The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-08 00:00:00

of the last two or three weeks has supplied them
THEATRE ROYAL DRURY - LANE.
j ust now with something to grumble about. In
the sheaves have ben ready for the stack
Managers, Messrs. Edmund Falconer and F. B.
gthe past
Cha.tterton.—The Public is respectfully informed that the
above (the National) Theatre will be 01'14:NED for the rkshire
week, and every
WINTER SEASON, on SATURDAY NEXT, Septembed
12th, when will be produced an entirely new an
of
.nee or four times Burin
original Comedy, by Edmund Fal-oner, Author
" Extremes," " Woman." " Peep o'Day," t,me the rain has compellednderatorms and heavy rains
entitle.nd
NATURE'S ABOVE ART : A Romance of the Nurserty,
Ryder, Ba,rre the gathering. The the postponement of
which Messrs. Walter Lacy, Addison,
i n this quarter thunderstorms
and there is unfortunately Belmorek F. Charles, Neville; Miss Charlotte S3aiurns,
Miss Murray, Miss R. Leclercq, Mrs. Melville, nd have entirely prevented the loading,
mend Falconer. assisted by other artists, 7aill eri'ar". -
After the Comedy will be presented a Popula Farce, prin-
ters by favourite members of the Company. a good deal of grown
Zal-oillileaeraoceen from Ten till Five daily. grain in low and damp parts, so that the thrashi •
ng
will have to be deferred for some time. It is sin-
gular in such an abundant season to find the
northern millers are compelled to h pure rise stock in
the south, where the harvest has been gathered in.
Still the turn of the north will come presently, as
the quality of the crops appears to be everywhere
highly spoken cf. Wheat, in particular, is first
rate. Several farmers in the eastern counties have
thrashed out seven to eight quarters per acre ; and.
in Northumberland and in same of the better culti-
vated of the Scottish counties the wheat crop has
never been excelled. Although not yet thrashed
out, the colour and general appearance of the crops
promise the most satisfactory produce. Oats are
less favourably spoken of, but barley, although defi-
cient in some quarters, is in others very promising.
Much depends on the weather we may have during
the next few weeks, and we must, therefore,
trust that so fortunate a summer will have an
equally welcome ending. The appearance of the
potatoes is another matter for rejoicing. Since
the deadly blight first appeared that carried such
desolation to Ireland, and has made itself felt more
or less ever since, there has never been so little
disease as there is this season. The two staple com-
modities of the poor will therefore be good, cheap,
and plentiful, a fact which at any time is a national
blessing, and will, we may hope, go far towards
averting any feeling of discontent that might arise
at the continued deficiency of the cotton supply,
and will also serve in some measure to lessen the
distress still weighing heavily on the energies of

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Lessee, Mr. George Vining,
Open under the Management of Mr. Walter Montgomery.
Tins EVENING, Shakeepere's Tragedy of RICHARD
111. Richard, Duke of Gloster, Mr. Walter Montgomery.
To be followed by FAMILY JA
Its. Y
Commence at 7.

v.vv- E N Flit,. VJ YAL, ADELYEL—..
:461A Prom'lator and Manazer. M'. B. Webgter.
ITs EVENING (?d week), at 7, a new comic drama, TUE
n MS' AND CHICKENS ; or, A Sign of Airtiltion. Messrs.
Billington, K. Phillips, Stephenson ; Mrs. Stirling and Miss
Simms.
•

After which, at a quar`er-past 8, the new drama of THE
HAUNTED MAN; olt, T E GHOST'S iSARGAIN, in
which will be exhibited Professor Pepper's adaptation of
'be Great Spectral Illusion. Messrs..J. L. Toole, R. Phillips,
efton. C. J. Smith; Mrs. Altred Mellon and Miss H. Simms.

Followed by a new Burlesque, entitled ILL-TREATED
IL TROVATORE. nissrs. Toole. P. Bedford, R. Phillips,
Ebnrne, C. J. Smith, Romer; the Sisters Nelson, Carry and
Sari, and 3liss K. Kelly.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. W. H. Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, HIS FIRST CHAMPAGNE. Mr.
Leigh Murray.

Followed by (44th time) THE MOTTO, " I'M ALL
THERE." Messrs. Honey, Turner, N. Danvers, Collier,
Clifton; Mesdames Ada Swanborou,gh, F. Josephs, Maria
:Simpson, Wallace, and Jenny White.
To conclude with TURN HIM OUT. Mr. Turner, Miss
Thorne.

the North.

Oa Saturday an aide-de-camp of the Emperor of
AUSTRIA delivered to the King of PRUSSIA the pro•
tocol of the deliberation of the Frankfort Congress,
and the invitation of the princes to his MAJESTY to
give it his approval. it is said that the KING re-
plied that he had nothing further to say than he
already intimated to the Emperor of AUSTRIA.
This is a very likely answer to be given by his MA-
JESTY, but rather an uncourteous one. He could
not besides ba certain beforehand of events, and
thus ,what he said to the EMPEROR clurs_ng their
brief interview at Gastein could not be taken as a
full and fair reply to the propositions that have
since been made. It shows, moreover, a dogged
determination not to be persuaded into any con-
cession whatever. In short, the present ruler of

Prussia might well express himself in the words of
the man whom no argument could affect—"l'm

open to conviction—but convince me if you can.'
One thing is certain, that every possible token of
respect has been shown to him by all those who
attended the Congress; and hence it is not just or
reasonable on his part to complain that he has been
neglected or treated with disrespect, or that these
late measures have been taken with a view to de-
preciate Prussia, and injure her position among
States. From the first that took place relating to
this affair, when the EMPEROR went in person to
solicit his co-operation ; further on, when the King
of SAXONY endeavoured to persuade him to honour
the deliberations of the assembly with his presence;
till now, when a special messenger has been des-
patched to him from the EMPEE.OR—every available
means has been taken to demonstrate attention. IL
is always easy, however, for people to make these
shuffling excuses when they have no valid ground
for their objections, or aro ashamed or afraid to
tell the truth. Thus we find the King of PRUSSIA
taking refuge in obscure or vague reasons that he
gave long ago for his refusal, taking no heed of the
chances and changes that had been wrought since
by circumstances, and his Ministers openly assert-
ing, in their address concerning the electors, that
the object of all the proposals of the Congress is to
stultify Prussia, and to injure her interests. The
assurance that is requisite to carry out some inten-

tions is really surprising ; but thti last exploits of
a political nature in Prussia are almost incredible.
It is astonishing to find rulers and statesmen
doing their utmost to suppress all liberty, and
professing, such virtuous indignation against those
who are inviting them to carry out reforms for
not going far enough, when they really abhor an y
progress.

The revised report on Fir© Insurance Duties calls
attention to a subject of great importance, and that
ought not to be trifled with any longer. It is true
that Mr. GEORGE COODE, in his elaborate calcula-
tion, has endeavoured to prove that the tax is a fair
and eqaitable one, • but it must appear to many
observers that he has made out a one-sided state-
ment, and that much can be said in contradiction
of his remarks. Mr. COODE denies that it is a tax
on prudence, or opposed to morality or public
policy ; but it is strange how he can make this out
when nothing prevents small householders, or em-
barrassed holders of property, from insuring but the
heavy sum that is charged. On the lowest premium
that is taken for the lowest risk against fire, for
instance, there is 200 per cent. charged, the duty
being 3s. on ls. 6d. Surely this is a monstrous over-
charge, and because it is only to London that this
rate is confined it does not improve matters, because
of course the chief extent of insurances on a small
scale would be in the metropolis and its environs.
This real arrangement of the burden makes the act
of insuring almost impossible to those of impove-
rished means; hence when any casualty takes place
by fire of course the unhappy holders of small pro-
perties are ruined altogether. Had the law been
equitably arranged, they might have been possessed
of sufficient means, by their timelyforethth up
forethought, to
start again in business, or, at all events,
themselves and their families until some other
occupation was ready. The state of things is evi-
dently wrong which thus necessitates hardship,
risk, and even sometimes ruin,
on many deserving
members cf the community. There are many more
just taxes which might with advantage be imposed
rather than this harsh and inconvenient duty should
be retained. Like many other burdens imposed
by the State it does not matter to the
wealthy or the man of large property, but
it presses heavily on the humbler ranks, and causes
them great annoyance. It must be borne in mind
aexlseohtehaaut:he great amount of duty imposed by an
acneds of this
country,
la often a serious loss to the Insur-
tzt;,ey, for many of our met.-
and other foreign.
cahnacentcsfn,
property, insure in Ham-
burglt is the
towns in order to avoid
'hills, in Every way, is this im-
pay laying the tax here.
more h
port an undesirable one.
ict
nu se eusl t andfor
Bible, since it induces persons to
ma. a repre ee.
yield to temptation. It would oftenkbeedx
small 4 beginners, and moderate capitalists to insure
at the outset of their careers. The apparent hope-
lessness of the case, as it at present stands, offers a
reasonable excuse, and thus the matter is left in
abeyance. That_ fatal error of procrastination is
fallen into, and too late, when the evil has occurred
madness te defer." It is
does the luckless loser realise the truth of the ad-
vice, " Be wise 'tisto-day,
to be 01140 that nest seSeiOn :4*ls (3144D51M