The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-26 00:00:00

work set in Portland cement, 165,000 cubit feet of
granite, and 46,000 cubit feet of timber. A scale
only to be eclipsed in its way upon our turn-
ing to the estimates made very recently
in regard to the quantity of material employed in
the subterranean labours connected with the main
drainage scheme of the metropolis—where (from
which estimates) we learn that the number of bricks
alone used in those Cyclop Pon tunnellings must be
set down at 100,000,000.

Not the least extraordinary part of the history of
this new and noble bridge down at Westminster,
is the manner in which, -without any disturbance
whatever of the usual traffic, it has been gradually
and quietly carried out to its completion. Gigantic
and massive though the structure thus designed,
and slowly built up under the wise supervision of
Mr. PAGE, the architect—that gentlemen has con-
trived nevertheless so to arrange his undertaking that
in the process of its development, it has slowly
grown and grown to its actual completion. Within
a brief interval of just three years in all,
the whole project has been begun and finished.
The designer may be said to have got fairly to
work, in full energy, about midway in 1859—and
here, on the 24th of May, 1862, the work is done,
the new bridge is inaugurated!

It is superfluous, of course, to remind the public
that in accomplishing this marvel there were feats
of engineering performed, that are wonderful even
in this age of engineering wonders. The mere cir-
cumstance that there have been no coffer-dams
whatever employed in the process of building up
the bridge now solidly completed, is still, and must
ever remain matter of astonishment. The
plan adopted instead being thus described :
—The piles having been driven deep
below the bed of the river, on the site of the
Pier, aerie firmly Into the LuuQuu eltiy--"ltouncl
these [piles] again were forced massive iron circular
piles, grooved at the edges, so as to admit of great
sheets of cast iron being slid down like shutters be-
tween them. When these shutters, if we may so
term, had been fixed and closed by drivers, the
space they shut in was carefully dredged out of
mud down to the bed of the river, the piles tied to-
gether with iron rods, and• the space filled in be-
tween with concrete up to low-water mark, when
the masonry—enormous slabs of granite, weighing
from eight to twelve tons—was fixed for the
pier, and on these were raised the massive stone
piers themselves." Altogether, the entire bridge
thus slowly built up, little by little, in these three
years past, spans the river with seven graceful
arches, varying in dimensions gradually from the
central one of 120 feet, which is, of course, the
longest, to the two smallest which are 96 feet—the
centre arch being 20 feet above high water level,
while the two outsiders are 16 feet above the same.
Now that the new Bridge at Westminster has been
carried thus successful to a state of completion, our
next thought, our next hope and ambition in that
way turn our regard in the direction of Blackfriars.

A curious story has reached us from quarters

which give it something like weight, or, to use the
regular phrase, from "those who ought to know."
We are not at liberty to give our readers more dis-
tinct references, but we certainly do not exaggerate

the credit which we think due to our informants.
It is to the effect that the recent speeches of Mr.
DISRAELI are part of a coalition planned to upset
Lord PALMERSTON. His last battle for the forts—
which we ourselves, with perhaps a majority of Libe-
rals, think was unwise pertinacity—has provoked
some of them beyond measure. They avow that,
" slippery as an eel," it is impossible to hold him to
any step tending to a reduction of expenditure,
and they are, therefore, ready to compel him to
quit office, and yield to more economical men.
But how was this to be managed ? His foreign
policy was popular, and Tories are not noted for
aversion to expenditure. These, then, were the

[eading ideas—Tories like office, and spending what

is to be spent, be it little or much. More would
come into Tory hands out of even reduced national
expenditure than out of a larger expenditure by
Whig. So, Mr. DISRAELI was to secure the aid of

the Tory country gentlemen, who were to join the
Manchester school in demanding large retrench-
ments. Mr. GLADSTONE, of course, could not use
his eloquence against them after his speeches. The
next thing was to insure that the Tories should for
once be able to make good their promises. For this
purpose Mr. COBDEN, or some other unofficial di-
plomatist, in whom the Emperor of the FRENCH
has confidence, should get him to proffer to the new
Cabinet a large reduction of armaments, suffi-
cient to justify them, with the applause of
the public, in considerably reducing our expendi-
ture, perhaps in even getting rid of the income tax ;
a feat which would undoubtedly enable them to
carry almost every constituency in the kingdom.
Hence, we are told, the present Tory move towards
retrenchment and economy. Hence the attack on
" bloated armaments." All things were set in order;
the "salt is even said to be laid on the EMPEROR'S
" tail"—the avowed financial reformers and other
independent Liberals were counted on, either as
active conspirators or as " accomplices after the
fact," while the whole body of the Tories was to
be moved forward in full force—Mr. DISRAELI'S
eloquence was to back the written eloquence
of " the three Panics"—the country was to
be made dissatisfied with its burdens, the
Premier was to be ousted, he was to ad-
vise her 'MAJESTY to send for Lord DERBY,
who was immediately to receive the offer from the ,
EMPEROR, which would enable the new Premier to
announce, for certain, the last year of the income-
tax. The session was then to be quickly wound up,
and a new Parliament elected to the cry, " DERBY,
DISRAELI, and no income-tax !"

year. It is reasonably assumed that Mr. GLAD-
STONE is too much a man of honour to speak as
ho has done in public of late, as well as in Parlia-
ment, did not the Cabinet wish him to do so.
Hitherto the TORIES, not the Ministry, have been
the obstacle to the reduction of expenditure. Had
the Government proposed it, we should have heard
no end of lamentations and invectives from Sir
JOHN PAKIN G TON, Mr. DISRAELI, and Lord
DERV!, on weakening the defences of the nation.
With his present narrow majority,LordPALmEnsToN
could not therefore have carried reduced estimates.
But Mr. GLADSTONE, to whose office it was appro•
priate, has been pretty plainly telling the
country, on behalf of the Ministry, if you will
demand to pay less, you shall do so. Mr.
DISRAELI sees this ground going from beneath him
and hence the very man who has just been satirising
Mr. GLADSTONE for not getting more from the
people—for not preserving larger balances in ex-
ceptional years, that the Tories might come in and
spend them—this same man now comes forward to
lecture on enormous expenditure and "bloated
armaments !" The trick is too plain not to be seen
through, but its author would little care for that if
it were but successful. There is also yet another
little hitch in the scheme ; Lord PALMERSTON
might advise her MAJESTY not to send for Lord
DERBY, but to dissolve Parliament.

Like a soldier dying bravely upon the battle-
field, the Senior Surgeon at St. Bartholomew's
Hospital breathed his last on Saturday afternoon
nobly and honourably at his post. Mr. STANLEY
is related to have expired suddenly, struck down by
apoplexy while in the discharge of his duties,
while going his customary daily rounds there,
through the wards of that great establishment, at-
tended by the usual cluster of the Students in Sur-
gery, who thus, according to the professional cus-
tom, obtain about the most valuable lessons of all
the most practical stores cf knowledge they pick up
namely, by means of clinical instructions. Nobler,
however, than the death of any soldier—the busi-
ness of whose life is (whenever such may be deemed
requisite) to destroy—was the death thus on Satur-
day of this able and gifted Senior Surgeon of St.
Bartholomew's—he whose life, there in that very
hospital, for nearly half a century, has been assidu-
ously devoted to the healing of disease and the
alleviation of suffering. Here, in truth, was a Sol.
dier, not of War, but of Humanity, passing
away from amongst us in the very midst
of his labours, in his battle-harness. So far
as relates to his position in regard to his fel-
low-men, the death of this good citizen is, in its
way, an enviable death. It is a demise, at
any rate, eminently well worthy of being
long and honourably held in remembrance. It seems
to illustrate in a somewhat remarkable, certainly in
a very startling manner, the resolute devotion of
lives, and talents, and energies, and ambitions, of
men of great worth an d'eminence, to the furtherance
of the interests of those, perhaps the noblest, of all
among our numerous eleemosynary institutions—
our London Hospitals! " Supported by Voluntary
Contributions," as the inscription upon the walls
of each, simply and emphatically indicates ! Hos-
pitals where " all the ills that flesh is heir to"
are humanely housed and tenderly cared for !
Where the lowliest and the most destitute are
received with an undistinguishing generosity.
Out of calamity often comes the happiest conse-
quence. So, we would fain hope that it may ac-
tually be in the present instance. And that, by
reason of the sudden and affecting death of the
Senior Surgeon at St. Bartholomew's, the atten-
tion of many practical and zealous philanthropists
amongst us may be directed to the furtherance,
now more energetically than ever, of those bene-
ficent institutions, with the prosperity of one of
the best of which the nntne and the fair fame of
the late Mr. STANLEY has now for nearly fifty
years been identified.

Now, supposing all went smoothly, the French
EMPEROR and all, the majority so to be procured
cannot well be doubted. It would be a nice annual
bribe, of from ten to twenty pounds, to the great
majority of ten pounds householders and tenant
farmers, and the result cannot be doubted.
What patriot would not deem himself justi-
fied in voting to save his pockets £lO a
year, if, by the help of Louis NAPOLEON,
the Tor!es could satisfy him that he in n) way in-
jured his country. But unfortunately conspiracies,
relying on the co-operation of several parties with
distinct or opposing interests, generally are weak
somewhere. Concerning the partnership or trust-
worthiness of the Emperor of the FRENCH, we most
certainly know nothing ; we only know that N.
FOULD has a desperate task in endeavouring to pre-
serve his financial balance. But as to tho indepen-
dent Liberals we already see that one of them has
made his peace with Lord P ALMERSTON, and intends
to bring all the groat power of his eloquence
to the defence of the " bloated armaments." Next
Lord ROBERT MONTAGU has proffered his enig.
rnatual resolution, which, though it reads like a
truism, may be used, a second time, to birch the
novellist orator, for truancy from Tory notions on
expenditure. All this looks as if Mr. DISRAELI was
alreadyt
not to have unanimous aid from independent
to
or
Liberals and his own benches in attacking the esti-
mates
onvethingtherehamis
more. The present
that Government
o u r expenditure
f see, asa
peace well
expenditureas the
un Tories,
)
reasonably high. It has reduced the estimates this

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1862

EBB MAJESTY'S 71-IEATBE.

VERDI'S EXHIBITION MUSIC.

If the Exhibition is a great success, the opinion
seems pretty general that the Commissioners have
been a failure. They have received what they should
have rejected, and they have rejected what they
should have received. If Mr. Palgrave, with his
precious handbook has embroiled them with the
painters, not less has their treatment of Signor
Verdi exposed them to the outcries of the musicians.
Whilst in the one case they have inadvertently
sanctioned an attack on men of genius, whose con-
tributions they had solicited, in the other by reject-
ing what they had in like manner invited, they
seem to have impugned the claims of one of the most
popular composers of the day. Into the merits of
this question we can have no occasion to enter. Their
conduct, of course, has been unintentional, and aris-
ing entirely from a misunderstanding—only on
a great national occasion when business habits are
imperative, the excuse must seem to many almost
as unfortunate as the offence. However, whatever
was the cause of the rejection of the Cantata
which Signor Verdi was requested to compose for
the opening of the Exhibition, on the ground of his
representing Italian music in the same manner that
Auber and Meyerbeer represented French and
German—the desire naturally arose among all
lovers of lyrical genius, as well as of national con-
cord, that the music so excluded should obtain
its claim elsewhere. This was felt to be no less
due to one of the most eminent of living writers
than to the public expectation, which had been so
much excited by the matter. Mr. Mapleson, there-
fore, very properly felt compelled to reply
to this demand, and to offer the means of reparation,
by presenting the boards of Her Majesty's
Theatre as a highly effective vehicle, and there ac-
cordingly on Saturday evening, after the perform-
ance of the "Barber of Seville," the cantata
was produced, and it gives us great pleasure to add,
with the most unqualified success. Nothing could
be more perfect, in the first place, than the per-
formance of this music. The chorus was enlarged
on this occasion to upwards of two hundred voices
—selected from the principal London choirs—and
all the solo strength of the theatre was added to this
force, including that of the sisters Marehisio and
Signora Trebelli, Signors Guiglini, Armandi,
Zucchini, Mon. Gassier, and, we are pleased to say
in addition, Mr. Santley ; whilst the only change of
the treatment from its original design was one
which few persons we fancy would be found to de-
mur to, namely, that of the transposition of the solo
part from a tenor to a soprano, in consequence of
its passing from Signor Tamberlik to the hands of
Madlle. Titiens. Never was the incomparable
voice of this greet singer more nobly employed than
on this occasion, or exerted with more success.
The construction of this cantata has a simplicity and
dignity quite in accordance with its purpose.
It consists of but three divisions. An
opening chorus of " The people of all
nations," a solo, culminating in a prayer, by
" one of the people," and a concluding chorus, or
finale, embodying the national airs of England,
France, and Italy. It opens with a well-marked
passage for the bass voices in unison, upon the
words " Gloria per cieli," to which the entire chorus
replies in harmony, and to the soprano voices are
next allotted a very charming phrase at the second
verse of the chorus, " E in Questo di Giocondo," the

whole forming a gradully augmenting and very
happy introduction to the solo " Spettacoli sub-
lime," in which the cantata paints in noble strains
the moral and artistic triumph of the exhibition, as
contrasted with the barbarous results of warfare,
and so rises by a natural expansion to a hymn of
wonderful beauty to the Giver of all Good, whose
blessings are not less evidenced, than whose pater-
nal will is endeavoured to be obeyed by the great
event whose noblest feature is its spirit of fra-
ternity. This hymn, which is just es exquisite
in its melody as in its feeling, cannot fail to
become generally popular, and survive as a worthy
memorial of a true genius and a great occasion.
The finale, which takes up in succession the Eng-
lish, French, and Italian national airs, is very ad-
mirably instrumented, as is also the whole of the
recitative leading up to the hymn, and brings the
music to a conclusion with the greatest vigour and
variety. The performance of this work was aaper-
feet as could be given, and its reception, we need
nut add, NY tl3 cutLuziaztin to a degree, Madlle
Titiens' delivery of the hymn—" Signor the sulla
terra"—must alone have insured a great impression,
and the chorus and band throughout were not un-
worthy of her efforts. The consequence was, that
though the time was Saturday night, and close on

the stroke of 12 o'clock, the cantata was warmly
encored, and given a second time with even more
fervour than the first. Signor Verdi, as will be sup-
posed, enjoyed a due ovation. First led forward by
Madlle. Titiens, he was summoned three times
by the audience, and amidst a shower
of bouquets and floral crowns, received
the heartiest testimony that his delighted
patrons could present him. The cantata is to be
repeated to-morrow evening, together with the
" Semeramide ;" and can scarcely fail, we should
suppose, to become as attractive as it is meritorious.

Its performance was preceded by a second and very
successful representation of the " Barbiere," in
which Signora Trebelli renewed her marked im-
pression in the young Spanish inamorata. Her
clear and brilliant voice, her thorough musical
culture, and her true Italian feeling, all
qualify her to do justice to the spirit as well
as richness of the great maestro, Rossini,
who is only to be interpreted by a delicacy and
grilse that duly elevate facility. Her una voce was
an abundant illustration of these qualities, and not
less her share in the " Dunque io son ;" whilst her
singing lesson iu the second act, in which she sub-
stitutes Signor Arditi's bacio"—for the
usual Rhodes's variations, was an additional testi-
mony to the elegance and spirit of her style. Alto-
gether her Rosina must be regarded as her most
suocessful effort. Signor Bettini was the Alma-
viva, and delivered its music with all its deli-
cacy, if somewhat wanting in its spirit.
Mons. Gassier was the Figaro, and certainly the
most animated, and, saving Ronconi's, the very best
the stage possesses; and Signor Zucchini made his
second appearance in Dr. Bartolo, and displayed all

. -
the evidence of a comic artist, and a good singer.
The band and chorus were irreproachable. The
house was well attended.

Lady Louisa Mills was safely delivered of
a daughter on the 23d inst., at her residence in Grosvenor.
square.

THE JAPANESE MISSION.—This morning at 9
o'clock the Japanese Ambassadors, accompanied by Mr.
Macdonald and about six or eight of the principal officers
in their suite, left London for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, start-
ing from King's-cross station and travelling as far as York
by the Great Northern Railway. The principal object of
their visit to Northumberland is to see a coal-mine in full
operation. It is said their own country, among ()they
mineral products, contains coal, but that the people know
little or nothing of the proper modes of working and ren-
dering it available for use.. Hence the trip of the Ambas-
sadors to Newcastle. '1 here they will arrive about half-
past 4 or 5 this afternoon, and stay overnight at the hotel
attached to the central railway station. The whole of
Tuesday they will spend in some part of the coal• field in the
immediate neighbourhood. Early on Wednesday morning
they will start from Newcastle to Liverpool, travelling as
far as Carlisle by special train. On 'Wednesday evening
they will be entertained at a banquet by the mayor and
corporation of Liverpool. They will return to Landon by
way of Birmingham, making a short stay in the metropolis
of the Midland Counties to see some of the principal objects
of interest there. Their trip to the north will be more
hurried than they could have wished ; but expecting, as
they do, almost daily the arrival here of Mr. Alcock, the
English Minister in Japan (accompanied by a high official
personage from their own country, bearing despatches),
they are anxious to lose no time in retaining to London,
consistently with the desire to witness all that is calculated
to interest them in the three great towns which they have
elected to visit, Yesterday they paid a visit of ceremony
to Baron Bentinck, the Minister of the Netherlands at this
Court, and the greater part of Saturday they spent at Hen-
don at a farm occupied by Mr. Claridge, the proprietor of
the hotel at which they are quartered, and where they
played at cricket and football, and engaged in some feats
o' archery. Arrangements have been made by the autho-
rities at the Foreign-office for affording them a sight of the
great spectacle on Epsom-downs on the Derby-day. They
Will travel by road in two open carriages, each drawn by
four horses, with a couple of postilions, and preparations
have been made for their proper reception and entertain-
meat at the grand-stand,