The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-16 00:00:00

IVES rMINSTER.

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO ROB TILE SOUTIT KENSINGTON
NIUSEUM.—THE ADVANTAGE OF CHARACTER.—A very
respectable hardworking-looking man, 25 years of age, who
gave his name James Payne, was placed at the bar charged
with going to the South Kensington Museum, and there
concealing himself with a view to commit a robbery.
Police-constable 64 B said that at eight o'clock on Satur-
day night he was on duty at the South Kensington Museum,
when, on passing through the Trades' Department, he ob •
served a shadow under a stall where there are some furs,
and upon closer observation discovered the prisoner con-
cealed upon the floor, and immediately took him into
custody.

Mr. Partridge—What did he say?
Witness—He said he had lost a pencil• case there on the
Monday previously, and was looking for it when I disco-
vered him.
Mr. Partridge—Wore there many people in the museum
at the time you took the prisoner.
Witness—Yes, a great many.
Mr. Partridge—What did he appear• to be doing when
you last saw him ?
Witness—He was sitting in the position of a tailor and
as soon as he saw me he crawled out.
Mr. Partridge—Has he given any account of himself?
Witness—He said he was a labourer at the Great Western
Railway, and gave an address.
Mr. Partridge—Did you make any inquiries about the
truth of these statements ?
Witness—I did, and they are both correct.

Police-constable, 280, Bid saw the prisoner on Monday
last on the floor on his hands and knees at the museum.
Mr. Partridge—What did he say then ?
Witness—He said he had dropped his pencil-case, and
was looking for it.
Mr. Partridge—Was there anything lying about near
where you saw him that he could steal ?
Witness—Nothing.

Prisoner—The pencil-case was given to ms by a particu-
lar friend, and I very much prized it in consequence. I
went to the South Kensington Museum on Tuesday, and
when I was there, on taking something out of my pocket,
I dropped the pencil-cue, and tried to find it then, but
could not. I was unable to go again till Saturday, when I
thought I would have another look for the pencil-case,
when I was taken into custody. I had no idea of stealing
anything, and have ray uncle here to prove what my cha-
racter is.
John Askell, the uncle, said that the prisoner had
throughout his life borne the highest character.
Mr. Partridge— The officer did perfectly right in taking
you into custody, prisoner; but it is just possible that your
account may be true—that you had dropped your pencil-
case, and were looking for it. It is a case of suspicion, but
there is no evidence ox which I can detain you. You see
the advantage of a good character. You aro discharged.

LITERATURE,

The New Monthly Magazine.

The interesting but melancholy story by the
authoress of " East Lynne" is brought to a conclu-
sion in this number. " The Shadow of Ashlydyat"
vanishes as the record of the sorrows and fortunes
of the Godolphins comes to an end. The gentle
:!laria pays with her life the forfeit of her husband's
errors, and he is forced to start on his new life in
India, with the additional grief of knowing that he
had sacrificed his wife as well as his estate and his
reputation to his mad folly. The story is better
and more carefully written than some of Mrs.
Wood's earlier works, but it is too much spnn out,
and some parts are forced, and improbable. " The
Saturnalia of a Republic" recalls some of the more
ghastly features of the Reign of Terror. The singu-
lar inconsistency by which thoF,e who up to 1789
" had no other words in their mouths save humanity
and philanthropy, once conquerors, spoke of nothing
but revenge and murder." They had exhausted
their anathemas in denouncing the maxim, " The
end justifies the means that very maxim became,
once in power, their only symbol of faith. Sir
Nathaniel takes in consideration the varied career
of General Monk in a lengthened essay, enriched, as
is usual with this writer, with copious extract and
illustration. The prospects of the new tea country
of India is discussed in a paper entitled " The Sani-
tarium of Darjeeling; its Present Condition and
Future Prospects." The author of " Granville de
Vigne" has commenced another story, founded we
suppose on the old French and Byronic model.
His heroes are misunderstood the very souls
of generosity and honour—according to their own
code. His heroines are divided between desperate
and unscrupulous schemers, to whom the worst
crimes in the decalogue would not offer a moment's
obstacle, and sprightly enthusiastic maidens who
treat the convenances de la societd with sublime
scorn, and whose one ruling passion in life is un-
questioning devotion to the lofty heroes aforesaid.
The conversation between the lovers is full of no-
thing but love and honour, but they contrive to act
somewhat questionably notwithstanding. Nicholas
Michell contributes a poem on progress, full of
spirit and sense. There are several other papers of
varying merits, among them being a tribute to the
memory of the veteran Lord Lyndhurst.

Policy of the Emperors Napoleon I, and 111,

Those who think that Napoleon 111. takes as his
model the policy of his uncle will be struck with
the extract from Les Idees Napoleoniennes which I
append. I may premise that the uncle also con-
cocted a scheme of European Federation, and post-
poned the "crowning of the edifice" with Liberal
institutions till that great work was completed, as
will be seen by the preface to the "Acte additional,"
quoted by the nephew. "My object was," said
Napoleon 1.,
" To organise a grand federative system in Europe,
I adopted it as conformable to the spirit of the age,
and as favourable to the progress of civilisation. In
order to complete it, and give it all the extent and
all the stability of which it was capable, I postponed
the establishment of several internal institutions
more especially intended to protect the liberty of
the citizens."
Napoleon 111. comments on the above in a chap-
ter with this motto, "It is not merely the ashes,
but the ideas of the Emperor that should be brought
back to France," and headed " Object at which the
Emperor aimed—European association—liberty in
France." He says:—
_

"When the fortune of arms made Napoleon mas-
ter of the greater part of the Continent he wished
to make his conquests serve for the establishment
of an European confederation. Prompt in availing
himself of the tendency to civilisation, the Empe-
ror accelerated its progress by forthwith executing
what was enveloped in the secret decrees of Pro-
vidence. His genius enabled him to foresee
that the rivalry which separated the diffe-
rent nations of Europe would disappear in pre-
sence of a well-understood common interest.
The more perfect the world becomes the
more the barriers which divide men are removed,
the more there are countries which identical in-
terests tend to unite. The idea of the Emperor was
to replace the state of nature among the nations of
Europe by a social state. All his political plan
tended to that immense result; but in order to ar-
rive at it it was necessary to induce England and
Russia to support his views frankly. As long as
war goes on in Europe, said Napoleon it will be a
civil war. The Holy Alliance is an idea stolen from
me—that is to say, the holy alliance of peoples by
Kings, and not that of Kings against peoples ; that
is the immense difference between his idea and the
manner in which it was realised. Napoleon had
displaced Sovereigns in the interest of peoples; in
1815 peoples were displaced for the special interest
of Sovereigns. The statesmen of that period
cherishing only their own grudges and passions,
founded on European equilibrium on the rivalry of
the great Powers, instead of establishing them
on general interests, and for that reason their system
crumbled to pieces in every direction. The policy
of the Emperor, on the contrary, consisted in found-
ing a solid European association by basing his sys-
tem on nationalities and on general interests. If
fortune had not abandoned him ho would have had
all the means in his hands of constituting Europe.
He kept in reserve entire countries, of which he
might dispose in order to attain his object. Dutch,
Romans, Pielmontese, inhabitants of Bremen and
of Hamburg—all you who Were astonished at find-
ing yourselves French, you will re-enter the atmos-
phere of nationalities suited to your antecedents and
to your position; and France in relinquishing the
rights which victory gave her over you will still act
in her own interest, for her interest cannot be sepa-
rated from that of civilised nations. In order to
cement an European association the Emperor, ac-
cording to his own words, adopted an European
code—an European Court of Cessation, correcting
errors for all, as the French Court of Cessation cor-
rects the errors of French tribunals. He would have
founded an European institute to animate, direct,
and combine all learned societies in Europe. The
uniformity of coin, weights, and measures—the uni-
formity of legislation would have been obtained by
his powerful intervention. The last great transfor-
mation would then have been accomplished for our
continent. And in the same manner as communal
interests were elevated above individual interests,
as the interests of the city were elevated
above those of the commune, the interests
of the province above those of the city, and,
finally, the interests of the nation above those of
the province—in the same way European interests
would have predominated over national interests, and
humanity would have been satisfied, for
prosperous Providencee xce except
could not wish a nation not to be
at the expense of others, and that there should be
conquerors and vanquished,
arirdrinl not reconciled mem-
bers of the one great family,
Eu-
rope once founded, the Emperor would have pro-
ceeded in France to the establishment of peace. He
would have consolidated liberty. He had merely to
destroy the meshes of the net he had formed. The
government of Napoleonfor more than any other could
support liberty
would have this sole reason—that liberty
consolidated his throne, while it over-
throws thrones whose foundation is not solid.
Liberty would
have consolidated his govern-
merit, because Napoleon would have estab-
lished in Prance all that ought to precede liberty
—because his government would rest on the
mass of the nation—because his interests were
the same as those of the people—and because entire
confidence prevailed between the governors amid
the governed. Jr is with the impression prodlutchoe
by some delightful dream that one reflectsido,
have
happiness and stability which EuroPe wonor been
presented had the last plans of the E:ipeedr
b within
accomplished. Each country cireu.rais
its natural limits, united to its neig ibour by rela-
would have en-
joyed of interest and of friendship,
independence, peace, an d
of exempt
joyed the blessings
liberty in its interior. Sovereigns,from
fear and suspicion, would have applied themselves
solely to the improvement of the condition of their
people, and to the introduction among them of all
the advantages of civilisation."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.--This Day,

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SHREWSBURY RACES.—TIIIS DAY.
SHOBDON COURT STAKES.
Lord Burleigh
Welland .. 2
Lufra

Three ran.
QUEEN'S PLATE.

Blithfield
Bally Edmond
"

Throe ran.
NEWPORT GOLD CUP.

Gemma ........... 1
.....
Despair
Lady Louisa
Three ran.
RACING PLATE.

Foreteller
Jessio
......................................
Eleven ran.
CARNIVAL NURSERY lIANDICAII.
Caroline
Nucleus
Diviner ........................ • 3
Elsven ran.
FORE Ci ATE STARES.

Cassidia
Summersido
Four ran.