The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-11 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY Ermug°, NOVEMBER 11, 1862.

mittee itself admitted the soundness of this prin-
ciple when it acceded to Mr. WHITWORTH'S
stipulation that members of scientific societies
should be present at the experiments. But besides
that it rendered the concession practically futile

by refusing Mr. WHITWORTH the means of fully
showing the capabilities of his guns, and by refusing
to conduct the experiments so that he and other
men engaged in business might attend them, the
concession itself fell far short of what the public is
entitled to require. There are thousands of men
of science whose opinion is eminently entitled to
respect who cannot go down to Shoeburyness at
all, and there is a constant stream of inventors,
whose schemes, for aught we know, may be entitled
to as much consideration as even Mr. WHITWORTH'S.
To meet these cases there is but one resource. The
authorities ought to announce each trial before it
takes place ; they ought to admit all who desire
to see it, and they ought to publish at once an
official statement of its results. Then there would
be security that nothing was done through special
favour, that nothing was incorrectly reported, and
that no suggestion which might come from the re-
motest part of the kingdom should escape due con-
sideration. There is nothing but the merest red-
tapeism which is opposed to such a principle.
When Sir Gamins Lewis, last session, refused
to produce to the House of Commons, then en-
gaged on the question of the Spithead Forts,
the results of the trials of guns against armour
plates, results obviously of vital import to the dis-
cussion in hand, he could allege no other reason
than that "it was not usual to give
" such returns." Now, beyond any doubt,
these returns were at the moment in
the hands of all the Continental Governments, for
there could not be, and there was not, any pre-
tence that the trials could be conducted in abso-
lute privacy. The result, therefore, of adhering
to precedent was simply that our governing body,
the House of Commons, was deprived of data for
its decision which the Governments of all our pos-
sible enemies had in their possession, and which
we had furnished them with. What has thus
happened with regard] to our means of defence, is
happening equally with regard to our means of
offence. While our Ordnance Committees are
feebly invoking form and precedent, foreign
nations are actively trying and carefully deciding.
Despotisms have at least the advantage of being
above partiality, and of being compelled to pre-
serve their existence by finding out and securing
the best procurable weapons. A free nation can
fight against them only by asserting its right to
know everything on which its safety depends, and
it can only save its Ministers from yielding to
weakness or to malign influence by insisting that
they act in the full light of day.

first class credits, 2s. 01d. Government securi-
ties—Five per Cents., 101 i. Freights to London
for seeds, 90s.

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

The attendance at the Exhibition was very slack
yesterday, probably in consequence of the Lord
Mayor's show, which filled the streets both with
carriages and pedestrians. There was more pack-
ing up than trade, hut the former still chiefly con-
fined to the heavier and less saleable articles.

We find that in mentioning in yesterday's Exhi-
bition notice the cessation of the more elaborate
operations of the culinary department we were in
error in stating that on the withdrawal of the fire-
men the commissioners had taken the initia-
tive. It was the contractor who gave notice
that he was about to diminish the number
of his fires, and as a necessary consequence a pro-
portionate number of firemen were withdrawn. The
substantial facts, however, remain the same ; the
firemen have been withdrawn, and the cooking has
bad to be simplified to soups, chops, and steaks in
consequence. The number of visitors was
about 6 000. , . _ .

Yesterday a further portion of the jury reports--
those on steel, musical instruments, surgical instru-
ments, and works in precious metals—was pub-
lished by Messrs. Bell and Daldy, for the Society
of Arta.

DRAMA.

OLYMPIC.

After the long dearth of dramatic novelties
which has characterisrd the Exhibition year, it is a comfort
to welcome anything in the shape of a new play. Without
feeling any contempt for Lord Dundreary, or any want of
appreciation of the "Colleen 13awn " and the " Peep
o'Day," we are delighted at any alteration of our theatrical
diet.

Fortunately the drama by Mr. Watts Phillips, produced
last night at the Olympic Theatre, under the title of
"Camilla's Husband," has sufficient merit and taking quality
to warrant us in applauding it on other grounds than a weak
desire for change.
The story is interesting, but somewhat involved. The
dialogue is ambitious, and studded with a number of
epigrammatic sarcasms on the world, such as have orna-
mented other dramas by the same author, but it is seldom
weak, and is always dramatic. As the time of the play,
however, is laid in 1762, the dialofoe might have had a
little more flavour of the period.
The acting contributed much to the success of the drama
-CIRICC6IIII which was deserved andgenuine. Lady Camilla
was played by Miss Kate Saville with a degree of power
and earnestness reminding us very forcibly of her teacher
Miss Helen Fancit. Her two great scenes with her
husband bad all the dignity without the staginess which is
the curse of whht is called the high drams, nor was she
wanting in tenderness and womanly grace, when these
qualities were required. Mr. H. Neville, as the &diet, has
taken a first place as a romantic actor. His performance
was worth more than the affected mouthinga of a dozen
ordinary Claude Melnottes. His .sentiment was manly, his
action graceful, and his elocution pleasing end unlabor-ed.
With many opportunities for ranting, he kept his energy
down, and reminded us at times of Mr. Alfred Wigan in
his best moods. We can hardly give him higher praise.
It is something new at this theatre to find Mr. Robson
playing the her." of an underplot, and playing it with all that
old spirit which first made his reputation. As a travelling
tinker named Dogbriar, a character which is neither the
Boots at the Swan nor the old porter in the Porter's If not,
but which seems to be partly acompound of the two, he gave
one of those characteristic sketches which have placed him
at the head of low comedians. His dress, of the " Cheap
Jack" order, was true to the life—the life, however, of 1861
not 1762—and his low, cunning humour, drawn from long
observation of the class he was representing, relieved
the more stilted portions of the drama. Miss F,
Haydon played a young gipsy in love with the
artist with a good deal of gentle grace; and
Mr. Horace Wigan, as usual, made a quaint substantisl
creation of the merest trifle of dialogue put into the mouth
of an old selfish innkeeper. Mr. G. Vincent, as the villain
of the piece, would have been much better if his make up had
been less like a villain of the good old melo-dramatic school.

Such villains take such pains to carry their designs upon
their foreheads, that it would be wonderful if they suc-
ceeded in deceiving a child. There is no good reason why
stage villainy should always be emaciated with a long, curly
raven wig, and knowing a good many fair scoundrels, we
should like to see a little change of hair. Him acting
wu careful, studied, and not offensive. The minor cheraa
tars, which were rather numerous, were tolerably well filled ;
and Miss Stephens—a true artist—made the most of an old
gipsy woman. The principal perfumers were enthusiasti.
rally called before the cut Min at the end of each act, and
the piece was announced for repetition by Mr. Robson
amidst loud applause.
The new farce—adapted from the French by Mr. Horace
Wigan—called A Southerner Just Arrived, amuses by its
extravagance, and serve to show the versatility of the
company.

MUSIC.