The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-13 00:00:00

VENING, DECEMBER 13, 18,54,

THIS ETENING,

A Grand Military Spectacle, in Two Acts, by J. H. STocqurttEz,
Rai., called THE BA.TTLE or THE ALMA, giving a vivid repre—
sentation of that tremendous conflict, upon a vast space, combining
the Stage and the Ring, and occupied by Four Mundrei Auxiliaries,
in addition to the numerous Company.

After which, LES ELITE 6 DU CERCLE will appear in thee
varied SCENES in the CIRCLE of Equestrian Talent.

The whole to conclude with a RISIBLE FARCE.

Box-oeSce open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W
Nest. Acting Manager, Mr. W. H. Cooke. Equestrian Director
Ai., Wm. Cooke, Jun.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Ting DAY —Morning 28 min.after 7 I Evening 0 nain.sit. 8
To- :clutoir - Morning 37 inin.after 8 1 Mvening 10 iniu.seL, 9

THE WEATHER.--Bus Orime, Deo. 13.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
46—highest since noon yesterday.
43—lowest this morning and during the night.
48—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 30.28.
WIND, S.W.-Light, with dull, hazy weather.

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1854.

The tone and character of the Royal Speech
was such as to disarm opposition. Although we
might, with the Hon. Gentleman who seconded
the Address, regret to find that the Speech from
the Throne did not even touch on a single' topic
unconnected with the War, yet, under " the
peculiar circumstances of the times, and consider-
ing how the mind of the whole country is en-
grossed by that one subject," we shall net com-
plain of its exclusive character, more especially as
a hope has been expressed that " other matters of
great interest and importance to the general wel-
fare will not be neglected"—an anticipation suffi-
ciently wide to cover every question of more than
local interest that has been brought under the
consideration of Parliament.

The War, its past and future management, are,
however, unquestionably the points to which the'
Legislative attention will chiefly be directed in
the first instance ; and if the prospects for the
future be auspicious, we shall be prepared to view
the past with great leniency, although we cannot
altogether forget the mistakes that have been
committed, or expect her MAJESTY'S Opposition
to refrain from occasionally indulging in a slight
sarcasm on neglected oppertunities, and the sin-
gular gullibility of Ministers in expecting that
the AUTOCRAT would prove himself to be the very
"lamb" which his " friend of forty years' stand-
ing" anticipated he would show himself to be.
The speech of the Duke of NEWCASTLE on this
part of the case was what, the country had a right
to expect, and will highly approve. It exhibited
a degree of candour highly creditable to the Noble
Duke—gracefully confessing that there had been
mistakes in the former management, owing to the
want of experience, but earnestly promising im-
provement. The ground, too, which his Grace
adopted was one that would be responded to by
every right-hearted Englishman : " Better," said
he, " that we should suffer in the estimation of
every man in the country and in the world than
that the Emperor of RUSSIA should be under the
slightest delusion as to the sentiments of the
people of England, in consequence of the existence
of any complaint against Ministers personally."
Nor did he endeavour to justify the "short-
comings" that were matters of universal notoriety.
As a 'fault honestly acknowledged is more than
half atoned for, we should suppress the many
tehimeilpaarste,
phadirit
tothe
thSeectr
seotaertyrikiatnWeyardieexp
complaints that might be put forward respecting
tybeitdedbya
the Secretary for War. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT,
however, defended everything that had taken
place. According to the Right Hon. Gentleman,
there had not been any sins either of omission or
commission—all was perfection. If matters were
to do over again, he could wish for no improve-
ment. Now, we confess that this " optimism"
does not impress us very favourably as to his
competence for the future conduct of the War.
He must be singularly blind if he cannot discern
some vestiges of the errors that are so painfully
perceptible to all others, aye, even to the most
superficial observers.
But little was suffered to ooze out on the
subject to which the public attention is mainly
directed at the present crisis, viz., the Treaty
with Austria. Lord ABERDEEN removed oze of
the just grounds for public apprehension. He
declared that it contained "no stipulations
binding us to Austria in her Italian, Polish, and
"Bavarian" (query, Hungarian) possessions. He
gave no further information, merely saying that
the Government did not ask the House to express
any satisfaction at the Treaty, but merely to say
that the House had learned with satisfaction that
her MAJESTY had effected a treaty, from which she
expected good results." This was rather an un-
worthy quibble, but as it was contained in the last
speech of the evening it escaped comment, while
the public have become rather indifferent to the
servile twaddle of the septuagenarian Earl.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was more explicit. He
stated that Austria had " not even now gone the
length of saying that if peace was not made with
Russia she would be a belligerent. She had merely
gone the length of saying that she would, en
(.5,”-tain events, enter into a treaty offensive and
I 1; ferv,ive. She had likewise agreed that, before
end of the year she would tlf (1 0
the steps she would take with respect to Russia.
lie understood the article to be that, if England
tistl France propof
f,.4e-, treatypeace on the four
eases, Austria would no longer hesitate, but
would form an offensive and defensive alliance.
This is even worse than we had anticipated, and