The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-15 00:00:00

A:•,PIiIT;Li;AC,,r,

LeAsee and Manager, Mr. Willifun Cooke.
'l.•,ortly pro.luccd, a Grald EQUESTRIIN BURLESQUE
-I.7XING, •

TII`S

THE COSSACKS; or, Vive la Franca.

Attpr which, tiC EN ES in rile ARENA, Invented and arranzed by
Will'.arn Cooke. Miss Emily Cooke, the wonder of the world,
will have the hcnour of atloearing. Grand Entree by 12 ladies. The
U,:on of Eir.:l-ind a,d France.

CHRISTOFF, Premier Funambule on the Tight Rope.
To conclude with the new Equestrian Ballet d'Action, by Mrs S.
G. Healey, mile THE. KNIGIII AND TilE WATER LILY; or,
Love ain.,ng the Mermaids.

C;od-o ice ope; fro si Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W.
West.

if GB WAT ER AT LONT ON L'ILIDG .

Trii3 DAY —MArniag 29 min.aftor ( Evening 50 mina*:.. 6
1,-,-^4R.t,W--.V 12 min.after 7 j I'-lveniPg 37 Tn'3-'..t. 7

K.ATEER.—Sus Orinca, AUG. 15.
THET-7,IOIIETIM. Tiro SHADE.
76 —}ii7hezt since noon Yesterday.
55—Lowest this morning and during the night.
69 —this day at noon.
B3.ROIrETNR. 20'25.
Thyn. S.W.—Light, with heavy clouds, portending,
rain ; afternoon, flue sunshiny weather, with fresh breeze.
THREE O'CLocic.—The wind has suddenly shifted to
N.W. and North, with a very stonily aspect and heavy
gusts—denoting a thunderstorm.

N _
Fff:L
7,;•

June last, while there is the assurance that the
portion of the line, equal by the way to an im-
portant English one, is already brought into good
working order. The working expenditure has,
of course, been high under such circumstances,
but it would be very unreasonable to expect that
it could have been otherwise. The working of
another year will, however, we have no doubt,
more than verify the anticipations of the Directors
in this respect.

The Victoria-bridge—the connecting link be-
tween the Western and Eastern divisions of dif-
ferent sections of the line—is progressing satisfac-
torily. When completed, it will cast even that
on the Chester and Holyhead line into the shade,
and prove, indeed, an additional wonder of the
world.

We cannot con dude without offering our hearty
congratulations, not only to the Shareholders in
this important line, but also to every one inte-
rested in the development of civilisation, and the
consequent harmonising of the world ou the ex-
tension of the principle, which, next to that of
printing, is calculated to benefit mankind and
improve their social position.

Among the notices given for the commence
ment of next session is one from the Honourable
and Learned Geatleman the member for Bath,
that ho will bring in a bill for the more effectual
prevention of assaulta on women and children.
Flom what has all eady fallen from Mr. PHINN,
we can, without any extraordinary pretensions to
foresight, venture to foretell the nature of the
contemplated measure. He clearly pointed out
the inadequacy of the enactments already carried
to control the brutal and unmanly propensities of
truculent scoundrels, who have earned an un-
happy notoriety for themselves by their ill-treat-
ment of their unfortunate partners. Ho felt that
nothing could degrade a man who had already
fal!en so far as to lift his cowardly hand against
a woman, one, too, whom lie had solemnly vowed
"to love and cherish," to sustain and support.
He, therefore, thought that in such cases corpo-
ral punishment could properly be administered ;
that it was, in fae, the only suitable means of
checking those who chose to act as domestic
tyrants, and to maltreat those unable to defend
themselves. Experienco has shown the accuracy
of the Hon. Gentleman's views in one respect.
The remedies hitherto in force have proved totally
inadequate to the disease. Although "summary,"
they have not been by ar.y means sufficiently
" sharp and decisive." The scoundrel who
maltreats his unfortunate wife or children knows
how essential he is to their comfort. Although
he may frighten all those who live under the
same roof, he is yet " the bread-winner," the
person who provides daily sustenance for the
inmates of his dwelling. If lie be sent to Prison,
they must, in all human probability, also go to
the Workhouse. If he gets the tread-wheel, or
crank, they have to submit to annoyances nearly
as vexatious. The innocent are, therefore,
punished as well as the guilty. There is a great
and natural repugnance to preferring a complaint
that may be followed by such untoward results.
Besides, strange as the operation may be, these
valorous women-beaters do not form a just con-
ception of the horrors of incarceration. They
fancy that it is a species of holiday, during which
they are "to sit at home at ease," without any-
thing to disturb their repose. We frequently
find wretches of this kind chuckling with
satisfaction at the anticipated sufferings of
their families previously to their transmission by
the p lice to the Prison or House of Correction to
which they are about to be consigned. It is true
that in a very brief space their disposition will be
materially altered, and that they will find oil
the laughing proceeding from " the wrong sides of
their mouths," but their boon companions, those
ready to spend all their earnings in disAipatiou
and riotous living, and to appease the pangs of
conscience by thrashing their wives and children,
will not be aware of the salutary change. They
will see the ntis,ifeant as he appeared at the
Police-.ourt, defying the authorities, and not as
he really was in his miserable cell, while under-
going the well merited expiation of his
offence. The example—that alone can check
such proceedings—is therefore wanting, and the
offence, which has cast a deop stain and
reproach on the English name, has gone on
increasing both in quantity and quality, notwith-
standing the summary penalty to which. the
offenders are liable.
We are not the advocates of corporal punish-
ment ; we do not, generally speaking, consider
flagellation either expedient or justifiable. But
we agree with Mr. PHINN in thinking that it offers
the only reasonable prospect of checking the
pranks of the cruel assailants of women and
children. Those of the most cruel dispositions
are also invariably the most cowardly. Persons
most ready to inflict pain on others are the least
willing to endure it themselves. The knowledge
of an adequate retribution, in the shape of a few
dozens of lashes from the cat-o'-nine-tails, would do
far more to check the practice than a severe
punishment in the shape of protracted incarceration.
Flogging would be fully understood. The disgrace
to the sufferer would be far greater than that of
imprisonment, and the example would therefore be
more valuable. Of course the power should be
exercised with great caution, and the entire pro-
ceedings of the court by which the sentence had
been pronounced should be subjected to the
closest revision. We have no doubt, however,
that Mr. PHINN will provide the necessary ma-
chinery for carrying out his views, and we have
no doubt that ho will now obtain the support
which was only withheld until the last potent re-
medy had been fully and ftirly tested—had been
weighed in the balance and found wanting.