The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-20 00:00:00

IFEBOAT SERVICES.—During the recent I
Lheavy gales some persons the boats td the Naional Lifeboat
Institution saved 67 p from ifferent wrecks. The
Committee of the Institution earnestly APPEAL to the 4,
public for ASSISTAN,E to enable them to meet the con-
tinued heft.), demands on the Institution's 125 Bleb )at estab-
lishments. Contributions are received by all the London
and country bankers ; and by the Secretary, Richard LewiS,
at the Institution, 14, J ohn-street, Adelphi, W.C.

VOYAL
JUL ENGLISH OPERA,
COVENT-GARDEN.
Under the Manac
Mr. ,rement ot Miss Louisa Pyne and
W. Harrison.
THIS EVENIvG, Wdlace's Romantic Opera, THE
-)ES r,ItT FLOWER : Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss Susan Pyne ;
messrs. W. H. Weiss, H. Corti, A. Cook, and W. Harrison.
To conclude with THE MARRIAGE OF GEORGETTE.
Miss Thirlwall and Mr H. Corti.
Conductor, Mr. A. Mellon.
Doors open at half-past Six— :ommence at Seven.

Tli E A TRE ROYAL DRURY - LANE. - I
Managers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.
TLI IS EVENING, her Majesty's Servants will perform a
New and Original Farce, by Messrs. Wm [trough and A.
Halliday. entitled My PART'S IN THE HIGHLANDS:
characters by Mr. j. Ne-ille, Mr. G. Weston, Mr. Wards,'
Mr. J. Marris ; Mrs. C. Melville, and Miss Harfleur.
Ayer which, Lord Byron's Choral Tragedy, MA.NFRED,
Messrs. helps, Ryder, Rayner, 3f agreson, Ward, Spencer .;
Mb Eburne, Miss I'. Atkinson, Miss Leclercq, and Mrs. E.
Falconer. Vocalists—Miss Poole, Miss tatter, Miss Ckzely
Not', Miss Heywood, and Mr. Swift.
To conclude with an Original Farce. by J. Oxenford,
Esq , en,itled BEAUTY Ott THE BEAST. Principal cha-
racters by Messrs. Addison, G. F. Neville, Barret, Spencer,
and G. Weston; Mrs Edmund Falconer and Miss H. Leclerq.

THEATRE ROYAL HAY M ARKET.-
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr, Buckstone.
THIS EVE \ ING, SILKEN FETTE itS : Messrs. Chas.
Mathews, Chippendale, W. Farren, Howe, &c ; Mesdames
C. Mathews and M. Harris.
Followed by THE GOLDEN FLEECE Messrs. Charles
Mathew 4, Compton,Weatheraby, ac. ; Mesdames C. Mathews,
L Keeley. Griffith, &c.
Mr. C. Mathews.
Followed by COOL AS A CUCUMBER..
And MY HUSBAND'S GDOST.
Commence at 7.

....-_______-----'
ROYAL LYCEUM'
U THEATRE.
nder the Sole 'Management of Mr. Fechter.
BL DEMONIO (a Triumphant Success) will be repeated
E
Every Evening; until further notice.
THIS EVENING, the Comedietta, bY W. Gilbert, entitled
UNCLE BABY : Mess S. Widdicombe: J. G. Shore, Charles ;
Miss P. Leclercq, and Carlotta Lecler3q.
After which, at Eight o'clock, BEL DEMONIO, a LoTe
Story, in Twelve Tableaux, taken from Stendhal's " Italian
Chronicle ," by Mr. John Bronzbarn. Principal charac-
ter by Mr. Fechter, supported by Messrs. Jordan, Charles
lir,uigharn, Emery, Raymond, Moreland, Smith, Clifford,'
Collett, Andrews, Sims ; Miss Kate Terry, E. Lavenue Af
, ra.
Lee, and Miss Elsworthy.
Doors open at half-past 6--commence at 7.

-------
E A H.-E VERY NIGHT.

ircr EW THE ATRE-RO VAL, ADELPHL—
Sole Proprietor and Manntror. Mr. B. Webster,
THIS EVENING, at 7, THE TItAGEDY QUEEN: Mrs.

titling.
at 8 the New Drama of LEAH : 7th weer of Miss Bate-
-, ,;upported by Messrs. Arthur Stirling, R. Phillips, Ell-
linL.
Bate-
man, Stuart, A Wood, Eburne, Miss H. Simms and Mrs.
To conclude with CATCHING AN HEIRESS : Miss
Woolgar and Mr. A. Wood.

OYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. IV. H, Swanborough.
XV.)
TItIG EVENVIG, MY SON'S A DAUG /ITER. Miss
Josephs, Mr. Parselle.
After which, MIRIAM'S CRIME. Messrs. a Honey,
rarselle, Belford, Turner, Miss K.Saville, and Miss Manders.
Followed by IVANHOE. Miss Ada Swanborough.
To conclude with FAINT HEART NEVER W ON FAIR
LADY. Mr. Lcig,h Murray, Miss Buf ton,
Commence at 7.

Fig THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
Containinz the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,
Jan be had Every Evening of

G. K. GLIf.NIE, NEWS AGENT,
No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Ttrts DAY.—Morning, 9h. 25m.—Afternoon, 10h. 3m.
170-mosatow.-Morning, 10h. 40m.—Afternoon, 11h. 14m.

The Weather—Sun Office, Nov. 20, 1863.

THERMOMETER.
This daylat Two o'clock 5O
Barometer-30.11.
Wind—South-West ; light, and fine.

, (13,
SUM

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 1863.

It may be regarded as a matter of tolerable cer
tainty that the Congress proposed by the French
EMPEROR will, after all, be eventually assembled.
The proposition was regarded, by some of our con-
temporaries, at the outset, we are aware, as all but
impracticable, as the result of a sort of diplomatic
hallucination on the part of NAPOLEON 111. It
was treated in some quarters even with an ap-
proach to the disdainful, as the most extrava-
gant of all the Idees Napoleoniennes. And
yet Cabinet Councils were being held upon it all
the while here, in England for example. Minis-
ters and Sovereigns were gravely and even
anxiously deliberating over the proposition.
Several evenings since we announced that the pro-
babilities were, that already this proposition of the
French EMPEROR'S had been virtually accepted
by the majority of the Chief Powers of Christendom.
That anticipation is now being formally and
f deliberately_ justified. Several of the minor Powers
ot'wrqsa have already given in their frank adhe-
sion. Tb.,3 others have, most of them, already made
up their minds to do likewise, a few amongst them
accompanying their intimation of their agreement
with certain-save stringent, but, for the most part,
very reasonable, stipulations. It seems only a
rational precantiopi .
foranstance, to insist upon it,
as a necessary
preliminary to the commencement of
the deliberations at an
be perfectly well understood
Congress that it should
before, and what the
subject-matter of theirldeliberations was likely to be.
Otherwise than by conforming to a definite pro-
gramme before the opening of the sittings of such a
Congress, the Congress itself
might indeed, float off,
would be all but certain to float off into all kinds
of vague generalities. Granted thatlty thereb
a veteran
is each
e
a Programme carefully drawn up,
Sovereign like the one rumour now voinYts
to a
one consulted to that very end by his Majesty
thean
aaelesty
the Emperor of the FRENert• meaning tt e
aged constitutional Sovereign of 8e1gh,,,,,
'ut King
LEOPOLD—there is no earthly reason why good
should not eventually come from such a Con-
gress as this one now proposed to be holden at Paris
in 1864. The proposition emanating, as the world
knows full well, and would not fail always to re,
member, emanating directly and individually from
the most powerful and gifted of all the Sovereigns
of the European Continent. An Euro-
pean Congress, born of a Peace, might
just as reasonably be looked to, for the remodelling
of the world so far as relates to that portion of it, as
a Congress barn of a Great War, a Congress like
that cf 1815 following immediately upon the dying
out of the stupendous crash of a giant battle like
that of Waterloo, upon the downfall of a Colossus
like the Emperor NAPOLEON THE GREAT. Diplo-
matic negotiations are, in point of fact, a far more
rational preliminary to the convocation of an
European Congress than the squandering of
avar-subsia-
--lee and the shedding of rivers
of human blood. " The bloated arma-
ments" denounced two years ago, so very strongly,
by the mere attera.nce of that happy phrase, by
e
Drsitaeei, ar
n ono sense, as urgent a reason,
it only from their l
magnitude and their long con-
tioueneu—furnish quite
urgent and quite as im-
calling together thus of a
presbive a reason for the
great European Congress as might b 3 yielded by
any amount of expenditure in blood and money'
by ~,y Dumber of alternate victories and defeats,
by any series, no matter how long protracted,
warlikewith preliminary
and Coalitions. With
of Campaigns,
modifications, with stirulations,
negotiations, with a plain matter-of-fact categorical
mapped out, and unanimously
prorarnme carefully
accepted beforehand among the Sovereigns, we
regard the French EmPEBOR'S scheme of a Congress
for the readiustment of Europe as eminently feasible,
instead of looking upon it as being, what many have
been insisting sardonically ever since the first

suggestion of it by NAPOLEON, that it is, namely,
a project wholly and absolutely impracticable.
At the very least, Europe can but try whether it is
feasible, whether it is practicable.

Despite our Boards of Health and sanitary in-
spectors, there is unhappily no room left us for
doubting that some parts of our wealthy metropolis
are in a state which is a disgrace to our civilisa-
tion. Foremost among these is Bethnal-green, to
which the present high rate of mortality has lately
attracted so much of public attention. Instead of
feeling any surprise at this mortality, those who
read the revelations made at the coroner's inquest,
Lately held in Bethnal-green-road, will only
wonder that the deaths have not been still more
numerous. The condition of the locality in which
several deaths have taken place, the last of which
was the subject of the inquiry, was described as
something appalling. The stench was a subject of
universal complaint. One woman, the mother of
seven little ones, said that her eldest child often
complained of it. Well it might, for it Was bad
enough to prove fatal to a younger sister, the
child,
olhaties:
victim to the prevailing malaria. The poor
only five years old, was ill for five weeks, her ill-
ness being of course ushered in by violleat sickness.
This probably excited little notice or alarm, for
one woman who lived close by described the stench
as being so overpowering that a person " would
almost retch his heart out" when he went into the
yard. The houses are small enough, consist-
ing of only four rooms, and cheap enough,
for the occupant of three-fourths of one
only paid ss. a week rent, but one of
the foremost requisites of a decent and healthy
habitation seems to be altogether wanting, and the
drainage entirely neglected. Complaints were made

to the collector, who could not deny the evidence of I
his eyes, but contented himself and silenced the
complainants by assuring them that things would
be better when the drainage was settled. It might
have been thought that the frightful condition in
which he found the houses was a sufficient evi-
dence that it was high time it was settled ; but
neither landlord nor collector appear to have
troubled themselves overmuch about the matter.
Perhaps the reason adduced by one of the witnesses
for remaining in such miserable premises helped
to increase this indifference. Mrs. DE COSTA, the
mother of the dead child, said that she did not leave
because it was difficult to get a house for her large
family without paying more rent. As some excuse
for her remainiug, it may be said that she had lived
there for several years, but it was only lately, she
said, that the drains were so very bad. The rooms
in which they lived had not, it seemed, been white-
washed or cleaned for three years ; but, of course,
with the prevailing ignorance of the poor on all
physiological matters the occupants of these
wretched places were unaware of the deadly injury
to health arising from the fetid vapours. The
reckless indifference of landlords is only too much
encouraged by the lamentable want of knowledge
of the very laws of life among the lower classes.
It is a pity that our school teachers and home mis-
sionaries who visit much among the poor do not suc-
ceed in inculcating a little of this sound and prac-
tical knowledge. The closeness of the rooms in
which they live adds tenfold to the inevitable
evils arising from overcrowding. They do not avail
themselves of the scanty means of ventilation which
they possess, while in workshops, factories, &c.,
the dislike of the hands to open windows deprives
them of the one great antidote to a thousand ills.
It is not for want of ocular demonstration, as well
as scientific assertion, that the benefits of fresh air
are so little understood. It is a matter of common
observation that anyone who is much in the open
air invariably enjoys better health than those en-
gaged in any indoors occupation. The able and
intelligent Coroner for Middlesex lately observed
that he found less disease among the children of
the very poor, than among those belonging to the
class above them. This difference he attributed

entirely to the fact of the former being constantly
out at play in the streets, whereas the others were
kbpt indoors in close rooms. Facts like these de-

serve to be borne in mind, since the state of our
public health does not bear a due proportion to our
advance in other respects, and we must look to

,he wider diffusion of sanitary knowledge for

improvement. But valuable as fresh air un-
doubtedly is, it will not supply the place of good
and efficient drainage, and so long as houses are
left in the condition of those in Hollybush-gar-
dens we may expect fever, cholera, and malaria

o reign triumphant. So long as the roadway

leading to such places is "six or eight inches
deep in ma& green and stagnant in places," so
long as the ill drained closets almost open into
the kitchens, and no attempt is made to make sur-
face drains, or otherwise provide for the proper
drainage of the houses we must expect to hear
of a string of deaths from preventible causes. We
must confess with shame that our cumbrous social
machinery is inadequate to secure the necessities of
life to honest working people and their families,
and incompetent to protect them against the shame-
ful cupidity, or culpable negligence, of landlords.

Too much attention can hardly be paid to the
question of prison discipline, A few remarks here
and a proposal there will not exhaust the subject or
produce the desired improvements that are so much
wanted in that direction. The letter of the Right
Hon. 0. B. ADDERLEY to the Times of yesterday is
well worthy of attention, and Deems to enter into
the discussion of the subject in a right spirit and
With a due amount of zeal. Although various pro-
Posels have been made, it is still incumbent upon
the public to consider the question gene-
-4117, ttild to reflect upon what remedial measures
ell: ei Ittr ebnee
etillo.iheeibrest to be adopted. Considering the
of our present mode of discipline, it
does not
appear that the remarks of Mr. ADDERLEY
are too strong When he says that penal treatment is
remarkable for „
complication, unintelligibility,
uncertainty, and
weakness;, Indeed, no language
seems too emphatic or ton
censorious that exposes
that the culpable indulgence has been shown to the
prisoners who have been
convicted of crimes of the
deepest dye. As usual in 8
lica cases, the very
marked partiality that was displayed' . .
could no lonpgl
worked out itsi
is
hwaenny eexcpkonsonwrei,e
be tolerated.
adagaedthei4;ta cm time
Wpashsenatonwcheicith
temporary
nals only look
in its way, no
confinement, irksome
upon prison. s as a
doubt, but yet
1 15 high
associated with uo very terrifying ideas it ' h.
time that some stringent measures should be
adopted, and in some measure, at least, that u
wholesome terror be restored to the experience of
eavce,ft,haint cerila
prison discipline. All this takes time, and is, more.
over, a very difficult thing to do. It is much
easier to point out the errors and to trace the
defects in a system than to explain exectly bow
they may be remedied, or what will constitute a
cure. This is why it is so reprehensible on the part
of the authorities to alter the regulations and to
modify the arrangements in so great a degree, bee
cause it seems almost impossible, or, at all events,
very difficult to restore anything like order to the
confused system of prison discipline, or to re-adjust
the plan of penal servitude. A comparison is here
instituted between the separate mcdes proposed by
Lord GREY and Sir A. COCKBURN. After dwelling