The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-22 00:00:00

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.

Under the management of Madame Vestris. Sole Lessee Mr.
C. Mathews.

On Tuesday, Dec. 2i3th, 1854, will be produced a new and original
Fairy Extravaganza, entitled PRINCE PRET f YPET and THE
BUTTERFLY.

Box-olllee open from 10 until 6.
Sole agent for Private Boxes, Mr. Allcroft, 15, New Bond-street.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. William Cooke.
The Wonderful PERFORMING ELEPHANTS for this week only

THIS EVENING,

THE BATTLE of THE ALMA!
After which, the varied SCENES in the CIRCLE.

Also, the Wonderful PERFORMING ELEPHANTS, whose asto-
nishing sagacity and indescribable development of the reasoning
faculty have been the theme of universal admiration.

To c•nclnde with the MARRIED BACLIELOR.

N.R.—A MORNING PERFORMANCE consisting of the New
Comic Pantomime and Scenes in the Arena, will take place on
TUESDAY, 26th (Boxing Day) at Two o'clock.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tnie Dir —Morning 17 min.after 3 I Evening 42 min.aft. 3
To-Voslow Mornir g 8 min.after 4 1 Nvening 32 min.aft. 4

THE WEATHER.—SUN OYFICI, Dec. 22.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SLUM
52 highest since noon yesterday.
46 —'owest this morning and during the night.
55—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 29'93—falling again.
WIND, W.N.W.--Light and variable, with dull hazy
weather.

k_
cv.4j

1411.

LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1854.

The Foreigners Enlistment Bill has passed
through Committee without alteration, and tho
grand struggle will take place this evening on
the third reading. This certainly does not look
like factious opposition, or a desire .on the part
of the opponents of the measure to avail them-
selves of the forms of the House to obstruct and
delay its progress, although they could not hope
to reject it altogether. Never did any bill so
obnoxious to the country pass so easily through
both Houses. It was regarded as unconstitu-
tional, impolitic, and dishonourable to the Bri-
tish name ; and yet, although its opponents felt
that, in justice to their own characters, they were
precluded from suffering it to pass sub silentio, or
-without exposing the numerous and, as they con-
ceived, insuperable. objections to its further
progress, they were satiAflea with a. single
division in the Upper House. It was currently,
and we believe truly, reported, that Lord DERBY
held sufficient proxies to swamp the bill on the
third reading ; but in place of doing so he con-
tented himself with expressing an energetic pro-
test against the obnoxious principle, leaving to
the chosen Representatives of the people the re-
sponsibility of deciding whether it should finally
receive the legislative sanction. The consequence
was that the bill, which was only explained on
Friday evening to the Lords, was brought down
to the Commons and read a first time on Monday
evening. There was certainly nothing " factions'
up to that time. Complaints might more reason-
ably have been preferred against the more than
railway speed with which it was hurried through
the House before the voice of public opinion
could be fully expressed, or the popular indigna-
tion could penetrate into the secret recesses of
Downing-street.
Nor has there been hitherto greater justice in
the complaint against the Commons. Brought
down from the Lords a Jew minutes before the
rising of the Commons on Monday evening it was
forthwith read the first time. On Tuesday the
discussion took place, and a division was had at
the same sitting. On Wednesday it was suffered
to go into committee, but was necessarily post-
poned in accordance with the rule as to time that
exists on that day ; but last night it passed
through committee without a single division
taking place—all further opposition being re-
served for the third reading. That point will be
decided one way-or the other this evening ;so
that, in point of fact, if the Commons should again
decide in its favour, it will have passed through
both Houses of Parliament within a single
week from the time when its nature
and objects were first explained. What renders
this extraordinary speed the more remarkable is,
that the matter hid not been previously yen ti-
lated, but took the House and country completely
by surprise. It was, in fact, first heard of on
this day week—the secret previously having been
so strictly kept that not the slightest hint was
suffered to leek. out, even through the columns
of'
the favoured organ or organs.
Let us for a moment consider the effects to be
produced, should the measure pass into a law.
How are we to obtain trained and experienced
soldiers, who are expected to prove so much more
efficient than our own raw recruits? and, secondly,
how will they be treated, should they chance to
become prisoners of war, and fall into the
hands of the Russians? Mrs. GLASSE recommends
that we should first catch our hare before the

mode of dressing it be taken into consideration.

It would be well if Ministers had profited by the
...hint, and considered how they were to enlist the
new auxiliaries. The only hint as yet given is,
that they expect to tempt a considerable propor-
tion
the thirty thousand German adults who
annually
pass through this country en route to
America. In this, however, they may possibly
be mistaken, In the first place, this is not the
season of emigration.
We should have to wait
until the emergency had passed away, and all the
So that eovfentliite
reasons that led to the a
tniliee3esmul'e
had been remove -
d. c:
grants who, generally speaking, are •
riled men,
with families, cpuld be induced to abandon their
wives and children, they would not have thc oppoitu-
nity of being tempted by the QuEEN' s shilling to the
adoption of so cruel and heartless a course. We
must then go abroad to beg at the footstools of
petty princes for their sanction or endeavour to
Educe their subjects without their permission
first had aid obtained.

It is manifest that the permission of the SOTE-
SEIGN cannot be expected unless he can be Fer-