The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 5, 1863.

think it right to say that it is not the duty of a
Government to consent to the appointment of a com-
mittee which they at the same time announce that
they believe is not an impartially constituted com-
mittee. If that was the opinion of the Government
they ought to have opposed the appointment of a
committee so proposed." If this simple rule had
been adopted much confusion would have been
avoided, but Mr. GLADSTONE likes to have matters
arranged so that he may find a flaw in the proceed-
ings. Lord JOHN MANNERS very truly remarked that
the proper thing to do if a member on a committee
was disapproved of was to divide the house upon
the subject by proposing the insertion of other

names.

Although Mr. GLADSTONE contrived to word his
apology or explanation in the most ungracious way
possible, still this episode was certainly a lesson to
him that it is to be hoped he will not forget. Courtesy
and consideration are of more consequence in the
carryicgon of public business than brilliant
eloquence or sarcastic powers of debate. Mr.
GLADSTONE appears to have purposely ignored the
rules of the house in respect to Committees, in order
that he may make some ambiguous remarks he
cannot and will not explain, and then he takes
refuge in saying he meant nothing. This is trifling
with the question, because he knows that he is in
too high a position for his words to be of no conse-
quence, and it is unworthy conduct for a Minister
to make a sweeping condemnation and then to refuse
all explanation concerning the data upon which he
founds his remarks. The gentlemen who spoke
out last night on the question of the Committee
have certainly had the best of it, and there is no
doubt that all the members present thought the
Chancellor of the Exchequer had placed himselt in
a very strange position. This awkward incident
will not be without some good effect, however, if it
can possibly induce Mr. GLADSTONE to be a little
more careful for the future in regard to the tone he
adopts and the manner he employs in these personal
discussions. If he do not take heed and accept
this timely warning, he will find some day that he
has overrated his influence in the House, great as
it most unquestionably is. hon. members on both
sides consider that he carries his overbearing
demeanour to a limit quite out of character with
the prescribed rules of courtesy which should
govern all assemblies and discussions.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

MADLLE. ARTOT.

After a second performance of the " Figlia,"
which abundantly confirmed the brilliant impres-
sion of the first—Madlle. Artot, last evening, made
her debut in serious opera, and achieved a triumph
quite as decisive as that which marked her first
appearance. The opera was the " Traviate," and
her version of this unhappy heroine must be re-
garded in many respects as one of the most ori-
ginal it has yet received. It was not only
one of the most pathetic—for which the convien
partir of her Maria had sufficiently prepared us-
but with the sole exception of Madlle. Bosios' it was
the most graceful and refined rendering which this
character has enjoyed in London. Madlle. Artot
stamped it with an elegance and even a dignity
which did much to enlarge its interest, and which
were not more unusual than they were welcome to
the tastes of the patrons of this theatre.
Her merits in other respects were quite on a
level with those we have named. Her acting was
marked throughout by the deepest tenderness as
well as taste, and rose in the last act to a point
of excellence which we have never seen exceeded.
The dying struggles of the " Lost one" were traced
by the powers of a true artist. Whilst marked
by all the traits required to ensure its due reality,
this scene was so refined as to be divested of the
hideousness so often considered essential to
its effect, and thus, whilst founded upon
truth, was harmonised with beauty. Madlle.
Artot has too much genius to rely on the
mere resource of force ; she feels it may repel
even more than excite, unless duly subjected to the
graceful. Of her treatment of the music no praise
can be too great. Every air obtained its expres-
sion from the defiant and despairing gaiety of the
" Sempre Libera" (preceded by a most exquisite
rendering of the preceding "Ala Fors Lui), to the
touching pathos of the scene with Germont—the
confession of her love for Alfred, "Non sapete
qual affetto"—the duet " Dite all Giovani," in which
she resigns him to another, and, still more strik-
ingly, the delivery of the " Morro, la mia memoria,"
in which she foresees that his surrender
must be at the cost of her own life. In
none of these could the emoti9n have been
more affectingly depicted. Of a like character was
the rendering of the entire music of the last act,
which—from the tender pathos of the " Addio del
Passato," in which she bids adieu to the dream of
life and turns to heaven for forgiveness, to the pas-
sionate burst of the " Gran Diu morir si Giovani,"
in which, blest with the presence and love of Alfred,
she implores heaven yet to spare her—was stamped
with a truth as well as power that could not pos-
sibly be exceeded.

Madlle. Artot excited the greatest enthusiasm by
this performance, receiving the honour of a call at
the close of the first two acts, and of a double sum-
mons at the end. Her acceptance, therefore, by the
public is now triumphantly established, and ia;e.r
popularity will only be limited by the opportuni-
ties afforded her. She was admirably sustained on
this occasion by Signor Giuglini in Alfredo, whose
delivery of the " De Miei Boilenti" and " Parigi
0 Cara," was as perfect as it could be, the latter win-
ning the well merited distinction of an encore; and
by Mr. Santley in the Elder Germont, who sang all
its music charmingly, and more especially the " Di
Provenza," which was also redemanded. The baud
and chorus were excellent as usual, The house was
very full.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REITTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, JUNE 5.

The Berlin journals, viz., the Berliner Allge-
meine Zeitung, the Spenersehe Zeitung, the
National Zeitun,, the Vossisische Zeitung, the
Reform Zeituug, and the Folks Zeitung have pub-
lished a joint declaration, reserving their rights
in view of the Royal ordinance of the Ist inst.
relative to the press. They say that the Govern-
ment has yet to furnish the nation with proofs of
the legality of that measure.

CHINA.
(By Telegram from Suez).
SHANGHAI, APRIL 22.

The reports received here are favourable. Koo-
shang has surrendered. The siege of Chiansu has
been raised. Taelsom ?) has surrendered, and the
ga rison has declared for the Imperialists.

AUSTRALIA.
(By Telegraph from Suez.)
MELBOURNE, APRIL 25.
Parliament was opened yesterday. The fint in-
tercolonial conference has finished satisfactorily.
Australia challenges England to a horse-race, to
come off at Victoria, for £lO,OOO.

•

INDIA.
(Private Telegram.)
CALCUTTA, MAY 15,
Freights dull and slightly lower. No quotations

tary charges will be £134,000 less in 1863-64 than
in 1862-63,including a diminished payment of 50,000
to the Imperial Government for her Majesty's troops
serving in India. The guaranteed interest on rail-
way capital, less net traffic receipts, is estimated by
the Secretary of State at £1,617,825, which is
£117,825 more than the budget estimate of 1862-63,
and £192,745 more than the actual charge for 1861-
62. The total expenditure which has to be pro-
vided for in 1863.64 is therefore £44,490,425 ; and
as the total estimated revenue is £45,306,200, the
estimated surplus is £815,775,

Sir Charles Trevelyan disposes of part of his
surplus by taking off the duty on iron, substituting
for it a registration fee of one per cent. The duty
on beer, " the most wholesome of stimulants, and
the best suited to this climate," to quote the words
of the budget, is reduced to one anna (1ld.) per
gallon; the duty on wine is reduced to one rupee
(25.) per gallon; and the income tax is to be re-
duced to 3 per cent. the Ist of next August. These
deductions made, the final surplus is estimated at
£480,775.

The Times of India maintains that the real sur-
plus ought to be stated at nearly £8,000,000, inas-
much as £7,000,000 of the expenditure is for public
works. It says :—" We do not quarrel with Sir
Charles Trevelyan's appropriation of the surplus,
but we do quarrel with and protest against the
practice of smuggling an immense expenditure upon
public works through the accounts, as though we
were ashamed of letting the world know that we
had encountered it. Does Sir Charles Trevelyan
think that it would injure our credit amongst Eng-
lish capitalists were he to tell them that so easy are
the circumstances of the country, that after defray-
ing all the expenses of the State he is able gratui-
tously to devote seven millions sterling to works of
public improvement ? Is it not certain that the
avowal of such a surplus would indefinitely enhance
Indian credit with the whole capitalist class of
Europe, and encourage them to invest their gold
freely amongst us ? Of course any man may get
the facts out of these budget statements for himself.
But the accounts ought not to be presented in a
shape that renders it necessary to seek for them.
They should lie ready to every man's hand, and the
annual Indian surplus of £7,000,000 should be 'a
household word' upon every stock exchange in the
world. Mr. Laing admitted the error that was
being committed, when he told us that our ' large
expenditure on public works is really a sinking
fund admirably invested.' Of course it is ; and be-
cause it is a mere investment of surplus funds, the
accounts should show the fact so plainly that he
who runs may read it."