The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-09 00:00:00

THIS EVENING, JAN. 9,

Will be presented the highly Popular New Nautical Mel O-drama,
in five taoleaus, with new scenery, the Sea of Ice, &c., new
dresses and appointments, called THE THIRST OF GOLD; or,
THE LOST SHIP AND TEIE WILD FLOWER OF MEXICO.
Principal characters by Mess.rs. B. Webster, Keeley, Paul Bedford,
0. Selby, Parselle, Marsden, Re. ; Madame Celeste, Mrs. Leigh
Murray, Miss F. Masked, Re. ; with an entirely new grand specta-
cular legendary Christmas piece, in two act,, with new scenery,
dresses, machinery, and appointments, called NUMBER NIP, or
THE SPIRIT .BRIDE. Principal characters by Madame Celeste,
Mrs. Keeley, Miss Woolgar, Miss M. Keeley, Miss Cuthbert, Miss
C. Harding ; Messrs. Paid Bedford, J. Rogers, Romer, G. Lee, &c.

P.OYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan.
THIS EVENING, JAN. 9,
Will be performed THE FIRST NIGHT. Characters by Messrs.
Alfred Wigan, Leslie, Lindon, Harwood, Cooper, and Vincent ; Miss
P. Horton, and Miss Wyndham.
To be followed by THE CAMP AT THE OLYMPIC. Charac-
ters by Messrs. A. Wigan, F. Robson, Morton, and Galli ; Mes-
dames A. Wigan, Stirling, P. Horton, Chatterley,
Followed by THE WANDERING MINSTREL.

STRAND THEATRE.

Bole Lessee, Mr. F. W. Alicroft.—Directress, Miss Rebecca Isaacs.

THIS EVENING, JAN. 9,

Will be performed LA SONNAMBULA.
To be followed by THE IRISH TUTOR.

Aftv which, a new grand Comic Christmas Pantomime. entitled
RARLEQUIN AND KING NUVCRACICER ; or, The World of
Toys. Clown, by the inimitable Flexmore ; Harlequin, Mr. Bologna;
Pantaloon, Mr. Griffiths ; Columbine, bliss Goward.
Stalls, ss. ; Boxes, 43.; Pitt, 2g.; Gallery, Is. ; Private Boxes,
li. Is., to be had 01 Mr. Allcroft, 15, New Bond-street.

In consequence of the brilliant and Fashionable Assemblage of the
First, a SECOND GRAND viORNING PERFORMANCE will
take place on TaURSDAY NEXT, JAN, 12, commencing at two
o'clock, at

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Continued and brilliant career of unequalled holiday Attractions,
superb Spectacle, incredible Feats of the wondrous Elephants, and
the most gorgeous and successful Pantomime of the season.
THIS EVENING, JAN. 2,
(And during the week)
To commence with the Greatest Wonder in London, the PER-
FORMING ELEPIIANTS.
Followed by a Reche'clae Routine of Scenes of Equestrianism in
THE ARENA, supported by the Elite of Europe's Equestrian
Artistes.

Concluding with Mr. W. Cooko's itrimensely successful COMIC
PANTOMIME, written expressly for this Theatre, by Mr. NELSON
LEE, entitled BILLY BUT CON'S JOURNEY TO BRENTFORD ;
or, Harlequin and the Ladies' Favourite.
New scenery, dresses, decorations. and appointments, magnificent
Car of Industry, &c. Harlequin, Mr. H. Hemmings ; Columbine,
Mdlle. Christine; Pantaloon, Mr. Lehman; and Two Clowns, Mr.
C. Adams and Mr. Croueste ; Sprites, Masters Gee and Bradbury.
The Ladles' Favourite by Mr. W. Cooke's Pet Steed, BEAUTY.
Box-ofliec open:from Eleven, till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W.
West.

DAILY WEATHER TABLE.

MONDAN, JAN. 9, 1854.

State of the wind and weather at each of the following
places at nine o'clock ou Saturday morning. The stations
are arranged in order of latitude.
FOLKESTONE—S., strong breeze—overcast.
TUNBRIDGE—S., strong breeze—overcast.
GREENWICH—E., strong breeze—rain.
STROOD—S., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
SWINDON—S.F.., fresh breeze—heavy rain.
BIRMINGHAM—S.E., gentle breeze—foggy.
YARMOUTH-S., gentle breeze—overcast.
HOLYHEAD—S.E., strong breeze—heavy rain.
WHITBY—S.E., gentle breeze—overcast—hard frost.
DARLINGTON—E., gentle breeze—overcast—frost and
snow.

The returns from the following places indicate the state
of the weather on Friday morning at nine o'clock
FOLKESTONE—W., gentle breeze —overcast.
BIRMINGHAM-W., strong breeze—foggy.
LANCASTER—S.E., calm—snow.
WHITBY—S.E., gentle breeze—foggy.
DARLINGTON—N., gentle breeze—overcast—light snow.
SHAP— N.E., calm—snow.

HIGH WATER AT 'LONDON BRIDGE.
This DAv —Morning 8 min.after 10 Evening 40 min.aft. 10
To-Molutow--4Morning 15 min.after 11 I Evening 46 min.aft. 11

THE WEATHER.—Siva OFPICS, JAN. 8.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE-
-50 —highest since noon yesterday.
43—lowest this morning and during the night.
49 —this day at noon.

BAROMETER, 29'07.
WIND, S.W.—Light breeze, and fine, thawing weather,

JANUARY 9.

50— highest since noon yesterday.
40--lowest this morning and during the night.
43—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 29'18.
WIND, S.S.E.—Light breeze, and muggy weather.

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LONDON, MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 1854.

Jacta est alia—at last—after so many weary
months of deliberation. The combined fleets
have entered the Black Sea according to intelli-
gence dated the 30th of December, from Constan-
tinople. Exactly the date, it will be remarked, of
that notable circular from the hand of M. DR.OTTYN
DE L'Huvs, which appeared in the Moniteur of
Friday, and which has not unreasonably been re-
garded. as tantamount to a declaration of war
against the. Russian AUTOCRAT by the French
Government. It is consequently more than ever
improbable that the haughty temperament of the
CZAR will permit him to accede to the proposals
recently transmitted for his acceptance to St.
Petersburg. Flushed with victory ; excited to
more than common fury by the inflammatory re-
membrance of the Sinope massacre ; irritated
against the Western Powers, but especially against
England, by the knowledge that he has been tempted
on, from one act of audacity to another, by the
weakness and double-dealing of Aberdeenism ; con-
fident in the strength of his position ; pledged to
advance along the course upon which he has long
since formally adventured ; pledged to this on-
ward movement in the presence of his own people,
and in the face of observant Christendom—the
Emperor NICHOLAS cannot now concede to the
requirements of his antagonist, for by so con-
ceding he would only accept now without a strug-
gle what at the worst he would be compelled to
accept, after a disastrous campaign, namely, and
in the fullest sense of the words, " a heavy blow,
and a great discouragement." Therefore, the result
of all this must be—war—war, fierce, inveterate,
and implacable. A war, that might have been
of vigour on the part
warded off by a timely show
of the allies of Turliey—but one which has been
magnified, and intensified, and rendered altogether
inevitable by their elaborate pusillanimity and
their drivelling negotiations. A war of a deadly
and ferocious character must at length commence
in earnest, and this war the fruit of Aberdeenism !
It will now have to be seen how soon after the
receipt of this important announcement of the en-
trance of the combined fleets into the Black Sea,
MM. DE BRUNOW and DE KISSELLEFF will take
their departure from London and Paris, on their
return to their imperial master at St. Peters-

burgh. It will, moreover, have speedily to be
discovered what part will henceforth be assumed
by Austria in this extraordinary alteration of cir-
cumstances. No considerable time can now elapse
before the world shall learn whether or no the
Vienna Cabinet will amaze the family of nations
by that " enormous ingratitude" threatened long
since by Prince SCHWARTZENBURGH. In the fami-
liar terms of a great statesman, three courses lie
open to the House of Hapsburgh at this critical
juncture in the affairs of Europe—to side with
1 Russia, or to side with the allies of Turkey, or to
adopt a system of neutrality. A similar problem
has to be solved by Prussia—the Berlin Cabinet
looking, however, with rather more solicitude to
the west than to the north—to Paris and London
than to St. Petersburgh. Will FRANCIS JOSEPH
and FREDERICK WILLIAM—that is just now "the
question" uppermost in the public mind under the
emergency—adopt the line of policy so sagaciously
assumed of late by the Councils of Stockholm and
of Copenhagen ? Will there be anything con-
tagious in the influence of this Swedish and
Danish neutrality ? It is an inquiry fraught, of
course, with peculiar interest, all things consi-
dered. But, happily, it cannot be regarded as one
in any way vitally affecting the fortunes of war be-
tween Russia aided by Persia (save the mark !)
and Turkey, backed by the maritime armaments
of France and England. Brought at length into
actual collision, the opposing forces must there-
fore speedily, though far from bloodlessly, bring
matters to a definitive conclusion. Not that
we place any sort of value upon, or that we
have ever regarded as otherwise than simply ri-
diculous, Mr. COBDEN'S braggadocio about crump-
ling up Russia like a piece of waste paper—say,
for example, like the Vienna Note ! No—power-
ful Russia undoubtedly is, from the vastness of
her territorial bulk, and from the numerical
strength of her barbarian population—formidable
she unquestionably must be, wielded as her strength
is by the strong arm of au irresponsible despot
—dangerous she obviously must be, directed as
her Autocratic Councils are by no regard for
morality or high principle. But—energetically
opposed by France and England, by the greatest
military and the greatest maritime power of Chris-
tendom—her mighty energies might be rendered
altogether innocuous even to those neighbouring
provinces which have been hitherto threatened
with absorption into her vast dominions. In this
we have every confidence—but it is a confidence,
humanly speaking, based upon the proviso that
the antagonism opposed to the CZAR by the Courts
of St. James's and the Tuileries be one, in its
character, complete and thorough. That such a
course will even now be adopted, yet a while, we
have, honestly, but little anticipation. We can-
not but bear in mind that if France is guided at
this moment by the chivalric energy of NA-
POLEON England has her councils presided
over by the weak and timorous ABERDEEN.
That is a remembrance that brings palsy
to our hopes, and compels us to regard
with suspicion rather than pleasure the
announcement of the advance of the combined
Fleets through the Bosphorus. Standing upon
the verge of a mighty war, we bear in mind with
a bitter sense of anxiety that a notorious sympa-
thiser with Russia presides at this crisis in Eng-
land at the head of a Germanised Government.

A shining light has been extinguished—the
last surviving member of the native Parliament of
Ireland. One of the brightest of that brilliant
galaxy of genius that illuminated the Irish Fir=
mament towards the close of the 18th and the
beginning of the 19th century has fallen. WIL-
LIAM CONYNGHAM, Lord PLUNKETT, full of years
and full of honour, has been removed to another
and a better world, and left none superior behind
him. It is true that the mighty dead had long
retired from public life. For more than twelve
years he had resolutely abstained from politics,
enjoying to the full extent the otium cum digni-
tate, which he had so richly merited during his
protracted, laborious, and eminently successful
career ; and even previous to his secession, he
had long passed the term allotted to human exist-
ence, much less to human labour. He had at-
tained a ripe old age—seventy-seven years—be-
fore he resigned the seat which he had so nobly
achieved on the Irish Woolsack, under circum-
stances that caused no little annoyance to the
illustrious veteran, and caused the deepest indig-
nation among men of all classes in society, and
every shade of political opinion in Ireland.
From that time he spent his life tranquilly
and happily at his country seat. From his
advanced age, it may easily be anticipated that his
activity of intellect had not continued to the last.
He felt that lie had to deplore the ingratitude of
those with whom he had long co-operated, and to
whom he had rendered the most important and
efficient services ; and though he brooded long and
deeply over the unmerited wrong, the wanton
insult he had sustained, these were moments when
his imagination was excited and the sparkling
brilliancy of his conversation showed the splendour
of the gems that once filled the casquet. From
his years and his infirmities he could no longer
render services to the community ; but he was not
the less to be regretted. As a splendid relic of
the olden time, he afforded a salutary example
of the advantages of the British Constitu-
tion, which offered to every man of genius
and energy a prospect of attaining a position so
dignified, enjoying not merely the respect and
esteem, but the reverence and gratitude, of the
people whose fathers he had so long and faithfully
served. The rising generation saw in the fine
old man one who had won by his own exertions,
honour, wealth, and .title—who, as the younger
son of an humble Presbyterian clergyman, had
started in life with few advantages, and risen to
the highest rank in his profession,—who was even
indebted for the means of completing his educa-
tion to the high-minded generosity of the congre-
gation to which his father had ministered, which
provided the means not merely of paying the
debts of their deceased pastor, but of keeping at
school and sending to the University his youngest
son, who might otherwise have had to encounter in-
superable difficulties that might have led to a very
different and much earlier termination of his ca-
reer then commencing than that we are now record-
ing. Mr. PLUNKETT offered the best return for this
act of generosity by the manner in which he availed
himself of the advantages thereby placed within
his reach. It is equally honourable to him to
state, that out of the first fruits of his labours ho
repaid to
every subscriber the fall amount that
lie had advanced with interest ; not merely that
expended for his own use, but for liquidating his
father's—thus satisfying the claims of a past before
he began to provide for those of a future genera-
tion. His integrity prospered. While yet a young
man, lie had elevated himself, and was deemed
worthy of an alliance with a wealthy and highly
respectable family, and of a seat in Parliament.
There lie distinguished himself by his determined
and fearless opposition to the Minister of the
day. He steadfastly and energetically opposed the
Union, braving every danger, and ready to sacri-
fice all his prospects to maintain what lie then
believed to b the independence of his native land.
He subsequently saw cause to alter these opinions,
and to recognise the benefits afforded to Ireland
by that—we shall not call it connexion—but
" amalgamation"—that she was far better as au
integral portion of a mighty kingdom than a petty
nation, which must necessarily have fallen a prey
to the first aggressor, if it had not previously been
destroyed by intestinal commotions and dissen-
sions.

With the Union Mr. PLUNKETT lost for several
years his position as a legislator. He could not
for some time obtain a seat in the Imperial Par-
liament. He did not, however, deteriorate in his
profession, for, in 1803, he was appointed Solici-