The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-02 00:00:00

THERMOMETER.

This day at Two o'clock 5l

Barometer-30.15.
Wind—W. ; moderate breeze, and cloudy.

HEM WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DA.T.—Morning, 10h. 50m.—Afternoon, 11h. 26m.
rO.MORBOW.-Morning, 11h. 56m.—Afternoon, h. in.

0, l9`'

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 2, 1864.

One of the most delightful among the annual ban-
quets familiar now to London society for the best
part of a century—the Royal Academy dinner—
was on Saturday evening more than usually de-
lightful. And it vv4s so, perhaps, from the simple
fact that a greater variety of noticeable men in dif-
ferent ways, happened on Saturday evening to have
been brought together. It is true, no doubt, that
several among the most eminent of our contempo-
raries were conspicuous by their absence from that
goodly company. By reason of a severe attack of
the gout the veteran Prime Minister was prevented
making his appearance. Among the eminent
lawyers there assembled many looked in vain
for one of the greatest of them all, as a
lawyer, the greatest we, should be tempted to say
but that the venerable Lord Sr. LEoNARDS still re-
mains pre-eminent, as such, among the Lord Chan-
cellor's leg 11 contemporaries. Great authors, again,
were there present on Saturday, but the Representa•
tive Man-or-letters amongst the great authors of
oar generatiQn_the Novelist, Poet, Dramatist, all
in our—was not present. Absent, too, from
amongst the Royal Academicians themselves,
swept away but very recently by death from that
noble roil of forty, were artists as distin-
guiscd as MLLREADY, and BITE, and COCKERELL.
-.:".fevertheless, in spite of omissions as remarkable
as those but just now particularized—though a
glance round the board failed to recognize, such Men
of Mark as Viscount PALMERSTON and Sir
, BULIVER
LYTTON and Lord I,A • .'ESTBURY—there were gathered
together at the Banquet table of the Royal Academy
on Saturday, men, so various in their parts, and
some amongst them so illustrious by their achieve-
trouts, that the Dinner of Saturday was in many
ways exceptional, even amongst the Academy
Dinners. In order to illustrate this very readily,
one need only run, the eye down the list of the
guests there assembled. But, apart from that, it
might be sufficient as affording an instant notion of
the especial interest attaching to the Academy
Dinner of Saturday, to refer to a single one amongst
the various speeches delivered by the different
professional men whose tames were coupled with
the toast, each of them, of him own peculiar and
especial profession. It will be enough, in truth,
to this end, if we direct attention to the speech ol
Mr. JOTIN FORSTEP. in returning thanks for the
toast of" The Interests of Literature." Than which
speech of Mr. FORSTER'S, by the way, nothing
surely in its manner could have been more
charming, certainly none could have been more
felicitous. Instance this, for example, the openiog

passages of it—where, after referring to the dis-
advantage he felt himself labouring under by
interposing thus before men with higher claims to
represent literature, he remarked—" I see in this
room the acknowledged representatives of some of
its highest departments. I see history appropriated
by the Academy herself, who, in Lard STANHOPE,
Dean MILATAN, and Mr. GROTE, possesses the lay
element so dear to Lord ELCHO—in a form which
I do not grudge it to her, but to which, for my
part, I should be well content to find that she
continued to restrict herself. I see poetry in
some pleasant forms known unto you all, and
esoccially in that of Mr. BROWNING, one of the most
original thinkers, as well as one of the first poets
of his time. In fiction, I see not only the great
Master of Character and Humour (Mr. DICKENS),
who has held sway over both for now more than a
quarter of a century, and this very day starts after
new laurels with as much vigour and freshness as
when he first began the race ; but also others whose
laurels are of later growth, such as he who built
for us Barchester Towers,' and the Small
House at Allington ; ' and that son of a former
member of this academy, who, claiming to be
remembered for 'No Name,' has here a special
title to remembrance in right of two of the greatest
names familiar to these walls—names dear and
honoured wherever English art is known, and
which may borrow from the art of Mr. WILKIE
COLLINS—new claims to the admiration of their
countrymen." Than all which, we take it, no
tributary words of a discriminative admiration
for some among his contemporary authors
far beyond the level of mere compliment—
than all which, we say, nothing surely could be
more eminently happy or more completely delight-
ful.

Another incident of the evening should not
be allowed to pass unnoticed in this year of the
tercentenary, namely, the interpolation for once
among the customary toasts given by the President
of the Academy, of the exceptional Toast of the Year,
" The Immortal Mamory of Shakspere." Neverthe-
less, even here, gracefully and befittingly though
the toast was introduced by the few spoken words
of the President, it was strangely of a piece with
' the whole series of failures henceforth to be
associated with the recollection:ld this great
attempted (merely attempted) Tercentenary
Celebration —it is entirely of a piece with it
all, that the Immortal Memory of SHAKSPERE
was welcomed, even by that congenial audience
with a cool, or rather, it should be said, refri-
gerating "Hear, hear !" As who should say—" Lord
FREDERICK VERISOPELT was right, after all,
when lisping (as a sort of anticipation of Lord
DIINDREARY)-1 SHAR.SPERE was a cley-ver man !'"
Reverting, however, for a moment, before we close
these remarks of ours upon the Academy dinner
of last Saturday—reverting for yet another moment
to the speech which we must still regard as among,
them all the speech of the evening—that of Mr.
FORSTER in acknowledging the toast in reference
to literature—it is particularly worthy of attention,
we conceive, how, in what terms, towards the con-
clusion of his remarks he makes allusion to two of
the greatest painters of th© present age—to DANIEL
MACLISE and JOHN HERBERT. artists conspicuous
even among the eminent throng of Academicians. " I
have spoken," said Mr. FOBUTER, "of the painters
who are present on these walls; but there are two
great painters conspicuous by their absence from
them, and having lately seen the extraordinary
works with which Mr. MACLISE and Mr. HERBERT
are now adorning the walls of the Palace at West-
minster, I desire, however feebly, to repeat the
praise I hear on every side, that what has so been
, done, not merely r€ fleets anhonour on this academy,
but sheds a glory on the country." And he added,
" Such works are national in the highest sense; and
the men who can produce them—who can so cele-
brate our history, and give visible embodiment to
the grandest and most sacred traditions of our race
—the men, I say, who so can execute a national
work, are entitled to no niggardly reward." Surely ;
they are entitled to it—and they are certain of re-
ceiving it.

Lord RUSSELL need not plume himself upon the
result of the debate on Friday touching the steam
rams appertaining to the Messrs. LAIRD. Vox et
preterea nail cannot be applied to this affair, for the
effects of the earnest and eloquent words of the
noble earl, the leader of the Opposition, will not
pass away; and he has so skilfully brought out facts,
and commented on occurrences, that a new light
seems to be thrown upon the subject, and the un-
fairness of Lord IttessELL'a conduct appears in
stronger colours than ever. The affair must have
been a very annoying one to the noble lord, for
it was no chance query, and no indignant remons-
trance from a nobody that he had to listen to ; nor,
still more, did the demand assume the convenient
form of an inquiry in the other House, where
Under-Secretaries could snub the impertinent
querist, or if he was dangerous, the noble lord at
the head of the Government could get up a laugh
against him, or rise into the sublime attitude of
patriotism, which he can so well do, and which
takes in so many. E trl RUSSELL is very bad at a
reply. He always get irritated, and that never does
when one has to contand against the disadvantage
of being in the wring. Cela vu sans dire, that this
is always the case when foreign policy is discussed
at present. Instead of trying to put aside the attacks
of his adversary, he generally endorses his accu-
sations with unnecessary force, and eagerly admits
all that in its enunciation has told against him.
Lord DERBY very properly contrasted the conduct
of the Messrs. LAIRD with that of the Foreign
Szcretary, and alluded to the unwarrantable manner
in which the Government had acted regarding the
production of the papers. This refusal or hesita-
tion alone stamps the conduct of the authorities as
subt:e and delusive. The whole transaction is in-
deed marked with the greatest duplicity, and the
affair very much resembles those underhand dealings
and covert attacks which the generation of the good
old times would have called un-English, but which
must now, alas, be considered as the definition of
our tactics and the ruling spirit of our councils.
Lord DERBY also made reference to the manner in
which our Government had been imposed upon by
a report, which had turned out to be a forgery, con-
cerning the Confederate States. He eagerly calve.
rated the claims of British subjtcts, and contended
that injustice had been done to them by the conduct
of the noble lord. Earl RUSSELL'S reply to these
strictures was given in his hardest and most imprac
ticable style. All ho had done was right from the
beginning, and no inconvenience to those whom he
had interfered with gave him the slightest uneasi-
ness, or caused him any regret. This was the sub-
stance of his discourse, and when one reads his
irritating speech, full of the most unworthy senti-
ments, we cannot but rejoice that the manly utter-
ances and striking expressions of Lord DERBY have
gone forth to the world side by side with the maun-
dering arguments and waspish remarks of the noble
lord who tells us to rest and be thankful in a state
of affairs unparalleled in the memory of
the present
generation for danger and difficulty. The text of
Lord ItussELL's speeches is always the same. He
entertained great fears lest the course of events and
I the conduct of individua!s should offthid the Fade-
rals, and give the traitlid States a just ground for

hostilities. Is this the tone which should actuato
au English Minister in descanting upon subjects

connected with the vital interests of our country-
men ? Let him deprecate undue interference, cen-
sure a violation of the rights of nations, denounce
any offence—open or covert—against our allies, or
against the belligerents with whose quarrels we
have no concern. All this may be tolerated, but it
has come to a pretty pass if the chief reason our
representative with foreign nations can give for his
actions is that he is afraid. The only fear that he ought
to recognise is the dread of wrong doing, lest any
act of his should compromise the character of
the country he represents, but all things seem
changed in these degenerate times, and it is the
fashion to acknowledge openly in some quarters the
great horror that is felt lest such a one should be
offended, or this or that country entertain a doubt
as to our intentions. This may be a convenient
mode of policy, and gain great eclat from the unini-
tiated, but Earl RUSSELL may learn one day to his
coat that this was not the manner in which our
greatness was achieved or our renown spread abroad.
The empire on which the sun never sets was not
won by timorous statesmen, nor was the influence of
England consolidated by tyrannising over her sub-
jects at home to suit the purposes and satisfy the
arbitrary demands of insolent and overbearing
foreigners. The effrontery of the Foreign Secretary
amounts to impertinence. He has good grounds for
his belief that the vessels are what he has repre-
sented them to be. After the many rebuffs he has
met with in the case of the Alexandra, some persons
might have imagined that he would have acquired
a little moderation, or, at all events, have affected
the virtue if he had it not. It appears, however,
that persistence in these aggressive actions has
rendered the noble lord quite impervious to the
rebukere of indignant and independent lookers-on,
and totally oblivious to the outrage on public
opinion and the offence against national honour.
Some day the infatuated individuals who helped to
put these Ministers in office will count up the cost
it has been to their country in civil rights and
foreign reputation. It is always a source of great
satisfaction to think, that those who are at the helm
of public affairs will so conduct themselves that the
spirit of the country may be represented in its
" integrity and independence." This cannot be
said now, and the more we survey the state of things
at home and abroad, the more we can appreciate
he truth of Mr. DISRAELI'S memorable remark,
,hat " England does not love Coalitions."

The opening of the " Merry Month of May" has

Long been invested with a sort of traditionary im,

portance. It is true that the old holiday has died

oat, and more is the pity, for our national diversions
are not too numerous ; it is true that the village
maypole has long been replaced by Jack-in-the-
green, and May Queens are only to be fouud In
glees and cantata. Still something of poetry clings
to the ancient festival, although the May sunbeams
may find us still plodding on our usual routine
existence amid the hum. and bustle of cities instead
of " hastening to the woods away." There are
other associations too, less romantic but not less
pleasing connected with the first of May. The pre-
sent generation chiefly think of the Mayday holie
day as it affected the tribes of little chimney sweeps
to whom the kindness of a benevolent lady long
rendered it an especial festival. That one day of
happiness did much no doubt to enliven the weary
year of these little ill-used urchins, both in prospect
and retrospect. Kindness and good cheer were
theirs at least one day of the 365, and we may be
sure that no fair village maiden, longing to wear her
mimic crown " beneath the hawthorn on. the
green" looked forwt.ri to the memorable day with
more eager animation than did those poor children
to their yearly treat. The old custom has now
fallen into desuetude, owing it was thought to the
suppression of the trade. ise and good men have
succeeded, after much labour, in getting an act
passed rendering any one who employsboys of tens
der age to sweep chimneys liable to punishment.
Much good has no doubt boen done, but some re-
mains to do, and we trust the public will help the
good cause by their warm and constant support.
It appears from the facts brought forward by Mr.
DIGBY SEYMOUR, on Friday evening, that in many
places the act against employing boys in chimney
sweeping is a dead letter. In Birmingham the
practice is reported increasing, while in Manchester
it is even carried so far that girls of tender age are
employed in the dangerous and miserable task.
When such is the state of things in the great
centres of our commercial activity, it is not, per-
haps, surprising that affairs should be even worse
in more rural districts. At Ashton and Staley-
bridge, it appears from evidence that no less than
73 chimneys were swept in the course of three days
by boys employed by only ()Le master, and as there
is no reason to suppose that his competitors were
innocent of the offence, we must conclude that the
number of victims to this cruel practice is very
great in those places alone. At Buckingham, most
of the inhabitants, in defiance of the Act, prefer to

have boys, and prominent among them is one of the
legislators themselves, who has apparently no more
respect for law tha❑ for humanity. Other locali-
ties are equally culpable—in one, the flue of the
parish church being swept by a boy head down•
wards; in another, two inquests having been
lately held on boys killed in the act. Accord-
ing to the evidence of a Leicester magistrate,
there is a regular system of hire and sale of
these unfortunate children carried on, and for
many years people believed that the practice was
entirely abandoned ! It is needless to recapitulate
the horrors of the trade•—the dreadful apprentice-
ship of hardening the tender young flesh by means
of brine rubbed in before a hot fire, the sores, the
deformity, the " sooty cancer" which adds to the
terrors of their fate. As Mr. SEYMOUR very justly
observed iu statement of their case, the horrors of
negro slavery aro exceeded by the daily miseries
undergone by the chimney-sweepers' miserable
assistants. How is it, then, that Englishmen
must bear such a reproach to their humanity
as the sufferance or even the encourage-
ment of such a trade ? How is it that
any question of trivial advantage of conveniencee
is suffered to weigh against the tortures inflicted on
these poor little children ? How is it that open
infraction of the law is constantly practised, and
that magistrates so far from rooting out the evil
by every means in their power, and visiting the
offenders with the severest penalties allowed them
actually hesitate to enforce the law and shrink from
the imposition of fines ? Such apathy is marvellous,
It was assuredly never intended at the time of pass•
ing the Act that it should be a dead letter. Have
we then gone backwards in our social progress, has
our humanity grown cooler and more calculating,
our sense of justice less acute, that so far from taking
fresh steps for the protection of the weak and help-
less, we do not even use the weapons provided for
us in their behalf. It is quite time that this was
looked too, and Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR deserves the
thanks of all humane persons, as he will assuredly
obtain those of his poor oppressed little clients, for
bringing the matter forward. The learned gentle-
man reminded the House of the fact that in Seot-
hied the practice was unknown, owing to the police
being empowered to interfere, and to master sweeps
' requiring a iftence which of course is forfeited by
misconduct, litre then is a very atitiolld evil, one