The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-10 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL, HLYMARKET.

rarevrell Season of Mr. Benjamin Webster as Lessee and Manager.

THIS EVENING, MARCH 10,

Will be performed THE LOVE CHASE, by Messrs. R. Webster
(last time), StnaPt, Lambert, and Howe; Mrs. Stirling, Was Rosa
Bennett, Mrs. Selby, &c.
After which. SEELEY WORRIED BY BUCKSTONE.
After which, the Farce, called TO PARIS AND BACK FOR
FIVE POUNDS.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Under the Management of Madame Vestris.
THIS EVENING, Mazza 10.
Will be performed A PHENOMENON IN A SMOCK-F ROCE.
Characters by Messrs. C. Mathews, F. Matthews, and Hon icastle ;
Miss F. Baker and Miss C. Mitchell.
After which, the popular new Fairy Extravaganza entitled. THE
GOOD WOMAN IN THE WOOD, in which Messrs. F. Matthews,
Suter. Horncastle, and Templeton ; Madame Vestris, Miss Julia St.
George, Miss Robertson, Miss Martindale, Miss Ellis, Miss wynd_
ham, Miss Eglinton, and Miss Rosins Wright will appear.
To conclude with LITTLE TODDLEKLNS.
Sole Agent for the Private Boxes, Mr. W. Allcroft, 15, New
Bunt-street.

THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHL
Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste.
THIS EVENING, Mama 10,

By desire, the popular Drama of THE GREEN BUSHES; or, a
Hundred Years Ago. Supported by Messrs. Paul Bedford, Honey,
0. Smith, toe.; Madame Celeste, Miss Woolgar, and Miss F.
Maskell.
To conclude with (last time but one, and at second price) the
Drama of SLAVE LIFE; or, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET.
Under the Management of Mr. C. Kean.,
THIS EVENING, MAsca 10,
Will be performed CHARLES 11.
After which, the PANTOMIME.
To conclude with A ROLAND FOR AN OLIVER.

ROYAL OLYMPIC: THEATRE.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. Farren.
THIS EVENING, Meilen 10,

Will be presented THE SERGEANT'S WIFE.
To be followed by the Farce of A DEED WITHOUT A NAME.

After which, LILIAN GERVAIS. Supported by Messrs. Comp-
ton, W. Farren, G. Cooke, Shalders, Edgar, Bender, and Clifton ;
.Misses Anderton and H. Gordon.
To conclude with the Ballet of THE DUMB RECRUIT.
Box-office opeu front Eleven till Five, under the superintendence
of Mr. E. Chatterton.

ASTLET'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE..
Proprietor and Manager, Mr. W. Batty.
Positively the Last Week of Mr. Batty's Management.
THIS EVENING, Maacn 10,
And during the week, the Entertainments will commence with
for the Last Six Repsesentations, MAZEPPA AND THE WILD
HORSE, with all its original magnificent effects.
To be followed by an incomparable disply of Ratty's Scenes in the
Arena. Supported by the -drat Artistes of the day.
To conclude with a Laughable Farce.
Doors open at Hall-past Six o'clock. To commence at Seven
Pox-oboe open daily from Eleven to Four. Stage Manager, Mr.
W. West.

lIIGE{ WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tan Der --Morning 30 min. after 2 I Evening 50 min.aft. 2
To-llortow—Morning 6 min. after 3 Evening 22 min.aft. 3

THE WEATHER.—Sur OFFICE, Mer.cil 10.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.

47—highest since noon yesterday.
36—lowest this morning and during the night.
50— this day at noon.

BAROMETER, 30.25.
WIND, S.W.-Light breeze, and fine, sunshiny weather.

THE PUBLICATION OF

" THE

SUN"

COMMENCES EVERY AFTERNOON

AT THREE O'CLOCK,

AND THE

LATE OR THIRD EDITION,

CONTAINING THE
DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT THE SAME EVENING,
With all other News arriving up to the hour of Post,
AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.

EXPRESS EDITIONS
will be forwarded after the Post is closed by the

Latest Trains.

11'. •
)1A,10(
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LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1853.

The Election Petition Committees—one and all
—are discharging their important and arduous
duties ably and efficiently. For the first time,
perhaps, since its enactment, has the working of
the Grenville Act proved really satisfactory—for
the first time has it appeared to be the object of 1
the tribunals clothed with authority to decide both
on the law and the facts of each case—to elicit
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, and. to apply the existing law to the state
of facts thus brought to light, without fear or
favour, according to the actual merits of the case.
This great improvement is chiefly ascribable to the
Law of Evidence Act, which enables parties
to appear or be subpoenaed in cases in which they
are personally concerned. In many recent in-
stances, where bribery or treating had been
clearly brought home to agents, Hon. Gentlemen,
whose seats were in jeopardy, voluntarily came
forward as witnesses, for the purpose of exonerat-
ing themselves from any previous knowledge of
the corrupt andillegal proceedings carried on under
the sanction of their names. It thus appeared
that innocent, or at least comparatively innocent,
parties were severely punished for the offences of
their so-called friends who had permitted "their
zeal to outrun their discretion," and to commit
most improper and unjustifiable acts in the heat
of the electioneering warfare. How thankful
must Messrs. ASTELL, MACAULEY, MACKINNON,
ECCLES, and Sir R. PIGOT, and, above and be-
yond all, Mr. HORSFALL, be at the benefi-
cial reform in the law which permitted them
to completely remove what might otherwise
have proved grave and indelible stains on their
respective characters. From the testimony which
these gentlemen were enabled to offer, they
showed that " indiscretion,"—possibly a culpable
indiscretion—was all that could be laid to their
respective charges. It seems true that the sums
advanced might have afforded prima facie evi-
dence that there was something more than
could be required for strictly legal purposes.
But still there was no direct or positive sanction
to the corrupt practices, so disgraceful to the se-
veral constituencies, which have just been
brought to light. There was , great cre-
dulity, but no actual criminality, on the
part of the sitting Members. Indeed, the
salutary provisions of the new code rendered
it indispensable that candidates should not pry
too curiously into the application of the funds
with which, in some instances, they themselves
lavishly supplied the agents, or which, in others,
were abundantly provided by the reckless par-
tisans who so vigorously contested the supremacy
of their own colours in the different boroughs.
This, however, although it may relieve many of
the unseated members from actual participation in
these very objectionable proceedings, cannot
exempt the delinquent constituencies from the
censure to which they are so justly liable, or
the unworthy electors who betrayed their trust,
Belling their birthrights for messes of pottage,
and' exercising their most sacred privileges on the
most degraded and despicable grounds, from the
contempt they have so richly merited.
These men—the bribers as well as the bribed—
deserve the most stringent
punishment
by law for their Offen
cm- Whatever annoyance
they may sustain, or sufferings they ry undergo,
no sympathy can be excitedbe
the on their behalf.
et served them right," will
unanimoushwever ver-
dict of the oommunity. It is,
too certain, that justice will only be broughtu
home to a very small proportion of the offenders.
Many who have been habitual sinners will escape
with impunity—not even will public opinion o
brought to bear on their backsliding% it is,
we
find, proposed that all the recipients of bribes to
whom corruption can be traced, should be
disfranchised for life. It would be a
fitting expiation, but, unfortunately,
the re_
medy would be of a very homoeopathic cha-
racter—the proportion of those actually convicted
infinitesimal
ratio punished bearing an almost
ratio to those who had merited similar dooms.
In truth, the disease is too deeply seated to be
eradicated by such milk-and-water measures. The
remedy must be suited to the disease. So deep-
seated an ulcer can only be eradicated by means
suitable to the emergency. The knife must be
used with a determined and unsparing hand.
.---!-I')Plitt ' jiou.p one course that can be adopted •
.:5 ',,'Wei/U=l cure can be anticipated. "The
trolajtz
.:,.PLaIl -:,:efilfil,l'`a.:lbne protect the voter from undue
1 e-, ::: r-.114P1,4* in. itte exerciseof his franchise,whether
1,. L.--this in t 1
‘ c....i___ . ~... be exerted by way of bribery or
\------ -11X1. '' ‘ •ether t • Oril it be by Xs. d., by intoxi-
..V
customer * or by threats from landlord or ,
.., ,--r:i• .D
._ theeet elector can be induced to
swerve feo
~t.lll raightforward course, and to