The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-11 00:00:00

SUN,

LONDON,

he pr.—

A.TURE

eau reeee;et t:e ,::":1•.,%
sro,,d the Government were not pre:v.:eel to do se. If the
Huse ehould assent to the intreduceion of the I3iil,.he
should not object to refer it to a Cemreittee up-staire, in
order that it, detaili; might be fully censidered.
Mr. LABOUCEIERE did not object to the introduc-
tion of the measure; on the contra:-y, hz was glad the
qeestion had beers broeget b9fere Perliaeaent curl the
people. of Ireland. Foe principle of the reassure, us
stated by tee Hon. Geeit!eeaan, had been brow-fit before
the Government in the cnurse of last section by Lord
Enniskillen and others, and in answer to their letter, the
Noble Lord at the head of the Government stated that,
provided public feeling in Ireland was expressed in
favour of the measure sugeested, he should be quite
willing to give every facility for the currying their
wishesinto cif c'. Since that time, however, the Go-
vernment had not received from any of the constituted
authorities in Ireland any assurance that there was a
general desire that the principle should be carried out.
If they had received such an assurance he should—
having been convinced of the importance of granting
facilities for the completion of railways in Ireland—have
felt it to he his duty to bring the question
.before the
House. He did not think they would be justifiers in
proposing any very great diversity of legislation with
regard to railways in Ireland from that which existed in.
this country, unless a clear and general expression of
opinion to that eff,ct were made by the Irish Members.
Not having seen the proposd measure, he could give no
opinion as to its details, but no doubt they would require
to be carefully considered. He hoped the Hon, Member
would fix a distant day for the second reading.
Colouel DUNNE believed that the Irish Members
were in favour of the principle of the Bill; in answer
to the remark of the President of the Board of Trade,
that no feeling in favour of that principle had been ex-
pressed by the grand juries of Ireland, recalled to his re.
colirctien that no teisiz9s had been held since the elate of
the answer of the Noble Lerd to the representation ad-
dressed to him.

L,e

LEcruuE on the ITALIAN L 3NGI7 AGE.

By Ignatius Valletta. Vinton and Sons.
Having imrselves.experienced much pleasure in the.
perusal Of this very el,gant and ingenious disserta-
tion, we would here especially commend it to the atten-
tion at once of the classical student and of the modern
philologist. Its writer has already, we believe, illus-
trated his abilities in a remarkable manner by trans-
lating into the melodious tongue of Italy several of
the dramstic masterpieces of Shakspere. Who,
therefore, can be more peculiarly qualified than
Ignatius Valletta to address himself to an English
audience upon the history and utility, and we may
add the beauty and immortality, of the Italian lan-
guage. Aware of his former achievements as a
scholar, achievements evidencing a perfect mastery of
our diction, we are not in any way surprised at a
purity and propriety of style in the lecture before us
such as must otherwise, coming from the mouth of a
foreigner, have proved real matter of astonishment.
The paper, delivered originally at the opening of
"The Ladies' College," has been published, we are
gratified to observe, in the form of a pamphlet, and
may now consequently enlighten a larger audience
than the one for which it was at first designed.
Signor Valletta speaks of the language of bis native
land as the oldest idiom of modern Europe, and ob-
serves very justly that it has a threefold origin or de-
rivation—namely, of course, the Greek, the Latin,
and the Etruscan. Alluding to its immobility from
a very early period, he says, with considerable grace
of metaphor—" a few changes of letters and a more
correct authography do not change the essence of a
language any more than a new dress alters the iden-
tity of a man." His survey of Italian literature,
thoucrla necessarily hurried and elliptical, is on the
whole, it must be acknowledged, singularly complete
and perspicuous. Beginning as naturally with Dante
as a historian of art begins his narrative with
Cimabue, the lecturer shows that the language -of
Italy was rapidly matured by the two most wonder-
ful successors of the Florentine, the poet Petrarch
and the romancist Boccaccio. He refers to the
marvellous and artistic genius of Macchiavelli in be-
fitting terms of admiration, passing over somewhat
negligently, we conceive, the great name of Tasso,
the immortal celebrant of the destruction of Jeru-
salem. After mentioning Ariosto, other writers of
lesser importance and celebrity are enumerated—such
men, for example, as Davila, Sarpi, and Guicciardini.
The influence of the Italian languge and of Italian
literature upon other extraordinary men in foreign
countries is, as might be expected, expatiated upon at
some length—due notice being taken of the Italian
writings of Montaigne and of Milton. The following
sentence, showing the source in the early novels of
Italy of several of the stories upon which our im-
mortal dramatist founded his plays, will be regarded,
we doubt not, as interesting, more particularly com-
ing to us as it does from Signor Valletta, the Italian
translator of Shakspere

Mr. F. FRENCH said that the Government ought to
have endeavoured to promote the development of the in-
terests of Ireland by means of railroads. He hoped that
the non opposition ~f the Right 11:m. Gentleman oppo-
site would be converted into a strenuous support of the
principle of the Bill.

_
\lr. GROG A.NI had listened with pleasure to the re-
marks of the Right Hon. Ger th man the President of
the Board of Trade. He willingly accepted his good in-
tentione, though he promised little more than not to op-
pose the principle of the me4sure. He di d not think it
was asking too much of the Government to givo the
people of Ireland on opportunity of developing the re-
sources of the country by means of railroads.
Leave was then given to bring in the Bill.
BEEK LAWS.

Sir J. PAKINGTON moved, pursuant to notice,
that the House resolve itself into a Committee to con-
sider the laws relating to the sale of beer. He wished
to introduce anew the Bill which._ he had brought in to-
wards the close of lastseession, and, as a matter of form,
ho had to move that tre House resolve itself into Com-
mittee on the subject. He wished to extend the provi-
sions of the Act passed on this subject some years ago,
and to add some new provisions regarding police and
other regulations. The whole Bill he proposed to
found mainly on the report of the Committee which ,at
in the other House on this subject during the years
1849 and 1850. The evidence taken before that Com-
mittee afforded abundant proof, if proof were required,
of the serious evils which had arisen in all parts from
the present state of toe laws regarding the sale of beer.
The se complaints had been so general and so loudly ex-
pressed both out of doors and in petitions to the House
that he hoped, though there might be differences of
opinion as to the provisions he proposed, that little or
no opposition would be offered to some legislation on the
subject. lie should best consult the convenience of the
House by postponing any explanation of the details till
the second reading.
On the question that the Speaker leave the Chair,
Mr. SCiLOLEFIELD expr, seed his regret at the
statement of the Hon. Baronet that the Bill he had to
propose was the same as that of last year. He believed
the complaints against beer-houses had reference
mainly to those in agricultural districts, and did not be-
lieve that stay provisions, such as the Hon. Baronet
contemplated to introduce, were required in the large
towns.
Mr. E WART protested against all attempts of making
men moral by Act of Parliament.
Mr. AGLIONBY had received communications from
the beer-sellers of the metropolis on the subject, but
they did not ask him to oppose the introduction of
the Bill.
Mr. MITCHELL would oppose the Bill if it went to
give magistrates the same power over beer-shops that

" Othello arid Measure for Measure, from Cintio
Giraldi; The Merchant of Venice, with his " pound of
flesh," and the coward Jew quaking at the sight of the
block, the axe, and the executioner, from Ser Giovanni
Fiorentino; Romeo and Juliet, from Bandello, and Luigi
da Porto; The Taming of the Shrew, and The Two Gen-
tlemen of Verona. are Italian subjects; The Tempest has
Italian names; and I have observed that many of the
jokes, which The Merry Wives of Windsor, play on
Falstaff innamorato, are partly derived from another
novel of the above-mentionod Ser Giovanni."

Everyone interested in tha destinies of the Roman
peninsula—as who is not ?—will feel emotion when
he hears the lecturer in allusion to Shakspere's phrase
in the Taming of the Shrew—" Great Italy"—
patriotically exclaim, "So I hope she will prove
again." That sentiment must find an echo in many
hearts, and cannot fail to secure the sympathies of all
who hear it, far the ingenious and accomplished
Ignatius Valletta.

CARTE ON THE FL UTE. Rudall, Rose,
and Company.
Richard Carte has, in this elegant and remarkable
composition, rendered himself the historian of the
flute—on which instrument he was already admitted
to be one of our most gifted performers. Intending,
possibly, to submit to the public nothing more than
a description of his two new patent flutes, preceded
by a sketch of the flute of Boehm, and of the ordi-
nary flute as first mentioned by Mersenne—the writer
has here, we repeat, rendered himself the historian of
the instrument by tracing with admirable perspicuity
the progress of its successive improvements. Be-
ginning with a brief but comprehensive account of
the steps by which the ordinary flute attained its
present condition, he describes how the Auto-
tracers°, so called from the position in which it was
held by the player, ultimately superseded the flute-
a-bee, an instrument held perpendicularly to the lips
like the clarionet. The classical flute of the ancient
Greeks he wisely passes over as having about it
somewhat of a mythical character, although
we should have exulted in a mention at his hands of
the magic reed bestowed upon mortals.by the goddess
Minerva, as we rejoiced in Nimrod's record of some
among the equestrian triumphs of the Olympiads, in
his celebrated dissertation on the Turf. It would
have been pleasant, moreover, to have found our
author sprinkling his pages with anecdotes preserved
to us from antiquity—such anecdotes as that one re-
corded by Plutarch of Alcibiades, who caused the flute
to become out of fashion, by refusing to play upon it,
because of its tendency to distort the human counte-
nance! Mr. Carte, however, wisely begins with the flute
as it is found in 1636, first alluded to in the admirable
work of Mersenne. Being originally constructed with
only six holes, this flute had the number of boles in-
creased to seven by a Frenchman named Phillibert—
who stopped the additional hole by means of a key.
Quanz, a celebrated performer, not only added an-
other D sharp or E flat key in 1726, but contrived in
1752 a means of raising or lowering the pitch half a
tone by a method of lengthening and shortening the
head-joint. An Englishman named Tacet is reputed to
have been the originator of the subsequent improve-
ments, by means of which three additional holes,
stopped by three additional keys, were added to
the instrument. Subsequently came a variety of other
innovations—the seven-keyed flute—and afterwards
the eight-keyed flute, eight being since then the
standard number, although in some instances the
keys have been multiplied even to the extent of seven-
teen. Due mention is of course here made of the
many beneficial changes introduced into the ordinary
flute by Messrs. Rudall. and Rose, the manufacturers.
Next we have a lucid examination into the causes of
the imperfections of the ordinary flute, now in its
best and most complete form, together with a very
masterly statement MS to the principles upon which
flutes in general are constructed. Guided by the
truths revealed by the examination of those
principles, Captain Gordon, and ultimately Al•
Boehm, effected • some really wonderful al-
terations in the way of improvement. Hence
Boehm's first flute and that other and more extra-
ordinary flute of his which he contrived with para-
bola head and cylindrical body. Having referred to
these changes, Mr. Carte explains clearly enough the
difference perceptible between conical and cylindrical
bores, and thereupon lays before his reader the rea-
sons inducing him to bring forward the two new
patent flutes of his own construction—one with the
fingering of the ordinary flute, and one with an en-
tirely novel system of fingering. Having ourselves
heard these really beautiful and surprising instru-
ments, we can, not merely commend Mr. Carte 's
description of them in his pamphlet as accurate in
every particular, but can speak with all truth of
them as in all respects eminently successful.
They are constructed, as will have been
observed upon the old and upon a new system
of fingering—but what is yet more, they ars manu-
factured either from wood or from silver. To the
metallic flutes of Mr. Carte for our own part we are
disposed, for a variety of reasons, to accord the pre-
ference—their tone being more liquid, more mellow,
and in every way more agreeable. Those who can
scarcely credit the possibility of this should hear and
judge, for themselves. Meanwhile let them turn their
attention at least to the description of these astonish-
ing instruments, as furnished in this present charm-
ing essay on the flute by their originator.

they had now over public-houses.
The SPEALER left the chair, and the House went into
Committee.
A resolution having been passed in conformity with
The motion, the House resumed.
On the question that leave be given to bring in the
Bill,

Mr. KERSHAW thought they ought to have a state-
ment of the details of the Bill.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said it was the same Bill which
had been presented to the House last session.
After a few words from Mr. Forster, Mr. Ewart, and
Mr. Scholefield, the motion was put and agreed to.
Mr. M. GIBSON, pursuant to notice, moved for leave
to bring in a Bill to establish county financial boards
for the assessing of county rates, and for the administra-
tion of county expenditure in England and Wales.—
Agreed to.
Mr. SCULLY moved for returns of translated copies
of all charters or letters patent granting certain lands
for the promotion of education in Ireland during the
reigns of Queen Elizabeth, James 1., and subsequently
(excepting such as appear in returns No. 475 of last
session); .and of the amount of all grants of money or
other funds (distinct from the rents of the school estates
in Ulster or elsewhere) given or granted for educational
purposes over which the Commissioners of Education
hays control, particularising the name of each grantor,
and date of each instrument respectively, stating the
purpose for which the same was given, and where such
sum is now placed; and, if on interest, the amount of
such interest annually derived, and how and for what
purpose the same is now applied.—Agreelato.
Mr. AGLIONBY moved for and obtained leave to
bring in a Bill to effect the compulsory enfranchisement
of lands of copyhold and customary tenure.
The Bill was subsequently introduced and read a first
time.
Mr MITCHELL moved the re-appointment of the
Select Committee of last year to inquire into the Cus-

toms department.
Mr. NAPIER, moved for a return of the number of
days, specifying the dates, in the years 1849, 1850, and
1851 respectively, during which the Masters of the
Queen's Bench, Exchequer, and Common Pleas in Ire-
land have been absr-nc from their offices at the Four
Courts in Dublin respectively; also specifying the
causes of their absence:, and the manner i❑ which the
duties which they are 'required to perform have been
discharged, by what persons, and by whose authority,
during any such period of tthsence.—Agreed to.
Tile House then adjourned at a Qriarter to Ten o'clock.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE BRADFORD
REFORM ASSOCIATION.
(PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY.)
Sir,—lt would be useless fur me to lay before you the
details of the Ministi rial Bill of Reform. It makes
some great emissions; but the impression on the whole
was favourable, and the tokens ot opposition were weak.
The representative of Manchester and its Congress,
made an admirable speech; but not a word ot the
threatened intention to oppose the Bill if it did not come
up to a cart in mark. On the whole the countenances
of the Liberals are shining. It seems considered cer-
tain there will be no change in the Government, and no
dissolution. All of which is working for Bradford
quietly and well.
The important omissions in the Bill, are the Ballot,
and the Shortening of Parliaments. It is to bs presumed
the Government was anxious to leave something to do
another time.
The objections of the Government to the Ballot may
lie eonsideted as announced in a place out of doors.
Th.l are, first, that the absence of the Ballot is neces-
sary to sicure the influence of the non-electors ;
secondly, that the ballot in France did not prevent a
injoril tur Louis Napoleon.
To the first, the aoswer iv, that the irfluenee of the
classes bfluu; the posse.s.mrs of toe traechise is an ounce,
where the utiluence of the classes above them is a
pound. .Eximme any borough and sse what the in-
flaence of the non-electors amounts to. They can in-
fluence half a-dozen publicans, and the same number of
small tradssinee. The non-electors therefore will be
the m .st easily led creatures upon earth, if they run
after this temptation. ,
The secon6, is a clear argument the other way. By
dint of the Ballot, which it was held too dangerous no-
minally to retuso, a small minority braved the danger of
voting against Louis Napoleon; for there can be no
doubt the ballot-box was leaky in a hundred ways, and
the man who ventured, has to this day a lively proba-
If iof finding hims,if is one way or other at Cayenne.
had not
it It is to b
eentheßale hoped nobodywouldlot,there
willhav beentreyto
nroobtlle there
minority at aGovernment of its argument.
Another weakness (though perhaps it may be defended
cift alcooliiedys)t he
in the Minis* • the
way f:hetrireal justdistribu-
tionplanisteowna
yt the score
which
if it were
of the electoral power. Would°
possible, e fo r instance,tha
ho
gshould be made equal that of
of
osie cease
every
yn d c
minoritydecreeing
pbewaenry
the majority by making each of its votes tell in the in-
verse proportion of their number? But if this would
clearly be absurd, where does the principle cease to be
absurd? What is the point, at which a minority is to be
conceded to be a minority, and no longer to be propped
by a factitious arrangement?
The answer seems to be, that things as they are,
must not be too violentl altered, and that unjust
minorities must be le! down gently. Nobody doubts,
in lam everybody avows, that the landed tin erest for in- •
'Lance, possesses an eaormous factitious power, which
it desires to keep. But in spite of this, it is liking out-
grown by other interests; and this is perhaps a safer
Course than rousing the resistance which would be con-
ziuent upon attacktree it in its strongholds. There is
use in demandin n to produce that
will
which be as wellg a vioproeduced e at,
without. Time, the
equaliz is •
, doing the work.
On Tuesday lair, sh r d' Bill on Tenant
Right, after a longarman Craw,or s
discu- •cd to be brought
in without a division.'S
°l'
was all"
I stn, Sir, your obedient servant,
Blackheath, ll Feb. 1852 AN OLD REFORMER

--- -
MR. FEARGUS O'CONNOR AT THE
LYCEUM. THEATRE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—In your paper of to-day I see an account of the
proceedings at Bow-street on the occasion of Mr. Fear-
gas O'Connor being charges' with creating a disturbance
at the Lyceum Theatre.
On the night in question I occupied a seat in the dress
boxeb, nearly directly opposite to the one in which the
eccentric M.P. was seated, :and, therefore, had an oppor-
turiity of knowing something of what actually occurred.
Mr. F. O'Connor certainly conducted himself in a
very eccentric manner, so far as gesticulating went, but
yet, to my thinking, did not create such a disturbance as
Policeman " A 17 " would make out.
Mr. O'Connor acted as many a man of excitable tem-
othyvrweorefea!
perament would act on listening to orchestral music,
present raised the,
andthe although his gesticulation's were certainly vehement,
by thePporltamoatn'
eulated rather to amuse than annoy the
thebc yr
ya
far
rf audience, cesei aamn
ed, ona
nh
di s
not"
being
T ofurnpersonaremovedhi
greater portion
out."

I cannot speak as to the blow given to the policeman,
but I certainly did not hear it, although, according to
one witness's evidence, the " slap could bo heard all over
the house,"
I am no friend, and certailbly not an admirer, of Mr.
O'Connor, nor did I know I.t was the worthy Member
who was rendering himself ao conspicuous on Saturday
evening, but I bear in mind the old adage of " giving
the devil his due," and in that spirit beg to offer these
few remarks for insertim i a your paper, if you deem
them worthy of a place.
I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
ONE. OF THE AUDIENCE.

PAT PIGS.—The farm-r w ho.e Ogs were so lean
that it took two of them to make a • - b n beaten
shadow, has Pe. OXFORD, FED. 10.—Tlle Praalector of Logic will
by another, who had several so thin that th would crawl
through the cracks in their pen.
o'clock, and on Friday at oixe o'clock.
meet his classes again on
oh
arsday next, at nine and one
fua by tying knots in their tails,—
Boston Bee.
He finally stopped that