The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-10 00:00:00

TFTE SU LONDON, SATURDAY I?,VEINING, JANUARY 10, 71863.

Uir OYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-
-1- GARDEN.
Under the Management of Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. W.
Harrison, Sole Lessees.
THIS EVENING, Balfes popular Opera, THE PURI-
TAN'S DAUGHTER Madlle. Parepa and Miss Susan
Pyne; Messrs. Santley, W. H. Weiss, Patey, A. St. Albyn,
J. Rouse, C. Lyall, E. Dussek, and W. Harrison.
Conductor—Mr. A. Mellon.
After which, the Grand Comic Christmas Pantomime, en-
titled HARLEQUIN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
Doors open at half-past 6—Commence at 7.

rains was one of the many causes that delayed
the opening of the line from the proposed epoch,
in May, 1862, to January, 1863. The compli-
ments paid to Mr. FOWLER, the indefatigable en-
gineer, and to Messrs. SMITH, KNIGHT, and JAY,
the contractors, were well deserved, since they
have been the first to prove that the long talked
of seller was really a possibility, and to elevate it
from a, scientific theory to a substantial fact.
The unwonted liberality of the City of
London was also of considerable assistance,
since the ablest of men cannot work with-
out materials, and the demand on the capital of
the company was undoubtedly very great. The
arrangements which have been made for the com-
fort of the public are highly satisfactory, the only
drawbacks being the absence of day%itt,:ehi;rheqcuouenldt
hardly be avoided in Skitzland, a
ought
note
stoppages at the interveningesotatpiaorniss.on
When
remember, however, that the comparison
to be made with ordinaryrailwthaeyretrwavileillinbge butno
with omnibus conveyance,
room for complaint, since the journey from
B 03-road Station, near the Great Western
iterminuslw to Farringdon-street will only occupy 18
minutcs—a pace certainly never accomplished by
a London omnibus. We do not wonder that the
company in.king the trial trip yesterday lingered
to examine the stations and other arrangements
along the line. It is certainly a subject for felicita-
tion, as was afterwards observed, that though tra-
avelling amidst drains and seu ers, and a soil in-
fested by gas, they experienced nothing that was op-
pressive or disagreeable in any way. It must have
been a matter of regret to those assembled that
Mr. PEARSON, the late Solicitor to the Corporation,
did not live to witness the successful carrying
out of the scheme that he was the first to originate
in a practical form. Due honour was, however,
paid to his memory amid the mutual congratula-
tions of men who felt justly proud of having
triumphantly completed a task of public interest
and importance, and laid the foundation of a widely
extended scheme for metropolitan improvement.

THE A T RE-R OYA L, DRURY-LANE.—
Lessee and Manager, Mr. Edmund Falconer.
THIS EVENING, the Combo Drama of THE NEXT OF
_ .
After which, the GrandiPantornime of LITTLE GOODY
TWO SHOES.
• COmillence at 7.

THEATR-E-ROYAL, HAY MARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Rnckstone.
THIS EVENING, at Seven o'clock, will be performed
I,UR AMERICAN COUSIN. Asa Trenchard, Mr. Buck-
atone ; Lord Dnndreary, Mr. Sothern.
After which, a new and original Extravaganza, entitled
ItASSELAS, PRINCE OF ABYSSINIA ; or, The Happy
Valley. Rasselas, Miss Louise Keeley.
Concluding with MRS. WHITE.

LYCEUM THEATRE ROYAL, Will OPEN,
under the Sole Management of Mr. PECHTER,
THIS EVENING, January 10.
The perfermances will commence with an Original Sketch,
entitled A SUDDEN ATTACK, in which Messrs. Shore,
Garden, H. Widdicomb, Miss Henrade, and Mrs. Lee rill
appear.

After which, at a Quarter to Eight, a New Romantic
Drama, in Three Acts, and Pr3logue, entitled THE
DUKE'S MOTTO, by Paul Feval and John Brougham,
Esq. The principal character will be sustained by Mr.
Fechter, sunported by Messrs. G. Vining, J. Brougham, H.
Widdicombe, M'lntyre, F. Charles, Garden, Raymond, H.
Butler, Dawson ; Misses Carlotta Leclercq, Kate Terry, -a-
Lavenue, and Elsworthy.
Mr. Phelps and Mr. Walter Montgomery are engaged, and
will shortly appear.
Doors open at half-past Six o'clock, performanoe..tnern;
mence at Seven. Private Boxes, £2 12s. 6d., tu
Places registered. Stalls, 6s. 6d. ; Dress Circle, as. "d r . Upper
PBB ;
Circle, 4s. 6d. Prices at doors—Stalls, 69. ; grlf_riee. Box-
Upper ircle, 4s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, is. °
.....,,,i4A-maniager, Mr. G.
office open daily from 1' till 5-
Vining ; Acting-Manager, Mr. H.

MEW TH RA'rßE_lto YAL, ADELPHI.—
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
THIS EVENING. A TICKET OF LEAVE : Messrs. J
L. Toole, P. Bedford. and Mrs. Billing:ton.
After which, MAUGERY DAW.
To conclude with " GEORGE DE BARNTirELL
or, Evanequin Folly in the Realms of Fancy." Miss Woolgar,
IKelly, Miss Seaman ; Messrs. J. L. Toole, P. Bed-
ford, Evseplienson, C. J. Smith. Harlequin, Mr. John Lauri;
columbine, 3liss Caroline Adams; Clown, Mr. W. Hildyard ;
ntaloon, Mr. J. P..u10. The celebrated Arthur and
I;ertrand.

Commence at 7.

IZOYAL PRINCFSS'S THEATRE.
Lowe and Manager, Mr Lindug.

THIS EVENING, THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE. Mr. H.
Marston, Mr. Wallace ; Miss Constance Aylmer, Miss M.
Oliver, and Mrs. B. White.

After which, the New Grand CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME,
RIQUET WITH THE'TUFT ; or, Harlequin and Mother
tihipton." Mr. G. Belmore, Mr. C. Seyton, Misses Gray and
_Hudspeth, Mr. Milano, Mr. R. Power, Miss A. Collinson, and
Mr, halford.

The result of the trial concerning the Bank for-
geries is announced to-day, and it is satisfac-
tory to reflect that four of the culprits have been
convicted. It too often happens, through some
flaw in the indictment, or some negligence of others,
that the ends of justice are defeated, and the guilty
escape their just retribution. There is something
peculiar in this case which sets it apart from others,
in the annals of crime. It is the first time that any
of the Bank of England paper has been stolen. The
inconvenience that has resulted from the occurrence
has been very great, both at home and abroad. Sir
FITZROY KELLY, on the part of the Bank of Eng-
land,announced the gratifying intelligence that such
annoyance would henceforth be at an end. In the
first place, the man who, for seventeen years, has
forged the notes, has been convicted ; the plates by
which they were forged have been seized, and many
extra means have been adopted to avoid any more
paper being stolen. The learned advocate remarked
that the authorities at the Bank feel justified in de-
claring that "an end has been put to the illegal
fabrication of these notes for a long time to come/
This is desirable information, but after such a catas-
trophe it behoves all in any way connected or con-
cerned in the conduct of these affairs, to consider
the causes that led to such a violation of jus-
tice, and the safeguards to be subsequently
applied. Since 1720, the Messrs. PORTAL
have manufactured paper for the Bank of
England, the duty has been handed down from
father to son, the great grandfather of the present
owner of the mills baying established them. It has
been truly said that it redounds to the credit of the
house that during this long period no similar occur-
rence ever took place. The fact is that thieves in
these days are so expert that it seems almost im
possible to keep up with the march of their progress,
( and to arrest in time the exploits of their auda-
cious cunning and consummate adroitness. Another
curious circumstance in this complicated affair is,
that the young man BROWN, who was Queen's
evidence, is one of a family who have been for three
generations in the employ of Messrs. PORTAL, both
his father and grandfather having served before him.
It is painful to reflect on such deliberate villany
without the temptation of want, and with all the
ties which should subsist between those long con-
nected together in business to weigh in the oppo-
site scale, The secrecy which has so long been
maintained by GRIFFITHS is perhaps the most ex-
traordinary thing in the whole affair. By his own
account, be has been engaged in this nefarious busi-
ness since 1846. He stated that he "had printed
the whole of the forged notes on the Bank of Eng-
land for the last seventeen years, that he had
printed on genuine paper stolen from the
mills 180 £5 notes and twenty £lO
notes for a person named BUNCHER, and
twenty £5 notes for another person." Griffiths must
certainly have exercised great caution to have
escaped detection for so long a period, and it is also
manifest that a great boon has been conferred on
the public by the capture of so notorious a swindler.
It is also noticeable that the man who took charge
of the stolen paper in the first instance, and trans-
mitted it to others, was a ticket-of-leave man.

The WEATHER.—Sun Office, Jan. 10, 1863.

THERMOMETER.

Highest since Noon yesterday
Lowest during the night
This day at Noon .
Barometer-29.71.

Wind—North•east, light. Weather fine and cold.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
TintsDAY.—Morning, sh. 10m.—Afternoon, sh. 30m.
•
tmt, w.-Morning, sh. 49m.—Afternoon, 6h. 4m.

:;,z) 42:
t c a dor 44.34/4
, .

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANZoTARY 10, 1863.

To-day an event of no small importance taLes
plaee in our busy metropolis. It will not be visible
to the general public, the casual visitor may pass
through many of our leading thoroughfares with-
out becoming conscious of it, yet the occurrence is
one which concerns the comfort and convenience of
the modern Babylon more closely than any other
question of the day, not excepting the fashionable
and formidable vice of garotting. We may hope that
when, as our clever contemporary Punch suggests,
a Home Secretary or Inspector of Prisons shall
have been stopped in the Queen's highway by
some short-sighted garotter, sharpened legisla-
tion and increased police may do something to
mitigate the evil, and allow these interesting
criminals to sink into insignificance. But the
event of to-day will, we may hope, increase in im-
portance as the complicated network of our London
streets is threaded in all directions by subterranean
highways, and the opening of the first Metropo-
litan Railway becomes the precursor of many others.
The idea has long been floating in the minds of
men of science and enterprise, combated and ridi-
culed, as all new schemes and projects invariably
are, by the cautions and the interested.
Still, if a scheme has in it the ele-
ments of success, and has the right men to
work it out, it can surmount these preliminary
difficulties, and probably neither the idea nor its
advocates are much the worse for undergoing the
test of opposition and scepticism at the commence-
ment. It is often necessary to ballast the eager
confidence of the projectors with the sober experi-
ence of unimaginative practical men, and in the
present instance there was certainly much to consi-
der. The difficultieg, although, as events have
proved, not insurmountable, were certainly very
great, demanding not only a high degree of engi-
neering skill, but plenty of capital to support it.
The conflicting interests were numerous, and, after
all else was disposed of, it remained to be considered
whether the scheme, when accomplished, would
prove an actual success or only a splendid failure,
like its amphibious counterpart the Thames Tunnel.
All these obstacles are now happily conquered,
and Londoners need no longer grumble at the
inconvenient size of their unwieldy city when
as they traverse its crowded streets they may
send a message to any part of it by the wires that
surmount their heads, and transport themselves
and their goods to any other locality by means
of the underground line. The principal advantage
expected to arise from the subterranean passage is,
of course, the relief of the densely-thronged tho-
roughfares of the upper world. Everyone has, at
some time or other, suffered from one of the custo-
mary "dead-'oeks" in the heart of the city on a
busy afternoon. We can fancy the idea of
an underground road suggesting itself for
the first time to some agonised traveller sit-
ting, watch in hand, in a hopelessly blockaded
vehicle, while the minutes that were to bear him to
the station were ebbing rapidly away. Now, when
one train can take him to the other, the case will be
very different ; but the full benefit is not yet reaped.
The line, whose completion was celebrated yester-
day, and which is this day opened for public traffic,
extends only from Paddington to Farringdon-
street, but it is the first step towards a general junc-
tion of the lines, and a much greater extension of
the underground system. The terminus of the
newly completed line is to be at Finsbury circus,
which will thus carry its goods and pas_
sengers into the centre of city life. Various
projects are talked of, including a scheme

for converting the now useless Tunnel into a rail-
way, and a plan which will benefit the western dis-
tricts by opening a line between Leicester-square
and Kensington. Certainly no schemers need
despair after the triumphant conclusion of the
arduous undertaking just happily terminated. We
refer our readers to another part of our impression
for the interesting narrative of the difficulties to be
surmounted. What with the inevitable burrowing

under streets and houses, the working amid water
pipes, gas pipes, mains, and sewers, and, above all,

the obstacle of the great Fleet Ditch, which had to
be crossed four times, we do not wonder that more
than once the task was almost abandoned. To Mr.
JAY belongs the glory of having sibjegated the
most formidable foe—a success which, as Mr.
LowE happily remarked, entitled him to Claim an
office lately vacant—that of Admiral of the Fleet !
The bursting of the Fleet-ditch from the heavy

ders: It now remains that no laxity in prison dis-
cipline shall subvert the decision which has been
brought about by the zeal and assiduity of the
police force, and the combined inteliigence of judge
and jury, in fathoming the mysteries, and pro-
nouncing on the iniquities of this band of
criminals.

Some of onr contemporaries—monthly and weekly
ones especially—are calling attention to the pro-
bable result of our doings in the far East. Our old
friend Blackwood formally opened the subject re-
cently, though it has been, in part, even before the
House of Commons. The facts in .Blackwood are
evidently given us by one who is thoroughly con-
versant with them; and they show, what has al-
ways been suspected, that we are in a fair way to
become, perhaps in the lifetime of this generation,
almost as closely implicated with the Government
of the vast empire of China as we were with that
of India, while the Company, under British Acts of
Parliament, governed it through native princes.
In this case Parliament has been in no way con-
sulted as to the wish of the British people to be-
come involved in the responsibility of seeing that
China is well governed. It cannot, however, be
denied that we are but too likely to become as
answerable to the inhabitants of China, as we con-
ceived ourselves to be to those of Oude and Scinde,
to protect them against flagrant misgovernment.
It is, indeed, but the acorn yet, but it is hardly
political prophesying to foresee in it the future oak.
Let us briefly, however, mention the facts from
which many among us foresee a danger to be
averted only by careful precautions in the earlier
and subsequent stages of these semi-governmental
proceedings.
The first noticeable germ of the present position
is to be traced back to the year 1856. The Econo-
mist thus sums up the story, which many of our
readers may not yet have seen :—" In 1856, just
before the outbreak at Canton, the Chinese Taoutai
of Shanghai lodged £30,00u in Mr. LAY'S hands,
requesting him to purchase a European war steamer
for the Chinese Government with the amount. At
such a crisis Mr. LAY declined, as it might have
put a weapon into the hands of China against Eng-
land, and the Taoutai, recognising the prudence of
his refusal, still requested him to keep the £30,000
till such time as be could prudently use it in the
way requested. Mr. LAY lodged it in a bank, and
in 1857 and 1858 often referred to this sum as
existing to the credit of the Chinese Government
but the Taoutai always requested him not to allude
to it—intimating that he should never want it, that
Mr. LAY had saved for them a much larger sum
than this, and in fact gave many a hint that Mr.
LAY should regard it as a gratification, which of
course Mr. LAY declined to do. In 1858, when
requested by Lord ELGIN to accompany him to
Pekin, Mr. LAY insisted on returning this sum,
and was then at length told that the whole thing
had been a bait to test his honesty—that the money,
and Mr. LAY'S proceedings with regard to it, had
been sedulously watched by vigilant spies through-
out the whole of this time—and that Mr. LAY had
at last fully acquired the confidence of the Chinese
Government."
The result was that Mr. LAY, one of our best
servants in China, accepted office under the Chinese
Government; the whole control of the Shanghai
Customs was placed in his hands; in 1859 he was
made Inspector-General of all the open Chinese
ports ; in 1861 his inspectorate was constituted a
special department of the Chinese Government, he
being named the Chief Commissioner; he has a
large staff of English and other European and
American gentlemen under him ; and as he has been
by far the most successful, because hcnest as well
as able, tax-collector the Chinese Government ever
had, the Chinese are likely to look up to him in all
things connected with finance. That remarkable
people has never shrunk from making use of
foreigners when the latter have been able to serve
them with practical knowledge evidently superior
to their own. It was by such knowledge that the
wonderful success of the Jesuit missionaries was
initiated, but it is easy to see that no practical
knowledge will longer or more firmly retain
its bold on any Government than financial
knowledge. British administration of finance
is likely, also, to propitiate not only the
rulers, but all the honestly trading public of
China, and the Chinese are a nation of traders.
With most Orientals the tax-collectors who fill the
Government exchequer best, fleece its subjects in
so. English financiers base their hopes, on the
doing
contrary, on inducing the people to trade. They
do not make wealth afraid to show itself, but re-
gard it as the goose which lays the golden eggs—
to be cherished, not suicidally appropriated ; and
the duties they levy are arranged, as far as possible,
so as neither to interfere with consumption nor to
leave the smuggler a profit. Mr. LAY and his co-
adjutors are likely, therefore, to become favourites
with the governed as well as with the Government
He may well be so when he has raised the revenue
of the port of Shanghai alone, and that by fair
dealing, from £266,000 in 1853 to a million ster-
ling in 1862. Altogether, the Chinese Government
is reported to have gained about two millions an-
nually by Mr. LAY'S able and upright administra-
tion of its customs.

Shortly before he became acquainted with Brown In any European Government such a Minister
he had been liberated, when only half his time had would become a power in the State; and he cannot
expired. Had he fulfilled the term for which he fail to be so under the regency of Prince KUNG and
i
had been imprisoned he would have been in safe the Empresses; all of them being favourable to
custody uitil 1867. Surely, this is a case in point i foreigners. Already the Imperialists are beginning
kas to the efficacy of these modifications of the penal I to avail themselves of the sinews of war provided
system. BROWN declared that at first he refused I them by Mr. LAY, for the purpose of crushing their
compliance with BURNETT'S suggestions, but that at I hitherto unconquerable enemies, the Taepings.
last he acceded. Of course unqualified credence The latter seem to have degenerated into a
cannot be given to his assertions, but his youth at vast horde of land pirates. If they began as wild
the time referred to is certainly corroborative religious enthusiasts, they have lost that character
testimony, as he could only have been nineteen now ; either by a bloodier change in their religious
years of age when he first knew BURNETT. It ap notions, or by admitting to their army myriads of
pears, on reflection, that it was not prudent on the ruffians, who almost outvie Commissioner YEH and
part of the authorities at the mills to leave any one the Imperialists. They cannot at present be said
reason in a position where so much property could I to be any improvement on the latter, while their
be stolen. If a more efficient watch had been kept presence in any district is like a scourge of human
up, such doings would have been impracticable, or I locusts. Seeing these Taepings have at last
at least such frequent recurrence would have been I awakened the wrath of Earopeans generally, the
mHucohweaenenroy
However, aalnlepea,rties concerned have Chinese Government propose to make use of the
suffered so
impossible.
that it is not likely splendid sum obtained for them by European
they will fail to adopt suitable measures for the financiers, to raise a European led fleet and
future. They have had a warning which they must army. Captain OSBORN, as we have so long
not neglect, and if mistakes may justify the past heard, has taken naval service under the
ore such trans- Chinese Government ; they are purchasing a fleet,
misfortune, it cannot sanction any - m
actions that must be the result of carelessness and and no doubt the hint given by the success of
the the American WARD'S Chinese Sepoys will not
connivance from many quarters, as Well 8-
8
The be lost. Thus we shall have in China an empire
actual fraud of the guilty parties themselves.
sentences are as follows---GRIFFITHS is for life; dependent on English ability and courage for those
, BUNCHER, 25 years ; BURNETT, 20; and Wee- ' two most inip rtant of its departments, its Finance,
LIAMSON 4. It is earnestly to be hoped that no and its Army and Navy. Englishmen will do for
relaxation will be allowed in these sentences, but the Chinese what they have Bono in times past for
that they will be carried out to the full extent. Indian
princes; they will make the Government
The utmost rigour of the law should be exercised master over its subjects, and content those subjects
against such offenders, and it is of paramount im- themselves by compelling fiscal honesty, and be-
portance that, at present especially, it be dis- stowing on them the blessings of safety and order.
tinctly understood that the penalty inflicted by the But it will be at the price of
Court is, substantially, the same as that carried out *merit reignir g at ease, while governing through
tby the prison authorities. As far as regards these foreigners. the native Govern-
Bank forgeries there is much reason to be satisfied The question is— will such a system endure
that so many who were concerned in this nefarious Will not the jealousy of the higher class of na-
transaction have been brought to the bar of justice, tives, and the capriciousness of Oriental despots,
and that the outraged majesty of the law has been bring about, sooner or later, a misunderstanding in
vindicated by the conviction of these capital Wen- which we shall but too probably think ourselves

called on to undertake the support of " the English
in China ?" While taking service under the Chi-
nese Government, and with the avowed sanction
of our Government, Mr. LAY, Captain Ossoltrr,
and others, do not denationalize themselves.
Should Englishmen, in their position, after years of
honourable service, be in any way maltreated by
the higher Chinese authorities, will England take
it patiently ? Considerable actual power will be
in Anglo-European hands, and the temptation
will be almost irresistible to make use of it. This
is, it is true, a kind of theoretical or imaginary
danger, but the image of it is furnished by our-
selves in India. We are thoroughly " intervening"
in China, while we denounce " intervention" in
Europe. We are, as a Government, lending the
Imperial Government financial, naval, and military
aid, even sending Indian native regiments thither
to uphold our prestige and position. Evidently
the danger is very great of going much too far,
and of committing, by so questionable a policy, the
English taxpayer to fresh burdens, by new
Chinese wars. We have a right, therefore, to
ask that this subject, and the kindred one, of our
future Japanese policy, should be thoroughly sifted
in the coming session.

Her Majesty's Privy Council, &C.

FROM THE COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, JAN. 9.
Her Majesty, accompanied by her }Loyal High-
ness Princess Louis, walked and drove yesterday

morning.

The Queen drove out again in the afternoon,
attended by the Countess of Gainsborough and
Major-General the Hon. A. N. Hood,

Countess Blucher had the honour of accompany
ing her Majesty. _

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

SPAIN.
MADRID, JAN. 9, Evening.
The discussion on Mexican affairs was continued

The Queen.held a Council this day, at which
were present the Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl
Granville (Lord President), the Duke of Somerset,
and the Right Hon. Sir George Grey.
At the Council Parliament was ordered to be
further prorogued from Tuesday, January 13, until
February 5, and a proclamation was issued, sum-
moning Parliament to meet on Thursday, the 6th
of February, for the despateh of public business.
Mr. Helps, the clerk of the council, attended.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of
Somerset, Earl Granville, and Mr. Helps left town
at nine o'clock this day morning by a special train
on the South-Western Railway, crossed from Gos-
port to Osborne-pier in the Fire Queen, and arrived
at Osborne about one o'clock. The Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Duke of Somerset, Earl Granville,
and Secretary Sir George Grey, after attending her
Majesty's Privy Connell, re-embarked in the Fire
Queen, and returned to London by a special rail-
way train.