig. Alas nothing but that work of art remains in hii3 grasp, for the man sinks and is drowned. Underneath the sign is verse—again I attempt a liberal translation— " Sad sight is here—a man is drowned. It may be long before the body's found. An accident so sorrowful and so forlorn Would not have happened if a wig he'd worn." The poetry seemed to please the audience. They laughed, the judge laughed also, so did the two bar bers, and the judge cut short the hilarity by dis missing the case. The Marquis de Boissy, who made such a display of himself last year by his vulgar attacks upon England and the English in the Senate, is at it again. In the course of a rambling speech, in which he talked upon almost every subject extant, he said he was by no means of opinion that the meeting of the French and English fleets was any proof of ami cable feeling between the two countries. French and English sailors might appear to be great friends, but they were enemies in their hearts in reality. If the French sailors could have done as they liked, they would have cried heartily, " Down with the English navy !" and the English sailors would have cried, " Down with the French navy." There was in reality nothing amicable in the meeting of the two fleets, and the Queen had declared that it was intended as a demonstration against America. England was too weak now to make real opposition to France, even if the question were the annexation of Belgium to France. He thought it important to prove the weakness of England. After accusing England of fomenting the insurrection of the Southern States of America, the Marquis expressed his very great gratification. that England was surrounded with difficulties. The Marquis, in spite of the interruptions which con tinually assailed him, and in defiance of the mild remonstrances of the President, thanked God that England had to contend with another tremendous difficulty in the shape of Fenianism in Ireland. He then accused England of fostering dangerous secret societies, and with supplying money for the purposes of assassination. England had done her best to promote revolution abroad, but now she was furnished in kind by revo lution at home, for the Fenian conspiracy was the first step towards revolution. The silly but mis chievous orator contended that France ought to support Fenianism in Ireland. his next point was to deprecate the expressions of regret contained in the Emperor's Speech, at the death of King Leopold, who had been, since 1812, the most cunning, dan gerous, and inveterate enemy of France. His venom upon political topics being at length ex hausted, the Marquis commenced another discur sive range upon all sorts of subjects, beginning with that of agriculture. LA TEST INTELLIGENCE. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.) SPAIN AND CHILI. SOUTHAMPTON, FEB. 12. Valparaiso dates by the Atrato are to the 2nd ult. The successor of Admiral Pareja has raised the blockade of Coquimbo, and concentrated the Spanish squadron at Valparaiso and Caldera. Only two ports are now blockaded. The Spaniards appear to be afraid of separating their vessels and exposing them singly to Chili. The new commander of the Spanish squadron, Mernery, has raised himself to his present position by his bravery;. but it was not expected that he would attempt anything decisive in the war until fully in communication with Madrid. An attempt had been made by the launches of Spanish vessels to capture a Chilian steamer at Cal derilla, but after getting possession of her they were driven off by Chilian soldiers firing from shore. Several Spaniards were shot. On the arrival of the news of Admiral Pareja's death at Valparaiso, the Intendente offered to per mit the interment on shore ; but an answer was returned that he was already committed to the deep. The trade of the country progressed briskly, especially at all the unblockaded ports, and there was not sufficient tonnage to clear the products of the coast, which were waiting for shipment. The price of copper bad risen considerably, but a reac tion was expected. Wheat and flour were in de mand for Australia. The general state of the markets was little changed. Bar copper, per ggl., $l7. Exchange on London, 46} to 47 ; on Paris, 4.85. THE WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAIL. SOUTHAMPTON, FEB. 12. The Royal Mail Company's steamship Atrato, Capt. Jellico, has arrived. She left St. Thomas on the 29th ult., and experienced fine weather till the 7th instant; since then heavy south-westerly gales with heavy sea, and in the Channel a terrific gale, with tremendous sea. The Atrato brings 58 passengers ; specie, $1,133,562 ; pearls, $3,3u0 ; and 1,619 packages of cargo, chiefly indigo, tobacco, cochineal, cocoa, bark, and blubber. The Commissioners from the Canadas and other British North American provinces had arrived at Demerara for the purpose of consulting with the Governor and the merchants of the colony as to the best means of developing the trade between British North America and Demerara, the West Indies, a and fee south ng o f general Americanera terest. generally. This had caused Tonnage at Demerara was abundant ; freight for sugar to London and Liverpool Is. 6d. The past year shows a large increase of sugar and rum exported over the amount for 1864, and a decrease in timber, shingles, charcoal, and cocoa nuts. The Copenhagen, from Calcutta, had arrived at Demerara, with 360 immigrants. Exchange per £lOO, 90 days' sight, $476. The weather at Barbadoes showery, but in every way favourable to the planters. The crops promise to be good; and the sugar of finer quality than here- . tofore. The deepest interest was felt by all classes as to the result of the Jamaica inquiry. Sugar making had commenced on several estates. Health of the island good. , - PERU. CALLAO, JAN. 13. It is the general opinion that General Prado, the dictator of Peru, has evinced further capacity for supreme power, and continues to push forward re forms in all departments of the State, and by deter mination and honesty has gained ascendancy in the country. In order that the revenue from the guano may not be the only resource of the State, taxes are to be levied on produce exported ; silver, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco, and saltpetre are to pay 5 per cent. ad valorem duty ; brandy, 40 per cent. per arroba ; rum, 40 per cent. per gallon. It is reported that a 3 per cent. income tax will -be proposed. The old Bolivian money will be abolished on the Ist of April, and a currency established on the basis of sous and cents. An immense saving has been effected in the expenditure by the reduction of pensions on the retired army list. The establishment of railways all over the country is to be prosecuted. A commission of foreigners interested in the trade of Callao has been appointed for reporting the best means of in creasing shipping facilities. The Dictator, at a reception of the Chilian Pleni potentiary in Lima, said :—" I can assure you that Peru, in presence of the Chilian conflict with Spain, whether considered in its origin or tendency, finds it altogether essentially a Peruvian question. The ship Countess of Ripon, 1,209 tons, with H OUSES. —Messrs. TOPLIS and ROBERTS have numerous furnished and unfurnished TOWN, Suburban, and Country RESIDELS;;ES to LET or SEL L. ParLiculara upon application forwarded for two stamps, upon stating, requirements and rental. Offices, 2, Conduit street, Regent-•treet, and South Kensington, lacing the Museum. SOUTH KENSINGTON, HYDE-PARK, Queen's, and Rutland Gates, Queen's -gate and Peters ham Terraces, Queen's-gate, Cornwall, Princes and Beaufort Gardens, Elvaston-place, Cromwell-road, Onalow and T hurloe squares, Boltons, &c. Messrs TOPLIS and ROBE B.TS have RE DEN CES to SELL and LET in these and surro u reet, ndi and ng localities. O ffi ces, 2, Conduit-street, Regent-st south Kensington, facing the Museum. LIFEBOAT SERVI C ES. —During the stor ms of the past year the National Lifeb4e.t institution, by its life boats and other means, contributed to the savin; of 707 persons from different wrecks on our coasts. The Insti tution also expended £21,374 ln the same peri,,cl on its life boat eF tabslime its, in addition to the .£4,030 for le wards for saving iite and exeraising the lifeboats. The Committee of the Institution earnestly A i'PEAL to the public for AsSISTAN CE to ehable them to men the continued heavy demands on the institution's 153 lifeboat stations. Esq., at the Contributions are received by the London and country bankers ; and by the Secretary, Richard Lewis, Institution, 14, John-street, Adelphi, London. ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COV,ENT GAIL DEN. (Opera Company, Limited.) ae-appearance of Miss Louisa Pine and Mr. Henry Haigh. THIS EVENING (Monday), Auber's opera, LE DOMINO NOIR. Miss Louisa Pyne, Mesdames Tuirlwall, Leffler, and A. Cook ; Messrs. A. Cook, C. Lyall, E. Dussek, and Henry Conductor, Mr. Alfred Mellon. After which (terminating with the grand transformation ticene FUL ) the Leaf pantomime ALADDIN AND THE WON pERAMP. Commence at 7 o'clock. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.- Managers, leasrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Cliatterton. THIS EVENING, the Play of THE STRANGER. Mr. Phelps ; Messrs. B , rrett, G. Belmore, E. Phelps, Harcourt ; Mrs. Hermarn Vezin, Mises It. Leclercq, Seymour, &c After which, the Pantomime, LITTLt' KING PIPPIN ; or, Harlequin Fortunatus and the Magic Purse And Wishing Cap. Commence at 7, THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.- Sole Lessee and Mansg - Jr, Mr. Buckstone. THIS EVENING, BROTHER SAM : Messrs. Sothern, Buckstone, Compton; Mesdames IV elly Moose, Snowden. oke To be followed by ORPHEUS IN THE HAYMARK Messrs. W. Farren, Fisher, Bartleman, Weaihersby, &c ; Mesdames Keeley, Snowden, Moore, Lindley, Woolgar, Howard, trrighr, Coleman, Lovell, Prevot, &c. To conclude with FISH OUT OF WATER. Mr. Compton. Commoace at Seven. ROYAL LYCEUM T EIEATRE.- Under the sole Management of Mr. Fechter. THIS EVENING, THE ILLUSTRIOUS STRANGER. Mr. 11. Widdicornb. Alter Which, TETE MASTER OF RAVENSWOOD. Mr. Frchter; Messrs. Jordan, Emery, Tertian, Vezin, J. H. Fitzpatric , , D. Evans ; i...esdames E:sworthy, Lavenu, and C. Leclercq. Box Office open daily from Eleven till Five. NEW THEATRE-ROYAL ADELPHI Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster. THIS EVENING. at Seven, a new farce called PIPRIN'S RUSTIC RET REAL Messrs. J. L. Toole and P. Bediord, After which, at 8, RIP VAN WINKLE. Rip (his 138th appearance), Mr. -Jefferson, supported by Messrs. Billing tun, P. Bedford, it Phillips, Felix Rogtrs, Ashley, hburne, C. J. Smith; Mrs. Biliingtor, &c. To conclude with BEHIND TIME. Messrs. J. L. Toole, R. Phillips, Eburue, C. J. Smith ; Miss A. seaman, &c. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining. THIS EVENING, QUIET LODGINGS. After which, at a quarter to Eight, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND. Characters by Messrs. Vining, T. Mel ville, T. Mead, D. Murray, b. Calhaem, F. Vililers, J. G. shore, G. Murray, H. Mellon, C. Seyton, R. Cathcart; Miss L. Moore and Miss Katherine Rodgers. ROYAL SIRAND THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. twanborough. THIS EVENING, at Seven (7th time), a new and origi nal Comedy, THE FLY AND THE WEB. Messrs. Par selle and Price; Misses Swanborough and Raynham. After which gill be produced a new Opera Burlesque, L'AFRICAINE ; or, The Queen of the Cannibal Islan )8. Messrs. Stoyle, Jamcs, Thorne ; Mesdames Swanborough, Rayaham, Johnstone, &c. To conclude wqh LENDING A HAND. Messrs. Belford and Turner; Misses Simpson and Hughes. LAST EDITION OF " THE SUN," .x Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGEACe., ALL be had Every Evening - of G. R. GLENIE, NEWS AGENT, No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park. 711 HE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN " supplied, as soon as published every Evenin:, , , by W. ALEXAN DER (Iste BROOKS), Newspaper Agent, 24, Old Uttveucliso- ,reet, Oxford-street. THE LAST EDITION of " THE SUN " suppiie(f as ~, 0 0n at, l'ublished, containing all the LA I'E6T NEWS and. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE, by W. HARRIS, NeAspayer Agent, 4, Blacktriars-road, London, S. THE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN." .1. IIe.I.MES begs to inform his friends, and the pubic generally, tts.:, he supplies the LATI,ST THE SUN " as soon as published --No. 16, Hampstead road, N.W. PORTING.—JOHN ROBERTS supplies the L - 17 LATEST EDI VION of " : SUZI" soon as pub d.-4, Bath-strLer, City-road, E.C. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS DAY.—Morning, 11h. 59m.—Afternoon, h. m. To-Monnow.-Mornigg, 12n. 33m.—Afternoon, 12h. 58m. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12, 1866. 1,100 tons rice and 508 coolie emigrants from Calcutta, destined for Granada and St. Vincent, went on the Cobbler rocks and fastened there with 12 feet of water in the hold. H.M.S. Wolverine hastened to her assistance, and, with her lifeboat, succeeded in saving every soul, of whom 80 were young children. At Trinidad the weather was generally favourable to the planters. The sugar mills were at work and the machinery in motion on the estates. The loading of vessels was expected to be general in February. IHE BOMBAY MAIL. SOUTHAMPTON, FEB. 12. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam ship Euxine, with the above mails, has arrived here. She brings 41 passengers, £956 in specie, pearls value 5,000 rupees, and a general cargo, in cluding 227 bales of silk, value £20,000. Crossing the Bay, and near Ushant, she experi enced head south-westerly winds, with barometer falling, and on the 11th a tremendous gale and a high running sea, which compelled her to heave to. On the 11th inst. she spoke the steamer Ripon, on the 2d the Dido, on the Bth the Mongolia, and on the 9th the Aurora. There were 13 vessels of war at Malta. GIBRALTAR, FEB. 6. The United States sloop of war Kearsage arrived here on the 30th ult., and the Gironderoga on the Ist instant. They both saluted the garrison, which compliment the latter returned. Exchanges—London, 49i ; Paris, 5.13 ; Madrid, 1 discount. Premium on five-franc pieces, 1 to 1i discount. JAMAICA. (Per the Atrato.) OPENING OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION. KINGSTON, Jan. 25. The Royal Commissioners, Mr. Russell Gurney and Mr. B. Maule, arrived on the 20th inst., and on the 23d inst. the Royal Commission was formally opened at Spanish Town. After the reading of the commission, Sir Henry Storks said— " I declare the commission now open. The Royal Commissioners, in obedience to her Majesty's com mands, are anxious to obtain the fullest information touching the origin, nature, and circumstances of the late disturbances, and the means adopted in the course of their suppression. With this view they will summon such witnesses as appear to them likely to afford information on these points, and they will be glad to receive information from others as to any person .who will be able to throw light upon these transactions." In answer to letters which have been addressed to the Commissioners as to the course to be pur sued, it may be well to state that the inquiry will be an open one, and that if any evidence should be given which tends to incriminate any individual, that person will be allowed to test the accuracy of such evidence, and to tender counter-evidence in reply. The better course for any one to adopt who thinks that he can assist the Commissioners in obtaining information, will be to address the Secre tary, stating in full the name and address of the witness who can give such information. With respect to the applications which have been made by gentlemen connected with the public press, the Commissioners are not able to give them any specific direction. The publication or non-publica tion of details must be left to the discretion of the gentlemen engaged. The Commissioners would, ho wever, suggest that, supposing evidence to be given affecting individuals, it may be that justice may requires that the publication of such evidence should be suspended until the individual has himself had the opportunity of being heard. As it appears from the commission which has been read that the Commissioners are directed to con form to such instructions as may be given by the Secretary of State, it is only necessary to add that the one instruction that they have received is, that the inquiry should be " full, searching, and im partial." Mr. Gorrie, advocate, and Mr. J. Horne Payne, barrister, were in attendance, instructed by Mr. S. E. Burke, attorney-at-law. Mr. Phillipps, barrister, also attended, instructed by Mr. Harvey. Mr. Gorrie addressed the Commissioners as fol lows :-- May it please your Excellency,—l attend the Royal Commissioners on behalf of Mrs. George William Gordon, and numerous other parties, who allege themselves to be sufferers by the measures used for the suppression of the disturbances. With me is my learned brother Mr. John Horne Payne, of the Inner Temple. Mr. Phillipps said—l attend this Royal Commis sion on behalf of Dr. Underhill and other Baptist ministers of Jamaica, who are said in Governor Eyre's despatch to the Colonial Secretary to be im plicated in the recent disturbances. His Excellency the Governor, after consultation with the other Commissioners, said—lf evidence is offered tending to implicate those for whom you appear you will have an opportunity of attending to their interests. His Excellency then declared the Board adjourned until Thursday morning, to meet at 10 o'clock. The proceedings occupied about three-quarters of an hour. The special commission (special Court of Oyer an d Terminer) assembled on the 24th at the Court House in Kingston, the judges present being Sir Bryan Edwards, Knight Chief Justice, associated with the Hon. Alan Ker, Assistant Judge, and E. Lyons, H. F. Colthurst, and Wm. Barclay, Esqs., Commissioners. Two commissions were read from his Excellency, E. G. Eyre, Esq., the last of which is dated Jan. 3, 1866, confirming the commission nominated in Dec. last. Mr. Phillips, specially retained on behalf of parties held to bail to answer charges before this commis sion, raised several technical objections, which were overruled. The Chief Justice gave a lengthened charge, after which the grand jury retired, and some time after the Clerk of the Peace furnished the following : Regina v. Goldson.—True Bill.—lie was called upon his recognisances, and not appearing, his surety, Charles Clarke, was called upon to pro duce his body. Mr. Williams, on behalf of the Crown, moved fora bench warrant for his apprehension. A short time after another true bill was pro duced against Edwin Palmer, who was called upon on his recognisances, and appeared. Mr. Phillipps observed that up to the present time as he was not informed of the nature of the charge against Mr. Palmer he would request that a copy of the indictment and deposition be supplied him. Time granted till 10 a.m. the following day. Bail extended, and the Court adjourned. FRANCE. BOURSE, Feb. 10.—Three o'clock—The market at the close was firmer, prices closing as follows: 4,1 per Cents 9B 65 Roman 7O Do. end month — Ottoman Fives 39 50 3 per Cents. 6B 75 Mexican Loan 46 25 Do. end month 6B 77i Do. Bonds 3OO Credit Mobilier ... Russian Do, end month ... 667 50 Austrian Bank Shares — Spanish Threes ... Credit Fonder 1305 Home Debt Italian Loan 6O 20 Deferred Do. end month 6O 65 WAYS. RAIL' Orleans Cash. Acct. 852 50 1107 50 860 515 Northern . Lyons and Mediterranean. Southern Western Eastern Sardinian - - ... 532 50 - ... 150 - - _ ... 402 50 Austrian Lombard North of Spain Saragossa Ditto to Barcelona Roman - - ... 895 - __ - ... 165 -- - - ... 212 50 Liverpool Cotton Atarket.—.ri is Day The Cotton Market opens with a fair demand. Sales probably 10,000 bales or more, LITERATURE. Sir Buiwer Lytton's New Work. The Lost Tales of Miletus. By the Right Hon. Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, M.P., Bart. John Murray. Our English Boccaccio has never given a more signal attestation of his genius than by the produc tion of this exquisite volume. It is doubtless true that whatever may be the intrinsic value of the other sources of his reputation—and they are suffi ciently numerous--the paramount and distinctive fame of Sir Edward Lytton is the one long since acquired by him as a Novelist. In that character essentially, in defiance henceforth of all the fluctua tions and mutations of popular taste, he must ever hold his own as the BULWER of English Literature. And yet, quite apart from his repute as a Novelist, he has won distinction for himself of various kinds and in hardly any one instance of what can be called a secondary importance. As the Poet of " King Arthur" (of itself a title of glory) —as the Dramatist of " Richelieu," of " Money,' and of " The Lady of Lyons" —as the Essayist of "The Student," and of " Caxtoniana"—as theLyrist of the "Poems" (published like these " Lost Tales of Miletus," by Murray)--as the administrative crea tor and organiser of British Columbia—Sir Bulwer Lytton occupies, in each of those widely contrast ing departments of intellectual enterprise, as high ground, as recognisably conspicuous a distino tion—in his several capacities as Minister, that is, as Lyrist, as Essayist, as Dramatist, as Poet—as in that other and earlier eminence attained by him in his more frequently assumed, and for that one reason alone, we believe, his more widely appreciated capacity as a Prose-Romancist, or in one word as a Novelist. It is in this last-mentioned character, however, that he has achieved for himself, we must repeat, his para mount or distinctive -reputation in literature. As the raconteur, as the fabulist, as the prose story teller, he has, for one thing, entered the lists of letters the most frequently. It was there and as such—with that device of Novelist upon his shield— that he may be said to have won his spurs in the lists of literature, and to have received the knightly accolade. More than once since then, it might be asserted without anything like extravagance, he has achieved those distinctions, again and yet again, by entering into the old familiar arena, so to speak, with his vizor closed, now, par exemple, as the author of " Godolphin," now again as the author of " The Caxtons." It is, however, to our thinking, among the distinctive peculiarities of his genius, at once as Poet and as Novelist, that he is never more unquestionably or more recognisably the Poet than in the manifestation of his capacity as Novelist, than when he takes pen in hand as a Prose-Romancist. Insomuch is this the case with him, that occasionally although writing in prose, his prose is as rhythmical as though it were de signedly versification. Instance, many portions, sometimes nearly a whole book together, of his noble historical romance of " Harold"—a work the composition of which, indeed, in the mere rapidity, or rush of it—being written (the whole three volumes) within the compass of no more than three weeks—seems to breathe appreciably of the influence of what the scholiasts called the poetic Gestrum or afflatus. Take as one momentary ex emplar of the rhythmical flow and pulsation of the poetic prose of " Harold," those closing words of ch. 3, b. vii., where the deadly shafts of war, hurtling through the air, hiss into the froth and turmoil of the blood-stained water in quest of the life of Gyffyth the Welsh monarch, when the voice of the future sovereign of the Saxon race, the last of the Saxon Kings of the hereafter, is heard resound ing above the clang of battle—" 'Hold !' cried Harold the Earl—raising his hand on high—' No dastard dart at the brave!'" Or take again almost any portion of what might strictly be called the "Romance" pur et simple, intensely and essentially the Romance among all the romances, historical or otherwise, coming to us from the hand of the same author, his Romance of "Zanoni 1" And it really matters nothing whether attention be directed to this end—for the proving of our case—to the be ginning of that work, to the middle of it, or to its conclusion. Whether we turn to those opening pas sages of " Zanoni," where in poetic prose, in prose it might almost be said lyrical in its character, the love of Gaetone Pisani for his violin, his alter ego, his creature, his barbiton, is sung, so to speak, as in alternate strophes and antistrophes Whether we turn again to one of the central incidents of the same story, where, to the rattle of the castanets, Glyndon dances with Fillide in the bandit's lair—Tara-rara-ra 1 Tara rara-ra !—by the sheen of the moonlight. Or, whether, last not least of all—as proving the truth of what we are here insisting upon—we turn to those closing chapters of the same exquisite fiction [a work of art, by the way, that—it is interesting to re member now immediately upon the morrow of the great sculptor's death at Rome—was dedicated, at the time of its original publication, in fitting terms, by Bulwer, " Artist in Words," to Gibson, " Artist whose ideas speak in Marble"] to those concluding chapters, to that crowning book of " Zanoni," in which the blood-stained Demons of the Great Revo lution in France, the formidable . Leaders of the lieign of Terror, live and breathe once more in a lurid atmosphere all their own : appearing and dis appearing in ghastly succession until the final clank of the guillotine becomes audible--when a shriek is heard " and the crowd laugh amidst the shout of the countless thousands—and the axe descends and blackness rushes on thy soul, Maximilien Robes pierre 1" Numerous other instances quite as notable in their way as those already given, might be adduced from others among the famous prose fictions of Sir Bulwer Lytton, demonstrating quite as clearly as the foregoing excerpts from his " Harold" and his "Zanoni," that he is, in the manifestation of his genius, never more intensely or more essentially a Poet than in his character as a Novelist, than in his capacity as a Prose-Romancist. Who that is in any wiy familiar with his historical romance of " The Last of the Barons"— a work that we have reason to know was regarded by that naturally most fastidious critic of his torical romances, the late Mr. Hallam, with the highest admiration Mr. Hallam viewing it as the very archetype of what a historical romance ought to be—as realistic of a whole epoch—who that has once read that great work, " The Last of the Barons," can possibly have forgotten the ominous, the almost eltrich song of the " Tymbesteres," recurring again and yet again, like a haunting refrain amidst the harmonious flow of the stately and impassioned narrative ? And, who is there that, so remembering it, can fall to recognise in the author of the work, the Poet, no less than the Romancist ? As for the whole structure of the Tale of Murder that more than thirty years ago helped to win for Bulwer his early repu tation—it is as poetically conceived, as a tragic work of art—with the vague and awful shadow as of an inevitable Nemesis, perpetually ad vancing nearer and nearer upon the hero of the story—as any one, even the noblest amongst the dramatic masterpieces of the old classic Demi gods of Tragedy, as the Eumenides of /Eschylus, let us say, or, as the CEdipus of Sophocles. As poetically conceived, we maintain, as a tragic work of art, as either the Eumenides or the CEdipus, what though the principal figure brought before us in this later Tale of Murder wore neither sock nor buskin, spoke not from behind the hollow screen of the tragic mask, but appeared, on the contrary, under the simple guise, and clad in the homely broadcloth of a Schoolmaster of Lynn. Again, as to the entire conception of " The Last Days of Pompeii," is not the mind, is not the heart, is not the intensely sympathetic nature of the Poet quite as distinctly recognisable in that —in the whole dream of the story, in the loves of Glaucus and lone, in the creation of Arbaces the Egyptian, in the exquisite ima gining of Nydia the Flower Girl, the blind guide through the bewildering darkness of the last awful incident of the catastrophe—quite as dis tinctly recognisable, we repeat, as the Fictionist, as the Prose-Romancist? Enough, however, if while thus expatiating upon what appears to us to be the inextricable blending together in the genius cf Sir Bulwer Lytton, of the Poet and the Romancist, of the Poetic-Fabulist and of the Prose-Fabulist, we have in any way realised more vividly to the readers' perception, the fact we are here deskous:of their so realising as a means of affording them a clearer and juster appreciation of the exceptionally appropriate character of the present work as a product of the ripened powers of Sir Bulwer Lytton at once as Poet awl, as Novelist. " Ti me h as s p are d no remains , ' ' he reminds U 3 in the very first sentence of his Preface to the Eight Poems making UP the contents of this new volume—" Time has spared no remains, in their original form, of those famous ' Tales of Miletus,' which are generally considered to be the remote progenitors of the modern Novel." It is appropriate, therefore, that the great Mas ter of the Modern Novel should of all men livingho e been the one to celebrate thus after so many genera tions those all but forgotten Tales of Miletus, from which the Novel in its later form may thus be said to have remotely emanated. But it is especially appro priate that the celebration of them, that the revivifi cation, almost it might be said there-creation, of them should have been undertaken by him as a labour of love, necessitating as it is does for its just and ade quate fufilment the combination in the man of letters so undertaking the task, not only the skill of the practised romancist or raconteur, but with that also the acquired capacity of the Scholar, and the inborn genius of the Poet. What are here, in truth, three obvious essentials in the author of any suc h volume as this, are sound scholarship, poetic sym pathy, and constructive skill. And they are here-- those essentials—not alone discoverable when sought for like the kernel of a peach—they are, rather, discernible at a glance like the bloom upon its surface. Yet the task thus accomplished was manifestly in its very nature one of exceeding difla culty. It was not, strictly speaking, that of ad venturing into " fresh fields and pastures new "—fo r new these pastures are not assuredly, while the fields here penetrated, can only be regarded as so far fresh, for inasmuch as they have been lying fallow during so many centuries ! It is rather than that the creating a soul under the very ribs of death"--- or, more accurately still, to indicate the extraordinary difficulty of the achievement here ambitioned by the author of these " Lost Tales of Miletus," it has been one in some measure comparable to that accomplished some few years since by Professor Owen, when fro m the hint furnished •by the transmission to him of single bone from Australia he imagined to himself and in fact minutely described the whole ana tomical structure of a gigantic bird hitherto nu' dreamt of—a theoretical outline of an extinct crea ture, the philosophical accuracy of which the His tory of Science afterwards relates to have been mar vellously justified and verified by the discovery late r on in Australia of a complete skeleton of that gigan tic creature, that Roc of our Antipodes I Yet it is often thus in effect in regard to these " Lost Tales of Miletus," that out of the merest fragment, out of one solitary incident, out of some purely casual sug" gestion, now in Ovid, now in Parthenius, the whole fabric of a legendary tale is elaborately real.' structed. " Out of such indications of the charac ter and genius of the lost Milesian Fables, and fro m the remnants of myth and tale once in PoPu lar favour, which may be found, not only in suc h re pertories of ancient legend as those of Apollodorllo and Conon, but scattered throughout th e Scholiasts or in the pages of Pausanias and Ath , e i nmus"—Sir Bulwer Lytton himself observes- - have endeavoured to weave together a few stories that may serve as feeble specimens of the various kinds of subject in which these ancestral tale" tellers may have exercised their faculties of in n vention. I have select e d f rom H e ll en ic myths , he then adds, " those in w hi c h th e grou nd is not pre-occupied, by the great poets of antiquity, In works yet extant ; and which, therefore, may n o t be without the attraction of novelty to the genera l reader. In this selection," he goes on to silt as it appears to us quite unnecessarily, " I h ale avoided, of course, any of the more licentious themes, to which, it is to be feared, the Boccaccieli of Miletus sometimes stooped their genius ; wh ile I have endeavoured to take subjects which de pended for the popularity they once enjoyed on elements congenial to art in every land and age; subjects readily lending themselves to narrativ e , construction or dramatic situatio n , an d capa ble 0 ' that degree of human interest which is esential to the successful employment of all the more fancifu l agencies of wonder." It is not only in the selection of his themes, however, that his book possesses th e ~ charm of novelty for the Engli s h r eader; it isl et more, if we may so speak, in the manner in which he has thereupon ( a ft er th a t se l ec tion) work ed up those materials that hi s vo l ume a s a work art assumes to itself an especial air of attractiveness' The audience, it should be observed, whose attention apparently he alone aspires to gain while recoun t ing these "Lost Tales of Miletus"—an audien ce ; by the way, that he is quite certain of winning —is an audience of sc h o l ars , an au dience capable' in fact, of app rec i a ti ng th e t as t e an d the schola r ' ; 15 ship lavished upon these pages. If there th ' e one, however out of the Eight Poems in . der volume which is destined to w i n f or itself a wider popularity, it is assuredly that to which (possibly the , for this very reason) the a u th or h as accorded , on first place in the colle c ti on . " The Secret Way ,' on truth, is a story appealing di r ectly to the comp heartof humanity, for though it relates to the f ar Medea and Scythians, to the King Omartes an d n, Prince Zaraidres (here for the sake of euPli,ePtJo softened, by the dropping of a consonant/ 1110 0 Zaraides) —it relates also to the love-dreams an d A eventual recognition of two all but living s of breathing creatures of the human race, the lov ,f es or Argiope and of the Median Prince Zaraides. Ja . , that tale of love is told, let the following exq uisit e passage, descriptive of the character and appear ail di ,, of Omartes' daughter, the Princess Argiope, d cate here upon the insta n t, as by a prelude warb le upon dulcimers and flagiolets : Men blest her when she moved before their eyes Shame faced, as blushing to be born so fair, Mild as the child of gods Violet-crowned Athens hallowing named " Pity." Now, of a sudden, over that bright face There fell the shadow of some troubled thought, As cloud, from purest dews Updrawn, makes sorrowful a star in heaven: And as a nightingale that having heard A perfect music from some master's lyre, Steals into coverts lone, With her own melodies no more contented, But haunted by the strain, till then unknown, Seeks to re-sing it back, herself to charm, Seeks still and ever fails, Missing the key-note which unlocks the musio,-- So, from her former pastimes in the choir Of comrade virgins, stole Argiope, Lone amid summer leavea troub le Brooding that thought which was her joy an d The King discerned the change in his fair child, And questioned oft, yet could not loam the cause ; The sunny bridge between OP. The lip and heart which childhood builds was p ro Not more Aurora stealing into heaven Conceals the mystic treasures of the deep Whence with chaste blush she comes, Than virgin bosoms guard their earliest se cret. the From which one isolated fragment selecte d from the P earliest poem in the book, the peculi a rity of L yttea d ex erimental manner in which Sir Bulvr er has employed the classic materials here gatileren, together by him for the fabrication of these ss" stt i f called " Lost Tales of Miletus," will b e recognised and appreciated. It is the realisaanttou by him of a design, he tells us in his Preface, I°ll cherished, but upon which he has only jus t adventured—namely, the production o f new bnations of blank or rhymeless metre compose in lines —,- f lines of arbitrary length and modulation k.°_ which," he takes occasion to remark in par but "we haVe a few illustrious examples), b ut ~ the regularity and exactness of uniform stanza. The design is Horatian in its character and, we may say at once, that it 1 , 1 2 : been most successfully accomplished. It n ; ci, been accomplished with a success that we shot_ scarcely have conceived to have been possible.undre the circumstances, bearing in mind, that l a, the varied and subtle difficulties lying, as it were, 1 a mbush at every step (one is temp ted to say literally' at every foot) against its acc om p lishment. mere fragmentary passage already extracted froT, th e earliest poem in the volume, neverth e less, wt'S h av e clearly enough indicated the easy grace a ll elastic tread, so to speak, with which the perinea! p a thway has been traversed. But as au add