The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

THE EGYPTIAN HALL.

Here there was a morning exhibition of the magnificent
moving panorama, illustrative of the tour of the Prince of
Wales in the Holy Land, Turkey, and Egypt, comprising
17 pictures painted by Telbin, with a lecture by Mr. Arthur
Matthison, and at intervals a musical accompaniment by
Mise Fosbroke. The exhibition, which is one of great inte-
rest, was repeated in the evening.

THE OXFORD AND CANTERBURY HALLS.
"'he Oxford and Canterbury are not, like the gentlemen
of the Oxford and Cambridge, in competition, and we can
at Easter time also put them under one head, both doing
their best, although not in rivalry, to gain the suffrages of
the public. We have very recently had occasion to speak
most favourably of the way in which the grand selection
from "Faust" has been presented at the former establish..
meat, and if we may judge from the applause bestowea
upon the performance last night, the audience fully ratified
the good opinion to which we lately gave expression. The
more the selection is sung the more smoothly do the choruses
go, whilst familiarity with the great solo airs for Faust,
Mephistopheles, and Marguerite adds veay much to tko
force and finish with which the morceaux are rendered.
tpheerio Oxford
x shefo rd has
and beentheCanterbury,
distinguishederbury:h
Miss Russell, who has had many roles to play during the
Seldo: Ibeei4endebnenttaer suited
fbiotteha
with music, or
had
more scope afforded for the display of
her undoubted musical talents. The choruses reel off
without hitch, and. when the full vocal and instrumental
strength of the company is called into requisition the effect
upon the ear is equal to that produced by some of the finest
representations of the opera itself we have yet had in this
country. Still, speaking of the Oxford, here it is that
, ns worth revels in those irresistible sallies of mock-oratory
that have quite removed his name from the category of the
mere Nigger Entertainer. In his way, Unsworth is a
teacher, who contrives, under the rough exterior of
a stump crator, invested with all dae absurdities
of costume, and descending to every extravagance of
gesture, to preach an amount of home-spun philosophy,
and scatter au amount of good advice, seasoned with banter
and oven denunciation against shams of every kind, that
may often be looked fur in vain from speakers who tal.e
ethics under their especial care, and aro more free in the
distribution of the pains and penalties which attach to
error. Here, too, Eugene by the beauty of his soprano
voice, and the splendid apeing of the female manner,leaves
half his audience in doubt as to his sex. INlnclag,an (whose,
" Thttar Bee -har" song ought still further to spread the
fame of Bass throughout the world), W. Randall, Jrster,
and little Nelly Power bring up the rear of an amount of
comic talent seldom equalled, even under Mr. Morton's
management. Of the Canterburyllall we have also recently
had to speak in terms of especial praise in a notice of the
brilliant Ghost illusion, called "Prince Blossom; or, the
Fairies of the Magic Fountain and the Forest of Shadows."
Its present representation morethanconfirms the judgment
we then passed, namely, that it is the most extraordinary
and powerful representation to which the invention first
produced Polytechnic a' the Polytechnic has given rise. It certainly
eclipses everything that has preceded it in the way of
scenic effect, Whilst the beautifta illusion of " Fame pass-

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE, under the
Management of Mr. B. WEBSTER.
Crowded with Rank and Fashion.—The greatly successful
new Comedy every Evening.—Re-engagement of those cele-
brated artistes, Mr. and Mrs. C. Mathews.—First time here
of the popular Burlesque, by J. R. Planche, Esq., The
Golden Fleece. Amongst the artists engaged will be found
.the names of 3fr. Benjamin Webster, Mr. Charles Mathews,
Mr. J. L. T9ole, Mr. J. Clarke, Mr. Paul Bedford, Mr. Frank
Matthews, Mr. F. Robinson ; Miss Herbert, Mrs. Charles
Mathews, Mrs. Frank Matthews, Miss A. Cottrell, Miss
Fanny Josephs, Miss Patti Josephs, Miss Wentworth, and
Mrs. Stirling.
Every Evening, at 7, the favourite Fare of FORTY AND
FIFTY : Mr. and Mrs. Frank Matthews.

At a quarter before 8, the successful new Comedy, by
L. Buckingham, Esq., entitled THE SILVER LINLIG- :
Mr. Charles Mathews, Mr. F. Robinson, Mr. Ashley, Mr.
Montague; Mrs. Charles Mathews, Mrs. Frank Matthews,
Miss A. Cottrell, Miss Wentworth, and Mrs. Stirling.

After which. first time here, THE GOLDEN FLEECE :
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mathews, Miss A. Ct,ttrel', and Mr. J.
Clarke.

To conclude with UNDER THE ROSE : Mr. Ashley and
Miss A. Cottrell.

Commence at 7.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. W. H. Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, a new Comedietta, A HUNT FOR A
HUSBAND.
Atter which, the Grand Christmas Burlesque, ORPHEUS
AND EURYDICE : Messrs. Honey, Wood, James Fenton,
Diesdames Swanborough, Marie Wilton, Hughes, &o.
Concluding with MARGATE SANDS.
Commence at 7.

ptiE TH(RD EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
.1 Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,
din be had Every Evening of
G. ft GLENIE, NEWS AGENT,
No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.

COALS.—The LILLESHALL COMPANY'S
COALS.

- ,
Direct from their own Collieries.
Marquis'. 265. per ton. I Double.. 21s. per ton.
Top 255. „ Nut 5........ l9s „
Deep 22s. „
Well screened and delivered within five miles of their De-
pots, Westbonrne Park-road, W., and i 7, South Wharf,
raddington, I,V,
Best Coke

Terms cash.
JOHN SCOTT, Sole Agent.

The Weather—Sun Office, March 29, 1864.

THERMOMETER.
This day at Two o'clock

Barometer-29.24.
___Wiud—North-West ; strong breeze, showery,.
______

Tins DAN.
IC4Tr
WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
"—Morning, 4h. 59n2.—Afternoon, sh. 16m.
rO.MORTLOIV..I%,
—olmin 5h 86ra —Afternoon, sh. 51m.
•

ft •:‘:, I
=- A,
4'4 "U. %.•
1

LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 1864.

The Volunteers of the United Kingdom now
number 159,000 disciplined Riflemen.
But, as his
Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief took occa-
sion to remark last evening at the Civic Banquet,
if only a third of that number, if merely 100,003 of
`those men can be brought into the field as an
auxiliary force c3pable of co-operating With the
regular army, a noble result may be said thereby to
have been already accomplished. Who will yen-•
tore to gainsay it ? The movement has during
the last six years effectually lived down all
opposition. Sir ROBE= PEEL himself has
long since apologized for his rather precipitate
derision of what has turned out to be far

more than any mere idle and fantastic playing at
soldiers. As a recognised and thoroughly organised,.
we will even add, as a permanent defensive force,
as one among the number of our great national in-
stitutions, the:Army of Rifle Volunteers has,within
the last half-dozen years, sprung into existence and
taken up an assured position among patriot Eng-
lishmen. It is a defiance of no one. It is simply
a defensive force, established with a provident
eye to future warlike contingencies. That para
bellum which in the old axiom is the onl y
rational sequel or reponse to the conjectural si vis
pacem, has never been more aptly illustrated than
it has been, encreasingly, during these six years last
past, since that first rifle corps was raised which
has gradually multiplied to this noble total of
150,000 well-appointed and highly-disciplined
volunteers. The Rifle Volunteers have so effectually
and efficieutly made good their way, indeed, that
they have long ago surpassed both the old forces of
the Militia and the Yeomanry. The position
they have won is such as neither the militia nor
the yeomanry have ever been able to attain, It
is such, in truth, it is so respectable, or rather
respected, it is a position already of so much
distinction that, for a long while past, in the
regular order of the toasts at our public banquets
the Three National Services are there, as an ordi-
nary rule, now pledged together—" The Army,
the Navy, end the Volunteers." It was thus last
evening, in accordance with the customary routiae
at the Easter Banquet already referred to, the annual
entertainment, that is given upon every recurring
Easter Monday by the Chief Magistrate of ,the City
of London. And it was when,replying to that toast,
inhis capacity as Commander-in-Chief, that H.R.H.
the Duke of CAMBRIDGE, spoke both for the
Army and for the Volunteers, as Admiral WALCOTT
afterwards did on the part of the maritime ser-
vice—it was then, we say, that the Prince
observed, in addition to that remark of his,
already particularised, that it was a satisfaction
for him to think that there had that day
been a large concentration of volunteer troops
in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. A
satisfaction, he said, because of the immense im-
portance of these very kind of demonstrations,
It must be acknowledged, however, now that those
proceedings of yesterday can be looked back at, that
it is matter for serious regret that they can hardly
be regarded altogether as satisfactory. The de-
monstration, there is no doubt, might have been
in every way more successful. Whatever failure
there has been in the ordering of the arrangements
of the Volunteer review this year, however, arose,
we believe, exclusively out of a very mistaken
choice of the locality. In this respect the Easter
Monday of 1864 must be allowed to have rather dis-
agreeably contrasted with its immediate predecessor.
The neighbourhood of Guildford, as the scene of the
display, can never for an instant vie with what is
remembered from last year in regard to the neigh-
bourhood of Brighton. In effect, we may be tole-
rably certain of this, that Guildford will not
very soon have the chance of entering thus into
competition with Brighton as the chosen arena for
this annual Review of the Rifle Volunteers. So
far, something has been learnt this year, rather
disagreeably, by experience..

Nothing is of more consequence in the mainte-
nance of authority than that discretion should
guide and govern all the steps taken, and be the
prevailing influence that reigns paramount to all
other considerations. In point of fact this is the
most important quality in any one who attempts to
command, and, devoid of this attribute, all other
gifts are valueless. A striking instance of the
want of this occurred the other day on board the
Resistance. This ship is now at Malts, and rumour
tells of a very unhappy feeling which prevails
among her crew. It is even said that a mutiny
nearly occurred, and that some guns were tam-
pered with. The means adopted by the captain to
put a stop to this distorted condition of affairs was
certainly a strange one, and it is to be trusted may
long remain an exception, and not a rule in the
procedure of other commanders. The captain
ordered all hands on deck, and then and there in-
vited the men to "state their reasons for dissatis-
faction." This might have answered if the matter
had not gone too far for a compromise, and doubt-
less with tact and discernment considerate com-
manders may avert many outbreaks by thus smooth-
ing down difficulties, and meeting offenders half-
way. On the present occasion, however, no such
satisfactory solution of the difficulty took place, and
no such skilful adjustment of affairs was apparent.
When, in answer to the request of the captain,
three men stood forth and stated their grounds of
complaint, he ordered them to be placed in irons,
and piped all hands below. Such a proceeding
is most amazing, and it is difficult to decide which
should be most deplored, the immediate or the ulti-
mate results of a hasty action like the one recorded.
What must have been the feelings of those who
were put in custody ? Why, they must have felt
that they had been entrapped into a snare, and it
need hardly be added, that such are not the senti-
ments which it is wise, safe, or prudent to allow to i
take root. The companions of the sufferers must
have returned to their posts burning with indigna-
tion at the treatment of their mates. It is almost
impossible to over-estimate or exaggerate the
grievous and injurious effects produced on all
hands by this arbitrary conduct of affairs. It might
have been the result of mistaken motives, but the
act anyhow is open to this interpretation, that there
was not sufficient evidence to convict, and, therefore,
the men were arraigned against themselves. This is
not the way to read the laws which are to rule and
regulate our sailors. It will never do for the nation
to give ground for believing that fair play and no
favour is no longer the maxim that is inculcated
above all others by authorities. It is as unwise and
ungenerous a proceeding as can be imagined, to
call men together and invite a frank avowal of
grievances, and then to turn round and resume
the hard and harsh functions of command. Of the
two it is always safest to err on the side of
leniency than on that of severity, and many ex-
amples have shown the authority possessed by the
commander who has not the hearts of his men, but
a certain amount of influence may be acquired even
by one who regards his men as machines and keeps
all things up to the mark stern and unflinching, if
those who are subjected to the rigid discipline feel
that all is straight and aboveboard is their treat-
ment, and that justice is as prompt to redress their
wrongs as to maintain the rights of those put over
them by authority. It is neither one thing or the
other, however, if men once get it into their heads
that they are made to act a part, and form part of a
system of espionage for the convenience of those
who may seek to possess themselves of the necessary
information regarding events. It is to be earnestly
trusted that this may remain a solitary instance,
and an isolated case in the records of our naval
annals. If a crew is disaffected, is it the way
to re-establish confidence by resorting to a
system of shufitiug and attempting to play
fast and loose, as it were. A more irritating
mode of procedure can hardly be imagined. The
only use of punishment is to produce an impression,
and that can never be done if any lingering notion
prevails of unfairness. All beneficial t ffects are at an
end then, and what might at other times have been

regarded as a mild sentence will infallibly be con-
sidered as harsh and cruel, and all other obnoxious
epithets will be freely applied by those who have
had their temper tried beyond endurance, and who
are wound up to frenzy by the thought that redress
is impossible for them, and they may any day
expect a similar treatment for themselves as that
just applied to their fellows. It is all very well to
say that these feelings are exaggerated, but has
not irritation at oppression in our times been the
most fearful source of disturbances, and occasioned
the most direful calamities. At the present time
it behoves all those in authority to use their utmost
efforts and make all their arrangements, so as to
render th e service of our navy as popular as may
be. If a riot should break out, as it may at any
day, it will be a great shame to our rulers, and a
deplorable calamity to our people, that our " hearts
of oak" have been mismanaged and tampered with
till in their disgust they have, in many instances,
transferred their services to more genial shores, end
left their native land for ever. Such mistakes
are fatal to the welfare of a country, and no nation
can flourish at home or abroad if the right treat-
ment of her soldiers and sailors is not one of the
chief objects of solicitude, and rigidly maintained
11 by all who are concerned with them.

We are not surprised to find a rapid success I
attending the movement on behalf of the wounded
Danes. The public sympathy and indignation, re-
pressed from more open and vigorous display, have
promptly shown themselves in contributing to the
consolation and succour of those brave but unfortu-
nate soldiers who have been left to struggle unaided
against desperate odds. Already large sums have been
remitted, and subscription lists have been opened
in different quarters for the same benevolent pur-
pose. English women, always prompt to minister
to the suffering, have come prominently forward on
this occasion; while other collections are being:made
under the auspices of the Lord Mayor, some of our
leading noblemen, and other influential persons.
The movement will probably spread very widely
over the country, and we need not doubt that the
amount subscribed will be fully commensurate with
the necessities of the case and worthy of the giver.
One of the most conspicuous of the provincial meet-
ings was held in the Merchants' Hall, Glasgow,
one day last week, when the eloquent voice of Sir
ARCHIBALD ALISON was raised in support of the
good cause. The resolution proposed by the emi-
nent Scottish historian ran as follows :—" That in
the opinion of this meeting, the circumstances in
which Denmark is at present placed are such as to
call for the warmest sympathy frcm the people of
England." It can easily be imagined how Sir
ARCHIBALD ALISON would enlarge upon such a
scheme, what rich historic lore, what argumenta-
tive eloquence, what honest indignation he would
bring to point his moral, and the meeting accepted
his resolution with unanimous applause. After
remarking upon the consanguinity of the races,
and the histories of England and Denmark, Sir
ARCHIBALD went on to show that the present
reigning House of this country was actually de-
scended from a Danish Princess—ANNE of Den-
mark, wife of JAMES 1., and mother of ELIZA-
BETH of Bohemia, through whom the House
of Hanover claimed the right to the
British Throne. More powerful still in awaking
oar national sympathies is the royal alliance of the
present day, an alliance so popular that it would of
itself have been sufficient to arouse our warmest
interest in the family and people of the fair and
fascinating Princess, who has taken up her dwelling
among us. But in a political point of view the
geographical position of Denmark is a matter
of more moment. It holds the key of our northern
commerce, being, as Sir ARCHIBALD very happily
phrased it, a porter at the gate of the Baltic. It is
this important situation whieh has gained for the
sturdy little kingdom the fortune or misfortune of
being so constantly discussed and disputed over in
European Cabinets, and which has elevated it into
sufficient consequence to induce the great Powers
to come forward and endeavour to settle the suc-
cession by the famous protocol of 1852. How far
this arrangement has produced the desired effect by
preserving peace and avoiding an arbitration by the
sword of all the disputed points of German gene-
alogy, we all know; but certainly its authors
would have found it very difficult to tie the Prus-
sians down tight enough to make them sacrifice
their favourite ambition. The acknowledgment of
the independence of Denmark, says Sir ARCHIBALD
ALISON, was simple and unconditional, and cannot
possibly be got rid of by any of the Powers that
signed the treaty. His authority may also be taken
with regard to another matter whose details are lees
familiar to the general reader. The author of the
History of Europe during the most eventful years
of modern times is certainly no contemptible referee
in such a case. He maintains stoutly that the Ger-
mans have no right whatever to meddle beyond the
Eider; that even the German Princes of Denmark
have no right to interfere in the private concerns of
the Danish Moaarchy ; that the Act of Federation
of 1815 nowhere alludes to any obligation as to a par-
ticular form of Government. The only point insisted
on being the existence of State assemblies. Sir
ARCHIBALD concluded a long and brilliant harangue
by urging the necessity
of an immediate display of
English power, and denouncing that system of none-
intervention which, however excellent it may be in
some respects, is now being carried to an extent
that is disgraceful to ourselves and damaging to the
best interests of mankind. The speaker told us
nothing new when he asserted that a declaration of
war would have been by no means necessary to
arrest the headlong course of the invader. How
far the peacemongers are attaining their ends by
this means, and how far they are over-reaching
themselves by preparing a storm against us, at pre-
sent nothing can be more friendly than the actual
sentiments and feelings of the Danish people towards
the English, however mach they may, or rather
must, resent the treacherous fast and loose alliance
which has only served to weaken them before the
struggle began. Since, then, we have such good
and potent allies sitting at this important gateway,
let us make the most of such an advantage even on
interested grounds. The great and powerful claims
of right and justice are, however, making theme
selves heard independently of all selfish considerae
time Let the Cabinet look to it, for this Glasgow
meeting is assuredly a sign of the times—a sign of
the growing and spreading of that strong feeling of
popular indignation which will before long call
kings and cabinets to account.

MONSTER STEAM HAMMER.--Messrs. R. and W.
Morrison, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, have just forged
the largest and most powerful steam hammer in the world
for the Russian Government. The piston rod to which the
hammer is attached is a ponderous piece of metal, weighing
no less than 42 tons in its rough forged state, and now,
when dressed down to the required dimensions, it has only
been reduced to 35 tons. The length of the piston rod is
38ft, the diameter 2ft 4in, having a stroke of 14ft Gin, the
piston being 6ft Sin. The forging of this mass of metal oc-
cupied 44 days. The cylinder for this hammer was cast at
the Eiswick Engine Works. Its diameter inside is Eft Bin,
its weight upwards of 40 tons. The two standards weigh
nearly 10 tons each. The united weights of the hammer
bar, the cylinders, and standards amount to over 150 tons.
LORD NORBURY, the famous Irish hanging judge,
is reported to have wept once, and once only, shedding teen:
upon this occasion, at the close of the 4‘ Beggar's Opera,'
when Macbeath Was repr!oved,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

[REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]