The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-09 00:00:00

general. To prevent this, however, our Home
Secretary must be wide awake. Persons will not

risk violent attacks without the means of counter

attack. And, whether London is to become a New

Orleans or a Charleston, where every man must

guard against a foe in his neighbour, depends very

much on what our police authorities, and, if neces-

sary, our legislators, can do for us.
But what can they do ?---we shall be asked ; and,
we admit, fairly asked. They do not certainly feel
any want of suggestions. Journalists and letter

writers tender their advice in ample abundance.

Now, it is surely their province to weigh it all in
the scales of their own greater experience and
knowledge, and to do something—the evil being
simply intolerable at home, besides disgracing ns in
the eyes of the world. The means suggested—all

resolve themselves into two classes—the directly
protective and the preventive. The first is ex-
pensive. To protect effectually every street—not
only those with much traffic in them, but the side
streets and those of the suburbs, would require an
army, a sen ty actryeverorner, and to every "ter-
race," or " place," or road lined with " villas." The
expense would not be endured. The limits per-
mitted by law for a police-rate would nut permit
it, if ever so well administered. And here we
may say that, whatever faults may be charged
against the police the common one—" and a police-
man nowhere to be seen"—is not quite reasonable ;
even the boys in the streets watch the policemen
out of the way to practise their common sportive
but interdicted tricks, and it is quite certain that,
either personally, or by means of coadjutors, these
" garotters" take pretty good care to be sure that
no policeman shall be within sight or hearing when
they make an attack. Unless, therefore, the police
were sufficiently numerous to be never out of sight
of each other, complete protection, by police, is an
impossibility.
Of the preventive schemes proposed, terror and
literal physical withdrawal of the rogue from social
life, are the chief. Frighten the villains if you can.
Keep them in prison as long as the law will let
you, that we may at least have fewer of them in the
streets. The cat o' nine tails, and longer sentences
seem to be the most approved recipes for the garotte
mania which seems to have seized on the thieves of
London, and in some of the provinces too. As to
the justice of a flogging for the coward who has
stealthily injured another to rob him of a little
money, there can be no question. He merits it
far more than most • soldiers or sailors who re-
ceive it. It does not seem, however, to have
worked well in the army. It certainly is rather a
hindrance than otherwise to reformation. Still we
cannot but think that its uniform infliction
whenever the robbery had been accompanied by
violence to man, or by terrifying females, would have
a most salutary effect. It would throw the
rogues on their ingenuity, and make them afraid to
indulge their brutality ; and, of course, it would be
a great point gained, if robbed we must be, to have
it so done, that we were not injured for weeks, it
may be for life : only let there be no mercy—let the
punishment be certain. Whatever followed of im-
prisonment, let all the violent have a taste on their
own backs of what violence means.
The ticket-of-leave system as at present
worked, is now all but universally condemned.
If good behavour in prison obtain any reward, it
must be that of escaping further detention for bad
behavour, The sentence must be carried out to the
letter, but it might be law that, for every day of bad
behaviour certified to by the visiting justices, a day
would be added after the prisoner would have, other-
wise, beet. liberated. This will be sufficient to en-
sure good behaviour in prison. Care, however, must
be taken not to confound the ticket-of-leave system
as practised in England, ,with the really reforma-
tory system adopted in Ireland. On this, however,
we cannot now dilate, we can only warn our readers,
for the present, not to confound two systems which
are, really, the very opposites of each other.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR CASTLE, DEC. 8

The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Louis of Hesse
and Princess Beatr,ice, and attended by the Hon. Mrs.
Bruce, drove out this morning in a carriage and four.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hon. D. de Ros was in attendance
on horseback.
The
P droverincess in Helena,h
accompanied by the Countess
Blucher,
Prince Arthur, attonded by Major Elphinstone, left the
Castle this morning and returned to Greenwich Park.
the grounds.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the official re-
sidence of the First Lord of the Treasury in Downing-
street. The ministers present were Viscount Palmerston,
the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, Sir George Grey, Earl
Russell, Sir G. C. Lewis, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
the Duke of Somerset, the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson,
the Right llon. Edward Cardwell, and the Right Hon. C,
P. Villiers.

The Chanoellor of the Exchequer arrived in town yester-
day from Hawarden Castle, Chester.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Governor of the Mauritius. Despatches were sent
to the Governor of the Falkland Islands, and to the Lord
High Commissioner of the lonian Islands.

P ItINCESS'S THEATRE.—Last night a new one
act piece, entitled "Law versus Love," was produced here.
It is of exceedingly slight construction, scarcely giving the
excellent actors an opportunity of displaying their powers.
Mr. Clifford (Mr. It. Roxby), who is ardently pursuing a
widow, Mrs. Harlow (Miss M. Oliver), is made extremely
jealous by her encouraging a Mr. Greville (Mr. Shore) ;
this, however, is done only that she may introduce him to
a Mrs. Belmont (Miss Murray), with whom ho has a law
suit. After some twenty minutes' confusing, bantering,
and perplexity, an explanation ensues, and the trifle ends
with a few sign,4 of applause. It is announced as by Mr.
George Linley, who also composed a ballad for Miss Oliver,
entitled "I don't intend to wed," and which sho sings in
her simple and graceful manner. The theatre closes on
Saturday, in order to give atr,ple opportunity for the prepara-
tion of the pantomime, for which Mr. Beverley is superin-
tending the scenic department.
HAYMARKET THEATRE.—Last night Mr. Sothern
completed his three hundredth per&rmance of Lord Dun-
dreary, with undiminished popularity. Mr. Tom Taylor
is preparing a new drama for this clever actor to appear in
when the present remarkable "run" shows any signs of
exhaustion.

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THE DRAMATIC COLLEGE BALL.—The ball for
the benefit of this excellent': charity this year will take
place next Wednesday at St. James's .hall. The list of
stewards is large and distinguished, the arrangements have
been well planned, and the company will doubtless be large
and brilliant.

~rA
SHIP ON FIRE AND A MAN BURNED TO DEATH
AT llAuTrAroor,,-1 distressing occurrence took place in
the outer harbour of the Hartlepool Docks early yesterday
morning, in which the life of a person belonging to llartle-
pool, but latterly residing at Whitby, was sacrificed. The
name of the deceased was Ralph Day, 28 years of ago. He
is mate of the schooner Mary, of Hartlepool, the property
of Mr. Joseph Bruce. Tho vessel was lying in a tier in the
outer harbour, the deceased being the only person on beard,
the crew having been discharged. About half• past two
o'clock yesterday morning a dog in an adjoining ship was
heard barking, and a captain of a vessel lying alongside the
schooner, named Peck, came on deck, and at once saw a
volume of smoke issuing from the companion door of the
cabin; he immediately jumped on board and raised an
alarm of fire. An officer, who was on duty, heard the cry,
and he, together with a dock-gate man, made his way to
the vessel, and by the time they arrived several other parties
had b; en aroused from the neighbouring ships. Captain
Peck ventered down and found the p )or fellow lying a
corpse on the cabin floor, with one of his feet almost burnt
off. Water was thrown down in a continuous stream on
the burning framework of the cabin,and although the cabin
was completely gutted the fire was stayed before the decks
or shell of the vessel caught hold. The deceased had only
lately lost his wife, and has left five orphans in Whitby,—
Leeds Mercury.
It is estimated that in Illinois there have been
raised from 50,000 to 75,000 acres of sorghum this season,
The value of the product by syrup is estimated at one rai-
i lien dollars,