The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-23 00:00:00

TIIEATRE ROYAL ADELPIII.

Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste.

THIS EVENING,

Will be performed MARIE MTV:ME ; or, The Jersey Girl
Vollevwed by VALENTINE AND ORSON.
To conclude with the laughable Farce of BETSY E AKER.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Lessee, 3[r. J. H. Anderson. 18, Norfolk-street, Strand.
Increased Attractions, and saccess in equal ratio '
THIS, AND EVERY EVENING, at Eight o'Clock,
Will We presented, with entirely New and Ifagnitlcent Appoint-
atmts, tGfC and AEYSTERY, in twelve acts, arranged In two
parts, by PrJfessor Anderson.

After which, the startling illustrations of Spirit-Rapping. HALF-
Ai-FLOUR WI l'ff TEIF. SPIRITS.beinz the most surprising and
1 ateresting series of experiments ever given within the walls of any
theatre.

Revival, in an im)roved form, of the astoandinz novelty which
tartled London 10 years ago, the GREAT GUN TRICK
Priczs of a linksion:—Private 13):KOS, 11. Ils. GI. and U. Is. ;
Orchestra gtalls, 45.; Dress Boxes, 35.; Upper Boxes, 24.; Pit,
Is.; Gallery, sd. .No Half-price. Box-office open from II to 5
daily.

Gran.l 3forninz Perforarince on Saturday Nest at Two o'Clock.
Doors open at rialf.past One.

ROYAL STRAND THEATtot
Under the direction of Mr. Payne.
THIS EVENING,
Will be performed NICHOLAS NICKLE3Y.
After which, a :SP ANISti BALLET, by the Spanish Dancers,
Followed by NITOCRIS.
To conclude with TTIE LADIES' CLUB.

R )YAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.

THI3 EVENING,

Will be nresentel, TO OBLIGE 7NSINT, in which Messrs.
mery, F. Rob3on, Leslie, Mrs. Stirling, arviMis3 Ternan will appear.
After which, S riLL WATERS DEEP.
Followed by CATCHING A MER ‘IAID.

' Acts of Parliament, of Royal Charters, or compul-
sory endowments ? Indeed the endowment of one
creed, like bounties in commerce, is virtual
hostility to other creeds. We should like
to see JOHN BRIGHT, and Lord JOHN engaged
in a good round duel after this ex-Ministerial
flourish. It would be most entertaining to see
We quibbles and evasions of the aristocratic Whig
Churchman unmercifully smashed by the middle-
class and Radical Quaker. He would wield
against him, too, not only the irrevocable sen-
tences we have quoted, but the whole drift and
tenor of his lecture ; for it chiefly consisted of an
exhibition of the obstacles opposed to moral and
religious progress, by Governments overstepping
the proper bounds of their office. He had indeed
interposed a single sentence in favour of the "pro-
motion of religion and instruction of the young
by public grant or endowment," with the qualifi-
cation, however, " that it may be matter of some
question ;" of how much question it could not be
difficult to show if truth is to be left " to its own
sufficient armour," and if Governments " have no
special capacity to fit them for the task" of
control in matters of religion. We are
not so perverse as to suppose that Lord JOHN
will now depart from the practice of a life; and,
were he in office again, abide by what he said in
opposition. It is only in the latter position that
he puts forth his horns and seems to mean a
movement; once on the Treasury Benches he draws
them within his official shell, and makes all snug
again. After all it is obvious to thinking ob-
servers, that language like that of Lord STANLEY
en the one aide, and Lord JOHN RUSSELL on the
other, is the twilight of a great ecclesiastical
change. It bears, to our mind, the same relation
to our ecclesiastical future as PEEL'S ominous
declaration to the Tory squires of every man's
right to buy in the cheapest market and sell in the
dearest did to our then commercial future.
Events may accelerate or retard coming altera-
tions, but that they will come is evident when
our STARLETS and RUSSELLS express such views.

We are well pleased to notice some signs of
mechanical vigour in the War Department. In-
ventions are getting a trial at last. The new
pontoon rafts, although there are some reasons to
doubt the sufficiency of the thin copper employed
.
to resist the shock of the discharge of a largo mor-
tar, are a move, as a trial at least, in the right
direction. If copper does not answer, ingenuity
may devise something else. Better a dozen fail-
ures than lose one efficient invention—a rule we
would certainly apply to Lord DUNDONALD'S plans.
We hear nothing yet of our following France in
building floating batteries. How is this ? Not
a moment should be lost. Fifty of them would
be a cheap preparation for the Baltic, if cheap-
ness is to be tested by efficiency ; and more are
also needed in the Black Sea. We read of a
gun-boat built at Liverpool in an in-
credibly short time. Why are not all
our great shipbuilding ports called upon
in like manner ? Have we, then, actually
secured the gun-boats of Sweden If we could
but hope th;t, we might probably employ the
money better in enabling Sweden to man her ex-
cellent gun-boats than in building many for our-
selves. We much fear, however, that all reports
from Sweden are too good to be true. It seems
very evident what the French EMPEROR wishes of
that power, but Lord PALMERSTON has to ask,
What say the COBWRGS to it ?

Our readers may have noticed also the arrival

of the monster 42-inch shells from Low Moor—
to weigh one ton six cwts., and to contain half-a-
ton of ganpowder If these can really be thrown
by any mortar, and the shock of discharge borne
by any boat, verily Sweaborg, and Cronstadt itself,
must tremble. Succeed or fail we are glad to see
the trial making. Failure only entails the loss

of no large sum of money ; success, on the other

hand, will add another thorn to the crown of the
CZAR, if it be not blasphemy to recall the adula-
tory blasphemy of his Archbishop. Floating
batteries have, it is rumoured, already had their
influence in disposing him to think of peace ; but
if they are to be employed in throwing half tons
of gunpowder into his forts, he may well bethink
himself of asking mercy. We have not noticed
that any special contrivance, like double locks to
guns, has been adopted to insure the emplosion of
so costly a missile. From their size may not
double fumes be possible ?

It seems horrible to be ever taxing our inge-
nuity to devise the most effectual instruments for
wholesale slaughter ; if, however, human subjects
are wicked enough, or deluded enough to back their
111)narchs is wholesale robbery of other nations'
lands and liberties, nothing but such methods will
bring them to their senses. Messrs. STURGE and
PEASE tried their plan to the uttermost ; the
CZAR'S comment on their peace oratory was pub-
lished in the Principalities. Unreflecting hu-
manity mourns over the death of some three or
four hundred thousand Russians, but reflecting
humanity would rejoice in the death, or capture,
rather, this day, of every Russian soldier who
stands on soil wrested by perfidy and violence
from its native owners. Europe then might rest,
Poland, Hungary, and Italy could no longer be
trifled with or crushed, and something like liberty
might dawn on Germany, that despot's nest.

What we have so long and so perseveringly
urged on the attention of the Ministry is at length
about to be carried into execution. The Govern-
ment
in about to avail itself of the Polish ele-
ment, t 0 obtain the really valuable assistance of a
body of gallant and high-minded men, who only
opportunity of shedding their blood
panted for the
in the cause of their glorious, but deeply-injured,
country—who were ready, ais any
risk, and in any
slime, to inflict " a heavy blow and great
has th.
dis-
couragement" on the Autocratic oppressor of their
unfortunate brethren. Too long
16 source
of extraordinary strength and power been disre-
garded. Too long have we truckled to the be-
bests of Germanism, and, in the vain attempt to
conciliate a pretended friend, neglected those who
would have been far more useful to the great
cause fit which France and England have delibe-
rately el nbarked, than Austria or Prussia could
possibly have been, if their sincerity was as nu-
questionaNe as have been their treachery and in-
stability. We shall at length have a " Polish
Legion I" riot designated as such, for, unfortu-
nately, th a measure has not been so boldly pro-
claimed as it ought to have been ; but
"The rose, by any other name will smell as sweet."
And so ion as we have the assistance of these
gallant men, who possess the highest military
qualification .s, we shall remain contented with
what we t' nnot help feeling to be an ungracious
prohibition!.
Every Pole would feel himself trebly
armed whex
L fighting in the name of his dearly-
( loved fathm land-_a land the more cherished and
idolised fox • the very misfortunes it had endured
and is stilil enduring. But, although they would
have hallo& with gratitude a more independent
course, •' thil• still feel grateful for the opportunity
of dedi. :at'Lng their lives to the inspiring cause,
and we 7 enture to assert, without fear of contra-
diction, that not a single true-hearted Pole
because he will be will iv il %hold his aid,
termed one of Lile Cossacks of the Sultan."
,